Freedom of Seas "suites come first?????"

Met "Bertie" in CL of FOS. He snootily reminded us "remember, suites come first" when we introduced ourselves. 600 points counts for crap on FOS? Has RCI taken this stand that only suites merit politeness and service? We spend a fortune cruising but tonight we will skip the CL and bar hop with our vouchers. We ran into this same attitude in July on grandeur, so a dozen of us D +++ and P went to the diamond lounge instead. What gives?

There's no excuse for rudeness, regardless of how often someone cruised. I'd make mention of that in the comments of the satisfaction survey.

 

That being said though, I'm guess it's just a matter of time until the CL is open only to suites and Pinnacle members.

Agreed, I'm so sorry to hear you were treated this way. :(

Met "Bertie" in CL of FOS. He snootily reminded us "remember, suites come first" when we introduced ourselves. 600 points counts for crap on FOS? Has RCI taken this stand that only suites merit politeness and service? We spend a fortune cruising but tonight we will skip the CL and bar hop with our vouchers. We ran into this same attitude in July on grandeur, so a dozen of us D +++ and P went to the diamond lounge instead. What gives?

This same thing happened to us on Freedom when we did our b2b in 2012 and Willie was the Concierge. He was rude and told us that "his" suite guests come first. Willie is now on Brilliance.

 

I believe an email/letter to Corporate is in order as that is what I did when we got home. There is absolutely no reason for that type of behavior towards anyone who is eligible to use the CL.

 

And, what was the answer you got while you were on the ship. You did ask didn't you?

Met both of these concierge's on my FOS b2b2b2b in May of this year, when they flipped flopped between the CL & DL.

 

Two of the weeks the CL was filled to capacity and both said the same - "suite guests come first" - so naturally just went to the DL, which was also full, but they opened up the annex in the card rooms for overflow.

 

The DL's have excellent views with the large floor to ceiling windows, with a preference for the overflow card rooms.

 

Tact - did not seem to be either concierge's forte, but both were able and capable in their duties.

 

At that time the sea pass cards weren't loaded with drink vouchers, but now they are.

 

On upcoming b2b will probably experience the other bars as well as the CL & DL.

What exactly do they mean by " Suites come first"? I'm not in any way confrontational, but I'd be asking them to clarify. .....and I will if put in the same position once my first cruise as d+ next year. There's no excuse for treating eligible passengers differently

What's a D+++?

What exactly do they mean by " Suites come first"? I'm not in any way confrontational, but I'd be asking them to clarify. .....and I will if put in the same position once my first cruise as d+ next year. There's no excuse for treating eligible passengers differently

Suite Guests get priority when it comes to the assistance of the Concierge.

 

We just returned from a 9 night cruise on Explorer and I can tell you that Denzil Fernandes the Concierge was absolutely the best and treated everyone in his lounge equally.

Edited October 5, 2014 by cruisenfever

If you were in the CL it was probably Rahul. But Berty does fill in when Rahul is on vacation. As much as us frequent cruisers may not like it suites do come first. They pay for the concierge service in their fare. C&A members get the service as a benefit. I have sailed on the Freedom seventeen times and Berty has never been anything but friendly, courteous and helpful. I find it hard to believe that Berty would be rude to any passenger, if it came across that way it was unintentional I'm sure.

And, what was the answer you got while you were on the ship. You did ask didn't you?

 

 

I believe the OP is still onboard (or just got on) They stated that they will NOT being going to the CL tonight

Edited October 5, 2014 by molly361

I was in the concierge lounge on the freedom this week and we met a couple that brought their adult children with them and they paid just over $20,000.00 to be on the ship. I paid $1800.00

 

I am diamond plus, but ya know what, its people like that that pay $20,000.000 for the same cruise that I am on that make it affordable for me to cruise for 1800. I saw the fares on my sailing for an inside cabin for 389.pp and this guy paid $20,000.00 He walked off the shipping mad because he was told he couldnt go on a Bridge Tour. For 20k, he should have been the first to get the invite.

 

People needs to worry about a lot more than important things. You are blessed to cruise as much as you have. I am blessed to cruise as much as I have. Did you miss out on anything ?

 

The concierge lounge is for Suite guests and D+ and P are invited as a privilege, which I love.

 

Honestly someone who pays 20k for the royal suite deserves to be treated royally.

Well, honestly the CL was built for the suites. They have allowed D+ (and up until a few years ago D) to use it, but with the increasing number of D+, it's only a matter of time til it's suites only the way it was intended. We have been in GS several times and had use of the CL, and honestly some of the D+ and above that were in there acted like it was their lounge, it's not. We'll be D+ after our cruise in 4 weeks but fully expect to mainly use the D lounge and eventually have the CL access taken and given to suites and pinnacle only.

I really do have mixed feelings about this as both a pinnacle member and a suite guest. Personally, I believe when paying the premium that suites command, those guests should be given the Royal Treatment. Problem is D+ & pinnacle guests believe they too should be treated equally as suite guests regardless of the cabin we book.

 

I don't advertise that I'm pinnacle onboard through conversation, whipping out my Seapass card or wearing the lapel pin. Over the past year I have witnessed horrifying behavior of Pinnacle guests in particular asking to see people's Seapass cards in the CL to confirm their eligibility, monopolizing the concierge, throwing fits when something goes wrong, and thrusting their gold card down when something doesn't go their way. I have grimaced in the corner in all these situations because I have had the pleasure of meeting such friendly and truly classy pinnacles and diamond plus members in the lounges. But I'm afraid the sour apples in the group are slowly causing royal to really realize it is "suites first," otherwise people are going to have a harder and harder time justifying paying those suite premium to be basically not receding the full attention of the officers & crew onboard because they are too busy tending to the C&A loonies.

 

Currently onboard vision in an owners suite with my family and we were forced to sit outside in the VCL because a group of underdressed, overly intoxicated, name lapel pin wearing fellow pinnacles had taken several chairs and tables to themselves, in effect saving seats (we were told NO!) and impacting my experience as a suite guests. So to me, that is a problem.

 

Just my opinion and I truly don't mean any disrespect to anyone.

Berty was in the DL for our August cruise. Seemed very polite and friendly.

 

With the continual overflow crowds, I think it's only a matter of time before the CL is Suites+Pinnacle , the DL is for D+, and D gets vouchers only. The positive reaction to the vouchers will make this easy for RCL to write the press release😏

 

 

 

 

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Met "Bertie" in CL of FOS. He snootily reminded us "remember, suites come first" when we introduced ourselves. 600 points counts for crap on FOS? Has RCI taken this stand that only suites merit politeness and service? We spend a fortune cruising but tonight we will skip the CL and bar hop with our vouchers. We ran into this same attitude in July on grandeur, so a dozen of us D +++ and P went to the diamond lounge instead. What gives?

 

Wow…

that is NOT the Bertie we know and love on the Freedom.

NOR is it the concierge we know and love on the Grandeur (in July).

We have received total kindness and generosity from both these delightful concierges.

 

We were NOT staying in a suite.

Edited October 5, 2014 by beachnative

Having only had access to the CL once, I just don't get what all the who-ha is about. Yes you get free drinks, but its a relatively small space. We did meet one nice couple there, and most of the people were friendly enough, but I would rather be with the rest of my party who did not have access. The hors d'ouevres-well they are okay, but really there is more than enough food on board.

 

We are Diamond and did not use our drink vouchers at all on Explorer 2 weeks ago. I would rather have other coupons or savings and not free bad booze. But that is just my humble opinion.

 

I agree that a Concierge lounge should be for those who have paid the money for the benefits in booking a suite, when the cruise line does provide a lounge for those who have loyalty through the C&A program. Again, just my humble opinion.

Mmmmm. This has put me off even trying the concierge lounge. I don't want to be treated like a second class citizen, but I can fully understand why it has come about. No doubt those same boors would act the same way in the DL, but at least I'll know I have as much right to be there as anybody else and won't be treated any differently.

I really do have mixed feelings about this as both a pinnacle member and a suite guest. Personally, I believe when paying the premium that suites command, those guests should be given the Royal Treatment. Problem is D+ & pinnacle guests believe they too should be treated equally as suite guests regardless of the cabin we book.

 

I don't advertise that I'm pinnacle onboard through conversation, whipping out my Seapass card or wearing the lapel pin. Over the past year I have witnessed horrifying behavior of Pinnacle guests in particular asking to see people's Seapass cards in the CL to confirm their eligibility, monopolizing the concierge, throwing fits when something goes wrong, and thrusting their gold card down when something doesn't go their way. I have grimaced in the corner in all these situations because I have had the pleasure of meeting such friendly and truly classy pinnacles and diamond plus members in the lounges. But I'm afraid the sour apples in the group are slowly causing royal to really realize it is "suites first," otherwise people are going to have a harder and harder time justifying paying those suite premium to be basically not receding the full attention of the officers & crew onboard because they are too busy tending to the C&A loonies.

 

Currently onboard vision in an owners suite with my family and we were forced to sit outside in the VCL because a group of underdressed, overly intoxicated, name lapel pin wearing fellow pinnacles had taken several chairs and tables to themselves, in effect saving seats (we were told NO!) and impacting my experience as a suite guests. So to me, that is a problem.

 

Just my opinion and I truly don't mean any disrespect to anyone.

As a suite guest earlier this year, but only a lowly diamond (although now D+) I witnessed very similar behaviour by some D+ and Pinnacle guests in the CL. So much so we didn't go in because it was monopolised by D+ and Pinnacle guests. I was so disappointed that I'd paid a premium to have the service of the CL that I had a meeting whilst onboard with the Guest Services manager who acknowledged the issue and we came to a suitable conclusion. However, the concierge on that sailing was obviously scared of the demanding D+ and Pinnacles and only once came to chat and even got us a drink on the last night of the sailing.

Over the past year I have witnessed horrifying behavior of Pinnacle guests in particular asking to see people's Seapass cards in the CL to confirm their eligibility.

 

In our first Grand Suite on Adventure of the Seas next weekend if anyone except the Concierge are a ships officer/employee ask to see my Seapass card they will be told to mind their own business as politely as my temper will allow me.

With the continual overflow crowds, I think it's only a matter of time before the CL is Suites+Pinnacle , the DL is for D+, and D gets vouchers only. The positive reaction to the vouchers will make this easy for RCL to write the press release

 

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You have touched on something that I have long wondered about. With the ever increasing number of D+ cruisers (myself included), the Diamond & Concierge lounges are becoming crowded, which makes the experience not as enjoyable. One of the things I noticed on my last two cruises was that, not all, but some of the D & D+ passengers were only interested in the free booze, not the social aspect of the lounges. Therefore providing the vouchers relieves the crowding and, also enables Royal to put a limit on how much free booze they have to provide. Yes, I realize you can drink in the lounges and use your vouchers, but I agree that this is the first step to turning the Diamond lounge into a D+ lounge with the Pinnacle level having access to the CL as well. In addition, with the large number of suites eligible for the Concierge services, those passengers alone would fill up the Concierge Lounge. Back when the only suites available were GS, OS, RS and maybe a Family suite, there was room for all the Diamonds in the CL lounge. With the increased volume of suite passengers and D+ passengers, a distinction may need to be made.

 

I don't think that there is a huge distinction to be made in people's attitudes toward the CL based on whether they are a high paying suite passenger or a long time Loyal to Royal D+ or Pinnacle passenger- you can find obnoxious ones in both categories. I have never seen a Concierge on any of my cruises treat D+ passengers any differently than he he/she treated suite passengers.

The CL is still an amenity open to Pinnacle and D+, is it not? As such that concierge was way out of bounds telling someone "Suites come first." You'd think a concierge would be better trained in hospitality. I'd have told the concierge that unless and until RCI policy restricts Pinnacle and D+ from having access from the lounge I'd expect to be treated equally as anyone else with access and be requesting a discussion with the concierges boss. That sort of treatment just isn't right.

Suite Guests get priority when it comes to the assistance of the Concierge.

 

We just returned from a 9 night cruise on Explorer and I can tell you that Denzil Fernandes the Concierge was absolutely the best and treated everyone in his lounge equally.

I agree.....Denzil is the best concierge I've ever met. I sure will miss him when the Explorer leaves NJ. Don't know if he is going with the Explorer or elsewhere. Do you know where he will be going?

 

 

Gwen :)

I agree.....Denzil is the best concierge I've ever met. I sure will miss him when the Explorer leaves NJ. Don't know if he is going with the Explorer or elsewhere. Do you know where he will be going?

 

 

Gwen :)

Gwen, as far as I know he is staying with the ship........but that was last month. Who knows what will happen in the future.

Maybe RCI should continue to provide complete comparable lounges that provide the same service.

 

One exclusive to D-D+ and Pinacle--

 

The other for suites.

 

If the ammenities are similar one for cruise credits, and one for suite privelages...........than all would hopefully be satisfied.

 

OOOPS

 

Its hard to make all happy:(

 

Sea Ya