Captain's Club - beyond Elite status?

[BrendaJ]

I believe that Celebrity should do more to reward their most loyal passengers. What do you think of a Captain's Club status beyond Elite (for, perhaps, people who have sailed over 100 days on Celebrity)? What do you think would be worthwhile perks for dedicated Celebrity cruisers?

 

Darn - I guess you can't edit a poll. I do actually know how to spell "Special" and the last item in the poll was supposed to be "Free wine at formal night dinners".

[CruisingChick]

I can't vote because I can't pick just one. Here's my top picks:

 

$200 discount off any sailing

$100 on-board credit

Free dinner with wine in the Speciality Restaurant

Special Lounge area with free Happy Hour.

 

Okay so how many Celebrity cruises would you have to take to get these perks?

[Danno]

A comfortable lounge in which to wait before embarking the ship...after being on the move for 30 hours it would be so nice be be offered something nicer than a plastic chair in a gymnasium.

[superjerryw]

If I cruised that much I should get all of the mentioned perks.....:D

[cechase]

A comfortable lounge in which to wait before embarking the ship...after being on the move for 30 hours it would be so nice be be offered something nicer than a plastic chair in a gymnasium.

 

Danno, we were on the 1/2/06 11 night cruise on Mercury. For disembarkation, all of the Select and Elite members were invited to deck 5 of the restaurant for a continental breakfast. We were then the first ones off of the ship. Thought that this was a nice perk. First to get luggage, and first to get a taxi. :D

[shofer]

That would be a nice perk rather than the usual herding of people all over the ship. We just got off the 1/15 Hawaii on Summit and the ship was 1 hr late arriving in LA so that was cutting it close for the plane connections. We had been told to arrive at the Celebrity Theater @ 6:45 and then stood in line for 45 minutes waiting to be passed thru customs. Since no one wanted to lose their place in the very long line, we skipped breakfast and gathered the last of our belongings to wait for our color & number to be called.

 

By the time we waited on the bus and the trip to the airport, check-in, etc, they were calling our plane for boarding when we arrived at the gate. So we did cut it close. There were a lot of angry people but their flights had to be after ours as they disembarked you according to flight times. I'm sure we will hear lots on these boards about how Celebrity screwed up. It certainly didn't ruin my trip as it was over already!

[timbo89]

I'm not sure why Celebrity does not have similar "perks" for frequent cruisers as does RCCL. As an "Elite" Celebrity (Captain's Club) and "Diamond" RCCL (Crown & Anchor) , I believe the RCCL program is far superior.

 

Both programs have the usual "fluff" like priority boarding, priority dining seating, returnee cocktail parties, etc., but differ in a couple of major areas.

 

Here are the ones that I appreciate most which are currently in effect for Diamond memebers on RCCL:

 

1. Discounts on balcony level cabins and above

2. Concierge availabilty

3. Concierge Lounge with hor's d'ouerves and open bar in the evenings

 

The Elite member (but not the Diamond member) receives an invitation to dine with the Captain or an officer (nice, but.....if you are a Diamond Plus member, you are probably invited to the Captains Table on RCCL))

 

The RCCL program also has Diamond Plus (after 25 cruises), and the benefits continue to get better - after 49,75, and 100 cruises.

 

I think that they should have a similar program across both lines.

[Danno]

Disembarkation I have always found to be ok...as often happens our flights get us there early and we wait 2-3 hours in the embarkation area. No ones fault, just a fact of life.

 

A nice seat, some snacks, a coffee, a safe place to leave our carry-ons...I'll gladly pay for my own drinks, maybe even a staff member to conduct an informal question and answer session...I could even look forward to this event.

 

The one that drives me crazy is the "PRIORITY DISEMBARKATION"...we are out first, as promised, then we wait on the bus for 90 min until everyone has disembarked, then we leave...we almosted missed a plane a couple years ago...now I just take a cab.

[Danno]

As for the $200 off...I really want the best cruise for my money, not the cheapest...if a large number of pax get a sizable discount, something has to give.

[tuggers]

I, too, did not vote because you can't just pick one. I have been talking to various people in corporate about this since I passed 25 X cruises last year. They keep saying it's coming but so far it's a no show. At least it's not like MSC where you hear pax from Italy talking about the perks they get and there isn't even a plan set up at all for Americans!!

 

Something to show their love for us 'serial cruisers would be good!

 

To the OP - X does cruises, not days. Princess, HAL and I can't remember who else does days at sea.

[Ericknow32]

Danno: I agree with the embarkation. RCI has a separate lounge for higher up Crown & Anchor people and they do offer drinks and snacks. If Celebrity doesn't do this they should. The reason I don't know if they do or not is because the day I got on-board the Summit it was a nightmare. I was at the port at noon and didn't get on until 3:30-4:00. Oh well that was the port's fault not Celebrity's.

 

Personally, I like the free laundry idea. I don't care about the internet. The restaurant was nice but isn't my top priority.

 

I must say though, RCI has great perks and Celebrity's kind of suck. But, Celebrity's product has made me want to come back not some gimmick.

[safein]

I can't vote because the choice of "all of the above" isn't listed! I definitely think they will need to create a "super elite" status in the CC one of these years.

 

Anita

[ocngypz]

C&A has Diamond Plus which is 24-49 cruises... and then an un-named category and un-named benefits for those with 49+cruises.

 

Since I have enough Celebrity cruises for three Elite memberships.. plus extra left over..........I would certainly welcome a new category.

 

It's a a real kick in the pants... I get better benefits on RCL via my CC status than I do with my regular C&A membership.

 

With shorter cruises now on Celebrity, numbers of cruises will rack up quite quickly. They'll be having to run back stage tours every day!

[cechase]

As for the $200 off...I really want the best cruise for my money, not the cheapest...if a large number of pax get a sizable discount, something has to give.

 

We have taken five cruises on Celebrity within the last two years. Each time, we have booked a Royal Suite on C-class ships. This has allowed us to gain Elite status. We see so many people who are trying to get the best and cheapest price for their cruise. For us, we do not consider cost, but what we consider to be the best cruise for us. The places, the ship, and the amount of time that we would like to be aboard. They all have ended up being very memorable, and we have made such great friends, as well as having butlers who have greatly and I mean greatly enhanced our cruising experience. What more can we ask of Celebrity - they have given us very much.

 

Please don't flame us - at our age, we are going to spend it, and let our kids fend for themselves after we are gone. :D

[RickandAnne]

We have taken five cruises on Celebrity within the last two years. Each time, we have booked a Royal Suite on C-class ships. This has allowed us to gain Elite status. We see so many people who are trying to get the best and cheapest price for their cruise. For us, we do not consider cost, but what we consider to be the best cruise for us. The places, the ship, and the amount of time that we would like to be aboard. They all have ended up being very memorable, and we have made such great friends, as well as having butlers who have greatly and I mean greatly enhanced our cruising experience. What more can we ask of Celebrity - they have given us very much.

 

Please don't flame us - at our age, we are going to spend it, and let our kids fend for themselves after we are gone. :D

You are my heros. After all we all may not be able to afford Royal Suites for every cruise, but we can all relate to doing what we can do to get what can be the best cruise for each of us. (Of Course, Royal Suites aren't too shabby.)

 

Sail on!

[joeyanddavid]

Of the benefits that were listed in the poll I have listed the top five that would impress me

 

1)Benefits that we could get onboard with are free laundry (express included)

2)Free coffee in Cova Café

3)I like the dinner at the specialty Restaurant Idea

4)And the free internet....

5)Special lounge area with occasional free happy hours

 

The onboard credits wouldn’t really effect us that much.. our onboard purchases are really not that extravagant anyway.

[Logie]

C&A has Diamond Plus which is 24-49 cruises... and then an un-named category and un-named benefits for those with 49+cruises.

 

It's a a real kick in the pants... I get better benefits on RCL via my CC status than I do with my regular C&A membership.

Question, I am new to Celebrity, but have two cruises (I know-not a lot)on RCL and a third booked right after my Celebrity cruise. I still don't understand how my RCL number would work with Celebrity and vice versa. How do you let them know you have cruises on both?

 

Also just an FYI Princess counts cruises not days for their Gold, Platinum, and Elite status. They do have a cocktail party or a lunch each cruise with the captain and the officers, but that is only for usually the 24 most traveled passengers and in this case it is based on days not cruises. Not sure if Celebrity offers free dry cleaning, but with Elite status it is a hug perk along with the free mini bar set up :)

[Linda-E]

Hi Brenda,

 

All of the above would be my choice too. So many of the benefits (wine tasting/blending, backstage and galley tours, cocktail party) get old after a while and we've stopped doing them. Something that we could enjoy on every sailing would be nice - discounts, free internet and/or laundry, specialty restaurant dining, etc. We're cruising Royal Caribbean this year & looking forward to the first time we cruise with Diamond status (we've already gotten $150 pp discount toward our stateroom).

 

Of course on Constellation, we look forward to doing anything that includes the WOO WOOs.

Linda

[canderson]

Question, I am new to Celebrity, but have two cruises (I know-not a lot)on RCL and a third booked right after my Celebrity cruise. I still don't understand how my RCL number would work with Celebrity and vice versa. How do you let them know you have cruises on both?

First, be aware that the count for the two lines aren't combined. Each line provides you whatever perks you get from the other line for your status there, however. So when you get to 5 cruises on one or the other, you'll be accorded like status during any cruises on the other line -- same when you reach 10 on either line.

 

If you've joined the C&A on RCL, just let the Captain's Club folks at Celebrity know, providing them with your membership number.

[BrendaJ]

I guess I should have allowed multiple choices; however, I figured if everyone were like me, they'd just pick them all. I'd like to get all those perks. I was just curious if one thing over another would get people excited.

 

So far, it looks like most people still prefer a discount to anything else. I think that Celebrity could well afford to reward their most frequent customers with a sizable discount. Anyone who has cruised more than 100 days has certainly spent enough money both on their fare and on-board to deserve a discount, regardless of which sailing they choose.

 

However, I guess the people at head office must think that the people that have chosen Celebrity that often are likely going to keep choosing Celebrity, and they'd be better off finding ways to attact customers away from other lines.

 

That being said, I like Celebrity's product enough that I will likely keep cruising with them; however, if they don't offer something in French Polynesia soon (an Xpedition would be great), then I'm going to have to defect to Princess or Radisson at least once, and maybe they'll steal me away. ;)

 

Brenda

[Danno]

I am a bit disappointed that the $ seems to be the most important...I guess this just verifies what cruiseline management always contended...quality, service, amenities, are not as important as being CHEAP!!!

 

Evidence of the further Walmartization of North America....

[canderson]

I am a bit disappointed that the $ seems to be the most important...I guess this just verifies what cruiseline management always contended...quality, service, amenities, are not as important as being CHEAP!!!

 

Evidence of the further Walmartization of North America....

But look at most of the other options there, Danno. Free Cova, free internet, free specialty restaurant dinner, free whatever -- $200 would more than cover any one of those onboard expenses. So why pick coffee and minutes when $200 would more than pay for both on a typical cruise?

[Danno]

I would rather they keep all the "free" stuff and improve the cruise experience. Improve the beds, the menu, the entertainment, the movie selection, the in-cabin TV, the departure lounges, eliminate some nickel and dime charges...or maybe even pay the staff a bit more.

 

And BTW nothing is FREE....invest the $200 in improving my cruise.

 

I have yet to hear anyone say "it was a disappointing cruise, but I'm going again because I can save $200"...just my opinion.

[canderson]

I have yet to hear anyone say "it was a disappointing cruise, but I'm going again because I can save $200"...just my opinion.

Understood, but one works with the polls one runs across.

 

Now I assume we're all working with the same premise at least -- that whatever this thing is we'd like, it would be something for their "most loyal" passengers. Things like the entertainment, movie & TV selections, bed quality -- those should be things that effect everyone on the ship equally.

 

While granting that nothing that costs X a penny is actually "free", understand that yes, it's likely going to be done at the expense of other not-as-loyal passengers on the ship. Think about frequent flyer miles. When the airlines haul you someplace for free, at a minimum, they're paying some bit of fuel to haul you and your suitcases, and feed you (sometimes) one of those incredible gourmet meals:p . Air fares would be lower if the airlines never had to put out anything extra for frequent flyers, and some part of that expense is paid by those who never rack up enough miles to take advantage of the program.

 

So let's assume for just a moment that we're not inventing a whole new business model here, and that it'll be similar on a cruise ship (as it already is, to whatever degree perks are awarded). If all fares were slightly higher (even a penny each), what would you, as Celebrity's marketing department, do with those pennies to reward your "frequent flyers"? I think that was more or less what the original poll was about, even if the specifics of the poll questions didn't work for you.

[Sky Sweet]

I would like to see Celebrity's Captain's Club operate the way Hyatt and Hilton Hotel programs work. You would get a point for every dollar you spend on a Celebrity Cruise and when you reach a specified number of points, you are entitled to a free night or two. Then if you redeem all your points, you start all over again. This would level the playing field for benefits between people who consistently book very cheap cruises with those who spend thousands per person on most of their cruises.