Big Changes Coming to RCCL's Loyalty Program

We were told on our recent Navigator cruise by a high level source that the loyalty program would soon be changing. The new level to attain Diamond status will be 25. We were also told the level would be raised to 50 to reach Diamond Plus. These changes have already been decided and it's just a matter of time before they are officially announced. Probably weeks rather than months. It's not surprising considering the Concierge Lounges are becoming unusable due to overcrowding.

I just hope that they grandfather existing diamond and diamond plus.

I just hope that they grandfather existing diamond and diamond plus.

Yes, I forgot to mention that part. Your current Loyalty status will be "grandfathered." Royal would cause a major revolt if they tried to take away people's current status. :)

Amen to that! I've been working hard to achieve my Diamond Plus status and they're going to change the rules on me?

We were told on our recent Navigator cruise by a high level source that the loyalty program would soon be changing. The new level to attain Diamond status will be 25. We were also told the level would be raised to 50 to reach Diamond Plus. These changes have already been decided and it's just a matter of time before they are officially announced. Probably weeks rather than months. It's not surprising considering the Concierge Lounges are becoming unusable due to overcrowding.

I don't know if I would agree that the concierge lounge is getting overcrowded because of the Crown & Anchor program. I was just curious, so I looked at all the decks on the Liberty. I came up with roughly 35 cabins that would entitle the occupants to use the concierge lounge. So that would be at least 70 people @ 2 people a cabin. But some of those were family suites that means more people. So lets say 80 people now are entitled to the lounge.

You couldn't even fit 80 people into that lounge.

Now we have 80 people plus the Crown & Anchor program people.

Maybe the lounges are just too small? Maybe they should just remove that perk from the Crown & Anchor program all together?

Yes, I forgot to mention that part. Your current Loyalty status will be "grandfathered." Royal would cause a major revolt if they tried to take away people's current status. :)

Thanks for the heart attack kewl. Phew. I like being grandfathered.

 

Maybe the lounges are just too small? Maybe they should just remove that perk from the Crown & Anchor program all together?

Small Concierge Lounges are certainly a problem on the Radiance Class ships. You can't take a perk away that people have come to expect. Royal is aware of this fact and has no plans on taking away people's loyalty benefits. They know it would cause mass migration from the cruise line. Their solution is changing the levels in which people attain these benefits.

Changing levels is fine with me as long as I'm grandfathered in. We clawed our way to this status the hard way, and to have it taken away would have been an explosion of emotion. :(

Are they changing Platium as well? My DH and I will be platium after this years cruise.

Yes, I forgot to mention that part. Your current Loyalty status will be "grandfathered." Royal would cause a major revolt if they tried to take away people's current status. :)

I don't seem to sound dumb, but I have 2 more cruises after the one I am on a week from Friday, then I will make Diamond. Or does it mean they scratch that and I have to cruise 15 more times before I make Diamond????

Sorry if that did not make sense, I am concerned if this is the case!

I don't know if I would agree that the concierge lounge is getting overcrowded because of the Crown & Anchor program. I was just curious, so I looked at all the decks on the Liberty. I came up with roughly 35 cabins that would entitle the occupants to use the concierge lounge. So that would be at least 70 people @ 2 people a cabin. But some of those were family suites that means more people. So lets say 80 people now are entitled to the lounge.

 

You couldn't even fit 80 people into that lounge.

 

Now we have 80 people plus the Crown & Anchor program people.

 

Maybe the lounges are just too small? Maybe they should just remove that perk from the Crown & Anchor program all together?

The Liberty, Freedom, and soon the Independence dealt with this problem by adding a Diamond Club which serves as the concierge lounge for Diamond and Diamond Plus members. On Radiance class ships the opening of a satellite lounge for cocktail hour is another stopgap measure that will alleviate the situation for awhile. Nonetheless, the continued growth of the number of repeat passengers on RCI ships inevitably will lead to even these lounges being overcrowded. It is the natural price of the success of their loyalty program which still far outstrips the loyalty programs on other lines, and raising the levels needed to achieve Diamond and Diamond Plus membership really only will delay the day of reckoning. I'm not sure that this is an issue which can readily be resolved and can only hope that RCI uses good judgment in deciding how to deal with the program.

I hope they don't change it until after May! I'll be Diamond then! I'm going to be seriously miffed if they change before then.

Oh c*%p!!! I'm one cruise away from Diamond, and that one will be in May. I hope they don't implement this before then, but it sounds like they will. I was soooo close!

I was thinking the same thing working boy. I would think this would apply to new cruisers or those who had not yet attained Diamond or D+ status.

Well, that kinda stinks! :mad: Here we just made Platinum last year and will get two credits for our Med cruise in Sept. Guess we'll never see Diamond now. Good reason to branch out to NCL, HAL and Princess. I have a feeling that in the long run this is just going to hurt them, especially for us that were trying to get to that next level in another year or so. So much for RCI being loyal to us.

Aubie

Oh c*%p!!! I'm one cruise away from Diamond, and that one will be in May. I hope they don't implement this before then, but it sounds like they will. I was soooo close!

You need to quick do another Monarch or upgrade your next one to a suite(if it isnt already).....just in case.......

To me 25 is an almost unattainable goal.:( There will be no point in even trying anymore. I have to fly to most of my cruises, as do others, so that limits how many cruises I take. I was to be Diamond this year.

Well if this is true, who is going to add me in as a relative on their Diamond Plus account?? Seriously, this is crap :(

Well, that would just be my luck....All of our cruises have been at least 7 days and we're fixing to take our first 3 and 4 day next week. Our plan was to be diamond by January :( . We have a Jr. Suite booked on Mariner in October and we were going to try and squeeze another in there before January. I think it kinda stinks but it's their company and they can set their own rules.

what kewlguy was told could just be a vicious rumor maybe?? Maybe the staff member did not get his info straight. Let's all hope and pray, because if this is the truth?? I am really p****d off :mad::mad:

I didn't ask about changes to the Platinum level but I would guess that would be raised also. I was told if someone has 8 or 9 credits you would have the opportunity to reach Diamond in an unspecified amount of time. This is not something that was decided on with little thought. Royal is trying to keep the amount of angry customers to a minimum. :)

We just made Diamond - I guess just in time.

Well, that kinda stinks! :mad: Here we just made Platinum last year... Guess we'll never see Diamond now. Good reason to branch out to NCL, HAL and Princess. I have a feeling that in the long run this is just going to hurt them, especially for us that were trying to get to that next level in another year or so.

My thoughts exactly! :(

what kewlguy was told could just be a vicious rumor maybe?? Maybe the staff member did not get his info straight. Let's all hope and pray, because if this is the truth?? I am really p****d off :mad::mad:

It's not a rumor. I wouldn't have started a thread about a rumor. I rarely ever start threads.

We just made Diamond - I guess just in time.

We just reached Diamond Plus specifically because we knew this was going to happen soon.