New RCI Loyalty Program - Will Carnival step up?

[dclark]

 

Since Carnival seems to be exploring some options, do you think this will help to move them along? T?

 

They have been saying that ("exploring options") for years :rolleyes:, that's a nice way of saying that they are not going to change anything for the better nor spend an extra nickel for anything.

I think much of the platinum 'perks' exist soley to pad the list of 'perks' to make it look more generous.

1) Stationary?You get a couple of pieces of shiny paper. That might appeal to my newly aquired Bichon Frise puppy (she loves chewing up paper!), but I can't see anyone else getting excited about it.

2) Canapes- I wonder if anyone has actually eaten this. This is where they place a plate of shrimp/ham/?in your room at room temp and you are to eat it without knowing how long it has been sitting out. I am sure it is a fun game, but I have been too timid to play.

They really should give at least one cocktail party. I have sat through the same (ok, it changed when they got a new CEO) video at the repeaters party 12 times. We all know the one, where Arison talks about how the ship in its first voyage ran aground and they gave drinks to everyone, which gave us the name "funships". CCL used to be free flowing with the booze, with rum swizzle parties, captains cocktail party and reasonable drink prizes.Now CCL has gotten very, very unfun by getting rid of captain's party, charging top dollar for watery drinks, confiscating liquor and moving the "captains cocktai party" to the last night because they know that few people will attend and that means less $ spent on booze. It would be nice to give back to loyal cruisers what they used to get.

[Tapi]

I think that Carnival has NO desire to upgrade their loyalty program because, as it is, people keep coming back to Carnival without much added perks than being able to cruise at a more economical price.

 

RCI's repeat clientele eroded during the last, bad economy years because many passengers who used to be "loyal to Royal" finally gave Carnival a shot, lured by lower prices.

 

What many of these passengers found out is that they had been paying a premium to sail on Royal Caribbean to obtain a somewhat similar cruise experience as Carnival.

 

As the economy improves and cruise passengers are once again willing to pay a bit more for their vacations, Royal Caribbean is now trying to lure back these passengers that they lost. I think it may take more than an upgraded loyalty program to get many of these passenger back...

[stewpapa]

Have to wait for natural attrition.

 

A nice way of saying we have to wait for some old folks to go to that big cruise ship in the sky. LOL!

[SemperFi_Cruiser]

I think that Carnival has NO desire to upgrade their loyalty program because, as it is, people keep coming back to Carnival without much added perks than being able to cruise at a more economical price.

 

RCI's repeat clientele eroded during the last, bad economy years because many passengers who used to be "loyal to Royal" finally gave Carnival a shot, lured by lower prices.

 

What many of these passengers found out is that they had been paying a premium to sail on Royal Caribbean to obtain a somewhat similar cruise experience as Carnival.

 

As the economy improves and cruise passengers are once again willing to pay a bit more for their vacations, Royal Caribbean is now trying to lure back these passengers that they lost. I think it may take more than an upgraded loyalty program to get many of these passenger back...

 

Hmmm nothing that they added (which seems to be mostly things they have been taking away) seems to bridge the gap for me. I still think that Carnival has more bang for the buck.

 

I certainly have to agree. I have taken two cruises on RCCL -- and don't get me wrong here, they were really nice cruises. But I've also taken 11 cruises on Carnival with 4 more booked. In comparison, I really didn't see anything on RCCL that was substantially different from what Carnival offers. But Carnival offers it for a considerably more affordable price. And being a solo cruiser, being able to snag those Cat1a fares means I can cruise more often. The Platinum benefits are nice, I think VIP boarding, priority disembarkation and free laundry are the best of them all. The others, like useless stationery, stale "canapes" (or whatever they are) delivered at random are pretty much worthless.

 

But in regard to the OP's question as to whether or not Carnival will step up to the plate...well in the cruise industry as well as the airline industry, its pretty typical for some giant company to make some changes, and because of the competition factor, the others soon follow in some fashion. My guess is that Carnival will revamp their perks program to some degree - exactly what changes will occur...well, we just need that crystal ball, don't we?:D

[Cruzaholic41]

I think that Carnival has NO desire to upgrade their loyalty program because, as it is, people keep coming back to Carnival without much added perks than being able to cruise at a more economical price.

 

RCI's repeat clientele eroded during the last, bad economy years because many passengers who used to be "loyal to Royal" finally gave Carnival a shot, lured by lower prices.

 

What many of these passengers found out is that they had been paying a premium to sail on Royal Caribbean to obtain a somewhat similar cruise experience as Carnival.

 

As the economy improves and cruise passengers are once again willing to pay a bit more for their vacations, Royal Caribbean is now trying to lure back these passengers that they lost. I think it may take more than an upgraded loyalty program to get many of these passenger back...

 

I really do not think this is accurate. Yes, there have been some who were very vocal here on CC, who tried Carnival and other lines citing the drop in loyalty perks as a reason. Many have been pleasantly surprised. On the other hand, many have regretted it. Reviews I have read seem to be about 60/40 positive.

 

As a long time RCI cruiser, I can assure you most repeat RCI cruisers do not return for the perks. They return because, from cruise #1, they found a product they loved. I have yet to sail on a RCI ship that is not full. Additionally, throughout the so-called mass exodus from RCI that never existed, evry sailing I was on had huge numbers of repeat guests. My last cruise had about 300 people at just the Diamond/Diamond Plus level.

 

I am not a perks person, myself, so I will continue to cruise multiple lines.

[Jumbiecruiser]

I really do not think this is accurate. Yes, there have been some who were very vocal here on CC, who tried Carnival and other lines citing the drop in loyalty perks as a reason. Many have been pleasantly surprised. On the other hand, many have regretted it. Reviews I have read seem to be about 60/40 positive.

 

As a long time RCI cruiser, I can assure you most repeat RCI cruisers do not return for the perks. They return because, from cruise #1, they found a product they loved. I have yet to sail on a RCI ship that is not full. Additionally, throughout the so-called mass exodus from RCI that never existed, evry sailing I was on had huge numbers of repeat guests. My last cruise had about 300 people at just the Diamond/Diamond Plus level.

 

I am not a perks person, myself, so I will continue to cruise multiple lines.

 

I agree with everything that you stated and anyone that has read the boards long enough know that there is more misinformation posted on Crusie Critic than there is actual good information.:rolleyes:

[masterbaker]

We've been Diamond Plus on Royal for quite a while. The new perks are mostly just what has been previously taken away and are now being returned. (two weeks ago Royal changed their price drop policy which IMHO, still need tweaking) Concidence? :rolleyes:

 

Upgrades for Diamonds? Think again.... you have a better chance of winning the lottery. Even D+ rarely see one. Royal would rather drop the price at the last minute and sell their better cabins at a discount than to upgrade a loyal C&A member. Sometimes a D+ with around 50 credits booked on a slow selling cruise gets lucky. Otherwise, don't hold your breath.

 

Royal upset many of their previously loyal customers with policy changes. I think they are trying to figure out how to get some of them back.

[MrPete]

We've been Diamond Plus on Royal for quite a while. The new perks are mostly just what has been previously taken away and are now being returned. (two weeks ago Royal changed their price drop policy which IMHO, still need tweaking) Concidence? :rolleyes:

 

Upgrades for Diamonds? Think again.... you have a better chance of winning the lottery. Even D+ rarely see one. Royal would rather drop the price at the last minute and sell their better cabins at a discount than to upgrade a loyal C&A member. Sometimes a D+ with around 50 credits booked on a slow selling cruise gets lucky. Otherwise, don't hold your breath.

 

Royal upset many of their previously loyal customers with policy changes. I think they are trying to figure out how to get some of them back.

 

I suppose this may be due to reduced capacity.

 

I've never understood paying more for a perk and a "fancy" ship. They are nice, but when you can get the same thing elsewhere for less, where more freebie are included in the fare, I know my decision is easy.

[pe4all]

I've never understood paying more for a perk and a "fancy" ship. They are nice, but when you can get the same thing elsewhere for less, where more freebie are included in the fare, I know my decision is easy.

My family is planning a vacation for next April. BIL wants to sail RCCL from SJ due to rock wall, skating rink, etc. (He has an 8 and 9 year old) For the price RCCL wants for a basic balcony cabin, I can get a suite on Victory, and save a good couple of hundred on top of that. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Litewait]

But I don't see anything that great, or anything for Carnival to step up to.. By the looks of that article we already get more perks.. They could add the internet and cocktails for the milestone members but that would be the onlyhting we arent getting.. I like what I have. It's useful and appreciated..

[LemurCat]

This is my favorite part:

 

"Registration is free and available to anyone who has completed at least one Royal Caribbean cruise, but there's no automatic enrollment; you'll need to sign yourself up."

 

This alone will keep the number of people down. :D

[Dolphins]

NCL has the best Platinum benefits of any cruise line. And you get them after only 14 cruises.

[dclark]

My family is planning a vacation for next April. BIL wants to sail RCCL from SJ due to rock wall, skating rink, etc. (He has an 8 and 9 year old) For the price RCCL wants for a basic balcony cabin, I can get a suite on Victory, and save a good couple of hundred on top of that. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

Last summer, for the price of inside room on Freedom of the Seas in mid June, (for four people) we were able to get an inside room on the Valor on the same date, get an inside room for two (daughter and I) on the Golden Princess the following week and STILL has a couple of hundred $ left over!

[tracyanns]

I would rather skip the perks and keep the prices down...if they give out more stuff for "free", we will see it in the end...either higher drink prices on the ship or more to sail...keep it the way it is and we keep cruising for a good price.

[yogimax]

Upgrades for Diamonds? Think again.... you have a better chance of winning the lottery.

 

 

Interesting comment, considering that the policy only went into effect yesterday.:rolleyes:

[Tapi]

[quote name='Cruzaholic41'] Additionally, throughout the so-called mass exodus from RCI [B]that never existed[/B], evry sailing I was on had huge numbers of repeat guests. My last cruise had about 300 people at just the Diamond/Diamond Plus level.
[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't call it a "massive exodus", but the numbers are significant. A lot of former RCL loyalists stopped being so loyal once they were "forced" to try Carnival to save a few dollars during a tough economy.

I didn't "read" about it on Cruise Critic. Carnival keeps track of first time cruisers, Carnival past guests, and guests who've cruised on other cruise lines but not on Carnival. Guess what? the percentage of this group (past cruisers/not on Carnival) spiked during the last few years. My PVP, (who I have a very good relation with) said that in all of the years she's been at Carnival, she's never dealt with so many cruisers who "normally cruised on Royal Caribbean but wanted to give Carnival a shot". To makea stronger case, she tells me that these guests that last year sailed for the first time on Carnival are now returning for the 2010-2011 season.

If the percentage of "Carnival converts" isn't high enough, why is Royal Caribbean trying to "perk up" their past guest program if it's not to keep their loyal cruisers from straying to a product many vowed they would never try, but did....?

[yogimax]

[quote name='Tapi'] Carnival keeps track of first time cruisers, Carnival past guests, and guests who've cruised on other cruise lines but not on Carnival. Guess what? the percentage of this group (past cruisers/not on Carnival) spiked during the last few years. [/quote]

Do you have a link for this, or is it just your opinion?

[Cruzaholic41]

Tapi - I understand what you are saying, but I just don't see it in my own personal experience. Every RCI cruise I go on, there are more and more repeat cruisers. In fact, events normally held in smaller lounges have to be held in larger venues in order to accomodate all the past guests. It was the theory of some that RCI lowered it's perks in order to try to trim down the massive amounts of repeat cruisers. It isn't working. The majority of the passengers have almost always been on at least one RCI cruise before. It's almost impossible to even get on one of their Crown and Anchor cruises.

Have you ever seen the size of the Viking Crown Lounge on RCI ships? It's the lounge at the very top. It is packed during the nightly Diamond event, especially just before the 6:00 hour. And that's just for people with at least 10 cruise credits. Truthfully, I don't even attend these events because there are so many people.

[Tapi]

[quote name='yogimax']Do you have a link for this, or is it just your opinion?[/QUOTE]

No. It's not just my opinion. Companies do keep statistical data of this nature, and Carnival is not the exception. As far as there being a public link to this, there isn't one. This is information that's not published. However, statistical information of this nature is disseminated internally at companies which typically collect it. If you have a relationship with anybody in sales or marketing at Carnival, ask them and they'll corroborate what I wrote.

I'm not pretending that Carnival is stealing all of RCL's past guests. But the truth is that some have decided to try something else, and RCL is looking for a way to bring these stray sheep home....

[k2]

I am a stray sheep :D

[Giggles319]

I don't see too much of a difference.

IF there is last minute availability and you're a diamond member then you MAY get an upgrade.. where right before that they say they typically sail full. So the chances of that? Not too much more than it was last week.

You still get the same perks with the concierge parties and such for diamond plus.. so no change there.

The coupon book? Big whoop. Most of those coupons will get you a few bucks off. And if you use the internet then woohoo! you can buy an extra drink on the trip now since you're saving soooo much money!

Booking onboard... I havent been on one in a while, but you couldn't do this before? I just did this on a Carnival cruise last month and love the program.. glad rccl followed along with the idea.

I just hope that all RCCL cruisers know to register for it.. because if you cruise and assume you're just automatically a member and entitled to these terrrific benefits... You're wrong.

I think Carnival will step their game up though.. I've heard rumors of them bringing someone in just for the perks programs.

[2thesea]

I don't understand WHY CCL doesn't give a past guest gift when you arrive in your cabin? RCCL and Disney both have gifts in the cabins of their past guests. Disney also offers VIP boarding for Castaway Cay Member (their past guest program) and lanyards for each past guest when you check in. In the cabin on my last Disney Cruise in Feb we recieved, a very nice beach bag, inside there were 2 stainless water bottles and candy, the next day we recevied luggage straps and more candy.

RCCL ~ cruise last January 2009, we each received tote bags :)

I think Carnival could give a little something!

[PA Dutchman]

Carnival did bring someone in just for the perks programs almost a year ago. Nadda happened. There still working on it. Were waiting to see if they add any perks to the 25+ other then 25% obc for one cruise. They have nothing for over 25 cruises till you hit 50. Thats the only thing Carny has for a Mileston cruiser. Not a very good program.
Milestone Cruises
Members who sail on their 25th, 50th and 75th “Fun Ship” cruise will receive ... for that particular voyage.

25th 25% of cruise fare in shipboard credit
50th 50% of cruise fare in shipboard credit
75th 75% of cruise fare in shipboard credit

[martinchem]

Carnival hasn't hired a research company to do surveys of the past cruise loyalty program for no reason, I'm sure we'll see changes there pretty soon, specially with Norwegian and Royal recently making changes themselves.

[nbsjcruiser]

I've said many times that all these loyalty programs aren't worth spit. Speaking of RCI I can tell you first hand that things like their value booklet are a sham. "Buy this and we'll give you 50% of the next one". Hogwash.

People who stay loyal to an airline company or a cruise company on the hope and desire that they'll get some benefit out of it are wasting their money. Stay loyal to your own desires and your pocketbook, that will carry you much further than any loyalty program.

Loyalty programs are designed to give you minimal benefit while at the same time making you think you'll get something for nothing. Meanwhile, you're hooked into staying loyal.

A good example is the "free cruise" one gets after their 20th or 25th cruise on RCI. Sounds like a great reason to keep cruising RCI doesn't it? Well, the last cruise we did was on the Valor and we saved around $1000 on a similar cruise on RCI. Our next one is on the Destiny where we saved about $200 on a similar RCI cruise and our winter cruise will be on the Liberty that will save us about another $800 on a similar RCI cruise. So we've saved $2000 in 3 cruises based on RCI prices. Had we stayed "loyal" to RCI we'd eventually get that free cruise but it would cost us about 7 or 8K. Doesn't sound free to me.

Stay loyal to your pocketbook folks. That loyalty program pays!