Recent concierge lounge experience

[resstation]

I was on a Silversea cruise in February. We had open seating at dinner and one evening we were seated with two couples who were quite a bit older than my husband and I. One of the women asked what cruiselines we had been on, and I replied, "Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Celebrity." She immediately turned up her nose and said, "I would never sail on one of those cruiselines. They have such filthy people." From then on, the other couples acted like we had some vile disease and wouldn't speak or look our direction. :rolleyes:

 

I guess I'm a "filthy" person because it looks like I'll be sailing on RC again next year. I'm D+ and have sailed in everything from outsides to suites. I used the concierge lounge a couple times before Diamonds were no longer allowed. I also used it a couple times as a suite passenger. It never occurred to me to question anyone's cabin or C&A status. People are people.

 

I am always amazed that people allow others to get away with comments like that AND THEN go on to say "From then on, the other couples acted like we had some vile disease...". Seriously? Shouldn't YOU be the one avoiding THEM? They are the vile ones. I don't give a moment's thought or time to people like that. We have plenty of friends at home. I won't go home disappointed if I don't make new ones from a group of strangers on a cruise ship.

 

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[Paulette3028]

We have met many people who only sail in interior (i.e., cheaper) cabins so they can reach Diamond and Diamond+ status quicker. We don't care when we reach a certain "level", we cruise because we like it and we normally cruise in a suite because I like having a bathtub :D So, some folks who might be flaunting the whole "I'm a Diamond+ member are the same folks would never fork over the money for a suite???" interesting ;)

 

I never look into someone else's wallet, and don't want someone else making decisions about me based on how I choose to spend my money -- that will tell them very little about me. DH and I cruise because we like it, and are glad that friends of ours got us to go on a cruise with them 10 years ago. As we have moved up the ladder in the C&A world we have done it our way....one cruise at a time, in cabins we felt were worth spending our 'hard earned money on'. I have never tried an inside cabin, because I like a window to look out from. Even on Allure this summer we are taking a balcony overlooking Central Park. We enjoy excursions with the best of people....but still have a budget and don't blow it 'just because we are on vacation'. So we will probably be one of those people who 'would never fork over the money for a suite' -- but Royal has gotten plenty of my money over the past 10 years. Add to that the friends that have come along with us on sailings and those that we have introduced to cruising as well.

 

There have been terrific people we have met at dinner in the MDR, and the DL lounges; there have been other people I would not allow to shine my shoes. Just the way it is.

 

My girlfriend and her DH like to cruise in a suite for the doorbell....and she has been a good friend of mine for over 30 years....but we get to cruise a little bit more often and accumulate our points our way.

 

Foolish people can be found everywhere and the D/L and C/L are not exception.

[kyriecat]

I'm not sure what a good response would have been. Besides, there isn't much point to getting in the mud to wrestle with a hog. You're not going to win and the hog likes it. It's not like I wanted to be BFFs or anything. Some cordial dinner conversation would have been nice, but c'est la vie. My husband and I had our own conversation at our end of the table and were probably better off. They were not happy people. Personally, I thought it was a great cruise, but they were griping about everything. You would have thought we were sailing on a rust bucket staffed by morons the way they were complaining.

 

I suppose I should 'fess up to my own poor behavior. By the time we'd finished our appetizers, I had reached my snapping point with their negativity. Rather than risk causing a scene, I feigned sea sickness and excused myself. My husband decided he should make sure I made it back to the cabin okay. We ended up getting burgers from room service and enjoyed ourselves more than if we'd stayed.

[phish tales]

That's what I am saying :) I saw a post where it appeared that one couple was nice in the CL until they found out that the first couple was not a "Diamond+" but had access to the CLbecause they were in a suite. I don't get the whole "I've reached D+ status and therefore I am better than anyone else" NOT saying everyone does that; however from some of the posts I have read, some folks do and, well, that is just wrong, on so many levels :D

 

what RCL must do is make the CL for suite quests only. all other non suite quests that qualify can only use the diamond lounge. wake up RCL. the CL was started for suite guests, so give it back to them...

[thrifty99]

We sailed the Allure last week and it was our first time in a suite that allowed access to the CL (normally choose Junior Suites).

 

When you have a large group of people in a room there will always be various "social classes". That is to be expected. I did not see any guests treating any other guests inappropriately.

 

What we did not expect was the difference in how the guests were treated by the CL staff. On the first day we (myself, wife, and 17 year old son) stopped at the concierge desk and explained this was our first experience in the CL and wanted to know how it worked. He (Fernando) seemed very annoyed by this and just pointed to the Concierge sign and mentioned the hours that the desk was manned. He never introduced himself, asked our names, or explained anything about eating / drinking in the lounge. I had a question about how to have the Platinum internet discount applied and he somewhat rudely said there were no longer any internet discounts (he was incorrect) and the internet was self-service for signing up.

 

We sat down in the lounge to have a drink. While we were there, a lady walked in and he literally jumped up / ran over to her and gave her this huge welcome and hug. She wanted to sign up for internet and he brought her over to his desk and helped her sign up. I assume she is a more frequent traveler and they have met on prior cruises.

 

We had some similar experiences with the bar staff. One seemed to always walk by us and never asked if we wanted something. Another (woman) was very nice, spoke with us often, and was more what I expected of the CL staff.

 

We will be Diamond members after our next cruise and will enjoy the Diamond lounge at that time. We definitely did not see much value / worth in the Concierge Lounge after our first experience with some of the staff. We will give it another try on our next cruise. For the price difference in a Junior Suite to a Grand Suite, it may be better for us to spend the $$ on a specialty dining and beverage package.

[LovesCruising]

I was chatting with good friends this weekend who had an interesting experience on their last cruise in the D/L. They generally went to the lounge before dinner to meet up with the other people they were sailing with.

 

On one evening as they were sitting and looking for their friends to arrive they spotted a couple off to the side -- with the lady's head in the mans crouch. They were into serious activity, but my friend went over to the hostess to discuss what should be done. When the hostess went to the couple to suggest that they return to their cabin, she got no response at all -- they just continued. By this point the rest of my friends party had arrived and they were leaving. The hostess was calling down to guest services to get some assistance/advice as to what to do. Guest services was coming up to handle the situation. When my friends ran into the hostess, later that evening -- the hostess told them that when the senior member of the Guest Services staff arrived, the couple were found 'passed out in their positions'. They found some room dividers and put them around the area the couple was in. The hostess recognized them from other evenings they had come to the D/L, so Guest Services told the hostess to have a conversation with them 'the next time they came to the lounge' about appropriate activities for the lounge.

 

ROLFLMAO!:)

 

Ok Im a little confused by all this. We have sailed in a Suite several times and had access to the Concierge Lounge. We felt it was park of the Suite perks and belonged there.

 

Next cruise we will be sailing for the first time as a D+. I know we have access to the lounge. What I am not getting is why D+ people feel like its their lounge.

 

I always thought the Concierge Lounge was for Suite passengers - then D+ and above. What makes D+ people feel like its "their" lounge?

[yogimax]

I always thought the Concierge Lounge was for Suite passengers - then D+ and above.

 

To clarify... originally, many years ago, the CL was for suite guests.

 

That was then... today is today, and RCCL has said that the CL is EQUALLY for suite guests, Pinnacle and D+.

 

Bottom line: no one (gold card, Pinnacle, D+) is MORE entitled to lounge access than the other. All have equal access to it!

[steveru621]

what RCL must do is make the CL for suite quests only. all other non suite quests that qualify can only use the diamond lounge. wake up RCL. the CL was started for suite guests, so give it back to them...

 

OMG :) We don't want 'those' people in the Diamond Club. :eek:

[A&L_Ont]

OMG :) We don't want 'those' people in the Diamond Club. :eek:

 

First good laugh of the day. Thanks for it.

[LovesCruising]

To clarify... originally, many years ago, the CL was for suite guests.

 

That was then... today is today, and RCCL has said that the CL is EQUALLY for suite guests, Pinnacle and D+.

 

Bottom line: no one (gold card, Pinnacle, D+) is MORE entitled to lounge access than the other. All have equal access to it!

 

Gotcha:) So now I shouldn't be uncomfortable going to the CL as a D+ and not being a suite - which I was

 

So why do the D+ people feel so entitled?

Edited April 8, 2014 by LovesCruising

[ShawninFL]

Wow. I guess looking back you were better off that they "didnt see you there." My other half would have sought her out everyday to show we were in there too.

 

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[phish tales]

OMG :) We don't want 'those' people in the Diamond Club. :eek:

by "those" people you must mean dia.+ and pinnacle. ("those" are the only non suite guests allowed in the CL). so why would you not want "those"people in your dia lounge.? "those" have a vast cruising knowledge and you could learn a lot from them. maybe some day in the future you might even be one of "those".

Edited April 9, 2014 by phish tales

[steveru621]

what RCL must do is make the CL for suite quests only. all other non suite quests that qualify can only use the diamond lounge. wake up RCL. the CL was started for suite guests, so give it back to them...

 

by "those" people you must mean dia.+ and pinnacle. ("those" are the only non suite guests allowed in the CL). so why would you not want "those"people in your dia lounge.? "those" have a vast cruising knowledge and you could learn a lot from them. maybe some day in the future you might even be one of "those".

 

LOL, you are joking correct? I plan on being a D+ by the end of the year, but not one of 'those people':). Why do you want RCI to 'wake up' and clog up the Diamond Club? Why is everyone so anxious to kick people out of the CL?

[phish tales]

LOL, you are joking correct? I plan on being a D+ by the end of the year, but not one of 'those people':). Why do you want RCI to 'wake up' and clog up the Diamond Club? Why is everyone so anxious to kick people out of the CL?

 

 

I never did or would use the term "kick out". what I am saying is relocate, so the suites paying cruisers can enjoy the CL lounge they paid for. this way they do not have to put up with the "chair saving, hang around all night", dia+ and pinnacle folks.

Edited April 9, 2014 by phish tales

[steveru621]

I never did or would use the term "kick out". what I am saying is relocate, so the suites paying cruisers can enjoy the CL lounge they paid for. this way they do not have to put up with the "chair saving, hang around all night", dia+ and pinnacle folks.

 

Still don't know if you are joking? or serious?

 

According to RCI D+ and Pinnacle also paid for the CL, and Diamonds were once welcomed in the CL.

 

To make it clear, I was joking.

[phish tales]

Still don't know if you are joking? or serious?

 

According to RCI D+ and Pinnacle also paid for the CL, and Diamonds were once welcomed in the CL.

 

To make it clear, I was joking.

 

 

I DON'T JOKE. dia+ and pinnacle earned the right to the CL. they did not pay for it. they paid for many many wonderful cruises and along with that came the CL as a perk they earned. suite cruisers pay $3000 to $7000

more per cruise than we do so they can enjoy the CL they paid for.....

Edited April 9, 2014 by phish tales

[Big_G]

We will give it another try on our next cruise. For the price difference in a Junior Suite to a Grand Suite, it may be better for us to spend the $$ on a specialty dining and beverage package.

 

Definitely give it another shot. We were on Allure back in January and while we didn't go to the cocktail hour for cocktails, it was a good time to stop in and speak with both Fernando and Rahim. That was our first Allure suite so we had never dealt with them before and we left the ship with the complete opposite impression of them. They were very helpful with our requests. We've only had one less than helpful experience from a concierge and that was on Navigator during a Diamonds in December celebration. He may have been overwhelmed. Good luck.

[steveru621]

I DON'T JOKE. dia+ and pinnacle earned the right to the CL. they did not pay for it. they paid for many many wonderful cruises and along with that came the CL as a perk they earned. suite cruisers pay $3000 to $7000

more per cruise than we do so they can enjoy the CL they paid for.....

 

Well Royal Caribbean disagrees with you! I don't need to debate reality, but it sounds to me you have an agenda. The fact that you gave me that scary stern warning :) "I DON'T JOKE" says it all. BTW relocate is a very politically correct word, but is still means you want to kick out the D+.

 

Good night and enjoy your future cruises.

[kymbakitty]

CL access is just icing on the cake. In fact, it wasn't until after we booked a suite that I even found out about CL access! The last time we cruised in an OS was in 2001 on the Grandeur. They didn't have CLs back then. The next decade we spent mostly with Princess and Celebrity (had been on Souveirgn, Splendour, Vision and Granduer). When we returned, we did TA cruise on the Liberty and found about CL.

 

It made me chuckle that anyone would think you would book a suite for the drinks.

 

My DH doesn't drink alcohol, period. And I like a good beer (don't want to debate good beer), so when we went, they only served domestic beer (Bud, Miller, Coors). We left. I'm not going to drink domestic beer at home--I'm certainly not going to drink it on vacation (I will drink Samuel Adams....But really prefer Bass). And the red wine they served was the worst ever....Wine retailers sold it for $4 for a liter! It was so awful that I had to see if I could find it on the internet and it was awful. I'm definitely way past the age where I'm going to drink alcohol simply because it's free.

 

:)

[steveru621]

I DON'T JOKE. dia+ and pinnacle earned the right to the CL. they did not pay for it. they paid for many many wonderful cruises and along with that came the CL as a perk they earned. suite cruisers pay $3000 to $7000

more per cruise than we do so they can enjoy the CL they paid for.....

 

This is not about me. Just trying to make you aware of things that you did not know.

please take a pill and chill............

[LuvBNatC]

The class system of cruising from the good old days is alive and well, thanks to the cruise lines and their loyalty programs. On Cunard, all anyone has to ask is where you dine to know if you're in "steerage" and the nose goes up.

 

Sorry to hear it's come to RCI.

[kruzerci]

Our only experience in the CL was last year when we sailed in a suite. Our kids were in GS, as well.

 

Our first night in the CL a couple of older D+ couples were sitting there giving our kids (22&24) accusatory looks, clearly because they were young. It was so obnoxious. They made a point on the way out of glancing at our Seapass.

 

I started to tell them I was embarrassed for them prancing around the ship with their diamond plus and diamonds in December pins the entire cruise like it was some sort of status symbol.

 

It just irritates me that the CL is designed for suite guests, we Diamonds and above have the DL, yet there are "those" D+ that seem to think they own it.

 

I much prefer the atmosphere of the DL. I always roll my eyes at the D+ that use the CL exclusively over the DL, especially on the Voyager and Freedom where the DL has gorgeous views and the CL is a closed in room. You know why those people are using the CL :rolleyes:.

 

Rant over.

Edited April 9, 2014 by kruzerci

[Lilyrosemum]

I was chatting with good friends this weekend who had an interesting experience on their last cruise in the D/L. They generally went to the lounge before dinner to meet up with the other people they were sailing with.

 

On one evening as they were sitting and looking for their friends to arrive they spotted a couple off to the side -- with the lady's head in the mans crouch. They were into serious activity, but my friend went over to the hostess to discuss what should be done. When the hostess went to the couple to suggest that they return to their cabin, she got no response at all -- they just continued. By this point the rest of my friends party had arrived and they were leaving. The hostess was calling down to guest services to get some assistance/advice as to what to do. Guest services was coming up to handle the situation. When my friends ran into the hostess, later that evening -- the hostess told them that when the senior member of the Guest Services staff arrived, the couple were found 'passed out in their positions'. They found some room dividers and put them around the area

the couple was in. The hostess recognized them from other evenings they had come to the D/L, so Guest Services told the hostess to have a conversation with them 'the next time they came to the lounge' about appropriate activities for the lounge.

 

OMG!!! Glad I didn't witness that!

[silvermcs]

If that's the only reason someone gets a suite, then you're absolutely right, but there's lots of reasons to sail in a suite. :)

Typically, we get a standard balcony, but this next time, as a special treat, my wife and I are going in a Grand Suite. We budgeted for it for lots of reasons. Not only do you get the free drinks (not a big deal, but clearly a nice perk), you get more room (which matters more if you enjoy spending time in your room and on the balcony, and my wife does), you get preferred seating by the pool and in the theater, special dining areas for breakfast and lunch (not as a snob thing, it's just less crowded and a more pleasant dining experience) and you get a concierge, who helps out in a number of ways. You can book your excursions, get specialty restaurant or spa reservations, and get ice show tickets without standing in any lines, etc. all through your concierge.

 

If those things (not just the drinks) are worth the money to you, then a suite is a great idea! :)

 

And on the original topic, I have to say, that experience would give me a good laugh. I would tease them about it. Anyone who gets their self esteem from putting others down for any reason is pretty sad, but justifying it based on whether someone is a frequent cruiser or a suite guest is sad and silly.

Thank you for posting this. Our first 'suite' was on Vision and we booked a Junior suite only because the kids were small and this cabin had a full bathtub. My DS got some sort of food poisoning and we were up all night changing sheets and putting him in and out of the bath. Thank God we had the bathtub and not a standard cabin shower. At the time I had never heard of a CL and we certainly did not book our cabin for 'free drinks' as suggested. We are a family of four and feel very lucky if we can cruise once a year (sometimes twice). We pick a suite solely for the extra room. We all work hard and it's not a vacation to be squeezed into a very small space with my kids for a week. Once they are older, they are going into the interior cabin across the hall. Until then, they are with me in the larger cabin and I will be enjoying the CL or DL for pre dinner cocktails where we meet the nicest people, excluding the one the OP encountered. :)

[Lilyrosemum]

Our only experience in the CL was last year when we sailed in a suite. Our kids were in GS, as well.

 

Our first night in the CL a couple of older D+ couples were sitting there giving our kids (22&24) accusatory looks, clearly because they were young. It was so obnoxious. They made a point on the way out of glancing at our Seapass.

 

I started to tell them I was embarrassed for them prancing around the ship with their diamond plus and diamonds in December pins the entire cruise like it was some sort of status symbol.

 

It just irritates me that the CL is designed for suite guests, we Diamonds and above have the DL, yet there are "those" D+ that seem to think they own it.

 

I much prefer the atmosphere of the DL. I always roll my eyes at the D+ that use

the CL exclusively over the DL, especially on the Voyager and Freedom where the DL has gorgeous views and the CL is a closed in room. You know why those people are using the CL :rolleyes:.

 

Rant over.

 

I find it hilarious when some of the oldster cruisers in the CL and DL look at the young twenty somethings when they come in to the CL or DL and order drinks.

 

Get over it. My three twenty somethings are D+. They earned the points by sailing with us in their own balcony or suite cabins and have a right to be in there as long as Royal allows/provides access for their C & A level.