Crown & Anchor Diamond Plus cutbacks continue!

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

But based on your reasoning a D+ could have 175. 700-175 is HUGE. 

 

And P’s can have many more points as there is NO MAXIMUM. 

 

Again, still don’t understand the obsession to attach D+ with Pinnacles. On average, the points are not nearly the same. 

Only to keep our conversation on here cordial.

In our jobs we are speaking to and interviewing many people every day so on holiday we tend to keep ourselves to ourselves and although it is nice to strike up conversations with other people it is not sacrosanct that we do.

To me everyone is equal so I would just as soon speak to a newbie cruiser as a Pinnacle.

[Milwaukee Eight]

5 minutes ago, sisocialworker said:

yep...lets talk about Pins..where is Andy C

We can invite him. 

 

@Andy C

[HBE4]

21 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Yes, and that is one reason for all the nice P perks.  It is relatively easy to get to D+, not so much for P.   It was told to me ( a few years ago)  that P was a significant jump, and  there will always be a huge gap from D+ to P .

 

M 

 

No doubt, they want to keep the Pinnacle status level a small, exclusive club. Nothing wrong with that.

Edited March 5, 2019 by HBE4

[HBE4]

18 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

 

 

 

Duplicate Post

Edited March 5, 2019 by HBE4

[grapau27]

12 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Yes. We had a great time in Israel for 12 days. We are doing other vacations. Already spent 4 days in NOLA as well and heading back again. A trip to NYC is in works too. So there are other things to enjoy outside of cruising. 

 

We got exactly what we paid for and more on our tour. 

 

I was also in the dog house for a week so timing was good. Lol

 

Thanks

Sounds great pleased for you.

We had a weeks holiday at Buenavistapalace hotel in Orlando in January and are taking our neice and her partner to Spain next Friday.

We love cruising but like you we enjoy non cruising holidays too.

Edited March 5, 2019 by grapau27

[sisocialworker]

13 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

No doubt, they want to keep the Pinnacle status level a small, exclusive club. Nothing wrong with that.

but they should not have the same perks as those in suites ..the SL should be for suite guests alone

Edited March 5, 2019 by sisocialworker

[Milwaukee Eight]

5 minutes ago, sisocialworker said:

but they should not have the same perks as those in suites ..the SL should be for suite guests alone

I agree. I have no problem with Royal providing P’s their own lounge. 

[sisocialworker]

2 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I agree. I have no problem with Royal providing P’s their own lounge. 

they can share a lounge with D+ guests..

[HBE4]

10 minutes ago, sisocialworker said:

but they should not have the same perks as those in suites ..the SL should be for suite guests alone

 

Yeah, I was always baffled by that as well. Not sure what the common denominator as one group has spent a bazillion days at sea while the other spend a bazillion dollars on a suite. 😉

 

Seriously,  having never been in a suite myself, are there enough suite guests guest to fill the SL? Maybe that is why P's are allowed, to fill in the excess capacity?  I know Andy, Milwaukee (most recently) have stories of being  shutout from SL, CK, etc by the P's. But is the norm or the exception to the rule?  

 

My guess is that there are not enough P's to create their own loyalty lounge and the DL's are already at max capacity.

[shipshape sam]

I think the suits at Royal have a pretty good idea of what the attrition rate would be if they discontinued C&A program in it's entirety.  I am sure they have algorithms that also show what would happen by making other more limited changes.  The reality is that they are smart and in business to make money and under pressure to increase profits, etc annually.  That being said, I hope their models show that loyalty pays off for them too in the long run.  I do have sympathy for them (those onboard employees) in a constant effort to grow C&A members and then be able to accommodate them on their sailing.

 

We are close to making both Diamond Plus and Elite Plus on each cruise line and typically give the nod to sailing  Royal or Celebrity if the value proposition in close.  Without a number of the benefits offered to us (not owed to us) we would be less likely to keep sailing with them as our preferred cruise lines.  Clearly too, there are other variables besides C&A and Captains Club benefits.  We like the clientele mix on Celebrity and when we want a more active cruise sail Royal.  We are sailing on a Carnival cruise in April as the itinerary was perfect for us during that time period and price was better too, but we are low man on the totem pole of club benefits.  🙂

[steveru621]

D+ is kinda the ordinary cruisers Pinnacle level.  I don't agree with most of this thread, we have seen our benefits grow.  After all, they did build Diamond Clubs.  Most of what's been cited in this thread is the deterioration of perks for everyone or allowing passengers willing to pay to buy up to certain benefits.

 

We cruised once or twice a year in a balcony for 11 years before D+ became a reality.  Getting to Pinnacle is probably not possible, but we are cruising more often, and we got our first suite gold card in December.  We may in 5 years or so make it to D+++, but that's a long way off.

 

I hope RCI continues to acknowledge our 15-year loyalty.

[reallyitsmema]

21 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Yeah, I was always baffled by that as well. Not sure what the common denominator as one group has spent a bazillion days at sea while the other spend a bazillion dollars on a suite. 😉

 

Seriously,  having never been in a suite myself, are there enough suite guests guest to fill the SL? Maybe that is why P's are allowed, to fill in the excess capacity?  I know Andy, Milwaukee (most recently) have stories of being  shutout from SL, CK, etc by the P's. But is the norm or the exception to the rule?  

 

My guess is that there are not enough P's to create their own loyalty lounge and the DL's are already at max capacity.

 

Pinnacle is 700 points, not 700 days at sea, big difference.  Sail in a cheap JS solo and that is an easy 21 points.  Add a casino offer to it and cost per day is minuscule.

[LorraineP]

4 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

D+ is kinda the ordinary cruisers Pinnacle level.  I don't agree with most of this thread, we have seen our benefits grow.  After all, they did build Diamond Clubs.  Most of what's been cited in this thread is the deterioration of perks for everyone or allowing passengers willing to pay to buy up to certain benefits.

 

We cruised once or twice a year in a balcony for 11 years before D+ became a reality.  Getting to Pinnacle is probably not possible, but we are cruising more often, and we got our first suite gold card in December.  We may in 5 years or so make it to D+++, but that's a long way off.

 

I hope RCI continues to acknowledge our 15-year loyalty.

What about 49 years of cruising (since 1970) with Royal. Have to admit though haven’t been that loyal, we cruise on many other lines otherwise would have made Pinnacle a long time ago. Making Pinnacle has never been a goal of ours. 

[grapau27]

6 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Pinnacle is 700 points, not 700 days at sea, big difference.  Sail in a cheap JS solo and that is an easy 21 points.  Add a casino offer to it and cost per day is minuscule.

Good post.

We never use casino,what is the casino offer? Thanks.

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

No doubt, they want to keep the Pinnacle status level a small, exclusive club. Nothing wrong with that.

20yrs ago Diamond as top Tier was a small, exclusive club. At most was 6-10 of us on the newest most popular sailings. Back then we'd have a Formal sit down with the Captain and all Dept Heads, be first on/off ship and use of Concierge Lounge. But understand many millions more taking a cruise and taking them more frequent as Cruising has become cheaper/economical...

Edited March 5, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[Clarea]

9 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Good post.

We never use casino,what is the casino offer? Thanks.

 

If you play in the casino enough, they give you "free" cruises.  You just have to pay taxes.

[HBE4]

16 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Pinnacle is 700 points, not 700 days at sea, big difference.  Sail in a cheap JS solo and that is an easy 21 points. 

 

True.  While its' possible to double your points by cruising solo, or in a suite,  and in an extreme example, triple your points by cruising solo in a suite, for the vast majority of cruisers, it's a point per night. 

 

And even at 3 points per night, that's still 33.3 cruises to get to P.  No way is DW allowing me to cruise solo for 33.3 years.

[grapau27]

Just now, Host Clarea said:

 

If you play in the casino enough, they give you "free" cruises.  You just have to pay taxes.

Thanks for the information.

We have never used the casino even though our D+ benefits include some free casino benefits.

 

[HBE4]

4 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

20yrs ago Diamond as top Tier was a small, exclusive club. At most was 6-10 of us on the newest most popular sailings. Back then we'd have a Formal sit down with the Captain and all Dept Heads, be first on/off ship and use of Concierge Lounge. But understand many millions more taking a cruise and taking them more frequent as Cruising has become cheaper/economical...

 

Exactly!  20 years ago, cruising was far more expensive and there was far less capacity so far fewer people were doing it. Now, with so many mega-ships and prices way down, far more people are enjoying cruises. 

 

I'm on the verge of becoming Diamond after only 10 years and I only cruise every 1-2 years. (There were a few 9-nighter's in there).  Diamond is not as exclusive as it used to be, hence the additional tiers.

 

Basically yesterday's Diamond is today's Pinnacle.

[nelblu]

8 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

If you play in the casino enough, they give you "free" cruises.  You just have to pay taxes.

You mean port fees & taxes.  Never had the luxury, so don't know if a 1099 is issued for the value of cruise to be reported for tax purpose.

[ONECRUISER]

10 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

Basically yesterday's Diamond is today's Pinnacle.

Agree...

[Clarea]

44 minutes ago, nelblu said:

You mean port fees & taxes.  Never had the luxury, so don't know if a 1099 is issued for the value of cruise to be reported for tax purpose.

 

I have a friend who won a free cruise from the casino and there was no 1099.

 

Plus, the "taxes" he had to pay included non-commissionable fees, so you are correct in saying port fees and taxes and anything else Royal deems.

[John&LaLa]

4 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

We’ve had similar but different issues with water downed perks. We stay in GS and on our last cruise, of the 7 nights, about half the time no seats available in the SL prior to dinner. We were never seated at our CK reservation times. Once nearly an hour late. No access to lunch (CK) on boarding day. We typically had 4-6 cruises booked at any one time. Currently, we have no cruises with Royal booked. 

 

Ship happens.  Only a handful of cruises on an Oasis cruise have an unmanageable number of Pinnacles.  I also think changes were made for Symphony TA,  based on crowding during the President's Cruise. 

 

And those changes did not involve changing lounge access, just expanded it. 

Edited March 6, 2019 by John&LaLa

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, sisocialworker said:

but they should not have the same perks as those in suites ..the SL should be for suite guests alone

 

Their ship, their rules. 

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, sisocialworker said:

they can share a lounge with D+ guests..

 

CL is like that