Pinnacle Perks - will Royal keep them in the long run?

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, cindivan said:

I would appreciate hearing your opinion after you cruise if your expectations were met.   I have read many things about people being disappointed when booking a suite on a cruise on which many pinnacles are typically on.   We will most likely never get pinnacle, just don’t have that much vacation time currently, but enjoy the benefits that suite guests enjoy and pay for.  So we are not in a hurry to book suites on longer and/or off-season cruises on RC.   And most responses I get to this type of comment are from pinnacles who say it’s not always that way. Which to me implies it’s that way enough to make an impact. 

 

But getting back to OPs question. If RC keeps up with their current benefits for pinnacles I think it will decrease suite desire. Personally I think airlines have it right. Keep flying to maintain your status. Same with hotels.   

 

So we will never cruise this way or that to get points because I think at some point RC will have to address this issue 

You’ll have a real tough time here getting a P to admit there is an issue. Think what they stand to lose, free beer and wine from 11-11 on Oasis Class. Now that Oasis and soon Allure, replacing current Diamond Lounge location, with cabins. The nice C&A Lounge will be gone. 
 

 

[Merion_Mom]

6 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Not quite related.. but do we know the total count of Pinnacles in CAS?

 

There were quite a few on Mariner Sept 16th. I was reading my book in the VCL, not really paying attention to folks around me and a waiter came up and asked if I wanted something to drink. Funny, I was just thinking about getting a Coke Zero. He came back with it and didn't want my card, which was odd. I started to look around and the VCL was packed.. turns out it was a Pinnacle event and someone was just turning Pinnacle. At first I was a bit offended as I thought...  "did he think I was old enough to be Pinnacle?" 😂  I would have stayed and observed, but I was not dressed for the occasion so I just high tailed it out of there... with my free Coke Zero. 

 

There are quite a few minor Pinnacles.  The youngest became Pinnacle at age 9.

[ladysail2]

4 hours ago, Andy C said:

Where RCI's loyalty program fails is when it interferes with the quiet enjoyment of premium passengers.  Passengers who pay a premium (i.e., books suites, travel international business class or first, etc...) are paying for an exclusive experience.  Hence the ship within a ship concept (as in NCL Haven). RCI has tried to adopt a similar model with Oasis and Quantum class and have failed in that they have tried to please God and the Devil (no pun intended).  The entire upper tier loyalty class that RCI has created will eventually topple on itself - it is called physics.  

 

The suite marketing materials for RCI falsely market an exclusive experience when it is not.  Enter NSPPs.  These NSPPs are enabled by RCI to use the same areas they market to suite guests as exclusive.  The result as @Milwaukee Eight and a few others including myself have shared here is that our experience was cheapened and diminished. 

WOW.....I'm blown away by your over-inflated sense of self worth (my opinion).  Why do you continue to sail with RCI?  You're obviously not happy with their policies and you don't like breathing the same air as Pinnacles.....so why come back?   The SL and CK are Pinnacle friendly....it says in the policy that Pinnacles are allowed to use those facilities....nowhere do I read that they're Suite exclusive. Perhaps you should get something in writing from Guest Services. And to say that your experience was cheapened and diminished because you had to mix with Pinnacles is very insulting to the great number of decent Pinnacles...whether SPPs or NSPPs.   But you've paid your money and you're allowed on the ship and you have a right to complain..whether it's warranted or not.  I just wonder why you keep coming back if you're so against the same policy on every ship.  Really, change cruise lines, maybe you'll end up being much happier.....just saying.

[gaylemh]

1 hour ago, frank808 said:

Glad to know that if we make it to P I would not have to buy the Surf and Stream package.  

You could also spend thousands in the casino to get Signature tier for free Surf and Stream.

[PhoenixCruiser]

WOW.....I'm blown away by your over-inflated sense of self worth (my opinion).  Why do you continue to sail with RCI?  You're obviously not happy with their policies and you don't like breathing the same air as Pinnacles.....so why come back?   The SL and CK are Pinnacle friendly....it says in the policy that Pinnacles are allowed to use those facilities....nowhere do I read that they're Suite exclusive. Perhaps you should get something in writing from Guest Services. And to say that your experience was cheapened and diminished because you had to mix with Pinnacles is very insulting to the great number of decent Pinnacles...whether SPPs or NSPPs.   But you've paid your money and you're allowed on the ship and you have a right to complain..whether it's warranted or not.  I just wonder why you keep coming back if you're so against the same policy on every ship.  Really, change cruise lines, maybe you'll end up being much happier.....just saying.

Coastal Kitchen should be suite inclusive!

In my opinion

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[Merion_Mom]

52 minutes ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

Coastal Kitchen should be suite inclusive!

In my opinion

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

 

It is "Suite inclusive".  Suites are included.

[robandana]

Remove the Pinnacles from the SL and it would be empty.....very very empty and when Pinnacles are not allowed in CK because of too many Pinnacles aboard by mid cruise they are back in because CK is also empty....

 

This is the original reason Diamond members back in early 2000s were allowed into the Concierge Lounge...it was a space that was not being used or enjoyed by the suite guests so it was offered as a perk to the top cruisers at that time, Diamond Members.

 

Royal has it figured out quite well I believe as most of there ships sail full. Some suite passengers, some first time cruisers and a whole lot of C&A members that today account for 10 million passengers and usually more than 50% of the ships passengers and growing....

[compman9]

I think I can partly answer the original question.

 

The perks will remain, but there will be alternative experiences added to counteract/balance the benefits.

 

The MSC 'experience' categories will be the inevitable outcome. So, you will get people in the same category room but with different cruise experiences based around their preferences.

 

In addition to this, different ships will offer different versions. So, Spectrum for example offered a completely different experience for Diamond Plus etc., on the way to China to what it provides now it is in China.

 

The current move is towards a ship in a ship.

In 20 years time it could be, ship, within a ship, within a ship - bit only on certain classes etc. which all differ among themselves.

 

So, the benefits will remain. They may even improve. But it will be more experience led. You get some that like drinking for nothing, others might like a spa oriented experience, or a dining package experience, and these will be in self contained areas of the ship.

 

I am surprised there isn't already a Chef's Table restaurant for premium paying guests already, but it will happen and Pinnacles won't be allowed in. 

So, in a nutshell, rather than have the run of the ship, new areas won't be accessible without paying for them.

[John&LaLa]

7 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

If many P’s are in Suites, as you imply, then there really wouldn’t be an issue, now would it?  Mic 🎤 drop. 

 

No, many is not all, your paintbrush is way to broad, and very sloppy. You have no factual data to support any of your assumptions.  And that is not an opinion. Its gospel

 

That is all

Edited October 4, 2019 by John&LaLa