C & A announcement postponed

[EVALUATOR]

Maybe they saw the reaction of Southwest Airlines customers to the recent rollout of their new rewards program and are rethinking the best way to announce the changes. Southwest went with the let's pretend this is really exciting news even though we are reducing everyone's benefits approach. So far, it is not going well for them.

 

Is there a link to the complaints on SWA's new program?

[Debde]

Are you sure the sign proves it?

 

What about this?

 

LOL!!! good one!!!

 

I don't know why they would make up a sign that has nothing to do with future changes. IMO a well respected poster on here actualy saw the sign so if cruisenfever saw it-that's good enough for me. :)

[jonbgd]

LOL!!! good one!!!

 

I don't know why they would make up a sign that has nothing to do with future changes. IMO a well respected poster on here actualy saw the sign so if cruisenfever saw it-that's good enough for me. :)

im thinking since Md is where they have been smuggling drugs maybe someone working there got a little loaded and made a fake sign and put it up

[EVALUATOR]

LOL!!! good one!!!

 

I don't know why they would make up a sign that has nothing to do with future changes. IMO a well respected poster on here actualy saw the sign so if cruisenfever saw it-that's good enough for me. :)

 

How's that saying go? Don't believe anything you hear or read, and only half of what you see.:D

 

All the different people from RCI that were asked about the rumored changes have had the same answer.

 

They finally get all the reps to give a consistent answer, and now everyone complains. ;)

 

Hopefully the consistency becomes consistent.:cool:

[rileha2]

Is there a link to the complaints on SWA's new program?

 

Check out their Facebook wall. It has been deluged with posts and comments from upset customers although not as much this week as there were last week. Apparently they started deleting a lot of the more negative posts as they would prefer people contact them directly.

[EVALUATOR]

Check out their Facebook wall. It has been deluged with posts and comments from upset customers although not as much this week as there were last week. Apparently they started deleting a lot of the more negative posts as they would prefer people contact them directly.

 

Well, some of those comments show the "LUV" may be fading.

 

Did Vikki Freed get a part time job at SWA?

[storm1of4]

Same here. Cruising on RCCL ships is sweet, getting D+ perks adds a little more icing on the cake. :)

 

Suzanne

 

Lets not try an fool anyone here.......I also cruise b/c I love it...I cruise on RCI because I love being Diamond +. If RCI took away the perks...I would be very upset. I have come to expect certain things being D+ and would sorely miss them. It's more than icing on the cake at Diamond + level...... its everything including the cake. :):):)

[BoyntonBeth]

If Patti actually saw the sign, I have more confidence in its authenticity but it still is puzzling that it would have been put on display so far in advance of any announcements. Must have been a lot of questions and puzzled cruisers and check-in personnel in Baltimore. Not sure however that the existence of the sign really "proves" anything.

 

I have friends who are onboard EN and were also on the prior cruise. I spoke to them the other day and asked if they had seen the sign. They did and tried to take a picture of it when someone came over and told them not to or their camera would be confiscated.

 

I'll be boarding on Monday and I'll try to post what I see.

[Seatravelers]

I have friends who are onboard EN and were also on the prior cruise. I spoke to them the other day and asked if they had seen the sign. They did and tried to take a picture of it when someone came over and told them not to or their camera would be confiscated.

 

I'll be boarding on Monday and I'll try to post what I see.

Have a great cruise, Beth. Enjoyed meeting you and talking on the Navigator. Will be in touch.

Marcia

[mjldvlks]

Let's see if we can connect the dots:

 

1. Rumors circulate that RCI is changing the C & A program to make it harder to reach exalted levels such as D and D+. The big announcement is coming Jan 12, 2011.

 

2. Rumors are allowed to fester with no denial.

 

3. Bezillions of cruisers book cruises in an effort to get to the next level before the big change -- surely they will grandfather those already D or D+.

 

4. A special program is initiated in December to award an extra cruise credit for D and D+ cruisers. Rumors are that there will be new levels above D+.

 

5. Bezillions book more cruises, jumping for the extra credits and trying desperately to get to the next level before Jan. 12.

 

6. On Jan 11, RCI says changes? What changes? Sure we can ALWAYS change the program, but we aren't changing it now.

 

7. Bezillions of cruisers breathe sigh of relief and book more cruises to get to the next level before the changes are actually implemented.

 

CONCLUSION: Your DVR and GPS contain hidden cameras so that the federal government can monitor you in your home.

[storm1of4]

Let's see if we can connect the dots:

 

1. Rumors circulate that RCI is changing the C & A program to make it harder to reach exalted levels such as D and D+. The big announcement is coming Jan 12, 2011.

 

2. Rumors are allowed to fester with no denial.

 

3. Bezillions of cruisers book cruises in an effort to get to the next level before the big change -- surely they will grandfather those already D or D+.

 

4. A special program is initiated in December to award an extra cruise credit for D and D+ cruisers. Rumors are that there will be new levels above D+.

 

5. Bezillions book more cruises, jumping for the extra credits and trying desperately to get to the next level before Jan. 12.

 

6. On Jan 11, RCI says changes? What changes? Sure we can ALWAYS change the program, but we aren't changing it now.

 

7. Bezillions of cruisers breathe sigh of relief and book more cruises to get to the next level before the changes are actually implemented.

 

CONCLUSION: Your DVR and GPS contain hidden cameras so that the federal government can monitor you in your home.

 

 

YEah we have as much freedom as we deserve.....Look at all the people who spill their guts on facebook and think nothing of it! The great unwashed is an easy target!!!

[darkauf]

What publicity for Royal. Everyone who knows or think they know about a change in the C & A program has Royal on the brain. It is as bad as farmville that has me so hooked. Now I rush home to read this thread and farm, to see if anyone has any answers. They have us right where they want us...guessing, speculating and booking cruises, as others have said, to up our levels before the inevitable happens. Hey, we were one of those who jumped on a "Diamond Celebration" cruise in December. We loved our cruise but it didn't have any perks that I thought were worth of a "Diamond Celebration". The only perks that were important to me were the extra point and the upgrade that nearly knocked me off my chair at work when they called.

 

I will continue to read this thread as someone who knows will post the right and correct info one of these days. We sail again in 3 weeks and can't wait.

 

Darlene

[stewpapa]

Let's see if we can connect the dots:

 

1. Rumors circulate that RCI is changing the C & A program to make it harder to reach exalted levels such as D and D+. The big announcement is coming Jan 12, 2011.

 

2. Rumors are allowed to fester with no denial.

 

3. Bezillions of cruisers book cruises in an effort to get to the next level before the big change -- surely they will grandfather those already D or D+.

 

4. A special program is initiated in December to award an extra cruise credit for D and D+ cruisers. Rumors are that there will be new levels above D+.

 

5. Bezillions book more cruises, jumping for the extra credits and trying desperately to get to the next level before Jan. 12.

 

6. On Jan 11, RCI says changes? What changes? Sure we can ALWAYS change the program, but we aren't changing it now.

 

7. Bezillions of cruisers breathe sigh of relief and book more cruises to get to the next level before the changes are actually implemented.

 

CONCLUSION: Your DVR and GPS contain hidden cameras so that the federal government can monitor you in your home.

 

 

Ok, I'll bite. Looking at it this way, RCI probably started the rumor so that bezillions and bezillions of cruises would be booked out of fear and then everyone would be happy with RCI for not making the changes now.

win win for all....Many Happy Cruisers and More Money for RCI !

This is kind of like the end of the world prophecies. When one date passes, a new one is pronounced by the misguided prophet. One day, they will be right even though they knew nothing.

[PLEIKU68]

Adam Goldstein called. He is so tired of all these posts he has decided to sell RCCL to Carnival.:eek::eek:

[heatherb1958]

and the share price goes up and up:D:D

[island lady]

I think I saw Elvis in the background too! ;)

 

Besides Elvis ;) I did notice something odd about the picture.

 

Why would they put that sign directly in front of, and blocking view of, the Christmas tree?

[island lady]

Let's see if we can connect the dots:

 

1. Rumors circulate that RCI is changing the C & A program to make it harder to reach exalted levels such as D and D+. The big announcement is coming Jan 12, 2011.

 

2. Rumors are allowed to fester with no denial.

 

3. Bezillions of cruisers book cruises in an effort to get to the next level before the big change -- surely they will grandfather those already D or D+.

 

4. A special program is initiated in December to award an extra cruise credit for D and D+ cruisers. Rumors are that there will be new levels above D+.

 

5. Bezillions book more cruises, jumping for the extra credits and trying desperately to get to the next level before Jan. 12.

 

6. On Jan 11, RCI says changes? What changes? Sure we can ALWAYS change the program, but we aren't changing it now.

 

7. Bezillions of cruisers breathe sigh of relief and book more cruises to get to the next level before the changes are actually implemented.

 

CONCLUSION: Your DVR and GPS contain hidden cameras so that the federal government can monitor you in your home.

 

 

LOL!!! I was laughing so hard I had to call the DH into the room to read it to him. Now we are both laughing our butts off....good post! ;)

[PAFC]

LOL!! It's called panic buying in the UK- we have it everytime we get a flake or two of snow and people rush to clear the food from the grocery store! The conspiracy theory makes sense!!

[DarthGrady]

Let's see if we can connect the dots:

 

1. Rumors circulate that RCI is changing the C & A program to make it harder to reach exalted levels such as D and D+. The big announcement is coming Jan 12, 2011.

 

2. Rumors are allowed to fester with no denial.

 

3. Bezillions of cruisers book cruises in an effort to get to the next level before the big change -- surely they will grandfather those already D or D+.

 

4. A special program is initiated in December to award an extra cruise credit for D and D+ cruisers. Rumors are that there will be new levels above D+.

 

5. Bezillions book more cruises, jumping for the extra credits and trying desperately to get to the next level before Jan. 12.

 

6. On Jan 11, RCI says changes? What changes? Sure we can ALWAYS change the program, but we aren't changing it now.

 

7. Bezillions of cruisers breathe sigh of relief and book more cruises to get to the next level before the changes are actually implemented.

 

CONCLUSION: Your DVR and GPS contain hidden cameras so that the federal government can monitor you in your home.

 

D@mn you Garmin! I trusted you! :D

[Bruin Steve]

Assuming all of the prior posted rumors might have had some validity--that the change was to be a re-accounting...converting all credits to "per night" credits and changing the system to 75 per night credits, 175 per night credits, etc,., I think this is might be what might have happened:

 

They likely realized just how screwed up their accounting system was...and how difficult it would be to recalculate all existing members' points...

 

So many of us have cruises in our cruise history that do not account for the number of nights...

 

I believe years ago (1970), when all of this started, RCCL didn't care how many cruises you'd been on or how many nights...there weren't any levels at the outset...They only kept track of whether or not you cruised with them before and if you filled out the form to join C&A...

 

Things weren't even computerized...or if they were, systems were so antiquated that records were lost...

 

So, many of us have found that our list of "completed cruises" contains that "Mystery Cruise"--November 5, 1970...the one with the unknown ship and unknown number of nights...or other similar notations...

 

It has never mattered in the past...In those days, one cruise equaled one credit no matter the number of nights or the category of stateroom...So, if their records vaguely noted that you were a past customer or prior C&A member, they just reconstructed that phantome Mystery Cruise as a credit...in some cases, like mine, maybe 2 credits or more...accuracy was irrelevant...I, for one, had no reason to call them up and try to get it corrected to the actual dates and sailings on the old Viking Serenade (the ones that were missing from the accounting)...a credit was a credit and, in the end, we were in approximately the right place level-wise...

 

But, now, when they want to convert everyone's history to actual nights at sea, they've got a problem...they cannot really reconstruct it...

If they try to average all prior points as, say, seven new points, some people will be angry...They will be angrier if they just don't credit them at all...none of us want to go back and try to reconstruct and prove cruises from the 70s and 80s...

 

So, what are they to do?

 

Probably reconsider HOW to credit past cruises.

My recommendation would be to keep the current system. ANY system is arbitrary. Just as a 3 night cruise isn't necessarily equal to a 7 night cruise which isn't equal to a 14 night cruise or a suite isn't equal to an ocean view (things they either address in the current system or the alleged proposal), a balcony cabin on a 7-nighter over New Years isn't equal to the same 7-night balcony during low season in early November...everyone pays something different...

 

Or, if they are really intent on changing it to number of nights, they may have to hybridize it in someway...Rather than go back and try to reassess everyone's past points, why not convert ALL past credits to 7 new credits? Yes, some folks will get burned, having earned some of those credits for 10 night cruises while someone else earned them on a 3 night cruise, but, in the end, does it really matter? Then, from this date forward, start awarding new credits based on number of nights...It saves having to go back and reconstitute incomplete records on cruising histories...

 

Maybe to keep existing C&A members happy, round some people up...Say, after performing the computations and deciding Diamond Plus is going to be 175 nights from here on out, maybe take everyone at 160 or above and round them up to 175 before the new rules set in...159 or under? Sorry...take a couple more cruises...Or, maybe "grandfather" existing members under the old method until they reach the next level...Say you have 22 cruises and are at Diamond, allow a grace period under which any two cruises will get you to Diamond Plus...at which point...you will automatically be accounted for at 175 nights, regardless of history...and, from that point on, earn new credits toward whatever next level there may be under the new system...Maybe give it a 3 year grace period...

 

New cruisers, of course, just start earning credits under the new system...

 

Seems this system would alleviate the issues of recalculating 40 years of cruise history as well as avoid complaints from those who will whine about being so close under the rules only to have them move the bar...

 

Of course, it would also create new accounting headaches...

 

And, of course, the underlying problem is really this: Over the years, they made it easier and easier to get to higher levels--awarding extra points for long cruises and for suites was obviously justified, but it also meant many people would get to Diamond in about 4 cruises...Also, many people could get there in about five weekend cruises...Still others were added to the ranks when they decided to go with reciprocity with Celebrity/Azamara Captains Club...

 

And, when one of the benefits is a cool lounge with a free drinking hour, suddenly that lounge can't hold the large numbers of Diamond cruisers...

 

So, how do you thin the ranks? OR...do you take away the amenity? Hard to take something away from people who have been told they have earned it out of loyalty...

 

So, rather than overburden the facility, you've got to somehow make it harder to get there...but you still want to use that lure to get your customers to book more cruises...Quite a dilemma...

 

But, yes, eventually, they do need to make it harder to joing the Diamond or Diamond Plus ranks...

 

So, though delayed--probably to work out the kinks--they DO have to do something...

 

Just give it a little more time...

[whalingcity]

Let's see if we can connect the dots:

 

1. Rumors circulate that RCI is changing the C & A program to make it harder to reach exalted levels such as D and D+. The big announcement is coming Jan 12, 2011.

 

2. Rumors are allowed to fester with no denial.

 

3. Bezillions of cruisers book cruises in an effort to get to the next level before the big change -- surely they will grandfather those already D or D+.

 

4. A special program is initiated in December to award an extra cruise credit for D and D+ cruisers. Rumors are that there will be new levels above D+.

 

5. Bezillions book more cruises, jumping for the extra credits and trying desperately to get to the next level before Jan. 12.

 

6. On Jan 11, RCI says changes? What changes? Sure we can ALWAYS change the program, but we aren't changing it now.

 

7. Bezillions of cruisers breathe sigh of relief and book more cruises to get to the next level before the changes are actually implemented.

 

CONCLUSION: Your DVR and GPS contain hidden cameras so that the federal government can monitor you in your home.

 

Well let's hope that they let me get to diamond on the 1-31 cruise.

miss you both

[Tranquil Waters]

Assuming all of the prior posted rumors might have had some validity--that the change was to be a re-accounting...converting all credits to "per night" credits and changing the system to 75 per night credits, 175 per night credits, etc,., I think this is might be what might have happened:

 

They likely realized just how screwed up their accounting system was...and how difficult it would be to recalculate all existing members' points...

 

So many of us have cruises in our cruise history that do not account for the number of nights...

 

I believe years ago (1970), when all of this started, RCCL didn't care how many cruises you'd been on or how many nights...there weren't any levels at the outset...They only kept track of whether or not you cruised with them before and if you filled out the form to join C&A...

 

Things weren't even computerized...or if they were, systems were so antiquated that records were lost...

 

So, many of us have found that our list of "completed cruises" contains that "Mystery Cruise"--November 5, 1970...the one with the unknown ship and unknown number of nights...or other similar notations...

 

It has never mattered in the past...In those days, one cruise equaled one credit no matter the number of nights or the category of stateroom...So, if their records vaguely noted that you were a past customer or prior C&A member, they just reconstructed that phantome Mystery Cruise as a credit...in some cases, like mine, maybe 2 credits or more...accuracy was irrelevant...I, for one, had no reason to call them up and try to get it corrected to the actual dates and sailings on the old Viking Serenade (the ones that were missing from the accounting)...a credit was a credit and, in the end, we were in approximately the right place level-wise...

 

But, now, when they want to convert everyone's history to actual nights at sea, they've got a problem...they cannot really reconstruct it...

If they try to average all prior points as, say, seven new points, some people will be angry...They will be angrier if they just don't credit them at all...none of us want to go back and try to reconstruct and prove cruises from the 70s and 80s...

 

So, what are they to do?

 

Probably reconsider HOW to credit past cruises.

My recommendation would be to keep the current system. ANY system is arbitrary. Just as a 3 night cruise isn't necessarily equal to a 7 night cruise which isn't equal to a 14 night cruise or a suite isn't equal to an ocean view (things they either address in the current system or the alleged proposal), a balcony cabin on a 7-nighter over New Years isn't equal to the same 7-night balcony during low season in early November...everyone pays something different...

 

Or, if they are really intent on changing it to number of nights, they may have to hybridize it in someway...Rather than go back and try to reassess everyone's past points, why not convert ALL past credits to 7 new credits? Yes, some folks will get burned, having earned some of those credits for 10 night cruises while someone else earned them on a 3 night cruise, but, in the end, does it really matter? Then, from this date forward, start awarding new credits based on number of nights...It saves having to go back and reconstitute incomplete records on cruising histories...

 

Maybe to keep existing C&A members happy, round some people up...Say, after performing the computations and deciding Diamond Plus is going to be 175 nights from here on out, maybe take everyone at 160 or above and round them up to 175 before the new rules set in...159 or under? Sorry...take a couple more cruises...Or, maybe "grandfather" existing members under the old method until they reach the next level...Say you have 22 cruises and are at Diamond, allow a grace period under which any two cruises will get you to Diamond Plus...at which point...you will automatically be accounted for at 175 nights, regardless of history...and, from that point on, earn new credits toward whatever next level there may be under the new system...Maybe give it a 3 year grace period...

 

New cruisers, of course, just start earning credits under the new system...

 

Seems this system would alleviate the issues of recalculating 40 years of cruise history as well as avoid complaints from those who will whine about being so close under the rules only to have them move the bar...

 

Of course, it would also create new accounting headaches...

 

And, of course, the underlying problem is really this: Over the years, they made it easier and easier to get to higher levels--awarding extra points for long cruises and for suites was obviously justified, but it also meant many people would get to Diamond in about 4 cruises...Also, many people could get there in about five weekend cruises...Still others were added to the ranks when they decided to go with reciprocity with Celebrity/Azamara Captains Club...

 

And, when one of the benefits is a cool lounge with a free drinking hour, suddenly that lounge can't hold the large numbers of Diamond cruisers...

 

So, how do you thin the ranks? OR...do you take away the amenity? Hard to take something away from people who have been told they have earned it out of loyalty...

 

So, rather than overburden the facility, you've got to somehow make it harder to get there...but you still want to use that lure to get your customers to book more cruises...Quite a dilemma...

 

But, yes, eventually, they do need to make it harder to joing the Diamond or Diamond Plus ranks...

 

So, though delayed--probably to work out the kinks--they DO have to do something...

 

Just give it a little more time...

 

Unless I am being unduly negative, I cannot imagine there not being a lot more outcry over converting all credits to 7 (which would give all the 3-night cruises massive numbers of unearned credits as well as short change the 10 or 11 night folks) than just counting all the 1970 cruises as 7-nighters. The whole point of converting to cruise days would be to make the system fairer. :) And, again, a computer program to convert cruise histories to days cruised credits is really not a difficult thing.

[Morecruisesplz]

:) And, again, a computer program to convert cruise histories to days cruised credits is really not a difficult thing.

 

Can probably be done with an excel spreadsheet -- wouldn't even need a computer program. (We all know how unreliable computer "upgrades" have been for RCL.)

[Tranquil Waters]

Can probably be done with an excel spreadsheet -- wouldn't even need a computer program. (We all know how unreliable computer "upgrades" have been for RCL.)

 

Exactly. I don't pretend to know what RCI has in mind. Or what concerns they have uncovered to make them delay rolling out the planned changes. But I don't believe for a minute that it has anything to do with the difficulty of converting from a "cruise credits" accounting to a "days cruised" accounting. ;)

[Bruin Steve]

Can probably be done with an excel spreadsheet -- wouldn't even need a computer program. (We all know how unreliable computer "upgrades" have been for RCL.)

 

I think some of you don't understand just how screwed up RCI's accounting systems are...

Remember, some of us go back over 40 years (RCI was started in 1970)...

They do not have complete records on a good number of people's cruise histories...

 

(Heck, I don't even remember how many cruises I have really been on...My memory only goes back to the late 80s when I started cruising on my own dime...)

 

But RCI doesn't really have complete records of everyone either...that was sort of the first point of my post...

 

In many of our cruise histories, we have some sort of vague, unassigned points...

I, myself, have FIVE of my 14 credits being for unknown cruises on unknown ships for unknown durations...There are dates--like the infamous November 5, 1970--but I can virtually guaranty I did not cruise on that date...I was in High School at that time and that would have been during the school term and my parents would not have taken me out of class for a cruise...It is an arbitrary placemarker date that many of us have on our list...because RCI doesn't have certain other cruises from long ago that I know I did cruise on--like on the old Viking Serenade...

 

So, it really is NOT just an "easy spreadsheet"...

 

There may be thousands of us out there with similar "official" cruise histories on the RCI website...