Crown & Anchor Pinnacle status will cost $100,000+ per person!

[koterry]

do the tier changes really change over' date=' mid-January? will one's new status, by number of "sea days", be reflected on my personal account section on the rccl.com website?

 

IMHO, loyalty isn't what it started out to be ...add that to the reduced amenities, food quality not being what it started out to be ....etc.etc.

 

I tend to pick the itinerary, port of embarkation, and price, to combine with a "reason why" I want to cruise (i.e. celebrate a personal Special Event). Free Drinks don't impress me much, but Concierge Seating is a treat:rolleyes:[/quote']IMHO the loyalty has never left RCCL frequent cruisers and as far as amenities you have to be kidding me! "Reduced amenities"?? RCCL has more amenities than they ever have in the history of the company. And I believe the food has always been consistant and variety wise is always growing..thank you

[EmJakeBubbie]

koterry - RCI has removed the many courses, for dining, on their Main Dining menu, along with necessary flatware, for those courses.

The de-crumbing of the table, between dinner and dessert, is not as prominent, as first was (thinking launch-days with the Sovereign of the Seas & Majesty).

Fine dining, along with any dress code, *has changed*.

RCI has taken away pillow chocolates.

Yes, amenities HaveBeen eliminated.

 

We have been (frequently) loyal-cruisers, w/RCI (RCCL), since the very early 90's. We have also had wonderful sailing experiences with many other cruise lines.

 

I agree with the posting from J & G.

 

For more recent newcomers to Cruising (specifically, w/RCI), there was as much hype with the launch of the Sovereign and the Majesty, as there is with the Oasis & Allure. :D

We *never* imagined anything grander than either the Sovereign or the Majesty. It was such an overall, elegant experience.

Imagine a dining room full of well groom passengers, each adhering to the nightly "dress code". There was an air of elegance and sophistication and POLITE behavior, that permeated the entire ship, whenever the passengers were dressed up, in their "party clothes" and on their "best behavior". The was for the EntireEvening! nobody changed into casual, for the evening activities.

 

I appreciate All that RCI is doing to enhance loyalty to their faithful. I do not argue the need to increase Tiers, resulting in some, who formally were permitted entrance to the CL, now to be directed to the nightly Diamond/Diamond Plus Event. To RCI's credit (and shareholder smiles), RCI has an enticing product - increasing Passenger Loyalty will require that the CL be reserved for High Tier / Suite pax.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Passengers can have many of the supposed benefits of "Pinnacle" status simply by booking a grand suite or better even for first time cruisers on Royal Caribbean.

 

Why would folks strive to achieve the uber-elite and expensive Pinnacle category when they can have much of what it offers simply by booking bigger suites?

[EmJakeBubbie]

HeavySurf - I not only CONCUR w/you, but think booking a SUITE is a less expensive way to sail, if one is desiring the ConciergeLounge entry (and perks).;)

[mommabean]

Passengers can have many of the supposed benefits of "Pinnacle" status simply by booking a grand suite or better even for first time cruisers on Royal Caribbean.

 

Why would folks strive to achieve the uber-elite and expensive Pinnacle category when they can have much of what it offers simply by booking bigger suites?

 

I think there are many who aren't exactly "striving" to achieve the status, they just end up getting there because they prefer to cruise a lot more often. Therefore they opt for a less expensive room along the way. And they have plenty of benefits at the lowly level of D+ which is well below pinnacle. No one even knows what benefits will be given to pinnacle, do we?

 

The benefits of suites and D+ aren't exactly the same either.

 

Gina

[critterchick]

HeavySurf - I not only CONCUR w/you' date=' but think booking a SUITE is a less expensive way to sail, if one is desiring the ConciergeLounge entry (and perks).;)[/quote']

 

The suite perks probably add up to less than $350 pp on a week long cruise, not including the larger and better-appointed stateroom. And I'm assuming a pretty heavy drinker of cappuccino and alcohol, which are the basic CL perks. The price difference between a JS and GS on almost all of my recent 7-night cruises has been at least $500pp, usually quite a bit more. Sure, it's nice to be able to ask the Concierge to make your dinner reservations for you and to intervene if you have (solve-able) problems, but in reality we seldom ask him or her to do so. If we book a full suite, we do so for special occasions when we want to be pampered and to hell with the cost or when the price difference is negligible.:)

 

We sailed on Rhapsody in February, with no CL and found that we didn't miss it. Not that it isn't a nice perk, it is, but we managed just fine paying for drinks at the Schooner Bar instead (we could have gone to the Diamond lounge, but preferred the SB setting). Although next time I think I'll bring some pretzels since they only have that interesting trail mix....

[mamapan]

Maybe they could have the concierges put an IV in each CL user so they can get their monies worth.:p No waiting for refills...

 

 

I like how you think!!! :p

[negc]

koterry - RCI has removed the many courses' date=' for dining, on their Main Dining menu, along with necessary flatware, for those [i']courses[/i].

The de-crumbing of the table, between dinner and dessert, is not as prominent, as first was (thinking launch-days with the Sovereign of the Seas & Majesty).

Fine dining, along with any dress code, *has changed*.

RCI has taken away pillow chocolates.

Yes, amenities HaveBeen eliminated.

 

To RCI's credit (and shareholder smiles), RCI has an enticing product - increasing Passenger Loyalty will require that the CL be reserved for High Tier / Suite pax.

 

Courses haven't been removed, simply reclassified into three or four groupings. You still have appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts and can have one or more of any of all of them at dinner.

Our waiters still scrupulously "decrumb" the table as they did in years back, and while some are less observant of the "dress code" that seems more a reflection of the times everywhere and not just on a cruise ship. (There is a very old and famed restaurant in Boston that at one time would not seat a gentleman in its dining room if he was not wearing a jacket (suit or sports) and kept some in the coat room to accommodate anyone who arrived without the proper attire. That custom became history years ago.) Chocolates on the pillows apparently often went uneaten and the savings by their elimination was of a magnitude that almost defies belief. It may be a symbolic loss but in real terms it was a negligible change. The free laundry bag for Diamond Plus members and the extra number of free internet minutes, far exceeds the value of any lost amenities you have cited. Things change, times change but change is inevitable and bemoaning the fact and building up the changes into something more than they really is hardly justified.

What is really required of RCI is that they continue to provide an enjoyable cruise experience which, IMHO, is possible even when one does not have CL access.

[wolfganghowell]

oh geez, we are one freaking cruise away from making D+. If these calculations are correct, we'll be 2 away. They always seem to look at MY calendar when making their changes. :) Last time, we had been in the CL twice before it was taken away from us. Well maybe if they announce an implementation date I can sneak one more cruise in. :)

[FLSteve11]

koterry - RCI has removed the many courses' date=' for dining, on their Main Dining menu, along with necessary flatware, for those [i']courses[/i].

The de-crumbing of the table, between dinner and dessert, is not as prominent, as first was (thinking launch-days with the Sovereign of the Seas & Majesty).

Fine dining, along with any dress code, *has changed*.

RCI has taken away pillow chocolates.

Yes, amenities HaveBeen eliminated.

 

We have been (frequently) loyal-cruisers, w/RCI (RCCL), since the very early 90's. We have also had wonderful sailing experiences with many other cruise lines.

 

I agree with the posting from J & G.

 

For more recent newcomers to Cruising (specifically, w/RCI), there was as much hype with the launch of the Sovereign and the Majesty, as there is with the Oasis & Allure. :D

We *never* imagined anything grander than either the Sovereign or the Majesty. It was such an overall, elegant experience.

Imagine a dining room full of well groom passengers, each adhering to the nightly "dress code". There was an air of elegance and sophistication and POLITE behavior, that permeated the entire ship, whenever the passengers were dressed up, in their "party clothes" and on their "best behavior". The was for the EntireEvening! nobody changed into casual, for the evening activities.

 

I appreciate All that RCI is doing to enhance loyalty to their faithful. I do not argue the need to increase Tiers, resulting in some, who formally were permitted entrance to the CL, now to be directed to the nightly Diamond/Diamond Plus Event. To RCI's credit (and shareholder smiles), RCI has an enticing product - increasing Passenger Loyalty will require that the CL be reserved for High Tier / Suite pax.

 

And it was, I bet, a WHOLE lot more expensive then compared to what it is now. Prices come down, amenities do as well. I remember my cruise in 2001, my inside cabin on the Horizon cost much more then my conciege class room on the Millenium, just judging by Celebrities. I also remember my rooms on the Enchantment back in 2002 ran for around what the Oasis/Allure do now

[EmJakeBubbie]

it does pay to shop around.

...right before the Christmas Holidays, has got to be the lowest pricing on any ship to the Caribbean.....

 

one Can cruise affordably if willing to take the "lowest/inside" - going up in category, so takes the cost with it, naturally. Some folks gotta have the Suites - some folks prefer the less costly options.

 

Honestly, lowest to lowest category comparisons remain close to what we were quoted, back in the early 90's.

 

amenities Are appreciated. many, on CC, report the elimination of toiletries in the lower categories.

 

Decisions will continue to be made based on Budget and Personal Desires - everyone will have their own IMHO, always and all ways :rolleyes:

 

 

Bon Voyage, y'all :)

[Dave85]

Geez, I stay away from the cruise boards for a couple of months and all heck breaks loose... :p

 

If the speculated changes come to fruition I don't really mind. The biggest benefit of my diamond status, by far, is the balcony discount. While free drinks are great, the balcony discount is $$$ in my pocket each and every cruise and that's what really matters to me. As long as we're all grandfathered in and our balcony discount stays in tact, I'm totally okay with these changes.

 

Besides... they probably had to be made. The system was flawed, as may of us realize now (as much as we don't want to admit it).

[KittyCat1Million]

Passengers can have many of the supposed benefits of "Pinnacle" status simply by booking a grand suite or better even for first time cruisers on Royal Caribbean.

 

Why would folks strive to achieve the uber-elite and expensive Pinnacle category when they can have much of what it offers simply by booking bigger suites?

You know you don't even have to spend the money for a suite to get extra perks. If you go to the Champagne Bar and order a fairly expensive bottle of French Champagne and leave an extra nice tip for the waiter, they will treat you as a VIP.

 

This works throughout the ship and in any travels. If you tip well you are generally rewarded with extra special service. I have always found that if I tip extra to the bartenders or waitstaff that I usually don't have to "wait" for anything, they come to me. And believe me, they don't care if you are in a suite or an inside or a D+ or Gold member. Just a "tip" from a frequent cruiser.