Crown & Anchor Program Revisions - join the merged discussions here

[cruisinfanatic]

When the passengers that do not sail in suites lost deck chairs, seating at the ice rink show just to mention a few perks that were lost due to the changes, it was mentioned on these boards that if we wanted these perks to just open the wallet and pay for them, I now say to those that are complaining about their loss of the CL lounge if you want these things open the wallet and pay for it now. :eek:

that's quite a sentence!

[poppag]

Wow! all of these post from loyal cruisers to RCI who want to jump ship just because they get no more free booze, My question is why are you not flaming yourselves for not being loyal? When non suite guest lost pool side seating and ice showing seating no one had a problem with that, I say either pay for the booze or just suck it up and stay loyal. no flaming please.

[coxswain]

What you fail to understand we've been loyal to RCI !!!

 

 

 

 

 

jj....

[poppag]

When the loss of deck seating was announced I got flamed all the way around and no support, Well look what happened now, I will not support the whinning about the loss of free booze

[BILL-WI]

When the loss of deck seating was announced I got flamed all the way around and no support, Well look what happened now, I will not support the whinning about the loss of free booze

 

I will support it...

 

I want my CL privileges that I earned back!:mad::mad:

 

BILL

[poppag]

Like I was told many times on these boards if you want those things now OPEN the wallet

[Marine Boy]

You losing more passengers than you think! I have 22 cruises with you. My last cruise and my next four are not booked with you. You make it very hard for a single passenger to sail with you. Having to pay double and not getting double credit for cruising with you. But than again, you did start giving credit for children paying 250.00 to share the room with there parents. They are not the ones spending the money in the bars and casinos either. Just look at one of my tabs for cruising with you. You loss is Carnivals gain!!! Todd Beil(past cruiser with RCCL):eek:

[cruzinhuskers]

poppag, with all due respect, the whole point is the loyalty issue. Like many of the posters on this thread, I am not a drinker and although I've enjoyed an occasional diet Coke in the CL, I would have been just as happy with a iced tea from the Windjammer in the CL. We've spent our hard-earned vacation money with Royal Caribbean to build loyalty. The CL benefit allowed us to meet friends and make us feel special having access to a private lounge.

[alphakitty]

They didn't even have the decency to email C&A members about the changes.

 

 

 

Shame on Them !!

 

 

 

jj....

 

Just FYI.......I'm a Gold member of C&A....I got an email regarding the changes, today.....March 28 at 3:41 AM EDT.

[Elizanessie]

Just FYI.......I'm a Gold member of C&A....I got an email regarding the changes, today.....March 28 at 3:41 AM EDT.

 

 

Anyone from the UK get the email about the changes?

[Magicat]

Maybe poppag is right. Maybe we shouldn't complain about the perks being taken away. The community here at Cruise Critic is a very small and insignificant percentage of Royal Caribbean's loyalty base anyway. Fifty people at a M&M compared to a ship with 3000 people?!? So they loose these 50 guests, big deal.

 

Oh for us, it's not really about the booze but it was a nice perk. FYI, for $16 a day you can have unlimited wine and beer at lunch and dinner on board MSC.

[alexkrn46]

I did not get the email, I have signed up for email alerts. Also the way they worded the announcements you would think they added value.

[setsail]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=18803705&highlight=#post18803705

[Lynnees]

Unfortunately we purchased a "Next Cruise" certificate so we're going in 2010 or we'll lose our deposit.

 

 

No yoy won't. Book a cruise then cancel. You will get your complete deposit back.

[tgjr]

Loss of sunbeds ????I do not understand this. Who whants to sit in the are where it is located. It is like sitting on a stage to have everyone looking at you. (I have only seen it on the freedom) if we cold pick our own location and tell the pool boy to keep it for us it wold be great:D:D

[Magicat]

No yoy won't. Book a cruise then cancel. You will get your complete deposit back.

 

 

Unfortunately, I quote from the certificate:

 

"Payment Deposit of $100 per person is due at time of booking (the Next Cruise Certificate) and is non-refundable. Balance of full deposit will be due when actual ship, sailing date and category is selected."

 

I will get my deposit back but not the $100 per person from the Next cruise booking.

[silentbob007]

Unfortunately, I quote from the certificate:

 

"Payment Deposit of $100 per person is due at time of booking (the Next Cruise Certificate) and is non-refundable. Balance of full deposit will be due when actual ship, sailing date and category is selected."

 

I will get my deposit back but not the $100 per person from the Next cruise booking.

 

I believe the reality is that once you convert the booking, you can still receive full deposit in refund.

[Magicat]

I will find out for sure, but if that is the case then it won't hurt at all to change that cruise.

[PSCruiser]

Maybe poppag is right. Maybe we shouldn't complain about the perks being taken away. The community here at Cruise Critic is a very small and insignificant percentage of Royal Caribbean's loyalty base anyway. Fifty people at a M&M compared to a ship with 3000 people?!? So they loose these 50 guests, big deal.

 

Oh for us, it's not really about the booze but it was a nice perk. FYI, for $16 a day you can have unlimited wine and beer at lunch and dinner on board MSC.

 

Actually, I think of it the other way - we here at CC know all about the problem, and will be boarding disgruntled but with full knowledge.

Picture the opposite, you're the non-CC cruiser that just made Diamond, and you've been talking it up to DW for months how great those evenings will be in the CL. First night - you, and all the rest of the cruisers in the same situation show up at the CL door around 5PM......................not going to be a pretty scene.

[mommabean]

Yes and no. Programs change all the time. Anyone who doesn't realize that is just asking for disappointment. But the way that it's RCI's fault has more to do with the way they "bestowed" C&A status than on the number of credits required to become Diamond. For so many years they've done the "everyone who lives at the same address is the same status thing" and then allowed that to get to the point where C&A status earned by one person ended up being given to 20 people. For example (and this is an actual thing I remember, although the exact specifics are not quite right): Parents had earned Diamond status the "old fashioned" way; daughter had cruised with them twice (or so), but was given Diamond status while a college student living at their home; daughter moves out on her own (at which point, the fair thing would be that she should have gone to the status she earned from cruises she was on--not from cruises her parents took); daughter marries and her new DH, who has never cruised before, is given his wife's "inherited" Diamond status; they have kids who will automatically be given Diamond status when they turn 18, even if their parents only take them on one RCI cruise, so they are inheriting their status from their grandparents; then the DH's mother moves in with her son and DIL and is automatically given Diamond status when she cruises with her son and DIL; later, DH's mother remarries and moves in with new hubby, who has never cruised, but is given C&A equal to his new wife's--So this guy has Diamond C&A status because his wife's son's wife's parents earned Diamond C&A status. RCI really, um, messed up with that, IMO. Many of us pointed out that eventually it was going to come around and bite them in the you-know when all the thousands upon thousands of "inherited" status members deluged the lounges. Gosh, it's happened!:rolleyes:

 

I feel really bad for anyone who had earned their Diamond status by actually taking cruises. I would never, under any circumstances, resent them getting any and all perks and benes from the cruise line. I did resent all those "three generations removed" non-cruisers who RCI allowed to have the perks and benes they didn't do a thing to earn. (Little rant finished.)

 

beachchick

 

This is an excellent example of what went wrong and I'm sure similar scenarios happened all the time. Only you missed one thing....the children of D+ don't have to wait until they are 18. They are D+ in the childrens program that was started just last year and retain that status when they turn 18. The little ones do have concierge lounge access except during the brief time alcohol is served.

 

Gina

[seatraveler24]

I can't believe that Royal thinks that this will all blow over. In these economic conditions most of us are careful about how we spend our money. This applies to all aspects of life. Do you continue to support a business that obviously does not appreciate customer loyalty??

They set the program up, but now the diamond members should accept the changes because now they say that there are too many.Who's fault is that, Royals or the LOYAL customers who have supported through the good and bad times. I sailed with them to Hawaii with a group of 16 ( which I organized) 2 weeks after 9 -11 when nobody was traveling.

If you compare the cost of a couple of free drinks to a diamond member to the cost of a Lost LOYAL customer,the cost of lost business far over shadows a few drinks. I think that this is a cost cutting measure and the over crowding is an excuse. The voyager and radiance class ships are big enough for a overflow or diamond lounge. I think that the person who is making these BAD decisions is running Royal into the rocks (no pun intended). I am also a shareholder who can no longer enjoy the benefits because of changes,but I also feel that these decisions do affect the company in a negative way. In the world of why not, the citizens have a vote and the ballot is the dollar. Should I look at other cruiselines now that my Loyalty is not appreciated?? I hear a resounding WHY NOT !!!!

:mad::mad::mad:

[Wayniac]

I think that now would be the time to repeat:

 

Royal Caribbean could pretty much *solve the problem of too many Diamonds* by restricting Diamond status to those who have actually sailed the requisite number of cruises.

 

If you get rid of all the "household members" who get Diamond status regardless of how many times they have (or haven't) cruised based merely on the fact that a real Diamond cruiser uses the same address that they do, then I believe that the "problem" goes away.

 

How about it, Royal Caribbean? If you are in the mood to make changes and overhaul Crown & Anchor, THAT would be a good place to start.

 

NOT THIS.

 

You will alienate far fewer people who can no longer claim illegitimate, unearned Diamond status than you are now, dumping Diamonds out of the Concierge Lounge.

 

Who agrees with me?

 

I've been thinking the same thing.

[Elizanessie]

UK C&A members should be recieving their email with regard to the changes within the next week :( I was just told that on the phone.:(

[silentbob007]

When the loss of deck seating was announced I got flamed all the way around and no support, Well look what happened now, I will not support the whinning about the loss of free booze

 

Alas, I learned long ago that there was no value in trying to debate points on an internet message board, but ....

 

Reserved seating on the sun deck and at shows does not close off the entire show or sundeck. Even with a section reserved, you can still watch the show for free, sunbathe on deck, or do anything else you want.

 

Removal of the CL completely denies access to a room. It was a quiet place to sit during the day. No access. It was a place to get specialty coffee throughout the day. Now go pay for it. During happy hour, yes, there was limited booze. Now go pay for it. It was a place to meet and talk with people with similar appetites for cruising. This can be done elsewhere but with more effort.

 

You know, I have no problem with making sure that the suite guests get to take advantage of an uncrowded lounge. Yes, they are paying a lot more than me. A satellite lounge only for diamonds or limited CL access (during the day there usually isn't overcrowding issues) are possible ways to keep suite people happy without flat-out removing privileges from loyal guests.

[MrZoey]

Just FYI.......I'm a Gold member of C&A....I got an email regarding the changes, today.....March 28 at 3:41 AM EDT.

 

I'm platinum, and haven't heard a thing......and we leave on a cruise this week! We become diamond after our New Year cruise. When we cruise with our adult kids and spouses we will still use the larger RCCL ships because they enjoy them, but when it is just my DH and I, I will probably start looking at some other cruiselines. We are at a time in our lives where I'd rather take more cruises than have a suite. Truth be, I really like the CL and I don't drink, so if that perk is gone it kind of levels the playing field when I look for non-family cruises. If I don't like the other lines, so be it! The point is that I would never had considered the others until now. We can always come back with the same result, since we do like RCCL.