No more diamond access to diamond lounge on Royal Caribbean??

[Jim cruising]

I just got off the phone with a Royal Caribbean person who claims that the Diamond Lounge will no longer be accessible to Diamond status cruisers after Dec. 16, 2022.  She said you would have to be sailing concierge or suite to use the Diamond Lounge. The reason stated was that too many people were using the lounge.  Anyone know if this is true?

[John&LaLa]

No, the change is D+ do not have access to the Concierge Lounge on ships that still have them

Edited December 13, 2022 by John&LaLa

[Sobro]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

[klfrodo]

You and whomever you spoke with had a miscommunication.

[Coralc]

43 minutes ago, Jim cruising said:

I just got off the phone with a Royal Caribbean person who claims that the Diamond Lounge will no longer be accessible to Diamond status cruisers after Dec. 16, 2022.  She said you would have to be sailing concierge or suite to use the Diamond Lounge. The reason stated was that too many people were using the lounge.  Anyone know if this is true?

Welcome to Cruise Critic. There is no change to Diamond access to the Diamond lounge. Here is the relevant section of the letter regarding the Dec. 16 change: 

 

"As a result, we have made the decision to standardize Concierge and Suite Lounge access across the fleet. This means that beginning on sailings departing on or after December 16th, 2022, both Concierge and Suite Lounge access on all ships will be limited to eligible Suite guests and Pinnacle Club members only. This change is reflected on our updated Member Benefits Grid."

[BND]

Nope.  Someone posted this on FB also.  Just incorrect.   Couldn't exactly continue calling it the Diamond Lounge if Diamond's weren't allowed, now could they lol?  Logic and reading comprehension elude some people.  Sad when it's those that are supposed to know the answers like, you know, when you call Royal.

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by BND

[RCIGUY]

I have received a similar email from Royal Caribbean. Too bad for them, after 34 cruises amounting  to nearly one year at sea, you have  eliminated a benefit we have enjoyed for years. With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons', I have found it necessary to announce our change. BYE BYE Royal Caribbean! NO MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN FOR US!

[Another_Critic]

1 minute ago, RCIGUY said:

I have received a similar email from Royal Caribbean. Too bad for them, after 34 cruises amounting  to nearly one year at sea, you have  eliminated a benefit we have enjoyed for years. With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons', I have found it necessary to announce our change. BYE BYE Royal Caribbean! NO MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN FOR US!

They are not taking away access to the DIAMOND lounge.  Concierge lounge (not Diamond lounge) access for D+ and Pinnacle has been restricted on a sailing by sailing basis for several years.

[njkruzer]

The only time this was an issue wss on the Anthem where we had always booked a cabin near the Concierge Lounge. We had a cabin 2 doors away on the TA so missed being able to use it.  Otherwise can't really complain.  Still a lounge with a Concierge to help and drinks, coffee,  tea, food, etc.  

[deepcman]

19 minutes ago, RCIGUY said:

I have received a similar email from Royal Caribbean. Too bad for them, after 34 cruises amounting  to nearly one year at sea, you have  eliminated a benefit we have enjoyed for years. With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons', I have found it necessary to announce our change. BYE BYE Royal Caribbean! NO MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN FOR US!

 

[deepcman]

Will you be changing your signin name to 'FORMERRCIGUY'

 

[taglovestocruise]

Truly unbelievable how many reps are at a total loss with accurate information.  I can see however the D Lounge becoming the D+ lounge.  We were on Quantum last month and the DL was packed every night, they opened the side doors and used the upper level of the Music Hall as overflow.  

Edited December 14, 2022 by taglovestocruise

[Another_Critic]

36 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Truly unbelievable how many reps are at a total loss with accurate information.  I can see however the D Lounge becoming the D+ lounge.  We were on Quantum last month and the DL was packed every night, they opened the side doors and used the upper level of the Music Hall as overflow.  

They used to do that on Anthem, but the last few times I sailed on her, they had a small "Pinn lounge" set up in the Music Hall (outside the DL doors).

[matj2000]

It is amusing that so many people join just to complain.

 

Even more amusing when they have false information....

Edited December 14, 2022 by matj2000

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, RCIGUY said:

With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons',

This is my favorite line of this thread so far. 🙂 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, RCIGUY said:

I have received a similar email from Royal Caribbean. Too bad for them, after 34 cruises amounting  to nearly one year at sea, you have  eliminated a benefit we have enjoyed for years. With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons', I have found it necessary to announce our change. BYE BYE Royal Caribbean! NO MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN FOR US!

They aren’t taking away anything-calm down 

[matj2000]

1 hour ago, RCIGUY said:

I have received a similar email from Royal Caribbean. Too bad for them, after 34 cruises amounting  to nearly one year at sea, you have  eliminated a benefit we have enjoyed for years. With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons', I have found it necessary to announce our change. BYE BYE Royal Caribbean! NO MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN FOR US!

 

I bet this person will book 2 or more RC cruises before the end of the year....

[smokeybandit]

I also got a similar email that said that only Pinnacles and Suites were allowed to board the ship at all!

[bretts173]

1 hour ago, RCIGUY said:

I have received a similar email from Royal Caribbean. Too bad for them, after 34 cruises amounting  to nearly one year at sea, you have  eliminated a benefit we have enjoyed for years. With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons', I have found it necessary to announce our change. BYE BYE Royal Caribbean! NO MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN FOR US!

So off to another line to have less benefits? Makes sense.

[3CatsInMA]

[cruisegirl1]

4 hours ago, RCIGUY said:

I have received a similar email from Royal Caribbean. Too bad for them, after 34 cruises amounting  to nearly one year at sea, you have  eliminated a benefit we have enjoyed for years. With their announcement of this change reducing many of us to peons', I have found it necessary to announce our change. BYE BYE Royal Caribbean! NO MORE ROYAL CARIBBEAN FOR US!

You shouldn’t be so upset, as you are in good company. Pinnacles are often not allowed into the concierge lounge either.

 

Diamond, diamond plus, and Pinnacle have access to the diamond lounge. Nothing has changed there

 

m

Edited December 14, 2022 by cruisegirl1

[ILCTCRUISER]

3 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Truly unbelievable how many reps are at a total loss with accurate information.  I can see however the D Lounge becoming the D+ lounge.  We were on Quantum last month and the DL was packed every night, they opened the side doors and used the upper level of the Music Hall as overflow.  

For a long time (since the 4-5-6 voucher system was introduced) I’ve felt this is where it’s all headed.  The number crunchers certainly aren’t happy with using revenue-producing areas for DL/CL lounges or overflows, even if it’s just for a few hours each night.

[jean87510]

I just became Diamond in time for my sailings starting last November 2021.  Since then I've sailed on 6 cruises with one upcoming on Sunday.  Other than the Grandeur where the wifi signal in the Diamond lounge was excellent, I don't see the attraction of these lounges other than for free drinks.  Am I missing something?  I am reading a post where someone is actually leaving because they can't get into a suite lounge in the future?  No criticism of people's likes or dislikes.  Just can't understand what the attraction is other than free drinks for a few hours plus food.  Especially if you have a drink package. 

[Mick B]

Hi all,

I too am not surprised by this announcement, and I am sure this is just the start of many changes.

Due to Royal having a Diamond lounge at only 80 cruise points, it is possible on certain sailing that most of the ships cruisers would have access. I too can see them re-branding the diamond lounge the diamond plus lounge or possible creating a new tier around the 340 point area and calling the lounge after the new tier barring all diamond and any d+ under the 340 mark.

 

There is another solution here, before barring the diamond members from the diamond lounge, it may be an idea to bar the Pinnacle members instead as they currently have access to the concierge and/or suit lounge and also get a spill over lounge if too many suites guests are on board (which is becoming more and more which is why parts of ships are being changed from golf courses to suites).

The reason I suggest this is because I have witnessed situations where a pinnacle member has gone into the diamond lounge at 2pm and taken with her, various knitting items and laid them across an entire row of seats and refused to move them at 4pm when guests arrived, but then moved them when her friends arrived so they can have seats leaving others who arrived on time either standing, going to an over-spill or leaving feeling let down by RCL as the staff have said they know about this but don't want to say anything as they could get into trouble.

 

I used to love this lounge when I first became a diamond member and loved to have a drink and a chat with fellow passengers and make new friends, but it became a task of having to arrive at 3pm to get a seat and part of the day was lost to this.

I still go in there from time to time, but only for a quick chat, a coffee and some grub, and to see the concierge to arrange anything that he/she can help with.

The one thing about having a concierge club for me was when the coffee machine in the diamond lounge was broke for days on end, you could nip into the concierge lounge and use theirs.

 

On my last sailing which was a TA on the Anthem back on October 2022, they uploaded a free coffee onto my sea-pass everyday and these could be used in the MDR or the coffee shops which cut down on going to the diamond lounge.

Perhaps, as a good-will gesture to the D+ members that have spent a lot of time and money cruising, RCL could make this perk a permanent thing on all ships as this may help cut down the queues for the diamond lounge coffee machine as this is now the biggest issue in the lounge, yes, the queue for the coffee machine which can take up to 20 minutes as you now get the 4, 5 or 6 free drinks on your sea pass everyday, the need to use them in the diamond lounge has dropped which is what I suspect this perk was introduced to do.

 

So, sending pinnacle members to the Concierge/suite lounge and having 1 free special coffee on your pass each day may cut congestion in the diamond lounge and would be a much better option than banning the diamond members.

After all, it is not the cruiser's fault that so many people are rising up through the tiers, lets face it, for sheer value, what other holiday destination could offer anyone the things they get on these ships for the price they charge, so naturally, people will come back time and time again and join the C&A club. 

 

There is no point getting upset with the changes that will come, as there will have to be some changes made in order to make a profit, and I suspect certain food in the MDR and Windjammer will be next to be changed/cut-down to possibly make people take up the pay-for restaurants.

 

all the best 

Mick.

 

[sowhat]

1 hour ago, Mick B said:

Before barring the diamond members from the diamond lounge, it may be an idea to bar the Pinnacle members instead as they currently have access to the concierge and/or suit lounge and also get a spill over lounge if too many suites guests are on board (which is becoming more and more which is why parts of ships are being changed from golf courses to suites).

The reason I suggest this is because I have witnessed situations where a pinnacle member has gone into the diamond lounge at 2pm and taken with her, various knitting items and laid them across an entire row of seats and refused to move them at 4pm when guests arrived, but then moved them when her friends arrived 

Yes