Crown & Anchor Diamond Plus cutbacks continue!

[sisocialworker]

7 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

And I would add that how much people do, or don't, drink during a week of vacation time probably has close to zero impact on longevity.

unless you over drink and try to walk the railing

[clean1owner]

2 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Now OB.  We are not rich.  We are both working stiffs who have post graduate degrees and good jobs, and since we decided when my wife worked in the NICU at Duke while I was in grad school at UNC that the chances of having one of those terrifying events was too scary to contemplate we became DINKS.  Time and experience has led us to a good place, but the MINI in my avatar is now 16 years old the 17th of this month.  We are somewhat frugal or at least fiscally responsible.  We don’t sail star class, and mostly we don’t stay in suites in hotels.  Although, we make an exception for our upcoming trip to Australia, staying in a Pointe Suite on Heron Island pre cruise, with accompanying helicopter arrival and departure.  So, an occassional splurge.

 

jc

 

 

I will NEVER begrudge someone for being successful. 

 

I am right there with you when it comes to being frugal, and living within our means. 

Whenever anyone asks me how I can afford to cruise as often as I do, I simply lay out the facts.

Pack a lunch pretty much every day for work. 

Don't do the restaurant or bar deals.

We do have 3 children, so that did somewhat limit our availability to cruise, until we recently became empty nesters. While they were living at home, we NEVER took a cruise without them.

Always drove used cars that we didn't have to finance.

 

My wine comment was just a bit of a poke because I do not like wine in the least, and have no reason to have 1 bottle, much less 700, in my house at any time.

 

P.S. My daughter just interviewed with Duke and UNC for their Genetic Councilor Grad School program. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

 

[deliver42]

I'm so glad I haven't reached Diamond yet to listen to all the complaints. I'm just a lowly Emerald who just got off the Symphony, and hadn't noticed any decline what so ever. People all over the ship were raving about her and the service. In the MDR on the 2nd formal night we had lobster, and our server actually asked if we wanted more, which I gladly accepted. This doesn't sound like a cutback.The shows were fantastic, and we were never pressured to take a drink or specialty dining pkg.I guess the peons are easier to please.

[island lady]

23 hours ago, grapau27 said:

I think we have seen a lot of self importance on this thread from self confessed arrogant Suite dwellers and some Pinnacles but for me Self Confidence is good as long as like me you treat everyone with respect.

 

Nicely stated Graham.  🙂 

[island lady]

22 hours ago, countess5 said:

You are showing Diamond Plus, but still don”t see free laundry. Also, I would say the average person does not use half or more the things listed. Yes we used the 20% discount on SPA twice 

Let’s just say each person gets what they want and what they feel is value. 

 

Cheers

 

You have to be kidding right?  Look under "Shopping" third line down.  

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Nicely stated Graham.  🙂 

Thank you Pat.

I hope you and Bucky had a fantastic Cruise on Oasis.

[island lady]

22 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

We’ve encountered it once, in the MDR for breakfast... we were seated with several people, including one guy who was a diamond.  He spent the entire time bragging about all of his cruises, and never left room for anyone else to say anything.  He was so, so boring.

 

There are people from all levels and all walks of life that can be boring as heck.  They were boring as a Gold member, and will be boring as a Pinnacle.  The level does not make the person...the person does.  

[Paulette3028]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

There are people from all levels and all walks of life that can be boring as heck.  They were boring as a Gold member, and will be boring as a Pinnacle.  The level does not make the person...the person does.  

It seems that each ship handles breakfast in the MDR differently.  We were on a sailing awhile back and when we went to the MDR for breakfast, they were seating people at large tables....so if you were a party of 2, you would have tablemates.  That is fine with us....it gives us the opportunity to meet others onboard.  We had 2 people who could not stop comparing everything on the sailing to every other ship they had sailed on and were really very negative.  In the end I learned they were at a higher level in C&A than we were (because they could not help themselves but let us know their loyalty status), but NOT everyone is like that and people like that are just BORES and bore the rest of us....then at least we know who to avoid.

 

We avoided them the rest of the cruise.

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2019 by Paulette3028

[island lady]

18 hours ago, PhoenixCruiser said:

 

 

What part confuses you, perhaps some of us can help?

 

It was a joke.  Not sure if a person that only takes one or two vacation weeks a year, has no cruises booked, makes statements about a cruise they were not even actually on....can profess to be "well traveled"?  

Edited March 10, 2019 by island lady

[island lady]

15 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

Honestly, I have never seen this either. 

 

Totally agree...and is one of the reasons I don't wear a lanyard to put my card on display for all to see.  Don't care to advertise what C&A level I am at, nor cabin cat I happen to be in.  😉  My card stays in my pocket.  

Edited March 10, 2019 by island lady

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, clean1owner said:

 

 

I will NEVER begrudge someone for being successful. 

 

I am right there with you when it comes to being frugal, and living within our means. 

Whenever anyone asks me how I can afford to cruise as often as I do, I simply lay out the facts.

Pack a lunch pretty much every day for work. 

Don't do the restaurant or bar deals.

We do have 3 children, so that did somewhat limit our availability to cruise, until we recently became empty nesters. While they were living at home, we NEVER took a cruise without them.

Always drove used cars that we didn't have to finance.

 

My wine comment was just a bit of a poke because I do not like wine in the least, and have no reason to have 1 bottle, much less 700, in my house at any time.

 

P.S. My daughter just interviewed with Duke and UNC for their Genetic Councilor Grad School program. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

 

Good luck is sent from us for your daughter for her GCGS program.

[island lady]

8 hours ago, LXA350 said:

 

Don't worry ost of the Pinacles that you will find spending months on a ship because it' cheaper than livng at home, are real Pains that just try to get even more perk for free. Staff in general on RCCL does not find a lot of nice words about Pinacles I can tell you that. To be fair there are exceptions and the staff also mentions it, however it's for sure not the mass who you find cruising for months in a inside cabin and the ones braging with their ridicioulous pins

 

There is that silly statement again.  Are you saying that being on a cruise ship (even in an inside cabin) is cheaper to be on...than simply staying at home?  Do your utilities, mortgage/rent, upkeep, taxes, insurance go bye-bye..pooof!... when you cruise? 

 

A cruise is in addition to the costs of maintaining your home.  How could being on a cruise be cheaper than staying at home?  Do you actually know anyone that cruises without also having a home to pay somewhere?  Cruising is an added expense.  

Edited March 10, 2019 by island lady

[island lady]

7 hours ago, Snowbird_in_training said:

When I read these threads it really makes me happy that I’ve never set foot in any of these lounges.  

 

That’s going to change for us.  I cannot imagine, however, parking in a lounge to be given complimentary drinks containing liquor that I hate.  Is there a rule that you can’t actually purchase liquor of your choice and enter your exclusive lounges?   If the liquor, wine and beer is so horrible, why are so many of you crowding into a small space to drink it?

 

Truly mind boggling.  

 

 

 

I would love to know...If you have never stepped foot into a lounge...how can you really have an opinion on one?  

[island lady]

6 hours ago, Lionesss said:

 

 

 

Yes, and if I might add...................

 

Free. Free Free Free............

Free Free Free Free.......................Free Free

 

Free Free

 

(Just like that new commercial on TV)

 

Later

 

 

Oh did I Say FREE

 

 

LOL...reminds of all those promos for "free charms, free champagne, etc." from Diamonds International.  Oh how dreadfully annoying...but many pax eat it up.  😄 

[island lady]

44 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you Pat.

I hope you and Bucky had a fantastic Cruise on Oasis.

 

Thanks!  It was great as usual...and this time neither one of us caught a cold!!  🙂  

 

[rimmit]

24 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Totally agree...and is one of the reasons I don't wear a lanyard to put my card on display for all to see.  Don't care to advertise what C&A level I am at, nor cabin cat I happen to be in.  😉  My card stays in my pocket.  

 

I am very torn about the lanyard issue.   For many,  my wife and kids included (not me as I always have a pocket being a guy) it is an easy way to have your card on you and not lose it.  I will admit that my wife and kids never loses theirs because of the lanyard,  unlike me that loses my card from my pocket 2-3 times a cruise.  On the other hand I totally understand that for some it is flashing status.   However,  again it is a very convenient way to not lose a card.

[Scotty G]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

 

Thanks!  It was great as usual...and this time neither one of us caught a cold!!  🙂  

 

That's funny. Neither Linda nor I got one on our Oasis voyage. Maybe that recent deep cleaning might have something to do with that 😉

[island lady]

44 minutes ago, Paulette3028 said:

It seems that each ship handles breakfast in the MDR differently.  We were on a sailing awhile back and when we went to the MDR for breakfast, they were seating people at large tables....so if you were a party of 2, you would have tablemates.  That is fine with us....it gives us the opportunity to meet others onboard.  We had 2 people who could not stop comparing everything on the sailing to every other ship they had sailed on and were really very negative.  In the end I learned they were at a higher level in C&A than we were (because they could not help themselves but let us know their loyalty status), but NOT everyone is like that and people like that are just BORES and bore the rest of us....then at least we know who to avoid.

 

We avoided them the rest of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

Agree..all walks of life...good and the bad.  We just hope for the good, and ignore/walk out on the bad.  Though in our case, we always ask for a "two top".  😉  I prefer to do my socializing in the lounges, ....meal time is for just the two of us.  🙂 

[molly361]

3 minutes ago, rimmit said:

 

I am very torn about the lanyard issue.   For many,  my wife and kids included (not me as I always have a pocket being a guy) it is an easy way to have your card on you and not lose it.  I will admit that my wife and kids never loses theirs because of the lanyard,  unlike me that loses my card from my pocket 2-3 times a cruise.  On the other hand I totally understand that for some it is flashing status.   However,  again it is a very convenient way to not lose a card.

I can see folks wearing a lanyard to hold their card in.  On the other hand I don't know what reason a Pinnacle would wear their pin for  other than to show others what their status is.  Unless I am missing something

Edited March 10, 2019 by molly361

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, rimmit said:

 

I am very torn about the lanyard issue.   For many,  my wife and kids included (not me as I always have a pocket being a guy) it is an easy way to have your card on you and not lose it.  I will admit that my wife and kids never loses theirs because of the lanyard,  unlike me that loses my card from my pocket 2-3 times a cruise.  On the other hand I totally understand that for some it is flashing status.   However,  again it is a very convenient way to not lose a card.

 

There is nothing wrong with wearing a lanyard if that works for you.  I just don't prefer it, which is what makes all of us beautifully unique.  Would be a boring world if we were all the same.  😉 

[island lady]

9 minutes ago, Scotty G said:

That's funny. Neither Linda nor I got one on our Oasis voyage. Maybe that recent deep cleaning might have something to do with that 😉

 

We both got really sick on Rhapsody in early January (flu like sick).  😞 Bucky caught yet another cold on Oasis January cruise later, and still not up to speed on Enchantment early Feb.  Thankfully this last one...no cold...no noro...no flu.  😄  Had a fantabulous cruise!  

Edited March 10, 2019 by island lady

[island lady]

8 minutes ago, Scotty G said:

That's funny. Neither Linda nor I got one on our Oasis voyage. Maybe that recent deep cleaning might have something to do with that 😉

 

duplicate

Edited March 10, 2019 by island lady

[rimmit]

24 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Totally agree...and is one of the reasons I don't wear a lanyard to put my card on display for all to see.  Don't care to advertise what C&A level I am at, nor cabin cat I happen to be in.  😉  My card stays in my pocket.  

 

I am very torn about the lanyard issue.   For many,  my wife and kids included (not me as I always have a pocket being a guy) it is an easy way to have your card on you and not lose it.  I will admit that my wife and kids never loses theirs because of the lanyard,  unlike me that loses my card from my pocket 2-3 times a cruise.  On the other hand I totally understand that for some it is flashing status.   However,  again it is a very convenient way to not lose a card.

[Snowbird_in_training]

39 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I would love to know...If you have never stepped foot into a lounge...how can you really have an opinion on one?  

I’m certainly permitted, as a non upper tier cruiser, to have an opinion on just about anything.  You’re free to totally disregard my opinion because I’m just part of steerage. I’ve not yet posted my own experience in these oh so uppity lounges, but I certainly DID and will continue to comment on adults complaining about the quality of their free drinks. 

 

This entire thread is a big reason why so many are reluctant to post anything here.  But hey, you have a wonderful day.  

[Missymo]

On 3/6/2019 at 6:37 PM, HBE4 said:

 

From what I've read here on CC, the balcony discount is of little value since it's not combine-able with the fake sales promotions.

 

Too bad, it's one of the only perks I'm looking most forward to taking advantage of when I move up to the next level. 😞

 

I am 2 cruises from Diamond Plus, and just got off the Symphony the end of January.  We have been seated with and without other passengers on our voyages and during that time , we never thought to bring up the subject of our  status  Just had nice conversations.   In fact it had been 4-5 years since our last cruise,  We had used the diamond club a couple of times previously , but it was usually so crowded, we walked out,  except on this last cruise.   . We only just recently learned about the 3 drinks on our cards and that we did  use . Only other diamond perk we have used is the discount when booking.  I use the Royal wrist bracelet for cabin key and ship purchases.  Set Sail card stays in my purse.  

Edited March 10, 2019 by Missymo