Satellite Lounge vs. Concierge Lounge

[ManOfTheHour]

I've read that when the number of diamond/+ members and suite guests reach a certain level, they will open a satellite lounge for the happy hour. I'm going on the Jewel 12-night Baltic cruise if anyone has any specifics about that particular ship, but answers in general based on past experience are great too!

 

1. Does anyone know how many people it takes to have this happen and how often this occurs?

 

2. I've seen it briefly mentioned that the satellite lounge typically has a FULL bar, as opposed to a limited bar in the CL; is there any truth to this? And wouldn't this make being a diamond member (at least until September 1st) advantageous?

 

3. Are there any other advantages or disadvantages to a satellite lounge being opened?

[cruisegirl1]

While the Jewel concierge lounge is very nice, we preferred the satellite lounge. It is actually one of the lounges that are part of the VC lounge. There is plenty of seating, great views and I recall a larger beverage selection. I can’t answer for sure as I had a martini each night and I was able to get that in the CL also. I recall that the food was the same at both.

 

Enjoy

[mpbmark]

This is going to come across as something of a bitter response but not to worry as I have my flame retardant clothes on. :rolleyes:

 

I thought one of the main reasons for eliminating diamond member access to the CL was to keep it from becoming too crowded. As of September 1, diamond members will be relegated to another lounge which, while it may have a "full" bar, will require payment instead of free drinks. Wine and champagne will be offered gratis but I have not heard with, one way or the other, about hors d'oeuvres.

 

In April, aboard the Radiance, the CL was almost impossible to enter and a satellite lounge was set up, in what I believe was the Odyssey bar. It was busy but there was always a place to sit. It did have a full bar, great hors d'oeuvres, and frankly, better views than the CL.

 

Bottom line is there should not be a necessity to open up a satellite CL lounge, since RCCL has claimed the new diamond "benefits" will eliminate overcrowding in the CL. :p

 

The sound you just heard was my knees creaking as I got off of my soapbox. :)

[negc]

On one of our Jewel cruises there were at least 700 Diamond, Diamond Plus and Suite guests so they opened not onlythe Hollywood Odyssey but also the Vortex in the Viking Crown Lounge in the evening for C&A members and guests in suites. On most occasions when there has been a large number of qualified guests though less than 700, the Hollywood Odyssey was used. The bar seemed to be better stocked than the one in the CL but there were some limitations as to what was available.We enjoyed the ambience of the HO and the extra room and views that were even better than those available in the CL.

[ManOfTheHour]

This is going to come across as something of a bitter response but not to worry as I have my flame retardant clothes on. :rolleyes:

 

I thought one of the main reasons for eliminating diamond member access to the CL was to keep it from becoming too crowded. As of September 1, diamond members will be relegated to another lounge which, while it may have a "full" bar, will require payment instead of free drinks. Wine and champagne will be offered gratis but I have not heard with, one way or the other, about hors d'oeuvres.

 

In April, aboard the Radiance, the CL was almost impossible to enter and a satellite lounge was set up, in what I believe was the Odyssey bar. It was busy but there was always a place to sit. It did have a full bar, great hors d'oeuvres, and frankly, better views than the CL.

 

Bottom line is there should not be a necessity to open up a satellite CL lounge, since RCCL has claimed the new diamond "benefits" will eliminate overcrowding in the CL. :p

 

The sound you just heard was my knees creaking as I got off of my soapbox. :)

 

Yeah, I definitely agree once the new policies are effective, this wont be an issue. But I'm cruising on the Jewel in the month and change until the policies change life as we know it! And so right now I'm kind of hoping that we're relegated to another lounge that has a full bar... because the drinks will be 100% free!

[mpbmark]

Okay, back up on the soapbox. ;)

 

I was being a little facetious as, to my way of thinking, the changes in the diamond member benefits were never about a lack of space in the CL. It is clearly about the money. RCCL has always opened up a satellite lounge when the CL became too crowded. Making this change (opening a bar for a diamond members), will, however, allow RCCL to charge for mixed drinks, something they have never done before in either the CL or the satellite lounge. As a man, far more brilliant than me, once said, "Follow the money".

 

That being said, there is nothing to suggest there won't be a "satellite lounge" available on your cruise. The choice will then be yours, as to whether you stay in the somewhat cramped CL or frequent the more enjoyable satellite lounge.

[Gonzo70]

I've read that when the number of diamond/+ members and suite guests reach a certain level, they will open a satellite lounge for the happy hour. I'm going on the Jewel 12-night Baltic cruise if anyone has any specifics about that particular ship, but answers in general based on past experience are great too!

 

1. Does anyone know how many people it takes to have this happen and how often this occurs?

 

2. I've seen it briefly mentioned that the satellite lounge typically has a FULL bar, as opposed to a limited bar in the CL; is there any truth to this? And wouldn't this make being a diamond member (at least until September 1st) advantageous?

 

3. Are there any other advantages or disadvantages to a satellite lounge being opened?

 

In my January cruise on Jewel they opened up the Vortex lounge as overflow. It was quite nice; it was never too crowded there, they did have a full bar - they even made drinks such as Cosmos (I don't know if they always do this, or if we just got lucky). The bartender (Eva) was amazing; extremely friendly and she provided great service and made very good cocktails. They had the hot appetizers and chocolate covered strawberries set up in the lounge and replenished them when low. The Vortex lounge is a very nice facility and we had a lot of fun.

[Going Coastal]

My two cents, and worth exactly that, is that the auxillary lounges are always more lively and fun. But it is stricly a matter of choice, or has been until Sept 1, and after a few days almost everyone settles on one or the other and a few will use both. It is great for visiting and the drinks and snacks are just a bonus.

[C & D Cruisingfans]

In May we were on a b2b on the Jewel that did a transatlantic and the Baltic. During the first leg they used both the Vortex and Hollywood Odyssey. On the Baltic leg they only used the Odyssey. The bartender , Virginia, handled the room by herself and did an outstanding job.