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Diamond/Non Diamond

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tahqa

tahqa

Posted
Posted
Not according to policy, but it never hurts to ask.

 

As Mark says -- the policy is no, you cannot. However, the concierge has the ultimate authority on this. If you introduce yourself to him (or her) and explain your situation your friend may be allowed in with you. Some concierge's will make allowances depending on expected numbers and some won't.

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Iluvcruising2

Iluvcruising2

Posted
Posted
As Mark says -- the policy is no, you cannot. However, the concierge has the ultimate authority on this. If you introduce yourself to him (or her) and explain your situation your friend may be allowed in with you. Some concierge's will make allowances depending on expected numbers and some won't.

 

A nice tip may help. :)

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leaveitallbehind

leaveitallbehind

Posted
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As stated previously, the policy is clearly "no". While it is possible that the Concierge may occasionally make an exception for a non-D family member or relative travelling together under the same reservation, it is not likely they would do so for a friend. There will likely be others on board with similar situations and making an exception for one would put the Concierge in the difficult position to have to do it for all. The Diamond Lounges are typically quite full with each sailing as well, with the Diamond passengers on board listed with the Concierge in advance.

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Cigar King

Cigar King

Posted
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FWIW, on a recent cruise with my brother and his wife, the concierge had no problems with us all being in the lounge other than during happy hour. Basically it boiled down to when it's crowded the space was for diamonds and above only.

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leaveitallbehind

leaveitallbehind

Posted
Posted
FWIW, on a recent cruise with my brother and his wife, the concierge had no problems with us all being in the lounge other than during happy hour. Basically it boiled down to when it's crowded the space was for diamonds and above only.

 

Yes, as the concierge is only there between 8:30 - 11:00 and 5:00 - 8:30. And happy hour (5:00 - 8:30) is when the complementary drinks and snacks are served, which is the Diamond Lounge activity that is the primary benefit to the members of the lounge. Other than that it is just another lounge with a coffee machine.

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Mark_K

Mark_K

Posted
Posted
FWIW, on a recent cruise with my brother and his wife, the concierge had no problems with us all being in the lounge other than during happy hour. Basically it boiled down to when it's crowded the space was for diamonds and above only.
It's not about when it's crowded, it's about when the free stuff you can get costs them more money.
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Mark_K

Mark_K

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How much does one offer considering the concierge could lose his/her job?

 

 

M

Their job is to act as a concierge. No concierge, anywhere, will get fired for occasionally bending a rule to keep the customers happy. Getting a little something for assisting is just part of how thngs work.
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leaveitallbehind

leaveitallbehind

Posted
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It's not about when it's crowded, it's about when the free stuff you can get costs them more money.

 

Not sure I understand your comment. But they don't care how crowded the Diamond Lounge is during happy hour with the complimentary drinks and snacks or how much it is costing to serve them. We've been on ships where the overflow due to the amount of members in the lounge has required additional space elsewhere to be used. And the bars and food service were set up there to take care of everybody.

 

It isn't a matter of how crowded it is or how much money it costs RCI to acknowledge their Diamond passengers - it's about caring that those who have earned the benefit are the ones receiving it.

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ARCruisinNana

ARCruisinNana

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When I was on Allure with my sister, I simply asked the Conceirge if she could come to the CL with me and he said yes. So totally depends on who is there. I asked very nicely and it was not an issue.

 

When I was on Allure with my daughter who is D, I introduced myself to the Concierge and then said this my daughter. He immediately said that I was welcome but my daughter wasn't. I didn't even ask. He was very rude.

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

Posted
Posted
When I was on Allure with my daughter who is D, I introduced myself to the Concierge and then said this my daughter. He immediately said that I was welcome but my daughter wasn't. I didn't even ask. He was very rude.

 

Rudeness is NEVER excusable, but particularly not from someone whose JOB is customer service.

 

:(

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ARCruisinNana

ARCruisinNana

Posted
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Rudeness is NEVER excusable, but particularly not from someone whose JOB is customer service.

 

:(

 

Totally agree! I was pretty shocked. Didn't go back to the CL on that cruise. When we cruise on Allure again, my daughter will be D+ so we won't have to worry about it:)

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leaveitallbehind

leaveitallbehind

Posted
Posted
When I was on Allure with my sister, I simply asked the Conceirge if she could come to the CL with me and he said yes. So totally depends on who is there. I asked very nicely and it was not an issue.

 

Our experience has been that the Concierge Lounge is more flexible in that than the Diamond Lounge. Maybe it has to do with the Diamond Lounge being a C & A tier based benefit that only allows access to D, D+, and Pinnacle members, whereas the Concierge Lounge is a non-loyalty oriented lounge intended primarily for the Suite Guests on that particular cruise. (that also allows D+ and Pinnacle). Maybe the CL is not as restrictive as the DL as a result - just a thought.

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Cigar King

Cigar King

Posted
Posted
It's not about when it's crowded, it's about when the free stuff you can get costs them more money.

 

I'm not sure what your concern is. If the concierge, says something is OK, then, it's OK. It's their job to make customers happy, and a free cappuccino is one way to do it.

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centurycruiser

centurycruiser

Posted
Posted
Our experience has been that the Concierge Lounge is more flexible in that than the Diamond Lounge. Maybe it has to do with the Diamond Lounge being a C & A tier based benefit that only allows access to D, D+, and Pinnacle members, whereas the Concierge Lounge is a non-loyalty oriented lounge intended primarily for the Suite Guests on that particular cruise. (that also allows D+ and Pinnacle). Maybe the CL is not as restrictive as the DL as a result - just a thought.

 

After Royal "kicked" the D's out of the CL, I would think they would be more restrictive so the suite guests aren't crowded. But, then that's only my humble opinion.

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leaveitallbehind

leaveitallbehind

Posted
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After Royal "kicked" the D's out of the CL, I would think they would be more restrictive so the suite guests aren't crowded. But, then that's only my humble opinion.

 

Your point is well taken - which is why it became D+ / Pinnacle only with suites when they did that. Plus the fact that they began adding DL's on all ships to accommodate the D's in a lounge of their own that suite guests cannot have access to unless they are also D or higher.

 

Keep in mind also that the CL crowds are limited as there are only so many suites on board each ship - actually only a small percentage of the total compared to standard staterooms - which caps the total number of guests per cruise. Adding the relatively small number of D+ and even fewer Pinnacles on any given cruise keeps the CL numbers in check for the suite guests' benefit.

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cruisenfever

cruisenfever

Posted
Posted
After Royal "kicked" the D's out of the CL, I would think they would be more restrictive so the suite guests aren't crowded. But, then that's only my humble opinion.
Your point is well taken - which is why it became D+ / Pinnacle only with suites when they did that. Plus the fact that they began adding DL's on all ships to accommodate the D's in a lounge of their own that suite guests cannot have access to unless they are also D or higher.

 

Keep in mind also that the CL crowds are limited as there are only so many suites on board each ship - actually only a small percentage of the total compared to standard staterooms - which caps the total number of guests per cruise. Adding the relatively small number of D+ and even fewer Pinnacles on any given cruise keeps the CL numbers in check for the suite guests' benefit.

The privilege of using the CL was removed from the Diamond Benefits effective September 1, 2009. Effective November 1, 2009 a Diamond Event was implemented.

 

C&A Pinnacle Club Tier was put into effective on January 21, 2011, 2 years after the Diamond Members lost their CL privileges.

 

On our April 1 EN cruise due to the large number of Diamond and Diamond Plus Guests, they set up a wonderful atmosphere in the VCL. SeaPass Cards were checked as soon as you got off the elevator. The same is currently being done on the April 13th cruise.

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varoo

varoo

Posted
Posted
My best friend and I have decided to take a cruise. I am diamond and she is not. Will I be able to take her with me into the Diamond lounge?
If this is something of importance to you and if the two of you plan to share the same cabin, you can book a cruise on Celebrity where she will be able to attend all the elite events with you.

 

You can't just bring along a friend from another cabin though or everyone on the ship would be doing that. Suddenly all the elites would find themselves with a whole bunch of new friends. :)

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