End of Elite cocktail party?

[sanjoseca]

Life is full of unexpected changes, we all have to deal with them and find the positives.

 

What objective do you have in mind GHS? What do you want Celebrity to do now that they have made their decision on how to deal with too many Elites on board?

[Ma Bell]

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.

 

 

I agree.

[richsea]

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.

 

How very true.

I will welcome a new tier of Captain's Club, but shudder to think of the uproar from those on here who feel entitled, at the perceived slights that are inevitable as a result. Remember the uproar on The Royal Caribbean boards when they introduced Diamond Plus?

[ghstudio]

Life is full of unexpected changes, we all have to deal with them and find the positives.

 

What objective do you have in mind GHS? What do you want Celebrity to do now that they have made their decision on how to deal with too many Elites on board?

 

If I have an objective at all, it's to convince Celebrity that it has to think about changes from a customer's perspective. Customers should not have to call to book a shore excursion because the computer system won't allow you to make them online (yup...couldn't book online for this cruise due to computer problems that were never fixed); Customers should not have to call to find out that they weren't going to get luggage tags, even if requested; and customers shouldn't find that the unlimited drinks from 5-7 have been changed to two drinks on the ship (yes, it started as two drinks).

 

The computer system is apparently unfixable...or perhaps it will be fixed some time in the far future. The other two items could have been covered in a nice note to passengers explaining the luggage tags as an experiment and clearly stating that their would be folks at the dock to give them luggage tags if they didn't bring their own......and certainly they could have sent a note to the elites explaining that this was also a trial....and perhaps they would have seen an early reaction that two coupons just weren't enough...or were viewed as an unannounced "take away" in expected (and advertised) perks.

 

For those that think two coupons are fine....they probably are if you are drinking martini's...but if you are drinking kir or wine for a couple of hours, two may be a bit less than many are used to.

 

None of these decisions were made on the ship....I understand and expect some "made on the ship" changes based on unique cruise situations. But all of these were made in HQ.

 

I think that in the future, when celebrity HQ decides to try something on a cruise....they should let their customers know ahead of time...turn it into a positive. Of course, if you think maybe it's not a positive, then you should still communicate it...put on whatever marketing spin you want....and then let the chips fall.

 

As far as our cruise, it all worked out...it just was handled poorly, from my point of view. They've learned...and now they are notifying folks before they get on the ship if they will be using coupons....and they are using three coupons per elite which seems to work. Hopefully, the next time they want to trial something, they won't just do it when you get on board. Communications anticipates and solves problems...it doesn't create problems, if done correctly.

 

The dining room seating idea is not that far removed. Everyone still eats...no problem. You make up your own table and sit wherever you like in the dining room....and your first night seat is your seat for the cruise. Oh, you expected Celebrity to assign you a table.....why? You are still dining at the early/late seating. Actually, it's not a bad idea :)

[Ma Bell]

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.

 

 

I'm sure there were some unhappy folks but that's nothing new is it? LOL There seem to be a few that feel the Elite status makes them very special and they feel slighted before they even give something a chance. They would rather cry foul before they even experience something.

[constantcruiser]

I agree that a new higher level is inevitable and probably beneficial. In my opinion what RCI did wrong was that, instead of increasing benefits for their highest level (Diamond+), they just took away perks from their lower tiers.

 

To me that makes as much sense as a hotel frequent guest program that, instead of giving its most loyal customers suites on the concierge floor, just moves other guests to the basement!

[ghstudio]

I'm sure there were some unhappy folks but that's nothing new is it? LOL There seem to be a few that feel the Elite status makes them very special and they feel slighted before they even give something a chance. They would rather cry foul before they even experience something.

 

oh my...we're back to the "I'm not elite" thread. I don't think I read one post in this thread that indicated that anyone wanted something special. All the discussion has been about expecting what's posted on the celebrity site as perks for elites.

[richsea]

The bottom line is that no matter how Celebrity handled the change, somebody was bound to be pi$$ed off or put off. GHS, just because you wish that they would address the problem a certain way, if they did that, there would be a ton of people saying it should have been handled a different way, perhaps even hoe the did actually handle it. As evidenced on this very thread, they cannot possibly please everyone.

 

I think that your problems with their website are contributing with how you perceived the course they took to solve the problem of overcrowding during the Elite cocktail hour. While I generally enjoy your posts it seems to me that many of your posts reveal a resentment of how Celebrity handles many aspects of their business. Perhaps it is time to consider a different cruise line.

[sanjoseca]

GHS, I think it may help you in future to put yourself in the shoes of Celebrity in order to better understand how they think. I don't believe that they went down the path they did naively....they have a lot of experience making changes to their product. They tried something in a fairly controlled manner which allowed them to adjust things to meet the customer part way without a whole lot of noise generated on sites like Cruise Critic.

 

I don't believe that they have an obligation to communicate ahead of time to all Elites when trying something new. I think that they launched a change very effectively, made necessary adjustments as needed and have moved on.

 

Is everyone happy with the changes? Probably not. Were the changes necessary on your TransAtlantic? Probably. Are there more changes or issues coming that will tick off some Elites? Probably. Will I still book with Celebrity? Well, yes I will and I will adjust to whatever I need to because overall I am happy with their product. I feel special with the treatment that all passengers receive.

[richsea]

oh my...we're back to the "I'm not elite" thread. I don't think I read one post in this thread that indicated that anyone wanted something special. All the discussion has been about expecting what's posted on the celebrity site as perks for elites.

 

Sorry, but I think that what MA Bell said has nothing to do with the "Elite" thread, but more about the attitude of entitlement from many Elite posters, as evidenced by the endless bit$h!ng about the hours & the selection of drinks, etc. in the cocktail hour.

[sanjoseca]

I agree that a new higher level is inevitable and probably beneficial. In my opinion what RCI did wrong was that, instead of increasing benefits for their highest level (Diamond+), they just took away perks from their lower tiers.

 

To me that makes as much sense as a hotel frequent guest program that, instead of giving its most loyal customers suites on the concierge floor, just moves other guests to the basement!

 

Yeah we'll, I would bet that the Celebrity changes, if they come, will probably somewhat mirror the Crown and Anchor changes of a couple of years ago. I doubt that with a growing number of Elites that they will want to further increase their cost exposure to the program, they'll be looking for the opposite.

[ghstudio]

Yeah we'll, I would bet that the Celebrity changes, if they come, will probably somewhat mirror the Crown and Anchor changes of a couple of years ago. I doubt that with a growing number of Elites that they will want to further increase their cost exposure to the program, they'll be looking for the opposite.

 

I'm quite optimistic about new programs...and I don't think they will reduce benefits for current members.

 

They could implement the coupons for existing elites and then have a private venue for elite + with more selections of liquors/food; they could increase internet time; some number of gratis special meals....maybe some drink coupons usable during the day.

 

My G2 tells me that we'll hear in the next couple of months...but reality is we'll hear when we hear.

[excitedofharpenden]

Sorry, but I think that what MA Bell said has nothing to do with the "Elite" thread, but more about the attitude of entitlement from many Elite posters, as evidenced by the endless bit$h!ng about the hours & the selection of drinks, etc. in the cocktail hour.

Yes, you are right on there I think and many of us feel the same way.

 

Phil

[Oville]

I agree that a new higher level is inevitable and probably beneficial. In my opinion what RCI did wrong was that, instead of increasing benefits for their highest level (Diamond+), they just took away perks from their lower tiers.

 

To me that makes as much sense as a hotel frequent guest program that, instead of giving its most loyal customers suites on the concierge floor, just moves other guests to the basement!

 

Regarding Royal's C&A program, it became way too big and they needed to do something to alleviate the overcrowding in the Concierge Lounges. Adding more perks for Diamond Plus members would not have solved the problem.

 

The same holds true for Celebrity, giving additional perks to those with a lot of cruise credits doesn't make the overcrowding in the Elite events disappear.

[Oville]

Sorry, but I think that what MA Bell said has nothing to do with the "Elite" thread, but more about the attitude of entitlement from many Elite posters, as evidenced by the endless bit$h!ng about the hours & the selection of drinks, etc. in the cocktail hour.

 

Yes, you are right on there I think and many of us feel the same way.

 

Phil

 

I completely agree with you guys. Wouldn't it be interesting to know how many of those complaining were Diamond on Royal and switched to Celebrity and became instant Elite members thereby immediately enjoying the Elite Social Hours.

[harz99]

I have not been checking this thread because the last post I read was from a Celebrity spokesman......... 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.........

 

............ but more about the attitude of entitlement from many Elite posters, as evidenced by the endless bit$h!ng about the hours & the selection of drinks, etc. in the cocktail hour.

 

So you haven't read all the posts but still feel informed enough to make comments like the above?

 

There has been no endless anything about the hours of the cocktail party/vouchers that I have seen having followed and contributed to this thread from early on, and certainly none about the selection of drinks.

 

Yes, there have been a few suggestions about extending the hours that vouchers can be used, but nothing to warrant the tone of your comments.

 

As for entitlement, if a company makes an offer to a customer, and encourages repeat business on that basis, they should keep their side of the bargain. Captains Club and its perks/benefits is heavily promoted by Celebrity, so yes its members are entitled, unless fair notice is given of changes.

[tserface]

If they do add a new tier I think they should make the next level depend on what you do from now on instead of what you've done in the past. Otherwise, there will just be a ton of Elite Pluses (or whatever they call it). So, we should all be Elite level until we sail cruises based on the start date of the new program. That would make it fair and it would ease the implementation of the benefit.

 

I suspect there will be some complaining if we lose any current benefits. For example, if it is perceived that they are creating Elite Minus instead, that change may not be so exciting. I've heard some use words like "entitled" in a derogatory fashion. Well, since Celebrity created the program and set up expectations based on what they list as "benefits" on the website and many of us have stayed loyal in an effort to earn some of those benefits... aren't we entitled to them?

 

If they want to change by reducing the benefits that many expect, I also think it would be fair to change the website at some point and say the changes take place for all "new bookings" just like they do for price changes. At least that would be consistent. Then someone can make the decision to book or not based on the current conditions. That would only make sense for any real benefit changes. Switching from party to coupons is pretty equitable IMO. They did claim the right to change the benefits, but it would be sort of disingenuous to do it after someone has already accepted the contract the, at least, implied them.

 

I don't think Celebrity will do that. They are not that kind of company. My guess is the current voucher thing is a *real* attempt to fulfill what they promised in a pragmatic way. So far it seems like a lot of people really like it and some don't. It also seems like a lot of the ones that don't like it haven't tried it yet :)

 

Tom

 

 

How very true.

I will welcome a new tier of Captain's Club, but shudder to think of the uproar from those on here who feel entitled, at the perceived slights that are inevitable as a result. Remember the uproar on The Royal Caribbean boards when they introduced Diamond Plus?

[tserface]

I suspect they talked about the "forgiveness vs. permission" rule on this one. If they would have announced it before the cruise (at least the first time when no one had tried it yet) I suspect some people would have made a big stink or tried to cancel or who knows what?

 

Or, it could be that they just didn't know that it was going to be an issue until too close to sail time and just thought it was a reasonable solution.

 

Tom

 

The bottom line is that no matter how Celebrity handled the change, somebody was bound to be pi$$ed off or put off. GHS, just because you wish that they would address the problem a certain way, if they did that, there would be a ton of people saying it should have been handled a different way, perhaps even hoe the did actually handle it. As evidenced on this very thread, they cannot possibly please everyone.

 

I think that your problems with their website are contributing with how you perceived the course they took to solve the problem of overcrowding during the Elite cocktail hour. While I generally enjoy your posts it seems to me that many of your posts reveal a resentment of how Celebrity handles many aspects of their business. Perhaps it is time to consider a different cruise line.

[tserface]

The site is called Cruise Critic, not Cruise Cheerleader. I think some civilized criticism (what I read mostly) is pretty fair and in the spirit of the BBS.

 

And, if the Celebrity advertised on their site a certain level of benefits when the user signed up for the cruise, then that user is entitled to those benefits. It's not like Elites get something for nothing. As many have said, the "whole package" is considered as part of the price of the cruise. It may not be a deal breaker, but it's still a fair consideration. The benefits are part of the reason we love cruising on Celebrity.

 

Tom

 

Sorry, but I think that what MA Bell said has nothing to do with the "Elite" thread, but more about the attitude of entitlement from many Elite posters, as evidenced by the endless bit$h!ng about the hours & the selection of drinks, etc. in the cocktail hour.

[Ma Bell]

If they do add a new tier I think they should make the next level depend on what you do from now on instead of what you've done in the past. Otherwise, there will just be a ton of Elite Pluses (or whatever they call it). So, we should all be Elite level until we sail cruises based on the start date of the new program. That would make it fair and it would ease the implementation of the benefit.

 

I suspect there will be some complaining if we lose any current benefits. For example, if it is perceived that they are creating Elite Minus instead, that change may not be so exciting. I've heard some use words like "entitled" in a derogatory fashion. Well, since Celebrity created the program and set up expectations based on what they list as "benefits" on the website and many of us have stayed loyal in an effort to earn some of those benefits... aren't we entitled to them?

 

If they want to change by reducing the benefits that many expect, I also think it would be fair to change the website at some point and say the changes take place for all "new bookings" just like they do for price changes. At least that would be consistent. Then someone can make the decision to book or not based on the current conditions. That would only make sense for any real benefit changes. Switching from party to coupons is pretty equitable IMO. They did claim the right to change the benefits, but it would be sort of disingenuous to do it after someone has already accepted the contract the, at least, implied them.

 

I don't think Celebrity will do that. They are not that kind of company. My guess is the current voucher thing is a *real* attempt to fulfill what they promised in a pragmatic way. So far it seems like a lot of people really like it and some don't. It also seems like a lot of the ones that don't like it haven't tried it yet :)

 

Tom

 

 

No, actually what they should do is go by days sailed and perhaps a bonus for spending more on accommodations. Then they could see who the "loyal" members are. They made a huge mistake when they gave equal credits for 2 and 3 day cruises and made it entirely too easy to become Elite members. It's obvious they are going to have to rework the Captain's Club, probably sooner rather than later. The day may also come where the benefits are not reciprocal. Whatever they decide, I hope it's something fair, but I completely understand that something is going to need to be done.

 

I would say we are loyal Celebrity cruisers and I enjoy the perks we get, but I also understand that a business has to make a profit to stay in business. They also need to make sure that the benefit can actually be enjoyed. It doesn't do them any good to have an out of control situation where no one can enjoy what should be a pleasant time.

[sanjoseca]

If they do add a new tier I think they should make the next level depend on what you do from now on instead of what you've done in the past. Otherwise, there will just be a ton of Elite Pluses (or whatever they call it). So, we should all be Elite level until we sail cruises based on the start date of the new program. That would make it fair and it would ease the implementation of the benefit.

 

I suspect there will be some complaining if we lose any current benefits. For example, if it is perceived that they are creating Elite Minus instead, that change may not be so exciting. I've heard some use words like "entitled" in a derogatory fashion. Well, since Celebrity created the program and set up expectations based on what they list as "benefits" on the website and many of us have stayed loyal in an effort to earn some of those benefits... aren't we entitled to them?

 

If they want to change by reducing the benefits that many expect, I also think it would be fair to change the website at some point and say the changes take place for all "new bookings" just like they do for price changes. At least that would be consistent. Then someone can make the decision to book or not based on the current conditions. That would only make sense for any real benefit changes. Switching from party to coupons is pretty equitable IMO. They did claim the right to change the benefits, but it would be sort of disingenuous to do it after someone has already accepted the contract the, at least, implied them.

 

I don't think Celebrity will do that. They are not that kind of company. My guess is the current voucher thing is a *real* attempt to fulfill what they promised in a pragmatic way. So far it seems like a lot of people really like it and some don't. It also seems like a lot of the ones that don't like it haven't tried it yet :)

 

Tom

 

I would be willing to bet that Celebrity will follow what RCI did a couple of years ago when they watered down the benefits of Diamond while leaving the benefits of Diamond plus virtually untouched.

 

The diamond people were really upset with losing The concierge lounge, but most of them eventually got over it. The drink options in the Diamond Lounge were not as good as the Concierge Lounge ones.

 

We're only entitled to benefits for as long as Celebrity decides to keep them. Corporations are very well aware that they need to disclose that any given program can be changed or eliminated at their sole discretion. I don't buy that I "earned" benefits......the company has only "loaned" them to me as long as they see fit.

[sanjoseca]

Taser face, this board is called Cruise Critic and I feel perfectly free to criticize some of the posts on here, so I think your "cheer leader" comment is not a fair one. I don't label the posters on here that are active complainers "negative people" or someting like that. They have their opinions and should be able to discuss them without being labeled......as should others like me.

[Christine Frances]

This is the conversion Royal used:

 

From 1-4 = pts x 7 plus 1

5-7 = pts x 7 plus 3

8+ = pts x 7 plus 13

 

so if you had 15 CC points it would = 15 x 7 + 13 = 118

 

And these are the levels that the points equated to http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=27597843&postcount=1

 

I would assume Celebrity would do something similar.

[tserface]

I didn't label anyone. I just said you should expect us to be critics not cheerleaders. Although, we do see some of each. I just didn't like being called a "bit$h" although I'm not sure what sticking in the $ really does (does anyone not know what word was meant?

 

Tom

 

P.S., It's 'tserface' (stands for Tom Serface) not Taser face. That sounds like it could hurt.

 

Taser face, this board is called Cruise Critic and I feel perfectly free to criticize some of the posts on here, so I think your "cheer leader" comment is not a fair one. I don't label the posters on here that are active complainers "negative people" or someting like that. They have their opinions and should be able to discuss them without being labeled......as should others like me.

[tserface]

You're probably right about them creating Elite Minus instead of Elite Plus.

 

I think they have the right to change the benefits whenever they want, but the ones that were promised when you sign up for the cruise should be honored just like any other cruise parameter.

 

Tom

 

I would be willing to bet that Celebrity will follow what RCI did a couple of years ago when they watered down the benefits of Diamond while leaving the benefits of Diamond plus virtually untouched.

 

The diamond people were really upset with losing The concierge lounge, but most of them eventually got over it. The drink options in the Diamond Lounge were not as good as the Concierge Lounge ones.

 

We're only entitled to benefits for as long as Celebrity decides to keep them. Corporations are very well aware that they need to disclose that any given program can be changed or eliminated at their sole discretion. I don't buy that I "earned" benefits......the company has only "loaned" them to me as long as they see fit.