Diamond lounges are over capacity and guests are being turned away

[rt1092]

After reading through 5 pages . I can add a few things. The lounges are usually only crowded during the "OFF" seasons. Cheaper prices, less kids equal more high tier cruisers. It also seems like due to the high amount of upper tier cruisers from central Florida. The ships from Port Canaveral carry more UTC (upper tier cruisers).

Last July we sailed on the Harmony out of Ft Lauderdale , it was our first cruise as pinnacle members. We made the top 3 cruisers on the ship with our 703 points. Went from Harmony to Oasis (next day) and there were 24 pinnacles on the ship.

On both of these sailings the lounge was never even somewhat crowded. 

We will be on the Oasis 6 more times before it does it's T/A. And fully expect the diamond lounge to be crowded, but we will make do. We can go to the Suite lounge, but like the company better in the DL.

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

When did this thread become about Hawaii?

 

Dan

Post #175.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

2 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Post #175.

Yeah some people would need their own chit-chat threads.....👍

[The Fun Researcher]

Here's a hypothetical. 

 

Let's say RCI decided to do away with the special (C&A points based) lounges and instead offered them up to all, what perks would you D, D+ and P's consider as a suitable replacement?

Dan

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Here's a hypothetical. 

 

Let's say RCI decided to do away with the special (C&A points based) lounges and instead offered them up to all, what perks would you D, D+ and P's consider as a suitable replacement?

Dan

 

Unlimited specialty coffee.

 

Unlimited drinks at any bar during the 3.5 hour evening cocktail period.

[davekathy]

8 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Here's a hypothetical. 

 

Let's say RCI decided to do away with the special (C&A points based) lounges and instead offered them up to all, what perks would you D, D+ and P's consider as a suitable replacement?

Dan

Give us each a free bag of laundry (like Celebrity) and continue with the three C&A HH drinks on our Seapass cards for each evening to enjoy in any venue. If too many diamonds and above in the DL is the issue than increase the number of C&A points required to achieve diamond by making another tier level. 

Edited December 6, 2018 by davekathy

[frank808]

5 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Give us each a free bag of laundry (like Celebrity) and continue with the three C&A HH drinks on our Seapass cards for each evening to enjoy in any venue. If too many diamonds and above in the DL is the issue than increase the number of C&A points required to achieve diamond by making another tier level. 

 

D+ gets a free bag of laundry on 5 day or longer cruises. 

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, frank808 said:

 

D+ gets a free bag of laundry on 5 day or longer cruises. 

But was also including diamond as that level was part of the what if. 

[SherriZ366]

1 hour ago, rt1092 said:

After reading through 5 pages . I can add a few things. The lounges are usually only crowded during the "OFF" seasons. Cheaper prices, less kids equal more high tier cruisers. It also seems like due to the high amount of upper tier cruisers from central Florida. The ships from Port Canaveral carry more UTC (upper tier cruisers).

Last July we sailed on the Harmony out of Ft Lauderdale , it was our first cruise as pinnacle members. We made the top 3 cruisers on the ship with our 703 points. Went from Harmony to Oasis (next day) and there were 24 pinnacles on the ship.

On both of these sailings the lounge was never even somewhat crowded. 

We will be on the Oasis 6 more times before it does it's T/A. And fully expect the diamond lounge to be crowded, but we will make do. We can go to the Suite lounge, but like the company better in the DL.

We noticed less DL usage on OA this summer in August.  Our Friends also sailed on OA in June and early Semester and the DL was not crowded.  I think this is because summer cruises attract more families as their kids are on vacation and they may be first cruiser or lower C&A members.  

[The Fun Researcher]

34 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Unlimited specialty coffee.

 

Unlimited drinks at any bar during the 3.5 hour evening cocktail period.

 

32 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Give us each a free bag of laundry (like Celebrity) and continue with the three C&A HH drinks on our Seapass cards for each evening to enjoy in any venue. If too many diamonds and above in the DL is the issue than increase the number of C&A points required to achieve diamond by making another tier level. 

 

These both are reasonable replacements IMO. 

 

However, how about this for DL crowding.  Instead of raising the points needed to reach Diamond, simply change the points required to enter the  lounge, call it the 200 Club (referring to C&A points), or something of that nature.  Speaking for myself, I would hate for that carrot of free drinks during the cocktail period to get that much farther away.

 

Dan 

[John&LaLa]

8 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Yes, we get the complimentary free SB in cabin, they only serve swill PG and Chardonnay in the DL, CL, and John’s pink Koolaid.

 

jc

 

Laura's pink koolaid.  🍷

[actuarian]

31 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

 

These both are reasonable replacements IMO. 

 

However, how about this for DL crowding.  Instead of raising the points needed to reach Diamond, simply change the points required to enter the  lounge, call it the 200 Club (referring to C&A points), or something of that nature.  Speaking for myself, I would hate for that carrot of free drinks during the cocktail period to get that much farther away.

 

Dan 

Even simpler, call in the "Top-100 Club" and restrict it to the 100 (or whatever number the lounge can comfortably accommodate) cruisers on that particular voyage who have the most points.  Then, there could be no overcrowding because they would have a seat for everyone who met the qualification.

[xpcdoojk]

33 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Laura's pink koolaid.  🍷

 

 

Right....😉

 

jc... knows the Caymus pics were just to throw us off.😈

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

 

These both are reasonable replacements IMO. 

 

However, how about this for DL crowding.  Instead of raising the points needed to reach Diamond, simply change the points required to enter the  lounge, call it the 200 Club (referring to C&A points), or something of that nature.  Speaking for myself, I would hate for that carrot of free drinks during the cocktail period to get that much farther away.

 

Dan 

Have you actually experienced overcrowding in the DL? We don't cruise on any ships larger than the  Freedom class ships (prefer the Radiance class over all of the classes) and have not experienced overcrowding or slow service in the DLs. At least the for time of year we cruise and the time of evening we attend the evening DL gatherings. In the event we ever experienced slow service due to the numbers in the DL we would go sit in the Schooner Bar (always our favorite) and enjoy our evening cocktails. Win, win. 

Edited December 6, 2018 by davekathy

[rt1092]

Enough of the lets change things. The only thing Royal might do is toss the Diamonds out of the lounges. They are never going to make more space for a "non revenue" item. If you think it's to crowded don't go. Nobody is forcing you to be there. 

Don't complain about it till Royal acts on it I was once a Diamond (700 points ago) and they deserve the same perks now that I did then.

[John&LaLa]

7 hours ago, frank808 said:

Watch out, they could go to a cheaper vodka.  I read from another poster that one ship had an even cheaper vodka as standard.  

 

I found out to go and try different bars on way to dining room.  Usually I get absolut or grey goose at other bars.  Could be that i always tip with my drinks?  But that hasn't worked in dl or sl yet as it has always been new Amsterdam in those bars.

 

Often had success getting upgraded vodka without asking in the Oasis Class SL's

 

Probably because it's stocked there, not so much in the other lounges.  Have not been in a non Oasis SL though, are those full bars with registers?

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 ... Have not been in a non Oasis SL though, are those full bars with registers?

 

Not on Adventure.

[John&LaLa]

6 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

 

Nice looking beach area, we flew over it on a helicopter tour 17 years ago.  

 

They haven’t had SB regularly in the DL since the Anthem for us in 2016.  We had the concierge sneak some for us at the insistence of a friend we met in the DL occassionally.  There is plenty of Kim Crawford on the ship, you can buy it for about $60 a bottle at any bar or restaurant on the ship.  Good lord the drink packages have ruined buying drinks on the ship.  Either you have a package or you bleed.

 

jc

 

They were giving that away on Mariner repo this spring. We left it for the cabin steward.  Reminds me of turpentine.  Sorry, just not a fan.

[John&LaLa]

5 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you so much Pauline really appreciated your information although she is gutted that there is no tours there.

Her mam died 7 weeks ago with dementia aged 96 and the pair of them watched South Pacific film every day for weeks.

 

Sorry about Pauline's mom, I knew she was up there in age.  

 

I'll put a pic of Bella in the Diamond thread for her.

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

 

Right....😉

 

jc... knows the Caymus pics were just to throw us off.😈

 

It's still there, next to the Bell Glos Pinot.....

 

and 18 bottles of Beringer. 

[davekathy]

5 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you so much Pauline really appreciated your information although she is gutted that there is no tours there.

Her mam died 7 weeks ago with dementia aged 96 and the pair of them watched South Pacific film every day for weeks.

Sorry to hear of your loss. I feel I knew Pauline's mam as you loving mentioned her in a lot of your posts.  

[HBE4]

2 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Unlimited specialty coffee.

 

Unlimited drinks at any bar during the 3.5 hour evening cocktail period.

 

I would add to that, drinks from the full menu, not the limited C&A menu.

 

But with unlimited HH drinks at all bars, Royal might start cracking down on sharing the drinks with non-Diamonds. 🙁

[tugboat]

2 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

 

These both are reasonable replacements IMO. 

 

However, how about this for DL crowding.  Instead of raising the points needed to reach Diamond, simply change the points required to enter the  lounge, call it the 200 Club (referring to C&A points), or something of that nature.  Speaking for myself, I would hate for that carrot of free drinks during the cocktail period to get that much farther away.

 

Dan 

Just go for it let's get serious 350 points too get in the lounge

[frank808]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Often had success getting upgraded vodka without asking in the Oasis Class SL's

 

Probably because it's stocked there, not so much in the other lounges.  Have not been in a non Oasis SL though, are those full bars with registers?

Have only been On Oasis and Allure SL so far and have only been served New Amsterdam.  Will be on Liberty this coming Oct so will try a non Oasis class SL then.  Nice that the bartenders in SL have used something besides New Amsterdam.  Is this one of the benefits of being a P :)?  I got to hurry up and get to the P level.

[frank808]

40 minutes ago, tugboat said:

Just go for it let's get serious 350 points too get in the lounge

Will be sailing out of Galveston this coming Oct.  Will you be on Liberty in Oct or are you two sailing somewhere else?