Permanent change to lounge access?

[BND]

Someone just posted this screenshot on FB.  We knew it was coming.  Anyone else see this? Thoughts?  

 

[BND]

Someone did say they thought it was per sailing, but this looks more than just one sailing/ship.  Just curious if anyone else has seen this?

[firefly333]

It's what is posted in the app for that particular sailing. I posted the same thing on my b2b2b harmony had that exact same thing. Its each sailing. Click on the banner welcome aboard in your app is where you see that.

 

Not permanent. Its for that sailing.

[A&L_Ont]

Others beat me too it. 

Edited February 7 by A&L_Ont

[BND]

Just now, A&L_Ont said:

Hasn’t it been this way for some time, six months or more?

Not on every sailing.  We've seen it on a couple and not on others.  

[BND]

Just now, firefly333 said:

It's what is posted in the app for that particular sailing. I posted the same thing on my b2b2b harmony had that exact same thing. Its each sailing. Click on the banner welcome aboard in your app is where you see that.

 

Not permanent. Its for that sailing.

It's not mine.  As I said, someone posted a screenshot but never said what ship or sailing.

[A&L_Ont]

11 minutes ago, BND said:

Not on every sailing.  We've seen it on a couple and not on others.  

Changed by response, while you were in the process of quoting me. 

Edited February 7 by A&L_Ont

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, BND said:

It's not mine.  As I said, someone posted a screenshot but never said what ship or sailing.

Then why say in the title its permanent if you dont know?. I've posted that exact same thing here on cc. When harmony first came to Galveston we had too many high level and all 4 of my weeks this was in the info. It's on your app ... few here knew that welcome banner was a live link. It's for that sailing... unknown.

 

I posted that exact same thing as you have. Treeskier was disappointed as almost diamond. 

[CSHS1979]

Ongoing, nothing new

[RFerrington]

The current sailing of Allure has 80 Pinns and all have full access.  This is going to be a ship-by-ship, sailing-by-sailing thing like it has been for a number of months.  As @CSHS1979 noted...nothing new here.

[HicksRA]

Maybe not fleetwide yet but just a matter of time. 
In BND’s defense, he/she did place a “?” at the end of the title…

Edited February 7 by HicksRA

[ticketsunlimited]

4 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

Maybe not fleetwide yet but just a matter of time. 

I agree, its just a slow burn to ease us all into the abyss slowly

[HicksRA]

Just an attempt by Royal trying to tame the monster they created with the double points fiasco post Covid. 

[BND]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Then why say in the title its permanent if you dont know?. I've posted that exact same thing here on cc. When harmony first came to Galveston we had too many high level and all 4 of my weeks this was in the info. It's on your app ... few here knew that welcome banner was a live link. It's for that sailing... unknown.

 

I posted that exact same thing as you have. Treeskier was disappointed as almost diamond. 

Did you see the question mark?  That means it's not a statement, but a question.

[BND]

35 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

Maybe not fleetwide yet but just a matter of time. 
In BND’s defense, he/she did place a “?” at the end of the title…

Oh, many have stated they think it's coming.  Having done 12 cruises since restart, it's happening more and more.   And, the numbers just show it has to happen.

[Tatka]

31 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

Just an attempt by Royal trying to tame the monster they created with the double points fiasco post Covid. 

 

Honestly with removing unlimited drinks in Diamond lounge they already reduced a number of people who go there during HH.

 

For us it is also a location. I like lounges with windows or adjacent to Viking Crown lounges or at least places with windows like on Quantum class.

 

I find that I do not go into DL (now Crown lounge) on Oasis class as it is just in bad location.

 

[alfaeric]

if you want to avoid this, sail when prices are high.  That way the number of Pins on the sailing are low.  Or get a full suite.  We were on 4 cruises in December and the most Pins sailing was just 20 on the Symphony.  

 

And it's only really a concern on a handful of ships- where CK access might be limited.  Other than that, there's always the Crown Lounge.

 

But I'm sure there will be plenty of CC people who will panic and demand a protest.

[Tree_skier]

This is exactly what was in the app for the first half of our Harmony B2B in December.  It wasn't in the app for week two and of course Diamonds had full access to the CL on week two.  It isn't showing up in the app for my sailing next week on Adventure so I expect I'll have full access.  

 

I know people are suspecting this is a precursor to it being permanent across the fleet however, as long as it accomplishes what they want, I think it will continue to be on a sailing by sailing basis.  Maybe I'm too optimistic.  🙂 

[Tatka]

12 minutes ago, alfaeric said:

if you want to avoid this, sail when prices are high.  That way the number of Pins on the sailing are low.  Or get a full suite.  We were on 4 cruises in December and the most Pins sailing was just 20 on the Symphony. 

 

Our 11 day sailing on Anthem on Jan 7th to Southern Carribean was pretty expensive. And it featured 120 Pinnacles. Number is just rising and rising.  🙂 

[doghog]

If we were Diamond we'd be PO and we would complain to the LA  for that specific cruise. They are making an assumption based on the number of Ds, D+ and Ps booked for that cruise, not on actual use of the CL. I'd tell the LA it should be first come first serve during the HH. I do like extra sharp cheese to go with my whine. 🍷🧀🤣

Edited February 7 by doghog

[Tatka]

30 minutes ago, doghog said:

If we were Diamond we'd be PO and we would complain to the LA  for that specific cruise. They are making an assumption based on the number of Ds, D+ and Ps booked for that cruise, not on actual use of the CL. I'd tell the LA it should be first come first serve during the HH. I do like extra sharp cheese to go with my whine. 🍷🧀🤣

 

Why? It is a normal practice now. Rules are changing as number of people who get to higher statuses grow. On our sailing there was 705 D and 546 D+ and 120 Pinnacles. This is a huge number of people to handle in one lounge in 3 hours. Many people attend. And you cannot assume they won't. Otherwise you will need to start turning away people at entrance. This will create larger problems and even confrontations.

 

Due to this RCI now gives vouchers to use in other bars. We are D+ now, but we would understand if we were Ds.

 

Name of Diamond lounge was changed to Crown due to this I suspect.

 

LA cannot do anything about this. New rules implemented for 6 months already.

Edited February 7 by Tatka

[leisuretraveler223]

Since status NEVER goes away, it's basically a bad math problem. There are a ton of people with status. It doesn't really mean anything anymore.  It's kind of the same problem you're seeing with airport lounges and airline upgrades.  I'm Diamond Medallion with Delta. The last time I flew, it was a 737 from Boston to Ft. Myers and I was number FORTY-ONE on the upgrade list.  That means on there were forty people with higher status than me.  You can't get a higher tier than Diamond, so it was just a ton of top tier travelers.  It's all getting pointless.

[doghog]

40 minutes ago, Tatka said:

 

Why? It is a normal practice now. Rules are changing as number of people who get to higher statuses grow. On our sailing there was 705 D and 546 D+ and 120 Pinnacles. This is a huge number of people to handle in one lounge in 3 hours. Many people attend. And you cannot assume they won't. Otherwise you will need to start turning away people at entrance. This will create larger problems and even confrontations.

 

Due to this RCI now gives vouchers to use in other bars. We are D+ now, but we would understand if we were Ds.

 

Name of Diamond lounge was changed to Crown due to this I suspect.

 

LA cannot do anything about this. New rules implemented for 6 months already.

Why what? You are assuming a lot. I'm not assuming anything! Very familiar with the CAS drinks, who gets what, and when. We aren't Diamonds but if we were, we'd voice our complaints if denied entrance to the CL during HH. To the CLC and the LA. You may call that confrontation. I don't. Where dose it end (not a question)! D+ next!! 

Edited February 7 by doghog

[Tatka]

15 minutes ago, doghog said:

Why what? You are assuming a lot. I'm not assuming anything! Very familiar with the CAS drinks, who gets what, and when. We aren't Diamonds but if we were, we'd voice our complaints if denied entrance to the CL during HH. To the CLC and the LA. You may call that confrontation. I don't. Where dose it end (not a question)! D+! 

 

Why would you voice your opinion about company rules?

It is not LA who decides to allow or not D to Crown lounge. It is a RCI decision.

Name is changed from Diamond Lounge to Crown Lounge for a reason. It is kind of difficult to explain why  Diamonds are not allowed into Diamond lounge.

After this it is regulated based on number of people of certain statuses on every sailing.

 

Royal adjusted rules and rather than having Happy Hours with unlimited drinks in lounge all Diamonds get 4 drinks in any bar throughout a day, Diamonds Plus get 5 and Pinnacles get 6. So the only thing that Diamonds are losing is access to this lounge and snacks. If all D, D+ and Pinnacles are allowed it will be suprecrowded and it will be difficult to change anything after the fact. So RCI made a decision to limit access during this time if there are many guests of certain statuses.  

 

Confrontation will happen if all people are allowed and there are too many of them and LA will need to start barring people from entrance. This is why rules are announced in the beginning of each cruise. If number of D,D+,P is low then Ds are allowed to CL on that week. Otherwise they are not. And it is only between 5:00 and 8:00 PM.

 

You can complain, but it is a rule

Edited February 7 by Tatka

[BND]

As for when to sail with less pinnacles, our experience is a shorter cruise and for us, in particular 5 night to Bermuda from Baltimore accomplishes that.  Our last 5 night Bermuda cruise in 2022 on EN, as D+ with 400 something points, we were #3 for points onboard and were recognized at the Top Tier.  There were literally 2 Pinns onboard and we were next in line lol.