WHY the big goal to become Pinacle ?? ..

[island lady]

16 hours ago, orville99 said:

Before Covid hit we actually priced out what it would cost to book a 52 week B2B on Brilliance😇, and it was actually less expensive to do that than what it would have cost if we went into a local assisted living facility instead. At some point, a cruise ship will become our second home.

 

Last year, while spending our usual summer in Maine, we spent a lot of time looking for a second home up here...since we were selling the motor home.  Luckily did not find one we liked, and have since backed off of that decision.  

 

We decided to spend that money on longer cruises instead.  😉 

[FamilyCruiserUK]

As a platinum member( i think thats how we introduce ourselves) i will prob never get to pinacle and tbh im not really bothered. Yes freebees always good but i enjoy the cruise experience and locations. So if i get a better deal elsewhere than royal i will try out that company. ,😁

[island lady]

23 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

As a platinum member( i think thats how we introduce ourselves) i will prob never get to pinacle and tbh im not really bothered. Yes freebees always good but i enjoy the cruise experience and locations. So if i get a better deal elsewhere than royal i will try out that company. ,😁

 

Never say never...that was the mistake I made.  😉 

[Sirlancelot]

On 8/7/2022 at 2:31 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

Don't forget about the free cruise.

we never got ours. After the covid cancellations they would not extend the certificate. It was worth $2400 towards a cruise or one free cruise 7 days caribbean with a balcony. But they refused to extend it during Covid and we never could take it. 

[SpekiTrout]

36 minutes ago, Sirlancelot said:

we never got ours. After the covid cancellations they would not extend the certificate. It was worth $2400 towards a cruise or one free cruise 7 days caribbean with a balcony. But they refused to extend it during Covid and we never could take it. 

That doesn't seem right .. was it for reaching Pinacle ???  

[molly361]

42 minutes ago, Sirlancelot said:

we never got ours. After the covid cancellations they would not extend the certificate. It was worth $2400 towards a cruise or one free cruise 7 days caribbean with a balcony. But they refused to extend it during Covid and we never could take it. 

Did you try calling?  That doesn't seem fair

[Starry Eyes]

3 hours ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

As a platinum member( i think thats how we introduce ourselves) i will prob never get to pinacle and tbh im not really bothered. Yes freebees always good but i enjoy the cruise experience and locations. So if i get a better deal elsewhere than royal i will try out that company. ,😁

You never know.  When we started cruising, DH and I kinda laughed together at the reward program presentations.  We really enjoyed those early cruises on various lines but could not imagine accumulating that number if cruises on any single line.  Nonetheless the cruises added up even though we have sailed different lines.  We have been D+ for a while and probably will make Pinnacle eventually, though we are not gunning for it.

[stjohnbeachlover]

On 8/8/2022 at 1:49 PM, island lady said:

 

The visit to those places is an appetizer...IMHO.   Where else can you visit so many places, without having to pack, unpack, pack, unpack...repeat.   A little peek into "what is out there".   Later on, return to visit the favorites...while time on this earth allows.  

 

I am on first leg WC.....little tougher to do the circumnavigation of all of South America, plus visit Antarctica on a land based drive.  😉   Then on 4th leg...visiting the Norway fiords, the Baltics, Greenland, Iceland, and continuing on west... visiting Newfoundland and onwards down the coast back to Miami.  Appetizer.  🙂 

Totally agree. After spending a day in port in both Cozumel and Belize, we have traveled back and spent over a month in each place. It is like getting a sample when you visit on a cruise.

[twangster]

4 hours ago, Sirlancelot said:

we never got ours. After the covid cancellations they would not extend the certificate. It was worth $2400 towards a cruise or one free cruise 7 days caribbean with a balcony. But they refused to extend it during Covid and we never could take it. 

 

My free Pin was originally planned for the summer of 2020.  It was cancelled.  I rescheduled it for the summer of 2021.  That was also cancelled.  They let me reschedule it a 3rd time to March 2022.

 

The first two attempts were the $2,400 option, the 3rd attempt was a balcony in the Caribbean for 7 nights so 100% minus port fees and taxes.   It was a spring break week and they allowed me to book an extended or large balcony since that is still a balcony cabin.  

 

Everytime I called they were very easy to work with and had no problems allowing me to reschedule it despite the notation they can't be.  It was a pleasant experience despite it rescheduling three times and actually sailing more than 2 years after I earned it.

 

I'm very surprised they wouldn't work with you.  

[topnole]

On 8/8/2022 at 3:02 PM, island lady said:

 

Totally agree...once again.  

 

Loving our cruises in Alaska...we recently returned to spend a month in Homer to enjoy the area, and of course some very good Halibut fishing.  😉  Just last week booked flights to Hawaii to spend a month on Maui, due to loving our first visit there by cruise ship years ago.  

 

Oh...and the outdoor grilling of fresh Halibut we caught...with a live view of the glaciers/mountains from the back deck of our cabin... instead of watching on Youtube ....yeah...not bad. 

 

 

Now that looks good.  That’s a guy who looks like he knows what he is doing on the grill.  😄

[cruisegirl1]

I don’t have an answer except to say it must be popular as many often post where they are on the C&A pipeline, how close  they are to pinnacle, how they would be pinnacle by now if cruises hadn’t been canceled during Covid, itineraries hadn’t changed, etc. etc. etc. 

 

The only thing a person has done to become pinnacle, is to take a cruise on Royal Caribbean.  It’s possible for anyone, and everyone.  It used to take time, but nowadays it’s attainable quite quickly, possibly in less than a year.  

 

I don’t understand why some folks find it necessary to make fun of someone just because they’ve taken a lot of cruises. 
 

m

[topnole]

On 8/8/2022 at 10:21 AM, Toddcan said:

Pinnacle just happens. It's the journey, and not the destination. 

 

When it happens... - cool - enjoy the perks. But cruising "to get to pinnacle" probably isn't a thing until you are a handful of points away. 

I think a lot of pinnacles cruised just to increase their status along the way.   Sure, for some it just happens.  But there are many right now knocking the heck out of the double points strategizing even more points with single cabins.  Even before double points couples would get 2 cabins just for the extra points.  If double points weren’t offered many wouldn’t do that.  
 

Now I’m not criticizing any of that, but to pretend that all the pinnacles cruised a bunch and one day just realized they are close to pinnacle is probably not even close to accurate.  

 

For many years many frequent cruisers were doing everything possible to get more points to get to the next level.  Folks used to do short cruises back to back because it got them 2 points vs 1.  Folks used to cruise all December just to get the double Diamond points.  And folks now are purposefully sailing solo a bunch to rack up tons of points making near quantum gains in status in a very short order.  None of this behavior is along the lines of “I’m just cruising and the points and status are what they are” type of behavior.   Lots of pinnacles strategized a great deal to squeeze out every point possible just to climb more in status.  Again, not criticizing it, just being realistic.  This happens with airline status, hotel status, etc.  Most people strategize a bunch to maximize their output for a given input.  It is just human behavior.  

[orville99]

4 hours ago, Sirlancelot said:

we never got ours. After the covid cancellations they would not extend the certificate. It was worth $2400 towards a cruise or one free cruise 7 days caribbean with a balcony. But they refused to extend it during Covid and we never could take it. 

We used ours for an existing 2020 booking that was later cancelled by RCL, so we L&S'd it (twice), and finally sailed late in 2021.

Edited August 9, 2022 by orville99

[BecciBoo]

On 8/7/2022 at 1:56 PM, yogimax said:

The real "problem" for the double points isn't new Pinnacles, it's new Diamonds which may force RCCL to change their C&A program.

That's the reason our cruise buds are so determined to get there....me meh...take it or leave it. The perks have changed so often and typically right when we were due to get them and then we didn't that I won't be surprised if that cruise just disappears into the fog!    But I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.  As I've said many times, if and when we make Pinns, they'll have to accomodate my coffin.

[orville99]

7 hours ago, island lady said:

 

LOL...so true!   Reminds of the ship's captain when he would get upset about someone calling his ship a "boat".   He reminded us at an event one time..."A ship can carry a boat...a boat can't carry a ship".  😉 

First cruise we were ever on (HAL Veendam in 1981), at the lifeboat drill, the person running the drill asked all the passengers to turn around and face the wall - and then stated what you are looking at is a ship, and then had us turn around and face the lifeboats and stated this is a boat. 

[yogimax]

1 hour ago, topnole said:

 Lots of pinnacles strategized a great deal to squeeze out every point possible just to climb more in status. 

Is living in Florida a "strategy?"

 

Seriously, RCCL should reward those of us who have to pay to fly 1000 miles or more to get to a cruise.

[orville99]

1 minute ago, yogimax said:

Is living in Florida a "strategy?"

 

Seriously, RCCL should reward those of us who have to pay to fly 1000 miles or more to get to a cruise.

That would make sense only if the cruise line owned the airline😇

[twangster]

1 hour ago, topnole said:

or many years many frequent cruisers were doing everything possible to get more points to get to the next level.  Folks used to do short cruises back to back because it got them 2 points vs 1.  Folks used to cruise all December just to get the double Diamond points.  And folks now are purposefully sailing solo a bunch to rack up tons of points making near quantum gains in status in a very short order.  None of this behavior is along the lines of “I’m just cruising and the points and status are what they are” type of behavior.

 

Many of those people discovered one in a suite plus a throw away interior is very close in price and sometime cheaper than two in a suite once they are over 340.  They didn't spend gobs of extra money to game the system, the system left itself open to be played so that more points could be earned for the same or marginally more money.  

 

If you are sailing anyways you might as well play the game and earn more points.

 

Sometimes for $35 more I can move from a studio cabin to a double occupancy cabin.  I don't "need" the points but at the same time more points for a relatively low amount of money does move me a wee bit closer to my next free cruise threshold.  An extra 7 points for $35 is a good use of $35 for me but maybe not for the next cruiser.  So be it,  to each their own.  But to say I am only cruising to get points is not accurate.  I cruise because I love to cruise.  Playing the points game is just entertainment while on the ride.  

 

Sure, on the way to 700 many people play the system.  It's not accurate to paint them as only cruising to get points.  Anytime I saw a fare deal that's under $100 per night all in I jumped on that.  Not to gobble up points but because I love to cruise and I couldn't pass up a bargain to get back on board and do something I love.  Did it help to earn double points as a solo?  Absolutely but the points were not why I did it.  Even now when I see a cheap cruise deal I have a hard time saying no.  

 

Some people will buy a cheap short cruise to cross a threshold so they have Diamond for the next longer cruise.  That's very common at the Diamond level.  Some of those people have points primarily in mind.  Those kinds of people who book one cruise to jump over a threshold happen at each level but mostly at the Diamond level.  

 

Once you've made Pinnacle that's it.  Double or triple Pinnacle does nothing for you yet people still book cruises like they did on the way to Pinnacle.  It's not the points.  They just love to cruise.  For the same money while you are on board anyways why not earn more points?  Sure beats staying home and cutting the grass for the 3rd time this week.  

[Blauelini]

On 8/7/2022 at 2:21 PM, yogimax said:

 free wifi.

 

With Starlink agreement, I won't be surprised if in 5 years one still has to pay for internet. Look at the airlines, they started out with everyone having to pay by the hour. Now Delta will be rolling out free w-fi to everyone on the aircraft. At first domestic and then it will be international. Don't think UAL, AAL and the others won't follow suit due to FOMO and the passenger experience. As soon as Starlink is deployed fleet-wide and the bandwidth is such that 5,000+ people being on it won't bog it down, I fully expect it to be free. Especially if they can do so and CCL and NCL cannot. The caveat being they will likely adjust the cruise fare slightly to make up for the lost revenue. So, we will think we are getting a great perk when in fact, the cost is front loaded on the cruise fare. 

[twangster]

34 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Is living in Florida a "strategy?"

 

Seriously, RCCL should reward those of us who have to pay to fly 1000 miles or more to get to a cruise.

 

I used to feel that way when I lived out west.   

 

If you can't beat them, join them.  So I moved and love getting the local rates now.

[twangster]

3 minutes ago, Blauelini said:

 

With Starlink agreement, I won't be surprised if in 5 years one still has to pay for internet. Look at the airlines, they started out with everyone having to pay by the hour. Now Delta will be rolling out free w-fi to everyone on the aircraft. At first domestic and then it will be international. Don't think UAL, AAL and the others won't follow suit due to FOMO and the passenger experience. As soon as Starlink is deployed fleet-wide and the bandwidth is such that 5,000+ people being on it won't bog it down, I fully expect it to be free. Especially if they can do so and CCL and NCL cannot. The caveat being they will likely adjust the cruise fare slightly to make up for the lost revenue. So, we will think we are getting a great perk when in fact, the cost is front loaded on the cruise fare. 

 

Voom is a profit center for Royal.  Why would they give up a revenue stream?  

 

They could have made chat free.  MB actually said chat in the app would be free.  Yet it isn't, because people are willing to put money out for it. 

 

Also we are waiting to see what Delta does.  The free offering may not support anything more that basic chat which is free now.  The premium options may be required for anything more robust.  They never said high speed streaming internet will be free.  

[SummerBeee]

1 hour ago, yogimax said:

Is living in Florida a "strategy?"

 

Seriously, RCCL should reward those of us who have to pay to fly 1000 miles or more to get to a cruise.

If I had to fly every cruise I sure as hell wouldn’t be cruising as much. 23 since restart and only flew to one 

[bonsai3s]

1 hour ago, SummerBeee said:

If I had to fly every cruise I sure as hell wouldn’t be cruising as much. 23 since restart and only flew to one 

Holy canoli!!!...SummerBeee, we've flown to just about 90% of all our cruises...don't even want to think how much we've spent on airfare...but not complaining. Life is short...we love to travel...just happy to be cruising again.

 

Responded recently (Ask a cruise question - New Cruisers) to a question on farthest embarkation we had to fly to...here's a few we've done:

- San Francisco to Istanbul.

- SF to Sydney.

- SF - Beijing (Tianjin)

- SF to Dubai.

- SF to Bangkok (Laem Chabang)

-SF to Argentina

- SF to Santiago, Chile...relatively short flight but got stuck in traffic for 7 hours on the way to the port.

- SF to Venice, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, and next week to Copenhagen.

 

* I've never worn my Pinnacle pin. 

[topnole]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Many of those people discovered one in a suite plus a throw away interior is very close in price and sometime cheaper than two in a suite once they are over 340.  They didn't spend gobs of extra money to game the system, the system left itself open to be played so that more points could be earned for the same or marginally more money.  

 

If you are sailing anyways you might as well play the game and earn more points.

 

Sometimes for $35 more I can move from a studio cabin to a double occupancy cabin.  I don't "need" the points but at the same time more points for a relatively low amount of money does move me a wee bit closer to my next free cruise threshold.  An extra 7 points for $35 is a good use of $35 for me but maybe not for the next cruiser.  So be it,  to each their own.  But to say I am only cruising to get points is not accurate.  I cruise because I love to cruise.  Playing the points game is just entertainment while on the ride.  

 

Sure, on the way to 700 many people play the system.  It's not accurate to paint them as only cruising to get points.  Anytime I saw a fare deal that's under $100 per night all in I jumped on that.  Not to gobble up points but because I love to cruise and I couldn't pass up a bargain to get back on board and do something I love.  Did it help to earn double points as a solo?  Absolutely but the points were not why I did it.  Even now when I see a cheap cruise deal I have a hard time saying no.  

 

Some people will buy a cheap short cruise to cross a threshold so they have Diamond for the next longer cruise.  That's very common at the Diamond level.  Some of those people have points primarily in mind.  Those kinds of people who book one cruise to jump over a threshold happen at each level but mostly at the Diamond level.  

 

Once you've made Pinnacle that's it.  Double or triple Pinnacle does nothing for you yet people still book cruises like they did on the way to Pinnacle.  It's not the points.  They just love to cruise.  For the same money while you are on board anyways why not earn more points?  Sure beats staying home and cutting the grass for the 3rd time this week.  

I’m not disagreeing with you.   In fact I think we are saying the same thing.  Everyone is different and we all have our different reasons.  I’m simply saying that a lot of pinnacles don’t just one day become pinnacles because they only cruised and enjoyed the journey (as was stated by a prior poster).  While they have obviously enjoyed the journey, many strategize a lot to either get there quicker or make it happen.   And I’m more than certain many are cruising a lot more than they would have in 2022 for all the extra points.  So I absolutely believe many engage in behavior they wouldn’t have otherwise to get more points and this gain ground in a given level of stays.  
 

Again, there is nothing wrong with this. I’d find it odd if people didn’t work the system to get the most out of it and I’m sure we have all done it.  But to claim all pinnacles or any other high status just cruise and one day it just happens is silly.   For many, there is a lot of attention and time put into maximizing points along the way.  It is most certainly an end game for some or many.  
 

But with all that said, I still think we agreeing with each other.  It would be somewhat irrational for someone not to care and not strategize.   One can also enjoy the journey while doing that.   I’ve done both.  

[tugboat]

On 8/7/2022 at 1:09 PM, davekathy said:

Come on admit it you have pinnacle envoy. 😂

I did I am a Diamond + then I tried Celebrity, Now I am cured.

you are limited to the cruises you are willing to take. I am Not