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"Wifi feasibility test" on Quest, December 28


marinaro44
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Can combine suite internet minutes with LCV internet minutes.  Not laundry or other benefits, though.  Result is big discounts on unlimited internet.  World, Ocean and Spa suites get 100% off unlimited.  CC suites get 50% off.  Veranda Plus 25%.

 

Can combine this with your LCV discount:  all Discoverer levels 50%; Explorer 35%; Adventurer 20%.  As I read that a Discoverer at any level in a CC suite gets free unlimited.  I'll give it a try today.

 

Remember:  "feasibility test" only.

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9 minutes ago, uktog said:

Any idea what platinum get discount wise?  Noted it’s still an experiment. 

Yes.  As I wrote, all Discoverer levels (including straight Discoverer, Plus, and Platinum) get 50%, and that obviously and obscenely undervalues Platinum's 3000 points vs. Discoverer's 300.

 

Seems completely backward to me that a double Platinum member (someone likely into Azamara and Celebrity for $300,000 or much more) in a veranda gets a 50% discount while a first-timer in a Spa suite gets 100%. Add that to the new upgrade scheme back-of-the-hand for LCV members and it's clear what Azamara thinks of loyalty these days.

 

I suppose some progress toward reducing absurd internet rates, though.  Needs more than a bit of tweaking, I'd say.

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16 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Yes.  As I wrote, all Discoverer levels (including straight Discoverer, Plus, and Platinum) get 50%, and that obviously and obscenely undervalues Platinum's 3000 points vs. Discoverer's 300.

 

Seems completely backward to me that a double Platinum member (someone likely into Azamara and Celebrity for $300,000 or much more) in a veranda gets a 50% discount while a first-timer in a Spa suite gets 100%. Add that to the new upgrade scheme back-of-the-hand for LCV members and it's clear what Azamara thinks of loyalty these days.

 

I suppose some progress toward reducing absurd internet rates, though.  Needs more than a bit of tweaking, I'd say.

This is actually a slight step forward for me. Upcoming 18 nights would be $360 so therefore 50% discount is $180. So $30 cheaper than it would have been before with $150 discount. Still don't get the discounts they work though. 

 

Phil 

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Platinums will only be ahead on cruises longer than 15 nights. Not many of them around. Lower levels get ahead sooner. Anyway as Marinaro says it’s an experiment maybe because he’s on a long cruise that’s why it’s testing. But my 7-10 night cruises in 2020 all would be more expensive WiFi. Hope they see sense and refine this idea. After all Celebrity (same family) give us free WiFi and laundry 

Edited by uktog
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5 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

While this is ‘only a test’ you have to admit we have heard you and are working towards remedying the LCV complaint about not being able to combine your Suite benefits and your LCV benefits!

 

 

Have to disagree I don’t think anyone expected that remedy to be at the expense of loyal guests who do not travel in suites every time they cruise. Sorry 

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10 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

While this is ‘only a test’ you have to admit we have heard you and are working towards remedying the LCV complaint about not being able to combine your Suite benefits and your LCV benefits!

 

 

I don't book a suite most of the time and for 90% of my cruises I am now worse off, if you look at the methodology of the new system. As someone who is at the top tier it's really poor. I'll get no more discount than D or D+, but they'll all wheel me up on many cruises to say I'm the most cruised. 

 

It's a shame Miami don't put the same effort in as the likes of Heike does on the ship. That's all I'm saying.  

 

Phil 

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Just checking that I understand the new system being trialled  - any Discoverer, whether Discoverer, Discoverer Plus or Discoverer Platinum gets a 50% discount on unlimited WiFi instead of $100, $130 or $150 dollars off respectively, and that can be combined with a suite WiFi benefit of 100% in the large suites and the spa suites, 50% in CC Suites and 25% in Verandah Plus. Am I right and does this apply per person (not per stateroom)?

 

If the above is right, then it makes the  ‘essential’ experience more package much less attractive to Discoverers, even on a long cruise.

 

On the plus side if you’re in a suite you can get totally free WiFi by combining benefits in this trial - great that Azamara have listened about combining benefits.

 

However, on the other hand on shorter cruises Discoverers not in suites will get a lower benefit than currently - I reckon it needs to be an 11 day cruise for a Discoverer to be ahead,  a 14 day cruise for a Discoverer Plus to be ahead and a 16 day cruise for a Discoverer Platinum.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Host Grandma Cruising
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28 minutes ago, uktog said:

Have to disagree I don’t think anyone expected that remedy to be at the expense of loyal guests who do not travel in suites every time they cruise. Sorry 

LCV guests in non-suites are not losing the LCV benefits they are entitled to. 

This test is to remedy that LCV guests in a Suite do lose benefits because Suite benefits trump LCV benefits and are non-combined.

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First I’ve heard of this test but if my understanding is correct the enhancement to allow suite and LCV benefits is window dressing for an overall reduction in benefits.

As an example currently if I did a 7 day cruise in a balcony cabin the internet package would be $139.65 my LCV discount is $130 so I would pay $9.65.

The new system would give a 50% reduction so I would pay $69.82 so I’m $60 worse off.

As the cruise length increases the loss gets less but the cruise length would have to be over 13 days before it would work in my favour.

We normally book CC suites so if I understand it correctly and the benefits are combinable we would be one of the few winners, but at the expense of the majority which hardly seems equitable.

Surely the fair answer was to simply combine the monetary values which would have given us a maximum discount of $280 equivalent to 14 free days as Discoverer Plus in a CC suite.

 

 

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8 minutes ago, BBMacLaird said:

LCV guests in non-suites are not losing the LCV benefits they are entitled to. 

This test is to remedy that LCV guests in a Suite do lose benefits because Suite benefits trump LCV benefits and are non-combined.

To clarify is this a suites only proposal and non suite passengers would be unaffected by any future changes if it was implemented?

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Issue one is that all Discoverer levels are treated the same, and that's just wrong given the vast difference in what it takes to reach the highest level.  Issue two is that a Platinum member in a non-suite getting only 50% discount while a first-timer in a Spa suite or above gets 100% devalues loyalty terribly.  Issue three:  Since when is a Veranda Plus considered a suite?

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24 minutes ago, Riocca said:

To clarify is this a suites only proposal and non suite passengers would be unaffected by any future changes if it was implemented?

My question exactly 

and yes the continued underlying message for suites that a discoverer and a platinum are the same. 

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8 minutes ago, uktog said:

My question exactly 

and yes the continued underlying message for suites that a discoverer and a platinum are the same. 

Does seem to be an over complicated answer to a simple question, one no doubt designed to reduce the overall cost to Azamara. 
I appreciate Azamara are part of a commercial organisation who’s first responsibility is to the shareholders, but surely customer satisfaction has to be paramount in achieving this objective. Maybe the bean counters will one day get their heads out of the ledgers and realise this.

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33 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Issue one is that all Discoverer levels are treated the same, and that's just wrong given the vast difference in what it takes to reach the highest level.  Issue two is that a Platinum member in a non-suite getting only 50% discount while a first-timer in a Spa suite or above gets 100% devalues loyalty terribly.  Issue three:  Since when is a Veranda Plus considered a suite?

Perfectly stated marinaro. 

 

Phil 

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52 minutes ago, Riocca said:

Does seem to be an over complicated answer to a simple question, one no doubt designed to reduce the overall cost to Azamara. 
I appreciate Azamara are part of a commercial organisation who’s first responsibility is to the shareholders, but surely customer satisfaction has to be paramount in achieving this objective. Maybe the bean counters will one day get their heads out of the ledgers and realise this.

Yes by then we will be long gone and have a new home away from home.
It was a simple question the absence of the statement there is no change in any way I  for guests not in suites says it all. If there is no change the failure to cover the question is very poor if there is a change being tested the failure to be transparent is doubly poor. 
But as we are pretty much away from Azamara for the remainder of our 2020 bookings I will not lose anymore time with this. 

Edited by uktog
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I sometimes wonder if Miami understands the customers thoughts on these matters, so for their benefit this is my take on it, others are welcome to add their thoughts.

 

Suite v LCV benefits:

Suite benefits are not “perks” but part of the package that is paid for in the purchase price.

LCV benefits are a thank you for loyalty and continuing to book with a cruise line.

In removing LCV benefits when you choose to book a suite it appears to the customer that the cruise line no longer appreciates their custom, but is happy to improve its bottom line at their expense.

 

LCV loyalty levels:

Whilst it requires an additional 2700 points to achieve Discoverer Platinum from Discoverer the improvements in benefits are minimal and in no way reflects the additional spend with Azamara. 
Maybe the initial problem is that it’s too easy to achieve Discoverer level compared to equivalent levels on other cruise lines. Currently we sit on 2000 points and there’s little within the current LCV scheme to keep us loyal to Azamara so from that point of view the scheme has to be considered a failure.

 

 

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1 hour ago, uktog said:

My question exactly 

and yes the continued underlying message for suites that a discoverer and a platinum are the same. 

But you get 100% if you’re in a suite and are Discoverer and above, so they can’t really differentiate - you can’t get more off than 100%.

Edited by Host Grandma Cruising
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2 hours ago, BBMacLaird said:

Here is the letter issued onboard. Hopefully it will answer your questions.

suite-loyalty combinability_guest letter_dec-21-19.docx 67.65 kB · 32 downloads

Thank you very much Bonnie. This clarifies the fact that this trial only applies to those in a Suite or a Veranda Plus. Makes much more sense.

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1 hour ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

But you get 100% if you’re in a suite and are Discoverer and above, so they can’t really differentiate - you can’t get more off than 100%.

 

No one was asking for more than 100%

1 hour ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Thank you very much Bonnie. This clarifies the fact that this trial only applies to those in a Suite or a Veranda Plus. Makes much more sense.

 

Not to me. If the letter was addressed Dear Suite Guest maybe, it says Dear LCV Member. And even if it is for those in rooms above verandah, think ahead, they are not going to run two methods of applying LCV internet benefits in the future across the board. My take, they are testing a change they will quietly slip in across the board. If they weren’t why move from the current arrangement?  

I think Riocca and Phil have a more realistic view here sorry. 

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2 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Thank you very much Bonnie. This clarifies the fact that this trial only applies to those in a Suite or a Veranda Plus. Makes much more sense.

That is my understanding.

But I will clarify this point next week.

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