Are RCCL Removing Conceirge Access for Diamond Members? - Opinions please

[negc]

Oh for crying out loud.......why criticize the OP on his choice of words for the subject line? He seems to have had a legitimate question based on his experience and what he was told on Legend. There has been a lot of healthy discussion on this thread about the pros and cons of changing the the C&A program, so his thread has created some value for CC members regardless of the wording of the subject line.

 

Times have changed since 2001 when Concierge Lounge privileges were taken away from Junior Suite passengers and given to Diamond members. There were a few tweaks since then, including extra points earned for suite and longer cruises.....and the minor tweak of creating Diamond + in 2004. In the opinions of many, RCCL needs to change the program to reflect changing times and to control the over crowding issues and what some others think is an inequitable awarding of cruise credits [whether it would be days at sea, fare paid or revamping the number of points awarded for length of cruise]. Healthy discussions by all.

 

While it's true that RCCL makes the rules and manages the perks for the Crown and Anchor Program, which should be obvious to everyone, I think it's inevitable that customers will have their opinions and suggestions regarding the program. To expect them not to suggests to me that we should only use the company controled RCCL web site for our information. Cruise Critic provides an opportunity for all to give their opinions and suggestions.

 

This thread has been a good one, with some great information exchanged, so, I for one appreciate the OP starting it. [Even a little from you, Bill:D]

While I live for your approval, Tony, I'll stick to my criticism of those who use half-truths to resurrect rumors that have been around now for more than a year.:rolleyes: If someone can actually come up with a system that isn't susceptible to gaming I'm more than willing to consider it. However, I would be very naive if I believed that there is any such system out there that is totally fair and not subject to manipulation by someone someone sufficiently interested in doing so.:)

 

No one, at least not me, is arguing that we shouldn't be open to any and all opinions and suggestions, but subjecting those opinions to comment and those suggestions to a critical review seems is essential if we are to arrive at workable solutions.

[marci22]

Diamond members should get vouchers for 2 drinks (each day) to be used anywhere onboard; tipping is at their discretion. Diamond + could get an additional voucher for a morning coffee.

 

This would prevent the things I have seen previously, such as arriving early and drinking til after your late dinner starts (nearly 3 hours later), stuffing beers in one's pockets (yes, I saw this, but I think it was a suite passenger ;)), leaving the lounge with drinks to be drunk elsewhere, et.cet.er.a.

 

I can't see them continuing to give limitless free alcohol for 3 hours every night to D/D+. Maybe they should surcharge evening entry.

[Bobs cruising]

I know not everyone is going to agree but that's OK. :cool:

 

We all know the state of the economy, we all have friends/relative/acquaintances out of work, afraid of losing their job or earning less than they did a year or two ago.

 

We all know there are lots of ships with lots of cabins and there is competition from land resorts for vacation dollars.

 

I think the other thing we all need to know is something has to give.

In order for our favorite (and even less than favorite :) ) cruise lines to stay in business and continue sailing and providing all the jobs they account for, they are going to have some reduced prices on some sailings. How many of those sailings, who knows nor who knows how many ships for how long.

 

If they have to lower prices to fill cabins which they have to do to keep ships sailing, WE, who choose to continue sailing, are going to have to adjust our thinking.

 

If we are paying less, we have to be given less. If we cannot adjust to that thinking, IMO we are going to come back from cruises complaining.

 

IF we choose to continue sailing and hopefully most of us will, we still will be so fortunate to have the biggest things that mean the most to many of us that makes us love the ships. But, dinner menu may not be as extravagant as in the past. Crew numbers may be shrunk and service may lag a tiny notch. There probably will be fewer prizes etc at games

 

BUT we'll be on the beautiful ships, with the awesome crews we know work so hard to give us the best experience possible, we'll go to fascinating ports and meet interesting people, we'll feel the deck beneath our feet and the motion of the ocean and we'll have someone else cooking our meals and making our beds.

 

Sure doesn't sound all bad to me!!! :D

 

Let's try and be a bit realistic.

I imagine many have seen lots of store and restaurant closings, businesses folding in their communities....... don't blame the cruise lines when they have to do what they have to do in order to continue sailing. These are not times for extravagance and excess. These are not times when plates should be piled high in the Windjammer Cafe when one knows they cannot possibly eat all that food. Take what you want but eat what you take (unless, of course, there is something about it that displeases you.) We can always go back for more. Assuming you are able, what's the big deal to go get your own coffee refill at breakfast in the windjammer café rather than complain a steward with his cart didn't come around. Leave him to help those who need the assistance. Things like that can keep you from sitting there getting annoyed or angry. Easier and quicker to just go get a refill for yourself.

 

This also pertains to this discussion about limiting the CL on RCCL ships. Some perks will have to be removed or modified.

 

I posted this on the Diamond Plus thread also.

 

In the end, we would be the biggest losers if they no longer exist because we wouldn't give a tiny bit in our expectation. :eek:

 

JMHO........

[tinkerme1]

Diamond members should get vouchers for 2 drinks (each day) to be used anywhere onboard; tipping is at their discretion. Diamond + could get an additional voucher for a morning coffee.

 

This would prevent the things I have seen previously, such as arriving early and drinking til after your late dinner starts (nearly 3 hours later), stuffing beers in one's pockets (yes, I saw this, but I think it was a suite passenger ;)), leaving the lounge with drinks to be drunk elsewhere, et.cet.er.a.

 

I can't see them continuing to give limitless free alcohol for 3 hours every night to D/D+. Maybe they should surcharge evening entry.

 

Marci, I've been saying this very thing for a very long time. Vouchers would be a wonderful alternative to the CL, to use at any Bar of your choice. Two vouchers/per person/per day would be ideal. On cruises longer than 7 days, I think providing a place for continental breakfast would be a nice touch.

 

With the overcrowding of the CL, we didn't even bother to use it most of the time on the Mariner in November, and we were in an Owner's Suite.

[Aquahound]

....... don't blame the cruise lines when they have to do what they have to do in order to continue sailing. These are not times for extravagance and excess..

 

Although I think this whole D/D+ not getting a CL key is nothing but a false alarm, you make a good point in what you said. There are other things that RC did cut back on, and things (the economy) are not going to get better anytime soon. We just have to grin and bear it for now.

[mohavemommy]

Reading this thread has given me a chance to think. There are those who believe that credits should not be equal for 3/4 sailings as they are for 7 day sailings because of the cost factor. I do know that a few times I have paid as much (and even more) for my 3/4 day cruise as I would have for a 7 day.

 

This can turn into a debate about days vs. cost, but I really do feel that the overflowing Diamonds are due to the automatic status given to match the highest status in the household. I remember reading a post here once about a man who had only cruised once who has Diamond status because of an ex-girlfriend. That is where the real problem lies. I don't have a problem with the giving of the Diamond status as long as you actually have been on that number of sailings, but don't give free status to those who haven't stepped foot on those sailings to get those credits.

[mommabean]

Not so Bean Person!!! :D It'll be warm in BA and for the first few ports then progressively cooler round the Horn becoming warmer as we travel north again. Sooooooo ever done any cow tipping.;)

 

Hey! I'm a Floridian. With an average high of 73 in BA, if it's much cooler than that, I'll be freezing. :eek: But I can do tipping in a sweater. :rolleyes: ;)

 

Gina

[horsesrus]

I agree with that...as on Celebrity, seems that there is also a disparity between an inside cabin paing $599 and a Royal Suite paying $5999 and only getting a double credit...Just pay for what you want and then you won't be disappointed. Working angles to get stuff for free will just lead to frustration. OR--convert to NCL as their high end product is much better than RCI/Celebrity. (RCI/Celebrity are better on the low end rooms)

 

We've been pretty loyal to Royal over the last several years but we're going to give NCL a try next January. We typically stay in suites and it appears that NCL offers more bang for your buck to their suite passengers. It has gotten to the point on RCI where the suite perks are of little value to suite guests. The lounge is over crowded by D/D+ and the concierge is overwhelmed. He/She can not possibly serve all the suite guests plus up to a few hundred D/D+ guests in the manner in which his role was intended. I have seen some talk about some added perks for suite guests on RCI; perhaps returning to the days when the concierge lounge was only for suite guests is part of their plan to put themselves back in competition with other companies in the way of suite perks. As to taking away the lounge privileges for D/D+, no other line I have researched offers that so it would not appear they will be taking themselves out of the game in that area.

[rednancy1]

We've been pretty loyal to Royal over the last several years but we're going to give NCL a try next January. We typically stay in suites and it appears that NCL offers more bang for your buck to their suite passengers. It has gotten to the point on RCI where the suite perks are of little value to suite guests.

 

Can you elaborate on this? :cool:

 

Really curious. :)

[negc]

As to taking away the lounge privileges for D/D+, no other line I have researched offers that so it would not appear they will be taking themselves out of the game in that area.

 

That's exactly the point- the perks given to the D/D+ passengers giveRCI a clear competitive advantage over their competition.

Since there are clearly more D/D+ passengers than suites passengers, eliminating perks for those D/D+ would remove that advantage. It might solve the overcrowding problem but at what cost to their bookings. Obviously, there are some folks to whom access to the CL is a very important perk, important enough according to some posters, that its elimination would cause them to reconsider their choice of cruiselines. Overcrowding creates a problem as RCI attempts to balance the needs of suite passengers against the needs of their most loyal guests who may not be booked into suites. Perhaps a partial solution would be to expand the list of benefits offered to suite passengers in their suites. That will not help with the crowding problem but might make it more bearable for those paying the higher rates for suites. :)

[awatt]

Reagrding the NCL suites, they really pamper you. Concierge stops by daily to assist with any reservations or appointments, or just to see if there is anything you need. I did not see the concierge on Freedom last week. You also have a butler. You have priority tendering/embarkation/debarkation. Some sort of food is delivered to your suite nightly. Private cocktail party with teh Captain for suite guests. Toiletries are nicer, such as Occitane. These are a few of the things I can remember. I am sure there is a more complete list if you ask over on the NCL board. And my experience has been the NCL suites are less ecpensive hence the perception of more bang for your buck.

 

Now, I thoroughly enjoyed the new perks rolled out on the Freedom last week. particularly the reserved seating. We liked it so much we are already switched to a GS on our Voyager cruise in June. So if there goal is to encourage suite bookings, it worked with at least one family! I had always considered teh suite experience on RCCL to not be as good as Princess and NCL, but now that has changed for us.

 

As for the CL, I didn't use it. Stopped by one vening with DH just to see where it was, and founfd the conceige (Francois?) to be not very friendly. Perhaps it was just a bad day for him. But i really didn't feel any need to use the CL.

[horsesrus]

Can you elaborate on this? :cool:

 

Really curious. :)

 

 

You can check out the NCL site and NCL threads for all the details on suite perks with NCL; that's what we did. To me, I get more bang for my buck as the perks they offer are what mean something to me. You don't get free drinks in a crowded lounge for a few hours a night but what they do offer is much more then RCI does (butler, concierge, private pool/lounge area on some ships, breakfast/lunch option in one of their speciality restaurants, etc).

[horsesrus]

That's exactly the point- the perks given to the D/D+ passengers giveRCI a clear competitive advantage over their competition.

Since there are clearly more D/D+ passengers than suites passengers, eliminating perks for those D/D+ would remove that advantage. It might solve the overcrowding problem but at what cost to their bookings. Obviously, there are some folks to whom access to the CL is a very important perk, important enough according to some posters, that its elimination would cause them to reconsider their choice of cruiselines. Overcrowding creates a problem as RCI attempts to balance the needs of suite passengers against the needs of their most loyal guests who may not be booked into suites. Perhaps a partial solution would be to expand the list of benefits offered to suite passengers in their suites. That will not help with the crowding problem but might make it more bearable for those paying the higher rates for suites. :)

 

I understand what you are saying, I do believe that is what makes the Loyal to Royal crowd so very loyal. I guess where I was going with that is that if RCI did do away with the lounge perk that you couldn't go find that particular perk on another line. Basically it would be an even playing field at that point, best itinerary/price wins.

[rednancy1]

Reagrding the NCL suites, they really pamper you. Concierge stops by daily to assist with any reservations or appointments, or just to see if there is anything you need. I did not see the concierge on Freedom last week. You also have a butler. You have priority tendering/embarkation/debarkation. Some sort of food is delivered to your suite nightly. Private cocktail party with teh Captain for suite guests. Toiletries are nicer, such as Occitane. These are a few of the things I can remember. I am sure there is a more complete list if you ask over on the NCL board. And my experience has been the NCL suites are less ecpensive hence the perception of more bang for your buck.

 

Now, I thoroughly enjoyed the new perks rolled out on the Freedom last week. particularly the reserved seating. We liked it so much we are already switched to a GS on our Voyager cruise in June. So if there goal is to encourage suite bookings, it worked with at least one family! I had always considered teh suite experience on RCCL to not be as good as Princess and NCL, but now that has changed for us.

 

As for the CL, I didn't use it. Stopped by one vening with DH just to see where it was, and founfd the conceige (Francois?) to be not very friendly. Perhaps it was just a bad day for him. But i really didn't feel any need to use the CL.

 

Thank you. I will have to look into NCL suites. :)

[rednancy1]

You can check out the NCL site and NCL threads for all the details on suite perks with NCL; that's what we did. To me, I get more bang for my buck as the perks they offer are what mean something to me. You don't get free drinks in a crowded lounge for a few hours a night but what they do offer is much more then RCI does (butler, concierge, private pool/lounge area on some ships, breakfast/lunch option in one of their speciality restaurants, etc).

 

 

That sounds very tempting. Thank you so much. :)

[lori450]

If they took away the Diamond Lounge, I would simply start cruising on other lines. We spend a good deal of time in the lounge. It is these perks that keep me on RCI. There are plenty of other lines, it's the extra benefits I receive that make me rebook on RCI. Without those, I am free to explore other lines.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I would much rather have RCI drop the welcome back parties and brunches than end the concierge lounge, most especially the lovely Freedom Class concierge lounge. We usually skip those parties anyway.

 

What we love are the coffee machines, the morning snacks, the ice show tickets, tender boat VIP tickets, etc. We loved just hanging out there at different times during the day, watching the big screen TV, talking with the few other guests there. The view is beautiful with the large glass windows.

 

On Independence so many people were at the welcome back party, there was no place to sit. The food disappeared fast. Hubby couldn't even get a drink. We left.

 

I would really miss those Freedom Class concierge lounges. We do sail on Majesty, but Majesty has no lounge at all for D/D+. They do have the parties, but I miss the coffee machines and morning snacks. We sailed on the beautiful Solstice, but I longed for the D/D+ lounge. It is such a welcome perk for us.

 

If D/D+ should be shut out of these lounges, why keep coming back to RCI? I don't care anything about the bathrobes and welcome gifts, so we could just choose any cruiseline based strictly on itinerary and price.

 

Getting coupons for two free drinks a day instead of lounge privileges has no allure for me. I'd never sail RCI just for that perk.

[As the ship sails]

I would much rather have RCI drop the welcome back parties and brunches than end the concierge lounge, most especially the lovely Freedom Class concierge lounge. We usually skip those parties anyway.

 

What we love are the coffee machines, the morning snacks, the ice show tickets, tender boat VIP tickets, etc. We loved just hanging out there at different times during the day, watching the big screen TV, talking with the few other guests there. The view is beautiful with the large glass windows.

 

On Independence so many people were at the welcome back party, there was no place to sit. The food disappeared fast. Hubby couldn't even get a drink. We left.

 

I would really miss those Freedom Class concierge lounges. We do sail on Majesty, but Majesty has no lounge at all for D/D+. They do have the parties, but I miss the coffee machines and morning snacks. We sailed on the beautiful Solstice, but I longed for the D/D+ lounge. It is such a welcome perk for us.

 

If D/D+ should be shut out of these lounges, why keep coming back to RCI? I don't care anything about the bathrobes and welcome gifts, so we could just choose any cruiseline based strictly on itinerary and price.

 

Getting coupons for two free drinks a day instead of lounge privileges has no allure for me. I'd never sail RCI just for that perk.

 

Changing up the parties is the way that I believe RCI is leaning towards. When I did a b2b on the Independence there were way too many planium, diamond/+ members (over 1000) and rather than then have a brunch they had a special production show. This way they didn't have to serve food and the only drinks offered were when entering the show. You had a choice of either a screwdriver or champagne upon entering and no other drink service was offered during the show. They did the same "special" production show both weeks.:(

[rednancy1]

Happily, our last P/D/D+ party we were seated with the Captain and his lovely wife. :)

 

Also the Hotel Manager sat with us for a while. :)

 

Great service. I loved it and will be forever spoiled. :)

 

Probably won't happen again. :)

 

Yes, I count my blessings.

[flames]

The problem... Too many Diamond and Diamond+ members!

 

The solution... Stop making it so easy to become one.

 

Restructure the system. 1 credit for every 7 days at sea... no extra credits for suites, long cruises, short cruises, whatever, etc. If it is truly a loyalty program then it should be based on the amount of time spent sailing with the cruise line. There... I said it!!! (again)

 

I know someone that is Diamond and she has only been on one RCI cruise ship for 7 days, you just have to live with your parents that are Diamond and you are Diamond automatically, now she is looking forward to going on her 2nd RCI cruise so she can go to the Diamond club......

 

Carol:)

[rednancy1]

Okay, that is disheartening. They shouldn't allow this.

 

JMHO. :)

[flames]

Okay, that is disheartening. They shouldn't allow this.

 

JMHO. :)

 

Your right Nancy, but I know 3 different family's this has happen to, so think of how many more out there and we know them but we don't know about it.....

 

Carol:)

[reggierail]

Exactly.

 

And the sooner the CL is purely for suite passengers the better.

 

I'm not sure what soured you on a whole group of your fellow passengers but your distaste for diamond and diamond plus members seems obvious from your posts. Fortunately, RCI, not you, decides how they will recognize both their suite passengers and those non-suite passengers who are frequent customers. Just as there are some obnoxious diamond and diamond plus guests who seem to delight in flaunting their status, so there are also a few suite guests who seem to think that they are the only ones who deserve special treatment wherever they go on the ship. If the CL becomes a haven only for suite passengers, you will be depriving yourself and others of the opportunity to meet some wonderful people who didn't happen to book themselves into a suite but have some great cruise and life experiences that they could share with you.

 

I'm not sure who took a dump in her purse, but I look forward to my next cruise sans her. :mad: Probably spends a lot of time in her suite and dreads the thought of mingling with the riff-raff. I'm sure she'd feel much more comfortable on Regent or SilverSeas, much fewer common folks on those lines.:p

[rednancy1]

Your right Nancy, but I know 3 different family's this has happen to, so think of how many more out there and we know them but we don't know about it.....

 

Carol:)

 

That p$$$$ me off.

 

We have never let anyone in the CL. Friend family or whatever. That is just plain abuse of the system. :mad:

[Rancher Dave]

I know someone that is Diamond and she has only been on one RCI cruise ship for 7 days, you just have to live with your parents that are Diamond and you are Diamond automatically, now she is looking forward to going on her 2nd RCI cruise so she can go to the Diamond club......

 

Carol:)

 

 

Pretty sad if she is old enough to enjoy CL or better yet cruise alone w/o someone over 25 still living at home with mom and dad...:eek:

 

From a prior thread if the person doesn't still live at home I thought it was stated that they reverted back to only the level earned off their cruises.

 

My DD just now has enough to be Platnium after last cruise...she did not make every cruise with us. By the time she is in College she will have earned Diamond or maybe Plus....not sure I am paying for her to earn that many credits.

 

I do agree the auto upgrades for folks sharing an address does tend to allow some the advantage when they haven't really earned it. Of course some folks will cheat it up some using this trick for their own gain...sadly these folks may be some who complain the most when its not what they want or expect....:eek: