Diamond Plus Perk now Taken Away on Anthem!

[bigeck]

4 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I've ran into cool people in Casino Bar

I liked Playmakers on Indy. Met a lot of nice folks on the Ta

 

[HBE4]

3 minutes ago, Beachin2 said:

How did GM lose their once dominant market share?  One customer at a time.

 

Crappy product?

 

Or by refusing to change it's product in order to appeal to the older repeat buyer while the younger, budget conscious buyers snapped up Japanese brands and the younger, affluent buyers flocked to German brands. 

 

[John&LaLa]

15 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Crappy product?

 

Or by refusing to change it's product in order to appeal to the older repeat buyer while the younger, budget conscious buyers snapped up Japanese brands and the younger, affluent buyers flocked to German brands. 

 

 

Corvair, Vega, Aztec, Cimmaron, 

 

All good ideas on paper, poorly executed, or just before their time.

 

Crappy also refers to build quality

[Beachin2]

49 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Crappy product?

 

Or by refusing to change it's product in order to appeal to the older repeat buyer while the younger, budget conscious buyers snapped up Japanese brands and the younger, affluent buyers flocked to German brands. 

 

 

GM failed to adapt to a changing market, while also failing to satisfy their existing solid customer base that they built in favor of chasing one-off customers with an increasingly inferior product.  When the solid base eroded, the financial dominoes began to fall.

 

Strangely similar path.  Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.

[rolloman]

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

 

Can you point out a loyalty program that has never changed?

It is not about change...change is good. This is about trending.... changes which are trending in a negative way for D+. For me, the change to drink vouchers was great, the sneaky change of moving D+ out of the CL lounge not so much. The change of ceasing head of the line privileges to the embarkation screening area really stinks. Not that anyone cares, Carnival offers this particular perk. Walk right in, separate check in, immediate boarding and allowance to go straight to your room. Now, to me that is what I call being valued.  As I mentioned before ask anyone in the Marketing team at any cruise line. What costs  less, retention of existing base passengers or acquisition of new passengers. It is not even close. Keep the base happy. 

 

The downward trend needs to stop or as I said in my case, Celebrity, Carnival and the like will continue to see more of my business as they continue to value my vacation dollars. The thought RCCL is grooming new passengers to embrace a diluted loyalty program because they know they will win them over with their onboard product is ridiculous.  Think about this..... thirty (30) new ships this year in the industry...lots of competition with beautiful innovative ships of their own to capture and hold their base.  

[suzyluvs2cruise]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

The reports on here from people doing b2b2b where 1 week they have CL access then the next 2 no access shows the lack of value RC put on D+.

 

I respectfully disagree. RCI is trying to make the experience better for all and something has to be done. An overcrowded CL and DL benefits no one. If you have 300+ Dplus plus those in a Suite and/or Pinnacle a crowded CL benefits no one. At least with the vouchers cruisers have options in addition to a lounge. If the change is going to be permanent I agree they should just do it. Sadly there's no way to please everyone.

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by suzyluvs2cruise

[twangster]

17 minutes ago, rolloman said:

The downward trend needs to stop

 

For me it's trended upwards.  Better happy hour experience compared to 2017 when the DL was over packed.  

 

Now with the expanded DL spaces I can actually find a seat.  That's a huge improvement in my eyes.

 

17 minutes ago, rolloman said:

The change of ceasing head of the line privileges to the embarkation screening area really stinks.

 

I rarely had priority terminal entrance as I've only sailed out of Canaveral 3 or 4 times.  Most of my stuff has been South Florida.    Plus that's never been a published CAS benefit so it's cool you got it and all but it's not a CAS benefit and never has been.  

 

18 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Carnival offers this particular perk. Walk right in, separate check in, immediate boarding and allowance to go straight to your room.

 

The reason I stopped two cruises short of Carnival Platinum is because I don't enjoy the product.  Heck even if VIFP added all  CAS perks it wouldn't be nearly enough to overcome the Carnival product for me.  

 

I don't cruise for the loyalty program.  I'll maximize what a loyalty program offers without question but I cruise for the product.  

 

At the end of the day Royal still works best for me and that includes the improved DL experience that comes with losing CL access.

[DaniDanielle]

All our Anthem cruises have had the Music Hall overflow which is good.  D+ friends seem to prefer the Diamond Lounge over the CL.  Once the gang leaves for early dinner, the Lounge thins out quite a bit.

 

[rolloman]

6 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

For me it's trended upwards.  Better happy hour experience compared to 2017 when the DL was over packed.  

 

Now with the expanded DL spaces I can actually find a seat.  That's a huge improvement in my eyes.

 

 

I rarely had priority terminal entrance as I've only sailed out of Canaveral 3 or 4 times.  Most of my stuff has been South Florida.    Plus that's never been a published CAS benefit so it's cool you got it and all but it's not a CAS benefit and never has been.  

 

 

The reason I stopped two cruises short of Carnival Platinum is because I don't enjoy the product.  Heck even if VIFP added all  CAS perks it wouldn't be nearly enough to overcome the Carnival product for me.  

 

I don't cruise for the loyalty program.  I'll maximize what a loyalty program offers without question but I cruise for the product.  

 

At the end of the day Royal still works best for me and that includes the improved DL experience that comes with losing CL access.

Awesome...you are a poster boy for RCCL...probably a compensated message board influencer?  I would venture to say for everyone of you there are ten others who are not Giddy about the trend.  I mostly cruise out of Canaveral and FLL and have received the express terminal entrance so...again sorry you missed out.  In reality, it is of minor importance whether is was not a written Crown and Anchor perk, however it is of major importance it did in fact exist and can be easily brought back as a zero cost perk which provides value to their base D+ guests. 

[cruisegirl1]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I've ran into cool people in Casino Bar

Me too!  
m

[twangster]

26 minutes ago, rolloman said:

probably a compensated message board influencer? 

 

That would be great.  Where do I sign up?  🙂 

 

Nope, I don't work for or make any money from these or any other boards.  

 

When Royal screws up I'm not shy or afraid to call them out on it.  The website for example.  Ugh.  Cabana pricing.  Have they lost their minds?

 

They didn't screw up with the CL changes and I support them so when I book a suite it won't be a 2017 DL experience.  This change had to be made, it is the right thing to do.

Edited January 26, 2020 by twangster

[shipshape sam]

On 1/24/2020 at 1:49 PM, yogimax said:

I recently posted that RCCL had removed Concierge Club Access for D+ on Rhapsody of the Seas  We will be on Anthem in a couple of weeks and today I got the same boiler plate nonsensical email from RCCL.  Concierge Club is now closed to D+ on Anthem.

 

This is difficult to accept as the CL on Anthem is one of the best in the fleet.  It encompasses the entire aft portion of the ship with wonderful views.  Now, we will be limited to the smallish Diamond Lounge and dreary Music Hall.

 

Why is this nonsensical?  First, we have been on Anthem numerous times and the CL has never been overcrowded.  Bayonne does not have as many D+ and Pinnacles than those on Florida cruises.

 

Second, this is still a listed benefit of D+.

 

Third, the "enhancement" of one free coffee is meaningless.  On our Rhapsody cruise, there was never a wait in the morning longer than one or two minutes at the most.

 

As someone with 74 past cruises on RCCL, I am upset!  Can you blame me?

Disappointed maybe, upset?  I view Captains Club as nice extras, not permanent.  Surely you have seen many of the previous changes and know more will be coming in future, some good, some bad depending on your perspective.

 

I wish they would put values on the perks and allow me to choose up to my allotted value based on my status level as I am no longer fond of  going to the lounges in the evenings.

 

I hope you can still enjoy your cruises as you work towards 100 cruises!  

 

 

[Joebucks]

1 hour ago, rolloman said:

It is not about change...change is good. This is about trending.... changes which are trending in a negative way for D+. For me, the change to drink vouchers was great, the sneaky change of moving D+ out of the CL lounge not so much. The change of ceasing head of the line privileges to the embarkation screening area really stinks. Not that anyone cares, Carnival offers this particular perk. Walk right in, separate check in, immediate boarding and allowance to go straight to your room. Now, to me that is what I call being valued.  As I mentioned before ask anyone in the Marketing team at any cruise line. What costs  less, retention of existing base passengers or acquisition of new passengers. It is not even close. Keep the base happy. 

 

The downward trend needs to stop or as I said in my case, Celebrity, Carnival and the like will continue to see more of my business as they continue to value my vacation dollars. The thought RCCL is grooming new passengers to embrace a diluted loyalty program because they know they will win them over with their onboard product is ridiculous.  Think about this..... thirty (30) new ships this year in the industry...lots of competition with beautiful innovative ships of their own to capture and hold their base.  

 

Marketing is a complex thing. You're trying to bring in more money and there are tons of ways of doing it. While Royal doesn't necessarily want to lose the D+ customers, I believe many of them vastly overstate their value. Let's even put aside that the average person will never even care nor know about this change. They still see "free drinks" given at a certain loyalty level, and that is more than enough. Yet, there's the old timer crew who are always complaining about the way "things used to be" about EVERYTHING. Most business owners will tell you that if your product isn't good enough to keep people coming back, throwing free stuff at them to get them to stay is not a sustainable model.

 

Those suite clients are more important to them than D+. There, I said it. Those rooms command a premium price and therefore, extra profit. The more "value" you add to that, the more you can increase its price. Clogging up that room with a bunch of other people lowers the value of buying a suite.

 

It's funny that you mention moving to Carnival. I very much enjoy their product. However, it's always comical that when people don't get their way, they go somewhere else that does the exact thing they were mad about in the first place. Carnival doesn't offer the same thing in their loyalty program. For me, the price difference is often so much that I can use the money saved to purchase better cocktails, whenever I want them, instead of forcing a limited selection down in a short amount of time.

[sellwingri]

1 hour ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

I respectfully disagree. RCI is trying to make the experience better for all and something has to be done. An overcrowded CL and DL benefits no one. If you have 300+ Dplus plus those in a Suite and/or Pinnacle a crowded CL benefits no one. At least with the vouchers cruisers have options in addition to a lounge. If the change is going to be permanent I agree they should just do it. Sadly there's no way to please everyone.

 

Totally agree!  RCI is actually helping diamond plus members,  not taking something away.  There’s no way I’d go in the concierge lounge and wait 20 minutes for a drink.

 

[LoisGriffin1]

6 minutes ago, sellwingri said:

Totally agree!  RCI is actually helping diamond plus members,  not taking something away.  There’s no way I’d go in the concierge lounge and wait 20 minutes for a drink.

 

I like this suite benefit and I would be pretty annoyed to be unable to enter it because it’s full of non suite passengers. 
 

I have met some amazing D+ people in there but if it’s too busy now it won’t be a fun experience for anyone. 
 

If I pay for the perk I would be annoyed to be unable to use it. The free perks such as diamond lounge I wouldn’t mind either way. It’s not part of my cruise fair so if it was suddenly made D+ only that’s fine.

[JupiterTwo]

22 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I’ve heard of some bartending in the Diamond and Suite Lounge. Why would they be upset with if one screwed with the coffee machine?

I was on a B2B two weeks ago in a suite with access to the CL.

 

The concierge told me that it costs RCI $10,000 to fix a broken coffee machine. They have to have the vendor come out to fix the machines, and the only certified vendor repair techs are in Miami. RCI has to pay for their transportation, house them on the ship, and pay the service fees to repair the machines.

 

I'd think it's one thing for the concierge or hotel wait staff to unclog or unjam something, but if the machine is seriously broken it costs a lot for RCI to have it fixed. It's not like your home Keurig or office coffee machine.

[rolloman]

12 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

It's funny that you mention moving to Carnival. I very much enjoy their product. However, it's always comical that when people don't get their way, they go somewhere else that does the exact thing they were mad about in the first place. Carnival doesn't offer the same thing in their loyalty program. For me, the price difference is often so much that I can use the money saved to purchase better cocktails, whenever I want them, instead of forcing a limited selection down in a short amount of time.

Yes it is complex. For the record, I did not say I was moving completely away from RCCL. However I did say several times, they no longer are my single destination cruise line. My past 25 cruises, less than half of them have been Royal. Back in the day this was not the case, I was loyal to Royal. They are trending down for what I consider value and I am trending out. 

 

People make fun of Carnival, I have been guilty of it as well.  However, their new ships are really nice and the Mardi Gras coming this year is fabulous. As for the free drink thing, well I get free drinks in their casino all day long if I choose, same way with Celebrity. Not a happy hour window like they have now on RCCL. Anyways I digress...this is not about drinks. It is about being played a fool with the  concierge lounge name change to suite lounge, and removal of express entrance for D+. 

[bigeck]

12 minutes ago, LoisGriffin1 said:

I like this suite benefit and I would be pretty annoyed to be unable to enter it because it’s full of non suite passengers. 
 

I have met some amazing D+ people in there but if it’s too busy now it won’t be a fun experience for anyone. 
 

If I pay for the perk I would be annoyed to be unable to use it. The free perks such as diamond lounge I wouldn’t mind either way. It’s not part of my cruise fair so if it was suddenly made D+ only that’s fine.

That's the point most people are missing.

 

[yogimax]

5 hours ago, sellwingri said:

This is for.all the diamond plus cruisers complaining.....wouldn't you rather be able to go to the Music Hall to get a drink rather than being in a wall to wall group of people in the Concierge lounge, waiting in a long line?   In addition, the concierge lounge is at the back of the ship and deck 12.  

Nope!  If you read my original post, You would have seen my comment that the CL on Anthem is rarely crowded.  This is not a cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Miami or Port Canaveral.  In addition, the venue is wonderful, with windows fully across the back of the ship.  Would I rather be in a dingy and dark Music Hall?  No way!

[suzyluvs2cruise]

18 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Nope!  If you read my original post, You would have seen my comment that the CL on Anthem is rarely crowded.  This is not a cruise from Fort Lauderdale, Miami or Port Canaveral.  In addition, the venue is wonderful, with windows fully across the back of the ship.  Would I rather be in a dingy and dark Music Hall?  No way!

 

The CL on Anthem may not be crowded with only Suite and PC guests but adding in 300+ Diamond Plus members and the ability to get a seat changes dramatically. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by suzyluvs2cruise

[reallyitsmema]

19 minutes ago, LoisGriffin1 said:

I like this suite benefit and I would be pretty annoyed to be unable to enter it because it’s full of non suite passengers. 
 

I have met some amazing D+ people in there but if it’s too busy now it won’t be a fun experience for anyone. 
 

If I pay for the perk I would be annoyed to be unable to use it. The free perks such as diamond lounge I wouldn’t mind either way. It’s not part of my cruise fair so if it was suddenly made D+ only that’s fine.

 

We have found Anthem's concierge lounge crowded on multiple occasions with no seats available.  We have been very happy with the conceirge, Ricardo, who tries to make sure everyone is taken care of quickly.  I am not surprised that they are changing that to a suite lounge and that will make us book a suite more often on Anthem in the future.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, rolloman said:

It is not about change...change is good. This is about trending.... changes which are trending in a negative way for D+. For me, the change to drink vouchers was great, the sneaky change of moving D+ out of the CL lounge not so much. The change of ceasing head of the line privileges to the embarkation screening area really stinks. Not that anyone cares, Carnival offers this particular perk. Walk right in, separate check in, immediate boarding and allowance to go straight to your room. Now, to me that is what I call being valued.  As I mentioned before ask anyone in the Marketing team at any cruise line. What costs  less, retention of existing base passengers or acquisition of new passengers. It is not even close. Keep the base happy. 

 

The downward trend needs to stop or as I said in my case, Celebrity, Carnival and the like will continue to see more of my business as they continue to value my vacation dollars. The thought RCCL is grooming new passengers to embrace a diluted loyalty program because they know they will win them over with their onboard product is ridiculous.  Think about this..... thirty (30) new ships this year in the industry...lots of competition with beautiful innovative ships of their own to capture and hold their base.  

I agree.

Royals current C&A loyalty program is superior to other lines that we are top loyalty (Princess Elite) and P&O high loyalty (Mediterranean).

Our 15 night Grand Princess Hawaiian cruise last November was an eye opener.

The food and service in the anytime restaurant was a couple of notches above RC and the bar and pool bar service was excellent with plenty of roaming waiters eager to please.

My point is it is only the RC loyalty program that is better and if they dilute this then regulars will leave and newbies will try once or twice and go to other cruiselines.

[island lady]

16 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Nope,

 

I like to wear mine to annoy people...so far my evil plan is working....Bwaaahhh...ha..ha..ha. ha!!  😈

Edited January 26, 2020 by island lady

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

I respectfully disagree. RCI is trying to make the experience better for all and something has to be done. An overcrowded CL and DL benefits no one. If you have 300+ Dplus plus those in a Suite and/or Pinnacle a crowded CL benefits no one. At least with the vouchers cruisers have options in addition to a lounge. If the change is going to be permanent I agree they should just do it. Sadly there's no way to please everyone.

 

Thank you for your respectful reply.

Personally we used the CL on Explorer in October and this was the first time in 10 D+ cruises we went in to the CL during HH as we don't particularly like the small enclosed lounge.

Lots of D+ from what I read on here do use the CL and if on a b2b2b the concierge should use some discretion if the first week they allow entry then stop entry for the next cruise or 2.

As John posted about Frozen drinks now on the list we personally would be happy to have an even number (4) free drinks each to convert to 4 Pina Coladas or 2 Pina Coladas and 4 glasses of wine in other venues including speciality restaurants which was a welcome addition.

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by grapau27

[Oceansaway17]

My what a long rambling thread with much debate

 

Now I will make D+ in 2021 after 3 more cruises including Symphony, Vision, and then an 8 day Spring Odyssey.

 

I am the rare cruiser who doesn't drink.

I stopped at the Diamond lounge last May 2019 on first Ovation in Alaska. Not only was it crowded, but folks seemed more interested in collecting as many free drinks as possible and not much socializing going on. It reminded me of an airport scene of bored folks waiting to board plane.

 

For me as a solo traveller most of the time,  the only perk I care about is getting good prices on next cruise. But they do not offer this to solos and not interior rooms.

 

I find the emphasis on alcohol and special lounges only feeds the egos of repeater cruisers who want their darn perks and hurry please.

 

RCCL is right to in balancing perks for new any cruisers in SUITES. Those expensive rooms do deserve the perks even when new to RCCL.

 

I often wonder what a cruise would look like with no perks. I bet the charter ships might be rather interesting without c&a folks. Betting the crew might enjoy them too.

 

C&A membership is getting crowded. They need another level below Pinnacle. 

And they need to not make alcohol the main perk that folks chase after.

 

RCCL should do what DCL does and that is offer new releases by tier over 4 days then release to public. DCL truly does this for repeat customers. And also includes shore excursions too. So perks are not just alcohol related.

 

Oh well keep on chatting as this and chair hogging threads are entertaining to read.