The sad cocktail vouchers

[dkjretired]

Totally inconsistent from ship-to-ship, cruise-to-cruise. I just vented about this.

 

Don't think it's inconsistent just changes from cruise to cruise because the numbers change.

[bar_20]

Well you did order two separate drinks. I assume when you said a can of ginger you meant ginger beer or ginger ale. Had you ordered a scotch with ginger beer mixed together that would be considered one drink just like a rum & Coke or gin & tonic. You were purchasing two drinks even if one was non-alcoholic.

[ghstudio]

There are pluses and minuses to the vouchers. We find that three vouchers allow us to have two drinks between 5 and 7 and then we use the third to take a glass of wine to dinner. We have also had no problem finding someone who hasn't used all their vouchers who will donate them to you so you can either get a double wine or a third/fourth drink.

[SNJCruisers]

I'm just used to RCI Diamond Lounge where it's 3 drinks anywhere loaded on the SeaPass, and unlimited drinks in the Diamond Lounge between 5-8.30.

May I ask how you were able to achieve Diamond Status on RCI after only sailing on them 7 times? (according to your profile signature)

[pinkrosesdeb]

Sailing a longer cruise or in a suite with Royal gets you double points and depending on the promo sometimes triple points. This could explain reaching Diamond so quickly or they could have a spouse who attained the level and that makes them diamond as well.

[Alohaaloha]

May I ask how you were able to achieve Diamond Status on RCI after only sailing on them 7 times? (according to your profile signature)

 

 

Yes of course you can ask, it was very easy as we have nearly always had a GS or JS so it's double points, and our cruise lengths are always 12 days or more.

After our last cruise our points total went to 111 and so we are not far off Diamond Plus (165 points) . We have a 7 night (14 points) booked for April 16 and if we hadn't have been on the Eclipse, with our possible, but not booked yet, June 16 cruise ( 14 points) and our usual September cruise ( 28 points) we would have hit Diamond Plus.

However, we have decided to try Celebrity in October so we won't gain those extra points this year, but apparently we do go straight into their Captain's Club Elite status which is great!

 

It will be 2017 for Diamond Plus now!

Hope all the above helps!

 

 

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Edited October 30, 2015 by Alohaaloha

[beentothere]

We've not long returned from a Canary cruise on the Eclpse from Southampton, and although we have previously heard about the dreaded vouchers being issued to the Elete and higher category cruisers, this was the first time that we have actually experienced being issued with them. On our first visit to the sky lounge for the evening cocktail hour armed with our 3 dated Elite complimentary raffle drink vouchers, I asked for a scotch, with ginger in a can please, and the bar man told me that would cost me two of my allocated three vouchers sir. Being treated like this is nothing short of an insult.

The reason given by them why vouchers were being issued was due to the number of Elete's members on board, and that these vouchers could be used only in some of the other less popular bars on board but not in the nice bars , like the martini bar etc. and off of a limited Elite member drinks menu.

We were with other Elite friends in the sky lounge during the evening cockail hour most evenings and this massive lounge which could hold at least 500 people was also open to anybody on the ship.

Please please accept that we are not being stuffy, but after spending thousands of pounds to reach our Elete goal its a great disapointment to have this process dowgraded, very very sad!!! its the thin edge of the wedge and hardly worth the efert and cost to achieve.

 

 

I have nicknamed their migrated approach to good customers: modern arrogance......pass it on.

[upwarduk]

We have yet to be on a cruise where the Sky Lounge is used for cocktail hour WITHOUT VOUCHERS, so we have never experienced how it used to be.

On our last cruise, we spent the first week using our vouchers in the Ensemble lounge, but we found it dim, so we changed to the Sky Lounge, so we could watch sail aways ( Stockholm was superb)

The CD frequented this lounge and was very personable.

Neither lounge was very busy, probably because most passengers had included beverage packages, but I imagine they would be busier on TA's where the included classic package isn't available.

[lara68]

Our experience has been that on most TA's, if not all we've done, we have always had the vouchers. Seems these cruises attract more than the usual number of elites and higher.

[Oxo]

Don't think it's inconsistent just changes from cruise to cruise because the numbers change.

 

Not true. Yes, numbers at times have something to do with it. But when the numbers are close on last cruise compare to this cruise, they still change. When you bring it up and question that, there is no valid reason.

[justfred]

Well you did order two separate drinks. I assume when you said a can of ginger you meant ginger beer or ginger ale. Had you ordered a scotch with ginger beer mixed together that would be considered one drink just like a rum & Coke or gin & tonic. You were purchasing two drinks even if one was non-alcoholic.

 

Hi bar 20

Thanks for your comments,

The reason why I asked for a separate can of ginger with my scotch is so that I can add the amount of mixer that I like.

I noticed that when anyone ordered drinks with thier vouchers the barman obtained them from a different location through a separate door so I had no idea of the amounts of anything ie (scotch or mixers) that were being served, and the quality varied a lot.

As I like consistant quality I decided to purchase a classic bev package for my self, and when I ordered a scotch and can of ginger from the same barman with my card he obtained it from the main bar in the sky lounge!!!. and it tasted a little beter I just thought it a little strange

"Just an observation"

[jagoffee]

Not even sure I have noticed a door in the bar area of the Sky Lounge. On the Eclipse it is in the middle section not near a door. They do have certain brands for the Elite benefit.

I believe the voucher system is much better because of the flexibility on location. But I can see if you want two items to mix your own from a can that you prefer the unlimited option of the single location if you had more than two drinks.

[Bruin Steve]

I am Elite Plus...

 

For years, I've looked at the Elite drinking hours as being the premier berk of the Captains Club deal...

It's not so much that the drinks are free...I can afford to pay for my own drinks. The best part is that I can have my pre-dinner drinks in a very uncrowded semi-private lounge with incredible service. The waiters know what I drink. They constantly bring me my drink refills quickly and without my even having to flag down a waiter and ask. We tend to make "friends" here and drink with the same fellow passengers nightly. It's the experience...

 

Vouchers take all of that away...it's just money off your bar tab...

To make it worse, the way Celebrity now markets, it seems we always have unlimited free drinks anyway. We do on our next two Celebrity cruises. It made sense to do rather than choose the option of the small OBC or the included gratuities (though we got more than one perk on our Europe cruise). I figured that, on a 13 night cruise, I'm getting free gratuities (worth 13x$12.95x2=$336.70) and the drink package, passing on the $300 OBC--figuring that it equates to $11.54 per person per day...and we can probably drink that in non-cocktail hours...

 

So, basically, with that drinks package, vouchers are absolutely meaningless. I guess I could just give them away to people without a drink package?

[justfred]

Not even sure I have noticed a door in the bar area of the Sky Lounge. On the Eclipse it is in the middle section not near a door. They do have certain brands for the Elite benefit.

I believe the voucher system is much better because of the flexibility on location. But I can see if you want two items to mix your own from a can that you prefer the unlimited option of the single location if you had more than two drinks.

 

Hi jagoffee,

thanks for tour coments,

The door that I mention is located at the rear of the main area of the sky lounge no where near where the central main bar is located, What I can't understand is why don't they get the voucher drinks from the main bar?? its much closer?

[ozark74]

Hi jagoffee,

thanks for tour coments,

The door that I mention is located at the rear of the main area of the sky lounge no where near where the central main bar is located, What I can't understand is why don't they get the voucher drinks from the main bar?? its much closer?

 

We sit at the bar and most of the time the bar is full. Even with vouchers the bar is full. The bartender can hardly can keep up with a full bar. Believe that is why they make the table drinks in the backroom. It would take longer to get your drink if all the drinks we made at the bar.

[ghstudio]

Until recently, you could order a drink in the elite lounge from a waiter or the bartenders. This past year, that changed and the bartenders no longer pour elite drinks and they apparently must all be made in that back room of the sunset lounge. I always wonder what brands they are using for the "captain's club" event.....vs what they use at the bars. That's another reason I like the coupons...you can see what they are mixing or pouring.

 

I have wondered for years now why bloody mary's aren't on the "elite event" menu since they are free at the elite breakfast. The only answer I've gotten from "on-board" is that they didn't make up the list....it's HQ....and then they figure out how to get a bloody mary for me because even they find it hard to understand.

Edited October 30, 2015 by ghstudio

[teecee60]

May I ask how you were able to achieve Diamond Status on RCI after only sailing on them 7 times? (according to your profile signature)

 

Under the "old" point system, I made "Elite" on Celebrity in only 5 cruises. It's just that all 5 cruises were 14 nights or more. ;)

 

Very much looking forward to "Diamond" status on my very first RCCL cruise on Explorer OTS in April.

 

We sit at the bar and most of the time the bar is full. Even with vouchers the bar is full. The bartender can hardly can keep up with a full bar. Believe that is why they make the table drinks in the backroom. It would take longer to get your drink if all the drinks we made at the bar.

 

I know that they make "large batches" of both the Appletini and Cosmo drinks before hand, and just pour them (premixed) out of a large container to save time. :o

Edited October 30, 2015 by teecee60

[jagoffee]

Hi jagoffee,

thanks for tour coments,

The door that I mention is located at the rear of the main area of the sky lounge no where near where the central main bar is located, What I can't understand is why don't they get the voucher drinks from the main bar?? its much closer?

I cannot understand it and I never noticed. I will pay more attention this cruise.

[roundthenextcorner]

Hi bar 20

Thanks for your comments,

The reason why I asked for a separate can of ginger with my scotch is so that I can add the amount of mixer that I like.

I noticed that when anyone ordered drinks with thier vouchers the barman obtained them from a different location through a separate door so I had no idea of the amounts of anything ie (scotch or mixers) that were being served, and the quality varied a lot.

As I like consistant quality I decided to purchase a classic bev package for my self, and when I ordered a scotch and can of ginger from the same barman with my card he obtained it from the main bar in the sky lounge!!!. and it tasted a little beter I just thought it a little strange

"Just an observation"

 

Please please please, for the love of everything that is pure, stop mixing Scotch with anything except water. Good men devote their lives to perfecting their distilleries unique product, don't just dismiss their efforts and bung some ginger in! Visit Weber & Tring's in Bristol when they have a tasting session and let them guide you in a fuller appreciation of the single malt.

Happy Cruising

[Alohaaloha]

Under the "old" point system, I made "Elite" on Celebrity in only 5 cruises. It's just that all 5 cruises were 14 nights or more. ;)

 

 

 

Very much looking forward to "Diamond" status on my very first RCCL cruise on Explorer OTS in April.

 

 

 

Diamond on RCI is great- unlimited free drinks between 5.00 and 8.30 in the Diamond Lounge PLUS 3 free drinks in any bar around the ship during that time loaded on to your SeaPass! Enjoy your Diamond tier! I'm on my first Celebrity cruise!

 

 

 

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[justfred]

Please please please, for the love of everything that is pure, stop mixing Scotch with anything except water. Good men devote their lives to perfecting their distilleries unique product, don't just dismiss their efforts and bung some ginger in! Visit Weber & Tring's in Bristol when they have a tasting session and let them guide you in a fuller appreciation of the single malt.

Happy Cruising

 

Hi roundthenextcorner

Thanks for the tip about the tasting session, I'll keep my eye out for that event,

I'm always keen to learn something new?

I'm also intreaged to know that there are people out there that actually like having thier drinks watered down?? (Just kidding)

I like nothing better that neat scotch, but I'd get in trouble if I drank to many

Kind Regards

[Nachosdelux]

As I posted in another thread, they are using the coupons on the Equinox TA. It actually works well for us since we are traveling with family, and they are not Elite. Also I can grab a drink from a nearby bar and bring it back to the room.

[shipshape sam]

Yes, the vouchers have to be used even in the Sky Lounge. This is a difference from Royal who pre-loads the vouchers to your Sea Pass Card (hello modern technology) for use in most all bars except MDR AND still hosts a Diamond Lounge event with unlimited drinks.

 

Love this and think Royal has it right!

 

If I was basing a cruise on benefits, I would sail Royal vs Celebrity. I do like very much sailing on Celebrity, from past experiences, so I struggle and hope Celebrity will get better in their response to repeat customers. I hate their beer selections, yet for $$, I can get a good beer! Bummer of a benefit to me at least. I too also like a Bloody Mary's and now it seems they too are gone AWOL.

Edited October 31, 2015 by shipshape sam

[shipshape sam]

As I posted in another thread, they are using the coupons on the Equinox TA. It actually works well for us since we are traveling with family, and they are not Elite. Also I can grab a drink from a nearby bar and bring it back to the room.

 

 

We too like the voucher system as we travel many times with others not yet Elite or Diamond. I do know that lots of folks like the social aspect of the Elite /Elite + lounge, so that is why we think the Royal Caribbean model is great.

Edited October 31, 2015 by shipshape sam

[roundthenextcorner]

Hi roundthenextcorner

Thanks for the tip about the tasting session, I'll keep my eye out for that event,

I'm always keen to learn something new?

I'm also intreaged to know that there are people out there that actually like having thier drinks watered down?? (Just kidding)

I like nothing better that neat scotch, but I'd get in trouble if I drank to many

Kind Regards

 

 

Aye, we all get in trouble if we drink too many ;)

My apologies for mistakenly thinking you were using a mixer to mask the taste, glad to hear you like it neat. There's very few whiskies I would add water to, and only then it's to enhance the aroma not the taste.

I'm going to a tasting session in Edinburgh early next year, not only Scotch but a bourbon as well! And possibly something from Japan!!

I was a bit disappointed with lack of Scotch selection on Solstice last year, hoping it's better on Eclipse next year.

Cheers