Celebrity Cruises Alters Loyalty Program

[LauraS]

Check out the latest Celebrity Cruises news from Cruise Critic:

 

Celebrity Cruises Alters Loyalty Program

[wsampieri]

I noticed that they have removed the one cat upgrade from the Elite benefits list.

[blossomdog]

I noticed that they have removed the one cat upgrade from the Elite benefits list.

 

I see that the upgrade is included in the Classic category. You will get the prior category benefits as well as the Elite benefits.

[Gerko]

On first inspection this now appears to be a scheme that awards money rather than loyalty. For instance, a person travelling in an outisde cabin will have to sail 75 nights just to move up from the lowest Classic level, which really gives no benefits, whilst a top suite passenger will take only 9 nights. The top Zenith tier will be almost impossible for regular passengers to achieve with those in an outside cabin needing to sail 1500 nights or over 4 years on board to reach this level, whilst top suite passengers only require 166 nights. This seems very unfair as its the loyal regular passengers who make up the majority of Celebrity's customers and these new levels will make it just so much harder for these passengers to gain any benefits.

[dcarter4]

Hey All,

 

Does anyone know how many points you used to get...for a 7 night Aqua Class Room?

 

Our sailing history shows us in a Club Veranda and Veranda Stateroom(s) aboard the Solstice....for 2 points.?

 

Both cruises...we were in AQ?

 

No big deal to you big number Elites...but we were just one cruise from "moving up"!! Our short Wedding Cruise (in March 2014) would have done it!!

 

Now it looks like, even out 16 CruiseTour in Europe won't even help?!:confused:

 

TIA

 

Dwayne

[opa&oma]

Have they said how onboard purchases will be rewarded?

[Gerko]

Hey All,

 

Does anyone know how many points you used to get...for a 7 night Aqua Class Room?

 

No big deal to you big number Elites...but we were just one cruise from "moving up"!! Our short Wedding Cruise (in March 2014) would have done it!!

 

Now it looks like, even out 16 CruiseTour in Europe won't even help?!:confused:

 

TIA

 

Dwayne

 

That's such a shame. I think the lines like Princess who look at number of days OR number of cruises is best. It means people who do lots of short cruises and people who take a few long cruises both get rewarded. Seems Celebrity is now only interested in people who take long cruises in top suites.

[ib4uf]

I feel your pain.

 

Bottom line, it just cost a lot more to move up a category on Celebrity. I am not convinced the product is worth the money.

 

I was one cruise short of Elite (to be taken in January). Now I am 3 with the new math. Their answer is, sorry.

 

Again, I am not convinced the product is worth the price.

 

 

 

 

Hey All,

 

Does anyone know how many points you used to get...for a 7 night Aqua Class Room?

 

Our sailing history shows us in a Club Veranda and Veranda Stateroom(s) aboard the Solstice....for 2 points.?

 

Both cruises...we were in AQ?

 

No big deal to you big number Elites...but we were just one cruise from "moving up"!! Our short Wedding Cruise (in March 2014) would have done it!!

 

Now it looks like, even out 16 CruiseTour in Europe won't even help?!:confused:

 

TIA

 

Dwayne

Edited November 26, 2013 by ib4uf

[lvaaren2]

Hey All,

 

Does anyone know how many points you used to get...for a 7 night Aqua Class Room?

 

Our sailing history shows us in a Club Veranda and Veranda Stateroom(s) aboard the Solstice....for 2 points.?

 

Both cruises...we were in AQ?

 

No big deal to you big number Elites...but we were just one cruise from "moving up"!! Our short Wedding Cruise (in March 2014) would have done it!!

 

Now it looks like, even out 16 CruiseTour in Europe won't even help?!:confused:

 

TIA

 

Dwayne

 

Past cruises which earned credits are converted at 30 points for each credit point. This is to ensure no one on existing tiers misses out.

 

So for your past short cruises in Aqua, if it was less than 12 days you earned 2 credits (one for a sail less than 12 days and 1 for a aqua class), now that is converted to 60 points. Future short 7 day cruise on Concierge/Aqua will earn 5 points per day or 35 points.

 

Your past points conversion will be shown if you log in to the Captains Club.

 

If you cruised the same again you would earn less.

 

I am quite happy, having expected for some time that tiers would change, since they were quite generous. and hoping I would retain my status, which I did.

[helenb]

I had the same experience. When I looked at my sailing history and converted all my past sailings, I had 255 points. However I am starting with 300 points, as I had just reached my 10th cruise credit in June. So glad I did!

 

I agree, it's very disappointing if you were at 8 or 9 credits and looking to get to the next tier shortly.

[dcarter4]

Hey All,

 

Thanks for your responses....

 

So....7 day cruise is a SHORT cruise to your guys? Gee...how much time do you have on your hands?!!:D:D

 

Dwayne

[Cruise Organizer]

Cruise leaves in 11 days. I booked concierge to get the extra point for Elite, but now I get 35 points instead of 60 since the cutoff is 11/25.

I wasted money on this cabin category thinking I would be Elite.

Called Celebrity and they confirmed - too bad for you.

I'm a happy customer:mad:

[Gig103]

Celebrity should have done like Carnival and given a reasonable time frame for legacy earnings. Carnival gave more than a year, but here's my logic on two alternatives.

 

1) Any reserved cruise - after all, if someone made another booking, it means they're loyal, which is the goal of these programs.

2) Anything inside final payment, since those folks can't change their bookings as a result of the change.

[Gerko]

Hey All,

 

Thanks for your responses....

 

So....7 day cruise is a SHORT cruise to your guys? Gee...how much time do you have on your hands?!!:D:D

 

Dwayne

 

Dunno about the others but here in Australia an average cruise is around 9 -12 nights. We're so far from everywhere that even to get to the nearest island like New caledonia is two nights at sea out and two nights back. We've got short cruises to nowhere and some seven nighters that stick to Australian coastal ports but any cruise that gets to foreign ports is going to be eight nights minimum. I'm off for 14 nights in a couple of weeks and even that's a pretty basic cruise to a few Pacific islands. So to Aussies, yes, seven nights is quite a short cruise.

[TN Vol Fan]

I don't have a lot of time off from work, but plan on one longer cruise a year and if lucky, one seven day one extra. Yes, a 7 day one does seem short, when you are far from ports and airfare very expensive to get there. We like the longer ones to get the most out of our airfares.

As to the new levels, we have been rewarded for our loyalty, but wii not make Zenith in our lifetime. Some of the new perks will never be used by us, but it is OK. I just wished they would have included the shareholder OBC for the higher levels.

[Gabegal1]

OK, I admit it, I am totally confused! I couldn't figure out how they had reached my conversion points but now I do understand the principle and at least I am still in the Elite category! Phew!

What has me confused is this business about the "cut-off" date this month. Do they mean if you already had a booked cruise prior to this month that you will only earn credits at the old level, even though the cruises are in 2014 or even later? Does this new system only apply to NEW bookings made after the Nov. date? Or does it refer to ones where the final payment has or has not been already made for an upcoming cruise????

Help!! Can someone find the explanation from Celebrity for this as I can't find what they exactly mean?!!

Thanks!

[jomf]

I have been given 150 points, but by my workings I should have 234 points.

 

16 night cruise in a Celebrity Suite (192 points)

14 night veranda cruise (42 points)

 

If I cruise in a veranda or inside I doubt I will ever get above select.

 

Doesn't fill me with desire to stay a loyal customer.

[Gabegal1]

I have been given 150 points, but by my workings I should have 234 points.

 

16 night cruise in a Celebrity Suite (192 points)

14 night veranda cruise (42 points)

 

 

Is your 192 points correct? Were you in a "regular" suite or a higher class of suite? That moves you from either 8 points per night or 12 points per night.

 

They have calculated your points from the old system (which they said they would do....). You got 3 points for the 16 night in the suite (1 for the cruise, 1 for more than 12 days, 1 for the suite), and 2 points for the other (1 for the cruise and 1 for over 12 days). That's 5 points times 30 per point equals 150. Only the new cruises will be calculated using the new points allocation system. In fact, if Celebrity continued with the old points system you would still have only 5 credits now but would need 10 to be Elite. If you had repeated the same two cruises you mentioned, at the same stateroom level, then you would have acquired another 5 credits. The cruise after those two cruises would therefore have been at Elite. However, under the new system you are actually better off! You only need to take ONE cruise of the same level as your 16 night suite cruise (IF you are in the higher class suite) would give you 192 points, plus your existing 150 = 342. Elite starts at 300!!

So.....be happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!

[oldmovieguy]

We, like a lot of others, are one cruise away from top status (Elite) The top tier has now been cruelly snatched from our grasp just as the contents of the golden goblet was about to touch our offered lips. The free bagwash will lay unattended in our cabin while the heady realms of parading up and down just before Captains Cocktails (Free) will now be the preserve of the suite only uber cruisers as we mere mortals look on with lowered eyes and tugged forelocks as they sashay by.

 

Hah hah, just a bit of fun, We cruise with Celebrity because we like their style and their ships, the Captains club was ok as it went but never a deal breaker, if a cruise came up on another line the Captains Club progress would not deter us, well certainly not now. So we will carry on Cruising and not be weighed down by thinking, if only we had gone with Celebrity and got elevated in the Caps club we could have got a half bag of washing done free.

[cruising grandma]

We had 20 cruise points before the new system went into play, so multiplied by 30, we now have 600 points. We have a 14 night cruise in an aqua class cabin beginning next week.......less than a week from the "cutoff change date". Under the old system, we would have received 3 points for this upcoming cruise, which if they had extended this through mid December, we would have had 23 X 30(690) after this cruise. However, now we will get 70 points (5 X 14) for the cruise and be 670 after it. We have been elite a long time, and like others, will never get to Zenith level. We are Diamond + on Royal Caribbean, and if we decide to cruise more on Celebrity, we may get to Elite plus, eventually. I do think there should have been some advance notice of the changes and extended to after final payment cruises already booked, but Celebrity makes the rules and we'll play by them......nothing else we can do. I also have read they gave up to 50 extra points to some who were up to 50 points away from their next level. If they give extra points to some, it only seems fair to give extra points to all. Guess they don't care about fair......

[eadien7]

I also have read they gave up to 50 extra points to some who were up to 50 points away from their next level. If they give extra points to some, it only seems fair to give extra points to all. Guess they don't care about fair......

 

I received 16 points -- "In the conversion, you were so close to Elite level, we moved you up by awarding you bonus points." but it didn't take me to Elite? Still 14 points away?

[Karin&Isaac]

We, like a lot of others, are one cruise away from top status (Elite) The top tier has now been cruelly snatched from our grasp just as the contents of the golden goblet was about to touch our offered lips. The free bagwash will lay unattended in our cabin while the heady realms of parading up and down just before Captains Cocktails (Free) will now be the preserve of the suite only uber cruisers as we mere mortals look on with lowered eyes and tugged forelocks as they sashay by.

 

Hah hah, just a bit of fun, We cruise with Celebrity because we like their style and their ships, the Captains club was ok as it went but never a deal breaker, if a cruise came up on another line the Captains Club progress would not deter us, well certainly not now. So we will carry on Cruising and not be weighed down by thinking, if only we had gone with Celebrity and got elevated in the Caps club we could have got a half bag of washing done free.

 

Love your sense of humor! When it comes down to it, we sail Celebrity because we like the line, the perks are extra.

[cinlo]

I received 16 points -- "In the conversion, you were so close to Elite level, we moved you up by awarding you bonus points." but it didn't take me to Elite? Still 14 points away?

 

Exactly the same deal we got, still not Elite either. But we needed one more cruise on the old system anyway, just wonder why give a few more points? I guess even a short cruise should bump us over for what it's worth.

[Chunky2219]

I'm both puzzled and tickled by the disatisfaction that the new scheme rewards money spent (i.e. cabin class) versus "loyalty" (i.e. days at sea).

 

My local supermarket doesn't give me any benefits on my card for turning up, walking around and buying a bar of chocolate - it gives me rewards for a weekly shop. My local petrol station doesn't give me extra rewards if I just pop in to buy a newspaper or to access the free air for my tyres - it rewards me for how much expensive fuel I pump into my car.

 

Does anyone know a reward scheme with any organisation, anywhere where you get benefits from merely turning up and having the same access to facilities (in this case food, entertainment, transport between ports, etc.) as someone paying 10x the price? No, I don't either. Is anyone surpised they don't have a loyalty card at Poundland?

 

I did a quick calculation on the conversion of my old points (all of which were earned in high end cabins) into the new system. I'm 46% worse off, based on days sailed and cabin grade taken. No complaints at all - it was what it was and it isn't a big deal to me anyway. I'll now rack up points more quickly in future.

 

But I'll never be in the position of booking a cruise or choosing a line based on the loyalty scheme and the modest few rewards it offers. It's the voyage, the intinerary, the food and the price that matters. Captain's Club is just a bit of icing on top of a tasty cake.

 

 

.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Chunky2219
typo

[blizzak]

"It is important to note that no current members will lose any of the benefits they have come to expect and enjoy."

 

Above quote from the release on the plan change is not true! My wife and I are Select with 8 legacy points. Just completed 15 night Transatlantic on Reflection Nov. 16. We are booked on, and have paid in full, for Panama Canal January 5, 2014 which would have given us 10 points and Elite status. We booked this cruise, and our recently completed transatlantic, while on board Reflection 2013 Spring Transatlantic for the specific purpose of achieving Elite. This was a selling point used by the on board rep. Learned today that, after the Panama Canal cruise, with the new plan we will "convert" to 270 points, 30 below the new 300 point Elite threshold. Ironically, "since we were so close" we were given 25 bonus points which now holds us only 5 points below the requirement. After 68 minutes on hold, Captains Club declined to extend Elite even though we have already paid for the qualifying cruise based on prior terms. They also refuse to refund and cancel the Panama Canal cruise. I am very unhappy with this response. They should honor the terms in place when payment is made and non-refundable. Additionally, if they are going to extend bonus conversion points, why not equalize to the old plan?