End of Elite cocktail party?

[Hapytocruise]

The Elite reception is about this same time frame. Having the vouchers the same hours as the reception seems to made sense. Why would the vouchers have different or extended hours?

 

M

 

 

By extending the voucher hours a bit such as 4pm to 8pm this new system would be more received as a bonus instead of a take-away. It makes the X reasoning given as providing a better service on a much crowed elite situation as believable, sellable and a true enhancement.

[harz99]

By extending the voucher hours a bit such as 4pm to 8pm this new system would be more received as a bonus instead of a take-away. It makes the X reasoning given as providing a better service on a much crowed elite situation as believable, sellable and a true enhancement.

 

Exactly!

 

I would prefer 3-7 so you could enjoy a post lunch or pre dinner drink, but thats just a personal view.

 

Either way, doubling the hours of availability would cost nothing in terms of staffing or consumption, and as you say, would truly spread the numbers around to everyone's advantage and most of all would be seen as a positive - shame the suits in Miami cannot see that.

[excitedofharpenden]

Going back to the facts I think I'm correct in saying this voucher system at present is:

 

1. In place for cruises with large numbers of Elites only eg transatlantics
   
2. Has only recently been introduced
   
3. Is still very much in the trial stages for those cruises
   
4. Initiated by senior personnel on the ship
   

 

If you are going on one of these high number Elite cruises why don't you just write to Celebrity instead of arguing about it here? I think your time would be better spent doing that. They might change it or are already thinking about doing it from the feedback received so far (which is limited by the amount of time it's been going).

 

Phil

[uktog]

Going back to the facts I think I'm correct in saying this voucher system at present is:

 

1. In place for cruises with large numbers of Elites only eg transatlantics
   
2. Has only recently been introduced
   
3. Is still very much in the trial stages for those cruises
   
4. Initiated by senior personnel on the ship
   

If you are going on one of these high number Elite cruises why don't you just write to Celebrity instead of arguing about it here? I think your time would be better spent doing that. They might change it or are already thinking about doing it from the feedback received so far (which is limited by the amount of time it's been going).

 

Phil

 

Great post Phil

I think for me I need my fridge restocking each night between 5-7

[Sussex Cruiser]

If you are going on one of these high number Elite cruises why don't you just write to Celebrity instead of arguing about it here? I think your time would be better spent doing that. They might change it or are already thinking about doing it from the feedback received so far (which is limited by the amount of time it's been going).

 

Who said that we haven't already? But as ever, it's the standard corporate response of 'we can do what we like, so lump it'.

[teajak]

Going back to the facts I think I'm correct in saying this voucher system at present is:

 

1. In place for cruises with large numbers of Elites only eg transatlantics
   
2. Has only recently been introduced
   
3. Is still very much in the trial stages for those cruises
   
4. Initiated by senior personnel on the ship
   

If you are going on one of these high number Elite cruises why don't you just write to Celebrity instead of arguing about it here? I think your time would be better spent doing that. They might change it or are already thinking about doing it from the feedback received so far (which is limited by the amount of time it's been going).

 

Phil

On our Millie Panama Canal cruise in Sept.an officer at the cc party said if you have any complaints please bring them to us while on the ship. We don't want to read about them later on cruise critic.;)

[ghstudio]

The idea of making the coupons good all day is a good one and will likely be part of any new tier(s) that celebrity creates for elites. There is no reason for them to expand the hours at this point....it would only increase the "free" drinks served. Ditto with expand the drink selection.

 

The decision to issue coupons and how to implement the plan were made in Celebrity HQ....not on the ship....however the Captain's club hostess was in contact with the folks in HQ. She could not increase the number of coupons or make other changes without approval from HQ.

[excitedofharpenden]

Who said that we haven't already? But as ever, it's the standard corporate response of 'we can do what we like, so lump it'.

I notice you did post the reply to a question you had for them on the subject of the vouchers and it seemed a reasonable response to me. What would you like them to do on cruises where there are lots of Elites and not a big enough venue for them (especially since Reflection has a smaller Sky Lounge area)?

 

Phil

[ghstudio]

The size of the "elite" parties, the crowding in the sky lounge on Transatlantics is not new news....we have done three TA's and two of them had over 600 elites, I don't recall the exact number. This was not a new problem...it was a known issue in celebrity HQ. There are people being paid significant $'s to manage the captains club program for Celebrity.

 

The solution isn't a bad one...the announcement and implementation of the solution was just terrible.....and that includes the timing where they told the eclipse two days before the cruise of the changes. They, of course, said nothing to the passengers until they were on board.

 

This entire issue should have been planned by those in the captain's club department in conjunction with the hotel/ship operations department well in advance.....and they could have at least sent a note to the passengers about the change as a trial. Hey, they even could have included that the "print your own luggage tags" was a trial. They didn't do that.

 

This entire thread is pretty much a result of their lack of communications...and as I've said before....a lack of respect for their passengers. Hopefully Mr Bayley will change how celebrity HQ operates...and perhaps it's time for some new management in customer relations/communications.

[loerie]

We were on the trans atlantic - Eclipse .had no problem with the voucher system recieved 3 per person every night- could not even drink those three!

[Ma Bell]

I guess it all depends on the level of communication one should expect from them. I expect to hear about things that would significantly affect my trip, but not every little nuance. Would it be nice if they notified us about every little thing? Maybe, but not really necessary.The passengers still got their drinks and the luggage tags are nice to have, but really not a big deal. You have to give your luggage to the porters anyway, so even if the tags are not printed it takes a second to give them your cabin number. They do the rest.

[ghstudio]

I guess it all depends on the level of communication one should expect from them. I expect to hear about things that would significantly affect my trip, but not every little nuance. Would it be nice if they notified us about every little thing? Maybe, but not really necessary.The passengers still got their drinks and the luggage tags are nice to have, but really not a big deal. You have to give your luggage to the porters anyway, so even if the tags are not printed it takes a second to give them your cabin number. They do the rest.

 

Apparently it isn't such a little thing since they are now notifying passengers in advance :) Surely with just a minimum of thought, they could have sent a note to the eclipse passengers.....but they aren't focused on passenger communications because they don't have to be (in their minds).

[Oxo]

I guess it all depends on the level of communication one should expect from them. I expect to hear about things that would significantly affect my trip, but not every little nuance. Would it be nice if they notified us about every little thing? Maybe, but not really necessary.The passengers still got their drinks and the luggage tags are nice to have, but really not a big deal. You have to give your luggage to the porters anyway, so even if the tags are not printed it takes a second to give them your cabin number. They do the rest.

 

You don't notify clients in advance when you know what you are changing will not be a positive reaction. Two example you have identified were not received positively. So your logic is somewhat questionable.

[Ma Bell]

I really doubt that it was some kind of a conspiracy. Of course they knew that eventually they would have to do something on the overcrowded cruises, but they probably made the decision and implemented it right away out of necessity and of course now that they have a policy they are notifying people ahead.

[richsea]

Going back to the facts I think I'm correct in saying this voucher system at present is:

 

1. In place for cruises with large numbers of Elites only eg transatlantics
   
2. Has only recently been introduced
   
3. Is still very much in the trial stages for those cruises
   
4. Initiated by senior personnel on the ship
   

 

If you are going on one of these high number Elite cruises why don't you just write to Celebrity instead of arguing about it here? I think your time would be better spent doing that. They might change it or are already thinking about doing it from the feedback received so far (which is limited by the amount of time it's been going).

 

Phil

 

Thanks for the reminder, Phil. I have not been checking this thread because the last post I read was from a Celebrity spokesman who pretty much explained what was happening. When days later, I still saw the thread on page 1, I thought something was new, but didn't feel like wading through all of the handwringing, & luckily saw your post.

 

Thanks again!

[Ma Bell]

Apparently it isn't such a little thing since they are now notifying passengers in advance :) Surely with just a minimum of thought, they could have sent a note to the eclipse passengers.....but they aren't focused on passenger communications because they don't have to be (in their minds).

 

 

If it has become policy now they are informing everyone. As I said, it was probably something they decided and implemented quickly and once they saw that it seemed to work, they made it policy.

 

Apparently they have decided to keep sending the luggage tags since it didn't work as well. My remarks are only about the fact that they didn't notify everyone at the last minute about something that was obviously being tried out. Of course if you want to feel offended, there is nothing that will stop that.

[Ma Bell]

You don't notify clients in advance when you know what you are changing will not be a positive reaction. Two example you have identified were not received positively. So your logic is somewhat questionable.

 

 

The reports from people who are actually on the ships seem to be mostly positive. Having been on many crowded Transatlantics, it seems like it was a good idea because as much as I may enjoy the cocktail hour on cruises that are not overcrowded, it's really not fun on those that are.

[ghstudio]

If it has become policy now they are informing everyone. As I said, it was probably something they decided and implemented quickly and once they saw that it seemed to work, they made it policy.

 

Apparently they have decided to keep sending the luggage tags since it didn't work as well. My remarks are only about the fact that they didn't notify everyone at the last minute about something that was obviously being tried out. Of course if you want to feel offended, there is nothing that will stop that.

 

It wasn't obvious that it was just being tried out.....read the thread....it took celebrity some time to say "oh, this is just for special cruises". It initially appeared as a change that might be permanent on all ships.

 

If they didn't realize they had a problem until two days before the sailing then they really are incompetent. I've been on three TA's, all of which had 600 or more elites. This wasn't an Oh my god situation....anyone with any focus on elites and the issues would have seen the problem months in advance. The fact that they waited until two days before the sailing to make a decision speaks to their lack of planning. No, 150 elites did not book suddenly the last week before the cruise :)

 

How would you feel if you walked into the early seating for dinner and they said, oh, there are no assigned tables...just sit where you want. It's a very similar scenario....(hey, that's an idea for celebrity). I doubt you'd just say OK...sounds good. You'd probably think...so this is the new celebrity policy.

 

Communications really helps...and in the world of ecommerce and email, it takes maybe 5 minutes to write a short note to everyone and send it out (and pehaps a few days for approvals before you hit the send key)...it isn't a mass mailing with stamps at the post office....it costs nothing.

[Ma Bell]

No, it's not even close to a comparison as far as I'm concerned. This is a Captain's Club freebee and a couple of cocktails, not dining.

 

If you've been on the TAs you must know that they've done all kinds of things to accommodate varying sizes of crowds. We've seen everything from just crowding everyone in, moving it to the Sky Lounge, splitting the group with some of the higher Elites going to another location and splitting the group with three groups going to different locations. Guess what, they never notified anyone before the cruise began that any of these things would happen. The decisions were made by the personel on the ship at the time. There are always things that are done differently on each ship depending on the conditions and the decisions of the staff.

 

It doesn't seem to have been a problem for those on the ship, but I think if I were that upset about how I was being treated by a business, I would take my business elsewhere.

[excitedofharpenden]

 

If they didn't realize they had a problem until two days before the sailing then they really are incompetent. I've been on three TA's, all of which had 600 or more elites. This wasn't an Oh my god situation....anyone with any focus on elites and the issues would have seen the problem months in advance. The fact that they waited until two days before the sailing to make a decision speaks to their lack of planning. No, 150 elites did not book suddenly the last week before the cruise :)

 

How would you feel if you walked into the early seating for dinner and they said, oh, there are no assigned tables...just sit where you want. It's a very similar scenario....(hey, that's an idea for celebrity). I doubt you'd just say OK...sounds good. You'd probably think...so this is the new celebrity policy.

 

You know, sometimes it's better just to try these things without warning and see what the fallout is at the time. Judging by the uproar this subject has caused I just can't imagine what it would have been like if there had been advanced notice. Odd thing is, for many this new system is no bad thing especially for those cruises with lots of Elites. I will be honest and say I really don't deal well with the large crowds in the Sky Lounge and have ended up skipping them altogether. This provides an alternative and I will see how I get on in December on the Silhouette TA. If it doesn't work I have a novel idea. I'll go and purchase my own drink. LOL

 

I agree with Ma Bell. Your comparisons bear no relationship to each other. I don't take frequent cruiser perks as a policy, but rather a bit of icing on the cake. I can eat it or leave it.

 

Phil

[Suzy Smith]

It wasn't obvious that it was just being tried out.....read the thread....it took celebrity some time to say "oh, this is just for special cruises". It initially appeared as a change that might be permanent on all ships.

 

If they didn't realize they had a problem until two days before the sailing then they really are incompetent. I've been on three TA's, all of which had 600 or more elites. This wasn't an Oh my god situation....anyone with any focus on elites and the issues would have seen the problem months in advance. The fact that they waited until two days before the sailing to make a decision speaks to their lack of planning. No, 150 elites did not book suddenly the last week before the cruise :)

 

Like you, I find it hard to believe that Captain's Club did not realise until two days before sailing that they had such large numbers of Elites on board. Did the coupons look as if they were put together quickly and printed on the spur of the moment or something that had been prepared ahead of time? This would be a good indication of whether it really was a last minute decision.

 

My own feeling is that this might be Phase 1 of introducing extra Elite levels (perhaps higher levels will get more coupons), but I hope they make some sort of announcement soon, as it seems to be accepted now that new levels are on the way and there will be constant speculation until we all know for sure what is happening.

[sanjoseca]

What difference would it have made had Celebrity given a warning ahead of time that drink vouchers would be given to Elites? I know there are some big egos on here, but even on the TransAtlantics Elites are a minority onboard. Not everyone has email access anyway so it would be hit and miss at best.

 

A warning ahead of time would have resulted in a number of Elites going bananas on here and on the Captain's Club phone lines. If I was Celebrity I would have launched it the same way so that I could manage perceptions, issues and concerns in person on board without the frenzy that is evident in some Elites on Cruise Critic.

 

Elite status is important to Celebrity but not to the extent that some of you think it is. It's a program to make a elites feel special but at a controlled cost to the company. They're not trying to make 100% happy, just the majority.....losing a few Elites, if in fact they do, is just a cost of doing business....the losses will easily be made up for by newer customers who probably will spend more on board.

 

I can't wait for Celebrity to announce changes to tier levels with the result of some Elites having modified privileges. It's going to get really interesting on here.

[excitedofharpenden]

 

A warning ahead of time would have resulted in a number of Elites going bananas on here and on the Captain's Club phone lines. If I was Celebrity I would have launched it the same way so that I could manage perceptions, issues and concerns in person on board without the frenzy that is evident in some Elites on Cruise Critic.

 

I totally agree.

 

Phil

[ghstudio]

The decisions were made by the personel on the ship at the time. There are always things that are done differently on each ship depending on the conditions and the decisions of the staff.

 

It doesn't seem to have been a problem for those on the ship, but I think if I were that upset about how I was being treated by a business, I would take my business elsewhere.

 

This decision was made in HQ...it was not made on the ship...and the ship had no ability to change it, had they wanted to.

 

In case you missed it in many of my posts here, I was on the Eclipse TA....there were actually quite a number of unhappy folks when they first started the coupons. You were not in the sky lounge the first night when we thought there was still a private party and the coupons were if you wanted to avoid the crowd...I was.

 

As with most situations, it's very different when you aren't actually there....

 

BTW...if you read all my posts, you would see that I found the coupons worked.

[Suzy Smith]

I can't wait for Celebrity to announce changes to tier levels with the result of some Elites having modified privileges. It's going to get really interesting on here.

 

Well actually some of us are hoping to get extra privileges. So I can't wait either!:)