What's Happening With Loyalty?

[lovcruzing]

Loyalty works both ways. We chose Royal Caribbean because we loved the service, food, shows, activities etc. Thru the years we have seen so many changes. Some good, some bad. Nothing is the same anymore. I guess when you grow with a cruise line, it's just like a job. Your options are to go with the changes, speak up and fight, or leave. We feel kinda like were being pushed out. What do you think? Help us to stay loyal to Royal.

[Hoopster95]

Loyalty works both ways. We chose Royal Caribbean because we loved the service, food, shows, activities etc. Thru the years we have seen so many changes. Some good, some bad. Nothing is the same anymore. I guess when you grow with a cruise line, it's just like a job. Your options are to go with the changes, speak up and fight, or leave. We feel kinda like were being pushed out. What do you think? Help us to stay loyal to Royal.

 

My big picture summary is that loyalty has disappeared in all forms of business, we the consumer started this. We are in a "cost-co" society... regardless of what store we are loyal to, if a product (such as gas, a shirt, bananas, etc) is a penny less in the store across the street on any given day, we the consumer for the most part will go to that store. I have seen this first hand in my business... the only way to compete against that is to trim and cut the fat, don't expect the loyalty back from the consumer when you cut prices but try to give the consumer more of what they want in order to outpace the competition... don't stay the same, re-invent yourself to the next best thing. It's not about loyalty anymore, it's about market share and keeping up with the times with the market segment with most dollars to spend. I feel RCL believes this also (at least somewhat) and are betting their new billion dollar ships on it.

 

Just my 2 cents. :)

[wieslaw]

Loyalty works both ways. We chose Royal Caribbean because we loved the service, food, shows, activities etc. Thru the years we have seen so many changes. Some good, some bad. Nothing is the same anymore. I guess when you grow with a cruise line, it's just like a job. Your options are to go with the changes, speak up and fight, or leave. We feel kinda like were being pushed out. What do you think? Help us to stay loyal to Royal.

 

Hi,

what is pushing you out ?

[gpnfish]

I think that most people group the mass market cruise lines (RCI, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess) together and see them as pretty much equivalent. Yeah, there are differences among them, but still largely equivalent.

 

When it comes to picking a cruise, the primary differentiator is cost. For that reason, cruiselines are forced to keep costs competitive, and the only way to keep costs competitive is to drop services and loyalty benefits. I myself am willing to see some loyalties and services stay the same, and I would be willing to pay more - but I'm probably in a small minority.

 

 

 

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[dancinman66]

I think even with the changes we get a pretty good deal

Got to look at what were paying also

I think people are expecting everything both ways

Won't happen

 

 

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[Wilda]

I think that most people group the mass market cruise lines (RCI, Carnival, Celebrity, Princess) together and see them as pretty much equivalent. Yeah, there are differences among them, but still largely equivalent.

 

When it comes to picking a cruise, the primary differentiator is cost. For that reason, cruiselines are forced to keep costs competitive, and the only way to keep costs competitive is to drop services and loyalty benefits. I myself am willing to see some loyalties and services stay the same, and I would be willing to pay more - but I'm probably in a small minority.

 

 

 

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It's not about cost for us. It's all about the product and we like the majority of changes.

Supermarkets recently added self-check out which I love. But they kept the traditional check out for other customers who have no interest in scanning their own groceries. I see RCI as doing essentially the same thing- they are adding new features/events/options while maintaining some of the more traditional offerings.

[Trainman-2]

RCI is doing its best to hold down costs.

 

Some changes we can accept and some are difficult to accept.

[bloodymary]

I think even with the changes we get a pretty good deal

Got to look at what were paying also

I think people are expecting everything both ways

Won't happen

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

If we look back at what we payed 10 years ago,we are the ones getting a good deal. I LIKE RCL. and what I get for loyalty. Jennifer

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

It's not about cost for us. It's all about the product and we like the majority of changes.

Supermarkets recently added self-check out which I love. But they kept the traditional check out for other customers who have no interest in scanning their own groceries. I see RCI as doing essentially the same thing- they are adding new features/events/options while maintaining some of the more traditional offerings.

 

I like that analogy. However, I feel that sometimes RC loses complete site of keeping the customer happy, and sometimes makes very difficult changes for us to accept just to save a few bucks.. Maybe they think we won't notice? I doubt that.

 

With all that said, Royal is still my favorite cruise line and I will pick them over any other mass market line in a heartbeat.

Edited September 5, 2014 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[BillOh]

If we look back at what we payed 10 years ago,we are the ones getting a good deal. I LIKE RCL. and what I get for loyalty. Jennifer

 

I must be the only one who doesn't look at cost when picking a cruise, I pick the cruise I want first then pick a cabin. Cost only comes into play when I look at the next category up and watch for price drops.

[phoenix_dream]

My big picture summary is that loyalty has disappeared in all forms of business, we the consumer started this. We are in a "cost-co" society... regardless of what store we are loyal to, if a product (such as gas, a shirt, bananas, etc) is a penny less in the store across the street on any given day, we the consumer for the most part will go to that store. I have seen this first hand in my business... the only way to compete against that is to trim and cut the fat, don't expect the loyalty back from the consumer when you cut prices but try to give the consumer more of what they want in order to outpace the competition... don't stay the same, re-invent yourself to the next best thing. It's not about loyalty anymore, it's about market share and keeping up with the times with the market segment with most dollars to spend. I feel RCL believes this also (at least somewhat) and are betting their new billion dollar ships on it.

 

Just my 2 cents. :)

I don't disagree with your points. But to add another consideration to the story. One of the reasons the cruise lines are in a position to need to cut costs is not just the consumer hunting for bargains - it is the fact that when cruising got popular with the mass market the cruise lines all got greedy and built mega ship after mega ship hoping to grab the market. Good profits were also not good enough - they want more and more and more. In order to fill all those berths and make a bigger profit they needed to cut bottom line cabin costs to lure people in, and then charge extra for as much as they could get away with. Some love these 'menu' of options. Others prefer how it used to be when most everything (save for liquor, shore excursions, etc) was included in the cruise for everyone, and all the space on the ship was available for use by everyone. Perhaps that is what the OP meant by being pushed out - not sure. But there are many sides to the story.

Edited September 5, 2014 by phoenix_dream

[Peterbilt Driver]

RCI would just as soon see the higher ups in the loyalty program IE diamond, diamond+, and pinical go somewhere else as they want to concentrate on the younger first time cruisers , they don't expect or demand as much,

Look for C&A benefits to start disappearing as they try to run us off, in fact this has already started!

[Starry Eyes]

One nice thing about RCCL's loyalty programs (as opposed to Carnival Corporation's) is that reciprocity is offered. As some people grow, times change and lines evolve, sometime another line is abetted fit. With RCCL, D/D+/P can try out Celebrity with Elite status. For some who feel Royal Caribbean no longer is a perfect fit, Celebrity might now be a better fit. that does not help everybody, but it might work well for some.

[north29]

I was at a Carnival travel show and the presenter said, that only about 10 percent of Americas have ever cruised. So marketing to a whole new group, young and old is a top priority for all cruise lines. In the shorter term, loyalist are still the main stay for filling many cabins, especially during the fall cruising sea on.

To tell the truth I have not felt any major cut backs in RC's loyalty program, however on X ships the Elite status is different from the RC D+ program, maybe it has always been that way. For now, I'm happy with the Loyalty program as is, especially on RC.

[Ocean Boy]

I must be the only one who doesn't look at cost when picking a cruise, I pick the cruise I want first then pick a cabin. Cost only comes into play when I look at the next category up and watch for price drops.

 

I agree with you. If cost was my main concern I probably would not be sailing RCI. Usually I can find better deals (from a cost perspective) even on Celebrity. They have a lot of promotions with included drink packages, etc. Fortunately for RCI, I still like its ships best.

 

This whole thread would be more meaningful if the OP stated what some of the changes are that has them concerned. None of them bother me all that much.

Edited September 5, 2014 by Ocean Boy

[Fat Paul]

I came to Royal Caribbean by accident. My wife's family did a family cruise with Royal. It was her first cruise and I stayed home. When we booked our first cruise as a couple we stayed with Royal. We have since cruised at least once a year ALL with Royal. I found very quickly that I like the product and the loyalty program. We are now diamond and will be D+ next year if things go according to plan. We have never seriously shopped other cruise lines for price. Perhaps we are missing something by staying loyal.

[TEXASMUNK]

The changes RCI is going though may not suit all of use, but many of those changes are customer driven.....for example...

Formal nights....instead of a dining experience, the number one goal of many of today's customers is to wolf down the meal and excape the dining room. Attire, neither good nor bad, but the Tuxedo is going the way of the horse and buggy with the chaning dress attitudes of the customer (not RCI).

The customer is price driven, which means RCI must be price driven...lower the price, reduce the costs....just a simple business law...

 

As for driving off the D & D+, I think the addition of the lounges and the free booze is an indication that they do not want to drive us off. I cringe when I run across the D+ member who actually think the ship belongs to them and that other passengers, the crew and the officers should spend their time kissing their.....oops, take that word out, substitute ring.

 

We all have the freedom to spend every penny we earn how we want, so if we make a buying decison based on our budget, our likes, our dislikes, then we have no complaints when we get exactly the product we expected.

Guess we are still loyal, despite many of the changes

[davy jones]

Loyalty works both ways. We chose Royal Caribbean because we loved the service, food, shows, activities etc. Thru the years we have seen so many changes. Some good, some bad. Nothing is the same anymore. I guess when you grow with a cruise line, it's just like a job. Your options are to go with the changes, speak up and fight, or leave. We feel kinda like were being pushed out. What do you think? Help us to stay loyal to Royal.

 

 

OP - I don't know what changes you dislike.

 

That said, business are not loyal to individuals. In the end, their goal is to provide returns to shareholders. If they have to change their product to respond to changing times, tastes, and markets, they will move away from you to maximize profits. If you like the changes, fine. If you don't there are other alternatives. If you only stay for a couple of "free" beers or "status", then you may be missing an opportunity for something that you like better. That is why I don't understand we should not become blindly loyal to any company.

 

Take a look at other cruise lines to see they can provide more of the things that you like. In the end, people vote with their business.

[JasonV1]

This is a perk I really hope stays, as no one else offers it (although the NCL boards mentioned them considering it for their recent acquisition). I almost switch to Celebrity for my cruise in March 2015 but decided to keep my booking on the Adventure.

 

I know this, the lack or reciprocity on Carnival keeps me away from trying Princess (and HAL, but I'm not really the HAL type as of yet). It isn't that I want a bunch of free stuff, but priority tender/boarding/disembark/customer service are very nice things to have. I'm just not tempted to be a "newbie" on a new line unless it is just an amazing deal.

 

One nice thing about RCCL's loyalty programs (as opposed to Carnival Corporation's) is that reciprocity is offered. As some people grow, times change and lines evolve, sometime another line is abetted fit. With RCCL, D/D+/P can try out Celebrity with Elite status. For some who feel Royal Caribbean no longer is a perfect fit, Celebrity might now be a better fit. that does not help everybody, but it might work well for some.

[molly361]

I love the balcony discount and the nightly cocktail hour. I think that there should be more enhanced benefits such as a larger balcony discount for those that reach Pinnacle status. I find it hard to believe that they get the same discount as D+ gets.

 

PS I am WAY far away from Pinnacle status:)

Edited September 5, 2014 by molly361

[WupperAV]

I don't care who's cruise I go on. I expect to get what I pay for and you'd better be glad the people who work on cruises don't get paid what they're worth or $15.00 like Golden Arches Supper Club employees are demanding.

This article gives a glimpse into being an employee but they say free entertainment etc in you time off which after a 16 hr day is pretty nonexistent and I feel sorry for the people from foreign countries who spend 6 months aboard ship far from home. Besides all that we love change so will go on different crusises to have the change.

[JasonV1]

Pretty much this.

 

New cruisers are more likely to buy photos, drinks in take home cups, excursions from the ship, etc. I may give Royal good money for a cabin, but my on board spending is usually limited to drinks, a specialty restaurant from time to time, and "clearance" t-shirts that show up later in the week. Occasionally I'll buy a ship excursion, but only when it makes more sense than going on my own (such as the "self explore St. John which is nice because it includes just the ferry).

 

So I spend a decent amount of money on board, but I'll bet it is only 50%-75% of what I new cruiser spends. Considering most sailings have 50% or more first time cruises on board (during peak season at least, based on discussions I've had with crew members), that money adds up.

 

RCI would just as soon see the higher ups in the loyalty program IE diamond, diamond+, and pinical go somewhere else as they want to concentrate on the younger first time cruisers , they don't expect or demand as much,

Look for C&A benefits to start disappearing as they try to run us off, in fact this has already started!

[davy jones]

Good point Jason.

[Scotty G]

RCI would just as soon see the higher ups in the loyalty program IE diamond, diamond+, and pinical go somewhere else as they want to concentrate on the younger first time cruisers , they don't expect or demand as much,

Look for C&A benefits to start disappearing as they try to run us off, in fact this has already started!

 

Totally disagree!

Many of us loyal to Royal are quite content with the C&A Program. We don't cruise because of the Program but because we like RCL and Celebrity. We are realists and know that the Program is a perk and not a right.

The current trend at Celebrity and RCI is to recognize those that spend more via more points. That will definitely make the Program more balanced for all participants.

[lovcruzing]

I posted because we read the post about the changes in the loyalty program for Azamara members. We like our loyalty program the way it is, just afraid that Royal Caribbean may start making cuts in ours.

 

Thanks for your thoughts!