Bye Bye Molly

[Merion_Mom]

Hello, Crown & Anchor Society members. It is a privilege to write to you on behalf of the Royal Caribbean family. I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. These have been trying times for all of us, adapting to our new normal. It has not been easy to take on so much change. As you may be aware, we’ve had to make several difficult decisions that affect everyone in one way or another. That includes the voluntary pause on our cruises, which we have now extended to mid-June. We miss having you, our most loyal guests, onboard more than you can imagine. Yet, the timing for our return has to be right, and we hope that day will come soon. Cruising at a standstill has also hit very close to home for all of our employees. Last week, we had to say goodbye to many of our team members on land — a last resort that was difficult to accept. Please know that we tried hard to avoid taking this step, and it is personally devastating to part ways with so many good and talented teammates. In your time sailing with us, you may have come to know and bond with many of my colleagues who have been directly affected by these changes. And one person in particular is our Crown & Anchor Society Ambassador, Molly. For those who know Molly, you quickly perceived how passionate she was about representing the Crown & Anchor Society. Most of all, I know getting to know you was one of her favorite aspects of the job. The new ideas and dedication she contributed to this family were inspiring — and that type of commitment will continue, you have my word. As always, we are firmly committed to keeping you informed and being here for you. My team and I stand ready to answer your questions to make sure you never miss out on the perks and benefits of sailing with us. You can continue to connect with us on the official Crown & Anchor Society page on Facebook, signing in to your Crown & Anchor account, or reaching out to our dedicated Loyalty Call Center at ‌1-800-526-9723‌. We appreciate your ongoing trust and loyalty to Royal Caribbean — in good times, and even more so in these challenging times. We will get through this together. And remember that our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your family. Warm regards, Nancy Ramos Director, Onboard Branding, Communications & Loyalty

[Bronx12]

4 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

Hello, Crown & Anchor Society members. It is a privilege to write to you on behalf of the Royal Caribbean family. I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. These have been trying times for all of us, adapting to our new normal. It has not been easy to take on so much change. As you may be aware, we’ve had to make several difficult decisions that affect everyone in one way or another. That includes the voluntary pause on our cruises, which we have now extended to mid-June. We miss having you, our most loyal guests, onboard more than you can imagine. Yet, the timing for our return has to be right, and we hope that day will come soon. Cruising at a standstill has also hit very close to home for all of our employees. Last week, we had to say goodbye to many of our team members on land — a last resort that was difficult to accept. Please know that we tried hard to avoid taking this step, and it is personally devastating to part ways with so many good and talented teammates. In your time sailing with us, you may have come to know and bond with many of my colleagues who have been directly affected by these changes. And one person in particular is our Crown & Anchor Society Ambassador, Molly. For those who know Molly, you quickly perceived how passionate she was about representing the Crown & Anchor Society. Most of all, I know getting to know you was one of her favorite aspects of the job. The new ideas and dedication she contributed to this family were inspiring — and that type of commitment will continue, you have my word. As always, we are firmly committed to keeping you informed and being here for you. My team and I stand ready to answer your questions to make sure you never miss out on the perks and benefits of sailing with us. You can continue to connect with us on the official Crown & Anchor Society page on Facebook, signing in to your Crown & Anchor account, or reaching out to our dedicated Loyalty Call Center at ‌1-800-526-9723‌. We appreciate your ongoing trust and loyalty to Royal Caribbean — in good times, and even more so in these challenging times. We will get through this together. And remember that our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your family. Warm regards, Nancy Ramos Director, Onboard Branding, Communications & Loyalty

 

I was just going to post this :)

I guess they have to cut back somewhere :(

[Merion_Mom]

10 minutes ago, Bronx12 said:

 

I was just going to post this 🙂

I guess they have to cut back somewhere 😞

 

They have cut at least 25% of their land staff.

[Milwaukee Eight]

The beginning of the end of C&A. No other lines have offered what Royal did with C&A but yet people always complained. Pretty sure Royal is just done with it. You want perks, step up and pay for them.

 

In my opinion 

[zonacruiser25]

Eliminating the program would seem to be a shot in the foot.  But then there also seems to be alot of that going around

[DaniDanielle]

Haven’t we paid by being loyal?  

[Milwaukee Eight]

I wonder how much Royal would save by eliminating the C&A program?  

[livingonthebeach]

14 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I wonder how much Royal would save by eliminating the C&A program?  

 

On the other side of the coin --- I wonder how many loyal cruisers they would lose?  Would the money saved by eliminating the C & A program be more than the lost revenue from their most loyal clients?  I wouldn't want to be the one at RCCI taking the fall for the negative impact on the bottom line.  

Edited April 24, 2020 by livingonthebeach

[Milwaukee Eight]

3 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

On the other side of the coin --- I wonder how many loyal cruisers they would lose?  Would the money saved by eliminating the C & A program be more than the lost revenue from their most loyal clients?  I wouldn't want to be the one taking the fall for the negative impact on the bottom line.  

Nobody knows yet what future cruises will look like. Ships had been sailing full. If they cut back capacity to say half, you really think it matters?  

[livingonthebeach]

1 minute ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Nobody knows yet what future cruises will look like. Ships had been sailing full. If they cut back capacity to say half, you really think it matters?  

 

If they lose most of the C & A members I do think it will matter.  What happens to loyalty when one day they can sail at 100% capacity again?  

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 minute ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

If they lose most of the C & A members I do think it will matter.  What happens to loyalty when one day they can sail at 100% capacity again?  

I’m the wrong person to ask. I believe Royal believes that their new ships, cities and entertainment on the seas, are the draw, not the C&A program. This will be especially true as the smaller ships are retired. 
 

In my opinion 

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, Milwaukee Eight said:

I’m the wrong person to ask. I believe Royal believes that their new ships, cities and entertainment on the seas, are the draw, not the C&A program. This will be especially true as the smaller ships are retired. 
 

In my opinion 

 

Yes you could be right.  I guess those of us that finally achieved the status will mourn the loss and won't be as motivated to stick with Royal.  It might not be a bad thing as we will be free to explore other lines and other options. 

[Ocean Boy]

10 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Nobody knows yet what future cruises will look like. Ships had been sailing full. If they cut back capacity to say half, you really think it matters?  

If they sail ships at 50% for long they might as well just pack it in now.

[Milwaukee Eight]

Just now, livingonthebeach said:

 

Yes you could be right.  I guess those of us that finally achieved the status will mourn the loss and won't be as motivated to stick with Royal.  It might not be a bad thing as we will be free to explore other lines and other options. 

I think it would give you the opportunity to try other flavors that you might not have tried because of trying to reach higher status. This way, you want more amenities, you have that choice. 

[radarcruiser]

Honestly, IF they were thinking about doing away (or paring back) the C&A program, they probably missed their opportunity when the ships were full and they didn't need us as bad.  It would be very poor timing to alienate your most loyal customers at this critical time.  We are likely to be the first customers to return and help them rebuild.  They need us now.

 

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

20 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I think it would give you the opportunity to try other flavors that you might not have tried because of trying to reach higher status. This way, you want more amenities, you have that choice. 

The opportunity to try other lines has always been there. However, the product and the program have been enough to keep me quite happy and content with RCI. Any changes to the product, or program, or both will lead me to re-evaluate what will happen with my future cruising and where I spend my money.

 

The cruise lines, however, better be careful. They have become accustomed to operating in a thriving economy with low unemployment and full ships. They are returning to a devastated economy, lost jobs, and people unable to pay their bills. In addition the image of cruising is extremely tarnished for many who have never cruised. It would behoove the cruise lines to keep their customers happy, at least for a time, until they can entice people who are on the fence about cruising to actually give it a try. Those people will more than likely want to see how things go for awhile as opposed to many of us who are ready to just get back on a ship.... and into the Diamond Lounge.

 

[deepcman]

Maybe this explains why they're reducing the price of the beverage packages. 🤔. Why give it away to a few when you can sell it to many. 😉

[zekekelso]

Don’t be ridiculous. They won’t kill the program, they will “improve the program based on customer feedback.”  Probably make it easier to get status, but eliminate and actual benefits of having status. 

[livingonthebeach]

3 minutes ago, zekekelso said:

Don’t be ridiculous. They won’t kill the program, they will “improve the program based on customer feedback.”  Probably make it easier to get status, but eliminate and actual benefits of having status. 

 

Let me get this right -- a joke as well?  😇

[Ocean Boy]

1 minute ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Let me get this right -- a joke as well?  😇

Maybe not. Everytime RCI enhances the cruise experience it seems to involve more money out of my pocket.😇

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I do not believe at this point that letting anyone go signals major changes.  Cruise lines are losing money like mad.  They are doing what they need to do to survive.  I read they let a bunch of IT people go.  I would think with all the FCC and refunds they are processing RCL would need more of them. . . not less.  But, they are trying to saving money where they can.  

 

There may well be C and A changes when cruising returns.  But, I feel they will try to keep changes to a minimum in order to win back veteran cruisers. 

 

It will be a difficult process to win back cruisers.  Also, the over 70 doctor note issue will figure into this.  Many of the D, D+ and P are in this category.  There may be many less C and A that can cruise. 

 

 

[livingonthebeach]

Just now, DragonOfTheSeas said:

I do not believe at this point that letting anyone go signals major changes.  Cruise lines are losing money like mad.  They are doing what they need to do to survive.  I read they let a bunch of IT people go.  I would think with all the FCC and refunds they are processing RCL would need more of them. . . not less.  But, they are trying to saving money where they can.  

 

There may well be C and A changes when cruising returns.  But, I feel they will try to keep changes to a minimum in order to win back veteran cruisers. 

 

It will be a difficult process to win back cruisers.  Also, the over 70 doctor note issue will figure into this.  Many of the D, D+ and P are in this category.  There may be many less C and A that can cruise. 

 

 

 

The point here is not that they let an employee go.  The point is the meaning of the letter they sent out to C & A members.  They don't send these letters out for any employee at that level they let go. I imagine the thought process was the C & A program was important enough to us to keep us on the hook as long as possible. 

[Ocean Boy]

5 minutes ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

The point here is not that they let an employee go.  The point is the meaning of the letter they sent out to C & A members.  They don't send these letters out for any employee at that level they let go. I imagine the thought process was the C & A program was important enough to us to keep us on the hook as long as possible. 

I seem to recall them typically sending letters whenever there has been a change in the leadership of the program including when Milli left.

[John&LaLa]

59 minutes ago, deepcman said:

Maybe this explains why they're reducing the price of the beverage packages. 🤔. Why give it away to a few when you can sell it to many. 😉

 

That was just a ploy to get cash for soon to be cancelled trips

[mugtech]

2 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

Haven’t we paid by being loyal?  

How come I didn't get a letter?  Would have been Diamond next month if it weren't for all these cancelled cruises.  Not that I need more useless covid-19 junk mail.