Pinnacle benefit - Free Cruise

[pcur]

6 hours ago, bermuda_fm said:

I was told by RCCL if you go solo it is only 1,200 credit.  Wanted to use the $2,400 for a $2,700 arctic but will only give me 1,200.  Thoughts did I get wrong info?   

I called the D+ desk and asked about this specifically.  She read from the Terms and Conditions out loud to me.  As stated above, it's $2,400 per stateroom.

[sandebeach]

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread, very interesting. We should make Pinnacle at the end of March. I know that Pinnacles get priority boarding with suites, but do they get other suite benefits, like free Internet? Also, can they do breakfast or lunch in CK? Or do they have a special place for breakfast on non-Oasis or non-Quantum class ships? 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, sandebeach said:

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread, very interesting. We should make Pinnacle at the end of March. I know that Pinnacles get priority boarding with suites, but do they get other suite benefits, like free Internet? Also, can they do breakfast or lunch in CK? Or do they have a special place for breakfast on non-Oasis or non-Quantum class ships? 

Pinnacles get free internet.

[sandebeach]

17 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Pinnacles get free internet.

Thank you!!

[Mikew0805]

11 hours ago, island lady said:

 

The LA  will get with you to ask how you want to be announced at recognition ceremony  (DH goes by his nickname, not legal name). She/he then has you sign a paper showing how you want your pins to read (I only wanted first name, DH wanted his nickname).  Plus how you want your free cruise certificate to read (using our legal names there).  LA has you sign this paper.  

Thanks. So basically they will get with me on the cruise I earned it, for the next cruise? Sounds good, because I turn Pinnacle on one cruise that I will happen to be Solo on, and my partner and some friends will be on the next sailing with me, so that is a better sailing to have everything happen anyway. 

 

Thanks for your response. 

[DeputyDawg46]

3 hours ago, sandebeach said:

Thank you!!

Each Pinnacle in a room gets free WiFi.   Not per room.  It is nice to have.  We like it.

[DeputyDawg46]

Apparently RCI is taking some time before you get your Pinnacle package with the lapel pins, certificate for free cruise, etc.,  once you make it.  We made it on a cruise ending 11 Dec 21 and have yet to receive anything other than the Crystal, bottle of champagne, and certificate for making it on the ship.  We've had several cruisses since then and am leaving for 3 back to back cruises this weekend and hope to have it all before I get back.  But your SeaPass card is loaded once you get on the next cruise after you make it with the on-board amenities, like the 6 drinks each, free WiFi each, discounts on special restaurants, etc.  The LA is a great source of information on most cruises.

[outtoseacruise]

9 hours ago, DeputyDawg46 said:

Apparently RCI is taking some time before you get your Pinnacle package with the lapel pins, certificate for free cruise, etc.,  once you make it.  We made it on a cruise ending 11 Dec 21 and have yet to receive anything other than the Crystal, bottle of champagne, and certificate for making it on the ship.  We've had several cruisses since then and am leaving for 3 back to back cruises this weekend and hope to have it all before I get back.  But your SeaPass card is loaded once you get on the next cruise after you make it with the on-board amenities, like the 6 drinks each, free WiFi each, discounts on special restaurants, etc.  The LA is a great source of information on most cruises.

All of us that made Pinnacle on Odyssey on 10/25 are still waiting for the Pinnacle Package. It will arrive when it arrives. Everything else is loaded correctly when you board. Somehow on Harmony it printed on a blue card and had to be replaced with gold.

[island lady]

11 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Thanks. So basically they will get with me on the cruise I earned it, for the next cruise? Sounds good, because I turn Pinnacle on one cruise that I will happen to be Solo on, and my partner and some friends will be on the next sailing with me, so that is a better sailing to have everything happen anyway. 

 

Thanks for your response. 

 

You are most welcome.  🙂  

 

And congrats again on making it to Pinnacle.  🙂 

[molly361]

How long do you have to use the free cruise?  If it's a year is it dated the date you turn pinnacle or the date that they send it out which it seems like it's months later ?

[cruisegirl1]

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

How long do you have to use the free cruise?  If it's a year is it dated the date you turn pinnacle or the date that they send it out which it seems like it's months later ?

Based on when you turn pinnacle. You don’t have to have the actual certificate in hand in order to book/take the cruise. 
 

We booked our pinnacle cruise a couple of weeks after making pinnacle, well before receiving our pinnacle kit.   We used the value for  a 10 night New England/Canada cruise. 

m

[outtoseacruise]

On 1/11/2022 at 2:05 AM, island lady said:

 

No, just recognized and signed up for our certificate, stratum, and pins.  

 

Next cruise was full Pinnacle benefits.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are so far behind on getting the kits out. I have been waiting since October for the Pin Kit to arrive. Last time I asked was about 2 weeks ago and was told they were having issues with the vendor and orders were delayed. Also hearing that some that turned Pin in September received their kits in mid December. There are also reports that the vendor is misspelling names on the Pins and Stratum. If you not in the FB Pinnacle Chats you should join and send in your verifications showing your Pin. 

[twangster]

2 hours ago, molly361 said:

How long do you have to use the free cruise?  If it's a year is it dated the date you turn pinnacle or the date that they send it out which it seems like it's months later ?

 

There is inconsistency with this.  Often reported as six months to apply it, cruise within 12 months but I wouldn't be surprised to hear varying answers.

 

Once pinnacle you don't need to wait for your pinnacle package to arrive, you can call C&A and they will find your cert in the system before you actually receive it.

 

I will say C&A has been very good handling my free cruise that was a pandemic cancelation twice and they allowed me to change it both times.  I had used the $2,400 option for an Alaskan cruise but ended up using it for a 7 night Caribbean cruise in a spacious balcony cabin 2+ years after the original free cruise.

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by twangster

[twangster]

On 1/10/2022 at 12:40 PM, Cigar King said:

Related questions:  Can we use them for dollars off an existing cruise?  Even with a TA booking?

 

It may trigger a reprice as they remove the CAS discounts in which case you might not want to use it.  Also, it can wipe out the TA commission so your TA may be working for free when servicing the booking.  My TA was willing to accept this knowing zero commission because of the past history and long relationship but I wouldn't do that to her so I kept it a new direct booking.

[island lady]

1 hour ago, outtoseacruise said:

They are so far behind on getting the kits out. I have been waiting since October for the Pin Kit to arrive. Last time I asked was about 2 weeks ago and was told they were having issues with the vendor and orders were delayed. Also hearing that some that turned Pin in September received their kits in mid December. There are also reports that the vendor is misspelling names on the Pins and Stratum. If you not in the FB Pinnacle Chats you should join and send in your verifications showing your Pin. 

 

No, I am not involved in FB...CC is enough of a guilty pleasure as it is.  😉  

 

Pinnacle friend that turned the week before we did (11/28/21)  got his free cruise certificate two weeks ago.  We have not received anything at all.  

 

With the way materials are being delayed drastically, (especially from China 😉 )....I fully expected not to see the pins or Stratum until months later.  Would like the certificate though, I believe that may come from RCI direct?  Not sure.   Did you get your cruise certificate?  

 

[later]

34 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

No, I am not involved in FB...CC is enough of a guilty pleasure as it is.  😉  

 

Pinnacle friend that turned the week before we did (11/28/21)  got his free cruise certificate two weeks ago.  We have not received anything at all.  

 

With the way materials are being delayed drastically, (especially from China 😉 )....I fully expected not to see the pins or Stratum until months later.  Would like the certificate though, I believe that may come from RCI direct?  Not sure.   Did you get your cruise certificate?  

 

Turned pinnacle on our 11/6 Mariner cruise and have not received anything yet.

 

I assume it can’t be used on the Wonder correct?

[island lady]

30 minutes ago, later said:

Turned pinnacle on our 11/6 Mariner cruise and have not received anything yet.

 

I assume it can’t be used on the Wonder correct?

 

No idea.  I would not have thought Wonder would be excluded...but perhaps someone will know.  

 

I am going to use mine to pay down my next cruise on Harmony.  I think I might call CS in a bit and have them apply it, assuming I am able to do that.  

[Cigar King]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Also, it can wipe out the TA commission so your TA may be working for free when servicing the booking

I think I did this to our TA with a casino credit recently.  I thought the TA just got a percentage of the fare, but it looks like the get a cut of the fare over a certain price.

[truffles2]

It cannot be used on a new ship.  I think the ship must be at least one year old….if I remember correctly.

[RFerrington]

11 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

I think I did this to our TA with a casino credit recently.  I thought the TA just got a percentage of the fare, but it looks like the get a cut of the fare over a certain price.

This has been such a mess over the past couple of years.  I know it has really been a challenge for the TAs.

 

Here is how I understand it...but certainly it could have changed more recently.

 

When you (or your TA) book a casino cruise, you can ask that your TA be put onto the booking as a kind of administrator (my word, not theirs.  I don't know what they call it !).  This allows the TA to access the booking, make changes and, in return, they receive a flat fee commission.  Since we have yet to cruise since the restart, I don't know how it is working now. 

[bonsai3s]

6 hours ago, twangster said:

 

There is inconsistency with this.  Often reported as six months to apply it, cruise within 12 months but I wouldn't be surprised to hear varying answers.

 

Once pinnacle you don't need to wait for your pinnacle package to arrive, you can call C&A and they will find your cert in the system before you actually receive it.

 

I will say C&A has been very good handling my free cruise that was a pandemic cancelation twice and they allowed me to change it both times.  I had used the $2,400 option for an Alaskan cruise but ended up using it for a 7 night Caribbean cruise in a spacious balcony cabin 2+ years after the original free cruise.

 

Per Crown & Anchor, gentleman named Otto, said yesterday that certificates "must be used 6 months after attaining Pinnacle and we are currently working on allowing the certificates to be used beyond the one year expiration date."  When I asked when...he said "soon".

[bonsai3s]

6 hours ago, twangster said:

 

It may trigger a reprice as they remove the CAS discounts in which case you might not want to use it.  Also, it can wipe out the TA commission so your TA may be working for free when servicing the booking.  My TA was willing to accept this knowing zero commission because of the past history and long relationship but I wouldn't do that to her so I kept it a new direct booking.

Any promotional, Next Cruise, or shareholders OBC are also removed when using the certificate.

[island lady]

54 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

Any promotional, Next Cruise, or shareholders OBC are also removed when using the certificate.

 

That doesn't make sense.  😣

[twangster]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

That doesn't make sense.  😣

 

You are getting a free cruise, I guess they figure most would be okay not driving the cruise further into the red for the company.  

 

Shareholder OBC is proving to be harder to come by for many folks right now even on regular revenue bookings.  As a shareholder I'm okay with that, they need to get back into the black.  

[island lady]

12 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

You are getting a free cruise, I guess they figure most would be okay not driving the cruise further into the red for the company.  

 

Shareholder OBC is proving to be harder to come by for many folks right now even on regular revenue bookings.  As a shareholder I'm okay with that, they need to get back into the black.  

 

I am going to use the 2400 to draw down the balance of the next final I have to pay, of which I will still owe plenty to pay it off.  😉 

 

I also have had no problems at all with applying the 100 OBC to all of my booked cruises, and have them booked all the way into 2023.  Usually see it posted in my cruise planner within two days tops, plus they always send me a new confirmation.    

 

I don't see any reason they would suddenly take the OBC away on the cruise I used the certificate on.  If they do, there is something very wrong with that.