Fewer Benefits for Captain's Club Members

[Snow Road Cruisers]

Fewer Benefits for Captain Club Members

 

To prove their commitment to Celebrity Captain’s Club members, the official website listed, after yesterday’s announcement of a new line within Celebrity, reductions in Captain’s Club benefits.

 

Gone are:

 

Select Member Benefits

Private Onboard Cruise Consultation

10 Complimentary Internet Minutes

 

Elite Member Benefits

Invitation to Captain's Club or Officer's Table

 

Items, almost of no real value benefits, but a continuation to illustrate those repeat and loyal customers to Celebrity Cruises continue not to be in their marketing plans.

[Richard Stein]

Been an elite member for years and never got that benefit. Am elite with Princess also an on my recent Golden South America cruise was invited to the Special Lunch with the officers for the top 20 elite members. Now that was special as they plied us with wine and it was a better meal than I even get on Celebrity.

[rpv2sail]

After 5 cruises with Princess you get unlimited free internet. I think this is the best benefit of their program and the reason I keep going back. I was surprised that Celebrity didn't offer something similiar.

[shipshape sam]

I agree, Princess has that one GREAT benefit that translates into perceived and actual benefit by repeat cruisers. Many of the benefits they provide on every affinity program are under used and thus not a benefit. We have cruised with Princess 3 times with maybe our 4th coming in 2008.

 

We did on our Celebrity cruise (we were Elite status) last April get an invite to the Captain's table for the first formal night. It was fun. We gathered and had a drink with others prior to dinner, then a cordial dinner with a picture given to us of the whole table. It was fun and we did speak with and recognize our tablemates later in the cruise including pre-dinner drinks a second time during the cruise.

 

Personally, though, I am glad I got to do it once. I would decline it a second time. I was also glad we went to the first formal night and not the second, which featured lobster. I like seconds and thirds and there was NONE of that at the Captain's table. They did provide a very nice wine though!:)

[Captain Jake]

I really don't care about the internet use,can do that at home.If they added benefits I would rather get a bottle of wine or free dry cleaning.I Its nice to get away from cell phones and the internet and other day to day hassles and relax.Please X if you are going to add benefits please enhance the cruise experience and don't add crap like internet use or cell phone service.Most of us would find them useless.I like to stay active on a vacation and can find thousands of things better to do with my time than parking my butt in front of a computer.I would consider internet service useless.THANK YOU X for not adding this so called benefit -------------------------BT

[shipshape sam]

I really don't care about the internet use,can do that at home.If they added benefits I would rather get a bottle of wine or free dry cleaning.I Its nice to get away from cell phones and the internet and other day to day hassles and relax.Please X if you are going to add benefits please enhance the cruise experience and don't add crap like internet use or cell phone service.Most of us would find them useless.I like to stay active on a vacation and can find thousands of things better to do with my time than parking my butt in front of a computer.I would consider internet service useless.THANK YOU X for not adding this so called benefit -------------------------BT

 

 

Guess one could speculate that that is why they (the cruise lines) have some watered down benefits as they have the challenge of trying to come up with a laundry list of benefits to meet a wide variety of expectations.

 

I like the internet minutes. Do I sit on my butt for hours, no. I do get on 1-2 times to quickly check emails and see if I have any messages from our kids that are important. Especially if we are on a 10+ day cruise.

 

My favorite benifits are:

 

debarkation lounge

early debarkation

cocktail party for Elite/Select (better food/spirits)

wine/cheese tasting party

 

Not sure I have really use any other benefits.

[Leela]

Private Onboard Cruise Consultation

While it's not listed, anyone can go in for a Private Onboard Cruise Consultation just by making an appointment with the Onboard Sales representative. It was nice on Summit -- Alex had a sign-up sheet where you could pick a 1/2 hour block for an appointment. He had an actual office, rather than just a table in a lounge like I experienced on Horizon, Zenith, and the old Century.

10 Complimentary Internet Minutes

I thought that was "with purchase of an Internet package"? I've only been a Select member for about a year and a half, and they had coupon in the book that touted the "free" minutes. We'll, they're "free" only if you buy more minutes.

 

Maybe rather than demonstrating that Celebrity doesn't care about its repeat customers, maybe they are just finally making the web site agree with Reality.

 

That said, I do agree that the Captain's Club "benefits" are not so exciting, especially if you've already taken all the "behind the scenes" tours. Still, a box of Cova Chocolates, a free Bingo card for one game, a cocktail party, an extra edition of the Elegant Tea, and a galley tour of the Normadie Restaurant is better than absolutely nothing.

[jjbko]

I just booked another cruise with Royal Caribbean for 2008 and they knocked off $100. Not a lot of money but I have cruised with Celebrity 8 times and they have never knocked off a dime. Sure they will upgrade if you do not have a veranda, if you are a CC member, but I always book either a veranda or a suite, so it does me no good. Also Royal Caribbean has Concierge Lounge for Suite guests which Celebrity does not. Don't get me wrong, Celebrity is a great line, but they do not know how to show repete customers how much they enjoy having you back. One more thing as long as I am venting, Royal will give you credit for cruises you have taken with Celebrity, but Celebrity will not give you credit for Royal cruises.

[Host Kewlguy]

I just booked another cruise with Royal Caribbean for 2008 and they knocked off $100. Not a lot of money but I have cruised with Celebrity 8 times and they have never knocked off a dime. Sure they will upgrade if you do not have a veranda, if you are a CC member, but I always book either a veranda or a suite, so it does me no good. Also Royal Caribbean has Concierge Lounge for Suite guests which Celebrity does not. Don't get me wrong, Celebrity is a great line, but they do not know how to show repete customers how much they enjoy having you back. One more thing as long as I am venting, Royal will give you credit for cruises you have taken with Celebrity, but Celebrity will not give you credit for Royal cruises.

 

The Concierge Lounge is also for Diamond/+ members. Not just for guests in suites. Both cruise lines should offer free internet and free dry cleaning to their most loyal passengers. Also Celebrity should have a loyalty level higher than Elite. How about Elite Plus? Either Celebrity just doesn't get it or they just don't care about their repeat customers. With the success of Royal's loyalty program you would think they would follow that example. Apparently not.

[excitedofharpenden]

I agree with Leela that it's probably more about changing it on the website to reflect what the perks actually are. I didn't think the 10 minutes free internet access had been offered for a while. I've made use of the extra percentage on internet packages coupon the past year or so. As for the invitation to dine with the Captain or officer, I could never see how that would work when there were a lot of Elite members on board. Best endeavours I would say. I notice that is still a Captains Club perk on Journey and Quest, but they are smaller ships and I would think it's more manageable.

 

Caution. Pollyanna moment. It would be nice if they revamped the perks to fall in line with Royal Caribbean, but guess what? I still come back to Celebrity because I love the ambience and service. It's always good to meet up with crew that you have sailed with before and that interaction makes me feel much more special than a few freebies could. That's what really makes the trip.

 

Phil

[whm]

It always amazes me the things people can complain about. No matter what a cruise line did or didn't do there is the 5% that would find something to bitch about. You are getting a great product for a great price! Do you really have to have your ego stroked in order to have fun? We used to have the greatest air transport system in the world until the "we want it cheaper" crowd got involved. Now you have cheap airfare and still complain because you don't get the perks. Be careful what you wish for in the cruise industry! Remember, there are a lot of potential passengers out there who will gladly take your places and don't need the "stroking" to have a great time.

[TravelerThom]

...Royal will give you credit for cruises you have taken with Celebrity, but Celebrity will not give you credit for Royal cruises.

Apparently I've missed something here. My understanding that if you were X Select you were treated as C&A Platinum and vice versa [and same for X Elite and C&A Diamond], but that neither line gave you credit for cruises on the other [ie 4 cruises on X and 4 on RCCL did not get you X Select OR C&A Platinum]. Am I correct?

 

And while I can have a great cruise without being "stroked", I [like most people] do enjoy being made to feel special. Isn't X's end of cruise evaluation questionaire centered on whether your waiters/cabin steward/other crew members made you feel special. I have no trouble finding crew members who make me feel special, and I go out of my way to give praise, both to them and about them to their supervisors. Seems like it would also be in corporate's best interest to make you feel special, but they don't seem to put that very high on their agenda.

[vegasmar10]

We haven't been on Princess or RCCL for a very long time, so we can't compare the perks of their clubs to Captain's Club. We were happy to finally become Elite last cruise and looked forward to the few added benefits (the Bridge Tour for instance). We did get invited to tour the galley and backstage on our last two cruises as Select members. Once is enough for a backstage tour, the galley tours are interesting and I enjoy meeting the head chef so might do it again IF offered. We are looking forward to a bridge tour on our upcoming cruise and hope it's not cancelled.

 

I agree with several other posts that perks such as FREE CEANING/LAUNDRY and INTERNET MINUTES would be great perks to offer. Maybe Celebrity will follow the lead from other cruise lines. I do agree that the coupon books are a waste for most of us although I did enjoy using the casino credits when they were offered, and long ago on Mercury, the 'points' program for participating in onboard stuff that gave us a chance to 'buy' Celebrity items with those points that we still use today.

 

However, we still love Celebrity and it's ships, crew, ambiance, food, etc. enough to continue cruising with them, regardless of perks. I think the only reason we would cruise with another cruise line is if they offered a unique and different itinerary that Celebrity didn't offer.

[bullsfan]

We will be Platinum Level in Crown and Anchor when we take our Celebrity cruise next fall 2008 and were told by the person who will be booking our Fall 2008 cruise that our status moves over to Celebrity and we will get all the perks that come with Select Membership. That is one reason we are waiting on taking the Celebrity cruise is that we want to reach the Platinum level prior to the cruise.

[signman]

Once you reach Platinum, be sure and call Captain's Club and let them know. Not sure the reciprocal status is automatically done. It might be, but since it is important to you, call.

[DeepWaterMariner]

I agree that the Celebrity perks are not as good as those on Royal Caribbean or Princess (the two other lines where we have Diamond/Elite perks) but it really doesn't matter to me. The most valuable perk on Royal Caribbean is the discount on balconies and suites. The rest really aren't worth that much. We love the laundry and dry cleaning perk on Princess but that's after 15 cruises. I think the Celebrity product is more valuable than the perks and costlier to provide so it doesn't bother me if they trim off a few things that are hard for them to manage. We dined at the Captain's table on our last Celebrity cruise which was nice but the menu was the same so all we really got was some free wine and drinks and our ego stroked (my wife also got a rose). Knock off priority disembarkation or tender tickets and then I'd get miffed.

[dtagirl]

Just a quick note, became Elite Member in February after Galaxy cruise. Last month we received letter from C and A welcoming us to Diamond level. I didn't have to call, it was automatic. I think they have gotten better with the computer!! As far as perks, we are Platinum with Princess, haven't sailed with them lately, but I don't care for the coupon books with RCCL or X. The internet was a free minutes with purchase coupon. The other coupons are just that...coupons.

Pat

[Brad1185]

There is no more unlimited internet as of April 1 on Princess for anyone with 5 or more curises. Princess is really cutting back and adding extra charges. Now if you want a slice of pizza from room service its $3.

 

Celebrity can keep the free 10 minutes on the internet. It takes at least 10 minutes just to get to my yahoo e-mail.

 

The cruise consultation, a joke, no one needs that.

[richsea]

I think that it's not so much that the Captain's Club benefits don't compare favorably with those on RCI or Princess, it's that they keep "dumbing them down" & proclaiming that they are "improved" or "enhanced. The Elite coupon book that they give to members contains nothing but "buy this & receive that" incentves with the exception of 1 free bingo game. All others require that you buy something to take advantage of the benefit.

 

On our last cruise, they sent one sheet in the beginning of the cruise listing all the Captain's Club events for the cruise. In the past you received an invitation in an envelope to events; a small thing but a nice personal touch. It's these little touches, or lack of them, that gives the feeling of eroding benefits & is evidence of the bean counters at work. Give them less & tell them it's more. Very sad.

[tuggers]

I don't think we've lost anything with the new listing. I can't speak for Select, but for Elite the 10 free minutes of internet have been gone for a long time and the sitting with the Captain caused problems because some people actually believed that if you were Elite you WOULD sit at the Captain's Table! Obviously, that wasn't going to happen given the number of Elite that are on the some cruises unless they turn the CT into a Buffet and have it upstairs!:D

Perks are not a deciding factor in choosing a line but they do play a part. More than the actual perks, it's the lack of caring about repeat business than the 'things'.

My opinion is that the Elite Coupon Book is insulting to someone who has been loyal enough to cruise over 30 cruises with them. The ONLY thing I ever use is the free bingo and I have just started doing that. So, for me, it's useless.

When we got the $12 fo $10 in the Casino, I always used that and then proceeded to put all of it and more in their slots. Surely that had to be win-win for them.

When the numbers on board are small enough that they do the Elite Tea in a venue other than the dining room I sometimes go to that (depending on the sun:) ). And I do enjoy the Senior Officer's Cocktail Party when it isn't like pulling teeth to get a drink.

Otherwise X's Elite perks are a big snooze for me and when added to the new structure of the onboard booking credits I (a formerly pretty loyal X'er) have booked 4 RCL's and am looking at an Oceania. I have only one more X cruise booked and that is the TA this Sept on Connie. I am starting to look other places because I don't feel that my business is appreciated by X. Every move X has made lately has pointed that out to me.

Will I swear off X? Certainly not, but I am opening myself up to more choices.

[Host Kewlguy]

I agree that the Celebrity perks are not as good as those on Royal Caribbean or Princess (the two other lines where we have Diamond/Elite perks) but it really doesn't matter to me. The most valuable perk on Royal Caribbean is the discount on balconies and suites. The rest really aren't worth that much. We love the laundry and dry cleaning perk on Princess but that's after 15 cruises. I think the Celebrity product is more valuable than the perks and costlier to provide so it doesn't bother me if they trim off a few things that are hard for them to manage. We dined at the Captain's table on our last Celebrity cruise which was nice but the menu was the same so all we really got was some free wine and drinks and our ego stroked (my wife also got a rose). Knock off priority disembarkation or tender tickets and then I'd get miffed.

 

We feel the most valuable perk for being Diamond on Royal is the Concierge Lounge. Of course not every ship has them but all the newer ones do. I can't tell you how many former X cruisers I have met who are now sailing on Royal specifically because of the loyalty benefits. If the decision makers at X want to continue to wear blinders to this fact they are only fooling themselves.

[dagadget]

I just booked another cruise with Royal Caribbean for 2008 and they knocked off $100. Not a lot of money but I have cruised with Celebrity 8 times and they have never knocked off a dime. Sure they will upgrade if you do not have a veranda, if you are a CC member, but I always book either a veranda or a suite, so it does me no good. Also Royal Caribbean has Concierge Lounge for Suite guests which Celebrity does not. Don't get me wrong, Celebrity is a great line, but they do not know how to show repete customers how much they enjoy having you back. One more thing as long as I am venting, Royal will give you credit for cruises you have taken with Celebrity, but Celebrity will not give you credit for Royal cruises.

 

 

After 5 Cruises credits you can use Captain's Club on Royal Caribbean and Crown and Anchor on Celebrity but not until you reach 5 credits. As both lines are held by the Holding company RCCL I would think that these credits would be additive and not seperate. Now if we start a lot of letter writing to the head of RCCL maybe we could get this to change.

[DC2OC]

I just sailed RCL AS A Platinum member after becoming Select on X I have to admit their benefits are better than X but certainly not enough to sway me away from X.Sure RCL has perks but X have somethings that RCL can't match like less crowded ships and superior service.I will sail both lines but I woN't abandon X because RCL offers benefits that amount to a mere pittance when the total price of the cruise is considered.....................Frank

[Host Kewlguy]

I just sailed RCL AS A Platinum member after becoming Select on X I have to admit their benefits are better than X but certainly not enough to sway me away from X.Sure RCL has perks but X have somethings that RCL can't match like less crowded ships and superior service.I will sail both lines but I woN't abandon X because RCL offers benefits that amount to a mere pittance when the total price of the cruise is considered.....................Frank

 

A $300.00 balcony discount on our last transatlantic plus free drinks every night between 5 pm and 8:30 pm can hardly be described as a mere pittance. I enjoy Celebrity also but can't overlook the difference in the loyalty programs.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

I agree with Tuggers comments, that we might not have lost all that much today. The 10 free minutes have been gone for several months. As for the Invite to the Captains table.... that happened for us 1 time. I always thought that was a perk that many of us assumed was a sure thing, and in most cases, it didnt happen. That may have left many passengers feeling denied, when in fact it was never guaranteed to begin with. The idea probably looked good on paper though :)

 

With that said, it does not excuse Celebrity of doing a very poor job of making their most loyal passengers feel appreciated. The overall benefits are in decline, the Captains Club Magazine coupons are more restrictive than ever, and the booking onboard credits have been greatly reduced. All of these changes sure make me feel less appreciated, and we have been on many Celebrity cruises.

 

As Gail said, all of these events open the door for at least some of us to look at other Cruise options, and Celebrity should never want that to happen. It is easy to make these cavalier decisions when the Cruise industry is in a bull market as it is now, but they may regret it, should the industry take a downturn in the future.

 

In my business, loyalty means everything to me. I personally thank my customers for their loyalty on every phone call. I know if I was running a Cruise line, I would always do everything possible to make sure my passengers never even thought about looking elsewhere.