Do you like the new changes to the C&A Points System?

[beachbuddy]

[quote name='cruisenfever']Congratulations. May I ask how they upgraded you to Pinnacle?[/QUOTE]

Patti,
A friend of mine just became D+ a few months ago and she just received a letter congratulating her and her husband on reaching Pinnacle............LOL I think someone has goofed again!!!! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Glad your doing well after your cataract surgery.

Patty

[beachbuddy]

[quote name='FLSteve11']No, the conversion was correct. The program, up to 1/21/11, was that you gained 1 credit per cruise (with a bonus for 12+ and JS and up). This is the program everyone ran under all that time. A person had who got to "x" cruises got there whether they took 3-night, 11-night, 12-night, whatever. Everyone followed those "rules" in the program. They decided to do new rules on 1/21. Should they retroacively change the rules in the past then? If you had a certain number of credits, you got there in good faith under the current system, so why should someone be rewarded or penalized retroactively? Which is basically what you want to do there.

You are then also rewarding people with extra credits who took longer cruises before 2003. RCCL did not go and retroactively give extra credits for people who cruised 12+ length cruises when they added that credit bonus then. But you want to do it now? What about peope who took suites before 2004? Should RCCL go back and find all the people who did so, so they can gain extra nights?

The basic example is the laws of our country. If they pass a new law, you don't go back and arrest someone who did not follow that law in the past. RCCL did the exact method they SHOULD have done for the conversion, which is to treat people who had followed the current system to that point equally.[/QUOTE]

Great example..........that's a good way to look at things. Everyone should just forget about what they had and just move forward now. New rules!!

Patty

[marymarie]

Merion mom you are mistaken.
You indicate that we get extra perks as Emerald as opposed to Platinum. Here is the info from Cruise Critic article (cut and pasted the direct language):

Two new loyalty tiers have been added. This brings the number of tiers up to six. The new levels are the Emerald Tier, which will be placed between the Platinum and Diamond tiers, and the Pinnacle Club, which RCI refers to as a "unique group who have reached our highest status." Bottom line: Some members at the upper end of Platinum woke up today to find themselves upgraded to Emerald. Admittedly, there aren't many additional benefits in this tier -- a welcome amenity (like in-cabin mineral water or chocolates) and more generous discounts on balcony cabins and suites. But, hey, a benefit is a benefit, right?

You are also incorrect about the change in status for us to reach the next level with one cruise. Your math is not correct. As to the points 7 cruises x 7 nites each makes 49 points add to that 5 nites plus 5 nites (2 more cruises to make it 9 total cruises) and you get 59 points. Hardly one cruise from Diamond since Diamond is 80 points. Need a long cruise to get to 80! They (RCCL) tell us our total is 52. Not everyone is getting a good deal in this conversion so be cautious when you speak as an authority of how this plays out for everyone.

[beachbuddy]

[quote name='marymarie']Holland is wonderful. Very elegant. We are going back to HAL now that RCCL made it clear we don't really matter.[/QUOTE]

Enjoy your cruise......I'm sure it's very elegant, relaxing and quiet. I don't think I could do those ships. My SIL has done them a few times and she said by 10 pm the ship looked empty......guess they all went to bed. They were bored and never went back on HA. But everyone likes something different so you got to do what you got to do!! Have fun!!

[FLSteve11]

[quote name='marymarie']Holland is wonderful. Very elegant. We are going back to HAL now that RCCL made it clear we don't really matter.[/quote]

I find it intersting that I have read a few people who are saying they will cruise HAL because they don't like the changes to the RCCL loyalty program. Because when I look at HAL's program, it barely gives anything in comparison. A few minor discounts on some purchases and such and that's about it. You don't even get priority embark/disembark until you have done 200 days! It's like biting off your nose to spite your face if that's the reason you are switching lines, especially if you are starting near the bottom again.

[Schooner Bar Girl]

[quote name='critterchick']I agree. We made out like bandits under the conversion since we took many short cruises while Monarch was in LA (and we'd take many more if they'd bring a ship back!). I understand that the C&A computer has its limitations, but if you can document your extra 110 days, they should give them to you. You're certainly as loyal to RCI as we are...

[B]Patti, have you approached C&A or even somebody in corporate? And I hope you recover quickly from your surgery![/B][/quote]

I was wondering the same thing. Patti, have you approached C&A about this or have you just chalked it up to it is what it is? I have read several posts on here where people have said that C&A have adjusted things for them. Reading the results of some posts I would be surprised if they didn't adjust your points to reflect your longer cruises. I know the new system is "points" rather than "days" but I think that you should still approach them for additional points for your longer cruises.

Good luck and also good thoughts for a speedy recovery!:)

[Merion_Mom]

[quote name='Merion_Mom']Would you like to provide us with your previous number of cruise credits? You wrote in your first post that you were one cruise short. I assumed that you meant that you had 9 cruise credits, since you need 10 to be Diamond.

In the conversion, that means 76 cruise points. Since you need 80 cruise points to be Diamond, it is reasonable to say that you need one cruise to be Diamond.

Please explain to me my error.

:)[/QUOTE]

[quote name='marymarie']Merion mom you are mistaken.
You indicate that we get extra perks as Emerald as opposed to Platinum. Here is the info from Cruise Critic article (cut and pasted the direct language):

Two new loyalty tiers have been added. This brings the number of tiers up to six. The new levels are the Emerald Tier, which will be placed between the Platinum and Diamond tiers, and the Pinnacle Club, which RCI refers to as a "unique group who have reached our highest status." Bottom line: Some members at the upper end of Platinum woke up today to find themselves upgraded to Emerald. Admittedly, there aren't many additional benefits in this tier -- a welcome amenity (like in-cabin mineral water or chocolates) and more generous discounts on balcony cabins and suites. But, hey, a benefit is a benefit, right?

You are also incorrect about the change in status for us to reach the next level with one cruise. Your math is not correct. As to the points 7 cruises x 7 nites each makes 49 points add to that 5 nites plus 5 nites (2 more cruises to make it 9 total cruises) and you get 59 points. Hardly one cruise from Diamond since Diamond is 80 points. Need a long cruise to get to 80! They (RCCL) tell us our total is 52. Not everyone is getting a good deal in this conversion so be cautious when you speak as an authority of how this plays out for everyone.[/QUOTE]

I repeat: YOU said in your first post that you were one away from Diamond - I didn't.

Now you say that you have 7 cruises.

Therefore you were NOT one cruise away from Diamond.

I can only respond to what you write. I can't read your mind.

[critterchick]

[quote name='cruisenfever']We did not lose nights..........we lost points when they converted our cruise credits into points.

We got 7 points for each cruise credit like everyone else, plus a bonus of 13. Unfortunately, for us, more than half of those cruise credits were for cruises that were 11+ days or longer.

Those on the other hand that took short cruises were also given 7 points for each cruise credit........so it seems that they were rewarded for taking shorter cruises.

[COLOR=red]Nobody is going to be happy when all is said and done. There was really no fair way to do it unless they counted actual days at sea for each and every member...........which would have been impossible.[/COLOR]

Thanks for the kind words Jean, my surgery went well and I am feeling great. Ya just gotta love Valium and Jackson Juice.:D[/quote]

Impossible, no. A total PITA because of their computer system, yes. But I'll stop wailing on your behalf now - wouldn't want them to reconsider!:o:D

[mary_228]

I am disappointed because if the computer can track my previous cruises, why can't they award me points for the actual number of nights I sailed instead of just assuming they were all 7 night? This method, as I am sure was pointed out in the previous 27 pages of posts, rewards those with shorter cruises and penalizes those with longer than 7 nights. This now puts me two cruises away from the second tier, which I am just not that interested in making. :( When I called C&A to discuss this, I asked if they were taking feedback and the representative mentioned that she had [I]pages[/I] of comments to report.

[bigeagle12]

[quote name='mary_228']I am disappointed because if the computer can track my previous cruises, why can't they award me points for the actual number of nights I sailed instead of just assuming they were all 7 night? This method, as I am sure was pointed out in the previous 27 pages of posts, rewards those with shorter cruises and penalizes those with longer than 7 nights. This now puts me two cruises away from the second tier, which I am just not that interested in making. :( When I called C&A to discuss this, I asked if they were taking feedback and the representative mentioned that she had [I]pages[/I] of comments to report.[/quote]

The "computer" could have converted the cruise credits however RCI had wished it to.

The idea was to convert prior credits (which were previously "unfair") as is, to keep a level playing field. Then post conversion, start accumulating based on cruise nights.

Just as you feel it was unfair you did not get extra points for longer cruises .. it would not been fair for those who had taken shorter cruises to now be PENALIZED because the rules have changed.

Everyone earned their prior cruise credits under the rules that were in place at the time.

[Addict]

[quote name='FLSteve11']No, the conversion was correct. The program, up to 1/21/11, was that you gained 1 credit per cruise (with a bonus for 12+ and JS and up). This is the program everyone ran under all that time. A person had who got to "x" cruises got there whether they took 3-night, 11-night, 12-night, whatever. Everyone followed those "rules" in the program. They decided to do new rules on 1/21. Should they retroacively change the rules in the past then? If you had a certain number of credits, you got there in good faith under the current system, so why should someone be rewarded or penalized retroactively? Which is basically what you want to do there.

You are then also rewarding people with extra credits who took longer cruises before 2003. RCCL did not go and retroactively give extra credits for people who cruised 12+ length cruises when they added that credit bonus then. But you want to do it now? What about peope who took suites before 2004? Should RCCL go back and find all the people who did so, so they can gain extra nights?

The basic example is the laws of our country. If they pass a new law, you don't go back and arrest someone who did not follow that law in the past. RCCL did the exact method they SHOULD have done for the conversion, which is to treat people who had followed the current system to that point equally.[/quote]

You're right - we got there in good faith under the old system.

I'm not suggesting they go back and give us extra credits for something that was not in "the rules" when we took those cruises (both our RCI cruises were only last year). The rules at the time gave us 7 credits - meaning we just needed one more longer cruise in a suite to get to Diamond level. That is what we have booked for May 2011. But now it won't take us to that level. How is that right?

Many people have said here that the discrepancies seem to be for those that had 7 credits. If you had 8 and above I think you came out ahead.

I do think the system is much better now that it was - much fairer. :D BUT the conversion just wasn't fair to everyone.

[FLSteve11]

[quote name='Addict']You're right - we got there in good faith under the old system.

I'm not suggesting they go back and give us extra credits for something that was not in "the rules" when we took those cruises (both our RCI cruises were only last year). The rules at the time gave us 7 credits - meaning we just needed one more longer cruise in a suite to get to Diamond level. That is what we have booked for May 2011. But now it won't take us to that level. How is that right?

Many people have said here that the discrepancies seem to be for those that had 7 credits. If you had 8 and above I think you came out ahead.

I do think the system is much better now that it was - much fairer. :D BUT the conversion just wasn't fair to everyone.[/quote]

Actually the conversion really has nothing to do with it.

The REAL reason you are such further behind is they decided to make it harder to get to the Diamond level under the new system. So they raised the points needed to attain that level to 80. Under the "old" system, it should have been the equivalent of 70. Actually everyone under 8 credits will now need extra cruises to get to Diamond. If you had 1 cruise credit, you also now need to book an extra cruise+ to gain those 10 points. If they hadn't done this, then your long cruise in a suite would have netted you Diamond level anyway. At some point they had to make a cut off on when they would help those close to the level with some extra points, and made it 2 credits away (by giving the extra 10 points), which is a reasonable cutoff point (as you are actually closer to the old Platinum the Diamond at that point). Otherwise they would have needed to give everyone those extra points.

This is similar to when I was a kid, and thought "Hey when I turn 18 I can go to a bar or pub and get a drink like my cousins..... Oooops guess not"

[bob278]

[quote name='Addict']You're right - we got there in good faith under the old system.

I'm not suggesting they go back and give us extra credits for something that was not in "the rules" when we took those cruises (both our RCI cruises were only last year). The rules at the time gave us 7 credits - meaning we just needed one more longer cruise in a suite to get to Diamond level. That is what we have booked for May 2011. But now it won't take us to that level. How is that right?

Many people have said here that the discrepancies seem to be for those that had 7 credits. If you had 8 and above I think you came out ahead.

I do think the system is much better now that it was - much fairer. :D BUT the conversion just wasn't fair to everyone.[/quote]
I'm not sure I'm following this. If you have 52 points, a 14-night cruise in a suite will earn 28 points and make you Diamond. If you booked a 12 or 13-night cruise, you won't make it, but that's a small hole in the system.

If that's your situation, I would call C&A and explain that you have already booked a single cruise that would have made you Diamond and now it won't but the solution is simple - bump your points to 56. It does seem they went to some effort to make those who were one credit away from a "promotion" so asking (nicely) to restore your situation to being one (already booked) cruise away is not asking a lot. And it can't hurt.

[Addict]

[quote name='FLSteve11']Actually the conversion really has nothing to do with it.

The REAL reason you are such further behind is they decided to make it [COLOR=red]harder to get to the Diamond level[/COLOR] under the new system. So they raised the points needed to attain that level to 80. Under the "old" system, it should have been the equivalent of 70. Actually everyone under 8 credits will now need extra cruises to get to Diamond. If you had 1 cruise credit, you also now need to book an extra cruise+ to gain those 10 points. If they hadn't done this, then your long cruise in a suite would have netted you Diamond level anyway. At some point they had to make a cut off on when they would help those close to the level with some extra points, and made it 2 credits away (by giving the extra 10 points), which is a reasonable cutoff point (as you are actually closer to the old Platinum the Diamond at that point). Otherwise they would have needed to give everyone those extra points.

This is similar to when I was a kid, and thought "Hey when I turn 18 I can go to a bar or pub and get a drink like my cousins..... Oooops guess not"[/quote]

OK, this really is a minor thing and it's not going to stop us cruising RCI.

But let's look at this another way - let's say we are just starting to cruise.

We do two 13 day cruises and a 14 day - all in suites.
Plus an additional "Diamonds in December" which I am presuming they would give an extra 7 days because of the way they have done the conversion.
Total of 40 days cruising doubled to 80 for the suites plus 7 for DinD - total of 87 points.
How is that making it "harder to get to the Diamond level". We would be Diamond level plus 7 points towards the next level.

Old system - 6 credits plus 3 credits for suites plus 1 for DinD - total 10 points - Diamond (just).

Either way you look at it, whether it was on the old system or the new one - we [B]would[/B] be Diamond after the next cruise.

The conversion has taken that away. Yes, I understand there had to be a system - but one size does not fit all.

[Addict]

[quote name='bob278']I'm not sure I'm following this. If you have 52 points, a 14-night cruise in a suite will earn 28 points and make you Diamond. If you booked a 12 or 13-night cruise, you won't make it, but that's a small hole in the system.

If that's your situation, I would call C&A and explain that you have already booked a single cruise that would have made you Diamond and now it won't but the solution is simple - bump your points to 56. It does seem they went to some effort to make those who were one credit away from a "promotion" so asking (nicely) to restore your situation to being one (already booked) cruise away is not asking a lot. And it can't hurt.[/quote]

Thanks Bob - you're absolutely right. It's a 13 night! Would have been another 3 credits - but now, even though it's one of the longer cruises out there, it doesn't get us to that level. I did email (nicely):D and will wait a while to see if I get a response (poor people there must be manic). If not I may give them a call.

[bob278]

I just looked at your signature and see that we have similar tastes in cruising. Love those TAs.

From your posts about not making Diamond, I wonder if you realize that your Celebrity cruise history shows you should be Elite in the Captain's Club and that would give you Diamond status. You should call C&A and give them your Captain's Club number and ask for the reciprocity recognition.

[Lancky]

I like the new system. Nights sailed will equal points earned.
So far only sailed twice with RC -one ten night cruise, one eleven nights.

Being a simple lad, and using my fingers and toes to count on, 21 nights equals....15 according to Royal Caribbean!

They have your nights sailed in their system. Why make it complicated?

[bigeagle12]

[quote name='Lancky']I like the new system. Nights sailed will equal points earned.
So far only sailed twice with RC -one ten night cruise, one eleven nights.

Being a simple lad, and using my fingers and toes to count on, 21 nights equals....15 according to Royal Caribbean!

They have your nights sailed in their system. Why make it complicated?[/quote]

Because prior to 1/21 .. 3 night cruises were worth the same as 11 night cruises. New rules effective 1/21 .. not retro-active :eek:

[FLSteve11]

[quote name='Addict']OK, this really is a minor thing and it's not going to stop us cruising RCI.

But let's look at this another way - let's say we are just starting to cruise.

We do two 13 day cruises and a 14 day - all in suites.
Plus an additional "Diamonds in December" which I am presuming they would give an extra 7 days because of the way they have done the conversion.
Total of 40 days cruising doubled to 80 for the suites plus 7 for DinD - total of 87 points.
How is that making it "harder to get to the Diamond level". We would be Diamond level plus 7 points towards the next level.

Old system - 6 credits plus 3 credits for suites plus 1 for DinD - total 10 points - Diamond (just).

Either way you look at it, whether it was on the old system or the new one - we [B]would[/B] be Diamond after the next cruise.

The conversion has taken that away. Yes, I understand there had to be a system - but one size does not fit all.[/quote]

Actually, you only got the "diamonds in december" credit if you were already diamond. Being gold or platinum got you nothing (I know, I was platinum in december, I just became diamond with my cruise early this month)

In fact, how did you have 7 credits? The most credits you can get on a cruise under the old system was 3. (One for the cruise, one for 12+, one for a suite) So your two cruises only gave you 6 credits. So you would not have been diamond on your next cruise anyway.

Yes, It may actually be easier to get to Diamond for new cruisers now if they take long cruises in suites. A 14-night in a suite now gets you 28 points, where before it just got you 3 credits.

In general though, the average cruise cannot take long cruises in suites. For the average cruiser they now need an extra cruise to get there.

In fact, for all the complaints about people taking 3/4-night cruisess to get up the ranks quickly, you're now the new poster child of the people who will go up the ranks quickly *sly grin*. Transatlantics and Repositioning cruisers are notoriously cheap (per night), and adding in a suite to double their points rather then an extra credit is giving you a whole mass of cheap points on your account. Wonder if we'll see all the cries about this by those who can't do them in a few years. *wink*

[FLSteve11]

[quote name='bigeagle12']Because prior to 1/21 .. 3 night cruises were worth the same as 11 night cruises. New rules effective 1/21 .. not retro-active :eek:[/quote]

Exactly!! I posted on another thread about this and the conversion. People sailed in good faith under the old system. You can't go back and reward/penalize people now that the rules are changed. You treat everyone equally up to that point who followed the policy and move forward with the new rules.

For all the arguments about RCCL not enforcing their policies on these boards, it's interesting to see how people want them to break the policy they went by for years.

[Addict]

[quote name='bob278']I just looked at your signature and see that we have similar tastes in cruising. Love those TAs.

From your posts about not making Diamond, I wonder if you realize that your Celebrity cruise history shows you should be Elite in the Captain's Club and that would give you Diamond status. You should call C&A and give them your Captain's Club number and ask for the reciprocity recognition.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for caring Bob. We do have Diamond status with RCI (based on our Elite status on Celebrity). But we had to start again with RCI from zero and it does make a difference. Based on the type of cruises we like to do (ie longer ones) and now aiming for the next level, we would still need to do that extra cruise to get to D+. So it does make a difference. I was trying not to cloud the issue by repeating that we do indeed have Diamond status (even though, according to RCI, we will not make the Diamond level in our own right with them until the end of 2011 after a further 27 days sailing).

And you're right - TAs are fantastic. But so is Xmas and New Year in the Caribbean. They are our favourites. :D

[Emeripsni]

For us, the conversion actually set us back. A cruise we took on Jan 13th was not included in the credit to point conversion because of a Jan 12th cut-off date. Under the old system, this cruise would have put us just one credit away (9) from Diamond (10). Since it was placed under the new system we are now 28 of the new points away from Diamond

Side note: if it had been part of the conversion, we would have remained just one cruise away with 76 of the new points. C and A reply to us was simply, "sorry".

In all fairness, we find the whole C and A program probably to be the best in the industry. The biggest reason this has left a slight sour taste in our mouth is that after our next cruise in April this year, we had planned to enjoy a booked cruise in November as Diamond members (sigh).

[storm1of4]

[quote name='bigeagle12']Why are you still whining?

Sounds fair to me .. you were one cruise away from Platinum before the conversion and you are still one cruise away.

Under the old system you advanced based on number of cruises so it is fair that everyone was converted equally .. no one gained status or lost status .. if a few fell through the cracks RCI is correcting these situations.

In your case you stayed the same :confused:[/quote]

[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]AGREE 100%[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]These whiners!!!!!!!!![/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]It is like being a second semester Freshman in college and getting mad because you are not a Senior or cant go to the Senior homecoming.[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]Here's some advice...Pay your dues!!!! And when you get to D+ enjoy yourself. You will have earned that! Until then relax and keep on cruising RCI!!! [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[firefly333]

I just got home from a cruise NOW (not RCL sorry), but I saw I am Emerald .. which means ?? Says Im 11 credits short of being diamond. My next two RCL cruises are on Oasis, so from what I can figure out, I still cant get in the diamond lounge on Oasis... will take both Oasis cruises to get to diamond. Wouldnt work to do a short quickie now before one to get there sooner.

I just wanted them to get it over with.. but hoped they wouldnt until I hit diamond. Oh well .. if wishes were horses.

So, is there a thread explaining any Emerald benefits .. is it supposed to be better than being platinum in some way.. almost all my previous cruises were 7 days .. probably my future cruises .. so Im probably no better or worse off .. just what is Emerald though?

I dont get why they stuck a level between platinum and diamond.

[Snackdaddy]

Hey torm1of4,

I love your higher education analogy...people/students nowadays, have such a sense of entitlement that they do not want to EARN anything anymore...:o

[quote name='storm1of4'][FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]AGREE 100%[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]These whiners!!!!!!!!![/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]It is like being a second semester Freshman in college and getting mad because you are not a Senior or cant go to the Senior homecoming.[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=4][COLOR=blue][B]Here's some advice...Pay your dues!!!! And when you get to D+ enjoy yourself. You will have earned that! Until then relax and keep on cruising RCI!!! [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]