just venting:ie platinum balcony discount

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Looking at booking the Oasis again with my son and his future wife.

 

With our booking we get $100 discount for being platinum and booking a balcony.

 

They are first timers and get $100 OBC for their balcony.

 

Since we got the balcony discount we don't qualify for the OBC.

 

I know they don't allow combining discounts but that just doesn't seem right.

 

OK I'm done!:)

 

Bill

[dplusd]

Many of the C&A perks are diminished by losing the general perks/promotions offered to everyone. Disappointing, I agree.

[ColoradoGurl]

I find the loyalty benefits pretty worthless as well. It's nice to get something (like the coupons); it's a nice enough gesture. But it takes way too many cruises to get much of anything, and it seems the "biggest" benefit is the 3 free drinks. I'm not going to stick with a cruise line for 25 cruises just to get $50 worth of drinks a day. I'd rather have a $350/person discount on my cruise fare; now that would be worth some loyalty.

 

 

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[Clarea]

I find the loyalty benefits pretty worthless as well. It's nice to get something (like the coupons); it's a nice enough gesture. But it takes way too many cruises to get much of anything, and it seems the "biggest" benefit is the 3 free drinks. I'm not going to stick with a cruise line for 25 cruises just to get $50 worth of drinks a day. I'd rather have a $350/person discount on my cruise fare; now that would be worth some loyalty.

The biggest jump in benefits comes at the Diamond level, which is at most 12 7-day cruises, fewer if you are solo or in a suite. The balcony discount jumps to $225 per stateroom for Diamond.

[ColoradoGurl]

The biggest jump in benefits comes at the Diamond level, which is at most 12 7-day cruises, fewer if you are solo or in a suite. The balcony discount jumps to $225 per stateroom for Diamond.

 

 

Meh- still not great. If it was $225 per person that would be worth something, but $225 total, and having to book a balcony to get it, I don't see much value there. At least it only takes 12 cruises and not 25.

 

It's still quite a lot of loyalty for a company to make people show in order to get that discount. If you figure the average traveler takes 1 vacation a year, getting to this level could take 12 years, assuming every vacation they choose each year is a cruise.

 

It would take a much bigger benefit to make me choose to cruise more often than I choose other vacation options. It's a nice benefit for people who would book that cruise anyway. But to help me decide between a cruise and another vacation, or another cruiseline, $225 isn't going to make or break my decision, but I guess it's still nice to get something.

 

 

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Edited November 7, 2016 by ColoradoGurl

[cruisinfanatic]

Meh- still not great. If it was $225 per person that would be worth something, but $225 total, and having to book a balcony to get it, I don't see much value there. At least it only takes 12 cruises and not 25.

 

It's still quite a lot of loyalty for a company to make people show in order to get that discount. If you figure the average traveler takes 1 vacation a year, getting to this level could take 12 years, assuming every vacation they choose each year is a cruise.

 

It would take a much bigger benefit to make me choose to cruise more often than I choose other vacation options. It's a nice benefit for people who would book that cruise anyway. But to help me decide between a cruise and another vacation, or another cruiseline, $225 isn't going to make or break my decision, but I guess it's still nice to get something.

 

 

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Who has better???

[ColoradoGurl]

Who has better???

 

 

I didn't say anyone did. I'm just saying the benefit doesn't have enough value to me to stick with one cruiseline for that long just to get it. As a "thank you for your loyalty," it's nice to get, but as a "you better think twice before booking a different cruise line or taking a different vacation," it's not going to have that effect on me. And as the original post mentioned, the loyalty benefits are often equaled by other offers with the same value, which really devalues the loyalty benefit.

 

 

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[The Fun Researcher]

Crown and Anchor benefits are pretty much worthless IMO until you reach Diamond, when the free nightly drinks are offered.

 

Dan

[StolidCruiser]

I didn't say anyone did. I'm just saying the benefit doesn't have enough value to me to stick with one cruiseline for that long just to get it. As a "thank you for your loyalty," it's nice to get, but as a "you better think twice before booking a different cruise line or taking a different vacation," it's not going to have that effect on me. And as the original post mentioned, the loyalty benefits are often equaled by other offers with the same value, which really devalues the loyalty benefit.

 

 

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It's abhorrent that companies continue to offer perks to attract new (or infrequent) customers in hopes they become "loyal" customers that compare with the perks offered to those that have become "loyal" customers.

 

They should never offer an incentive to a new cruiser that a "loyal" cruiser can't get as well. Only those who have cruised before should be entitled to any form of recognition, benefit or inducement.

 

Newbies pay full price... veterans get perks and privileges.

[tgloersen]

yep, this is why i don't stay with just one cruise line.

[papaflamingo]

It's abhorrent that companies continue to offer perks to attract new (or infrequent) customers in hopes they become "loyal" customers that compare with the perks offered to those that have become "loyal" customers.

 

They should never offer an incentive to a new cruiser that a "loyal" cruiser can't get as well. Only those who have cruised before should be entitled to any form of recognition, benefit or inducement.

 

Newbies pay full price... veterans get perks and privileges.

 

You can get any benefit that a new cruiser can get. Just book under those rules. Certain promotions aren't combinable. Then don't book under the promotion. I'm D+. We get $250 off a Balcony. So I would easily give up $100 OBC to get a $250 balcony discount. I'm also qualified for other discounts. Some are combinable, some not. I "bottom line" a cruise and use the most advantageous rate. But let me be perfectly blunt. You act like the cruise line "owes" you something. You are effectively "selling" your loyalty. "If you give me something for being loyal, I'll be loyal. But if not, I'm going to another cruise line." Truth is, no one's loyal. We shop price. If it's cheaper on Carnival, then that's where we head. If it's not, then not. I get the Happy Hour. It's worth around $300 per week for the two of us. We don't drink much other than during the Happy Hour anyway. So when I price a cruise on another line, I have to take into account the cabin discount, the Happy Hour savings, etc. But like you, if I can get a "better deal," I'll take it. So don't be so "high and mighty." Your "loyalty" is only as strong as your freebies.

[jticarruthers]

It used to be a valuable perk but now that pretty much anyone can get it by booking (or rebooking) when a sale is running that includes OBC it sounds good but isn't worth much.

[ColoradoGurl]

It's abhorrent that companies continue to offer perks to attract new (or infrequent) customers in hopes they become "loyal" customers that compare with the perks offered to those that have become "loyal" customers.

 

 

 

They should never offer an incentive to a new cruiser that a "loyal" cruiser can't get as well. Only those who have cruised before should be entitled to any form of recognition, benefit or inducement.

 

 

 

Newbies pay full price... veterans get perks and privileges.

 

 

I don't know if I would go that far, but it would make the perks more valuable if they were allowed to be combined to the sales that are offered to the general public. It's a bit insulting to tell someone they get a balcony discount for being a loyal customer, and then give the same sale to the general public, and tell the loyal person they can only have one or the other. It makes the loyalty benefit pretty worthless.

 

 

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Edited November 7, 2016 by ColoradoGurl