Strategy to advance from Diamond to Diamond Plus

[smmountaingal]

I want to create a strategy to obtain Diamond Plus status and would like to hear your tips on how I can get there. I am open to all suggestions such as how to schedule trips with bonus points, applying for their credit card, etc.

 

We generally cruise 2 times per year, but that can change in another 12 months when I retire.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

:D

[maggieq]

We just increased the amount of cruises per year and looked for sales on js.

[RocketMan275]

I want to create a strategy to obtain Diamond Plus status and would like to hear your tips on how I can get there. I am open to all suggestions such as how to schedule trips with bonus points, applying for their credit card, etc.

 

We generally cruise 2 times per year, but that can change in another 12 months when I retire.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

:D

 

First, you move to Florida, close to the cruise ports which will increase your flexibility in selecting cruises, reduce your travel expenses to the port, etc.

 

I'm kidding of course. I'm very interested in seeing the replies. It would be nice to have that status.

[JohnSnowGOT]

We just increased the amount of cruises per year and looked for sales on js.

 

Ditto!

We are eyeing Pinnacle....Living in Fl helps a great deal. A great deal of D+ folk live in Florida. It also makes it hard when you want to cruise such as Celebrity.

[smmountaingal]

We just increased the amount of cruises per year and looked for sales on js.

 

 

Will JR suites provide double points? I am unclear on that.

[LMaxwell]

Balcony or lower category = 1 point per night

JS or higher category = 2 points per night

 

The above is based on double occupancy.

 

Balcony or lower category for solo = 2 points per night

JS or higher category for solo = 3 points per night

 

You can not earn additional points via branded credit card, onboard spending tiers, etc. The points are only earned by nights sailed.

[cruisegirl1]

I believe you can travel solo in a Junior suite (or above) and received three points per night.

 

These days, there doesn't seem to be any times when extra points are awarded. The credit card doesn't help with points, except perhaps for creating onboard credit with card spending so you can afford more cruises.

 

The quickest way is to travel as many nights as you can, in a suite. If you need to travel to a departure port, then you can consider B2B or B2B2B so that your travel expenses are reduced.

 

Good luck and have fun with this goal.

 

M

[setsail]

If you have the $'s to cruise just for the purpose gaining status and points then the $'s it cost is not a problem. Just book a bunch of cruises

Edited September 14, 2014 by setsail

[EGG]

When you retire, make that special trip a back to back with one cruise being a transatlantic (usually much less expensive) and the second cruise being the longer cruise they usually have in Europe which have lately been reasonably priced. If the fates are aligned you can get less expensive airfare than roundtrip Europe, or a reasonably priced cruise air.

 

If you can afford the junior suite for the transatlantic, you have won the point jackpot.

[Bobal]

Take long cruises in JS or suites if you can afford it. Can't think of any other way.

[BND]

Um, you cruise.

 

We're going D+ with our Nov 1 cruise but won't use the status til our Nov 2015 cruise. We stayed in JS and GS on all but one cruise when we were in a balcony, but not to gain status, but because we like the room size and having a tub/shower combo so we don't have to use that tube thing. Once was enough on a 5 night.

 

OP, how many points do you have right now? It's only taken us a couple of years to go from D to D+.

Edited September 14, 2014 by BND

[smmountaingal]

When you retire, make that special trip a back to back with one cruise being a transatlantic (usually much less expensive) and the second cruise being the longer cruise they usually have in Europe which have lately been reasonably priced. If the fates are aligned you can get less expensive airfare than roundtrip Europe, or a reasonably priced cruise air.

 

If you can afford the junior suite for the transatlantic, you have won the point jackpot.

 

I like this one... and will work on it for 2016. Right now we have a Celebrity transatlantic for 2015 and I am thinking of adding at least a 7 day RCCI infront of that and maybe book JR on that. We'll pick up a 7 day 2015 in the spring on RCCI and I'll look for a JR for it too.

 

Thanks for these ideas.

[B-52]

We always book a GS, and look for cruises longer than 7 nights...made D+ very quickly.

Of course, we've met retirees who live in Florida and have bags packed waiting by the front door and cruise in a days notice, sometimes 12 hrs notice, for ridiculously low last minute rates...

One couple told us their TA has them on speed dial....

[phnett]

I agree, the TA are the best rates going for long cruises, and shoot for JS when it make since for the extra bucks.

Book the TA back to back with Delayed return trip air to pick up going and coming air at a better rate than one way trips.

[Topo Gigio]

I'm right now at 148 and will make it to D+ before 2015! it's 27 points or 14 days solo. JS are usually much higher for solo's, so prefer to take more cruises that to just take 1 cruise in a JS.

[dappledumpling]

We never thought about reaching certain levels but we will attain diamond plus next month.

 

 

Our strategy is cruise as often as possible and preferably in suites. (Living in florida helps)

 

Rick

[rt1092]

One way I've found to add up points quicker. Is that when we cruise my MIL usually comes with us, in her own cabin. I'm now booking her with my wife, and taking the single myself. When on board we will just switch cabins I usually get them next to each other. This way I get the double points If I get to 340 I can get the single supplement of 150% for her. I am presently at 303 points, my MIL has 273. Another perk might be the crystal blocks. Now my wife and I just get one. If we have different points we might get one each.

Edited September 14, 2014 by rt1092

[Ken at the beach]

One way I've found to add up points quicker. Is that when we cruise my MIL usually comes with us, in her own cabin. I'm now booking her with my wife, and taking the single myself. When on board we will just switch cabins I usually get them next to each other. This way I get the double points If I get to 340 I can get the single supplement of 150% for her. I am presently at 303 points, my MIL has 273. Another perk might be the crystal blocks. Now my wife and I just get one. If we have different points we might get one each.

 

If you are in the same cabin you will get one. If you are in different cabins you should get 1 each.

[smmountaingal]

I agree, the TA are the best rates going for long cruises, and shoot for JS when it make since for the extra bucks.

Book the TA back to back with Delayed return trip air to pick up going and coming air at a better rate than one way trips.

 

Can you clarify what you mean by the Delayed return trip air? So if I book a 7 day in Europe for example, add a TA with it from Europe to Florida, what does the delayed trip air mean? I am not familiar with this terminology.

 

I will shoot for JS when I can find good prices for sure! We generally just stay with balconies to control costs, but with my new "incentive" to get to D+, I will be exploring pricing differently. We actually like the one TA we have done and look forward to more of them. In general, we like 10+ days for any trip. Don't want the fun to end too soon.

[smmountaingal]

 

Our strategy is cruise as often as possible and preferably in suites. (Living in florida helps)

 

Rick

 

Rick, I like your strategy to cruise often! I plan on increasing my frequency starting with 2016! But I am in western North Carolina, so getting to the east coast ports has to be factored in for us. We are continuing to focus on Europe but I would like to do one of the South Pacific repositioning itineraries (as in 18 days) within a couple of years. I do not think there are any "good" prices on those. It could help with the points, however, to be on ships for 18 days or even take it further and add Hawaii to the mainland!

[Paulette3028]

Can you clarify what you mean by the Delayed return trip air? So if I book a 7 day in Europe for example, add a TA with it from Europe to Florida, what does the delayed trip air mean? I am not familiar with this terminology.

 

I will shoot for JS when I can find good prices for sure! We generally just stay with balconies to control costs, but with my new "incentive" to get to D+, I will be exploring pricing differently. We actually like the one TA we have done and look forward to more of them. In general, we like 10+ days for any trip. Don't want the fun to end too soon.

 

Glad you asked to clarify "delayed return trip air' -- I surely don't understand what that is.

 

From our point of view, we just cruise when we can and we will get to Diamond+ when we can. We live in S. Florida, but are not retired, and have a few years to go to reach retirement. So if we can cruise twice a year, we do. JS are not usually in the budget, but we always look for a bargain to upgrade to after final payment date. We so far have not been lucky enough to find one....if we did we would upgrade to it, and willingly pay the difference if a GREAT price to have the double points.

[RenieRaider]

when you retire, make that special trip a back to back with one cruise being a transatlantic (usually much less expensive) and the second cruise being the longer cruise they usually have in europe which have lately been reasonably priced. If the fates are aligned you can get less expensive airfare than roundtrip europe, or a reasonably priced cruise air.

 

If you can afford the junior suite for the transatlantic, you have won the point jackpot.

 

sound advise!

[MattInFLL]

I'm currently on a quest to make D+. It helps that I live in South Florida and can jump on Majesty for a weekend and take advantage of last minute rates. I try to book a JS when I can.

 

I'm not sailing any other cruise line until I get D+. Hopefully by the end of the year :)

[smmountaingal]

I'm currently on a quest to make D+. It helps that I live in South Florida and can jump on Majesty for a weekend and take advantage of last minute rates. I try to book a JS when I can.

 

I'm not sailing any other cruise line until I get D+. Hopefully by the end of the year :)

 

You have a great plan and big advantage being in S. Fla. I have enjoyed a couple of Celebrity with the "perks" of Elite status, but, I plan to keep Royal at the top of my choices.

[MichaelCMTX]

The only time anything other than "just book a suite" mattered was that we're currently 16 points away from Diamond, so we specifically booked an 8-night for the next one.

 

After that I think they're likely to change D+ before we make it there.