NEW Suite Upgrades....

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

No one knows. No one can know. All is speculation.

 

You might want to check today's prices since the 30/30 sale just kicked in. I noticed some decent price reductions on suites. If you like the price, book it.

 

Yep, I checked todays prices and they didn't work in my favor. The Allure cruise that I was very close to booking increased $600+. I think its because we have 3 people...

[RocketMan275]

Yep, I checked todays prices and they didn't work in my favor. The Allure cruise that I was very close to booking increased $600+. I think its because we have 3 people...

 

Sorry to hear that. I took a sample of pre-30/30 and post 30/30 and found some good deals on suites. The bad news we've got our cruises booked through Mar 17 so can't take advantage of these prices.

[FloatMe]

Sorry to hear that. I took a sample of pre-30/30 and post 30/30 and found some good deals on suites. The bad news we've got our cruises booked through Mar 17 so can't take advantage of these prices.

I too have 2 cruises booked through April, 2017. Both JS and the new 30/30 prices are almost identical.

[Plutoqueen]

The gratuity went up for suites from $14.25 to $15.95 per person! I was never notified .. Just found it.. Wow....hope it because the suite upgrades are coming sooner

[CallagDeb]

I was notified in an email from RCI, my final payment was due in June for an FOS in Sept and they told me if I wanted to pay before June 1 I woul not have to pay the new higher rate. We did pay earlier, but not because of the email. It was because of a personal budget decision. I am so tired of the Susie speculation, I wish they would just announce it and get it over with. The curiosity is bad! Lol

[jules815]

I never even received an email about the increase in gratuities, but mentioned it to the rep when I called last week to make an early final payment for our upcoming cruise, and she confirmed that we wouldn't get the increase.

 

Still bummed that because of the timing of our cruise, we probably won't see any of the new and improved suite perks, whatever they'll be, but are fine with what we'll get. I still think the OS is a pretty spectacular room, and I'm sure we'll have a nice time. Even better if the balcony cushions are back. :eek:

[joepeka]

Sorry to hear that. I took a sample of pre-30/30 and post 30/30 and found some good deals on suites. The bad news we've got our cruises booked through Mar 17 so can't take advantage of these prices.

 

We've been looking at one cruise in particular for April 2017 and also did a pre-30/30 price check (when BOGOHO +$200 off was in effect) and now with 30/30 in effect and the 30/30 total price is a little less for a GS than before 30/30. Not a lot less but the base per person price for the cabin did not change which is what seems to happen frequently when a new "sale" starts.

[PhilNDebbieAtSea]

We just got amazing price for crown loft suite on Harmony in November 2016! Loving the 30 for 30 sale!

 

 

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[jules815]

I just committed to another suite with RC. :eek: GS on the Harmony transatlantic in October, 2016.

[STANMELB]

Thanks for the info regarding the Harmony.

 

Just book a L1 Crown Loft for the April 22, 2017 Harmony sailing. Price after our Diamond Plus discount was $ 4719. We have sailed in 11 L1 Lofts and this is the best price we ever booked.

[P&C4/16/67]

I was notified in an email from RCI, my final payment was due in June for an FOS in Sept and they told me if I wanted to pay before June 1 I woul not have to pay the new higher rate. We did pay earlier, but not because of the email. It was because of a personal budget decision. I am so tired of the Susie speculation, I wish they would just announce it and get it over with. The curiosity is bad! Lol

 

I received an email too. All that was needed was to add pre-paid gratuities to the reservation by May 31st. It doesn't have to be paid by then. We do MTD so it's added when we book anyway.

[SULROSS]

I think what they should do is give the Diamonds the three complimentary drinks at the different bars, make the Diamond Lounge the Diamond Plus Lounge and the CL the Suite and Pinnacle Lounge.

 

Cheers

Di

 

I have been saying that for about 6 months now. I agree with this. Maybe increase it to 4 drinks on the voucher.

[chermilo]

I think what they should do is give the Diamonds the three complimentary drinks at the different bars, make the Diamond Lounge the Diamond Plus Lounge and the CL the Suite and Pinnacle Lounge.

 

Cheers

Di

 

I totally agree with this also. I saw a count somewhere that said as of February 2015, there were around 561,000 Diamond and 164,000 Diamond +. And there was little over 1 million Emerald. Don't know how close those Emerald are to becoming Diamond but that will REALLY overcrowd the lounges!

[Paulette3028]

As a D+, that means you cruise a lot. Exactly how many Behind the Scene tours have you been on. For me, been there done that. Its exactly the same tour regardless of ship.

The personalized gift - ugh. and again priority seating for shows that I've seen already too many times.

 

The DL is far too crowded, the diamond concierge is pulled too thin and I've never had a D concierge offer to escort me off a ship when I had a time sensative excursion or flight to catch. And the bar service is far better in the CL than in the DL. And we like to sit in the lounge rather than the regular bars. I've yet to ever use my three free drinks in a public bar.

 

And $25 extra for a balcony discount hardly matters and not at all if I do not have a balcony.

 

I just find it to be a slap in the face. What a shame RCI downgrades us in such a way. Its been hard enough to stay the course with them with services going down hill.

 

I don't visit every one of the threads that I contribute to all the time and I realize that your response to me was quite awhile ago, but feel I should respond to you. All I did was LIST the benefits given to those that reach D+ status in response to a query made by KKMurphy2 in a previous post.

 

If you feel you have received a slap in the face somehow.....don't hesitate to put up the picture of the red mark from the slap.

 

I have not attained the D+ level and mentioned in my post what I do look forward to from the D+ perks when I get there.....if you have NO use for some of them, that is just fine.

 

Just so you know a "Behind the Scenes" tour has not been something that I have felt missing from a cruise experience so far.....but it could fill some time on a future sea day on a cruise for me, IN MY FUTURE -- let me decide for myself, if I need to go on another one, after my first.

 

If you have never had drinks in a bar outside of the lounge -- fine for you.

If the extra balcony discount means nothing, because any balcony discount means nothing, since you do not sail in balconies -- I repeat, fine for you.

[steveru621]

As a D+, that means you cruise a lot. Exactly how many Behind the Scene tours have you been on. For me, been there done that. Its exactly the same tour regardless of ship.

The personalized gift - ugh. and again priority seating for shows that I've seen already too many times.

 

The DL is far too crowded, the diamond concierge is pulled too thin and I've never had a D concierge offer to escort me off a ship when I had a time sensitive excursion or flight to catch. And the bar service is far better in the CL than in the DL. And we like to sit in the lounge rather than the regular bars. I've yet to ever use my three free drinks in a public bar.

 

And $25 extra for a balcony discount hardly matters and not at all if I do not have a balcony.

 

I just find it to be a slap in the face. What a shame RCI downgrades us in such a way. Its been hard enough to stay the course with them with services going down hill.

 

I agree 100%, this is disgusting news. After being totally loyal to RCI for 11 years with 5 cruises in the queue, to get unceremoniously dumped from the CL is truly a slap in the face. RCI may have weathered kicking the D's out of the CL, but D+ have double and triple the number of cruise points. We were already thinking there is nothing left to achieve at RCI. Pinnacle will take me an impossible 20 years because suites are out of my price range.

 

The new Radiance class CL is far-and-away better than the Diamond Club. There is an outside seating area and a bar. The variety of drinks are greater than what is available in the DL and certainly better than the arbitrary restrictions using vouchers. I remember the resigned look you get from bar service when you use the vouchers.

 

Linda stated the feelings of many D+ C&A members.

 

To those who are OK with the downgrade, more power to you. Just remember when they cut your favorite benefit you were OK with this.

 

You can be sure that if we decide to stay, I will become far more demanding. We will no longer overlook the service miscues as we have in the past. In the future I will find difficult to be loyal to a company that fails on loyalty to me.

Edited June 14, 2015 by steveru621

[yolanda1]

I agree 100%, this is disgusting news. After being totally loyal to RCI for 11 years with 5 cruises in the queue, to get unceremoniously dumped from the CL is truly a slap in the face. RCI may have weathered kicking the D's out of the CL, but D+ have double and triple the number of cruise points. We were already thinking there is nothing left to achieve at RCI. Pinnacle will take me an impossible 20 years because suites are out of my price range.

 

The new Radiance class CL is far-and-away better than the Diamond Club. There is an outside seating area and a bar. The variety of drinks are greater than what is available in the DL and certainly better than the arbitrary restrictions using vouchers. I remember the resigned look you get from bar service when you use the vouchers.

 

Linda stated the feelings of many D+ C&A members.

 

To those who are OK with the downgrade, more power to you. Just remember when they cut your favorite benefit you were OK with this.

 

You can be sure that if we decide to stay, I will become far more demanding. We will no longer overlook the service miscues as we have in the past. In the future I will find difficult to be loyal to a company that fails on loyalty to me.

 

 

Sounds to me like it's possibly time for you to try a different cruise line. There are alternatives, and they are good. No point in hanging around somewhere that you don't feel appreciated, and then being 'far more demanding'. This will probably just result in more pressure for the already overworked staff.

 

After many years of cruising, the whole 'loyalty' thing doesn't make sense to me. It just traps people into an expectation that usually at some point becomes unmet.

 

If you don't enjoy what RCI offer, do what others do. Take your business elsewhere. You might be pleasantly surprised, and you won't have to use your energy up by being demanding.

[Debde]

You can be sure that if we decide to stay, I will become far more demanding.

 

:eek: Oh boy-Royal-I hope you are reading this!!:eek:

 

Remember Royal-suite guests that have no vouchers, or no loyalty perks to another lounge have no other place to have these complimentary drinks on many ships that you have told them they can have. Bar set up in the room or maybe what NCL is doing and give suite guests a complimentary beverage package.:confused:

[steveru621]

Sounds to me like it's possibly time for you to try a different cruise line. There are alternatives, and they are good. No point in hanging around somewhere that you don't feel appreciated, and then being 'far more demanding'. This will probably just result in more pressure for the already overworked staff.

 

After many years of cruising, the whole 'loyalty' thing doesn't make sense to me. It just traps people into an expectation that usually at some point becomes unmet.

 

If you don't enjoy what RCI offer, do what others do. Take your business elsewhere. You might be pleasantly surprised, and you won't have to use your energy up by being demanding.

 

I can certainly appreciate your point of view. It must seem misguided to you for us to place so much emphasis on C&A. You have to understand that for us the cruise experience has many facets. To invest another 10 years with another cruise line at our age seems like a daunting task.

 

C&A loyalty benefits are what kept us 'loyal to royal' for 11 years. But you can also see why we would consider this action to be a betrayal of our loyalty.

[jules815]

I am totally confused. Are D+ no longer allowed in the CL on Radiance class ships? What about other ships? The RC website states that Diamond Plus may access the CL, but there's also no mention of Pinnacle class, so that info is probably outdated.

 

Someone posted today that D+ are allowed in the CL on Quantum class. So inconsistent from ship to ship!

 

We need a master list!

[Clarea]

I am totally confused. Are D+ no longer allowed in the CL on Radiance class ships? What about other ships? The RC website states that Diamond Plus may access the CL, but there's also no mention of Pinnacle class, so that info is probably outdated.

 

Someone posted today that D+ are allowed in the CL on Quantum class. So inconsistent from ship to ship!

 

We need a master list!

No list needed, D+ are allowed in the CL on all ships.

[jules815]

No list needed, D+ are allowed in the CL on all ships.

 

Thanks Bob! :) (We have D+ friends who may be joining us in September, and they're not on Cruise Critic.)

[Clarea]

Thanks Bob! :) (We have D+ friends who may be joining us in September, and they're not on Cruise Critic.)

Keep in mnd that there is no CL on Oasis class.

[steveru621]

:eek: Oh boy-Royal-I hope you are reading this!!:eek:

 

Remember Royal-suite guests that have no vouchers, or no loyalty perks to another lounge have no other place to have these complimentary drinks on many ships that you have told them they can have. Bar set up in the room or maybe what NCL is doing and give suite guests a complimentary beverage package.:confused:

 

I am neither concerned nor jealous of what other passengers receive on a cruise. Having said that, Suite guests deserve all of their perks, but not at the expense of Diamonds of any rank. If you think I am selfish, so be it.

 

You can make light of my post. One passenger is not a threat to RCI. 150,000 that feel betrayed can do some damage to a brand.

 

What would I consider to be a fair trade for CL access? A Premium Beverage package.

[jules815]

Keep in mnd that there is no CL on Oasis class.

 

Yes, that one I know about. :)

[CKCruising]

I am neither concerned nor jealous of what other passengers receive on a cruise. Having said that, Suite guests deserve all of their perks, but not at the expense of Diamonds of any rank. If you think I am selfish, so be it.

 

You can make light of my post. One passenger is not a threat to RCI. 150,000 that feel betrayed can do some damage to a brand.

 

What would I consider to be a fair trade for CL access? A Premium Beverage package.

If suite guests deserve all of their perks then should they not be able to access the CL when they want? If it is full then they can't enjoy their perk. Aside from making the lounge bigger, the only other option is to split out the groups from the room. Maybe they will make a new lounge for only the Diamonds and up....Wait that already exists. Maybe they will let the suites in the DL. I can't see that happening without a bigger uproar from the loyals.

 

You have every right to feel betrayed but really what have you lost? Some meals, but you were just looking for more drinks. You would already have those in the DL.

 

It's not a perfect system, but if both rooms aren't balanced out then neither will be enjoyable for anyone.