DRINKS IN THE DIAMOND LOUNGE DURING HAPPY HOUR

[GITC]

6 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

The majority of D members have said they prefer the 4 vouchers for any drink any time over the 3 hour happy hour with the limited menu... so while you consider it a downgrade, you are in the minority.

I must have missed the survey. What is your source of this information that the "majority" are in favour of the changes or is it just in this thread which I have yet to read entirely?

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, GITC said:

I must have missed the survey. What is your source of this information that the "majority" are in favour of the changes or is it just in this thread which I have yet to read entirely?

 

Reading this forum everyday for months is my source. You don't have to believe me though.

[molly361]

6 minutes ago, GITC said:

I must have missed the survey. What is your source of this information that the "majority" are in favour of the changes or is it just in this thread which I have yet to read entirely?

I saw a  poll on FB quite a while ago and the response was overwhelmingly FOR the new program

Edited July 27, 2022 by molly361

[GITC]

2 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Reading this forum everyday for months is my source. You don't have to believe me though.

You do realize that there are a lot of people out there that have never even heard of Cruise Critic, right? 

Anecdotally, the majority of people that I just sailed with on Voyager were opposed to the changes.

You don't have to believe me though.😉

[GITC]

On 7/17/2022 at 3:55 PM, hmorrow said:

That , now we only have 4 drinks through out the whole day, and nite. We used to have several drinks in the lounge before dinner, and then use the 3 on the seapass for the dining room.  It just seems like taking away the all you can, or wanted to drink in the lounge, is a downgrade, in my opinion.

Agreed 100%.

[OCSC Mike]

9 minutes ago, GITC said:

You do realize that there are a lot of people out there that have never even heard of Cruise Critic, right? 

Anecdotally, the majority of people that I just sailed with on Voyager were opposed to the changes.

You don't have to believe me though.😉

 

Yes.

I'll take my sample size over yours.

Thanks for winking at me.

[John&LaLa]

On 7/22/2022 at 12:08 PM, Wineaux007 said:

If you drink mixed drinks, some bartenders give you the bare minimum pour while some are a little more generous with their pour, i.e. just what the shot glass holds or the shot glass plus some over pour.  It also sometimes depends if they know you are a tipper.  If you get a drink in the DL, you can't watch them pour, so you don't know exactly what you get.  I would go to a bar where you can watch them pour.    Just my observation.  

 

FWIW, you don't see them pour if your not at the bar. Don't see that as a deal breaker

[John&LaLa]

On 7/22/2022 at 12:10 PM, actuarian said:

Regardless of where you get your drinks, they will not show up in your folio (unless they cost more than $13) until you have exhausted the daily drink vouchers (4 for diamond members and 5 for d+ members).  However, that does not mean that the vouchers are not being used in the diamond lounge; in my experience they are.  On the other hand, if you are a Pinnacle or in a suite, then you can order drinks in the suite lounge and those do not use up your vouchers.

 

90% of my non suite drinks in SL get charged to my vouchers. Maybe more 

[John&LaLa]

On 7/22/2022 at 12:27 PM, Another_Critic said:

To clarify.  The vouchered drinks show up as $0.00 in the app and TV.  However, they don't show on the paper printout from guest services.

 

My challenge was keeping up on the app when we were getting SL drinks while actually in a suite. Everything showed up as a $0 charge

[crzndeb]

I think for those that like to drink a lot in a 2-3 hour time period, it’s a downgrade. For those that just like 1 or 2 around dinner, and have some left to drink during the day, if they choose, it’s an improvement. I like martinis. No way I’m slamming those back with cheap gin.

[John&LaLa]

59 minutes ago, GITC said:

When I was on the Radiance in February 2020, almost immediately B4 Covid shut everything down, we had hard copy vouchers for drinks (I thought it was 4 but may have been 3) for use during happy hour at any bar. These were in addition to the free-for-all Diamond Lounge happy hour which was expanded on that Australia Over-the-Top cruise because of the vast numbers of Diamond members and above. 

 

Just sailed on Voyager a few weeks ago and was dismayed to find the Diamond Lounge happy hour all but eliminated in favour of the four vouchers added to your Seapass. Thankfully, we were in a suite which carried on the traditional happy hour so we weren't negatively affected...this time.

 

I spoke with the loyalty desk about this apparent downgrade of Diamond benefits and she indicated to me that it was a change made post-Covid to keep some semblance of 'social distancing' due to larger and larger numbers of Diamond members. In other words, should things EVER return to some semblance of normal, one MIGHT expect the return of this benefit.

 

The more, however, that Diamond members fall into line and accept this downgrade, the more likely it is that it will never return. It's funny how the "enhancements" that all these loyalty programs come up with rarely enhance the customer experience in a positive way.

 

I'll gladly accept the new program vs unlimited swill in a single venue during limited hours

 

Didn't drink a lot during day, but a lot after the 8pm hours. 

 

Don't count me in on your crusade

[John&LaLa]

50 minutes ago, GITC said:

I must have missed the survey. What is your source of this information that the "majority" are in favour of the changes or is it just in this thread which I have yet to read entirely?

 

Anecdotal data gathered here and on FB

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

My challenge was keeping up on the app when we were getting SL drinks while actually in a suite. Everything showed up as a $0 charge

 

I'm not even a big drinker and I know what you mean.

 

Counting the singles for tips in my pocket also didn't work on that one cruise b/c I was being a good uncle and tipping for my 12-year-old niece's virgin drinks when I took her to a bar.

 

It was much simpler being alone with my wife last week. Back in steerage. Less money, less problems, lol.

 

Using vouchers on Cococay was interesting though. On our two trips, they didn't show up at all the 1st time and the 2nd time they showed up later on under one of the ship's bars.

[John&LaLa]

1 minute ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

I'm not even a big drinker and I know what you mean.

 

Counting the singles for tips in my pocket also didn't work on that one cruise b/c I was being a good uncle and tipping for my 12-year-old niece's virgin drinks when I took her to a bar.

 

It was much simpler being alone with my wife last week. Back in steerage. Less money, less problems, lol.

 

Using vouchers on Cococay was interesting though. On our two trips, they didn't show up at all the 1st time and the 2nd time they showed up later on under one of the ship's bars.

 

Still 100% free drinking at Oasis pool for me. It's weird. But I only get a couple each time

[OCSC Mike]

5 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Still 100% free drinking at Oasis pool for me. It's weird. But I only get a couple each time

 

I didn't drink much there either (was too busy eating as usual) but my drinks were mostly from there. First drink each trip came from Chill Island where my wife snorkels early in the morning before we spent the rest of the day by the pool (and making food runs).

Edited July 27, 2022 by OCSC Mike

[GITC]

24 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I'll gladly accept the new program vs unlimited swill in a single venue during limited hours

 

Didn't drink a lot during day, but a lot after the 8pm hours. 

 

Don't count me in on your crusade

Everyone's entitled to their opinion which is what I did along with providing some feedback from C&A loyalty about WHY the change was made. I don't think it qualifies as a "crusade"...🤨

 

Perhaps the solution going forward is to give Diamond members a choice between their Seapass vouchers OR the Diamond Lounge. Wouldn't that be a satisfactory outcome and make everyone happy?

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by GITC

[smokeybandit]

27 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

My challenge was keeping up on the app when we were getting SL drinks while actually in a suite. Everything showed up as a $0 charge

After the first 2 cruises with the new system (and not taking enough $1s for tips) I started writing own the counts for each day to know how many $1s to bring next time.   Last two cruises we've had more than enough.

[Tlbecker1]

6 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

After the first 2 cruises with the new system (and not taking enough $1s for tips) I started writing own the counts for each day to know how many $1s to bring next time.   Last two cruises we've had more than enough.

We just went to the bank today to get $100 in $2’s today.  

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, Tlbecker1 said:

We just went to the bank today to get $100 in $2’s today.  

1st thing I did after getting my Walgreens “negative” e-mail before my 1st cruise after restart was go to the bank.

[Tlbecker1]

19 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

1st thing I did after getting my Walgreens “negative” e-mail before my 1st cruise after restart was go to the bank.

I am hoping that they last us a while, but I doubt it.  We have 8 cruises booked through December. Love the vouchers!

[taglovestocruise]

From a cruise ship hotel manager. This is not me.

 

I have managed Hotels on cruise ships for nearly 30 years; 28 different ships for 18 different cruise lines.

I have had 10s of thousands of tipped crew working for me over the years.

Every few months we get some guest who thinks it’s cute to tip with strange currencies or denominations.

The crew brings the odd bills and coins to me to see if I can change them for something that’s is useful to them. They cannot take the strange currencies home, as they cannot change them there. Many times they cannot find time or a location to change them during the cruise. Generally the crew purser will not accept any unusual coins or bills from the crew. So the crew is usually just stuck with them. 

After smiling at you when you hand them the strange bank note, they only remember the nitwit  who thought he / she was being cute.

 $2 bills are a total challenge for a crew member to use.

Edited July 28, 2022 by taglovestocruise

[bonsai3s]

Love the vouchers...I can have a strong Bloody Mary for breakfast.

 

* On the Odyssey recently, I would go to Cafe270 in the morning and have the best alcoholic specialty coffee(s)...love the vouchers.

Edited July 28, 2022 by bonsai3s

[Tlbecker1]

3 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

From a cruise ship hotel manager. This is not me.

 

I have managed Hotels on cruise ships for nearly 30 years; 28 different ships for 18 different cruise lines.

I have had 10s of thousands of tipped crew working for me over the years.

Every few months we get some guest who thinks it’s cute to tip with strange currencies or denominations.

The crew brings the odd bills and coins to me to see if I can change them for something that’s is useful to them. They cannot take the strange currencies home, as they cannot change them there. Many times they cannot find time or a location to change them during the cruise. Generally the crew purser will not accept any unusual coins or bills from the crew. So the crew is usually just stuck with them. 

After smiling at you when you hand them the strange bank note, they only remember the nitwit  who thought he / she was being cute.

 $2 bills are a total challenge for a crew member to use.

I had a crew member thank me for giving him a $2 bill.  He said that he was saving them for his kids.  I also have enjoyed not packing 1’s, due to that would be at least $10 a day and if we do 3-7 day cruises that is $210 in 1’s.

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, GITC said:

You do realize that there are a lot of people out there that have never even heard of Cruise Critic, right? 

Anecdotally, the majority of people that I just sailed with on Voyager were opposed to the changes.

You don't have to believe me though.😉

Voyager sails with approximately 3500 people. You polled them?

[Retired LEO]

2 hours ago, GITC said:

When I was on the Radiance in February 2020, almost immediately B4 Covid shut everything down, we had hard copy vouchers for drinks (I thought it was 4 but may have been 3) for use during happy hour at any bar. These were in addition to the free-for-all Diamond Lounge happy hour which was expanded on that Australia Over-the-Top cruise because of the vast numbers of Diamond members and above. 

 

Just sailed on Voyager a few weeks ago and was dismayed to find the Diamond Lounge happy hour all but eliminated in favour of the four vouchers added to your Seapass. Thankfully, we were in a suite which carried on the traditional happy hour so we weren't negatively affected...this time.

 

I spoke with the loyalty desk about this apparent downgrade of Diamond benefits and she indicated to me that it was a change made post-Covid to keep some semblance of 'social distancing' due to larger and larger numbers of Diamond members. In other words, should things EVER return to some semblance of normal, one MIGHT expect the return of this benefit.

 

The more, however, that Diamond members fall into line and accept this downgrade, the more likely it is that it will never return. It's funny how the "enhancements" that all these loyalty programs come up with rarely enhance the customer experience in a positive way.

Get use to it. It's here to stay.