New Levels

[mommabean]

If, as you suggest, IT is still working on it, the new levels should be in place about the same time that the rumored "new" ship is christened.:D

Rather than rework the numbers wouldn't it just be easier to reset the levels required for each tier? That way they would know just how many guests they would have in each tier and could estimate how long it would take the average passenger to reach the next level.

 

That's what I meant.

 

Only if they are going by days at sea, they may have already printed on some promotional info, the days required for each level. Adjusting those days to keep from having way too many people in each level might be a problem in implementation. Maybe that's why there is a delay.

 

It seems they jumped the gun printing the sign and on board materials as far as the new levels. Who knows what else is printed and if they need to make some changes, a lot of reprinting and redistributing may be required.

 

Gina

[FirstAlto]

Good grief - this is driving me crazy!!:confused:

We will be Diamond (maybe):eek: after our cruise on February 6th, so I am going nuts wondering what in the heck might happen before then to change up things. AGH!!!

If we don't get credit for a cruise booked LAST FEBRUARY I would be really irritated - I just want my Diamond Balcony discount:mad::eek::D

[Rancher Dave]

I speculate that they DID do the conversions to days at sea, saw how many D+ monsters they had just created, and now are trying to rework the numbers. There are an awful lot of people who have done longer cruises. Days at sea may have drastically increased the number of D+ members which might be the opposite of what they had thought would happen.

 

Just my guess.

 

Or IT is still working on it. :rolleyes:

 

Gina

 

Had not thought about it going in that direction....you could be right...I think there is probably some working on Diamond and Diamond Plus due to the conversion....maybe they are looking at who to grandfather and who not...those with 3 night only may be getting dropped down a level and those who are Diamond on all long cruises ended up as you said adding more D+ to the rolls than expected....or some mix thereof.

 

Folks will get mad if they are not grandfathered, but I guess when it comes right down to business some may have to drop down a tier and some like the long cruise only folks may bump up a level.

 

If the changes are purely to keep CL from becoming overcroweded it could be accomplished by saying unless Pinnacle you go to the nightly "Event" the D+ crowd may get mad but many Diamonds kept on cruising....I got lucky my first Dimond cruise was the last where Diamond had CL access...I've lived with it....last two cruises I did Diamond event, the cruise before that I was in a suite. I was happy either way.

[goldiemom]

I'm with jmw1. This is driving me crazy! I leave on the Rhapsody in 7 days for a 14 NT New Zealand cruise (leave USA on Tuesday, Jan. 18). This cruise will make me Diamond (according to loyalty levels now). I wanted to book more cruises on board, but I want my Diamond balcony discount. :eek::confused:

[mommabean]

Had not thought about it going in that direction....you could be right...I think there is probably some working on Diamond and Diamond Plus due to the conversion....maybe they are looking at who to grandfather and who not...those with 3 night only may be getting dropped down a level and those who are Diamond on all long cruises ended up as you said adding more D+ to the rolls than expected....or some mix thereof.

 

Folks will get mad if they are not grandfathered, but I guess when it comes right down to business some may have to drop down a tier and some like the long cruise only folks may bump up a level.

 

If the changes are purely to keep CL from becoming overcroweded it could be accomplished by saying unless Pinnacle you go to the nightly "Event" the D+ crowd may get mad but many Diamonds kept on cruising....I got lucky my first Dimond cruise was the last where Diamond had CL access...I've lived with it....last two cruises I did Diamond event, the cruise before that I was in a suite. I was happy either way.

 

I just don't think they will drop D+ and have them go to the DL or D event. D lounges already have their share of overcrowding on some cruises - usually the same ones the CL is crowded. The same with the events. The D event was packed with people in a large venue on our recent transatlantic. The CL seemed mush more manageable.

 

I still think they will grandfather everyone at their current level and perks but maybe they really have to re-figure the days at sea per level to keep the numbers from growing faster than they originally thought they would.

 

Still speculating of course. :) I know nothing!

 

Gina

[missbogota]

Does this look familiar??

 

 

I saw the same sign when checking in for the Allure 12/12/10.

[Merion_Mom]

I saw the same sign when checking in for the Allure 12/12/10.

 

That's the first report NOT from Baltimore! :eek: ;)

[denamo]

I saw the same sign when checking in for the Allure 12/12/10.

 

Guess they had pulled that sign at check in for the Allure by 12/18/10. This would definitely have gotten my attention.

 

What's kind of funny is how everyone talks about the D & D+ lounges are busy. We've only had access on the Oasis and Allure, one was a summer cruise and the other was this past Christmas. Neither time was the D Lounge busy. We went at various times of the day. Even in the evening with adult beverages available, we were very surprised not to experience a crowded D Lounge. Since these ships are our first experiences with being on a ship and having access to a D Lounge, are the lounges on the Freedom class much smaller? We've participated in the nightly Diamond events on ships without a D Lounge and hardly anyone bothered to go. It was suprising to us. Would love to hear input here.

[Merion_Mom]

Guess they had pulled that sign at check in for the Allure by 12/18/10. This would definitely have gotten my attention.

 

What's kind of funny is how everyone talks about the D & D+ lounges are busy. We've only had access on the Oasis and Allure, one was a summer cruise and the other was this past Christmas. Neither time was the D Lounge busy. We went at various times of the day. Even in the evening with adult beverages available, we were very surprised not to experience a crowded D Lounge. Since these ships are our first experiences with being on a ship and having access to a D Lounge, are the lounges on the Freedom class much smaller? We've participated in the nightly Diamond events on ships without a D Lounge and hardly anyone bothered to go. It was suprising to us. Would love to hear input here.

The Diamond Lounge on the Freedom class ships is larger than the one on Oasis. Much nicer, too. :)

[Tagsalong]

That's the first report NOT from Baltimore! :eek: ;)

 

Actually the second, someone reported seeing the sign in California at the San Pedro port.

[71Corvette]

I speculate that they DID do the conversions to days at sea, saw how many D+ monsters they had just created, and now are trying to rework the numbers.

 

I don't know that I'd buy into this theory. I very much suspect that they ran their conversion algorithm on a copy of the C&A member database well in advance and used the results to help develop the new program.

 

Besides, having been involved in database and software development in the past, these things seldom (if ever) go right on the first try. Waiting until the day of to hit the 'go' button would be asking for trouble!

 

I agree that it appears there has been some sort of delay in the rollout of the program though...

[mommabean]

Guess they had pulled that sign at check in for the Allure by 12/18/10. This would definitely have gotten my attention.

 

What's kind of funny is how everyone talks about the D & D+ lounges are busy. We've only had access on the Oasis and Allure, one was a summer cruise and the other was this past Christmas. Neither time was the D Lounge busy. We went at various times of the day. Even in the evening with adult beverages available, we were very surprised not to experience a crowded D Lounge. Since these ships are our first experiences with being on a ship and having access to a D Lounge, are the lounges on the Freedom class much smaller? We've participated in the nightly Diamond events on ships without a D Lounge and hardly anyone bothered to go. It was suprising to us. Would love to hear input here.

 

You cruised when prices are higher. The CL wouldn't be very crowded at those times either. A whole lot of D and D+ were created by booking a lot of low priced cruises. Try cruising from September through early December excluding Thanksgiving and then see the numbers in both the DL and CL. Or go on a long repositioning or transatlantic that only the older people have time to book. Those are the cruises where the numbers of frequent cruisers rise.

 

This has been my experience.

 

Gina

[OKC Cruisers]

New C&A announcements on 01/21/11? Large sect claims end of the world to begin 05/21/11? Mayan calendar shows end of the world on 12/21/12? Hmmm...I am sensing a pattern! Let's do away with the 21st of each month! :D

[cruisenfever]

You cruised when prices are higher. The CL wouldn't be very crowded at those times either. A whole lot of D and D+ were created by booking a lot of low priced cruises. Try cruising from September through early December excluding Thanksgiving and then see the numbers in both the DL and CL. Or go on a long repositioning or transatlantic that only the older people have time to book. Those are the cruises where the numbers of frequent cruisers rise.

 

This has been my experience.

 

Gina

Remember, someday you will be one of those "older" people!!:D;)

[Cruise Gopher]

We are just getting off the Explorer this morning, we had over 1,600 past guests on this cruise, that's half the ship. Lots of young folks (we are 29 and 40), not just "older" people on this cruise. :D

 

We are now Diamond, hopefully we'll still get our pin. :D

[taxatty]

Had not thought about it going in that direction....you could be right...I think there is probably some working on Diamond and Diamond Plus due to the conversion....maybe they are looking at who to grandfather and who not...those with 3 night only may be getting dropped down a level and those who are Diamond on all long cruises ended up as you said adding more D+ to the rolls than expected....or some mix thereof.

 

Folks will get mad if they are not grandfathered, but I guess when it comes right down to business some may have to drop down a tier and some like the long cruise only folks may bump up a level.

 

I booked the 1/7 Majesty cruise last minute to become D after seeing the hoopla here (the infamous sign sealed the deal for me), and I ran into others on the ship who did the same thing to become D and D+ (including one couple who paid a premium for a last-minute suite as nothing else was left--ouch!). It might end up being the most stupid thing I've ever done, but as the old joke goes about why a dog does a particular thing with certain body parts, I got on the ship because I could, being a "local".

 

We'll be on the Liberty in Europe this summer, we wanted to do it as Ds, it took us 7 years of mostly short RCI cruises to get to D, and if C&A levels changed to number of days as was rumored, we probably wouldn't have otherwise been Ds for a long time.

 

Every RCI person on the ship and on land swore that I'd be grandfathered as a D by taking the 1/7 cruise. If that doesn't happen, we certainly won't be the only ones calling C&A.

 

[FLACRUISER99]

Remember, someday you will be one of those "older" people!!:D;)

And sooner then you ever could have imagined.

[cruisenfever]

And sooner then you ever could have imagined.

So true!!:o:D

[hotrod1954]

Does this look familiar??

 

I remember the person being flamed for posting this picture as a photo shop job. I guess this is proof that something is going on to all the nayayers

[just4kixx]

There once was a dog from Kansas, that went to the "Emerald" City an met the great and powerful Wizard.

 

And the Wizard said "Pay no attention to that sign in Baltimore, or the information on the Serenade."

 

 

cute ;)

 

A~

[3dogmom]

Good grief - this is driving me crazy!!:confused:

We will be Diamond (maybe):eek: after our cruise on February 6th, so I am going nuts wondering what in the heck might happen before then to change up things. AGH!!!

If we don't get credit for a cruise booked LAST FEBRUARY I would be really irritated - I just want my Diamond Balcony discount:mad::eek::D

 

Yup, me too.

 

My February 10th cruise will make me Diamond and would really like the extra $125 off my Allure balcony. I went ahead and applied the $100 Platinum discount before the 12th thinking I might get screwed out of that perk. :rolleyes:

[dfishner]

Do you ever get the feeling that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Here is another example on how well RCL communicates. They deny nothing is happening even when others have proof that something is.

 

Over the years I have learnt one thing about RCL corp and that is they are just awful when it comes to communicating not only with their customers but with their front of line staff who seem to get caught in the cross hairs everytime a change is made..

 

I honestly believe the front of line staff does not know what is happening so be easy on them. Remember when they pulled the combining of benefits with Next cruise and the stock OBC a few years ago. The stock department was saying it was still combinable all though everyone on here knew it was not. C&A were still telling people that the Next Cruise was still combinable when it was not.. I am always amazed on how well RCL ships run to this day.

[alexkrn46]

Do you ever get the feeling that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Here is another example on how well RCL communicates. They deny nothing is happening even when others have proof that something is.

 

Over the years I have learnt one thing about RCL corp and that is they are just awful when it comes to communicating not only with their customers but with their front of line staff who seem to get caught in the cross hairs everytime a change is made..

 

I honestly believe the front of line staff does not know what is happening so be easy on them. Remember when they pulled the combining of benefits with Next cruise and the stock OBC a few years ago. The stock department was saying it was still combinable all though everyone on here knew it was not. C&A were still telling people that the Next Cruise was still combinable when it was not.. I am always amazed on how well RCL ships run to this day.

 

 

Well said, I could have not said it better.

[Merion_Mom]

Actually the second, someone reported seeing the sign in California at the San Pedro port.

 

There are a lot more loose cannons at Royal Caribbean than we realized!

 

;)

[Merion_Mom]

We are just getting off the Explorer this morning, we had over 1,600 past guests on this cruise, that's half the ship. Lots of young folks (we are 29 and 40), not just "older" people on this cruise. :D

 

We are now Diamond, hopefully we'll still get our pin. :D

 

Keep killin' those demographic stereotypes, Rob!