Military Discount - Blue Card

[EastTexans2]

I know there was some discussion on this last week, but I just got back into town and need some help.

 

This new military discount that RCI is giving. In the description it says "anyone with 2 years of service, etc." and "honorable discharge, etc." then it talks about a "uniformed blue card". My husband (and everyone else I've talked to) knows nothing about a blue card. Will they accept his DD214?

 

Any help/info will be greatly appreciated.

[pmshirl]

I would assume the DD214 is valid, since that is the discharge papers. Shows years of Service, discharge type etc. Everything they need to know is on that paper!

[wraithe]

The blue card is the retiree id card. DD Form 2 (Retired) specifically. Since your husband wouldn't have that if he didn't retire, then I would think they're going to have to accept the DD Form 214 to prove service. From what I understand, only certain cruises are going to have the military pricing. So far, even though there's a question on the reservation page, I haven't seen anything that qualifies for a military discount yet. Neither of the cruises that I'm on have the military pricing available. Hope this clears up a little of the confusion, at least about the blue id card.

[Roses2]

The Royal Caribbean Military Discount program is not new. It has been around for quite a while.

 

The following is posted on the internet site of one of the TAs authorized to sell the program. It does not mention discharge after 2 years honorable service as one of the criteria.

 

Royal Caribbean offers military discounts to active, reserve and retired members of the U.S. military and the Canadian Forces. Qualifying military personnel must present a photocopy of current military ID at the time of booking.

[starq1]

The Royal Caribbean Military Discount program is not new. It has been around for quite a while.

 

The following is posted on the internet site of one of the TAs authorized to sell the program. It does not mention discharge after 2 years honorable service as one of the criteria.

 

Royal Caribbean offers military discounts to active, reserve and retired members of the U.S. military and the Canadian Forces. Qualifying military personnel must present a photocopy of current military ID at the time of booking.

 

It is new in the fact that you can now receive the discount through RCI. Before you would have to go through a TA that had interline rates or the base TA.

 

As far as the 2 years honorable service, RCI made a change to what the discount offered. At first it was only for active, 20 year retired and reserves, but now it is posted on their website that the 2 years honorable dischrage is all that is needed.

[sea-cruise]

It is new in the fact that you can now receive the discount through RCI. Before you would have to go through a TA that had interline rates or the base TA.

 

As far as the 2 years honorable service, RCI made a change to what the discount offered. At first it was only for active, 20 year retired and reserves, but now it is posted on their website that the 2 years honorable dischrage is all that is needed.

 

Thank you for this information. DH is a Marine veteran with an honorable discharge. I use to wonder why they wouldn't allow a discount to a person who was a veteran. Glad you posted this.

[silentbob007]

I was looking at this discount for my dad who served in the Air Force. He wasn't a lifer, so he only has his discharge papers. I definitely was curious about the ID card thing.

[skypilotks]

I talked to C&A CS at RCCI on friday, and they said they would ONLY accept blue card at this time, even though they understand that blue cards are only given to retiree's! They blamed this on "The Marketing Department" but stated it has already been addressed to the marketing department and "They are working on it"

Our cruise on Legend ots in Jan. has the discount availiable for inside cabin and we were looking at it to get a separate room for our kids it would have saved us about $300.

[EMc]

It is new in the fact that you can now receive the discount through RCI. Before you would have to go through a TA that had interline rates or the base TA.

 

As far as the 2 years honorable service, RCI made a change to what the discount offered. At first it was only for active, 20 year retired and reserves, but now it is posted on their website that the 2 years honorable dischrage is all that is needed.

 

Where, exactly, on the RCCL website does it say that? If you go through the cruise booking process and click on milatary ratees (what is that) the policy is the one that they announced in Oct, and was put in place on Oct. 2nd. It says 20 years..nothing about 2 years.

 

EMc

[Majesty Fan]

If any military have USAA you can giet the military discounts there plus some other great offerrs when you book the cruise. RCI is not that good but some of the other's give $100 on board credits balcony discounts.

Lexi

[crb04]

Where, exactly, on the RCCL website does it say that? If you go through the cruise booking process and click on milatary ratees (what is that) the policy is the one that they announced in Oct, and was put in place on Oct. 2nd. It says 20 years..nothing about 2 years.

 

EMc

 

If you reserve a cruise through the website, at the bottom of the reservation page, it has boxes to check for "age 55+, military, resident,.."

If you click on the "why do we ask" box next to military, it gives the four ways to qualify for the program. Below is number three copied and pasted (emphasis mine)...

 

3. Honorably Discharged with a minimum of 2 years of service from any of the United States service divisions listed above. Proper identification in the form of a United States Uniformed BLUE Identification Card must be presented at time of check-in.

[orchidj5]

The discount is not offered on all sailings-we were on legend on 11/4-this was not a discounted cruise. and marketing needs to fix that literature-blue ID cards are for retirees only-if they are going to offer that discount to any one with an honorable discharge they will have to accept a DD214 rather than an ID card-however MOST businesses offering military perks require some type of ID card

[starq1]

If you reserve a cruise through the website, at the bottom of the reservation page, it has boxes to check for "age 55+, military, resident,.."

If you click on the "why do we ask" box next to military, it gives the four ways to qualify for the program. Below is number three copied and pasted (emphasis mine)...

 

3. Honorably Discharged with a minimum of 2 years of service from any of the United States service divisions listed above. Proper identification in the form of a United States Uniformed BLUE Identification Card must be presented at time of check-in.

 

Thank you for posting this for me. I was just able to log in now after a very busy day.

[ranchingal]

I talked to C&A CS at RCCI on friday, and they said they would ONLY accept blue card at this time, even though they understand that blue cards are only given to retiree's! They blamed this on "The Marketing Department" but stated it has already been addressed to the marketing department and "They are working on it"

Our cruise on Legend ots in Jan. has the discount availiable for inside cabin and we were looking at it to get a separate room for our kids it would have saved us about $300.

 

Call them back again. DH and I have pink cards. Retired Navy Reserve. They have changed their policy again and are now accepting pink. My TA just got my rate discounted. Just be sure to have the id at check in at the pier.