Perks for suites

[grand isle joe]

RCCL has resorted to a two class system on their ships. True, the Crown and Anchor society, of which I am Diamond, gives perks to repeat cruisers. This delineation has always been sufficient. I have cruised in suites in the past and will do again. I just disembarked from EOS...Those in suites were given the following;

1. Special seating at the pools

2. Reserved and roped off area in the Palace Theater

3. Breakfast and lunch options in Portofino

4. Separate area in Labadee that included an over the top buffet lunch with Butler service.

There may have been others but these were the "in your face" perks.

While I realize that those in suites do pay extra for their cabins, I thought the class system in cruises ended years ago. What is next...Those in an inside cabin not being allowed in the dining room? Are we moving towards steerage class? Really RCCL, what gives? I am writing a letter to the cruise line to address this.

 

 

 

......you forgot to list "look down your nose at all the non-suite passengers".......that's a biggie........;):D

[dllyon]

You don't "believe" in a cruise class system? What about gravity? Do you "believe" in gravity? Do you "believe" the earth is round?

 

Look, cruise lines go where the market drives them. And I for one, am thankful for that. I cruise several times a year, and I pay a premium as a solo cruiser. On top of that, I pay a premium for a large suite. Why? Because it's my vacation and I want to! I want extra space in the room, I want to be able to enjoy a private cabana on Labadee, I want to know I don't need to stand in line to fight for a seat in the theater, I want to know I have a quiet reserved area on the pool deck. I want these things not to feel better than other people. I want them because I enjoy them! I don't really care what anyone else does or doesn't do, does or doesn't pay for. I want to enjoy MY vacation.

 

Here is hoping RCI continues to recognize the value of cruisers like myself and continues to offer more and more suite premiums. Up until now, I wanted this solely for my own enjoyment. But now I also want it because I see how much it will bother you!

 

Sorry you couldn't enjoy your own vacation:confused:

 

 

Agreed,

 

I save and cruise only once every couple years, so I can get a suite.

I want and like the suite perks and I don't care if I get special treatment.

I paid for it, you did not.

If you want what the suite people get, dish out the money.

[TEXASMUNK]

I already commented, but would have loved to have said what you said!

 

I hope the OP checked my signature, that way he might book one of our next two cruises and I can wave to him from our reserved poolside seating.

[Big_G]

I'm not sure what type of person worries about a class system forming on cruise ships. Maybe they could organize an 'Occupy Cruise Ships' and take over a ship, pitch tents on deck (no Carnival jokes), build camp fires at the pool, and have some sing-alongs. Unlike the real Occupy, it would be appreciated if you used the facilities instead of bathing in the pools and doing your business in the bushes in Central Park. I mean, have some consideration for the next weeks cruisers.

[spookwife]

RCCL has resorted to a two class system on their ships. True, the Crown and Anchor society, of which I am Diamond, gives perks to repeat cruisers. This delineation has always been sufficient. I have cruised in suites in the past and will do again. I just disembarked from EOS...Those in suites were given the following;

1. Special seating at the pools

2. Reserved and roped off area in the Palace Theater

3. Breakfast and lunch options in Portofino

4. Separate area in Labadee that included an over the top buffet lunch with Butler service.

There may have been others but these were the "in your face" perks.

While I realize that those in suites do pay extra for their cabins, I thought the class system in cruises ended years ago. What is next...Those in an inside cabin not being allowed in the dining room? Are we moving towards steerage class? Really RCCL, what gives? I am writing a letter to the cruise line to address this.

 

 

sour grapes? jealous? envious? or just unable to stand the fact that someone got something you didn't?

[cruisenfever]

No, I said that I have booked suites in the past. I do not believe in a cruise class system. I paid more than an inside cabin. Should I get perks because of that? If you choose to pay 5000.00 for your vacation, so be it. You get a larger room, priority embarkation and disembarkation, a butler, and some other services. I am referring to the in your face perks that should not go hand in hand with a suite. Sorry. An inside cabin costs an average of 800-1000 pp. a balcony can be as high as 2000.00 pp...so if I choose a balcony, should I have more favors bestowed upon me than an inside cabin? If You follow what you said about price then we move into first class, second class, steerage in cruising.

No cabin category on any RCI ship gets "butler service". You will get butler service if you book a sky suite or above on Celebrity.

 

On Labadee, at Barefoot Beach, you also do not get a "butler". You do get one of the very friendly islanders who either services you in one of the cabanas that you have rented or finds you a nice palm tree and two lounge chairs and keeps your glass filled...........but this person is definitely not a butler.:eek:

Nope...a balcony is in the privacy of your cabin...not in your face at all...Not roped off public areas with signs and ropes that keep people out. Labadee had walls and a gate with a guard at the gate to only admit suite folks. Check it out on your next cruise.

Labadee is for suite guests and Pinnacle Club C&A Members.

[Cruising89143]

Those perks have been in place since Oasis entered service in 2009. :rolleyes: I just love the threads about suites and those who book them when it's the ones NOT in the suites that have the issues. If you like those perks then book a suite. Pretty darn simple.

[Cruising89143]

Have you experienced the differences yet? I did last week and this was the first time in all my years of cruising. Sorry, I do not agree with what is being done. On a plane you pay for a larger seat...on a cruise you pay for a larger room. This room will come with a butler service, different room service menus, complimentary drinks, etc. BUT...Not separation in all other areas.

 

Guess you have never flown first class because you get a lot more than a larger seat.

[joepeka]

Carnival is well known for it's almost total lack of suite "perks" - priority embarkation and large cabin-balcony are all you get for your extra $$'s. Perhaps the OP would be more comfortable on Carnival? :confused:

[Eng23]

You don't "believe" in a cruise class system? What about gravity? Do you "believe" in gravity? Do you "believe" the earth is round?

 

Look, cruise lines go where the market drives them. And I for one, am thankful for that. I cruise several times a year, and I pay a premium as a solo cruiser. On top of that, I pay a premium for a large suite. Why? Because it's my vacation and I want to! I want extra space in the room, I want to be able to enjoy a private cabana on Labadee, I want to know I don't need to stand in line to fight for a seat in the theater, I want to know I have a quiet reserved area on the pool deck. I want these things not to feel better than other people. I want them because I enjoy them! I don't really care what anyone else does or doesn't do, does or doesn't pay for. I want to enjoy MY vacation.

 

Here is hoping RCI continues to recognize the value of cruisers like myself and continues to offer more and more suite premiums. Up until now, I wanted this solely for my own enjoyment. But now I also want it because I see how much it will bother you!

 

Sorry you couldn't enjoy your own vacation:confused:

Bravo! Best post so far! :)

[Mark_K]

Have you experienced the differences yet? I did last week and this was the first time in all my years of cruising. Sorry, I do not agree with what is being done. On a plane you pay for a larger seat...on a cruise you pay for a larger room. This room will come with a butler service, different room service menus, complimentary drinks, etc. BUT...Not separation in all other areas.

These perks have been in place for just over four years now, exactly when were 'all your years of cruising'?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Ifoundmydream]

Never heard of toll road?

 

Yes, you pay per the size and type of your vehicle, you don't get to travel on a different road from someone else who has paid on that road with a smaller vehicle (unless its different in different countries).

[NanaL]

What a bunch of hooey.

[Eng23]

"If you like those perks then book a suite. Pretty darn simple."

 

I agree!!!:)

[Newtoncruise]

RCCL has resorted to a two class system on their ships. True, the Crown and Anchor society, of which I am Diamond, gives perks to repeat cruisers. This delineation has always been sufficient. I have cruised in suites in the past and will do again. I just disembarked from EOS...Those in suites were given the following;

1. Special seating at the pools

2. Reserved and roped off area in the Palace Theater

3. Breakfast and lunch options in Portofino

4. Separate area in Labadee that included an over the top buffet lunch with Butler service.

There may have been others but these were the "in your face" perks.

While I realize that those in suites do pay extra for their cabins, I thought the class system in cruises ended years ago. What is next...Those in an inside cabin not being allowed in the dining room? Are we moving towards steerage class? Really RCCL, what gives? I am writing a letter to the cruise line to address this.

 

Interesting that you accept that diamond members get exclusive areas and free drinks. Sufficient delineation as you put it.

 

But why......because they have been loyal and spent many thousands of dollars for the privilege.

 

Now how would you feel as a suite guest if you did not get some extra perks like the diamond guests. After all you have paid extra for them just like the diamond guests. Albeit in one go not over several cruises necessarily.

 

Free drinks and exclusive areas seem ok then? In principle.

 

But what of seats for suite guests in amongst the non suite guests in the theatre, or pool areas?

 

In a public park or civic area this would be akin to apartheid. Not at all acceptable. But a cruise ship is not a civic arena or a truly public space. It is a private facility available to those who choose and contract to use the space on the terms offered by the owners. Royal Carribean.

 

I am sorry that you seem to be offended by the differentiations available to different guests.

 

You have a choice not to cruise with Royal. Royal Carribean will no doubt listen to your concerns and make their own choice how to run their ships in the future.

 

I do not know how the other lines deal with similar issues but for my choice I choose royal. I like the way they do things.

[Cruising89143]

You don't "believe" in a cruise class system? What about gravity? Do you "believe" in gravity? Do you "believe" the earth is round?

 

Look, cruise lines go where the market drives them. And I for one, am thankful for that. I cruise several times a year, and I pay a premium as a solo cruiser. On top of that, I pay a premium for a large suite. Why? Because it's my vacation and I want to! I want extra space in the room, I want to be able to enjoy a private cabana on Labadee, I want to know I don't need to stand in line to fight for a seat in the theater, I want to know I have a quiet reserved area on the pool deck. I want these things not to feel better than other people. I want them because I enjoy them! I don't really care what anyone else does or doesn't do, does or doesn't pay for. I want to enjoy MY vacation.

 

Here is hoping RCI continues to recognize the value of cruisers like myself and continues to offer more and more suite premiums. Up until now, I wanted this solely for my own enjoyment. But now I also want it because I see how much it will bother you!

 

Sorry you couldn't enjoy your own vacation:confused:

 

I think this post sums it up.

[hawlcruiser]

I love sailing in a suite. I get a kick out of hearing the doorbell ring and find a nice surprise to enjoy. Yes, we certainly pay more but as in all things in my life, "you usually get what you pay for".... Plan to continue cruising in a suite.

[Eng23]

No, they have not...I have been on Many, Many, RCCL cruises and have never seen roped off public areas with signs to delineate between passengers. I have also been to Labadee many times and have never seen the walled off gated suite community.

 

Sorry if I am offending the suite people but this is my opinion...the crack about Bora Bora is not in align with what I am saying at all. Read my posts.

But this was your first RCCL cruise since 2009 when many changes were put into place. You probably should have done a little research into changes that Royal Caribbean had made before this most recent cruise. Sorry that you do not like the way Royal Caribbean has made changes. They are just trying to reward those loyal cruiser's and those willing to spend more than other's to a few nice perks.

[RSLeesburg]

Two points...

 

1. Suite guests typically pay significantly more than non-suite guests, so they should be entitled to some additional perks

 

2. There are not that many suites. I am sailing on Grandeur in a few weeks, and I think there are between 18 and 20 suites out of 975 cabins. So we are talking about a very small percentage of people who are getting these perks.

 

By the way, I think most of the suites are sold out on my cruise, so RCI must be doing something right if they are selling out these types of cabins :)

[1ParticularHbr]

After getting a complimentary upgrade from aft balcony to JS last October we decided to book a GS for this October. We didn't book purely for the perks, but they'll certainly be nice for a change. A benefit no one has mentioned yet is double C&A points. If you're reaching for that "next level", cruising in a suite for 7 nights can be cheaper than taking two separate 7-night cruises.

We've noticed the separate areas for suite guests before but never felt slighted in the least. It's America...you pay more, you get more...and "yes, that means access to places others can't go". If the OP hasn't seen it outside of cruising it's because he/she hasn't looked. Airlines, sporting events, resorts, concerts....A class system exist whether you "believe" in it or not...not just on RCI cruises, in life.

[Eng23]

RCCL has resorted to a two class system on their ships. True, the Crown and Anchor society, of which I am Diamond, gives perks to repeat cruisers. This delineation has always been sufficient. I have cruised in suites in the past and will do again. I just disembarked from EOS...Those in suites were given the following;

1. Special seating at the pools

2. Reserved and roped off area in the Palace Theater

3. Breakfast and lunch options in Portofino

4. Separate area in Labadee that included an over the top buffet lunch with Butler service.

There may have been others but these were the "in your face" perks.

While I realize that those in suites do pay extra for their cabins, I thought the class system in cruises ended years ago. What is next...Those in an inside cabin not being allowed in the dining room? Are we moving towards steerage class? Really RCCL, what gives? I am writing a letter to the cruise line to address this.

Your post seems to be self defeating. You say you are a Diamond C&A member and appreciate the perks for that level of loyalty. You also admit to being a suite guest and will continue to do so. You are able to partake in the perks available to suite guests but complain about it as a class system???? You are making a bad comparison to the "Old Class System" used by cruiselines back in the early part of the 20th Century to the perks for staying in a suite. Back in the "Old Days" the class system was just that. If you were in first class you had the best of everything, if you were in 3rd class "steerage" you had the smallest cabins in the lowest parts of the ship. In "steerage" you could not go into the same areas of the ship that first class occupied, nor would you find first class passengers in the 3rd class areas. Today, a person cruising has access to just about everything without the class separation of years ago. Everyone has access to the same MDR, the same specialty restaurants (if they feel like paying the extra charge), they have use of all the same recreation activities, they have access to the same deck areas, and so forth.

 

I'm a C&A member but not Diamond. Do you think I should have access to the Diamond Lounge? I cruise solo therefore paying a single supplement. Do you think I should get more benefits for paying more? I enjoy cruising solo so therefore do not mind the fact I pay more as I am occupying a cabin that can accomodate more than a single person. If there are perks that I am eligible for and someone else is not that's just the way life is. If it's a perk that everyone can have if they pay for it then I feel that is fair and it is an individual choice.

[C Cruise Dude]

No, I said that I have booked suites in the past. I do not believe in a cruise class system. I paid more than an inside cabin. Should I get perks because of that? If you choose to pay 5000.00 for your vacation, so be it. You get a larger room, priority embarkation and disembarkation, a butler, and some other services. I am referring to the in your face perks that should not go hand in hand with a suite. Sorry. An inside cabin costs an average of 800-1000 pp. a balcony can be as high as 2000.00 pp...so if I choose a balcony, should I have more favors bestowed upon me than an inside cabin? If You follow what you said about price then we move into first class, second class, steerage in cruising.

 

I usually book inside cabins, so that I can cruise more. I think that the price of junior suites is outrageous and have never priced a suite. If you are paying $5,000 plus for that cabin, they should give perks like that. IMHO.

 

Thanks for the heads up, I didn't know that I could eat in the MDR. I thought that it was Windjammer or nothing (just pulling your leg). Nice of you to be concerned, enjoy the perks, you earned them! ;)

[Robinob]

You CHOOSE to book a specific cabin!

Therefore you have options, if you CHOOSE to not book a suite, you have exercised your option.

 

You can buy a stripped down Ford, or you can buy a Lincoln, you CHOOSE what you want.

 

Sure does sound like ENVY to me.

 

Not envy...

[Robinob]

Your post seems to be self defeating. You say you are a Diamond C&A member and appreciate the perks for that level of loyalty. You also admit to being a suite guest and will continue to do so. You are able to partake in the perks available to suite guests but complain about it as a class system???? You are making a bad comparison to the "Old Class System" used by cruiselines back in the early part of the 20th Century to the perks for staying in a suite. Back in the "Old Days" the class system was just that. If you were in first class you had the best of everything, if you were in 3rd class "steerage" you had the smallest cabins in the lowest parts of the ship. In "steerage" you could not go into the same areas of the ship that first class occupied, nor would you find first class passengers in the 3rd class areas. Today, a person cruising has access to just about everything without the class separation of years ago. Everyone has access to the same MDR, the same specialty restaurants (if they feel like paying the extra charge), they have use of all the same recreation activities, they have access to the same deck areas, and so forth.

 

I'm a C&A member but not Diamond. Do you think I should have access to the Diamond Lounge? I cruise solo therefore paying a single supplement. Do you think I should get more benefits for paying more? I enjoy cruising solo so therefore do not mind the fact I pay more as I am occupying a cabin that can accomodate more than a single person. If there are perks that I am eligible for and someone else is not that's just the way life is. If it's a perk that everyone can have if they pay for it then I feel that is fair and it is an individual choice.

 

Not self defeating...an opinion. Sorry that I am ruffling feathers. I still do not feel they are being fair when access to public venues is restricted according to cabin . When will they expand to alienate those who have inside cabins? That is all I am saying.

[Newtoncruise]

Why on earth would they do that?