Big Changes Coming to RCCL's Loyalty Program

[4bythebeach]

I know this can be a touchy subject, but how much is typical for tipping the concierge? Do you do it everynight?

 

I will be diamond after this cruise and don't want to offend a concierge by not tipping enough.

 

TYA

[Debde]

I hate to tell you but it is my opinion, that in any corporation, they will tell you what you want to hear until an official notice is posted. That-has NOT been done.

 

If I e-mailed RC and said I am thinking about booking the Royal

Suite but have concerns with the CL being over full to capacity and not a very quiet place to go and would like to know if all D/D+ members are allowed in, they would probably tell me something to the fact of No they are not or opening up another lounge.

 

So many people on here have said things like, it was so crowded I took my drink and left, couldn't find a seat and so on-where is the 'perk' in any of that??

[negc]

It keeps us off the streets...:)

 

There is that, I'll grant you.LOL:D:D:D:D

[carmelninetysix]

having the Conceirge Lounge not be too crowded is what the supervisor told me on the phone is why some staff are concerned! Some Concierge's not just the ones that take care of the suites but the persons that have to set up the overflow rooms are not happy about complaints from the Diamond and Diamond plus members and she told me that some staff are complaining because they do not want the D and D plus to have the use of a CL! I wonder if everyone tips; maybe those not staying in a suite do not give out tips! I can only guess the staff is upset because there are too many people to accomadate! She told me that we our entitled to these perks for being loyal to Royal Caribbean! I'm just repeating what the supervisor told me this morning! Someone replied that it was baloney but I am just telling people what she told me! One more cruise and we will be Diamond members!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

[beverland]

I know this can be a touchy subject, but how much is typical for tipping the concierge? Do you do it everynight?

 

I will be diamond after this cruise and don't want to offend a concierge by not tipping enough.

 

TYA

 

Our tips will vary based on what services are performed for us during the cruise. If reservations are made for us for specialty restaurants or spa treatments, then I tip more than if I don't use any special services. We also tip the bartender in the lounge. We tip the concierge and bartender/s on the last night.

[CaesarsNcruisin4me]

having the Conceirge Lounge not be too crowded is what the supervisor told me on the phone is why some staff are concerned! Some Concierge's not just the ones that take care of the suites but the persons that have to set up the overflow rooms are not happy about complaints from the Diamond and Diamond plus members and she told me that some staff are complaining because they do not want the D and D plus to have the use of a CL! I wonder if everyone tips; maybe those not staying in a suite do not give out tips! I can only guess the staff is upset because there are too many people to accomadate! She told me that we our entitled to these perks for being loyal to Royal Caribbean! I'm just repeating what the supervisor told me this morning! Someone replied that it was baloney but I am just telling people what she told me! One more cruise and we will be Diamond members!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

 

Personally I can see that some of the Concierge's aren't big fans of Diamond and Diamond+ members. Have you guys met some of these people?????:eek: :eek: Now before you all get your knickers in a knot.....I AM a Diamond member....BUT...I have seen many rude and obnoxious D/D+ members treat crew members harshly cause they thought that their status of D/D+ meant that they owned the ship!:rolleyes:

 

Now don't get me wrong........many many D/D+ members are extremely friendly and tip well and still appreciate the experience of cruising BUT there are a whole heck of alot of bad apples out there that are D/D+ members that give the rest of nice D/D+ members a bad rap!:)

[PH8]

I wonder if everyone tips; maybe those not staying in a suite do not give out tips!

Why assume that?? Could very well,be the opposite.......I think(in most cases,not all),the ones with less money(those we dont get suites cuz of the cost) tend to tip better then those who do have money.....

 

Personally I can see that some of the Concierge's aren't big fans of Diamond and Diamond+ members. Have you guys met some of these people?????:eek: :eek: Now before you all get your knickers in a knot.....I AM a Diamond member....BUT...I have seen many rude and obnoxious D/D+ members treat crew members harshly cause they thought that their status of D/D+ meant that they owned the ship!:rolleyes:

 

Now don't get me wrong........many many D/D+ members are extremely friendly and tip well and still appreciate the experience of cruising BUT there are a whole heck of alot of bad apples out there that are D/D+ members that give the rest of nice D/D+ members a bad rap!:)

I so agree Sandie.......we have been told more than once by cabin stewards for being DP,we were very easy going and not demanding...for instance,we're not going to get bent outta shape if we dont have ice all the time(like some complain about)...Some DPs treat the crew like their personal servants(slaves!)

[carmelninetysix]

Diamond status! Hubby and I would never even think about treating a staff/crew member badly! Everyone works so hard to keep all guests happy and content on each and every sailing! If we had to go to an overflow lounge we would not complain in fact we would go voluntarily if asked! I would not care where we had our compliemntary drinks! I would prefer to be in another room anyway where it would not be as crowded! I wonder if in the future Royal Caribbean will designate/refurbish another more private area for Diamond and Diamond plus members just like the Freedom Class of Ships has!!! I do not know if Royal Caribbean will do this because they will have to take away another lounge/area on the ship from their other guests! If they could find a way to implement a new area/lounge I think that would take care of any and all problems at least for the most part! I'm sure someone would still find something to complain about but not us! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

[negc]

Personally I can see that some of the Concierge's aren't big fans of Diamond and Diamond+ members. Have you guys met some of these people?????:eek: :eek: Now before you all get your knickers in a knot.....I AM a Diamond member....BUT...I have seen many rude and obnoxious D/D+ members treat crew members harshly cause they thought that their status of D/D+ meant that they owned the ship!:rolleyes:

 

Now don't get me wrong........many many D/D+ members are extremely friendly and tip well and still appreciate the experience of cruising BUT there are a whole heck of alot of bad apples out there that are D/D+ members that give the rest of nice D/D+ members a bad rap!:)

Your comment sounds like one of those "some of my best friends are...." remarks and is totally unjustified. Saying that there are a "heck of a lot of bad apples out there that are D/D+ members" has no more basis in fact than if you had said "some guests in suites think that they should be treated as if they own the ship". Rude and inconsiderate guests are just that and they aren't limited to any particular stateroom category or loyalty program status.:rolleyes: Do you really think that those rude and obnoxious passengers who treat crew members so inconsiderately, do so because they have achieved a certain status in C& A or because they can afford to book a suite on their cruise? IMHO, it is more likely because they are, by their very nature, rude and obnoxious people. Stereotyping people really is senseless and hurtful and wrong. We should avoid it whenever possible and this thread might be a good place to start.

[Host Kewlguy]

What do base this on? Many people brag about being big tippers but unless you actually see everyones tip to the concierge this is just your opinion and speculation.

 

I would say it's more than likely frequent cruisers who become friends with the concierge will give him a little more than the person who cruises once every five years and will probably never see the guy again. I don't think it takes a brain surgeon to figure that out.

[glgolfer]

Well said, Bill. Considering there have been posts here by suite guests saying they have paid so much for their cruise and all the D/D+ have done is cruise a lot in cheap cabins they shouln't be allowed in the CL.

Not all suite guests are snobs, just as not all D/D+ are obnoxious.

 

There was a story on here a while back about a woman demanding something because she was a gold member. It's not the level or the accommendations, it's the individual.

[Host Kewlguy]

I know this can be a touchy subject, but how much is typical for tipping the concierge? Do you do it everynight?

 

I will be diamond after this cruise and don't want to offend a concierge by not tipping enough.

 

TYA

 

First off you're not obligated to tip him/her anything if you choose not to. If you feel the concierge has taken good care of you and you want to show your appreciation by all means tip him/her at the end of the cruise. They work very hard and the majority of the ones we've gotten to know certainly deserve the tips we've left.

[PH8]

Your comment sounds like one of those "some of my best friends are...." remarks and is totally unjustified. Saying that there are a "heck of a lot of bad apples out there that are D/D+ members" has no more basis in fact than if you had said "some guests in suites think that they should be treated as if they own the ship". Rude and inconsiderate guests are just that and they aren't limited to any particular stateroom category or loyalty program status.:rolleyes: Do you really think that those rude and obnoxious passengers who treat crew members so inconsiderately, do so because they have achieved a certain status in C& A or because they can afford to book a suite on their cruise? IMHO, it is more likely because they are, by their very nature, rude and obnoxious people. Stereotyping people really is senseless and hurtful and wrong. We should avoid it whenever possible and this thread might be a good place to start.

 

Well said, Bill. Considering there have been posts here by suite guests saying they have paid so much for their cruise and all the D/D+ have done is cruise a lot in cheap cabins they shouln't be allowed in the CL.

Not all suite guests are snobs, just as not all D/D+ are obnoxious.

 

There was a story on here a while back about a woman demanding something because she was a gold member. It's not the level or the accommendations, it's the individual.

Sandie didnt say ALL D/DP/Suite pax are snobs.....she said she has personally seen quite a few,but she also said she has seen plenty that are not snobs........

 

and I still agree with her.

[glgolfer]

PH - so did I, just added suite guests and said not all of either one were

elitists.

[carmelninetysix]

only 1 more cruise Yippee!!! How much and how often should we tip our Conceirge we will NOT be in a Suite just a balcony stateroom? I know we will only be able to use the Diamond/Diamond plus Conceirge Lounge and that's just fine by Hubby and myself!!! Thanks for any information because someone posted that it is not necessary to tip! I thought that it was mandatory to tip and that is why I thought some staff were upset with there being too many Diamond and D Plus members and possibly not tipping! I just was wondering if we should have singles on hand to pass out to our servers? Thanks just planning ahead!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

[Host Kewlguy]

only 1 more cruise Yippee!!! How much and how often should we tip our Conceirge we will NOT be in a Suite just a balcony stateroom? I know we will only be able to use the Diamond/Diamond plus Conceirge Lounge and that's just fine by Hubby and myself!!! Thanks for any information because someone posted that it is not necessary to tip! I thought that it was mandatory to tip and that is why I thought some staff were upset with there being too many Diamond and D Plus members and possibly not tipping! I just was wondering if we should have singles on hand to pass out to our servers? Thanks just planning ahead!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

 

It's not mandatory to tip the concierge. It's strictly a personal decision. If we are happy with the service the concierge provided to us we will tip him on the last night. No one we have ever seen tips per drink or even per night. It's not necessary.

[glgolfer]

We tip the Concierge and their assistant (if there is one) on the last night. A discreet handshake with the tip in your hand seems to work best.

 

Even if they don't do anything specific for you, they're responsible for the room, the continental breakfast and food in the evening, keeping the coffee machine working (shich has been a full time job on some ships), mixing drinks and generally working his *** off.

 

But, as kewlguy said, you are not obligated to tip them.

[cruzincurt]

It's not strip club, so I don't expect to be handing out dollar bills for every little thing. If that's what is expected for being loyal RCCL customers, forget it.

[PH8]

PH - so did I, just added suite guests and said not all of either one were

elitists.

Gotcha!! Sure dont want to be accused of being arrogant...;)

[captain bob]

We were in the CL every nite [never crowded] for pre dinner drinks 2 weeks ago and tipped the waiter who really made great drinks, on the last nite of the cruise. After the first nite, he just made the "usual" when we sat down each time. He also gave free drinks to our kids when he saw them at other bars on the ship.

[negc]

Sandie didnt say ALL D/DP/Suite pax are snobs.....she said she has personally seen quite a few,but she also said she has seen plenty that are not snobs........

 

and I still agree with her.

 

I don't disagree with you PH, although I might quibble with the term "quite a few".;) My point was that those obnoxious individuals did not get to be that way because they occupied suites or had achieved Diamond or Diamond Plus status and no one should imply that their status is somehow related to their snobbishness. Those people are obnoxious regardless of their status and they only use that status in an attempt to justify their behavior.:rolleyes:

[jamscckmc]

I just got my card today with a letter welcoming me and it listed the levels, they haven't chanced yet , I would think they would start with the new Gold members to list the new changes.

[CaesarsNcruisin4me]

Your comment sounds like one of those "some of my best friends are...." remarks and is totally unjustified. Saying that there are a "heck of a lot of bad apples out there that are D/D+ members" has no more basis in fact than if you had said "some guests in suites think that they should be treated as if they own the ship". Rude and inconsiderate guests are just that and they aren't limited to any particular stateroom category or loyalty program status. Do you really think that those rude and obnoxious passengers who treat crew members so inconsiderately, do so because they have achieved a certain status in C& A or because they can afford to book a suite on their cruise? IMHO, it is more likely because they are, by their very nature, rude and obnoxious people. Stereotyping people really is senseless and hurtful and wrong. We should avoid it whenever possible and this thread might be a good place to start.

 

We obviously don't see things in the same light.:rolleyes: Yes I do believe that some people view their status as an entitlement to be rude and inconsiderate. I have seen far more people exclaim that "I'm D/D+ and .........blah blah blah" then "I'm in cruising in the Royal Suite and.....blah blah blah"

 

BTW....you should re-read my post correctly...........as I clearly said some not all.:rolleyes: Besides I've seen the rudeness firsthand and stand by my OP as posted!

 

Well said, Bill. Considering there have been posts here by suite guests saying they have paid so much for their cruise and all the D/D+ have done is cruise a lot in cheap cabins they shouln't be allowed in the CL.

Not all suite guests are snobs, just as not all D/D+ are obnoxious.

 

There was a story on here a while back about a woman demanding something because she was a gold member. It's not the level or the accommendations, it's the individual.

 

Well no sense in arguing about apples and oranges.....No where did I say that all D/D+ members were snobs.:confused: LOL.....that would be calling myself one.....and I'm far more of a princess than a snob!!!:D Outside joke.....sorry.

 

I don't disagree with you PH, although I might quibble with the term "quite a few". My point was that those obnoxious individuals did not get to be that way because they occupied suites or had achieved Diamond or Diamond Plus status and no one should imply that their status is somehow related to their snobbishness. Those people are obnoxious regardless of their status and they only use that status in an attempt to justify their behavior.:rolleyes:

 

Actually in certain individuals their status is directly related to their snobbishness. As their elevation of status rises....their entitlement radar rises and results in the obnoxious behaviour that is witnessed when observing such individuals.:rolleyes: If you watch people in the CL you will notice that more people use their status to get their way than what suite they're sailing in. Anyways you missed the point of my post........and that was that I completely understand the feeling of the concierge when dealing with such people and believe they have a valid point. Take some time out and actually observe people in the CL sometimes and you will have a clearer picture of what I'm talking about.

[CaesarsNcruisin4me]

I so agree Sandie.......we have been told more than once by cabin stewards for being DP,we were very easy going and not demanding...for instance,we're not going to get bent outta shape if we dont have ice all the time(like some complain about)...Some DPs treat the crew like their personal servants(slaves!)

 

Thanks Kathy.........you get what I was trying to say.:)

 

Sandie didnt say ALL D/DP/Suite pax are snobs.....she said she has personally seen quite a few,but she also said she has seen plenty that are not snobs........

 

and I still agree with her.

 

Thanks for getting it Kathy! I always knew you were a smart woman!;) Hmmm....I seemed to have misplaced my tierra:p .......must have left in it the CL:p :p :D

[glgolfer]

Probably if you read what Bill and I said, you would see that we never disagreed with you. You just seemed to make the assertion that it was only D or D+ that were rude in the CL. I have seen the same behavior by suite guests the many times I've been in the CL and around the ships the last few years.

A person doesn't become rude and obnoxious just because they get enough credits to be D/D+ or enough money to be in a suite, they were that way before.

All you have to do is stand by the Customer Service desk for a while and first time cruisers can have the "it's my cruise and you better give me what I want" syndrome as well as anyone else.

 

As Strother Martin said in Cool Hand Luke "What we have here is a failure to communicate".