Diamond Happy Hour - Is sharing OK?

[Mythbuster]

28 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Great historical information.  This explains the confusion regarding the issue.  While Enchantment did appear to restrict drink coupon access in January, it no longer does in September.

 

This is the current D+ concierge letter from September 17, 2018:

 

 

 

Thank you, you actually answered the question with written proof that the coupons should not be shared.  It specifically states that..."Please also note that YOU are entitled 3 complimentary drinks per day..."  It does not say "you and any of your friends" or "Please feel free to share with your friends".

Edited October 22, 2018 by Mythbuster

[twangster]

6 minutes ago, Mythbuster said:

I think I will continue interpreting policy.  Fortunately I was blessed with a brain that can use logic to figure out what is right or wrong without having to ask a 3rd party.  I have a request from you, when you find written policy that says you CAN share then please post, until then don't post hearsay and rumors.

 

Likewise I request when you find a current policy that states it's isn't permissible, you share that information.  

 

1 minute ago, Mythbuster said:

Thank you, you actually answered the question with written proof that the coupons should not be shared.  It specifically states that..."Please also note that YOU are entitled 3 complimentary drinks per day..."  It does not say "you and any of your friends".

 

In the words of the employees on-board that enforce the rules, YOU means that "You are entitled to do with them what ever you please including sharing them".  Direct quote from a diamond concierge.  

 

When you cruise again, ask.  I will next week.  

[Redrobo]

I believe you are being naive or purposely obtuse. I would expect that there isn't a policy stating it isn't permissible , due to the fact that those in charge would never expect that intelligent people would need it.

 

You put a concierge in a difficult position with you question. 

 

For a definitive answer to satisfy yourself, Email Michael Bayley or ask the question of you Loyalty Ambassador on board.

[Ontario Cruiser]

Is it correct if  someone who is not Diamond but is booked in the same cabin and using the same address has 3 drinks loaded on their seapass and can be allowed in the Diamond lounge?

Ontario Cruiser

[Clarea]

18 minutes ago, Ontario Cruiser said:

Is it correct if  someone who is not Diamond but is booked in the same cabin and using the same address has 3 drinks loaded on their seapass and can be allowed in the Diamond lounge?

Ontario Cruiser

The guests would have to be "linked" by Crown & Anchor prior to the cruise. 

[papaflamingo]

12 hours ago, mcatmcat said:

How about when you know 100% that the friend is not going to buy the drink, how is that costing to RCI?

Likely if your friend isn't going to buy a drink "100%," then he isn't going to drink at all.  Or is it he's too cheap to buy a drink but will take one if it's free? But sure it costs the cruise line, it costs them the price of the alcohol that they wouldn't pour. If you only do 1 drink a night as a rule, and give away 2 because you wouldn't drink them anyway, then the cruise line is incurring a cost that they wouldn't incur.   No matter how you try to rationalize it, giving a drink away is a loss to the cruise line.  Why do you think you can't share drink packages?

  Honestly it doesn't matter what you think is right or wrong.  What matters is the rules of the cruiseline. 

Come on.  We're all adults here.  We all know that everyone is simply rationalizing an excuse to break the rules.  As I and many other have said, your adherence to rules is your business until it affects me. I personally don't care.  I do care about publicly advocating breaking the rules as it may result in the removal of MY  perk, just like it did the drink package. 

Edited October 22, 2018 by papaflamingo

[molly361]

8 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Great historical information.  This explains the confusion regarding the issue.  While Enchantment did appear to restrict drink coupon access in January, it no longer does in September.

 

This is the current D+ concierge letter from September 17, 2018:

 

That must be a very recent change. When we were on the EN in August we got the no sharing letter. Did not think to keep it. I just remember it as that was the first time I had seen that

 

 

 

[twangster]

2 hours ago, Redrobo said:

You put a concierge in a difficult position with you question. 

 

Asking a question doesn't place any employee in a difficult position.  It's when you don't ask questions and assume that it puts crew in the awkward position of having to inform you of the policy.

 

At any bar that doesn't display the happy hour drink menu I ask if I can use diamond happy hour drinks before ordering.  Does that place that bartender in a difficult position?  No it does not.  Serenade's Vintages doesn't allow it.  The crew had no issue telling me no.

 

On the first night in the MDR I ask my wait staff if I can use diamond happy hour drinks there.  Does that place that employee in a difficult position?  No it does not.  On six ships since February the answer in the MDR has been "yes".

 

If I had asked the DL concierge if I can bring a non-D buddy into the lounge are you suggesting he would have acquiesced and allowed it because I put him in a difficult position?  No!  He would have immediately told me that isn't allowed.   

[papaflamingo]

12 hours ago, mcatmcat said:

According to their website Robes are for platinum and above only, you can ask for them but unless you are platinum or above no one can give it to you once on board, that might be considered " breaking the rules"

 

 

Well I guess you have your answer... then NO you can't share robes.  Happy now?

[twangster]

Like most things Royal, it can vary by ship. 

 

On some ships Vintages participates in diamond happy hour, on other ships Vintages does not.  On some ships the Champagne Bar participates in diamond happy hour, on other ships it does not.  On some ships the MDR participates in diamond happy hour, on other ships it does not.    

 

As I stated earlier, once onboard ask for the policy on that ship.  If crew state it's allowed then you are not breaking any rules.  If they state it isn't allowed then don't.  

[John&LaLa]

8 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Great historical information.  This explains the confusion regarding the issue.  While Enchantment did appear to restrict drink coupon access in January, it no longer does in September.

 

This is the current D+ concierge letter from September 17, 2018:

 

 

 

 

With all due respect, this letter does not say you can share. 😉

Edited October 22, 2018 by John&LaLa

[twangster]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

With all due respect, this letter does not say you can share. 😉

 

I will agree with that.  It also doesn't indicate it isn't allowed. 

 

That's why I asked a crew member who was in a position to understand the rules on board.  The answer from an employee in a position to know that ship's policy stated it was okay.  

 

Ship policy varies ship to ship.  The only way to know, is to ask.  

 

Another ship may very well say that it is not okay.  If so, then so be it.

 

For the record, I've never shared a happy hour drink, either from the lounge or from a SeaPass coupon.  However if I find myself in a position to need to do so, I'll ask on that ship before assuming it's okay.  

[John&LaLa]

25 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Asking a question doesn't place any employee in a difficult position.  It's when you don't ask questions and assume that it puts crew in the awkward position of having to inform you of the policy.

 

At any bar that doesn't display the happy hour drink menu I ask if I can use diamond happy hour drinks before ordering.  Does that place that bartender in a difficult position?  No it does not.  Serenade's Vintages doesn't allow it.  The crew had no issue telling me no.

 

On the first night in the MDR I ask my wait staff if I can use diamond happy hour drinks there.  Does that place that employee in a difficult position?  No it does not.  On six ships since February the answer in the MDR has been "yes".

 

If I had asked the DL concierge if I can bring a non-D buddy into the lounge are you suggesting he would have acquiesced and allowed it because I put him in a difficult position?  No!  He would have immediately told me that isn't allowed.   

 

I think the difficult situation is answering a question that might make the person asking it unhappy.  Asking to see the drink menu does not fit into that category.  Did your Serenade letter explicitly state that coupons were not allowed in Vintages?  If so, then that would be a difficult position, but easily explained. 

 

Sharing is a gray area for many ships

[Biker19]

27 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Sharing is a gray area for many ships

Like VOOM sharing?

[twangster]

23 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Did your Serenade letter explicitly state that coupons were not allowed in Vintages?  If so, then that would be a difficult position, but easily explained. 

 

Yes it did.  It also stated to make up for that, drink coupons would be honored in the MDR.

[twangster]

4 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Like VOOM sharing?

 

I wasn't going to take this thread down that rabbit hole 🙂 

[twangster]

Here is the back of the letter from Radiance 8/31/18.

 

 

No mention that sharing is or is not permissible.  

 

The only way to know is to ask on board.

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

With all due respect, this letter does not say you can share. 😉

 

Like anything, if someone wants it to be permissible, they will look for a way.  RCI's website is pretty clear that Diamond Event perks are not transferable to family/friends.  

 

I just looked for a policy that specifically says I cannot transfer my priority boarding perk to a one-legged woman with tourette syndrome in the terminal.    I couldn't find it so I guess that means I can.   

Edited October 22, 2018 by Aquahound

[Thorben-Hendrik]

4 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

 

I just looked for a policy that specifically says I cannot transfer my priority boarding perk to a one-legged woman with tourette syndrome in the terminal.    I couldn't find it so I guess that means I can.   

Absolutely!👍

[twangster]

In the interest of uncovering the truth I emailed the C&A team.  Here is their response:

 

Thank you for your e-mail. We apologize for any delay in our response. 

Every evening at 5:00 pm, a maximum of three complimentary drink vouchers will be loaded onto the SeaPass card of each eligible Crown & Anchor Society member. These vouchers will be available until 8:30 pm and new vouchers will be loaded daily. Kindly note: Unused vouchers will expire at 8:30 pm nightly and will not rollover into the next day. Vouchers cannot be redeemed in the dining room, specialty restaurants or Windjammer Café. 

Although you cannot give your vouchers to another guest, you may certainly use your voucher when ordering a drink and offer it to another guest. 

Your membership information, including a list of benefits, is also available online within the Crown & Anchor Society section of our website at www.royalcaribbean.com/crownandanchor.

We look forward to welcoming you our valued Diamond Plus Crown & Anchor Society members, onboard again soon.

Sincerely,


Julie Davison Ellis
Crown & Anchor Society Customer Support

 

 

 

 

[John&LaLa]

15 minutes ago, twangster said:

In the interest of uncovering the truth I emailed the C&A team.  Here is their response:

 

Thank you for your e-mail. We apologize for any delay in our response. 

Every evening at 5:00 pm, a maximum of three complimentary drink vouchers will be loaded onto the SeaPass card of each eligible Crown & Anchor Society member. These vouchers will be available until 8:30 pm and new vouchers will be loaded daily. Kindly note: Unused vouchers will expire at 8:30 pm nightly and will not rollover into the next day. Vouchers cannot be redeemed in the dining room, specialty restaurants or Windjammer Café. 

Although you cannot give your vouchers to another guest, you may certainly use your voucher when ordering a drink and offer it to another guest. 

Your membership information, including a list of benefits, is also available online within the Crown & Anchor Society section of our website at www.royalcaribbean.com/crownandanchor.

We look forward to welcoming you our valued Diamond Plus Crown & Anchor Society members, onboard again soon.

Sincerely,


Julie Davison Ellis
Crown & Anchor Society Customer Support

 

 

 

 

 

Good initiative.  However, the items in red are not indicative of all ships.  Did you ask about a specific sailing. 

[twangster]

2 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Good initiative.  However, the items in red are not indicative of all ships.  Did you ask about a specific sailing. 

 

I did not ask about a specific sailing. 

 

On Radiance, Mariner and Adventure where the same notation about not being able to use drink vouchers in the MDR is printed on the diamond letter, I asked my assistant waiter and was told that I could use them in the MDR.   On Anthem in the MDR I could not, yet in Jamie's on Anthem I could.   Jamie's uses Vintages as its bar and since Vintages on Anthem participates in happy hour, I suspect it worked in Jamie's on Anthem.  Not so in Chops on Anthem but I prefer better wine in Chops so that is irrelevant to my needs.

 

It seems the items highlighted in red in my experience do vary by ship like so many other nuances, consistent with Royal's lack of consistency. 

 

That is why I always ask.  It never hurts to ask.  

[mcatmcat]

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Like VOOM sharing?

 

shhhh this is only about the free drinks lol

Edited October 22, 2018 by mcatmcat

[mcatmcat]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Good initiative.  However, the items in red are not indicative of all ships.  Did you ask about a specific sailing. 

btw you can ask for your drinks at Windjammer Café, 

[NewSalt]

18 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Great historical information.  This explains the confusion regarding the issue.  While Enchantment did appear to restrict drink coupon access in January, it no longer does in September.

 

This is the current D+ concierge letter from September 17, 2018:

 

 

 

Since it is logical to assume that if drink coupons were not to be shared, they would state that, not assume that it would be inferred. 

 

AAMF, since they do not expressly forbid sharing, it might be that you MUST share going under the assumption that “ whatever is not forbidden is compulsory.”  😜