Diamond member question

[dianfarmer]

My husband and I are currently on a 12 nite cruise. Every time my husband goes to the bar for a Diet Coke they tell him no charge since we are diamond members. We have been diamond members for awhile and never had this happen before. Has something changed?

[Clarea]

You do get 3 free drinks from approx 5pm to 8:30pm each evening. Is this when he is getting his free drinks?

[dplusd]

Free sodas are not one of the Diamond benefits. As Bob mentioned, if ordered during the Diamond cocktail hour the bartender may have used one of your three free drink coupons.

[katrina915]

I get free soda all the time during cocktail hour instead of regular drinks. I get in cans and take back to my room.

 

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[Merion_Mom]

I get free soda all the time during cocktail hour instead of regular drinks. I get in cans and take back to my room.

 

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Some ships (for example, Liberty) are now opening that can before they give it to you. "Orders from Miami" they told me. :(

[misty57]

Some ships (for example, Liberty) are now opening that can before they give it to you. "Orders from Miami" they told me. :(

On Allure they opened the can in the D lounge, but the bars just handed us the cans. We too put them in the refrigerator in our cabin.

[Traveling Library]

Just off the Jewel. Got 3 unopened Club sodas during happy hours. We just asked for them to be unopened.

[griffy116]

We went on Celebrity this past year and as Diamond with reciprocity, we were Elite on Celebrity. They don't have the fountain machines but always got an unopened can drink.

[mr walker]

Why do people need to push everything to/beyond the limit and then post on here & FB etc.

Guess it won't be long before all Diamond drinks will be by the glass only, & likely for sodas to be from the fountain.

 

Works for me, but I don't stock up for later - don't even drink soda.

[Merion_Mom]

Why do people need to push everything to/beyond the limit and then post on here & FB etc.

Guess it won't be long before all Diamond drinks will be by the glass only, & likely for sodas to be from the fountain.

 

Works for me, but I don't stock up for later - don't even drink soda.

That was quite an outburst.

 

I asked for my can to be unopened because, as I told the bartender, I wanted to carry it with me to dinner (which is quite permitted, mr walker) and with other things in my hands, I didn't want to spill from an open can. He opened it anyway, telling me (as I wrote above) that it was an order from Miami. (headquarters)

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Miami bad!:eek:

[mr walker]

That was quite an outburst.

 

I asked for my can to be unopened because, as I told the bartender, I wanted to carry it with me to dinner (which is quite permitted, mr walker) and with other things in my hands, I didn't want to spill from an open can. He opened it anyway, telling me (as I wrote above) that it was an order from Miami. (headquarters)

 

You mistakenly assumed I was commenting about you. Of course there is no problem in collecting a soda enroute to dining room, and not opened would make it easier.

 

It was the two posters after you who were collecting cans for later on that I was talking about. The whole basis of the 'free drinks' is that they are for consumption during the appointed hours, not a drink to your hearts content in DL and then collect sodas for later consumption. And then write about it.

 

We enjoy our benefits, either drinks in DL or using the 'vouchers' around the ship and fear that abuse will lead to reduction in benefits.

[katrina915]

You mistakenly assumed I was commenting about you. Of course there is no problem in collecting a soda enroute to dining room, and not opened would make it easier.

 

It was the two posters after you who were collecting cans for later on that I was talking about. The whole basis of the 'free drinks' is that they are for consumption during the appointed hours, not a drink to your hearts content in DL and then collect sodas for later consumption. And then write about it.

 

We enjoy our benefits, either drinks in DL or using the 'vouchers' around the ship and fear that abuse will lead to reduction in benefits.

HUGE assumption here. I don't go to Diamond lounge and I don't drink alcoholic drinks. Are you saying I am "gaming" the system by getting 3 soda cans per night? Oh come on.

[cruisenfever]

You mistakenly assumed I was commenting about you. Of course there is no problem in collecting a soda enroute to dining room, and not opened would make it easier.

 

It was the two posters after you who were collecting cans for later on that I was talking about. The whole basis of the 'free drinks' is that they are for consumption during the appointed hours, not a drink to your hearts content in DL and then collect sodas for later consumption. And then write about it.

 

We enjoy our benefits, either drinks in DL or using the 'vouchers' around the ship and fear that abuse will lead to reduction in benefits.

I respectfully disagree with you about the 3 complimentary drinks being consumed during the appointed hours.

 

We've never been told by RCI Management that we can not take sodas back to our cabin for later use. Do you have that in writing from Management that drinks must be consumed during Happy Hour?

 

My husband does not drink, but does ask for a bottle of water/Ginger Ale during Happy Hour for later consumption. Are you saying that he is abusing the system!!

[cruisegirl1]

So -OP - I hope you are enjoying your cruise. Can you let us know if you requested those sodas at cocktail hours, or at random times during the day. And, are you getting a can of soda or a fountain drink. Do you have a soda package? Some cabin categories on specific ships come with a soda package, and at times travel agents will add soda package as a benefit.

 

To answer your question, nothing has changed. You may have stumbled upon a very nice bartender ( perhaps a small tip is in order) or one who is unfamiliar with the rules.

 

Thanks M

[dianfarmer]

Sometimes it was fountain soda and other times cans. Some opened some not. We do not have the soda card yet there is a diet coke waiting for me at dinner every day. I have gotten the free soda different times of the day

[tugboat]

Some ships (for example, Liberty) are now opening that can before they give it to you. "Orders from Miami" they told me. :(

 

 

 

A dollar when asking for the coke will stop that. And a smile helps too.

 

 

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[mr walker]

OK, seems I struck a raw nerve with some, even ones I was not even talking to. There will always be people who feel that it should work their way.

 

Prior to the introduction of vouchers, the only source of the free drinks was within the DL during the appointed hours. The 'rules' were that these drinks, alcoholic or not, were for consumption in the DL. I guess there was a blind eye in place where it became accepted that you could take your last drink out with you when leaving. So not takeaways to be stockpiled for later consumption, just one for the road.

 

Vouchers were introduced, valid for the same hours. This extends it seems to some as a way to collect drinks for later consumption, which was not the mode of operation for the DL drinks, but somehow is for the associated voucher drinks.

 

What other folks do that doesn't impact me, I ignore. Things like what they wear to dinner etc I just don't care. But when folks 'bend the rules' and then post, even brag, about it on social media, possibly resulting in a change in these benefits then I will have my say.

 

We never maximise the possible benefits of the drinks in DL/vouchers - we just don't drink that much in 3 hours, when we attend shows and have dinner during that time. My wife would likely have just 1 drink in that time. So, based on posts here, it would be ok for her to collect me a couple of unopened drinks each evening and store these away for later use, when I would need to normally pay for them?? I don't think this is the spirit of the benefit. And no, I don't have that in writing.

 

Cheers