Captain's Club Revamp- Stinks for me!

[MicCanberra]

Sorry, math error... 286 points.

 

Wouldn't one seven night cruise get you to Elite?

 

Yes, it should do with at least 14 points earned for the cruise (2 points per night for inside cabins).

I think they are disappointed, as now they need a 7 day cruise or a better cabin class for cruises with less days to get to Elite.:D

Edited December 28, 2013 by MicCanberra

[jagoffee]

Sorry, math error... 286 points.

 

This is a very interesting thread. Both sides making understandable points.

 

I would point out though that there is a small number of us who fell into a strange, and not happy situation during this change. I, for example, had booked and paid for my 10th cruise, thinking "yay" I am now elite only to find after the fact I am not. I don't have a lot of money and can't cruise often (One of those who was unemployed for two years, etc., etc.) Obviously I was disappointed that I did not have enough points to take me there. I checked the website and did the math - was only given 16 bonus credits after my 9 cruises taking me to a total of 270 points. My previous cruises were from 7 to 11 nights in length and in different cabin categories, but all credited with the same points. Now, I really don't expect to make Elite.

 

No, this is not a big deal! The benefits to the Elite level are nothing that matters. It does not make any difference to my cruise experience. I love Celebrity and it will always be my cruise line of choice. I am so excited and looking forward to my cruise next month. I am disappointed however simply because being Elite to me was a milestone, a goal I had looked forward to reaching, something I was excited about. There is no dollar amount involved, just joy, happiness, a feeling of "making it". They have taken this from me and I do feel disappointment. I wish they could have handled it differently, at least for those few of us who were at that point of reaching a very looked forward to milestone. Maybe they should have created an extra category in between.

 

Anyway, I'm just saying...

 

Since you already have completed 9 cruises it is certainly easy to see why you might be a little disappointed. You just might be the only person in Febuary who will have 10 cruises completed and not be Elite. The number of people in that situation will likely grow.

With your 5 days in an inside cabin you will be 4 points short . (Of course you are painfully aware of that fact). Too bad you cannot move up to at least an OV with a bargain. If not you will get it next time. You certainly have a great attitude. As you know if you have been reading some people have been complaining after only 2 or 3 completed cruises and you already have 9.

 

Good luck. Enjoy your cruise and your Elite benefits when you get them.

[NLH Arizona]

Since you already have completed 9 cruises it is certainly easy to see why you might be a little disappointed. You just might be the only person in Febuary who will have 10 cruises completed and not be Elite. The number of people in that situation will likely grow.

With your 5 days in an inside cabin you will be 4 points short . (Of course you are painfully aware of that fact). Too bad you cannot move up to at least an OV with a bargain. If not you will get it next time. You certainly have a great attitude. As you know if you have been reading some people have been complaining after only 2 or 3 completed cruises and you already have 9.

 

Good luck. Enjoy your cruise and your Elite benefits when you get them.

If it is a five day cruise, an OV would be the same points. Poster would have to move up to a veranda. Inside and OV = 2 points per night. Veranda = 3 points per night.

[MicCanberra]

Since you already have completed 9 cruises it is certainly easy to see why you might be a little disappointed. You just might be the only person in Febuary who will have 10 cruises completed and not be Elite. The number of people in that situation will likely grow.

With your 5 days in an inside cabin you will be 4 points short . (Of course you are painfully aware of that fact). Too bad you cannot move up to at least an OV with a bargain. If not you will get it next time. You certainly have a great attitude. As you know if you have been reading some people have been complaining after only 2 or 3 completed cruises and you already have 9.

 

Good luck. Enjoy your cruise and your Elite benefits when you get them.

 

Yes, right or wrong, either way they can still feel aggrieved as the program changed from what they had expected.:D

[jagoffee]

If it is a five day cruise, an OV would be the same points. Poster would have to move up to a veranda. Inside and OV = 2 points per night. Veranda = 3 points per night.

 

Of course you are correct. My mistake.

Thanks

[DeltaBreeze]

I paid more for a "Concierge" class balcony to work the system. It is paid for and I can't cancel the cruise at this point or get back the extra money I paid for the "extra" cruise point.

 

I can tell you from experience that now 'Concierge" class is not worth the extra money. You get cheap sparkling wine, some cold, repetitive snacks, mimi binoculars, and priority boarding. All the other "amenities" are not perceptibly different from a regular cabin. Even the "concierge" you could contact was the same for everyone on the ship. Oh, you do get an "expanded breakfast menu. Big Deal

 

So now I'm out several hundred dollars for no reason, stuck with a cruise I have an attitude about that I probably will not enjoy.

 

And for those who think we are out for something for nothing, we paid for it.

[MicCanberra]

I paid more for a "Concierge" class balcony to work the system. It is paid for and I can't cancel the cruise at this point or get back the extra money I paid for the "extra" cruise point.

 

I can tell you from experience that now 'Concierge" class is not worth the extra money. You get cheap sparkling wine, some cold, repetitive snacks, mimi binoculars, and priority boarding. All the other "amenities" are not perceptibly different from a regular cabin. Even the "concierge" you could contact was the same for everyone on the ship. Oh, you do get an "expanded breakfast menu. Big Deal

 

So now I'm out several hundred dollars for no reason, stuck with a cruise I have an attitude about that I probably will not enjoy.

 

And for those who think we are out for something for nothing, we paid for it.

 

That is a shame, I appreciate your disappointment :(

I hope by the time your cruise comes around that you can at least enjoy some of it.:D

[richstowe]

I am glad this thread was started. The "main" one on this topic was full of those that have sailed many times with Celebrity.

For them Celebrity was quite reasonable in the way they were moved into the new program.

For those of us starting out with this cruise line, not so much. As many have pointed out, they are free to do this.

 

We were planning on making sure to give X an eXtra look when booking upcoming cruises.

We absolutely loved our first Celebrity cruise and we expect to greatly enjoy our 2nd.

We were already looking at further cruises concentrating on Celebrity's offerings.

We won't be doing this now. We will go back to looking at all options. Too bad (but no real loss).

[Denny01]

That's what is so nice about having so many Cruise Lines - other options. Enjoy your cruising with other Lines.

 

It's funny on what turns us on and off about various choices. We can point out that it takes a lot of cruises to make comparable loyalty tiers on other Lines, but if you feel you are being ripped, it doesn't matter. We were on a Princess cruise and went to a 'lecture' on efficient packing. It was an infomercial for that vacuum packing system. I was upset and left. Enjoyed the cruise, but still see Princess as a second choice for me. Very subjective and maybe unfair. Life in the world of competitive business.

 

Den

[NLH Arizona]

I paid more for a "Concierge" class balcony to work the system. It is paid for and I can't cancel the cruise at this point or get back the extra money I paid for the "extra" cruise point.

 

I can tell you from experience that now 'Concierge" class is not worth the extra money. You get cheap sparkling wine, some cold, repetitive snacks, mimi binoculars, and priority boarding. All the other "amenities" are not perceptibly different from a regular cabin. Even the "concierge" you could contact was the same for everyone on the ship. Oh, you do get an "expanded breakfast menu. Big Deal

 

So now I'm out several hundred dollars for no reason, stuck with a cruise I have an attitude about that I probably will not enjoy.

 

And for those who think we are out for something for nothing, we paid for it.

I guess it all depends on what you like. I'm not thrilled by the amenities in Concierge, but choose it because of location. A little more $'s for a better placed cabin is important to me.

[zip3636]

I paid more for a "Concierge" class balcony to work the system. It is paid for and I can't cancel the cruise at this point or get back the extra money I paid for the "extra" cruise point.

 

I can tell you from experience that now 'Concierge" class is not worth the extra money. You get cheap sparkling wine, some cold, repetitive snacks, mimi binoculars, and priority boarding. All the other "amenities" are not perceptibly different from a regular cabin. Even the "concierge" you could contact was the same for everyone on the ship. Oh, you do get an "expanded breakfast menu. Big Deal

 

So now I'm out several hundred dollars for no reason, stuck with a cruise I have an attitude about that I probably will not enjoy.

 

And for those who think we are out for something for nothing, we paid for it.

 

Hi DeltaBreeze,

 

We are in the exact same boat as you. Feb 8th Connie, paid extra for Conciege. Now we will not be elite after this cruise. Kind of leaves a bitter taste. We did some payback. We cancelled our 7 day Sillie March 2 (balcony but it would still leave us short). We booked the Royal Princess for March 2. In switching, we saved $500. and have a BC balcony . We are elite so we will get all the benefits.

 

Cheers,

Zip

[Champagne Cruiser]

We just booked a 2015 cruise. Before we left our 2013 cruise we had given over $100 for a future cruise credit. In addition to a smaller deposit we were told we would get a $100 shipboard credit. Because we booked with a 1-2-3 package we were told they would only give us $75 on board credit. Really? They take your money and then don't deliver on benefits promised.

 

Because of the changes in the CC we actually cancelled the second cruise we had booked in 2014. We fell into the category of hitting Elite after our second cruise in 2014, but are now too many cruises away. This situation has also made us change from Aqua class to a lower rate cabin for our 2015 cruise. Thought we would use the big difference in $ to try the specialty restaurants and we still come out ahead monetarily.

 

We also booked Princess in replacement for the cancelled X cruise. Thought we would try a new line and see some ports that X doesn't cruise to.

[cruzsnooze]

I cruise for the itinerary, price, embarkation and debarkation port and never about climbing higher in a loyalty program. When you pay extra for a cabin because it yields more points you are buying your way up NOT sailing your way up. Perks are nice but not if you pay extra to buy them. These loyalty programs sure do get some people hooked.

[NLH Arizona]

We just booked a 2015 cruise. Before we left our 2013 cruise we had given over $100 for a future cruise credit. In addition to a smaller deposit we were told we would get a $100 shipboard credit. Because we booked with a 1-2-3 package we were told they would only give us $75 on board credit. Really? They take your money and then don't deliver on benefits promised.

 

Because of the changes in the CC we actually cancelled the second cruise we had booked in 2014. We fell into the category of hitting Elite after our second cruise in 2014, but are now too many cruises away. This situation has also made us change from Aqua class to a lower rate cabin for our 2015 cruise. Thought we would use the big difference in $ to try the specialty restaurants and we still come out ahead monetarily.

 

We also booked Princess in replacement for the cancelled X cruise. Thought we would try a new line and see some ports that X doesn't cruise to.

Did you read the fine print, is it combinable with other promotions? If you believe that you are correct, I would call customer service and have them show you why you would lose $25 in OBC. I've never used the future cruise credit, so I don't know how it works, but it doesn't seem fair to charge you $100 and then take $25 away, without giving you any additional benefits.

 

See, I'm on the other side. I had 8 cruises and my booked cruise would have made me Elite, but with the new program it didn't. Made a few changes and am happy to say I'll be elite after the next cruise. I was so happy with the new Captain's Club changes that I booked another cruise and will be looking to book another in 2015.

 

I guess it just depends on what someone is looking for.

[Orator]

More and more people are coming forward with their personal stories of how the way the transition was made adversely affected their movement to another level. Of course people with no skin the the game have posted again and again telling those who have actually been impacted that they are merely "complainers" and "they have no right to criticize or complain". This is Celebrity's program and they can do whatever they want and those who fall into a crack should just sit back and take it. Silence and acceptance is their answer. My response is to fight for what you believe is right. You should continue to cruise Celebrity if they have provided you with wonderful cruise experiences. There are two different Celebrity Cruises. The Miami suits seem bottom line driven and sometimes inflexible and unresponsive. Celebrity Cruises on the ships are wonderful people dedicated to service to passengers. They do what they can to fulfill needs and are most responsive. One needs to separate the two Celebrity Cruises.

[jaybird from SC]

Wishing everyone on Cruise Critic a very Happy New Year!

 

Regardless of what any of us think regarding Celebrity's new point system, we must realize that no matter HOW they did it, somebody was going to get the "short end of the straw" so to speak. We can argue the fact forever, but I'm sure they researched the situation and came up with what they thought to be the best solution because so many of us had wanted change. Now we have change and some of us made the cutoff's and some of us didn't so we have to accept that and set a new goal. Yes, if we were three points from the next level, we would be disappointed but there's nothing we could do, so we move on and build up our points. Did Celebrity sit down with each customer's record and go over them one by one and discuss where each of us were pointwise? I think not. They made across the board changes which we have to accept whether we made the cut or not.

[NLH Arizona]

The new changes affected many of us who have skin in the game that are not complaining. I had 8 points, my next cruise would have made me Elite, but under the new program it didn't. I was able to make some changes, even though it cost some additional $'s, but no big deal. Even if I hadn't made the changes, I wouldn't have a problem taking another 1 or 2 cruises to make the next level, as I cruise for the enjoyment not the perks.

 

I don't think anyone has said that people don't have the right to complain. They have the same right to complain, as other have to disagree with them without being told not to post their opinions.

 

Celebrity has made a decision as to the rules of their new program and it doesn't seem as thought they have any intentions of changing the new program because of a few complaints. Celebrity is a smart business; they probably calculated how many cancelled cruises they would have because of the program changes and figured that into their 2014 budget. They would have never changed this program or any other policy without knowing what the intended consequences are to their bottom line. That is how a good business works. And since there seems to be many more customers who either like the new program and/or have no problems with it, they did a great job with the changes.

 

People have to realize that Celebrity could have given everyone 20 points for each point or less. I think, even though I might never make Elite+ and will never make Zenith, I have no complaints with the new program.

 

I personally cruise for the experience and fun of cruising on Celebrity, not for points, perks. I certainly hope that those that choose another cruise line, have fantastic cruises.

Edited December 29, 2013 by NLH Arizona

[Gig103]

OP, I'm in a similar boat. Anyone past final payment should have been given the old points, since they/we had agreed to a different contract when paying.

I can't do anything until my cruise points post, but if they don't give me the courtesy points (that some have reported), I will be going to the Better Business Bureau, reporting them under deceptive tactics. After all, when we made final payment, the agreed upon perks of a CC cabin included double the amount of tier points.

 

I even considered an Amex dispute since I didn't get everything that I paid for, but the extra money alone doesn't get me my points. The amount I'm now short is more than a few hundred to earn, and that's why I booked CC.

 

Maybe if enough of us do this, we will actually get our points back.

[Orator]

OP, I'm in a similar boat. Anyone past final payment should have been given the old points, since they/we had agreed to a different contract when paying.

I can't do anything until my cruise points post, but if they don't give me the courtesy points (that some have reported), I will be going to the Better Business Bureau, reporting them under deceptive tactics. After all, when we made final payment, the agreed upon perks of a CC cabin included double the amount of tier points.

 

I even considered an Amex dispute since I didn't get everything that I paid for, but the extra money alone doesn't get me my points. The amount I'm now short is more than a few hundred to earn, and that's why I booked CC.

 

Maybe if enough of us do this, we will actually get our points back.

 

Read the responses to my past posts and you'll see all the personal attacks that you will receive. Would have been reasonable to do as you suggest, but after conversations with Celebrity I'm convinced that nothing will happen. One person in Captain's Club actually told my DW that the top tiers are costing Celebrity "thousands of dollars". Left a very strong impression that they really don't want people to get there as Elite + and Zenith's tend to spend less while on board. I'm certain that they will evaluate their program at some point and see what's working and what's not.

[NLH Arizona]

OP, I'm in a similar boat. Anyone past final payment should have been given the old points, since they/we had agreed to a different contract when paying.

I can't do anything until my cruise points post, but if they don't give me the courtesy points (that some have reported), I will be going to the Better Business Bureau, reporting them under deceptive tactics. After all, when we made final payment, the agreed upon perks of a CC cabin included double the amount of tier points.

 

I even considered an Amex dispute since I didn't get everything that I paid for, but the extra money alone doesn't get me my points. The amount I'm now short is more than a few hundred to earn, and that's why I booked CC.

 

Maybe if enough of us do this, we will actually get our points back.

Question. Would you be doing the same thing if they changed a port, cancelled a port or cancelled your cruise?

[excitedofharpenden]

OP, I'm in a similar boat. Anyone past final payment should have been given the old points, since they/we had agreed to a different contract when paying.

Where does it say that part of your contract with purchasing a Celebrity cruise includes their loyalty program? I don't think I've ever seen that.

 

Phil

[boogs]

I cruise for the itinerary, price, embarkation and debarkation port and never about climbing higher in a loyalty program. When you pay extra for a cabin because it yields more points you are buying your way up NOT sailing your way up. Perks are nice but not if you pay extra to buy them. These loyalty programs sure do get some people hooked.

 

It amazes me what people put their priorities on. I would never choose a cruise just to get the loyalty points. They just don't mean that much to me. I will gladly accept them if offered, by I am not going to let such a trivial matter guide my decisions on where I spend my hard earned money. I cruise mostly with Celebrity because I like the experience they provide. I would still cruise with them even if they didn't have a loyalty program. To turn your backs on a fine product just because you now have to take one more cruise to gain Elite status is pretty petty. A phrase that I keep thinking when reading some of these comments: "Penny wise, pound foolish".

 

One thing that is brought out front and center when I read postings by people who say they won't cruise with Celebrity again is that for many people, loyalty is a one way street, and only in their favor. Why should they expect to be rewarded for their loyalty when they have none in return?

[excitedofharpenden]

It amazes me what people put their priorities on. I would never choose a cruise just to get the loyalty points. They just don't mean that much to me. I will gladly accept them if offered, by I am not going to let such a trivial matter guide my decisions on where I spend my hard earned money. I cruise mostly with Celebrity because I like the experience they provide. I would still cruise with them even if they didn't have a loyalty program. To turn your backs on a fine product just because you now have to take one more cruise to gain Elite status is pretty petty. A phrase that I keep thinking when reading some of these comments: "Penny wise, pound foolish".

 

One thing that is brought out front and center when I read postings by people who say they won't cruise with Celebrity again is that for many people, loyalty is a one way street, and only in their favor. Why should they expect to be rewarded for their loyalty when they have none in return?

I totally agree with all of your post.

 

Phil

[NLH Arizona]

I totally agree with all of your post.

 

Phil

Me too!

 

Nancy

[jaybird from SC]

We never cruise just to get points so we can advance to another level. We also have been on cruises that had ports cancelled or skipped for various reasons....No big deal because we trusted the Captain's judgment...