Breaking News - C&A Changes/Enhancements

[cruising grandma]

The "dark, depressing concierge lounge" on Liberty changed to a card room, and the new suite lounge has floor to ceiling windows and an outside seating area. It is where the previous card/game rooms were on deck 14. That area has changed to a specialty restaurant on some ships, so who knows where the suite lounge will be on those.

 

One thing I thought about is the concierge and bar servers in the new suite lounges will most likely lose out on a lot of tip money. We have had concierges tell D+ passengers to go to their lounge(DL) long before these new suite lounges started appearing. Some of those same concierges now may be wishing to have the tips generated by all those D+ people soon. The Diamond lounge concierge and bar servers will be getting tips from the diamond plus(kicked out of suite lounges) and many pinnacles who choose to go to the diamond lounge and visit with their diamond plus friends. The nice new suite lounge on Liberty was very empty last two weeks, but the diamond lounge and olive r twist were overflowing with people.

[cruising grandma]

Just remember - everything we have read so far is pure speculation with no confirmation from Royal Caribbean. The closest thing to confirmation is a claim that all the officers on one ship in the fleet say something will happen.

 

Many like to speculate and claim inside knowledge for various reasons. As I have mentioned in previous posts, we have gone through this on a regular basis before.

 

You may ultimately have a right to be mad, as I would, but for now don't let the Illuminati get you down!

 

 

Some of these statements are not rumors. They have already taken place. I was consecutive cruiser on Liberty 4/3 & 4/10 and was not allowed access into the new suite lounge. We were also told by upper management onboard this WILL be fleet wide. This had already taken place on Oasis.

Edited April 20, 2016 by cruising grandma

[MattInFLL]

The C&A program is a LOYALTY program. That is exactly how it is marketed to us. And loyalty is supposed to be rewarded. Or at least not slapped around. Any brand or marketing expert would tell you not to mess with brand loyalty.

 

So being outraged that there are loyal members who have earned their spot complaining about being messed with is ridiculous IMHO. But then it is equally ridiculous to be outraged over speculation and rumor.

 

Isn't it time for the dead horse graphic? There's no winning here.

[yogimax]

Some of these statements are not rumors. They have already taken place. I was consecutive cruiser on Liberty 4/3 & 4/10 and was not allowed access into the new suite lounge. We were also told by upper management onboard this WILL be fleet wide.

 

The post I responded to was in regard to Diamond access to the Diamond Lounge. Your experience was in regard to the SL.

 

It also may be that your experience was unique due to various reasons. This may have been a trial with the Miami crew looking for feedback and reactions. I do not doubt for one minute what you heard, but remember that ultimate policy changes of this significance will take place in Miami behind closed doors.

[tallcva3344]

Just Awesome!

 

I just busted my tail and money to become Diamond to have the lounge ripped away, and not get accepted into the lounge once!

 

I was so looking forward to it for my b-day sail on Adventure in Sept. This bites if this becomes true!

 

Might they be grandfathering in Diamonds before the change date?

 

Are they taking away the crossover to?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

I do not think the D will be removed from the DL. H

[Merion_Mom]

The C&A program is a LOYALTY program. That is exactly how it is marketed to us. And loyalty is supposed to be rewarded. Or at least not slapped around. Any brand or marketing expert would tell you not to mess with brand loyalty.

 

So being outraged that there are loyal members who have earned their spot complaining about being messed with is ridiculous IMHO. But then it is equally ridiculous to be outraged over speculation and rumor.

 

Isn't it time for the dead horse graphic? There's no winning here.

 

Here ya go.

 

[ccotting]

You shouldn't see any children in a DL during cocktail hours. I'm not sure that you should see children of D+ or PC in the CL either. Pretty sure it is only for suite guests. That being said, we took our GS to the CL on Enchantment since it was basically empty.

 

Technically it is correct that children should not be allowed according to RCI rules but I have seen it. The child in question was, himself, a Diamond member having travelled extensively with his parents. As an only child they did not want to leave him and requested that he join them in the Diamond lounge. Permission was given.

 

He was charming, extremely well behaved and, mom and dad had a wonderful 'happy hour' with friends.

 

Apparently there are now many such children who are top tier qualified in the RCI world.

 

On another note, this has been a most interesting thread. I agree with many posters that the changes are not a surprise. The C&A program has been the best of the business and has built a loyal following. The lounges and, the support they provide (more than liquor) are a key part of that. RCI is banking on higher margin from the suite passengers being more important and higher revenue than the volume C&A business and have made changes accordingly. I would be surprised if that were the case at the end of the accounting. Time will tell. We are not travelling RCI this year and taking our business elsewhere with serious consideration to whether we will continue our RCI focus of the past. We are D+.

[MattInFLL]

Here ya go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Carol! :D

[Lady Hudson]

Well just have to differ on that. If the SL was more exclusive and welcoming, the Suite passengers would go. Children in the suites is likely seasonal and I doubt that many in reality.

 

Could more "exclusive" in reality mean "lonely"? To me the CL (or SL, whatever you want to call it) will be fairly empty without the D+'s and I can't imagine what it would be like without the Ps. At least this has been my experience. I agree with the poster who said that tips will probably suffer for the concierge and the servers. Fewer people does mean fewer tips. I do feel sorry for anyone who loses income through all of this.

[yogimax]

Well just have to differ on that. If the SL was more exclusive and welcoming, the Suite passengers would go. Children in the suites is likely seasonal and I doubt that many in reality.

 

Our experience on Voyager and other Class ships has been that the DL is much more crowded than the CL. It's simply a nicer venue.

 

Removing D+ and P from the CL and renaming it has two effects...

 

1. The DL becomes significantly more crowded than ever.

 

2, The relabeled SL will be empty for much of the evening.

 

If you are talking about creating a totally new area for the suities, well that involves $$$ and time, probably only happening in drydock.

 

As for children, many of the suite guests are younger families with preteen children. Their desire to stay in a lounge has nothing to do with not being "welcomed." I have never seen a suite guest or a suite family made to feel unwelcome. I'll say it again, there is no incentive for a suite guest to stay in the lounge for a long period of time when they are occupying an expensive suite. I'm talking about the older ships here and not those that have been specifically geared to give the suities everything which includes premium dining each evening. That's a different story.

[robandana]

Technically it is correct that children should not be allowed according to RCI rules but I have seen it. The child in question was, himself, a Diamond member having travelled extensively with his parents. As an only child they did not want to leave him and requested that he join them in the Diamond lounge. Permission was given.

 

He was charming, extremely well behaved and, mom and dad had a wonderful 'happy hour' with friends.

 

Apparently there are now many such children who are top tier qualified in the RCI world.

 

On another note, this has been a most interesting thread. I agree with many posters that the changes are not a surprise. The C&A program has been the best of the business and has built a loyal following. The lounges and, the support they provide (more than liquor) are a key part of that. RCI is banking on higher margin from the suite passengers being more important and higher revenue than the volume C&A business and have made changes accordingly. I would be surprised if that were the case at the end of the accounting. Time will tell. We are not travelling RCI this year and taking our business elsewhere with serious consideration to whether we will continue our RCI focus of the past. We are D+.

 

I was just looking at some pricing...2 passengers booked a $6000 OS this is 550 sq ft plus the balcony, another 2 passengers book on the same ship for $2000 an interior cabin, this is a 150 sq ft cabin....who does RC make more per sq ft on....NOT THE SUITE plus all the stuff that have to give the suite to make their experience special....I mean they did pay $6000

 

I think the interior cabins contribute more revenue then all the suites on a ship...this is totally lost space anyways...what can they do with the space an interior cabin uses....

 

I'm not even sure RC even care what cabin you travel in...end of the day its get as many passengers on a ship as you can and get as much out of each passenger as they can. They want their ships full...or do they leave unsold suites empty....no they up sell and sometimes for just a few hundred bucks and even sometimes give them away and then sell the other cabin again....

 

Just an observation....:)

Edited April 20, 2016 by robandana

[critterchick]

Janet, you make a very valid point.

 

I would also point out that there are also suite guests, that are loyal cruisers to RC. They have spent even bigger dollars on an on going basis and will continue too. They might not be the "norm" but they do exsist. That is why some suggest loyalty for dollars spent on cabin costs. I won't, as I am content with where I am./QUOTE]

 

I don't know how true it still is, but as of 2011, half of all Pinnacle members (there were about 200 of us by late in the year, I think) booked "suites" (I don't know if JS were included in that figure, but I don't think so). But now that there are more (1000? 3000?) perhaps the numbers have skewed more toward the lower end cabins. I have no idea.

[psupa]

Very insulting.

I cruise because I enjoy cruising with the perks I have attained thru loyalty. Those loyalty benefits approach well over $700/cruise. If you could afford to throw away that money, good for you!

:mad:

 

Please explain how you came up with that figure? Yes the perks are nice, but we cruise to relax and enjoy all the ship has to offer and have cruised other lines as well.

[SparklyNails]

As a non 'top tier' guest, I'll have one very disappointed husband if the Viking Crown Lounge on Freedom Class becomes off limits for us unimportant passengers - his favourite bit of the ship!

 

Still a couple of cruises away from the elusive Diamond....

Edited April 20, 2016 by SparklyNails

[MattInFLL]

Dear god it does not stop.

[hollykimalan]

Dear god it does not stop.

 

 

...it's the gift that keeps on giving...

[SparklyNails]

Dear god it does not stop.

 

Of course, the outrage will all be in vain if these rumours turn out to be incorrect! I'll hold my hands up and say I was carried along with the tide when I commented ;-)

[robandana]

...it's the gift that keeps on giving...

 

That's funny!

Edited April 20, 2016 by robandana

[avalon007]

Please explain how you came up with that figure? Yes the perks are nice, but we cruise to relax and enjoy all the ship has to offer and have cruised other lines as well.

 

I'm not sure what the other poster used for calculations but on Australian cruises the sprits we drink in the DL during happy hour would average in value about $8AUD, so if we have 4 drinks each on a 12 night cruise that equals $768AUD in savings for us without any of the internet discounts & other drink & internet vouchers etc etc they give you. :)

[welshrich]

...it's the gift that keeps on giving...

 

 

Whenever I hear this it reminds me of National Lampoon Xmas Vacation, Clark is expected a big bonus but just gets a subscription to the jelly of the month club, his cousin Eddie is oblivious to his despair and just says "it's the gift that keeps on giving" :D

[Big_G]

Dear god it does not stop.

 

...but you already knew that. :D:D:D

[A&L_Ont]

It's you that don't understand. Third of that $700 is a balcony discount that I paid many times that amount.

 

I didn't make the rules, RCI did, but you bet I take advantage of them.

 

I'm firmly in the camp of awarding loyalty based on total spending. I can't remember the last cruise where our bill for OB spending was less than $1,000.

 

:mad:

 

 

When people say base the loyalty on spending I believe they actually mean the price of the cruise fare not the on board spending. It could be a part of it, but it would just be a smaller percentage.

Edited April 20, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[A&L_Ont]

...but you already knew that. :D:D:D

 

Only a padlock will do that, until the next thread opens a few minutes later.

[LMaxwell]

Only a padlock will do that, until the next thread opens a few minutes later.

 

Yes, but no reason to lock this thread.

[nbsjcruiser]

Sorry, it's Cruising Grandma, and she said:

 

We have been told this week on Liberty that all ships in Royal Caribbean fleet will change over to a Diamond lounge for Diamond and Diamond Plus and a Suite Lounge for Suites and Pinnacles. With over 400 D, D+ onboard, it's quite challenging to get a seat or drink in the DL.

 

I waited too long to edit my original post.

 

They better be careful here. Long term cruisers (like us) have spent a pile of money on RCI and the "benefits" of cruising with them have been decreasing while benefits to some who may be on their first cruise but book a suite increase. I understand they pay more for their room and they deserve more and they get it, a much nicer room than our inside room or our balcony room if we can pull it off. The product that I've been experiencing over the last 12 years is noticeably going down hill, especially the food and service in the MDR. For us this multi tier non-sense where the finish line is only a temporary one combined with just sub-par food on our last 3 RCI ships left a bad taste in my mouth literally and figuratively. We've packed our bags for Princess for the next two cruises and we just came off NCL. I'm not diamond over on either one of those lines so the "benefits" of a higher level membership mean nothing to me. I expect a room and good food on a nice ship and that's what I get. As a Diamond level cruiser on RCI the benefits are not worthy of me sticking exclusively to RCI so they can move the finish line again if they like, makes no difference to me.