$200 not meant for C&A

I just went to book a cruise. The promotion on the web page reads $200 obc for balcony and up. I just found out it is not combinable with my diamond discount of $225. Which means to me I get @ $25 less than a 1st time cruiser. Do you think Royal is getting away from it's loyal program? Not that I care what 1st time cruisers are paying I just feel short changed.

Sounds like you get $25 more than a first time cruiser, not less. But I understand your point overall. It's been that way for several years, though. When they run a promotion, you have to choose between your C&A discount or the promotional offer. And sometimes the promotional offer is equal or better.

In my case (a lowly Emerald :) ) the $200 OBC promotion was better than my balcony discount.

That type of thing and many others are why we sold our Royal stock.

Just got to work the math in your favor - not all fares are alike. We are mere Emerald and found that if we paid $50 more for our fares that we got a $200 OBC. So it was a $150 better deal not to book with our C & A discount. It's so darn complicated that sometimes you are far better off paying more to get a better discount.....of course, your Diamond status will give you things that the first time cruiser won't get so you have to take the whole picture into consideration. I do believe that RCI has created a monster with their loyalty program trying to balance the long-time loyal customers like yourself needs, as well as attempting to attract new cruisers to their brand.

That type of thing and many others are why we sold our Royal stock.

I sold my Royal stock to take the profits from buying low and selling high. (Of course, that was a few years ago, and it's about twice as high now as where I sold it, so I'd have done even better keeping it a little longer.)

Who says you have to take the obc?

I had a discussion with Royal this past weekend about the terms, because it appeared to me that the BOGOHO, OBC, and C&A discount was allowed by this phrase:

BOGO offer is combinable with the adjoining OBC offer, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers.

However, the agent noted that farther down in the terms it says this:

OBC offer is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts.

The agent admitted the clauses seem to contradict each other, but there was nothing they could do about giving the BOGO, OBC, and balcony discount.

I had a discussion with Royal this past weekend about the terms, because it appeared to me that the BOGOHO, OBC, and C&A discount was allowed by this phrase:

 

BOGO offer is combinable with the adjoining OBC offer, Crown & Anchor discounts and NextCruise offers.

 

However, the agent noted that farther down in the terms it says this:

 

OBC offer is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts.

 

The agent admitted the clauses seem to contradict each other, but there was nothing they could do about giving the BOGO, OBC, and balcony discount.

I think what you posted is exactly the issue. There are 2 separate offers going on. The BOGO is combinable. The OBC is not. So, if you want the BOGO, you can either take the OBC or take your balcony discount. If you want the OBC, you have to give up your balcony discount.

To me, it's sad, since one is a booking price promotion, and the other is a loyalty promotion. You should be able to use your loyalty promotion at any time, and with any price promotion available. By not allowing it, you are often telling long time cruisers that their loyalty is not worth the extra amount of savings.

Your C&A discount is $225 off the price. Where first time cruise get $200 OBC. So now you get to choose which one you want. First time cruise can't. I think money off the cabin is always the best way to go.

I always say $200 OBC is like $99.50 in real money.

I always say $200 OBC is like $99.50 in real money.

I know that I will spend several hundred dollars on my SeaPass account over the course of a cruise, so in that respect, $200 OBC is like $200 in real money, to me. If I didn't have the OBC, my bill would be that much higher. If it gets to the point where I have more OBC than I would normally spend, then I would feel as you do.

I just went to book a cruise. The promotion on the web page reads $200 obc for balcony and up. I just found out it is not combinable with my diamond discount of $225. Which means to me I get @ $25 less than a 1st time cruiser. Do you think Royal is getting away from it's loyal program? Not that I care what 1st time cruisers are paying I just feel short changed.

It's items like this that will cause me to throw away my D+ pins and move to Princess

I just went to book a cruise. The promotion on the web page reads $200 obc for balcony and up. I just found out it is not combinable with my diamond discount of $225. Which means to me I get @ $25 less than a 1st time cruiser. Do you think Royal is getting away from it's loyal program? Not that I care what 1st time cruisers are paying I just feel short changed.

I made out as I only get a $150 balcony discount. I forwent that and took $200 OBC instead.

you make out better by getting the discount and forfeiting the OBC.

you are not beings shortchanged as first timers do not even have ANY balcony discount at all.

I look at it as I came out $50 ahead. you come out $25 ahead.

Rules created on the fly to deny people discounts due to special "sales". Becoming more and more prevalent. Not "wow" at all. More like shell game.

It's items like this that will cause me to throw away my D+ pins and move to Princess

If you think things will end up any differently for you, you're going to be disappointed - again.

RCL loyalists are claiming to be jumping ship for Princess for perceived rising costs and diminished service.

Carnival loyalists are claiming to be jumping ship for NCL for perceived rising costs and diminished service.

NCL loyalists are claiming to be jumping ship for RCL for perceived rising costs and diminished service.

It's the circle of cruise life for "loyalists" who feel entitled because of their patronage and slighted when they are believed to have been "short changed" by their cruise line of choice.

It's items like this that will cause me to throw away my D+ pins and move to Princess

HUM!! I was going to NCL but Princess sounds good too

If you think things will end up any differently for you, you're going to be disappointed - again.

 

RCL loyalists are claiming to be jumping ship for Princess for perceived rising costs and diminished service.

 

Carnival loyalists are claiming to be jumping ship for NCL for perceived rising costs and diminished service.

 

NCL loyalists are claiming to be jumping ship for RCL for perceived rising costs and diminished service.

 

It's the circle of cruise life for "loyalists" who feel entitled because of their patronage and slighted when they are believed to have been "short changed" by their cruise line of choice.

You are probably right..... maybe its time to fly to an all inclusive resort and limit my ship time.:mad:

Who says you have to take the obc?

good point

I recently declined a RCCL OBC to use another type of OBC that was a higher amount. I netted $175 more OBC.

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