Diamond Plus Access Question

[sammyreddog]

Hi All!

 

Just made D+ (realistically the highest level we will ever reach)...Benefits section of C+A page says that level includes access to the Concierge Lounge and special seating areas of ice rink, theater, pool decks, etc. My question is whether that now means the same as having a suite (Gold Card) on the ship. Reason I ask is that our most recent cruise on Allure was in a suite, and they seemed pretty adamant that only "Gold Cards" could access those areas?

[sheilb4]

Now you are D+ you should get similar options for concierge lounge and reserved show seating..... Its really nice not to always have to splurge for a suite, esp as I usually travel solo, (unless I can! lol) now I am D+ and be able to enjoy such perks. Congrats!

Make sure you select your options pre-cruise, for onboard gift etc... I usually get the towel, but hope they will change the selections soon as I have a stack! lol

[loudbmw]

Congrats on making D+

 

In our experience, if you see a sign for Gold Colored Card seating in the theater or Ice Shows, D+ members are welcome to sit there. However, D+ will still need a reservation to get into the show.

 

Concierge lounge access is great! Be advised that on some ships (Oasis class) they have replaced the Concierge lounge with a Suite Lounge that D+ members can't access unless they are in a full suite. D+ join the Diamond members in the Diamond lounge.

 

The added internet for D+ is great - you can stretch it to 6 days of internet access with your spouse if you work the coupons right.

Edited December 20, 2015 by loudbmw

[billsgal]

Hi All!

 

 

 

Just made D+ (realistically the highest level we will ever reach)...Benefits section of C+A page says that level includes access to the Concierge Lounge and special seating areas of ice rink, theater, pool decks, etc. My question is whether that now means the same as having a suite (Gold Card) on the ship. Reason I ask is that our most recent cruise on Allure was in a suite, and they seemed pretty adamant that only "Gold Cards" could access those areas?

 

 

And around the pool decks when it says reserved for gold cards only, d+ are not allowed in. As another poster said, on Oasis class, concierge lounge is for gold cards only, Diamond plus now have access to diamond lounge, nor concierge lounge.

Edited December 20, 2015 by billsgal

[billsgal]

Damn auto correct

 

Should have read, Diamond lounge only, NOT concierge lounge

[sammyreddog]

Thank you everyone! Looks like I will look at classes other than Oasis for a little while...

[Trekker954]

Hi All!

 

Just made D+ (realistically the highest level we will ever reach)...Benefits section of C+A page says that level includes access to the Concierge Lounge and special seating areas of ice rink, theater, pool decks, etc. My question is whether that now means the same as having a suite (Gold Card) on the ship. Reason I ask is that our most recent cruise on Allure was in a suite, and they seemed pretty adamant that only "Gold Cards" could access those areas?

 

Oasis and Allure no longer allow D+ in the CL (now called Suite Lounge) only suites and pinnacles. The pool area is just for gold cards (no big loss) as it isn't a convenient location. The theater section sign, which I typically sit in does say gold cards, pinnacles and D+. I'm not sure about the two new ships what is being done on those.

[critterchick]

Thank you everyone! Looks like I will look at classes other than Oasis for a little while...

 

The Diamond Lounge on OA/AL is a very nice space and you will get the same benefits that you would find in a Concierge Lounge on another ship, including a dedicated Concierge. I wouldn't make that a reason to avoid that class of ship. Any RCI ship that restricts access to any area to gold card holders (e.g. Pool seating on a Voyager or Freedom class or gold card seating on any class of ship) won't let you sit there as D+ until 10 minutes before the show.

 

A few years back on Mariner, there was gold card seating on one side of the ice rink and Diamond Plus seating on the other. I don't know how many ships do that, though.

[BND]

We just did our first cruise as D+ (Vision) and we were traveling with friends who are D so we didn't use the CL in the evenings. The one thing we did use it for that was a really great thing was priority tendering in GC. We were on the first tender (along with the early excursions and security and some staff-port shopper in particular). No having to get tender tickets, just showing up at the CL and being escorted down the elevator by the concierge. Our next trip, we are traveling with friends who will be on their first RCI cruise so we plan to go to the CL or DL before we meet them for a drink before dinner. We used our internet minutes too (spread them out to cover most of the cruise) and one bag of free laundry. I had asked for two bottles of wine (one for our "gift" and the other one for our in room amenity. Well, we did get our bottle of wine in the dining room, but our in room amenity was 4 bottles of water. I've heard others complain about the amenities not being what they select.

Edited December 20, 2015 by BND

[spookwife]

Hi All!

 

Just made D+ (realistically the highest level we will ever reach)...Benefits section of C+A page says that level includes access to the Concierge Lounge and special seating areas of ice rink, theater, pool decks, etc. My question is whether that now means the same as having a suite (Gold Card) on the ship. Reason I ask is that our most recent cruise on Allure was in a suite, and they seemed pretty adamant that only "Gold Cards" could access those areas?

 

no.

 

while on many ships D+ do have access to the Concierge Lounge, non e of the other perks come into play, and as every ship gets refurbished to lose the CL and replaced with a Suite lounge then even that access goes away and all you have is the Diamond Lounge.

 

only Pinnacle and full suites get a gold Sea Pass card.

[spookwife]

Congrats on making D+

 

In our experience, if you see a sign for Gold Colored Card seating in the theater or Ice Shows, D+ members are welcome to sit there. However, D+ will still need a reservation to get into the show.

 

 

not so much any more. D+ must wait until the areas open up 10 minutes before the show. and the past few cruises they have also been banned from the breakfast in Chops perk as well. (unless they had a gold sea pass card by being in a suite)

[knittinggirl]

no.

 

while on many ships D+ do have access to the Concierge Lounge, non e of the other perks come into play, and as every ship gets refurbished to lose the CL and replaced with a Suite lounge then even that access goes away and all you have is the Diamond Lounge.

 

only Pinnacle and full suites get a gold Sea Pass card.

So we're actually losing one of our perks! Looking at the deck plans for deck 14 on Liberty, it doesn't look like the Diamond Lounge is getting any larger to handle all the extra Diamond Plus passengers. On Serenade of the Seas, both the Diamond and Concierge lounges were so packed during cocktail hour, we couldn't find a seat.

 

 

The added internet for D+ is great - you can stretch it to 6 days of internet access with your spouse if you work the coupons right.

 

How do you stretch this to 6 days? I figured out on our 14 day cruise, we could get the last 4 days with one Diamond Plus credit. But I couldn't figure out how to get the other two days.

Edited December 20, 2015 by knittinggirl

[Firefighterhoop]

no.

 

while on many ships D+ do have access to the Concierge Lounge, non e of the other perks come into play, and as every ship gets refurbished to lose the CL and replaced with a Suite lounge then even that access goes away and all you have is the Diamond Lounge.

 

only Pinnacle and full suites get a gold Sea Pass card.

 

The only ships that have added this so far are Oasis, Allure, soon to be Harmony and soon to bethe Liberty. Freedom did NOT get this when it was refurbed this year.

 

Part of the reason I see this happening on the Freedom Class and Voyager Class is how small the lounge is on deck 9/10 (Depending on the Class) for all the D+ through Suite members. When that lounge was started on the Voyager it was for Suites only, and then they started to let Diamond members in (which were the highest tier, and not very many of them at that time).

[John&LaLa]

not so much any more. D+ must wait until the areas open up 10 minutes before the show. and the past few cruises they have also been banned from the breakfast in Chops perk as well. (unless they had a gold sea pass card by being in a suite)

 

Brilliance allows D+ in the Chops breakfast. This was 3 weeks ago.

 

Enchantment allows D+ in the reserved seating section of the theatre. I believe Freedom does as well

[Firefighterhoop]

not so much any more. D+ must wait until the areas open up 10 minutes before the show. and the past few cruises they have also been banned from the breakfast in Chops perk as well. (unless they had a gold sea pass card by being in a suite)

 

There were very few ships that offered breakfast in Chops to Diamond Plus members in the first place. I can only think of 2, and one of them was just a Windjammer overflow dining area with no special menu that was reserved for Diamond Plus and above. Except for one ship (Brilliance last year) anything with breakfast table service has been gold card only.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Firefighterhoop

[goodycruising]

I would imagine that the benefits relevant to the cruise you are on should be on the sheet you get that will list your benefits and discounts?

 

I personally would not like to be trying to get a reserved seat and be turned away. I would prefer to know up front where I can go.

 

I am trying to decide whether to book a room on Ovation that is near the Concierge Lounge as we will be D+ by then. I would just rather know well before I book what they plan for each ship and what time frame. First world problem to some, but a very long walk if I can't get in the CL and have to trudge to the other end of the ship 8 floors down to visit the DL! Or do I get the obstructed balcony closer to the DL? Any thoughts about what might happen on Quantum class ships?

Edited December 21, 2015 by goodycruising

[Bobal]

There really is some misinformation on this thread, especially regarding show seating.

 

I have sailed on Oasis and Allure within the last two months as a D+ member and not in a suite and this was our experience:

 

Since there is no concierge lounge (only a suite lounge) we just had access to the one lounge (used to be Concierge and now called Diamond lounge). We did not have access to the special deck area as that requires a gold card to open the gate

 

We DID have access to reserved seating for the theatre, aqua and ice shows - our cards were checked as we entered the area.

 

On the ships with both a CL and a DL we will have access to both lounges.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Bobal

[molly361]

So we're actually losing one of our perks! Looking at the deck plans for deck 14 on Liberty, it doesn't look like the Diamond Lounge is getting any larger to handle all the extra Diamond Plus passengers. On Serenade of the Seas, both the Diamond and Concierge lounges were so packed during cocktail hour, we couldn't find a seat.

 

 

 

How do you stretch this to 6 days? I figured out on our 14 day cruise, we could get the last 4 days with one Diamond Plus credit. But I couldn't figure out how to get the other two days.

 

If you wait to sign on until say noon on day 2 and you get 48 hours that will last until noon on day 4. Then you sign in using the second coupon and get 48 hours from noon on day 4 until noon on day 6. Or wait to use the second coupong until day 5 and then it goes for 48 hours until day 7

[Firefighterhoop]

I would imagine that the benefits relevant to the cruise you are on should be on the sheet you get that will list your benefits and discounts?

 

I personally would not like to be trying to get a reserved seat and be turned away. I would prefer to know up front where I can go.

 

I am trying to decide whether to book a room on Ovation that is near the Concierge Lounge as we will be D+ by then. I would just rather know well before I book what they plan for each ship and what time frame. First world problem to some, but a very long walk if I can't get in the CL and have to trudge to the other end of the ship 8 floors down to visit the DL! Or do I get the obstructed balcony closer to the DL? Any thoughts about what might happen on Quantum class ships?

 

Everything going around now about what may or will happen are just rumors at this point. There has been no official release from the company of any reassigning of the lounges except for those that have had the "Suite Lounge" added in drydock. So other than keeping up on the information from RCCL/Crown and Anchor and looking at deck plans to see if they change, no one can tell you a whole lot right now with any certainty other than as of now you will be more than welcome in the Concierge Lounge.

 

Enjoy your cruise!