Diamond lounge gone?

[Cigar King]

2 minutes ago, Oxo said:

So, subjective if 50 sq ft would justify cost.

For us it makes a huge difference, especially in the bathroom.  Everything in the balcony and below seems very congested.  The JS, is doable, but at this point it's a last resort.  For us, the time, since my wife still has limited vacation time, is more of a limiting factor than the cost of the room.  That being the case I want to make sure we get maximum relaxation out of the vacation.

[Oxo]

40 minutes ago, George C said:

It all depends on ship , the older ships are much cheaper but have less perks, the newer ships have more perks and cost more , only the newer class ships have suite restaurant. That’s the reason I prefer celebrity since all there ships have suite lounge and a all day suite lounge with free drinks.

We cruised RCI Oasis B2B, MSC Seashore B2B, NCL Breakaway B2b, NCL Prima 12 & 7 days and  Celebrity Apex 7 days in 2022. So, we do both new ships and older. 

 

Celebrity we are Elite +. Buy the All inclusive package as it is excellent ROI.

Going on Equinox this year B2B.

 

Thanks for your input to my discussion!

[Oxo]

20 minutes ago, Queensland Girl said:

Do you use your free drink vouchers in Diamond Lounge ??  Thanks Judy

No, use our 5 during the day at any bar. We are not big drikers, so 5 is more than ample during one day. 

[Tree_skier]

57 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

The additional size of the room, and its associated increase in comfort is not in your calculation and seems difficult to quantify.

This is so true.  We are generally balcony people.  We cruised one time in a suite.  It was Serenade in an OVP suite.  The OVP is unique on Serenade and unlike other OVP's on other ships.  It is massive.  It is bigger than a GS and more comparable to an OS without a balcony.  We loved it and I found DW spent more time in the room than was typical. As you said, the size of the room is just so hard to put a number on

 

The four cruises after that were all in balcony cabins and we missed the extra space but still very happy with our experiences and we were "ruined" for standard cabin after a suite.  Our next two cruises are back in suites.  One on Navigator in Feb and one on Oasis in March.  We'll see if I'm singing the same tune in a couple of months.

[Oxo]

11 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

For us it makes a huge difference, especially in the bathroom.  Everything in the balcony and below seems very congested.  The JS, is doable, but at this point it's a last resort.  For us, the time, since my wife still has limited vacation time, is more of a limiting factor than the cost of the room.  That being the case I want to make sure we get maximum relaxation out of the vacation.

Fully undetstand your reasoning.

We are retired and furtunate to cruise many times a year.

 

Enjoy your cruises!

[DaKahuna]

 We've never done a suite except on Oasis and Quantum class ships.  Our first cruise in 2007 was in a balcony. Next cruise was Junior Suite and we stuck with those until we sailed on Oasis in a Suite.  My DW feel in love with Coastal Kitchen so ships that have that venue, I am required to book us in a suite.  Ships that do not, we normally just get a junior suite.  Given all the recent price increases and my full retirement last year, we'll just have to see what we do going forward. 

 

Other than a single cruise on Carnival, our very first cruise, we have sailed exclusively on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.  Not sure if that will change or not going forward.  We have Harmony booked for next month and Celebrity booked for April.  Will make a decision after those cruises. 

 

 

[alphawave1]

1 hour ago, Oxo said:

No, use our 5 during the day at any bar. We are not big drikers, so 5 is more than ample during one day. 

Us either. We always used our freebies with Pellegrino bottles, or glasses of wine. 

[cruisegirl1]

10 hours ago, pcur said:

Diamond lounges are still on ships, it the Concierge lounges that have had a change in access:  D+ are no longer allowed to use the Concierge lounges.

 

Vouchers are loaded to your account each day for a certain number of drinks up to $14 each.  This is according to your Crown and Anchor membership level, and the number is from 2 - 6 daily.  "Daily" is until 5am each day.

 

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/crown-anchor-society/program-updates

 

On some ships/cruises,  pinnacle members also are not allowed in the concierge lounge. That is the current status of the January 6 Jewel cruise. 
 

They made a Diamond lounge overflow. 
m

[Herby]

Do they still offer  hors d’oeuvres In the Diamond lounge? Can you use your drink vouchers in the diamond lounge?

[c-leg5]

55 minutes ago, Herby said:

Do they still offer  hors d’oeuvres In the Diamond lounge? Can you use your drink vouchers in the diamond lounge?

Yes + Yes

[LilBlackDress]

Other advantages with the D, D+, P vouchers are you can share them, you can use them on RC Private Islands and you can as many as you want at one time

Edited January 7, 2023 by LilBlackDress

[pcur]

13 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Unless they are booked in a Sky or Star class suite. 

 

Maybe incorrectly, but in my mind the "Suite" then takes priority over the "D+".

[island lady]

14 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Unless they are booked in a Sky or Star class suite. 

 

 

Those ships usually have a Suites Lounge, not CL.   CL still on older ships, as in Jewel we are on now, and just recently disembarked Serenade.  

 

There are no Sky or Star class level cabins on those older ships.  

 

[island lady]

22 hours ago, pcur said:

Diamond lounges are still on ships, it the Concierge lounges that have had a change in access:  D+ are no longer allowed to use the Concierge lounges.

 

Vouchers are loaded to your account each day for a certain number of drinks up to $14 each.  This is according to your Crown and Anchor membership level, and the number is from 2 - 6 daily.  "Daily" is until 5am each day.

 

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/crown-anchor-society/program-updates

 

 

Indeed that is permanent on ships that still have a CL.  D+ forever kicked out of that lounge now.  Suites Lounge never invited D+ since inception.  

 

We are on Jewel, and just recently on Serenade, which has a CL.  Even Pinnacles are kicked out of the CL (unless in Grand Suite and above).  

[DaKahuna]

4 hours ago, pcur said:

Maybe incorrectly, but in my mind the "Suite" then takes priority over the "D+".

 

 Correct, I was just pointing out that Diamond + sailing in a suite are permitted into the Suite/Concierge Lounge.  

 

3 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Those ships usually have a Suites Lounge, not CL.   CL still on older ships, as in Jewel we are on now, and just recently disembarked Serenade.  

 

 

 There is no Suite Lounge on Quantum of the Seas.  There is a Concierge Club that is for Suite Class and Pinnacles.   

 

 

[Cigar King]

Suite guests get some perks.  C&A anchor members get some perks.  Being a member of one group does not exclude you from the other.  Did everyone sleep through set theory?

[island lady]

59 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Correct, I was just pointing out that Diamond + sailing in a suite are permitted into the Suite/Concierge Lounge.  

 

 

 There is no Suite Lounge on Quantum of the Seas.  There is a Concierge Club that is for Suite Class and Pinnacles.   

 

 

 

They just have not changed the name on the sign yet.  On sister ship Odyssey...they already did.   And if called SL, or CL...if the ship reaches the number of Pinnies they deem too many...they are excluded if not in a full suite. 

 

 

[island lady]

12 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

Suite guests get some perks.  C&A anchor members get some perks.  Being a member of one group does not exclude you from the other.  Did everyone sleep through set theory?

 

Though if you are a Suites guest and not in C&A as D and above.....you are not allowed in the DL.  No crossover there.  

[ReneeFLL]

20 hours ago, Queensland Girl said:

Do you use your free drink vouchers in Diamond Lounge ??  Thanks Judy

I believe it’s anywhere except the Bionic Bar. You can also use them on Coco Cay and Labadee.

[pcur]

1 hour ago, Cigar King said:

Suite guests get some perks.  C&A anchor members get some perks.  Being a member of one group does not exclude you from the other.  Did everyone sleep through set theory?

No, I actually got an A in math logic in college.  It's just one has to know which factor has a higher priority.  I was taught whichever was stated first had the higher priority.

[ReneeFLL]

6 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Indeed that is permanent on ships that still have a CL.  D+ forever kicked out of that lounge now.  Suites Lounge never invited D+ since inception.  

 

We are on Jewel, and just recently on Serenade, which has a CL.  Even Pinnacles are kicked out of the CL (unless in Grand Suite and above).  

D+ were allowed in the concierge lounge on the Ovation out of Sydney this past November. I don’t know if it was just that one or if that’s the norm for cruises from Sydney returning back to Sydney. 🤷🏼‍♀️
 

For the Jewel and Serenade did they have a Pinnacle lounge like on some other ships? I know some ships were doing this for the happy hour time.

[island lady]

14 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

D+ were allowed in the concierge lounge on the Ovation out of Sydney this past November. I don’t know if it was just that one or if that’s the norm for cruises from Sydney returning back to Sydney. 🤷🏼‍♀️
 

For the Jewel and Serenade did they have a Pinnacle lounge like on some other ships? I know some ships were doing this for the happy hour time.

 

Serenade had a Pinnacle "event" but not in a dedicated room.  It was a sectioned off area of the VCL, which had their own "happy tisers" set up in that section and the LA was always present.   It was actually very nice. 

 

Here on Jewel...kind of a joke.  It is an overflow for the DL, with little signs on the tables "reserved Pinnacle Members".   The back door to the DL is open, and pax from D and up wander back and forth.  Drinks are only coming from the VCL bar, which gets nuts.  And of course, the Ds, and D+ ignore the Pinnacle signs and just sit wherever they want.  Go up there later after 5 pm, and you can't find a seat.  The happy tisers are only set up in the tiny DL...which is a mob scene.  And we never see the LA, who is new as of this last Friday.  

 

On both ships...Pinnacles not in a full suite were not allowed in the CL.  And of course D+ are now officially banned from the CL from now on.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by island lady

[alphawave1]

16 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I believe it’s anywhere except the Bionic Bar. You can also use them on Coco Cay and Labadee.

Usually, we had our pre-dinner drink(s) in DL, then used the vouchers after dinner, say in the theatres, etc. don’t know if this is still allowed. 

[Wineaux007]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Serenade had a Pinnacle "event" but not in a dedicated room.  It was a sectioned off area of the VCL, which had their own "happy tisers" set up in that section and the LA was always present.   It was actually very nice. 

 

Here on Jewel...kind of a joke.  It is an overflow for the DL, with little signs on the tables "reserved Pinnacle Members".   The back door to the DL is open, and pax from D and up wander back and forth.  Drinks are only coming from the VCL bar, which gets nuts.  And of course, the Ds, and D+ ignore the Pinnacle signs and just sit wherever they want.  Go up there later after 5 pm, and you can't find a seat.  The happy tisers are only set up in the tiny DL...which is a mob scene.  And we never see the LA, who is new as of this last Friday.  

 

On both ships...Pinnacles not in a full suite were not allowed in the CL.  And of course D+ are now officially banned from the CL from now on.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Brilliance, they roped off the back bar of the Colony Club for P's.  They put out a few apps, but there were only around 8-10 people occupying that space.  It was a waste of space.

[njkruzer]

1 hour ago, alphawave1 said:

Usually, we had our pre-dinner drink(s) in DL, then used the vouchers after dinner, say in the theatres, etc. don’t know if this is still allowed. 

Vouchers needed for all drinks, even in DL.