Looks like drink vouchers are here to stay

[temple1]

From reports of those involved when the voucher trial took place, then in the lounges your card wasn't swiped so the vouchers were in effect in addition to what you can get in the lounges.

 

However, I mentioned your point a long time ago that this is a easy way for RCI to control consumption and therefore costs when (and it will come) you are limited to the 3 drinks. However, I was attacked on here by the RCI cheerleaders and my comments derided as these cheerleaders apparently know it costs RCI next to nothing (according to them) to provide each C&A member with 3 free beverages on every night of a cruise. To me it doesn't matter how little it costs RCI to provide free drinks, it costs and anything they can do to reduce that makes good business sense.

 

As to angering those heavy drinkers who spend hours in the lounges, perhaps RCI and their staff have had enough of those who I have witnessed crowding the lounges before cocktail hour waiting for their free drinks and then consuming so much they can't speak clearly even though they are trying to berate the DL concierge later in a public venue. It's not always the young who are an embarrassment when intoxicated. If these frequent cruisers don't like it, well perhaps they can take their vacation dollars elsewhere, oh then again they aren't spending any money on drinks are they? So perhaps they'll just winge but won't go anywhere, otherwise it'll cost them!

 

Can't there be a discussion on these topics without throwing out the cheerleader tag when someone disagrees with a point of view? It is all speculation on either side until it is in writing. Your keyboard cowboy, take no prisoners leaves little room for discussion because you have already discounted anything that will be written from an opposing point of view.

[baldercash]

However, I mentioned your point a long time ago that this is a easy way for RCI to control consumption and therefore costs when (and it will come) you are limited to the 3 drinks. However, I was attacked on here by the RCI cheerleaders and my comments derided as these cheerleaders apparently know it costs RCI next to nothing (according to them) to provide each C&A member with 3 free beverages on every night of a cruise. To me it doesn't matter how little it costs RCI to provide free drinks, it costs and anything they can do to reduce that makes good business sense.

!

 

The cost to RCI is not in the price of the alcohol they give away that is negligible they likely pay $5.00 for a quart of liquor.

The big cost is due to lost sales as every drink they give away is a potential drink sale that they don't make.

[Bav]

Are these voucher given out to suite passengers ?

[pcur]

Are these voucher given out to suite passengers ?

 

Unfortunately, no. This is a Crown and Anchor benefit for Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle members.

 

Personally, I think they should include Suite passengers.

[EmpressofPurple]

Of course, top tier cruisers have different styles when it tipping (and just about everything else). One method is no more or less valid than another. Let's go all the way back to your original question...Why did MM remind people to tip? Maybe that's just her style. Maybe she wanted people to think about bringing small bills. Maybe she knows paper slips have not been provided when vouchers have been used. Maybe some staff have confided to her that they feel (or fear) that some top tier people not tip. Maybe some combination of the above. If we agree servers should be tipped, let's please stop beating this dead horse.

 

More likely mm is trying to prevent other (newly) "experienced" cruisers from being embarrassed as I was on our last explorer cruise when this program was in trial.

 

As a diamond non-drinker (who turned diamond just after we were, um, liberated from the cl), I never had the experience of being served drinks in a lounge and learning that tips were not included in that service, but expected to be paid separately, either by the drink, by the night, or by the cruise.

 

When I ordered drinks at the bars using this new program (whether non alcoholic for myself or -don't flame me- alcohol for my friends, never using even the 3 free drinks per day), the bar receipt said "tips are included"... and I didn't realize that was automatically printed on the bill, regardless of whether it is a paid drink or a zero-balance bill. So I didn't tip...

 

...until I was EMBARRASSED by a bartender (yes, he really handled this badly) who asked me for a tip, and when I showed him the receipt which said tip was automatically included basically snarled, "oh yeah, I work for free."

 

I was so embarrassed, I told the story to my dear friend mm who was on the cruise with me (and as a longtime d+ and experienced rci cruise knew all the ins and outs of tipping in lounges, etc.) who kindly explained that tips on drinks in the cl and dl are NOT included, and thus not on the free bar drinks program either, so one should either carry singles to tip in cash, or write in a tip on the zero balance slip.

 

Wow, always something new to learn!! I suppose if I were drinking alcohol, I would know to tip to encourage a heavy hand and fast service... but as a non drinker those are non issues for me. I'm so glad to know about this, and mm beat me to the punch of "reminding" everyone (or even informing those of us "top tier" cruisers who, for one reason or another, just never knew) to TIP YOUR SERVERS!!

 

On the secondary subject, I would be very sad (and surprised) to see the dl or cl go... they ARE revenue producing areas in that they encourage people to either book suites or book enough cruises to

Become top tier cruisers!! That's certainly revenue producing, more than an ice cream bar would be... and one of the few perks for suites and top tiers (yes, even for me as a non drinker... I love meeting other cruise lovers, and I enjoyed the snacks and coffee machine in the diamond lounge on the oasis... though I'm horrified to have learned since then that I probably should have tipped the concierge and the server there, even though they never served me personally, simply for maintaining the space)

 

 

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[knittinggirl]

Martha....are you referring to the Auxiliary Lounge in Anchors Aweigh? Sacha did a great taking care of everyone.

 

The voucher drinks will be the same as what you can get in the lounge.

I love this idea!

 

We had about 300 Diamonds and up on the smaller ship on our Transatlantic, and I think it was roughly equivalent to the 700 Diamonds on our Independence cruise, that we packed into the Viking Crown with not enough place to sit.

 

Yes, I'm referring to Anchors Aweigh! I've had Diamond receptions in the equivalent of that lounge on other ships before they got the Diamond lounge, but Sasha went one step better with the drinks on the table as you stepped inside.

[pcur]

Yes, Denise, this is exactly what Merion Mom explained to us after the trial. She even started a thread about it.

 

You and she make a very good point (which I also posted on one of these threads), and that's the fact that the bar staff are in a unique situation with these vouchered drinks. The system prints out the receipt for a zero value, so 15% of zero is obviously zero. Most passengers in the DL and CL are accustomed to tipping at the end of the cruise, but this doesn't work when you are drinking in the ship's other bars.

 

So, whatever works for the individual giving the tip: I prefer to just write it on the receipt or ask for it to be added up front. The staff know the value of the drink and what 15% would be.

Edited June 12, 2014 by pcur

[travelwide]

"On the secondary subject, I would be very sad (and surprised) to see the dl or cl go... they ARE revenue producing areas in that they encourage people to either book suites or book enough cruises to

Become top tier cruisers!!"

 

I cannot tell you how much I agree with this statement! We just did 2 b2b's and met some wonderful people in the DL. During the course of the cruise, they discussed the cruises they had booked. After listening to them and getting along well with them, we decided to book two addl. cruises.

 

So yes, the lounge is not all about food and drinks for free but about comraderrie among like minded individuals! My friends at home do not understand our love our cruising......these people do! We will continue to use the lounge even with vouchers and hope others do also!

[peteukmcr]

Can't there be a discussion on these topics without throwing out the cheerleader tag when someone disagrees with a point of view? It is all speculation on either side until it is in writing. Your keyboard cowboy, take no prisoners leaves little room for discussion because you have already discounted anything that will be written from an opposing point of view.

 

 

Not often no.

 

 

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[peteukmcr]

The cost to RCI is not in the price of the alcohol they give away that is negligible they likely pay $5.00 for a quart of liquor.

 

The big cost is due to lost sales as every drink they give away is a potential drink sale that they don't make.

 

 

And how many quarts do they give away per day per cruise per ship per year? I think it'll mount up. I still stand by my point that it is a cost that they are looking to reduce. Also less staff costs if they don't need to provide staff in the DL.

 

 

 

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[Let'sGo!]

I saw an earlier post from someone lamenting there is no Diamond Lounge on Jewel. I just got off her a couple of weeks ago. While you are correct there is no Diamond Lounge, there was a nightly event in the lounge across from the Vortex -- sorry I can't think of the name.

 

Drinks -- all drinks, not just wine -- were served at no charge. We would pop in there every night before dinner for a couple of drinks. I do agree the voucher thing would be nice to be able to get something wherever you are... but since this was our first cruise as Diamond, we did enjoy our evening "wrap up" of the day with our fellow cruisers in there.

 

There was never more than a dozen people in there at any given time.

 

Ann

[sj25]

Have mixed feelings on this...I hate to see the DL and CL go away...cause I have meet most of our wonderful cruise friends there.

It also did make us before we became diamond that I wanted access to this area and have the chance to meet others that loved to cruise~ cause you knew they have cruised alot also.

Now the ideal to have a drink other places if I choose is nice to have a drink with ones that are not that level yet. But I can see it being a mess with bartenders and how they treat and feel towards this being part of their job now. I just had the premium non alcohol drink package last cruise for the first time...and was treated different many times when I would try to order the drink that was included in the package. I felt like I was putting them out by some.

[ccotting]

We had a rather interesting experience with Sasha on the Legend Panama Canal cruise on 4/1/14. The first night we went to the DL, I asked for a Bloody Mary - my normal before dinner drink in DLs or CLs. It's a simple bar drink - nothing fancy - just vodka and bloody mary mix (which is just spiced tomato juice) with a couple of olives and a lime slice. DH ordered a glass of wine.

 

After 20 minutes with no drinks, we asked Sasha what was going on. I was informed by Sasha that Bloody Marys were not on the drink list for the DL or the CL on Legend. I questioned this! I pointed out that we regularly get Bloody Marys in the DL and CL on other ships, and since they had both orange juice and pineapple juice as mixers right there at the bar in the DL, why not Bloody Mary mix, which is just basically tomato juice. "Nope," he said, "we can't make BMs in either the DL or the CL. It's not on 'the list'." (And since I asked for an drink that was not on 'the list' apparently they decided not to bring DH his wine either.) So we left the DL and went to the CL where a Bloody Mary (along with DH's wine) was served within about 3 minutes with no question and no problem whatsoever! (Evidently it IS on 'the list' in the CL on Legend!) This aggravated me!

 

We are D+ so we can use both lounges, but we had friends on Legend who were D and we would have preferred to hang with them. But…I tend to be…well…a little bit contrary and stubborn at times.:eek: Sorry, it's just me.:o I like my Bloody Mary before dinner - I'm a one drink per evening kind of girl (okay okay…make that old lady) and that's what I want most nights.

 

So…the next day I got a glass of tomato juice with plastic wrap topping from the Windjammer at breakfast and kept it in our ice bucket all day. (I mentioned that I tend to be contrary and stubborn, right?) That night we went to the DL again and I told Sasha "Good news! I brought my own tomato juice from the WJ so I could get my Bloody Mary!" Guess what he said! "No, the bartender is not allowed to make a BM even if you brought the tomato juice!" Huh? So, as I am a bit contrary and stubborn, I told him to bring me vodka straight up, a slice of lime, 2 olives on a pick, a swizzle stick, and a tall glass full of ice. I made my own Bloody Mary that night.

 

Needless to say, we went to the CL, where the Bloody Marys were easily available, each night for the rest of the cruise. And we did NOT give Sasha a WOW! We probably would have given him an UN-WOW if that was possible.

(I'm glad to know he did please others on the TA, though.)

 

What do you bet it'll be a cinch to get my Bloody Mary with the voucher? I'm a happy camper - Woo Hoo!:D

Judy

 

We were on the same cruise with you and there were others who had difficult experiences in the same vein. We did back to back with the Caribbean cruise before the Panama transit and between the 2 cruises the hotel director changed out and with the new leader, the rules changed. We had no problem because we are gin and tonic drinkers but there were others on B to B who were used to taking 'drink of the day' and were told they couldn't have it on the transit leg. It may be a fleet change or ship specific. I know that they were short of staff for the D lounge as the staff were shared with another lounge. So perhaps that was an operational challenge specific to the ship and they made decisions about what they could manage given the staffing situation.

[John&LaLa]

Hope this is rolled out on Freedom by October. I love the idea. Love it! My folks are D+. We are D. My In-laws are...not sure, maybe Gold or Platinum? I enjoy the DL but I definitely would like MORE options to be in different places at different times around the ship and to be able to do it with my whole party, not just a few.

 

Thanks RCI for listening to the requests for this.

 

Seems like an easy way to ditch in-laws:p

 

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[jmrothermel]

This might sound silly, but do we know if children included in the program? My children are diamond as well, and would they be allowed to order a soda or "mocktail" such as a Shirley temple with their card?

 

 

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[north29]

I got tired of reading so if someone else said this forgive me.

Many Cruisers as I have seen the lounges, will not be happy with just 3 drinks a night. There might be more to this voucher move than we know, maybe too many over drinking and well, causing issues.

 

We too would be unhappy if the lounges go away for another venue.

[GOIN2C]

Thanks Stacy! :D

And thanks RCCL............now please.....pretty please send me an email about June 19! LOL:D

 

 

 

Me too!

[jamon]

I for one would not like to see the lounges go away and just have the three drinks. If they want to give vouchers and still keep the lounges the way they are then that would be fine. That way more space would open in the lounges because some will go to other bars for drinks and help with the overcrowding in the lounges. That would be a take a way as far as benefits are concerned. And no, I don't think that people having more then three drinks are causing problems any more then someone having more than three drinks in the afternoon by the pool. Never have seen someone in the lounges causing those kind of issues. I thought their reasoning to give vouchers was the over crowding, not the limiting of drinks...Just saying....

[cruisegirl1]

It amazes that folks are not satisfied with THREE drinks during the cocktail hours. Not really asking, but how long do folks sit in the CL or DL and drink?

 

For those who need more than 3 drinks simply go to the lounge, drink up, and then go to a bar and have 3 more.

m

Edited June 12, 2014 by cruisegirl1

[xxHadleyxx]

This might sound silly, but do we know if children included in the program? My children are diamond as well, and would they be allowed to order a soda or "mocktail" such as a Shirley temple with their card?

 

 

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I do not think it is silly, and I think ANY diamond ought to qualify, but I am pretty sure only the adults will get the drinks.

[marci22]

I do not think it is silly, and I think ANY diamond ought to qualify, but I am pretty sure only the adults will get the drinks.

 

I think they might give the 18-20 year olds drink vouchers because they are adults and have their own C&A accounts, but they would only be able to get non-alcoholic drinks.

[critterchick]

Why would a top tier not carry small bills with them to tip anywere on the ship ?:confused:

 

Many top tier do not drink outside of the CL/DL so they would have no reason to carry small bills with them if they tip the CL/DL servers at the end of a cruise with a larger denomination.

 

We have taken to tipping as we go in the lounges because then we're square without having to try to remember how much we consumed every night. We may tip a nominal amount extra on the last night, but for the most part we feel that tipping as we go takes care of everybody fairly. So we carry singles, which are easy to obtain from Guest Services or the casino cashier when we run out.

[temple1]

It amazes that folks are not satisfied with THREE drinks during the cocktail hours. Not really asking, but how long do folks sit in the CL or DL and drink?

 

For those who need more than 3 drinks simply go to the lounge, drink up, and then go to a bar and have 3 more.

m

 

I was thinking the same thing. If it is for a limited time - 3 is probably more than I will consume otherwise I'll never make it to dinner.

Edited June 12, 2014 by temple1

[marci22]

We have taken to tipping as we go in the lounges because then we're square without having to try to remember how much we consumed every night. We may tip a nominal amount extra on the last night, but for the most part we feel that tipping as we go takes care of everybody fairly. So we carry singles, which are easy to obtain from Guest Services or the casino cashier when we run out.

 

We've been doing that too.

[xxHadleyxx]

I think they might give the 18-20 year olds drink vouchers because they are adults and have their own C&A accounts, but they would only be able to get non-alcoholic drinks.

I would assume on ships leaving from anywhere other than North America, the 18 and up will get vouchers for sure, since the drinking age is 18.

 

But the under 18s, even those who earned all their own points and are not just sharing a parental status, will likely not get a thing--just like they do not get a drink to go with the snack basket, etc. I never quite understand the reasoning for this, but it is the way it seems to work.