Crown & Anchor Program Revisions - join the merged discussions here

[curley23]

Gee Curley, you and I seem to have more and more in common all the time. Pretty soon you, me, and J.C. might be hanging out in the Schooner bar together!:D

 

good to hear from you OB. We clould have a lot of fun there. Maybe we could make it happen sometime.

[Zu~]

Good imput Paul!! If riding on the Washington State Ferry system would count.....just the mainland to Whidbey Island........I was commuting 5 days a week for years. Back and forth.......that runs about 500 times per year for me..........giving me a total number of cruises in excess of 5000!!:D:D:D

 

But, I don't think a 18 minute ferry ride.....twice a day.....counts!!:eek::rolleyes:

 

Oh, and one of the captains.......that I grew up with, on Whidbey Island, now lives about 8 miles from us here in Scottsdale. We have even cruised together!

 

Oh......sorry.......I was getting off of the main track of this thread.........how to beat a dead horse. Unfortunately, and I would liket to think otherwise........RCCL has made it's decision. It's a decision that I don't go along with......there could have been a better way to handle all of this....but they have taken it upon themselves to stomp on Diamonds feet......and many are feeling it.

 

They certainly need a lesson in PR!!

 

Rick

Oh, Rick......those ferry rides should count! We would be beyond Diamond + we'd be on the bridge. Glad you are better. Zu~

[FireIce0010]

Royal Caribbean has a new target. The first time cruiser and families. All one has to do is take a look at the ships being built. They are going to leave Celebrity for the ones that want something a little more upscale with personalized attention. I think that the writing has been on the wall for a while now.

 

At one time Royal Caribbean was a more premium product when they had a smaller fleet of ships. Those days are gone and for anyone that expects them to return to those days, you are going to be sadly disappointed. Ships being built will continue to be very large with innovative features to attract potential consumers who had never thought of taking a cruise vacation over a land vacation. The perks that many are used to are going away. Royal Caribbean hired Vicki Freed away from Carnival to run this area and it looks as though she is the one spearheading those changes. I guess Royal Caribbean wants to be more like Carnival where the cruise experience is more bare bones and who better to do it than a person that was trained by the biggest cheapskate there was.... Bob Dickinson. The man could squeeze a buffalo nickel until it pooped.

 

People can complain all they want but nothing is going to change. We all have a choice. Deal with it or move on. Right now I am happy with my experiences and I will be on the Freedom again in a few months. It will be interesting to see if that mind set changes.

[aurelius180]

Well this is still the time to be buying in the market not selling. JMO

 

He has the opportunity to make a 70% pre-tax gain on his money in just a couple months...sounds like a pretty good return to me. :rolleyes:

[coxswain]

Royal Caribbean has a new target. The first time cruiser and families. All one has to do is take a look at the ships being built. They are going to leave Celebrity for the ones that want something a little more upscale with personalized attention. I think that the writing has been on the wall for a while now.

 

At one time Royal Caribbean was a more premium product when they had a smaller fleet of ships. Those days are gone and for anyone that expects them to return to those days, you are going to be sadly disappointed. Ships being built will continue to be very large with innovative features to attract potential consumers who had never thought of taking a cruise vacation over a land vacation. The perks that many are used to are going away. Royal Caribbean hired Vicki Freed away from Carnival to run this area and it looks as though she is the one spearheading those changes. I guess Royal Caribbean wants to be more like Carnival where the cruise experience is more bare bones and who better to do it than a person that was trained by the biggest cheapskate there was.... Bob Dickinson. The man could squeeze a buffalo nickel until it pooped.

 

People can complain all they want but nothing is going to change. We all have a choice. Deal with it or move on. Right now I am happy with my experiences and I will be on the Freedom again in a few months. It will be interesting to see if that mind set changes.

 

 

 

Do you know something i think you're right - a bigger version of easycruise. We noticed lots of 1st-time cruisers on the IOS last year and i never want that again ( boozing parents - kids going mad ) its about getting cabins filled.

 

That why we choose the Brilliance out of Barcelona.

 

 

 

jj.......

[FireIce0010]

Do you know something i think you're right - a bigger version of easycruise. We noticed lots of 1st-time cruisers on the IOS last year and i never want that again ( boozing parents - kids going mad ) its about getting cabins filled.

 

That why we choose the Brilliance out of Barcelona.

 

 

 

jj.......

 

Royal Caribbean is far from being Easycruise when all things are considered. They are a mass market line just like Carnival and NCL and very close to being just like Princess. Princess is NOT a premium line like many want people to believe and I like Princess very much. The cruise lines are going to more of an ala carte type on board experience and people just need to get used to it or find another form of vacation. Of course there is always Oceania, Silver Seas and a few others but you will pay for those extras up front even if you do not use them.

[beachbuzzard]

And MANY of us think it is an EXCELLENT decision and will lobby for it to be kept as it is! If you don't like it either get over it or move on to Carnival! :D

 

Oh, so if we don't agree with your view on this move, we are nonsensical? That's the problem, lack of respect for other thoughts and points of view. It's one thing to disagree with a point of view, it is another to call it nonsensical. I for one DISAGREE with your feelings on this. I think it is a poor business decision. And in the end, we'll see who was right. But I'm not going to say your view is nonsense.

 

We have every right to air our feelings in this forum about it without having to listen to the constant drone of those "tired" of our feelings. If you don't want to be a part of a discussion with many of us not happy about it, then there are hundreds of other threads out there without this being discussed. It is your choice to enter this thread, so you should be able to handle the fact that many people aren't going to agree with you.

[chester3]

I am no Next cruise expert, but isn't it still good for $100 towards your deposit. IE use it for the money. Not the extra.

 

jc

 

You are correct. It is good for $100.00 towards your deposit but I paid $100 for it so I am still paying the full deposit for the cruise like everyone else. I am losing the incentive for for giving them my money early which is the $100 onboard credit. Also did I mention that they make interest on my $100 until I actually make my final payment like everyone else. They just have my money a bit sooner. Bottom line: $500 deposit for the two of us is $500 no matter how it is paid.

[rubrrick]

Do you know something i think you're right - a bigger version of easycruise. We noticed lots of 1st-time cruisers on the IOS last year and i never want that again ( boozing parents - kids going mad ) its about getting cabins filled.

 

That why we choose the Brilliance out of Barcelona.

 

 

 

jj.......

 

 

jj..........no, not quite right. Have you seen the design for the Oasis. It's more like a floating merry go round.....with a zip line...that might last 10 seconds. I'd like to see how many are outside in Central park when it rains!

 

I would call the Oasis, the "floating circus", but then again, I love to cruise for cruising sake, and love the smaller ships. And, when I say smaller, I don't really mean the Voyager Class.........more like the R class that RCCL picked up 2 and named the cruise line Azamara. Those two could have been easily put in to the Celebrity line......instead of wasting all of the overhead for another company. But that's just MHO.

 

So, for some of us, this just makes the corporate handwriting clearer. I think that they are refocusing on having families aboard.....and looking at the cost of the upcoming cruises, and where they are going....

 

RCCL is making some very interesting decisions at this time......a time where they need to fill cabins with returning customers........but instead, they have seemed to just turn their back.

 

They now appear to have completely turned their back on thier loyal customers........in a new program of WHY NOT. It appears, with their decision of cut out all combinable OBC's, and now the Diamond stomp, and if they are hitting the Diamonds today, it will be just a matter of time before they do the Diamond Plus stomp.

 

As long as Royal keeps their smaller fleet, Vision and Radiance class ships up to snuff, and having interesting intineraries, I will continue to cruise with them...........along with other lines.

 

I have written to corporate, with my thoughts, and I doubt that I will ever hear back. I feel that it is Miami that needs to hear what is going on, not necessarily this thread, where one can discuss and moan.......but that does not get the job done. It does make for interesting reading, however.

 

Rick

[bhughey]

jj..........no, not quite right. Have you seen the design for the Oasis. It's more like a floating merry go round.....with a zip line...that might last 10 seconds. I'd like to see how many are outside in Central park when it rains!

 

I would call the Oasis, the "floating circus", but then again, I love to cruise for cruising sake, and love the smaller ships. And, when I say smaller, I don't really mean the Voyager Class.........more like the R class that RCCL picked up 2 and named the cruise line Azamara. Those two could have been easily put in to the Celebrity line......instead of wasting all of the overhead for another company. But that's just MHO.

 

So, for some of us, this just makes the corporate handwriting clearer. I think that they are refocusing on having families aboard.....and looking at the cost of the upcoming cruises, and where they are going....

 

RCCL is making some very interesting decisions at this time......a time where they need to fill cabins with returning customers........but instead, they have seemed to just turn their back.

 

They now appear to have completely turned their back on thier loyal customers........in a new program of WHY NOT. It appears, with their decision of cut out all combinable OBC's, and now the Diamond stomp, and if they are hitting the Diamonds today, it will be just a matter of time before they do the Diamond Plus stomp.

 

As long as Royal keeps their smaller fleet, Vision and Radiance class ships up to snuff, and having interesting intineraries, I will continue to cruise with them...........along with other lines.

 

I have written to corporate, with my thoughts, and I doubt that I will ever hear back. I feel that it is Miami that needs to hear what is going on, not necessarily this thread, where one can discuss and moan.......but that does not get the job done. It does make for interesting reading, however.

 

Rick

 

Couldn't agree with you more... we were not that impressed with RCI on our first cruise (the Monarch in '02), but quickly discovered the R class ships and fell in love - we liked the service, the ships, the loyalty program - that's what kept us coming back. But over the years, we have really started to notice small changes here and there, some of which, we were able to overlook. But being a loyal cruiser to RCI for 10+ cruises - you really take notice of things.... the cutbacks, the 'ole nickel and dime, etc. Additionally, even before some of the diamond benefits were revoked - I was really turned off by the BIG ships and the "Why Not" campaign... the new marketing just does not appeal to me. Clearly, I am not the customer they are looking to target. What we've also realized, is that maybe RCI is not really for us anymore. We're currently researching a TA on Oceania - $1499 for 14 nights is quite competitive! Especially considering RCI is quoting $1599 (interior!) for the Jewel this May. Sure there are other, less expensive options for a TA on RCI, but this price comparison really sheds some perspective. In an economy where companies - and the travel industry in particular - are really fighting for your dollar - I am going to lean toward the most luxury for the best price. With a 1.71:1 ratio of staff vs. passenger on Oceania - I am thinking that's money well spent!

[aurelius180]

 

I have written to corporate, with my thoughts, and I doubt that I will ever hear back. I feel that it is Miami that needs to hear what is going on, not necessarily this thread, where one can discuss and moan.......but that does not get the job done. It does make for interesting reading, however.

 

 

I think you and I fall on opposite ends of this discussion but this is one of the most logical and insightful posts made in this thread.

[xpcdoojk]

You are correct. It is good for $100.00 towards your deposit but I paid $100 for it so I am still paying the full deposit for the cruise like everyone else. I am losing the incentive for for giving them my money early which is the $100 onboard credit. Also did I mention that they make interest on my $100 until I actually make my final payment like everyone else. They just have my money a bit sooner. Bottom line: $500 deposit for the two of us is $500 no matter how it is paid.

 

Sorry, I was under the impression you were just going to throw it away...

 

jc

[ws1965]

I am a Diamond Member and I am not a "plant". I ask that you consider that because of the economic times we are currently experiencing RCI is trying to cut costs without significant price increases. I have already emailed them asking that they convert other areas or rooms into a C&A Lounge for D/D+ members. let the suite guests have the CL; we will have our own lounge. Lets face it, they did pay more, they do deserve a little more and some of them are us.:D

 

 

Ok it WAS a nice try. What about the Diamond members that have sailed on 10+ cruises and have spent thousands & thousands of dollars? Why should a person ( who has status or not) book a suite for a few hundred dollars more and have access to the CL when the diamond people have spent so much more and dont??? Where does that make sense?

[tinkerme1]

If you are D plus it doesn't show on docs ( just diamond) but it will show on seapass. I've had that happen a few times. It showed that on my Dec., Sept. docs and my April ones now but still D plus:) I think it's been that way since they went to smaller doc book from the one bound with rings.

 

Just an FYI, the new SetSail Pass shows clearly the level of C&A. I was surprised to see it when we printed it out for our upcoming April 19 cruise.

[Buccaneergirl]

Thought you all might be interested in this........

I had a message on my voice mail on Wednesday from a Ms. Figeroa from Richard Fain's office of RCCL. She said that Mr. Fain had received my letter(1 of 4 that I sent by snail mail) and that RCCL is taking into account all opinions on the new C & A changes and I would be receiving a response to my letter in the mail in the next week or so.

I was very surprised by the phone call and will let you know what the RCCL letter says(probably the standard answer).

[ws1965]

This is a dumb move for RCI. At a time they should be retaining their most loyal customers, which is evidenced by the crowded lounges, they are pushing them to other cruise lines. Me included. I've wanted to try Holland, but stayed with RCI due to the perks and the lounge.

 

Now I'm free to branch out to other ships and I will. Holland will replace 2 of my 3 upcoming cruises. They appear to have nicer ships and better food.

 

I was just on the Serenade in January. Due to the amount of Diamonds and Suite members they moved the concierge lounge to the un-used Hollywood/Odyssey lounge. It was perfect! Plenty of room for everyone. What a fun time to meet and mingle with fellow experienced cruisers.

 

I don't understand why RCI is stripping their loyal Diamond guests of their benefits instead of celebrating their success in retaining so many customers, which is evident in the overcrowded lounges.

 

They should simply find larger lounges on the ships to accomodate their loyal guest and/or at least grand-father the current Diamond guests who have already been accustomed to the extra perks.

 

Lastly, the lounges would probably be less crowded if the concierge better monitored who they let in. I know for a fact that many guests in the clubs, were not diamond members or suite guests, rather friends of them. I brought in several relatives with me, who shouldn't have been there and the concierge never said a word. I would have understood if they were asked not to come back.

 

I'm awaiting my email response from RCI. However, I'm certain it will be the same canned email everyone else is getting saying too bad and suffer.

 

I really don't think this is all about overcrowding. Like I said before, they moved the lounge upstairs on my last cruise. There was plenty of room. So, the crowds are not an excuse.

 

 

David, I have to admit that we were one of those people that before we became diamond, went into the CL with our D+ friends. And your right, we shouldnt have been there and yes, the concierge didnt say a word. Maybe if RC is so concerned about overcrowding, then they should enforce the rules.I am not saying this cause we are now D people because we sail with gold and Plat members and for respect to others in the lounge, we wont bring them into the CL.

There are defin other areas of the ship to move the CL to if there is overcrowding.

 

Question: I dont know if this has been asked before in the previous 170 pages but.....does anyone think that RCCL is following this thread?

[Scoobydobe7]

Oh, so if we don't agree with your view on this move, we are nonsensical? That's the problem, lack of respect for other thoughts and points of view. It's one thing to disagree with a point of view, it is another to call it nonsensical. I for one DISAGREE with your feelings on this. I think it is a poor business decision. And in the end, we'll see who was right. But I'm not going to say your view is nonsense.

 

We have every right to air our feelings in this forum about it without having to listen to the constant drone of those "tired" of our feelings. If you don't want to be a part of a discussion with many of us not happy about it, then there are hundreds of other threads out there without this being discussed. It is your choice to enter this thread, so you should be able to handle the fact that many people aren't going to agree with you.

 

 

 

I think the OP is just trying to "stir the pot" so to speak. I have chosen to ignore him - "you can't have a performance if you do not have an audiance"

[ws1965]

I didn't know we could pick one. Luis seems to have adopted me. :rolleyes:

 

 

You can definetly pick a vacation planner. As long as you have his/her phone number. We have recommended our planner to a few friends who have been pleased. And he does everything. One of our cruises last year actually went down in price ( yes this really happened) and we called our vacation planner and he immediately credited our account.

[Kesaelcele's gramma]

It will be interesting to hear how long they have taken to get to 190 cruises.........but I can tell you that we have cruised now 74 times in 12 years......our 75th coming up week after next.

 

And we know some that cruise so much more than we do, that in the same timeframe........they have over 160 cruises.......so, 190 cruises, say in 15 to 20 years, or even less, is not out of line for those few that love to cruise.:)

 

Rick

So, are most of your cruises short (7 days or less), or are you retired? According to my calculator, that works out to about 6+ cruises per year! Do you live near a cruise port?

 

I love cruising, and would LOVE to do it 6 times a year! But by the time you add airfare to the cruise fare (the main reason I've never sailed in a suite!),

that takes it right out of my reach!

 

My husband and I figured out the other day, that since 2002 (our first cruise) we've spent about 148 days at sea on 15 cruises. Have you ever figured out how many you've done- must be a huge amount!!!

 

Honestly, this just fascinates me!

[jensenbeach]

We sailed on the Navigator and did not enjoy it. It had too many passengers, too crowded and not condusive to our preference for cruising. It may be others choice but it was not ours. We will not sail on the mega ships but if we elect to take another RC cruise (we are diamond) then we would avoid mega ships and stay with the R class. A CL would not be a perk that would get us to change. I respect that some like the crowds and the trapping and that is what makes up a world.

[mohavemommy]

Just an FYI, the new SetSail Pass shows clearly the level of C&A. I was surprised to see it when we printed it out for our upcoming April 19 cruise.

I can't find my status on my SetSail pass anywhere. Wonder if it is because I am only Diamond. ;)

[LindaAndBillTravel]

I just got a phone call from someone at RCI in response to a complaint letter I sent. This woman claimed that people were misunderstanding their new policies and that there would be a separate room for Diamond members every night from 5-8:30 with wine, champagne and hors d'ouevres on all non-Freedom/Oasis-class ships. She said she would send this to me in writing.

 

Has anyone else had a call like this?

[FireIce0010]

David, I have to admit that we were one of those people that before we became diamond, went into the CL with our D+ friends. And your right, we shouldnt have been there and yes, the concierge didnt say a word. Maybe if RC is so concerned about overcrowding, then they should enforce the rules.I am not saying this cause we are now D people because we sail with gold and Plat members and for respect to others in the lounge, we wont bring them into the CL.

There are defin other areas of the ship to move the CL to if there is overcrowding.

 

Question: I dont know if this has been asked before in the previous 170 pages but.....does anyone think that RCCL is following this thread?

 

So in other words you have no one else to blame than yourself.:rolleyes: Now it's time to pay the consequences of your actions along with everyone else. I love the rules do not apply to me kind of folks.

[bhughey]

I just got a phone call from someone at RCI in response to a complaint letter I sent. This woman claimed that people were misunderstanding their new policies and that there would be a separate room for Diamond members every night from 5-8:30 with wine, champagne and hors d'ouevres on all non-Freedom/Oasis-class ships. She said she would send this to me in writing.

 

Has anyone else had a call like this?

 

She probably said on all FREEDOM & OASIS class ships...

[Cindy]

Royal Caribbean has a new target. The first time cruiser and families. All one has to do is take a look at the ships being built. They are going to leave Celebrity for the ones that want something a little more upscale with personalized attention. I think that the writing has been on the wall for a while now.

 

At one time Royal Caribbean was a more premium product when they had a smaller fleet of ships. Those days are gone and for anyone that expects them to return to those days, you are going to be sadly disappointed. Ships being built will continue to be very large with innovative features to attract potential consumers who had never thought of taking a cruise vacation over a land vacation.

 

 

 

I think this is a VERY valid point. I definitely feel the push to get people on the bigger ships and attract new cruisers, especially now with Oasis and Allure in the works.

Sadly for me because I REALLY like RC's ships, the direction they're moving in isn't a good fit for what our primary interests are on a cruise. If we used things like the skating rink and rock wall I might feel differently, but for us the important things on a cruise are good food and wine, a spacious/relaxing cabin, balcony and adult areas, and decent entertainment. The big RCCL ships seem to be increasingly focused on family fun, and we cruise mostly as a couple. Our wants and demographic create a mismatch...at a time when we're starting to think less is more, RCCL is thinking more is more.

It happens all the time...a business that you've been satisfied with for a length of time changes their focus and you find yourself looking for something different that better suits your needs. As a stockholder I hate to see folks "jumping ship" and I hope RCCL's strategy and direction attract plenty of people who will pay the premium to sail on the "more is more" ships. As a consumer, I'll try other things for a while to see if there's something I like as well or better, and try to get the most bang for my buck.