Food, etc. in 'Diamond'Lounge or whatever it is has been renamed

[vjmatty]

7 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but the espresso in the CL is from a self-serve machine, no vouchers needed. That machine is my 2nd favorite perk after the vouchers.

I’m sorry, yes, that was confusing. I meant if he doesn’t go to the lounge AND doesn’t have a coffee card and a water package he’ll use the vouchers up. 

[vjmatty]

7 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Nothing wrong with popping into the Crown Lounge early in the morning for coffee though.  🙂  

 

I think it was on Wonder (or maybe Harmony) they had two coffee machines in there, versus just the one in the SL.  

Yeah and also the convenience factor depending on where we end up. I booked a suite guarantee this time because it was a good price and includes $350 OBC.

 

Edited March 31 by vjmatty

[island lady]

Just now, vjmatty said:

I’m sorry, yes, that was confusing. I meant if he doesn’t go to the lounge AND doesn’t have a coffee card and a water package he’ll use the vouchers up. 

 

I keep forgetting to use my left over vouchers for bottles of water.   Though I have simply been asking for couple of bottles of water at the bar in the SL...and always give them a cash tip.  They have not been charging my vouchers. 

 

I used to like ordering a 12 pack of water sent to the cabin...but they are listing Evian as the choice...of which I really don't like.  

 

Makes me wonder if it is indeed Evian they are sending to the cabins...if not, I will go back to ordering the water to have waiting in the cabin when we check in.  Easier than schlepping it onto the ship.  

[vjmatty]

Just now, island lady said:

 

I keep forgetting to use my left over vouchers for bottles of water.   Though I have simply been asking for couple of bottles of water at the bar in the SL...and always give them a cash tip.  They have not been charging my vouchers. 

 

I used to like ordering a 12 pack of water sent to the cabin...but they are listing Evian as the choice...of which I really don't like.  

 

Makes me wonder if it is indeed Evian they are sending to the cabins...if not, I will go back to ordering the water to have waiting in the cabin when we check in.  Easier than schlepping it onto the ship.  

I noticed the Evian when I looked in the planner. I can’t remember if it costs more now that it’s Evian but it’s better than the cans we had on Anthem. 
 

On Enchantment we were in a suite on a very port intensive cruise so we did have left over vouchers and used them for water.  This Symphony sailing is just the age old PC-Coco Cay-Nassau itinerary from Bayonne so we’re likely using them all.

 

Next year we’re on an Odyssey TA (maybe 2 if we do the return) so definitely need to have a plan. 

[temple1]

17 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

Yeah and also the convenience factor depending on where we end up. I booked a suite guarantee this time because it was a good price and includes $350 OBC.

 

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, the cruises I've booked over the years never have good freebies!

[vjmatty]

49 minutes ago, temple1 said:

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, the cruises I've booked over the years never have good freebies!

Check on a Wednesday or Thursday. I’ve seen the OBC appear and then disappear after a couple days on both RC and Celebrity, but not all sailings. Right now, about two days per week, it shows up on this year’s Symphony out of Bayonne but not next year’s transatlantic on Odyssey. Not much rhyme or reason to it. Maybe @Ourusualbeach had some insight because I’ve most frequently seen it on the TA site. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, temple1 said:

I don't know what I'm doing wrong, the cruises I've booked over the years never have good freebies!

Royal has been running mini 2 day sales that have included OBC, but they also raise the prices to compensate for that.  At the end of the day prices, once they factor in the OBC form the mini 2 day sales are usually within $50 of what they were without.  Don't feel like you are missing out, they just play games with the pricing

[vjmatty]

9 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Royal has been running mini 2 day sales that have included OBC, but they also raise the prices to compensate for that.  At the end of the day prices, once they factor in the OBC form the mini 2 day sales are usually within $50 of what they were without.  Don't feel like you are missing out, they just play games with the pricing

Yes I did notice it that most times there was a nearly identical price difference. I think one day I booked it with a $50 difference, then a while later there was a $200 price drop with a $50 increase in OBC so I grabbed it.  The prices are still changing daily but I think it’s because September is not a popular month and the ship isn’t very full. 

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

3 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

That's subjective. It's special to me. I enjoyed some of the CL snacks on Wonder 2 weeks ago.

Agreed, some of the appetizers are nothing special but some of them are quite tasty. And I find that on some ships, the CL desserts are leaps & bounds better than anything from the dining room, Windjammer or Coastal Kitchen--and some of the specialty dining desserts, for that matter.

 

Edited March 31 by la_croisiere_s'amuse

[SRF]

On 3/27/2024 at 12:55 PM, Tatka said:

You do realize that to reach P cruising in regular accommodations you need to spend many more nights cruising (o horror!) ? Twice as many. And in a process they spend money aside from cruisefare.  Also real suites which cost way more than regular accommodations have many more perks from the beginning than D. 
 

Is every level a lifetime? Hardly. Maybe between D+ and P.
 

But … this conversation tells me some people really like cruising. 

 

Nope, every RCI level is lifetime.  Once you "earn" it, you have it.  Not that you get much for under D.

And domestic partners get it without ever sailing.  As do kids under 18.  However, once kids turn 18 or partners spilt, they keep the level but revert back to their own point level.

So a never cruised person, could connect with a D+, cruise one 3 night cruise, split up and be D+ with 3 points. 😄

 

I think there are some differences with P.

 

 

[SRF]

4 hours ago, temple1 said:

I had just enough points to be Diamond. Because I split cruises between my husband and sister, it took her a couple of years to reach diamond, she was not happy, With DH or after my sister reached Diamond, we rarely went into the Diamond lounge.

with DH, you could have linked accounts and he would be D.

[sgmn]

7 hours ago, vjmatty said:

Free food on a cruise ship isn’t really all that special, especially since the quality of the appetizers has dropped. That being said, I do think a better solution would be to have a longer happy hour such as 4-8pm with the first two hours for Diamond and the second for Plus and Pinnacle. Or, just divide the current happy hour in half and assign accordingly. 

Some ships are better than others. Serenade great, Spectrum and Symphony not so great. Also where it is makes a difference.  Love the Viking Crown area

[sgmn]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Makes me wonder if it is indeed Evian they are sending to the cabins...if not, I will go back to ordering the water to have waiting in the cabin when we check in.  Easier than schlepping it onto the ship.  

We had evian with the water package on Serenade last September.  I've booked it for Serenade out of BCN this July, and in the planner the pic is Evian 

[temple1]

3 hours ago, SRF said:

with DH, you could have linked accounts and he would be D.

Sorry I was not clear. Yes, DH is the same level as I am and my sister reached Diamond several years ago. 

 

They have never shown much interest in the diamond lounge.

[island lady]

15 hours ago, sgmn said:

We had evian with the water package on Serenade last September.  I've booked it for Serenade out of BCN this July, and in the planner the pic is Evian 

 

Indeed the picture and description is Evian...but when we get our complimentary C&A bottles...it's the ship brand or equivalent which I am fine with.   We get a large bottle of Evian (that I don't drink) when we check into our cabin (GS).   

 

I used to order the 1/2 case of water, which was the ship brand.  I wish there was a choice that we could order the ship brand instead of Evian.