Concierge Lounge vs. Diamond+

[CFLRetired]

18 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

Yes, only suites were allowed in the Concierge Club on Jewel.  Too many Pinnacles.

Good to know.  We'll be on Jewel in a few months.  Also in a suite.  I guess our daily free drinks will go against our total in the Concierge Club.

[imola]

On 8/31/2022 at 6:24 PM, Ashland said:

Get cans of soda in the SL during the evening hours and put them in your fridge...This works easy for us. Bottles of water also.

I love having you on here as you know the info I am looking for.  Hopefully we will get to meet someday.

[ggo85]

We're also on Jewel in a couple of months.  Suite and D+.  Will try to remember to report back on our CL experience re whether drinks are charged.  

[frank808]

On Navigator right now. In SL during happy hour and waiter/waitress charged my drinks against my 5 vouchers. Will have to speak with suite concierge Haffnar about correcting the charges. As I had a few drinks that were charged since my vouchers were used.

 

On another not just 5 Pinnacle, 83 D+ and 113 D on this cruise. No one is turning P on this cruise. 

[ggo85]

Let us know what happens. This shouldn’t be an issue because, in the past, suite guests had gold cards so it’s very clear who is entitled to the free drinks in the CL.  One option might be to show the card but not give it to the server.  After all, they don’t need it if they aren’t going to charge it.  😀

[frank808]

Just spoke with Haffner. The "charges" are just on my account for accounting purposes. He said if I get my 5 drinks and get charged he will remove them.

[molly361]

4 hours ago, frank808 said:

Just spoke with Haffner. The "charges" are just on my account for accounting purposes. He said if I get my 5 drinks and get charged he will remove them.

That doesn't sound right if they are actual charges. All.mine have shown up but at a zero charge for each of them 

[island lady]

12 hours ago, ggo85 said:

Let us know what happens. This shouldn’t be an issue because, in the past, suite guests had gold cards so it’s very clear who is entitled to the free drinks in the CL.  One option might be to show the card but not give it to the server.  After all, they don’t need it if they aren’t going to charge it.  😀

 

On Harmony, the SL concierges insist on changing out our Gold card for a light blue (suites) card.  I guess that makes a difference to them....but the drinks still find themselves on our vouchers.  😑

[island lady]

9 hours ago, frank808 said:

Just spoke with Haffner. The "charges" are just on my account for accounting purposes. He said if I get my 5 drinks and get charged he will remove them.

 

Seems like a PIA to have to do that.  The bartenders need to stop charging C&A members cruising in a suite (IMHO).  I got stung once when they did that.  From then on, I did not go over our 6 drinks.  (don't need that many anyway 😉 ).   

 

Makes me wonder...how do they do the accounting for the suites guests that are not C&A upper tier?  

[island lady]

4 hours ago, molly361 said:

That doesn't sound right if they are actual charges. All.mine have shown up but at a zero charge for each of them 

 

Yes, mine are showing up as zero charges...but are deducted from our free vouchers.  Me thinks the CL/SL is perhaps shoving off that cost to C&A?  

[Georgeny]

Confusing enough?

 

Once upon a time there was a CONCIERGE  lounge for DIAMOND members. You could be in any cabin but still go to CONCIERGE lounge. Then there were too many DIAMONDS!

 

Next came an ADDED category and DIAMOND PLUS was required TWICE the number of cruise or points ( that also changed through the years days sailed versus points etc ). DIAMOND members could no longer go to the CONCIERGE lounge unless they were in a mini-suite or above.

 

Then better mini type suites were required to be in for CONCIERGE LOUNGE. They then were mini A or B or C to GRAND, and whatever mini-suites.

 

Then there was SUITE LOUNGE where ONLY real SUITEs could go to. Diamond Plus could still go to CONCIERGE Lounge IF THERE WAS ONE because the were  eliminating them on ships as they were dry docked and renovated. You could still go to Diamond lounge which depending on ship was either tiny or tinier.

 

Then there was too many DIAMOND PLUS so they added the voucher system which was only good certain hours, certain bars. Then that was expanded to almost all bars etc.

 

Add to all this crazy depending on what ship and what renovations made depends on facility available what lounge exist and who can go in them. They did away with Concierge lounges and only had SUITE and DIAMOND lounges and only TOP real SUITES got to go to SUITE lounges.

 

You got all that?

 

Bottom line when you get on ship you should have a letter from concierge of that ship what you are entitled to and where you can go on THAT ship!

 

The only thing consistent with cruise lines is that nothing is consistent specially between ships.

 

George in NY

[frank808]

8 hours ago, molly361 said:

That doesn't sound right if they are actual charges. All.mine have shown up but at a zero charge for each of them 

Yes the charge shows 0 just like when using vouchers. 

 

Verified that drinks rung up during happy hour in SL do not count against my 5 vouchers a day.  Had 4 drinks in lounge during happy hour. Then used 2 at MDR and went and got 3 waters before going to cabin. Checked my account and there were no charges. The server rings drink as SL or D from what I understand. 

[rudeney]

It makes no sense that they swipe your SeaPass card in the Suite Lounge.  If only full-suite guests can enter then why bother?  They used to not swipe cards in the old Concierge Lounges.  

[frank808]

18 minutes ago, rudeney said:

It makes no sense that they swipe your SeaPass card in the Suite Lounge.  If only full-suite guests can enter then why bother?  They used to not swipe cards in the old Concierge Lounges.  

Those were the good ole days in CL. Especially on Radiance and Brillance with the beautiful bar you can sit at.

 

P can also use SL if the numbers of P are not a lot. No hard numbers of how many P are sailing to get access to SL. 

 

This cruise is only 5 P so no problem. Back in Feb/March on Navigator, there were many P (30+ IIRC) and they did not have access to SL. The following week, P numbers were lower and access to SL was allowed.

Edited September 4, 2022 by frank808

[c-leg5]

On 8/31/2022 at 1:44 PM, davekathy said:

As it should be. What's the attraction of the CL over the DL if not staying in a full suite? We prefer the DL over the CL on the class ships we've cruise on. We didn't have access to the CL on our last cruise (March) as non suite cruisers but we preferred the location of the DL over the CL on the Explorer. 

 

Actually on Enchantment the DL and CL are very close together.

Depending on where you are sailing and the position of the sun it can become extremely hot in the DL with its wall of windows. The CL can be much more comfortable location although it is open (above) the Viking Lounge (or whatever it is called on that ship) and subject to any noise there.

[island lady]

18 hours ago, frank808 said:

Those were the good ole days in CL. Especially on Radiance and Brillance with the beautiful bar you can sit at.

 

P can also use SL if the numbers of P are not a lot. No hard numbers of how many P are sailing to get access to SL. 

 

This cruise is only 5 P so no problem. Back in Feb/March on Navigator, there were many P (30+ IIRC) and they did not have access to SL. The following week, P numbers were lower and access to SL was allowed.

 

Our last Harmony cruise...142 Ps.  😮    Just after that...EX had 11.  😉 

[davekathy]

8 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

 

Actually on Enchantment the DL and CL are very close together.

Depending on where you are sailing and the position of the sun it can become extremely hot in the DL with its wall of windows. The CL can be much more comfortable location although it is open (above) the Viking Lounge (or whatever it is called on that ship) and subject to any noise there.

Never been on the Enchantment or the Vision class ships. We've been banned from the CLs. 😁

[c-leg5]

13 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Never been on the Enchantment or the Vision class ships. We've been banned from the CLs. 😁

OK, but your question to the PP was

 

What's the attraction of the CL over the DL if not staying in a full suite? 

 

Just giving you one reason why we did it. The PP gave you another.

 

The other Vision class ships have the lounges in totally different locations.

Edited September 5, 2022 by c-leg5

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

OK, but your question to the PP was

 

What's the attraction of the CL over the DL if not staying in a full suite? 

 

Just giving you one reason why we did it. The PP gave you another.

Wasn't challenging your reason why what you do. 

[island lady]

8 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

 

Actually on Enchantment the DL and CL are very close together.

Depending on where you are sailing and the position of the sun it can become extremely hot in the DL with its wall of windows. The CL can be much more comfortable location although it is open (above) the Viking Lounge (or whatever it is called on that ship) and subject to any noise there.

 

Agree...though you actually have the locations switched.  Unless they have changed it...the CL was the one with the 2 story floor to ceiling windows facing aft (and always seemed etched from the sea air). 

 

The DL is across the way up the 3 steps and above the VCL.  Loved having them so close (as in Radiance series) to go to the other one if one has a broken coffee machine in the morning.  😉 

[island lady]

43 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Never been on the Enchantment or the Vision class ships. We've been banned from the CLs. 😁

 

LOL!!   But actually we adore the DLs over the CL on that class of ship.  😉  

[c-leg5]

15 minutes ago, island lady said:

Agree...though you actually have the locations switched

LOL, quite possibly in which case my point is irrelevant, I guess!

 

It’s been a while and ranks as one of our worst sailings ever and one I try to forget!

 

When it wasn’t too hot we preferred the room with windows but at times it was very uncomfortable and it was nice to be able to switch. 

[robmtx]

On 8/31/2022 at 3:27 PM, robmtx said:

In the Lounge, coffee and tea are available throughout the day.  Each evening, between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm, hors d'oeuvres, petit fours and complimentary wine, spirits, beer, and soft drinks are available for our Suite guests.

 

This is word for word from the concierge email. It doesn't mention beer/wine/soda being available during the day, but people say it is. So the letter is still a bit confusing to me. I'll know more on Sunday 😉

 

Day 2 aboard Oasis. So far from what I can tell, so long as there's a bartender there, you can get sodas, waters, beer, wine.  I just grabbed a beer before coming back to the loft and merely flashed by card to him. Yesterday he put a check mark by my name on the printout of suites/passengers and probably remembered me. During the official happy hours the full bar is available.

 

As for CK and drinks, the waiter was quick to run over to the bar and get me a drink for dinner. I drink beer at lunch and liquor at dinner. Our waiter from lunch even stopped by our table at dinner asked me if I wanted a beer for the road.

 

I have not seen where to grab a soda if there's no bartender, so I think someone needs to at least be there to get you non-alc drinks

 

 

 

[robmtx]

17 minutes ago, robmtx said:

 

Day 2 aboard Oasis. So far from what I can tell, so long as there's a bartender there, you can get sodas, waters, beer, wine.  I just grabbed a beer before coming back to the loft and merely flashed by card to him. Yesterday he put a check mark by my name on the printout of suites/passengers and probably remembered me. During the official happy hours the full bar is available.

 

As for CK and drinks, the waiter was quick to run over to the bar and get me a drink for dinner. I drink beer at lunch and liquor at dinner. Our waiter from lunch even stopped by our table at dinner asked me if I wanted a beer for the road.

 

I have not seen where to grab a soda if there's no bartender, so I think someone needs to at least be there to get you non-alc drinks

 

 

 

Oh and the bar opens at 11am so you can grab soda starting then! 

[cruisegirl1]

On 9/4/2022 at 9:24 AM, Georgeny said:

Confusing enough?

 

Once upon a time there was a CONCIERGE  lounge for DIAMOND members. You could be in any cabin but still go to CONCIERGE lounge. Then there were too many DIAMONDS!

 

Next came an ADDED category and DIAMOND PLUS was required TWICE the number of cruise or points ( that also changed through the years days sailed versus points etc ). DIAMOND members could no longer go to the CONCIERGE lounge unless they were in a mini-suite or above.

 

Then better mini type suites were required to be in for CONCIERGE LOUNGE. They then were mini A or B or C to GRAND, and whatever mini-suites.

 

Then there was SUITE LOUNGE where ONLY real SUITEs could go to. Diamond Plus could still go to CONCIERGE Lounge IF THERE WAS ONE because the were  eliminating them on ships as they were dry docked and renovated. You could still go to Diamond lounge which depending on ship was either tiny or tinier.

 

Then there was too many DIAMOND PLUS so they added the voucher system which was only good certain hours, certain bars. Then that was expanded to almost all bars etc.

 

Add to all this crazy depending on what ship and what renovations made depends on facility available what lounge exist and who can go in them. They did away with Concierge lounges and only had SUITE and DIAMOND lounges and only TOP real SUITES got to go to SUITE lounges.

 

You got all that?

 

Bottom line when you get on ship you should have a letter from concierge of that ship what you are entitled to and where you can go on THAT ship!

 

The only thing consistent with cruise lines is that nothing is consistent specially between ships.

 

George in NY

We always receive two letters.  One from the loyalty ambassador and one from the Suite or Diamond concierge outlining the benefits for that cruise.  I've never had any issues or confusion.  We find not only different rules/benefits from ship to  ship,  but occasionally on the same ship even if we are on a B2B.  What was in place the first  cruise, might not be in place the second.  BUT, the letters generally provide whatever info we need. 

 

M