Royal Champions Vereses the rest of us

[sea-cruise]

Sigh...

I will just have to do my best to put it in perspective now that I know what an RC is.

There you go, Todd! That's what I do too. Even though I've been cruising for 29 years, there are still things I'd like to learn. When I see a post by a CC member who is always one way I click the Screen Name, then click on "Find all Posts" and I read a few of their posts to see if they're just crabby all the time, or what.

Then you can kind of get to know a person, more or less.

Hope you have a good week and thanks for your opinion.

[BecciBoo]

I expect no special treatment from RCI when on a cruise. Everyone is a Champion in my book.

 

Ata girl Patti! I was with Lee and the other originals at the pre inaugural on Liberty, but at the time I was just a gold C&A member. I was only there by way of the poetry contest I won, but I do consider myself as a sort of RCI cheerleader in that I just think they're swell:) I've never had a bad cruise with them and so I tell everybody and chat up my experiences. I may have been guilty of posting one liners to boost my count, but only because I was in a friendly competition with a CC friend on some roll call. The actual designations really are not important to me. I just want to have fun on CC and on cruises. And I'm too busy trying to get to diamond for the lounge priviledges to try another line.:rolleyes: I don't think my being a champion is any big deal. I agree with Patti! I even took my cruise history off my sig because I just didn't see the point. The other sig designation I sport is just something a bunch of us girls on a specific thread dreamed up due to our similarities. It wasn't meant to promote a click. Don't feel left out if you don't belong to the Wackadoodle Sisterhood either. No percs there! But I don't think that it's a crime to want to make yourself feel special. It's human nature. You can't escape the one up philosophy because we all do it. That's why we all have different tastes in clothes and music and other things. We want to be different but at the same time feel special by being exclusive in some way. All these designations and memberships are all about the human need to be "one up" not "one down". Basic Psych 101. And that's why the OP posted this thread. . It's O.K. LOL! Just step up! Bon Vivon.

[DireMongoose]

Absolutely this phrase had me wiping the screen off without reading further into your comment. Struck me funny as heck.

 

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. :)

[sea-cruise]

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. :)

You had me laughing too! I'll BBL being you'll be here all week. I need some cheering up! :o:D

[critterchick]

Schplinky, I heart you. Loved what you said (which I'm not going to quote in its long, eloquent entirety).

 

The inaugural sailing of the Liberty is an example of what RC'ers got that D+ people did not. I'm told the RC'ers got parties and wined and dined and gifts of filled tot bags.

 

The D+ benefit of free booze doesn't interest me, I don't drink more then a glass of wine or two the whole week. As for your statement that RCL has the best rewards program I disagree. I can disagee right? I prefer free laundry, pressing, dry cleaning, mini bar set up and free internet on Princess BUT I still sail more on RCL for the product. My pointis that RCL is no longer my #1 choice because of their lack of loyalty to me so i look at many cruises now, not just RCL.

 

Not true. First of all, it was a pre-inaugural, not the inaugural sailing, where the RCs were invited. There were far more D+ passengers onboard. They got balcony cabins, we got OV on deck 2 (and I was D+ at the time, but my invite was as a Royal Champion, so them's the breaks). Yes, we got a party, but since everything on the ship was free, it didn't really matter where we drank. There was also a D+ party just for them. I went since I was D+ - some other RCs thought I was out of line for doing so.

 

We all ate the same food.

 

We got a bag with some gifts - all I remember is a commuter mug and a pin, that I didn't find until after the cruise because it was tucked away. One bag per cabin, so our guests didn't get one. It was all a wonderful experience, and it cost me less than many because I was able to use FF miles and FG hotel points to get there and stay overnight.

 

As for the loyalty program, I think that RCI HAD the best in the business, but Princess has closed the gap, if not pulled ahead. Not only are RCI pax no longer allowed to combine benefits, but the coupon books now contain more crap than anything usable (for me, anyway). The D+ amenity list has shrunk considerably, including eliminating the most of the nice wines they used to offer. RCI is struggling to stay afloat and it shows in the way they are disregarding their premium passengers.

 

WOW--this is quite enlightening & disturbing..do all cruise lines do this on various boards? What perks do they recive? I must be naive.....I thought people posted (like me) because they enjoyed sharing info about cruising..not to promote a particular line... The inquiry has more to do with how one gets favored status but I question the favored status program to begin with...

 

-How do I know that people are posting true opinions rather than sucking up to the ones who give them Champion status-? People always used to wonder about so called "Cheerleaders" & now it seems we know why.... Really lends a taint to the process... maybe Champions should have to disclose their atatus like lobbyists--

 

took some of the enjoyment out of my day! Think I'll play a word game or read a book!

 

I would be a lot more suspicious of somebody with a lot of cruises saying nice things because the perks for elite-level (over 50 cruise credits) D+, although diminished recently, are better than anything the RCs have seen.:rolleyes:

[sea-cruise]

Jean & Becci....Now that does it! I'm going to yank my dolly out of her stroller and throw her on the floor! :mad: I didn't get no stinkin' free cruise! :mad:

:o

Acccckkk....I just went back and read your post again. You got a commuter mug and a pin? This adds to my fury.

uh....I hope everyone here realizes I'm just joking.

[dkjretired]

All programs include some and exclude others, based on the point of the program. It is easy to reach C&A PLatinum or Diamond by viirtue of a string of cheap weekend cruises out of Florida. We simply cannot justify a monthly weekend cruise because of the cost of airfare. Should those people really be rewarded ahead of others who spend more on a single cruise by virtue of its length or through buying an expensive suite? On the other hand , should someone in that expensive suite be treated better via suite perks than a person on an inside who has sailed on RCL for years and years faithfully, in more meagre accommodation?

 

All of these programs have their goals. The C&A program engenders brand loyalty, the suite perks program encourages folks to buy a more expensive week and the Champions program is a marketing program to encourage those who already saying nice things about the line to continue sampling and talking about all the line has to offer.

 

I am a Champion but I certainly do not begrudge others the perks they have received via other programs. When you reach Diamond Plus, I'm sure you'll be pleased but the real difference is that we'll be pleased for you.

 

If they are using as one of the criteria # of posts how do they account for those who have lost thousands of posts in the various computer changes over the years.

 

For example, I am a charter member going back to 94 or 95 whatever it was and probably lost 30 to 40 thousand posts in the various computer changes. HOw many remember when this board was exclusively under AOL. I mean no disrespect but to me Schplinky and many others are newbies on this board...

[setsail]

If they are using as one of the criteria # of posts how do they account for those who have lost thousands of posts in the various computer changes over the years.

 

For example, I am a charter member going back to 94 or 95 whatever it was and probably lost 30 to 40 thousand posts in the various computer changes. HOw many remember when this board was exclusively under AOL. I mean no disrespect but to me Schplinky and many others are newbies on this board...

 

You must be older than dirt. I remember,I lost some post also during one of those change overs because I wasn't posting at that time. But, its long gone and #of post,join date,etc doesn't mean a thing to me.

[BecciBoo]

in a free country at least until we become a socialized one :D

 

Your entire premis is actually very socialistic. You'd like everyone to be treated equally with no special recognition....unless they spend a whole lot of money on cruises with RCI, right? So I guess my poetry doesn't count for much with you, does it? Meany! Just kidding. I am just really fortunate to have been on that pre inaugural and I appreciated it along with a lot of others on this thread. Mary don't you dare quit posting your research on here!:mad: I value every scrap of information I find here and hope I have been of help to people. This is all much ado about nothing! And I ain't changin my sig for nobody!

[familycruzer]

I would love to get an invite to be a RC as well but I dont begrudge those who have been given the honor.

 

I cruise with RC because their ships fit my family and I am happy with the product they put out.

 

BUT, if there was a method to their madness, Michelle and Robyn would be members right now.

[BecciBoo]

This is what I've been wondering all the while I read this thread.

 

Some regular posters here would be surprised that I am an RC. I don't put it on my signature, I don't post to the RC thread.

 

The funny thing is, they chose me when I was a gold member and I rarely posted on the RCI board back then. This was 2 years ago and I probably do favor them more now than I had, so I suppose it worked ;)

 

We were invited to the Liberty pre-inaugural and we went. We spent over $400 to fly there, rented a car, rented a hotel room...so it wasn't a cheap trip for a 2 day cruise, but we did feel honored to be invited.

 

Many of us at that time questioned why we were chosen and no one had any idea. RCI has never let me know why they chose me. Reading this thread makes me feel like some people expect us to give it up because they weren't invited. If it were up to me, many more would be a part of the group, but it is not up to me, or anyone at CC to make any part of the choice.

 

Cathy is totally correct, you should have seen some of us scratching our heads??:confused: I knew why I was there and loved it, others we thought were there because they were diamond, others because they were TAs. So I got a bag and a cup and a floaty PC mouse that doesn't even fit my pc anymore....big deal. I already gave it away to a TA I know. Oh and the cup leaked from day one and now holds my pens/pencils.

[sea-cruise]

Becci, I just realized what you meant...(gotta remember I'm way older than you and not as quick to read stuff)....You won a poetry contest and the prize was a cruise? :eek: That's great! Is it about cruising? Where can we read the poem?

[DireMongoose]

If they are using as one of the criteria # of posts how do they account for those who have lost thousands of posts in the various computer changes over the years.

 

For example, I am a charter member going back to 94 or 95 whatever it was and probably lost 30 to 40 thousand posts in the various computer changes. HOw many remember when this board was exclusively under AOL. I mean no disrespect but to me Schplinky and many others are newbies on this board...

 

There are a couple angles there that I can see:

 

1) It's probable that their analysis goes a lot deeper than simple post counts. I mean, the Nielsen internet marketing analysis people are pretty serious about this stuff from all accounts and in many ways are the standard on this kind of thing as much as the Nielsen TV ratings are the standard for TV viewership.

 

2) In a certain sense, they really may not care what you posted in '94 so much as who's driving their business and boosting their brand right now.

 

3) It seems probable that they're trying to pick a wide cross section of people, marketwise. If the top 10 most influential posters on CC overall are all 60+ years old (or whatever... if many of them are alike or similar in whatever way), maybe picking those 10 people doesn't make as much sense as picking 5 of those people, plus the most helpful person under 20, plus the most helpful European cruiser, plus the most helpful person on the Caribbean destination boards, or whatever.

[BecciBoo]

Becci, I just realized what you meant...(gotta remember I'm way older than you and not as quick to read stuff)....You won a poetry contest and the prize was a cruise? :eek: That's great! Is it about cruising? Where can we read the poem?

 

Where have you been? It was a contest on here at CC and the members voted on it. It would take forever to tell you all about it. It is on Liberty at the door to the Cruise Directors office. Emmy's Boa's wrote the first poem which is on Freedom. The contest resulted from that and I won the prize. Email me and I'll send you a copy. tabwells@att.net

[emmy]

Actually for me one of the best and most lasting things I got out of that Pre Inaugural 2 day cruise was the new friendships I started and getting to meet so many of my fellow CC posters in person who have been there to help me with questions over the years on CC.

 

And yes I do recall when the board was exclusively under Aol and I also remember the 'rubber band ' parties before CC and RCI forged the Meet & Mingle. :)

[BecciBoo]

:rolleyes::DI really think this thread is gonna be the joke of the week at the RCI offices

[sea-cruise]

Where have you been? It was a contest on here at CC and the members voted on it. It would take forever to tell you all about it. It is on Liberty at the door to the Cruise Directors office. Emmi's Boa's wrote the first poem which is on Freedom. The contest resulted from that and I won the prize. Email me and I'll send you a copy. tabwells@att.net

There was about a year that I didn't post at all or visit CC because I sold the business and moved all the computers out, and didn't have a computer hooked up here in the house for awhile.

I'll email you. Thanks. I'd love to read it.

[BecciBoo]

Actually for me one of the best and most lasting things I got out of that Pre Inaugural 2 day cruise was the new friendships I started and getting to meet so many of my fellow CC posters in person who have been there to help me with questions over the years on CC.

 

And yes I do recall when the board was exclusively under Aol and I also remember the 'rubber band ' parties before CC and RCI forged the Meet & Mingle. :)

Ain't it the truth Emmy!:p I lost all the posts from my first 2 cruises way back during the pc deal or I would probably have 7000 posts. I didn't post for 2 years until we booked Liberty for Sept. 2007 and then the contest...and the rest is history.

[cruisePRN]

Your entire premis is actually very socialistic. You'd like everyone to be treated equally with no special recognition....unless they spend a whole lot of money on cruises with RCI, right? So I guess my poetry doesn't count for much with you, does it? Meany! Just kidding.

 

NO NO NO! You missed my point. I want RCL to be loyal to those that have been loyal to them and kept them "afloat" literally with our wallets. This has nothing to do with everyone being treated special ON THEIR CRUISE. When you have a loyalty program honor it and don't give away things to first or second time cruisers until you have serviced your most loyal customers. It's a business principle not meant to imply anyone deserves better treatment, we all get the same great service on board.

[cruisePRN]

 

 

 

Not true. First of all, it was a pre-inaugural, not the inaugural sailing, where the RCs were invited. There were far more D+ passengers onboard. They got balcony cabins, we got OV on deck 2 (and I was D+ at the time, but my invite was as a Royal Champion, so them's the breaks). Yes, we got a party, but since everything on the ship was free, it didn't really matter where we drank. There was also a D+ party just for them. I went since I was D+ - some other RCs thought I was out of line for doing so.

 

We got a bag with some gifts - all I remember is a commuter mug and a pin, that I didn't find until after the cruise because it was tucked away. One bag per cabin, so our guests didn't get one. It was all a wonderful experience, and it cost me less than many because I was able to use FF miles and FG hotel points to get there and stay overnight.

 

As for the loyalty program, I think that RCI HAD the best in the business, but Princess has closed the gap, if not pulled ahead. Not only are RCI pax no longer allowed to combine benefits, but the coupon books now contain more crap than anything usable (for me, anyway). The D+ amenity list has shrunk considerably, including eliminating the most of the nice wines they used to offer. RCI is struggling to stay afloat and it shows in the way they are disregarding their premium passengers.

 

 

 

:rolleyes:

I had heard a little differently about the RC'ers. I still feel those who are loyal D+ should have been invited before people with only a few cruises. I also believe Princess has pulled in front with their loyalty amenities. The D+ personal amenity isn't as useful as it used to be when they has nice list of the gifts one could choose.

None of my issues with RCL deal with $$. They are a business and have to make money. I don't care about not double dipping with the coupons and OBC and shareholders either, it's a business decision, not personal. They do have control over honoring their commitment to their most frequent cruisers and that doesn't cost them a dime and goes a long way.

[setsail]

I had heard a little differently about the RC'ers. I still feel those who are loyal D+ should have been invited before people with only a few cruises. I also believe Princess has pulled in front with their loyalty amenities. The D+ personal amenity isn't as useful as it used to be when they has nice list of the gifts one could choose.

None of my issues with RCL deal with $$. They are a business and have to make money. I don't care about not double dipping with the coupons and OBC and shareholders either, it's a business decision, not personal. They do have control over honoring their commitment to their most frequent cruisers and that doesn't cost them a dime and goes a long way.

 

And how do you know D+ were not invited. FACTS please.

[cruisePRN]

And how do you know D+ were not invited. FACTS please.

Because I can read and I'm a D+ and so are many of my cruising buddies who were not invited. There are numerous threads on this exact issue just research them. you're a true Royal Champion and would say the sky is green with pink polka dots if it suited RCL. I will have to take anything you say as not objective, sorry.

[sea-cruise]

(OT....Shutting down computer for a couple of hours. I emailed you Becci. I just want to say Congratulations!! Hope to read the poem later tonight. ) :)

[setsail]

Because I can read and I'm a D+ and so are many of my cruising buddies who were not invited. There are numerous threads on this exact issue just research them. you're a true Royal Champion and would say the sky is green with pink polka dots if it suited RCL. I will have to take anything you say as not objective, sorry.

 

So there were NO D+ on the ship? Interesting. #205

[cruisenfever]

My information was just the opposite of yours. There were many D+ members on board the Liberty Pre-inaugural both out of NJ and out of Florida and they were invited to all the parties, were wined and dined and also received gifts.

 

 

 

Not true. First of all, it was a pre-inaugural, not the inaugural sailing, where the RCs were invited. There were far more D+ passengers onboard. They got balcony cabins, we got OV on deck 2 (and I was D+ at the time, but my invite was as a Royal Champion, so them's the breaks). Yes, we got a party, but since everything on the ship was free, it didn't really matter where we drank. There was also a D+ party just for them. I went since I was D+ - some other RCs thought I was out of line for doing so.

 

We all ate the same food.

 

We got a bag with some gifts - all I remember is a commuter mug and a pin, that I didn't find until after the cruise because it was tucked away. One bag per cabin, so our guests didn't get one. It was all a wonderful experience, and it cost me less than many because I was able to use FF miles and FG hotel points to get there and stay overnight.

 

 

 

 

I would be a lot more suspicious of somebody with a lot of cruises saying nice things because the perks for elite-level (over 50 cruise credits) D+, although diminished recently, are better than anything the RCs have seen.:rolleyes:

I knew I got my facts correct!

 

Because I can read and I'm a D+ and so are many of my cruising buddies who were not invited. There are numerous threads on this exact issue just research them. you're a true Royal Champion and would say the sky is green with pink polka dots if it suited RCL. I will have to take anything you say as not objective, sorry.

Of course not all D+ were invited. They started at the top and worked their way down the list. Those with the most cruise credits were invited first. If they declined the invitation............then then went to the next person in line. The ship DID NOT sail at full capacity.

 

Only makes sense to me that the ones with the most credits got the invitation first.