Bean Counters vs Diamonds

[rimmit]

6 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Yes.

 

The parents pay for the cruise, the kids did not.

 

How is that for a clear, level-headed, unemotional, logical reply?

 

 

Soooo....  should parents get the points for the kids since they paid?  (My kids are 4 and 8 and each is diamond on their own points.  My eldest almost has a block).  I would definitely have been for taking their points and adding them onto mine.  Woulda made Diamond after 3 cruises.

Edited November 4, 2019 by rimmit

[HBE4]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Have you ever paid for a triple room?  Quite often it is DOUBLE the price of double occupancy room.  Why shouldn't they count? 

 

I have not but then maybe Royal should treat triple rooms like JS and give you double points.

 

Or as i said in an earlier post, give the kids 1/2 point for each night. (2-nights-for-1 point)

[cruisegirl1]

9 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

So those areas are not open as bars anyhow during that time? It would seem like a jazz place would be a nice place for people to go get a drink before dinner (even people other than Diamond or above). I am not familiar with many of the ships.   It certainly makes sense if Jazz on 4 is next to the DL it would serve as overflow.  I have only sailed on Majesty, Mariner, Freedom and Allure.
Some people want to gain knowledge or understand, not to demean or accuse anyone of anything.   I just didn't know if the bars/lounges were not open at that time anyhow OR if they closed the venues in order to make more room for the Diamonds up.  Either way, I was just wondering.  It's certainly way beyond my loyalty level. 
I may have worded my question poorly. It certainly wasn't meant to be "not fair" or accusatory.

 

The places are not open just as bars. There is generally no reason to go in there unless there is schedule entertainment. Just about every night dazzles has live music (often themes such as Motown night,  disco night etc. ) the Attic will have the comedy club and Jazz on Four has (you guessed it )  a variety jazz

Always good to ask questions, no problem

m

[mac_tlc]

2 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Have you ever paid for a triple room?  Quite often it is DOUBLE the price of double occupancy room.  Why shouldn't they count? 

I agree. Age has nothing to do with it. A 2 yr old pays the same as a third adult ( assuming no KSF). Should the third adult get no credit either.?

 

On our Harmony Cruise this past August, a quad cabin was more than twice a double balcony. Cheaper to get two rooms.

 

mac_tlc

[cruisegirl1]

58 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

Actually the Suite Lounge is a new addition on Royal, I think newer then Pinnacle and Diamond Plus

The concierge lounges were designed for suite passengers. At one point they opened to diamond plus (this was well before there was a pinnacle category). 
So when the concierge lounges are renamed a suite lounges it’s really no different from the initial concept. 

m

[The Fun Researcher]

Gosh, who cares who pays.  If a persons fare was paid for, they absolutely deserve the points.  They are physically on the cruise and paid for.

 

Dan

[The Fun Researcher]

1 hour ago, Tulsacoker said:

or Tipping 

 

Shh, don’t derail this thread. 😂

 

Dan

[squadron]

5 hours ago, Tulsacoker said:

dont see any perk being stripped. if you are so dead set on being in the DL get there early 

Doesn't work - fills. as door opens.  
Even the overflow lounge on Adventure in Oct was filled by 4;04!  The myth that it empties when first setting time arrives isn't true.  I would be happy if they  would give several more coupons on card.  Crowding might be reduced if there was a limit to drinks in the lounge.

[HBE4]

46 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

Are you saying children under 12 (or whatever age) should not accrue any points?  Or should only accrue 1/2 points? 
While maybe they should not automatically have matching status to their parents, I think when their parents are paying for them- especially if they are doing two cabins- then kids should get the points. At some point, it will become beneficial to their paying parents to be able to take advantage of C&A cabin discounts and other things they may get.  I think saying that kids should not get any points penalizes the parents who still pay quite a bit for their kids to come on cruises. 
They may say "kids cruise free" but everyone knows that nothing is really "free" on Royal.

 

Mostly just brain-storming different ways to ease the  over-crowding in the DL.

 

This topic comes up every so often and the usual solutions (make it a D+ lounge only, eliminate the free drinks, keep the free drinks but eliminate the lounge, etc) is met with some stiff resistance so, I figured I think "outside the box" since this is only a "problem" during Happy Hour. Apparently, a lot of parents want to make sure there kids get their free HH drinks once they turn 21. 😉😎.

 

Letting the kids keep the points their parent bought for them but eliminate the matching status seems like a fair compromise.

 

 

[HBE4]

41 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

I somewhat agree.  That said, if the rule changed and my spouse had less C&A status than I did, I would go to the place where he was permitted to go so we didn't end up separated. I think leaving one's spouse behind because you have more "status" is pretty degrading.  I can imagine most of their marriage functions that way anyhow, so....

 

 

My spouse would actually be okay with me popping into the DL for a drink or two once in a while as long as I didn't spend 1/2 the day in there every day.

[Lady Hudson]

2 hours ago, Retired LEO said:

They're having a similar issue currently with the casino program. The way it stands now you only need 2500 points to make prime and get free drinks in the casino for up to 2 years. That's any drink. Not the cheap drinks from a list. Nearly the whole casino is prime or above.

They'll be raising it to 4000 points next year

Is that a guess about the 4000 points, Leo, or have you heard something?
 

 A very recent Anthem cruise had 900 prime member.  This was a “casino cruise”.  Many casino royale members as well as 500 Borgata players.  Despite the crowded conditions the casino and the bar staff handled everything well.  A bar staff person told me they have had as many as 1500 Prime members on one cruise.  Katherine

[Clarea]

47 minutes ago, rimmit said:

Soooo....  should parents get the points for the kids since they paid?  ...

 

Nope

[Milwaukee Eight]

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Sorry to hear you are now a widow but pleased you still cruise.

I totally agree with you that the program needs changing.

Diamond should be 175 points and Diamond+ 350 points to reward loyalty.

Current Diamonds 3 free drinks during HH should still be honoured but Lounge access should start at the new level of 175 points.

Husband and wife should stay the same but children's future points should be in line with how many points they have earned.

Graham 

 

I know your D+ and just how many points do you have?

 

Rory

[Milwaukee Eight]

3 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I agree.

Now a lot of CLs are changing to SLs where D+ are not allowed it seems natural that a D+ lounge will become a reality.

This should help... I think the Suite Lounge should just be that, the Suite Lounge. 
 

Make the CL the Pinnacle Lounge and everyone else 3 drinks on Sea Pass. 
 

In my opinion 

[Ourusualbeach]

56 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

I have not but then maybe Royal should treat triple rooms like JS and give you double points.

 

Or as i said in an earlier post, give the kids 1/2 point for each night. (2-nights-for-1 point)

Of the 21 cruises we have taken with our kids we have only shared a cabin twice.  Every other cruise they (I) have paid full fare so since Royal won’t give me the points the kids certainly have earned and deserve them.

 

If you are going to promote the 1/2 point plan then it needs to apply to every 3rd and higher guest in a cabin and not just the kids.

 

Personally I don’t think it’s the kids that are the problem.  Chances are that the vast majority of them won’t be able to afford to cruise for quite a while one they leave the nest.  When they are older and more established in life and they realize that they are still D on Royal and come back to Royal instead of trying another line Royal wins.

 

I say this in every thread like this but at the end of the day Royal doesn’t give a sh** about the crowding in the lounge.  They have put in place alternatives and if the kids can’t play nice in the sandbox too bad.  

[Milwaukee Eight]

3 hours ago, seeyakids said:

Harmony Wonderland Restaurant (old diamond lounge).......money maker

Harmony old diamond lounge.............not money maker

Harmony NEVER had the Diamond Lounge in the location of Allure/Oasis. It never existed there. 

[cruisegirl1]

5 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I say this in every thread like this but at the end of the day Royal doesn’t give a sh** about the crowding in the lounge.  They have put in place alternatives and if the kids can’t play nice in the sandbox too bad.  

Agree 

Those who think that if they complain loudly enough, they will somehow get more benefits (vouchers) are delusional. 
m

[bilyclub]

1 hour ago, cruisegirl1 said:

The concierge lounges were designed for suite passengers. At one point they opened to diamond plus (this was well before there was a pinnacle category). 
So when the concierge lounges are renamed a suite lounges it’s really no different from the initial concept. 

m

 

The CL's were open to Diamond, well before they added a plus.

[neverbeenhere]

Didn’t the Logan’s Run movie have the Carrousel to solve the overcrowding issue?  😎

[Billy Baltic]

RC aren’t going to spend billions on new ships with water slides, bumping cars, etc, etc and then de-incentivise families with reduced C&A points for kids. Families are a target market for them. 
 

A proper way to make it a loyalty program would be to reset the points if you don’t travel for a number of years. I’m in a frequent flyer program which does exactly that - if you don’t fly in 3 years with them, you’re put back to the first step on the ladder. 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Billy Baltic

[ATC cruiser]

4 hours ago, seeyakids said:

.And I agree this is a profit driven decision. Lets say, average 3-4 drinks at $10 plus 20% service charge in the DL and average 1-2 sea pass drinks elsewhere, we have $40 to $60 bucks plus the 20%. And lets say half of the diamonds would drink this much, we now have 400 times $40 to $60 plus 20% times 4 to 7 days (one cruise and we might be closing in on $130K to $150K.....I can see bean counter's head exploding). All of this coming from cruisers who are loyal and spent a ton on cruises to get this pretty neat perk..

That’s kind of fuzzy math. All those free drinks don’t cost RCI anywhere near 150k. With the cheap booze they serve in the diamond lounge and the volume they buy at, I’d be very surprised if each drink costs them a buck.

[lazydayz]

I don't understand the logic in children or spouses or significant others getting a cruiser's matching status.  If you sail, you get the points.  If you don't sail but paid for the cruise, currently you get no points.  So why give points (or more accurately, status) to people who have not sailed? 

[Hoopster95]

Why do people with Costco memberships continue to shop at Costco and nowhere else?

How about flyers with American Airlines points... do they all of a sudden fly with Delta?

Do families who've owned Fords for generations all of sudden buy a Chevy?

 

There is a major psychological component at play here that an overwhelming percentage of humans cannot get away from... and Royal has played it brilliantly.

 

Ken is 110% correct above... it's not about the crowding (or number of benefits, etc) whatsoever... it's all about the dollar... it always is, haven't we learned this yet? Royal has RETAINED you as a customer as you you are a high level club member ... a "member" of a "club" just like Costco.... with special benefits and special deals!!!!! You are special! You are not special on Princess or Carnival, if you were you'd have a lounge and free drinks, and special balcony discounts as well.  This is what it's all about... you will be booking over and over and over and over again on RCL and no one else.

 

Customer retention

 

edit: I don't think much will change. Royal has found the golden nugget so to speak to attract and retain.

By removing perks they will make us feel less special and not part of the "club", thus more likely to book a different vacation.

Edited November 5, 2019 by Hoopster95

[ILCTCRUISER]

Though many of us have been on cruises with 1,000+ D, D+, and P, we've probably also been on cruises with small numbers.  On an Alaska cruise this past August (Radiance), there were 6 Ps and 66 D+ and I can't recall the number of D.  CL was never really full.   At almost any given time seats were open at the bar.  It's not a matter of creating a space large enough to accommodate everyone for cruises that draw large numbers of Ds, etc.  One doesn't plan capacity that way.  That's why RCL has used overflow areas:  to accommodate as many as it can when needed.  Frankly, they'll do what they want to do or what they calculate they can do w/o substantial pushback.  If it's not to one's liking, then one has options.

[neverbeenhere]

4 minutes ago, ATC cruiser said:

That’s kind of fuzzy math. All those free drinks don’t cost RCI anywhere near 150k. With the cheap booze they serve in the diamond lounge and the volume they buy at, I’d be very surprised if each drink costs them a buck.

 Agreed. 
$10 a liter- 30+ ounces per liter = cost per drink (about nothing)