Diamond (Crown Lounge) Access

[ssb]

27 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

On the Oct TA, the Crown Lounge was full most nights during happy hour.  They even had an overflow section in the Music Hall.  I don't think they were restricting Diamonds.

 

766 D, 556 D+, 109 Pinn.

Restricting Diamonds is a subjective decision made on each cruise based on numbers in tiers and usage . 

Edited November 27, 2023 by ssb

[RFerrington]

11 minutes ago, Mick B said:

Do Royal know if a passenger who is D or D+ actually earned the points from cruising or got them by being a partner with someone else who had that status

Nope.  Only the Loyalty Ambassador would have access to that level of detail and it wouldn’t be obvious, even to them, without doing a data dive.

Edited November 27, 2023 by RFerrington

[Another_Critic]

15 minutes ago, ssb said:

Restricting Diamonds is a subjective decision made on each cruise based on numbers in tiers and usage . 

I know.  I was posting a data point.  And I know what RCI means.  😄

[The Fun Researcher]

I’m still amazed at how many Pinnacle members there are on Royal Caribbean. Does anyone know roughly the total number of pinnacles? I mean, it took us over 10 years to get the 80 points required for Diamond and we are the people that cruise the most out of anyone we know.

[yogimax]

19 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I’m still amazed at how many Pinnacle members there are on Royal Caribbean. Does anyone know roughly the total number of pinnacles? I mean, it took us over 10 years to get the 80 points required for Diamond and we are the people that cruise the most out of anyone we know.

Reaching Pinnacle is a lot more difficult for those of us who don't live in Florida.  I would like to know what percentage of Pinnacles live in Florida and don't have the added expense of significant travel.

[Another_Critic]

9 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Reaching Pinnacle is a lot more difficult for those of us who don't live in Florida.  I would like to know what percentage of Pinnacles live in Florida and don't have the added expense of significant travel.

Excuses, excuses ... you can sail out of Cape Liberty.  😉

 

P.S.  Of my 28 RCI cruises, only 2 (1st and 5th) have been out of FL.

P.P.S.  My first domestic flight since 12/15/2012 will be 04/20/2024 for a TA from FL.

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Another_Critic

[yogimax]

4 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Excuses, excuses ... you can sail out of Cape Liberty.  😉

 

 

Ha!  Tolls alone from Queens to Bayonne run about $100 and parking for a seven night cruise is $210.☹️

[Another_Critic]

1 minute ago, yogimax said:

Ha!  Tolls alone from Queens to Bayonne run about $100 and parking for a seven night cruise is $210.☹️

Yeah, it is expensive even when not flying.  My last RT cruise (9 night) from Cape Liberty, I took Amtrak and Lyft.  Much cheaper than gas, tolls, and parking.

 

It is getting to the point it may be cheaper to fly to FL vs. sailing from the Northeast.  😞

[ssb]

4 hours ago, Mick B said:

Here's something I was wondering.

Do Royal know if a passenger who is D or D+ actually earned the points from cruising or got them by being a partner with someone else who had that status and may have even split up but kept the status.

Just asking because it doesn't seem very fair to me if someone who has actually cruised between 80 and 174 nights is turned away from the newly named "Crown Lounge" during happy hour but someone who is D+ but didn't cruise as many nights is let in.

I know its only now for some nibbles as you still have to use a drinks voucher for each drink you purchase, which makes me wonder what all the fuse is about with Royal stopping Diamonds.

But it can't be nice for anyone who had taken part in a program and played by the rules to be turned away like this.

 

Maybe the Crown Lounge should be just for those who earned the points and filled on a first come first served basis.

 

Mick.

 

A Diamond card is not programmed to open the door . To prevent them entering  the first couple and last couple of nights were monitored at door   on recent Odyssey TA  ..  

 

and I was told 

Restricting Diamonds would probably be a subjective decision made on each cruise based on numbers in upper tiers and their usage of Crown Lounge . 

Edited November 27, 2023 by ssb

[ssb]

51 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Reaching Pinnacle is a lot more difficult for those of us who don't live in Florida.  I would like to know what percentage of Pinnacles live in Florida and don't have the added expense of significant travel.

Lots of Pinnacles flourishing in Florida from  the early old days points system used by Royal and favoring quick points accumulation , and from the earlier utilization of the cruising ready retirement marketplace in Florida . 

Edited November 27, 2023 by ssb

[Tatka]

34 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Ha!  Tolls alone from Queens to Bayonne run about $100 and parking for a seven night cruise is $210.☹️

 

Well.. we are glad there is Bayonne! We cruise 4 times from Bayonne (11, 5-7, 9, 7) and once 12 days from Baltimore. We probably need another 8 years.

 

We'd rather keep excitement up than cruise nonstop to reach level (we can as we can work remotely).

Edited November 27, 2023 by Tatka

[Vibe]

54 minutes ago, ssb said:

Lots of Pinnacles flourishing in Florida from  the early old days points system used by Royal and favoring quick points accumulation , and from the earlier utilization of the cruising ready retirement marketplace in Florida . 

Exactly 

 

At one time status was determined by the number of cruises, so each cruise taken (no mater how many days the cruise was) counted as one point.
 

When Royal Caribbean started counting points based on the number of cruise days, they converted each past cruise by giving them 7 points each. Many retired people that have taken many inexpensive 3 or 4 days cruises on the older ships (Sovereign, Monarch etc) suddenly had a big increase in Crown and Anchor status when those 3 and 4 day cruises got 7 points each.

 

BTW: Many of those 3 or 4 day’s cruises sometimes cost as low as $99.00 per person 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by Vibe

[ssb]

12 minutes ago, Vibe said:

Exactly 

 

At one time status was determined by the number of cruises, so each cruise taken (no mater how many days the cruise was) counted as one point.
 

When Royal Caribbean started counting points based on the number of cruise days, they converted each past cruise by giving them 7 points each. Many retired people that have taken many inexpensive 3 or 4 days cruises on the older ships (Sovereign, Monarch etc) suddenly had a big increase in Crown and Anchor status when those 3 and 4 day cruises got 7 points each.

 

BTW: Many of those 3 or 4 day’s cruises sometimes cost as low as $99.00 per person 

 

 

So when a cruiser today earns Pinnacle , 

it’s can be monumental. Congratulations to the current Pinnacles .

[cruisegirl1]

2 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I’m still amazed at how many Pinnacle members there are on Royal Caribbean. Does anyone know roughly the total number of pinnacles? I mean, it took us over 10 years to get the 80 points required for Diamond and we are the people that cruise the most out of anyone we know.

You need new friends  😀  🚢  😀 

M

[The Fun Researcher]

9 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

You need new friends  😀  🚢  😀 

M

Good stuff.  My best friend is getting addicted to cruising so there is hope!

[Tatka]

3 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I’m still amazed at how many Pinnacle members there are on Royal Caribbean. Does anyone know roughly the total number of pinnacles? I mean, it took us over 10 years to get the 80 points required for Diamond and we are the people that cruise the most out of anyone we know.

 

We used to cruise with 8 lines 2 or so times per year (5 since 2016)... and it took us 15 years. In March we will have 31 Royal cruise vs 31 other line cruises. 🙂

 

Most people around us do not cruise at all. They travel all over the world just not via cruises, but if they cruised they would be like us or ahead. It is a personal choice of course, but nothing very special in modern world.

Edited November 28, 2023 by Tatka

[gerig]

10 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

That Emerald debacle probably got someone fired.  I was D+ (well more like D++ or a little more than halfway to Pinnacle) when Emerald was created so bypassed it completely. 

 

The question of the day.  If everyone comes up with categories implying, they are close to pinnacle status, ( I saw a post where someone bragged they would Pinnacle in 2025!)  why is there so much Pinnacle bashing?  Pinnacle  Envy?

M

I'm not sure there is Pinnacle bashing but I do remember a time when diamonds were kicked out of lounges and then it was diamond plus so now it looks as though it is going to happen to pinnacles.  People posted that they felt their loyalty to RC was somehow betrayed by the cruise line but most of us understood it is a matter of the membership numbers growing and changes were needed.  I am definitely not envious because I chose to cruise other lines over being a pinnacle member.  I also decided if I want entrance to the suite lounge that I would just book a suite.

[island lady]

22 hours ago, ssb said:

On recent Odyssey TA , 1400 Pinnacle’s and others of higher levels and points  were made a big deal of , on the stage with presentations. Of course top cruiser was a biggie 5200 +- and well deserved . 

 

Always interesting how each ship presents the top tier.   Some indeed really go all out and becomes an event of over half hour.  Some, like Wonder...done in 10-15 minutes, with same canned speeches.  

[island lady]

22 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Seems, they have always recognized those hitting the specific benchmarks (every 350 above 700) like   1050, 1400, 1750, 2100  etc.  We've been recognized on the cruises we crossed over the specific thresholds.   They didn't call it anything,  just announced the point threshold and gave us a certificate.  

M

 

 

They were not doing that on Wonder....guess it's just too big...too many C&A members.  

 

Did get our certificates, and the stratum....but just mailed to us.   And actually I never wait for the certificate.....I just call CS, of whom are able to quickly look up the certificate number and use it for my booking.  Using my next one on Wonder end of Feb.  

[island lady]

16 hours ago, yogimax said:

Reaching Pinnacle is a lot more difficult for those of us who don't live in Florida.  I would like to know what percentage of Pinnacles live in Florida and don't have the added expense of significant travel.

 

I live in Florida...but most of my cruises involve flights out of Florida.  There are only so many Caribbean cruises we can stand to repeat over...and over again.  😉 

[The Fun Researcher]

13 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I live in Florida...but most of my cruises involve flights out of Florida.  There are only so many Caribbean cruises we can stand to repeat over...and over again.  😉 

I would wager you are more of the exception than the rule, but who knows.  Out of curiosity, what itineraries are now peaking your interest? 

 

I can see the Caribbean becoming repetitive. (nice first world problem to have though 🙂 )

[cruisin from florida]

28 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I live in Florida...but most of my cruises involve flights out of Florida.  There are only so many Caribbean cruises we can stand to repeat over...and over again.  😉 

Us, too! 

[cruisin from florida]

24 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I would wager you are more of the exception than the rule, but who knows.  Out of curiosity, what itineraries are now peaking your interest? 

 

I can see the Caribbean becoming repetitive. (nice first world problem to have though 🙂 )

For 24-25, we have a Panama Canal, 3 Transatlantics, one Honolulu to Vancouver, a Med and Japan on X, and a couple of Caribbean with friends or family. That's pretty much the only reason we do the Caribbean anymore. 

Two TAs are back and forth on Adventure next fall, with the Celebrity Med cruise in between. The other TA is the recently released Brilliance that hits Iceland and Greenland on the way from South Hampton to Boston.

Last year we did Alaska, New Zealand, and a Transatlantic. The second half of getting to Pinnacle will definitely cost a LOT more than the first half did.

[island lady]

21 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I would wager you are more of the exception than the rule, but who knows.  Out of curiosity, what itineraries are now peaking your interest? 

 

I can see the Caribbean becoming repetitive. (nice first world problem to have though 🙂 )

 

I have Australia/NZ booked (Viking).  The Canadian/Greenland NW passage, including prior cruise on the Great lakes and the SL seaway booked (Viking).  Have to fly to Barcelona to rejoin WC for 4th quarter.  Doing river cruise in Oregon, flying to Portland (American Queen).  Just added B2B Alaska again.  

 

Waiting to book an eastbound TA with French river cruise added on (Viking).  And still want to do the TA from Hong Kong to Vancouver (Viking).  

 

[RFerrington]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

  Using my next one on Wonder end of Feb.  

Wow…you really got to 1400 fast !  Didn’t you just make P1 right after the restart ?  Well done !