Loyalty is a 2-way street, is it?

[Kbonner]

Some posters here on CC argue that we have to support RCCL in these times and take the FCC rather than the cash refund for all cancelled cruises.

Well I am a very high status cruiser with RCCL. Should I be loyal? Just before corona, they took away the C&A event on Majesty way after I booked it and their answer was business related "saving money" and such....I know of 3 hotel directors and at least one F&B that were "reprimanded" and transferred to another ship for "probation" (I guess many here know who I refer to) only because they took the extra step to pamper status cruisers with a bottle of wine, maybe hors d'oevres  or chocolate to the cabin, or celebrating the lunch with an officer in the evening . The lunch with an officer used to be an uprated lunch, now only same menu like MDR lunch. An internal email from shoreside warned the hotel directors to go the extra mile or, in case of recurrence, accept the consequences with contract not renewed.....And the list goes on.

Since 2019 Royal cuts back and deliberately argues cruising is just a business case (it always was and always will be) and that they need to make more money for us shareholders.......

Now, should I be loyal and accept an FCC or reciprocally cut back on my loyalty ,  take the cash and run? Dear Royal, I prefer the cash you have educated me . Food for thought

 

[Casino Comp Chick]

Ouch!

[Biker19]

39 minutes ago, Kbonner said:

Dear Royal, I prefer the cash you have educated me .

Oh, good, one less person in the DL.

 

Biker, who is likes threads that break up the monotony of all the COVID19 related talk and gets back to more entertaining topics with drive by rants.

[Sobro]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

[Big_G]

I've never heard the 'take FCC for the company' argument. I suspect most take it because it's 125 percent. That said, I'm not loyal to RC. I sail with them the most because I like their product the most. The perks that come with my status are not as important to me as their main product.

 

We took the refund.

[The_Big_M]

They view things as financial transactions, so you should too.

 

"It's just business."

[mac_tlc]

44 minutes ago, The_Big_M said:

They view things as financial transactions, so you should too.

 

"It's just business."

I did. And am taking the 125% FCC. Hard to get a 25% return on my money anywhere else. Pretty sure we will be on board again before 12/31/21. 
 

mac_tlc

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, Kbonner said:

Some posters here on CC argue that we have to support RCCL in these times and take the FCC rather than the cash refund for all cancelled cruises.

Well I am a very high status cruiser with RCCL. Should I be loyal? Just before corona, they took away the C&A event on Majesty way after I booked it and their answer was business related "saving money" and such....I know of 3 hotel directors and at least one F&B that were "reprimanded" and transferred to another ship for "probation" (I guess many here know who I refer to) only because they took the extra step to pamper status cruisers with a bottle of wine, maybe hors d'oevres  or chocolate to the cabin, or celebrating the lunch with an officer in the evening . The lunch with an officer used to be an uprated lunch, now only same menu like MDR lunch. An internal email from shoreside warned the hotel directors to go the extra mile or, in case of recurrence, accept the consequences with contract not renewed.....And the list goes on.

Since 2019 Royal cuts back and deliberately argues cruising is just a business case (it always was and always will be) and that they need to make more money for us shareholders.......

Now, should I be loyal and accept an FCC or reciprocally cut back on my loyalty ,  take the cash and run? Dear Royal, I prefer the cash you have educated me . Food for thought

 

Cut backs on Royal been happening for 2 decades, similar with other Frequent Travel Program's.  

[gatour]

2 hours ago, Big_G said:

I've never heard the 'take FCC for the company' argument.

Same here.  Never heard that argument and I have kept on many of the threads concerning FCC/refunds.

 

Most of the discussions have been about what happens to your FCC if the company goes bankrupt.

[Irish13]

9 minutes ago, gatour said:

Same here.  Never heard that argument and I have kept on many of the threads concerning FCC/refunds.

 

Most of the discussions have been about what happens to your FCC if the company goes bankrupt.

I have a major concern about this as well but was assured that this is not going to happen and that they have just taken out a huge loan to make sure of it. I guess only time will tell 

[Beachin2]

Looks like someone has stopped sipping the Kool-Aid.  Welcome to reality.

[NavyCruiser]

After 3 straight cruises with Royal, Looking forward to booking our first Royal cruise as Diamond member, but saw a better deal at Carnival for the same date.

So just booked yesterday on Carnival, since Carnival's prices went down by 30% & Royal was up 25%.

Doing more river cruising & all inclusive resorts lately also.

We're more loyal to better value pricing than to a particular brand....

[KelSny1011]

Man...I have missed the "I'm a high level status rants"  Thank you poster, thank you...

[NateUpNorth]

Advice given on these boards over and over and over again:

 

Book your cruise at a price you’re comfortable with and then enjoy it. If you get a price drop, great. If not, enjoy the cruise. 

This goes for customers regardless of “loyalty level”. If you feel a cruise is cheaper elsewhere even factoring in buying the 3 free drinks and a couple welcome onboard cookies in your stateroom, book it elsewhere. 

If the feeling of “status” is impossible to put a price on, stick with one line and live with the cost.

Edited March 27, 2020 by NateUpNorth

[klfrodo]

Loyalty up and/or Loyalty down is no longer valid in todays market.

[OldSeaDog1969]

Without cut backs & changes even to the C&A program the company will go under. Some guests will just have to accept this.

[NateUpNorth]

4 minutes ago, OldSeaDog1969 said:

Without cut backs & changes even to the C&A program the company will go under. Some guests will just have to accept this.

 

Part of me does wonder if some of the lower tier rewards levels will see things added.

If bookings are slow, in the grand scheme of things adding a welcome aboard bottle of wine to the stateroom, a free picture that’s really only an electronic transfer of a pic already taken, or a drink or two to the loyalty level, or items like these may attract bookings.

[firefly333]

Lol I just remembered I used to get more tv stations. I really miss the news. Ok lol theres my complaint.

 

Durn cutbacks.

 

As far as carnival is cheaper. True. I go back and forth. My last carnival cruise I took a newbie. We hit the elite gambling cruise. Unless you set your alarm for 4 am couldn't get a machine in casino. Way way over 500 diamonds, over 800 priority guests for the priority lines like tender to Belize. Priority was a joke.

 

I'm not sure all the things but my friend didnt love cruising after carnival. She said she will try royal before she decides. 

 

I wish there was a list of the big gambling cruises on carnival so I could avoid them  it was that bad even for me, a seasoned cruiser. Maybe royal is that bad now, hopefully I'll find out when they quit cancelling cruises. They won led monitors, laptops, tablets, and I'm sure smaller stuff. I could just see the big stuff the gamblers hauled off the ship. Please save me from another elite casino cruise on carnival. I'd rather pay a little more.

 

OP take the refund. I dont remember seeing people posting take the 125% fcc to save rcl, but even if a few do, it's just opinion, and not from rcl.

[bonsai3s]

9 hours ago, Kbonner said:

.

 Dear Royal, I prefer the cash you have educated me . Food for thought

 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  Please wash your hands.  Happy sailing.

[Milwaukee Eight]

9 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Oh, good, one less person in the DL.

 

Biker, who is likes threads that break up the monotony of all the COVID19 related talk and gets back to more entertaining topics with drive by rants.

I miss these I’m loyal to Royal so give me more threads too. Woke me up. 

[George C]

While we are diamond plus , we are hardly loyal to rccl , they have excellent entertainment and normally have no complaints, there are other good cruise lines our last couple of cruises was celebrity and msc yacht club and we have another one of each booked, but most likely return sooner or later.

[RoyalC]

10 hours ago, Kbonner said:

Some posters here on CC argue that we have to support RCCL in these times and take the FCC rather than the cash refund for all cancelled cruises.

Well I am a very high status cruiser with RCCL. Should I be loyal? Just before corona, they took away the C&A event on Majesty way after I booked it and their answer was business related "saving money" and such....I know of 3 hotel directors and at least one F&B that were "reprimanded" and transferred to another ship for "probation" (I guess many here know who I refer to) only because they took the extra step to pamper status cruisers with a bottle of wine, maybe hors d'oevres  or chocolate to the cabin, or celebrating the lunch with an officer in the evening . The lunch with an officer used to be an uprated lunch, now only same menu like MDR lunch. An internal email from shoreside warned the hotel directors to go the extra mile or, in case of recurrence, accept the consequences with contract not renewed.....And the list goes on.

Since 2019 Royal cuts back and deliberately argues cruising is just a business case (it always was and always will be) and that they need to make more money for us shareholders.......

Now, should I be loyal and accept an FCC or reciprocally cut back on my loyalty ,  take the cash and run? Dear Royal, I prefer the cash you have educated me . Food for thought

 

"An internal email from shoreside warned the hotel directors to go the extra mile"

AND

" I know of 3 hotel directors and at least one F&B that were "reprimanded" and transferred to another ship for "probation" (I guess many here know who I refer to) only because they took the extra step to pamper status cruisers with a bottle of wine..."

 

These two statements seem to conflict. Do you mean not go the extra mile?

[Newleno]

"Well I am a very high status cruiser with RCCL"  Just curious what are the loyal levels called on RCCL?

 

Are they Status, Medium Status, Good Status, High Status, and then  the creme de la creme Very High Status?

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 minutes ago, Newleno said:

"Well I am a very high status cruiser with RCCL"  Just curious what are the loyal levels called on RCCL?

 

Are they Status, Medium Status, Good Status, High Status, and then  the creme de la creme Very High Status?

Depends who you ask. Some think they are entitled more than others. Some are ok with their status level and the perks, others not so much. 

[LXA350]

RCL needs to look at the complete picture, which I don't think they always do. If someone achieved Diamond, Diamond + or Pinacle because they cruises on cheap deals and are considered as low yielding clients which a lot of Pinancles are, RCL should not go the extra mile for them and even risk to have them switch the company which they mostlikely will not do anyhow. However for high yielding passengers even only at Diamond Level + booked in balcony / suite cabins at full fare the company needs to go the extra mile and provide extra personal touches to keep them loyal to Royal as they are the kind of client the company needs and withom they will be able to achieve their goals to satisfy the shareholders.