loss of perks

[beekeyper]

  We recently tried to lift and sift an already booked cruise that was canceled due to Covid, in the process we were informed that RCCL is not offering any perks for booking.  My question is, " When did RCCL adopt a policy to treat returning cruisers at the Diamond level like crap?" We were quoted an increased fare and no special incentives for continuing to return to the line. On top of this issue, the agent that was working with us, appeared to be unwilling to work with us on the loss of double points, OBC, and other such amenities offered on their website at the time of the original booking.  Has anyone else run into this issue?

[CruiserBruce]

Would the RCI board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/51-royal-caribbean-international/

 

be the better place for discussion on this. If it as you describe, I am sure it is a hot topic over there.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, beekeyper said:

  We recently tried to lift and sift an already booked cruise that was canceled due to Covid, in the process we were informed that RCCL is not offering any perks for booking.  My question is, " When did RCCL adopt a policy to treat returning cruisers at the Diamond level like crap?" We were quoted an increased fare and no special incentives for continuing to return to the line. On top of this issue, the agent that was working with us, appeared to be unwilling to work with us on the loss of double points, OBC, and other such amenities offered on their website at the time of the original booking.  Has anyone else run into this issue?

FWIW - It’s a fairly standard rebooking practice in the cruise industry to change the cancelled cruise’s perks to whatever perks are being offered at the time you book the replacement cruise.

As for “status” considerations, I suggest you research some of the premium/luxury lines where, in addition to meaningful benefits (e.g., occasional free cruise), there may be significant flexibility in the rules regarding certain transfer policies/practices.

[Roz]

@beekeyper, I ran into a similar situation with my HAL cruise.  Jan. 2021 was cancelled, so I rebooked to April 2022.  That cruise was "redeployed" so I rebooked yet again to March 2022.  Each time I received the perks being offered at the time of rebooking, not those in the original cruise. 

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, beekeyper said:

    My question is, " When did RCCL adopt a policy to treat returning cruisers at the Diamond level like crap?" 

If true, I still gotta say,,,, Cry me a river.... 1st world problems and Diamond level ain't that special to begin with to begin with.

[neverbeenhere]

by our estimate, there are approximately 10 billion Royal cruisers at the Diamond level or above.

[neverbeenhere]

BTW: your "bee" moniker has a special place in Royal Cruise Critic posters hearts.

[BoozinCroozin]

When we started to plan our first cruises we chose RCL based on equal pricing with other cruise lines. Then covid started. We were able to shift our cruises before they canceled. However, after our final move, RCL priced us out of cruising with them. They know they are giving our 125% FCC. As they handed out more, the only way to offset was increase cruise fares and decrease incentives. If we took the 125% FCC, we would have had to pay an extra ~$2000 for a similar cruise when we could sail again. If we did L&S, there were only 2 cruises during our sole week we could take. Both of those were dropping from our Oasis class ship to some smaller ship. There is no benefit in that at all. Plus, at the time, booking those cruises directly would have been less expensive (until the FCC cancelation increases kicked in).

 

RCL went the same way as other vacation places we have gone. They priced us out of going with them. I am not paying an extra $2,000-$5,000 for the same vacation because they lost money. CCL and NCL are still in my price range.