Perks on Carvinal vs RCI

[Toast1412]

You also get into a concierge lounge for the free drinks if you are diamond plus or higher .. which is worth getting to many of us.

 

Actually the only place for the free drinks is in the concierge lounge and you just need to buy a suite (no junior), no diamond plus required. You get a separate key for the lounge. We were on the Radiance in November and took full advantage of it.

 

There was also a reseved seating section for the shows.

 

VIP boarding and disembark is worth it's weight in gold, although when we did the RCL out of Tampa there was no line to get on anyway. Getting off was a different story. We met in one of the specialty restaurants for about 15 minutes prior to leaving the ship and had a nice champaign brunch while we waited. The concierge actually escorted us off the ship right past the herds.

 

For what ever reason the Carnival embark process always seems to be more hectic than RCL.

 

The VIP boarding on Carnival has always been a great perk for us.

[Cruzaholic41]

I can't figure out why RCI has such loyal customers. Their customer service stinks, they're more expensive and I could go on and on...

 

Because they do not agree with you. Everyone has their favorite line for different reasons. BTW, CCL customer service isn't any better.

[norcal2]

Perks are overrated in any case so the question should be do they have these services available no matter what you book. We booked a suite on another line and the perks were a room to sip coffee or tea with a suite concierge (don't make the mistake of calling the downstair concierge for the identical answers because yours gets upset lol,) a bottle of wine when you first arrive to your cabin, fresh flowers every day, fresh fruit every day, horderves in the cabin each evening, free drinks at one gathering, and free laundry.

 

All of which I could have ordered and paid for or gotten free for an amount much, much lower than what we paid for the suite, so if I have a suite the last thing I'd look for is perks as any perks are affordable or not, free or not. It is just not a "Free" issue if you can afford a suite, it becomes what services does any line have available, charged or not.

 

Maybe I think different but I didn't get too excited over free laundry after I paid for my cruise in a suite. Now if perks were free airline tickets to and from the ship, I could really get into that. :D

 

Perks are just a nice thing and each line is different. If I don't get a free drink on any line, I will buy a drink so that doesn't rank very high on my must-have meter. Now if the line did not sell drinks at all, then I'd be upset! lol

[Cruzaholic41]

Actually the only place for the free drinks is in the concierge lounge and you just need to buy a suite (no junior)....

 

You also get into a concierge lounge for the free drinks if you are diamond plus or higher...

 

Everyone always focus on the free drinks, but there is a lot more to the concierge lounge than free drinks. There's a 24/7 self-serve capuccino machine for free specialty coffees, snacks all day, books, magazines, etc. The concierge makes all your reservations, books shore excursions for you, and handles any problems you have. On Oasis Class, full hot breakfast is served, and also lunch. Continental brekfast is served on all the other ship classes. Plus, the concierge hosts private suite parties, and you get bridge, galley, and engine room tours. As mentioned, you also have reserved pool seats and reserved theater seats. On Oasis Class, you have an entire private deck above the pool decks with a private bar.

 

I know this stuff doesn't interest many folks, but in terms of suite perks, CCL doesn't even come close.

[H82seaUgo]

Everyone always focus on the free drinks, but there is a lot more to the concierge lounge than free drinks. There's a 24/7 self-serve capuccino machine for free specialty coffees, snacks all day, books, magazines, etc. The concierge makes all your reservations, books shore excursions for you, and handles any problems you have. On Oasis Class, full hot breakfast is served, and also lunch. Continental brekfast is served on all the other ship classes. Plus, the concierge hosts private suite parties, and you get bridge, galley, and engine room tours. As mentioned, you also have reserved pool seats and reserved theater seats. On Oasis Class, you have an entire private deck above the pool decks with a private bar.

 

I know this stuff doesn't interest many folks, but in terms of suite perks, CCL doesn't even come close.

 

then why was the such an uproar on the rccl boards when they took it away???

[Cruzaholic41]

then why was the such an uproar on the rccl boards when they took it away???

 

The Concierge Lounge was never taken away from suite guests. The perk of Concierge Lounge access was only taken away from 1 tier of the loyalty program. That has nothing to do with the subject at hand - suite perks.

[H82seaUgo]

no, it as is direct response to you saying there was more to the cl than the drinks.

 

rccl regulars were willing to walk when that perk was removed. this includes those that were po'd when a first time suite cruiser could get in, when a diamond member no longer could.

[Cruzaholic41]

no, it as is direct response to you saying there was more to the cl than the drinks.

 

rccl regulars were willing to walk when that perk was removed. this includes those that were po'd when a first time suite cruiser could get in, when a diamond member no longer could.

 

Sorry, but I still don't really understand the point you're making. The Concierge Lounge is for suites. Always has been. Always will be. Access by C&A members is just a loyalty benefit. If anyone was upset that a first time suite cruiser had access and they didn't, well, they were stupid.

 

But on the subject of the C&A members, RCI had to do something. RCI has the most repeat cruisers of any single cruise line (or so I've been told), and a single lounge can only hold so many people. If I booked and paid for a suite, I would not be happy if my private lounge was overflowing with people not in suites. RCI corrected the problem and suite guests are happy again.

[dclark]

But on the subject of the C&A members, RCI had to do something. RCI has the most repeat cruisers of any single cruise line (or so I've been told),.

 

Sounds like a RCL lie to me. Princess has passengers that practically live on ships, there are always people with cruise days in the hundreds at the repeater party- that means years on board! They world wide cruises that are more popular than you think, it is much easier to rack up days with them.