Big Changes Coming to RCCL's Loyalty Program

[FL_Cruiser64]

Why shouldn't children who's parents are Diamond status retain the same status when they move out on their own? As far as I know, I've paid the same for our children to cruise as I did for my DW and I. As far as I'm concerned, they have already earned Diamond status and should not be required to earn it a second time.

 

I don't think the issue is if they cruised that many times to be Diamond.

 

Lets say your son is 17 and cruised 5 times on RCI and you just completed your 10th cruise making you and your spouse Diamond. You take your son for graduation on a cruise and he is on that cruise Diamond. 3 month later he moves out (at 18). Why should he retain the Diamond status? And regardless who paid he had only 6 paid cruise fares.

 

It is even worse if a couple with Diamond status gets divorced. Each of them marries again and their new spouses automatically receive diamond status. They cruise a couple times and both couples split releasing the former new spouses as Diamond members with way less then 10 cruises.

 

Now those two are incidents which well, can happen. But since so called immediate family in the same household is included you can run amok and the 3 people I met abused the system intentionally. They pretty much said that they claimed to live in the same household to gain that status. Even the dealer shook his head.

 

There is no problem that immediate family of lesser C & A levels get temporarily assigned the highest level of the family member traveling. You really don't want split families with restricted access to CLs or DLs. But unless people gained a C & A level through cruise credits they should fall back to the level they earned when NOT traveling with immediate family members of the higher level. Otherwise the system is subject to abuse and the majority of cruisers will suffer one day just like the 3% cash withdrawal fee in the casino is on the horizon.

[gjkubel]

It is even worse if a couple with Diamond status gets divorced. Each of them marries again and their new spouses automatically receive diamond status. They cruise a couple times and both couples split releasing the former new spouses as Diamond members with way less then 10 cruises.

 

And if they are like the Brady Bunch, then you have all those kids who's step parents married them into diamond status. I think this could be the undoing of RCCL, soon people all around the world are going to be marrying people just to get their diamond status, and then divorcing them. Maybe I should auction myself off, as I am a diamond member. Can you imagine how much a diamond+ person would go for!

 

Please, I think there are much more serious problems in the world, and these people's lives, like maybe the fact that they are going through a divorce.

[suzyed]

Well, that kinda stinks! :mad: Here we just made Platinum last year and will get two credits for our Med cruise in Sept. Guess we'll never see Diamond now. Good reason to branch out to NCL, HAL and Princess. I have a feeling that in the long run this is just going to hurt them, especially for us that were trying to get to that next level in another year or so. So much for RCI being loyal to us.

Aubie

I absolutely agree! Now is a good time to try the others, since diamond status is all but, out of reach for most. We just sailed on NCL for the first time, in a suite, and got many many suite perks that dont seem to be available on RCI, unless you are diamond or diamond plus. I guess we no longer have a reason to be "loyal" to RCI. :o

[monn_a]

I agree with a couple of others have stated I cruise because I enjoy it, the perks are an extra, albeit, the discounts are great. On another note I recently read an article (can't recall where, maybe here on CC) that the cruise lines were in fact upping their perks because of the "on ship" prices schemes that are coming down the pipe. So who knows...? But who cares I'd rather being on a ship with no perks then sitting at work anyday.... :)

[suzyed]

I had to call C&A three times with my past booking number to get credit for a cruise. They claim they cannot find past records without the booking number.

My son-in-law's past cruise was not on record. I had to provide his name, DOB, his address at the time of the cruise, cruise ship and date of sailing. I did not have to provide his booking number. I did it through the website and the number was e-mailed to me within a week.:)

Good luck!