Diamond Plus Drinks

[OCSC Mike]

Not this again. Have fun debating day 8 and vouchers. That discussion has more than run its course.

[cruisegirl1]

16 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

This varies by ship and sailing. We got new vouchers on the morning of turnaround day of a B2B last year but many have reported not receiving them recently.

You may have been ablet get a free drink, but if you took your card to a bar ( or GS)  and asked how many drinks you had left, the answer would be there are no drinks loaded. 

 

Staff are afraid to say no.  They'll give a passenger a drink rather than have a confrontation and a potential bad survey mark.  

 

It might be interesting to test the system.  If you were able to use a voucher for a breakfast drink in the MDR, go to the promenade cafe and ask for the total remaining vouchers in water/soda/whatever. Could be a telling experiment. 

That would let one know that they may have received a complementary drink, but there are no vouchers loaded on the card. 

M

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by cruisegirl1

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, cruisegirl1 said:

You may have been ablet get a free drink, but if you took your card to a bar ( or GS)  and asked how many drinks you had left, the answer would be there are no drinks loaded. 

 

That's exactly what I asked before ordering and was told on Indy last July... "of course, you each have 4 vouchers." If they had said no, I would have said thank you and walked away.

 

Please stop telling others what they experienced. Things vary by ship, things change over time, not all ships change at the same time, etc.

 

4 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

go to the promenade cafe and ask for the total remaining vouchers in water/soda/whatever. Could be a telling experiment. 

 

Cafe Promenade was where I asked the question and where I ordered iced coffees and bottled water from after being told we had vouchers.

 

This will be my last post on the subject b/c there was already a very long thread on the subject a while ago which I also wisely dropped out of.

[cruisegirl1]

Agreed, too much conversation over a free drink.  Glad many get extra vouchers. 

 

M

[Biker19]

23 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

That would let one know that they may have received a complementary drink, but there are no vouchers loaded on the card. 

The first part is the only thing most customers care about.

[BND]

Um, what about the fact that Royal resets the clock at like 4 am now?  This was discussed ad nauseum.

[Magicat]

6 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

There are NO vouchers on  departure day.  Staff are afraid to say no.  (I guess that makes one lucky).  Surely we have all seen the way a passenger verbally attacks staff when the passenger is told no?  And in this case, "I am Diamond"..... is the fir phrase.  I'm sure staff are instructed to do whatever the passenger wants. 

 

Think about it.  On a 7 night cruise you get vouchers  the day you get on.  Let's use Saturday departure.  You get vouchers Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed , Thurs, Fri.   That is 7.   No vouchers for departure the following Saturday. 

M

 

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Magicat
No need for further discussion

[taglovestocruise]

On 7/12/2023 at 1:29 PM, cruisegirl1 said:

Everyone eligible get vouchers on embarkation day.   Why would you think a B2B will not get vouchers on the second cruise? 

You need to read between the lines. Poster was hoping for 10 vouchers on B2B turnaround day. 

[Tatka]

14 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Kind of annoying since it should be very simple for RC to state the policy in plain English but it is what it is. Not actually important to us, personally. On that one B2B I just got a couple iced coffees at Cafe Promenade because I could (would normally save my vouchers for alcohol) and my wife got a few extra bottled waters for the 2nd half.

It’s n + 1 day.. 

We are fed as there is no breakfast on day #1, but I don’t think drinks should be or are included.

[livingonthebeach]

On Rhapsody a few months ago in the WJ they had a makeshift bar set up for breakfast every morning. On debarkation day was able to get D voucher mimosas there. 

[OCSC Mike]

8 hours ago, Tatka said:

It’s n + 1 day.. 

We are fed as there is no breakfast on day #1, but I don’t think drinks should be or are included.

This isn’t really a discussion of “should”, the issue is sometimes they are & sometimes they aren’t, & all RC needs to do is add one line to the C&A perks letter that says you will or will not receive vouchers on disembarkation morning.

[Tatka]

I thought that’s what they meant when they extended hours to be not up until 12 am, but till 5 am, meaning that yes, you can get your last drink even after midnight last day, but … only before 5 am.

 

I guess they didn’t word it properly 

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, Tatka said:

I thought that’s what they meant when they extended hours to be not up until 12 am, but till 5 am, meaning that yes, you can get your last drink even after midnight last day, but … only before 5 am.

 

I guess they didn’t word it properly 

 

The wording I saw made it sound like it was so you wouldn't have to worry about vouchers going "poof" at midnight if you were out late drinking on any night, not that it had anything to do with disembarkation day.

 

In the end, we're back to the same issue. It's just way too ambiguous when it doesn't have to be.

[WeLuvVacation]

Per RCI's C&A web site:

 

5 Each day of the cruise, Diamond members receive four (4) complimentary drink vouchers, Diamond Plus members receive five (5) complimentary drink vouchers, and Pinnacle Club members receive six (6) complimentary vouchers up to $14 in value ($13 on Singapore sailings and $15 on Australia sailings). These vouchers can be used at any time and at any bar onboard or onshore at our private destinations. Drink vouchers may also be used toward a discount off the purchase of any bottle of wine — 20% off bottles over $100 and 40% off bottles under $100. Every time a drink voucher is redeemed, a zero-dollar ($0) receipt will be provided and must be signed. Youth members will receive the same daily allotment of complimentary vouchers as their parents of the same tier and may be used toward the purchase of non-alcoholic beverages (including mocktails). All drink vouchers reset daily at 5:00am and are redeemable until 4:59am the next day. Excludes Starbucks and Bionic Bar.

[reallyitsmema]

12 minutes ago, WeLuvVacation said:

Per RCI's C&A web site:

 

5 Each day of the cruise, Diamond members receive four (4) complimentary drink vouchers, Diamond Plus members receive five (5) complimentary drink vouchers, and Pinnacle Club members receive six (6) complimentary vouchers up to $14 in value ($13 on Singapore sailings and $15 on Australia sailings). These vouchers can be used at any time and at any bar onboard or onshore at our private destinations. Drink vouchers may also be used toward a discount off the purchase of any bottle of wine — 20% off bottles over $100 and 40% off bottles under $100. Every time a drink voucher is redeemed, a zero-dollar ($0) receipt will be provided and must be signed. Youth members will receive the same daily allotment of complimentary vouchers as their parents of the same tier and may be used toward the purchase of non-alcoholic beverages (including mocktails). All drink vouchers reset daily at 5:00am and are redeemable until 4:59am the next day. Excludes Starbucks and Bionic Bar.

 

The lack of specific details in that footnote is what leads to this discussion on a regular basis.  Some feel they have a new set of vouchers at 5am on disembarkation day and others say that is not true.  That footnote does not support either side of the argument.

[imola]

On 7/11/2023 at 2:47 PM, mets123 said:

You may get free champagne at the art auction or the jewelry stores. Or a free bottle if y you book at next cruise. Some ships have a free liquor tasting on the first night.

We just booked 5 cruises while onboard last week with the Next Cruise Desk.  No champagne but did win the "early bird booking" drawing of $100.00 OBC.  We were happy campers.

[imola]

47 minutes ago, WeLuvVacation said:

Per RCI's C&A web site:

 

5 Each day of the cruise, Diamond members receive four (4) complimentary drink vouchers, Diamond Plus members receive five (5) complimentary drink vouchers, and Pinnacle Club members receive six (6) complimentary vouchers up to $14 in value ($13 on Singapore sailings and $15 on Australia sailings). These vouchers can be used at any time and at any bar onboard or onshore at our private destinations. Drink vouchers may also be used toward a discount off the purchase of any bottle of wine — 20% off bottles over $100 and 40% off bottles under $100. Every time a drink voucher is redeemed, a zero-dollar ($0) receipt will be provided and must be signed. Youth members will receive the same daily allotment of complimentary vouchers as their parents of the same tier and may be used toward the purchase of non-alcoholic beverages (including mocktails). All drink vouchers reset daily at 5:00am and are redeemable until 4:59am the next day. Excludes Starbucks and Bionic Bar.

Our experience on the Navigator has been vouchers are not usable on debarkation day after 5:00 am. Also we never have to sign anything to use our voucher nor are we ever given a receipt.  Not an issue for us just sharing our experience.  It was a little different on the Radiance last fall but not by much.

[OCSC Mike]

16 minutes ago, imola said:

Also we never have to sign anything to use our voucher nor are we ever given a receipt.

 

Same experience on Wonder last month.

[SConnolly]

On 7/12/2023 at 2:33 PM, Magicat said:

Au contraire, you will get another 5 free vouchers on departure day.  DW and I always go to the MDR for breakfast and get Bailey's in our coffee and multiple mimosas.  Wait staff have no issues running for drinks. 

Right now we are trying to confirm on our next B2B that you will get another 5 vouchers when you check into the next cruise.  I am assuming yes as it will be a new folio.  

No physical vouchers.  Beverage credits are loaded on your sea pass. 

[Airbear232]

On 7/11/2023 at 4:21 PM, Joseph2017China said:

Day one is sailing day. You get 5.   The day you get off at 8:00am you get no free drinks, but since nothing is open, it doesn't matter. (unless you wanted a coffee)

Yes, I always get a latte before I get off. 

[Tree_skier]

On 7/13/2023 at 5:49 AM, OCSC Mike said:

 

That's exactly what I asked before ordering and was told on Indy last July... "of course, you each have 4 vouchers." If they had said no, I would have said thank you and walked away.

 

Please stop telling others what they experienced. Things vary by ship, things change over time, not all ships change at the same time, etc.

 

 

Cafe Promenade was where I asked the question and where I ordered iced coffees and bottled water from after being told we had vouchers.

 

This will be my last post on the subject b/c there was already a very long thread on the subject a while ago which I also wisely dropped out of.

Exactly! On both my last two cruises  ( Navigator and Oasis) both DW and I went to Cafe Promenade on debarkation morning and ordered a Latte.  We made no mention of Diamond drinks or anything else.  They punched the order in and then scanned the card and handed us a $0 receipt like they do with all diamond drinks. Clearly the computer was set up to accept this.  It happened without us asking and without us telling them we were diamond.  They simply handed us a drink, charged through the computer for $0.

 

I'd say that people being told diamond drinks aren't available debarkation morning is more the exception rather than the rule.

[Airbear232]

On 7/13/2023 at 8:28 AM, cruisegirl1 said:

There are NO vouchers on  departure day.  Staff are afraid to say no.  (I guess that makes one lucky).  Surely we have all seen the way a passenger verbally attacks staff when the passenger is told no?  And in this case, "I am Diamond"..... is the first phrase.  I'm sure staff are instructed to do whatever the passenger wants. 

 

Think about it.  On a 7 night cruise you get vouchers  the day you get on.  Let's use Saturday departure.  You get vouchers Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed , Thurs, Fri.   That is 7.   No vouchers for departure the following Saturday. 

M

The C&A policy is “each day of the cruise, Diamond members receive four (4) complimentary vouchers….all drink vouchers reset daily at 5:00 am…”. So, yes you do have have fresh vouchers on embarkation day.

[imola]

On 7/16/2023 at 3:50 PM, Tree_skier said:

Exactly! On both my last two cruises  ( Navigator and Oasis) both DW and I went to Cafe Promenade on debarkation morning and ordered a Latte.  We made no mention of Diamond drinks or anything else.  They punched the order in and then scanned the card and handed us a $0 receipt like they do with all diamond drinks. Clearly the computer was set up to accept this.  It happened without us asking and without us telling them we were diamond.  They simply handed us a drink, charged through the computer for $0.

 

I'd say that people being told diamond drinks aren't available debarkation morning is more the exception rather than the rule.

OK I stand corrected.  Thank you for this information.  We are booked on the Navigator on a 4B in September and a 3B in January.  I will be testing this new found information out.  Smooth seas everyone.