New "crown lounge" rule

[sunlover2]

1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

Congratulations on Diamond !

Thank you!!😊

[doghog]

1 hour ago, steveru621 said:

Not understanding. The CL on Jewel has a bar and outside seating area. Same on all Radiance class?

What's not to understand. As I said we like the DL on the Jewel better than the CL. Location, location. Never had a problem with prompt service for drinks in the DL. CL outside seating isn't a draw for us. If you prefer the CL, your choice. Enjoy. 🍷

[rolloman]

On 10/17/2023 at 5:13 PM, kirtihk said:

Go at 4:30 pm

Going back a few years ago (pre-drink vouchers) it was not uncommon at peak times for the Concierge to ask everyone to take out their seapass card as he/she walked through the lounge. I am sure this will turn into another cat and mouse game until D are completely eliminated from the lounge as it will no longer be a perk for them. I find it amusing to read some comments about how they would never do that, it would cause an uproar. Well, they already did it once by kicking D+ out of the concierge lounge. It was swift and without warning lol...at least this time it looks like they are doing a semi-slow ramp up to elimination...

[travelberlin]

As a diamond member do we get a bottle of wine delivered to our room as part of the benefits? 

[OCSC Mike]

19 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

As a diamond member do we get a bottle of wine delivered to our room as part of the benefits? 

No.

[Starry Eyes]

26 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

As a diamond member do we get a bottle of wine delivered to our room as part of the benefits? 

No, not at D.  At D+ one can select from a list of amenities, including bottles of wine.  The amenities increase as the D+ gains points.

[cruisegirl1]

On 10/18/2023 at 5:34 PM, RFerrington said:

We just made Pinn on our current cruise (Mariner).  Some of our Pinn friends told us to expect a complimentary specialty dining meal certificate but when we asked about it, the LA said that comes when you reach 1400 points.  So I guess we will be looking forward to a comp Chops meal some time in the next 16 years !   🤣

Congrats, we were at the top tier and watched your recognition. It was done nicely.
 

The LA is correct. The complementary meal kicks in at 1400 points and every 350 points after that.

m

[cruisegirl1]

On 10/18/2023 at 9:13 PM, Thoenix said:

I'm not diamond.  I'm not anything.  I'm talking about specific behaviours I've seen discussed on this site about pinnacle members, but go off.  

So you’ve never been inside of the Crown:

(Diamond) lounge but you make up some story about what you imagine might take place in the lounge and then you post it here?  Good grief. 
m
 

 

[island lady]

2 hours ago, rolloman said:

Going back a few years ago (pre-drink vouchers) it was not uncommon at peak times for the Concierge to ask everyone to take out their seapass card as he/she walked through the lounge. I am sure this will turn into another cat and mouse game until D are completely eliminated from the lounge as it will no longer be a perk for them. I find it amusing to read some comments about how they would never do that, it would cause an uproar. Well, they already did it once by kicking D+ out of the concierge lounge. It was swift and without warning lol...at least this time it looks like they are doing a semi-slow ramp up to elimination...

 

Same thing as when they originally kicked Ds out of the Concierge Lounge years ago.  

[island lady]

12 hours ago, steveru621 said:

Not understanding. The CL on Jewel has a bar and outside seating area. Same on all Radiance class?

 

Yes, all four sisters the same.  On most ships, we simply use the VCL for happy hour, but on the Radiance sisters.....we do enjoy the CL to sit at the half circle bar when it is not busy. 

 

Sometimes the VCL will be a bit crowded and noisy on those ships, especially if they open the connecting door to the DL (now Crown Lounge) to let the Diamonds overflow into that lounge.  When that happens, we prefer the CL.  

 

Will be interesting to see what happens during the WC on Serenade starting this December.  

[island lady]

49 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Congrats, we were at the top tier and watched your recognition. It was done nicely.
 

The LA is correct. The complementary meal kicks in at 1400 points and every 350 points after that.

m

 

Hmmm...first I heard of that, but we are just shy of the 1400 points.  Did not know about that one, thanks.  🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by island lady

[Mum2Mercury]

On 10/15/2023 at 9:41 AM, SplashOfWater said:

... I hope that Royal will provide daily specialty coffee vouchers on our SeaPass cards as an alternative ...

What is this "give extra" concept of which you speak? 

On 10/15/2023 at 10:44 AM, steveru621 said:

In my last half dozen cruises there were 500+ D's and D+.  Not sure gaining access is that special.

The threshold for Diamond is high -- but not so high that frequent cruisers, especially those who live in Florida, can't reach it.  I think AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE are actually in the Diamond category, and now Royal's forced to find ways to deal with the onslaught.  

On 10/15/2023 at 11:01 AM, dbancroft said:

@Sea Dogsnacks are against the rules when on a diet...lol leaves more room for drinks tho

You do know that many cocktails actually contain more calories than a typical snack, right? 

Good thing the rules don't count on a cruise!  

On 10/15/2023 at 2:32 PM, OCSC Mike said:

The actual snacks vary but yes. On Oasis class (usually what I’m sailing) there are usually 3-4 hot apps like breaded shrimp, dumplings, samosas, little egg rolls, little steak/chicken skewers, pigs in a blanket, mini quiche, etc. Then there is always a cheese & cracker spread & a small sweets tray with little chocolate things, chocolate covered strawberries, etc.

Wow, those are prime snacks!  Maybe I care about this topic after all.  

On 10/17/2023 at 5:10 AM, 2chiefs said:

Yep. First it was Honey Stung Chicken and now Tuttie..... Next it'll be the Ranger cookies

I don't miss Honey Stung Chicken, but I'd eat that salad every day of my life and be happy about it. 

I don't see why they'd cut Ranger cookies; they're dirt-cheap to make.  

On 10/17/2023 at 3:22 PM, Thoenix said:

... Most of the loyalty levels are precious metals/gems, but then you have the random 'plus' and the word 'pinnacle'.  If I were a brand, I'd look at making all the names of all the levels represent a unified levelling system to represent the brand better ...  members keep to themselves in their extra special corner and not upset anyone with the over the top bragging I hear about here.

As a language teacher and a person atune to words, I agree about the names.  

I have encountered a few braggarts.  

23 hours ago, island lady said:

The free unlimited internet is my favorite perk!  🤗

Seriously, what do you think costs Royal more to give?  Drinks or internet? 

I can somewhat relate to the behind-the-scenes cost of alcohol + labor to get it to the customer ... but I'm totally in the dark as to what internet costs to provide.  I mean, the system is in place; I don't have any grasp of what it costs to give that service for free to a select group of customers.  

Nor do I have any concept of how many people onboard are paying for internet; so I have no idea how much revenue they'd give up if they gave free internet.  

 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[Husky1987]

3 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Seriously, what do you think costs Royal more to give?  Drinks or internet? 

I can somewhat relate to the behind-the-scenes cost of alcohol + labor to get it to the customer ... but I'm totally in the dark as to what internet costs to provide.  I mean, the system is in place; I don't have any grasp of what it costs to give that service for free to a select group of customers.  

Nor do I have any concept of how many people onboard are paying for internet; so I have no idea how much revenue they'd give up if they gave free internet. 

 

I don't really have any concrete basis to say this (in other words, I'm a typical CC poster), but I'd bet that the marginal cost to add an additional internet user within any given ship's current system is zero.

[island lady]

Just now, Mum2Mercury said:

 

Seriously, what do you think costs Royal more to give?  Drinks or internet? 

I can somewhat relate to the behind-the-scenes cost of alcohol + labor to get it to the customer ... but I'm totally in the dark as to what internet costs to provide.  

 

 

My post was a personal observation about which perk I happen to enjoy the most on the list of the generous Pinnacle perks (and I do enjoy all of them).  No where did I post about the cost/value of the internet....don't care.  

[Mum2Mercury]

14 minutes ago, Husky1987 said:

 

I don't really have any concrete basis to say this (in other words, I'm a typical CC poster), but I'd bet that the marginal cost to add an additional internet user within any given ship's current system is zero.

I'm inclined to agree.  Though I myself would rather have the drinks.  

13 minutes ago, island lady said:

My post was a personal observation about which perk I happen to enjoy the most on the list of the generous Pinnacle perks (and I do enjoy all of them).  No where did I post about the cost/value of the internet....don't care.  

Okay, but I personally am curious about the cost of free drinks vs. free internet.  

[OCSC Mike]

19 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Wow, those are prime snacks!  Maybe I care about this topic after all.

 

Everything varies by ship/cruise of course so if you go to the CL and see luke warm mozzarella sticks and dry meatballs, please don't think "That Mike guy lied!" 🙈

 

Sadly, that's what we got on Indy last year but the other stuff I mentioned was on Wonder in June and more representative of what I remember on other Oasis class ships over the years.

 

And yes, in this topic, when I bring up those snacks, I get a lot of "Who cares about the CL, I'd rather get my drinks elsewhere, the room has no windows, get snacks elsewhere, etc." Doesn't bother me of course, everyone has their preferences, but I do think those snacks can be quite good and I like hors d'oeuvres type food. For certain occasions, either with family or friends, we make a ton of stuff like that with no actual meal, just lots and lots of finger foods throughout the evening.

[OCSC Mike]

7 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Okay, but I personally am curious about the cost of free drinks vs. free internet.

 

Yes, 6 voucher drinks will have a retail value of far more than one day of internet, especially if you use them all on $14 cocktails. There's more than just comparing dollar value though. Everyone likes what they like and if they only use a few vouchers on cheaper drinks, it gets closer, though internet will almost always cost less.

 

You can use $20-25/day for a quick valuation of internet cost.

[Ocean Boy]

22 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

 

My post was a personal observation about which perk I happen to enjoy the most on the list of the generous Pinnacle perks (and I do enjoy all of them).  No where did I post about the cost/value of the internet....don't care.  

 

7 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I'm inclined to agree.  Though I myself would rather have the drinks.  

Okay, but I personally am curious about the cost of free drinks vs. free internet.  

I'm sure the amount of money one has spent in order to qualify for both of those perks more than covers any expenses incurred by RCI. Considering what the higher up Miami people are getting paid it is obvious that all of our cruise fare is not being consumed by operating the ship and our C&A amenities.

[island lady]

12 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

I'm inclined to agree.  Though I myself would rather have the drinks.  

Okay, but I personally am curious about the cost of free drinks vs. free internet.  

 

OK...I look at it this way.   I am Pinnacle simply because we like to cruise (and do we cruise a lot).  We just happened to enjoy the RCI product.  

 

So...RCI tells us:  "Hey we are going to give you all these free perks for being loyal".   Ok...we will take them and appreciate them.  Do I feel the need to look a gift horse in the mouth?  Ummm....really?  

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

 

I'm sure the amount of money one has spent in order to qualify for both of those perks more than covers any expenses incurred by RCI. Considering what the higher up Miami people are getting paid it is obvious that all of our cruise fare is not being consumed by operating the ship and our C&A amenities.

 

Perfectly stated OB...as usual.   

 

And sure...If all I cared about was the specific value for each perk...I would cruise in an inside cabin.  But I don't, we cruise in suites...which has additional perks.  

 

If I was only interested in saving money...I would stay home...and save a ton of money!.  😄 

[Ocean Boy]

13 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Yes, 6 voucher drinks will have a retail value of far more than one day of internet, especially if you use them all on $14 cocktails. There's more than just comparing dollar value though. Everyone likes what they like and if they only use a few vouchers on cheaper drinks, it gets closer, though internet will almost always cost less.

 

You can use $20-25/day for a quick valuation of internet cost.

The other issue to consider is would the customer have bought those drinks if they did not have the perk? If not then the true cost to RCI is the, maybe, couple of bucks worth of ingredients. So a Pin with their six drinks would be a cost of around $12 a day not $84 using $14 per drink retail.

[RFerrington]

I do think that the cost [to Royal] of the drinks exceeds the cost of the internet perk...but as OB suggests, the cost of the drinks is only realized if the Pinns actually USE all of their drink vouchers (which we never EVER do, BTW).  The cost of the internet is not so much a function of the cost of the service, but more so a loss of the revenue that would be realized if the Pinns were required to pay for it.  So, the 2 perks really have different bases.  I still believe the internet to be a cheaper perk for the cruise line though....even with many of the drink vouchers going unused.

[RFerrington]

2 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Congrats, we were at the top tier and watched your recognition. It was done nicely.
 

The LA is correct. The complementary meal kicks in at 1400 points and every 350 points after that.

m

Thanks !!!

 

Are you going to be on Mariner next week ?  I would love to finally meet you.

[PompeySailor]

17 hours ago, RFerrington said:

Yes.  We are on this one (10-13) and next week as well (10-21 thru 10-28).  Had our Pinn ceremony on this sailing but are PINO (Pinnacles In Name Only) this week…but will be real Pinns next week !  

Enjoy the P cruise - Well done guys 

Now to be top dogs in the casino 🎰 

 

I have been shown a way to configure the DNS and proxy to make the wifi sort of work 

 

I have screen dumps for future sailors, but I’m not going to attempt to load any photos yet 

 

Congrats again 🥂

[PompeySailor]

20 hours ago, RFerrington said:

How’s the Internet, Graham, @PompeySailor ?

I have a fix - But keeping it quiet so as not to open up the bandwidth 😎

 

it’s better than zero at the mo