New "crown lounge" rule

[livingonthebeach]

7 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Yes, that would be good, but somehow they have disabled those controls in the cabin so no matter which way you turn the dial it does nothing. Pretty sad isn't it?

 

I agree. They should have an option to either enable or disable. In this day and age it seems it would be possible? 

[Starry Eyes]

44 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Most the times you can't hear it in the cabin in less you run to the cabin door and open it, no idea why the Captain's talks don't come directly into the cabins.

Like you, I’d like to hear the announcements, but I can image others complaining an announcement into the cabin awoke napping babies or children and perhaps some adults.  

[ReneeFLL]

On 10/15/2023 at 3:32 PM, firefly333 said:

So diamonds go in at 430 and take a seat, will someone actually go around and kick them out?…

 

On 10/15/2023 at 4:20 PM, Tree_skier said:

Or 4:55... I doubt anyone is going to be asked to leave.

On the Jewel TA a couple of months ago they were going around kicking out people who weren’t Pinnacle in the Vortex (formally VCL). They would do this just before the HH started and they also had someone checking at the door during this time. They didn’t do this on the prior cruise so I’m sure it had to do with the # of Pinns onboard. I think they will go around and ask people to leave.

[nelblu]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

I can't stand it when people won't keep quiet for captain's announcements. If they aren't interested just be courteous to those who are.😡

You mean that you can actually hear and understand what the Captain is saying over the loudspeakers.  It's bad if you are sitting by the pool area.  It's frustrating as one can't discern what is being announced.  However, when there an announcement by the Cruise Director or some of his staff announcing Bingo, sales in the promenade, etc., it comes across quite clearly.🤣   

 

[Jimbo]

2 hours ago, RFerrington said:

Wow !

We also got a free cup of coffee every morning at Cafe-Latte-tudes  which was nice. Tell you the truth we only went up to the Viking Crown Lounge once for a drink, sat at the bar, but the place smelled like garbage really bad, so we left without getting a drink and never went back up there again.

 

Got most of our drinks at the Schooner Bar, Congo Bar and the Lobby Bar in the Centrum.

[doghog]

5 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

I’m always happy when I see that. We have been asked to show our card when entering various loyalty/suite lounges. Royal simply doing their job. 

hmmm-perhaps they were only 10 people in the lounge BECAUSE  they were checking cards 😄😄
m

Agree. We also would have no issues with showing out Seapass cards to enter the DL/CL. Most of the time the door is shut when we go in for pre supper drinks and a snack.

[ReneeFLL]

On 10/19/2023 at 12:04 PM, island lady said:

 

The free unlimited internet is my favorite perk!  🤗

I like the drinks, but I couldn’t wait for the free internet.

 

23 hours ago, RFerrington said:

Yes.  We are on this one (10-13) and next week as well (10-21 thru 10-28).  Had our Pinn ceremony on this sailing but are PINO (Pinnacles In Name Only) this week…but will be real Pinns next week !  

Congrats.

[PompeySailor]

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Those are new to me and look interesting. Thanks for the food porn. Enjoy Giovanni's (our favorite).

Thanks Mike 

 

Giovanni’s did not disappoint 

I’m quite into this Caprese Salad these days - so whether its on a stick or in a bowl it’s a good healthy option and colorful 🇮🇹 for me

 

First time I had ventured out and opted to try the Gnocchi Gorgonzola 

Really also very good 

DW had the filet - “Better than chops” 😉

 

Giovanni’s busier than Chops - 8 tables when we left

 

internet on this old girl is not letting me upload too many pics - food porn addicted will have to go without 😣

[PompeySailor]

2 hours ago, Jimbo said:

Great, Glad it worked out for you!

Giovanni’s also no questions asked 

2 for 2 😎

Happy Day!

[ReneeFLL]

7 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

The other issue to consider is would the customer have bought those drinks if they did not have the perk? If not then the true cost to RCI is the, maybe, couple of bucks worth of ingredients. So a Pin with their six drinks would be a cost of around $12 a day not $84 using $14 per drink retail.

Before the free drinks we would usually drink probably less than 10 drinks for the 2 of us for an 8 day cruise, but we always bought the internet for one and shared it. When we started getting the free drinks we definitely started drinking more. 😁 With our 6 free drinks we often end up getting some of it in water or sodas. On our cruise in February I’m sure we will be drinking most of our 6 drinks hanging with you. 😁 🥂 🍸 🍹 

[OCSC Mike]

9 minutes ago, PompeySailor said:

First time I had ventured out and opted to try the Gnocchi Gorgonzola 

Really also very good 

DW had the filet - “Better than chops”

 

We both always get the filet and a pasta (wife actually gets risotto but close enough). I would order the gnocchi if I didn't like carbonara so much. I can eat but double pasta plus a steak sandwiched between an app and dessert is a bit much, lol.

[ReneeFLL]

2 hours ago, BND said:

Boarded Jewel this am. D+ and pinn only in lounge during HH. 

Are there many D+ and Pinns onboard? Are they opening up the Vortex as an overflow if needed? Love the Vortex when they use that as the Pinn lounge.

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by ReneeFLL

[ReneeFLL]

55 minutes ago, BND said:

No idea. We only got the letter about the Crown. This b2b puts us at 607 points. We'll ask our friends who are pinns

Almost there. Will it be next year? 👍🏼

 

Just now, BND said:

Why can't people shut up when the captain talks?  It's 2-3 minutes and you might learn something important. Anyway everyone here in the VCL is drinking and waiting to depart.

I agree. If they are close enough to me I’ll ask if they just heard what the Captain was saying. Works every time. 

[Jimbo]

49 minutes ago, PompeySailor said:

Giovanni’s also no questions asked 

2 for 2 😎

Happy Day!

👍

[ReneeFLL]

Just now, PompeySailor said:

Caprese Lollipops & Fingerling potatoes 

I could make a dinner out of the Caprese Lollipops and add some chocolate covered strawberries and I’m good to go. I haven’t seen them on sticks before. The best appetizer I have seen on any ship was the jalapeños poppers. It was on the Wonder Inaugural cruise and haven’t seen them again, but I’m always looking for them. 

 

Just now, Jimbo said:

We also got a free cup of coffee every morning at Cafe-Latte-tudes  which was nice. Tell you the truth we only went up to the Viking Crown Lounge once for a drink, sat at the bar, but the place smelled like garbage really bad, so we left without getting a drink and never went back up there again.

 

Got most of our drinks at the Schooner Bar, Congo Bar and the Lobby Bar in the Centrum.

On the cruise prior to yours we never smelled anything in the Vortex aka VCL. I also stood at the bar a few times and didn’t smell anything there either. Something must have happened on your cruise.

[mets07]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

Tell you the truth we only went up to the Viking Crown Lounge once for a drink, sat at the bar, but the place smelled like garbage really bad, so we left without getting a drink and never went back up there again.

We found several bars smelly on same Jewel cruise as yours (I think they leave the smelly cleaning rags around or ?). In addition, the barstools at VCL/Vortex were so far apart and tremendously wobbly, it was ridiculous. We normally love the VCL/Vortex, but it was not comfortable. We therefore frequented other bars.

[RFerrington]

1 hour ago, ReneeFLL said:

I like the drinks, but I couldn’t wait for the free internet.

 

Congrats.

Thanks, Renee !

[yogimax]

4 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I can't stand it when people won't keep quiet for captain's announcements. If they aren't interested just be courteous to those who are.😡

Agree that people should be quiet and listen but please tell the captain s/he can eliminate the longitude and latitude stuff.

Edited October 21, 2023 by yogimax

[Ocean Boy]

2 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Before the free drinks we would usually drink probably less than 10 drinks for the 2 of us for an 8 day cruise, but we always bought the internet for one and shared it. When we started getting the free drinks we definitely started drinking more. 😁 With our 6 free drinks we often end up getting some of it in water or sodas. On our cruise in February I’m sure we will be drinking most of our 6 drinks hanging with you. 😁 🥂 🍸 🍹 

Pretty much the same scenario with me. And I'm looking forward to Feb and once again sharing evening time with those drinks!

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, yogimax said:

Agree that people should be quiet and listen but please tell the captain s/he can eliminate the longitude and latitude stuff.

Just plug the long and lat into Google maps and you will know just where you are 😀

[cruisegirl1]

5 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

 

On the Jewel TA a couple of months ago they were going around kicking out people who weren’t Pinnacle in the Vortex (formally VCL). They would do this just before the HH started and they also had someone checking at the door during this time. They didn’t do this on the prior cruise so I’m sure it had to do with the # of Pinns onboard. I think they will go around and ask people to leave.

Pinnacles were not allowed in the suite lounge on the TA.    They used Vortex for a private nightly Pinnacle event.  I think there were about 160 Pinnacle’s on the cruise. At all other times or for Concierge assistance,   Pinnacle’s were directed to the Diamond  lounge.

 

Since  that was a private event, I can understand why people were asked to leave. I think however, it will be a little more difficult in the crown lounge.  I can  imagine some passengers getting quite upset and causing a scene. I suspect if a handful of folks are in the lounge at the beginning of HH, perhaps the Concierge will just let go.

 

Sounds like a mess for both passengers and staff 

m
 

 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by cruisegirl1

[gkbiiii]

Soon Diamonds won't get this as a benefit, as they get the "4" drinks.  I just made Diamond Plus, so I made it at the nick of time.

[island lady]

16 hours ago, katiel53 said:

We were on WONDER  Oct 8-15 and Diamonds weren't allowed in the lounge in the evening.  We are D+ and didn't try to go in the lounge, but heard a lot of complaints about the exclusions of Diamonds in the lounge.

 

That's a shame that they complained about being excluded from the tiny lounge (which is like a closet in the bilge...IMHO).   It is such a big beautiful ship, with so many interesting lounges to explore using the vouchers (which you have to use in the DL now CL anyway).  

 

There are more lounges to enjoy happy hour at on the ship than days in the week on the 7 night cruise.  We make it a goal to explore them all.  😉 

[OCSC Mike]

14 minutes ago, island lady said:

That's a shame that they complained about being excluded from the tiny lounge (which is like a closet in the bilge...IMHO).   It is such a big beautiful ship, with so many interesting lounges to explore using the vouchers (which you have to use in the DL now CL anyway).

 

I feel like I've posted this a dozen times already. Some of us really enjoy the happy hour snacks there. It has nothing to do with drinks or the room for me (which is usually the windowless basement but will actually be the nice one on Allure next week). I never order drinks there.

 

I won't complain (they have the right to change rules so there's no point) but I will be disappointed if I can't pop in for the snacks next week on Allure. Will it ruin my cruise? Of course not. But I will miss going there for maybe 30 mins to have some hors d'oeuvres that I can't get elsewhere before dinner.

[island lady]

8 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

I feel like I've posted this a dozen times already. Some of us really enjoy the happy hour snacks there. It has nothing to do with drinks or the room for me (which is usually the windowless basement but will actually be the nice one on Allure next week). I never order drinks there.

 

I won't complain (they have the right to change rules so there's no point) but I will be disappointed if I can't pop in for the snacks next week on Allure. Will it ruin my cruise? Of course not. But I will miss going there for maybe 30 mins to have some hors d'oeuvres that I can't get elsewhere before dinner.

 

Oh that's right...sorry my friend...I forgot about the snacks.  My bad.  😞  

 

Enjoy your snacks!  🙂 

 

I guess I don't think about the snacks much anymore, since we do early traditional dining now...OMG my age is showing!   Filling up on snacks at 4:30 to 5 and then going to dinner at 5-5:30 just doesn't work for us, but indeed we used to love them years ago when we had later dining times.