Crown & Anchor Diamond Plus cutbacks continue!

[frank808]

On 3/9/2019 at 9:45 AM, clean1owner said:

 

 

Are you holed up in your cabin 24/7?

 

It seems like I can't go anywhere without someone talking about their status, or practically pushing their gold sea pass card in your face to make sure you see it.

Never had that happen to me.  Maybe because I tend not to notice because I am on vacation and just want to enjoy my time on a ship.  Also happy hour is where I get to meet a bunch of like minded people.  To this day I am glad to have met so many nice and wonderful people on my cruises on royal.  

 

Just to lighten this thread up, I hope to meet many of you fine cruise critic people on a future cruise.  

[A2Mich]

On 3/9/2019 at 12:45 PM, clean1owner said:

 

 

Are you holed up in your cabin 24/7?

 

It seems like I can't go anywhere without someone talking about their status, or practically pushing their gold sea pass card in your face to make sure you see it.

 

 

I’ve seen iron rare occasion, but I also don’t think it’s the norm.  Sure there are some who wear their C&A status level as a bozo badge, as they probably feel some odd sense of entitlement, but I’ve never witnessed anyone be overly obnoxious about it.

[grapau27]

On 3/12/2019 at 3:16 PM, nelblu said:

 

If you think they are bad now, do you know what was offered 10 years ago.  Believe me, I'll take the perks RCL offers now.

I totally agree,we became Diamond 8 years ago and the DL hadn't been incorporated on the ships then just a roped off area with a sign saying private event during happy hour only.

At that time D had been banned from the CL and entry was for D+ and above plus Suite guests.

We have been spoiled with the DL but now people have been sold the promise of making D and D+ for entry to the private lounges, to take this away would cause a lot of disgruntled people.

[grapau27]

15 hours ago, frank808 said:

Had a very "nice" run in with a D member going into the D lounge this past Oct.  It was mind blowing to experience this sense of "entitlement".  I did and still laugh about it with my son 😂.

Those types of people usually have that attitude in daily life and not the type of people whose conversations we would want to be part of.

[nelblu]

5 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We have been spoiled with the DL but now people have been sold the promise of making D and D+ for entry to the private lounges, to take this away would cause a lot of disgruntled people.

 

But, it has not happened and this topic has been in the so called news on this board for at least 3-4 years.

[grapau27]

6 minutes ago, nelblu said:

 

But, it has not happened and this topic has been in the so called news on this board for at least 3-4 years.

Thankfully it hasn't happened regarding the DL.

What has happened is CL being rebranded SL and D+ not allowed in and that is the biggest D+ cutback IMO.

[island lady]

15 hours ago, frank808 said:

Never had that happen to me.  Maybe because I tend not to notice because I am on vacation and just want to enjoy my time on a ship.  Also happy hour is where I get to meet a bunch of like minded people.  To this day I am glad to have met so many nice and wonderful people on my cruises on royal.  

 

Just to lighten this thread up, I hope to meet many of you fine cruise critic people on a future cruise.  

 

As do Bucky and I!  We would love to meet and cruise with our fellow DS from Hawaii.  🙂 

[island lady]

15 hours ago, A2Mich said:

 

 

I’ve seen iron rare occasion, but I also don’t think it’s the norm.  Sure there are some who wear their C&A status level as a bozo badge, as they probably feel some odd sense of entitlement, but I’ve never witnessed anyone be overly obnoxious about it.

 

It's the most expensive piece of jewelry I own.  😉  Cost me a bunch over the years.  😄 

[island lady]

13 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thankfully it hasn't happened regarding the DL.

What has happened is CL being rebranded SL and D+ not allowed in and that is the biggest D+ cutback IMO.

 

Agree totally my DS friend.  🙂 

[BND]

We have never worn our pins.  I accidentally threw out our D pins while on the cruise we received them.  They were in the stack of paper we get on every cruise and I just dumped it all.  Our D+ pins are still on the cards they came on and are in a box with our other cruise stuff in our guest room.  If we make it to Pinnacle (about halfway there now) we won't wear those either.  I know Pinns say they are asked to, but nope, not gonna.

 

[island lady]

13 minutes ago, BND said:

We have never worn our pins.  I accidentally threw out our D pins while on the cruise we received them.  They were in the stack of paper we get on every cruise and I just dumped it all.  Our D+ pins are still on the cards they came on and are in a box with our other cruise stuff in our guest room.  If we make it to Pinnacle (about halfway there now) we won't wear those either.  I know Pinns say they are asked to, but nope, not gonna.

 

 

Agree!  🙂 That's what makes choice so wonderful.  The choice is yours...wear or not to wear.  I don't understand why it should bother anyone if someone is wearing their pin.  If they enjoy wearing them..so what?   Thankfully we are not all the same...how boring that would be.  Vive la difference!  

Edited March 14, 2019 by island lady

[steveru621]

Well now that I know my D+ pin annoys so many people maybe I'll wear it more.  Now I only wear it on my lapel on formal nights.

 

I would venture a guess half the ship doesn't know what it is anyway. 

[John&LaLa]

13 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

Well now that I know my D+ pin annoys so many people maybe I'll wear it more.  Now I only wear it on my lapel on formal nights.

 

I would venture a guess half the ship doesn't know what it is anyway. 

 

I get asked about our Pin quite often, usually in the elevator, no big deal. It gets me in the Opal Theater fast so I can snag a good seat for CATS. 😉🐱

Edited March 14, 2019 by John&LaLa

[theotherchad]

You know, I think that if you cruise enough, and get out and about and mingle, you will run into some obnoxious, status obsessed, entitled types of D & D+ folks, but that is just one type of annoying cruiser. There are the chair hogs, the people with out of  control kids, the one floor up or down elevator riders, the line cutters, the loud drunks, the people who save whole rows of seats in the theater, etc. 

 

I've certainly run into a few of all of those. It does seem like it rankles a bit more when it is someone who has cruised enough to reach the more elite C&A ranks, since we instinctively feel that they should know better. 

 

Still, that kind of behavior (selfish, entitled, rude, obnoxious) happens on land too. It's just part of the world we live in. Thankfully, those types are the exception to the rule. Most of the people we have met on cruises are friendly, polite and kind. And cruising is still our favorite kind of vacation. Don't let the few bad apples spoil it. And don't let some minor reductions in perks ruin your vacation. 

[frank808]

On 3/9/2019 at 6:05 PM, forgotmyCCname said:

I have to say as someone who has only cruised in suites for the past 20 that the suite “perks” on Royal are meh. I don’t feel like I have gotten anything special on Royal. 

We book suites for the size- on NCL we love the Haven, DCL we haven’t done in years but the suites are amazing with perks but in Royal? Not so much.

Sure there is free booze in the Suite Lounge at certain times , but we have never ever in 12 or so cruises RCCL cruises had a concierge reach out to us once on we are on board. They have been helpful if we sought them out, but besides the expedited debarkation , breakfast in Chops ( or CK) and nicer shampoo there are no real Suite benefits to our family.

We also have never gone in the D lounge - I’m going to venture in next two trips!

 

That being said . We had switched to NCL for the last 6 cruises because Royal had priced us out of suites. We have now booked 2 cruises this summer on Royal because NCL has gone insane with their prices. NCL has “ Get all 5 offers free” but their suite prices have skyrocketed to make up for all these pseudo freebies and  for much smaller quarters and ridiculously smaller balconies than on Royal

 

i have never felt catered to on Royal but I don’t mind. I like a big bathroom and a living room to stretch my weary self out.

i like to have a private bedroom. I like having 2 bathrooms. Royal has great suites but not great suite perks on Freedom Class and below.

 

the Oasis class and above perks do seem a little more “perkier” with free Voom and the Coastal Kitchen ; All day wine and beer in the SL sounds fun! My husband and I are taking our first Mega mega on Allure without kids( now all young adults ).

we’ll see if the suite is sweeter there!

 

 

2500 less on Allure than on Breakaway for a week in a suite , similar itinerary . That’s a lot froo froo drinks! 

🎈🎈🎈🎈

I have the cutest patient who is 94 and wears his Diamond pin every single day. He says it reminds him of all the good times he had with his late wife on Royal. They used to dance “all night”❤️

 

 

 

Sailing sky class on Oasis class ships, you definitely get better perks than on Freedom class.  Love the CLS and SL/CK. 

 

We also have never had a concierge reach out to us during a cruise.  Doesn't bother us any as we just go with the flow and would usually just say hi and chat with them if they are not busy.  I did have to talk to a suite concierge once in all my cruises with a problem that she took care of promptly.  Have never had a bad cruise.  some better than others, but they have all been fun and enjoyable enough that we keep cruising.

 

Have to say that MSC Yacht Club guests do get treated better and the value for the $$ is way better on MSC.  But since our 14 nights on Seaside in July, we have cruised 5 times with royal and have another 6 cruises booked before we sail with MSC again.  We were actually were going to be sailing MSC this coming Feb, but had so much fun with fellow cruisers on Serenade, we will be going with Royal again. 

 

Have a fun cruise on a Mega ship.  You will have to probably be back as 7 nights is not enough time to experience an Oasis class ship in its entirety.

[frank808]

On 3/9/2019 at 9:28 PM, esper10 said:

It will be very disappointing to us if they no longer allow D to go to the diamond lounge. It will also mean that during the day when there is hardly any one there we can’t go and make a specialty coffee or go there in the morning for small breakfast and good coffee. I don’t know why with the new ships they don’t make the lounge bigger. We drink a wine so we are not big drinkers to take advantage of the alcohol but it’s fun and fells being special as a loyal customer to be in the lounge. We live in California so it is very hard for us to reach D+ We are sailing symphony Jan. 20 so I hope things won’t change until than. 🙏🙏

 

DL is a great place to meet others that share the same passion of cruising.  You can reach D+.  We have to fly a little further than you to get to the east coast of the CONUS to cruise.  It was well worth it for  the experiences, people we have met and friends we have made.  I am lucky that we are able to cruise and make some lifelong friends on this awesome journey. 

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I get asked about our Pin quite often, usually in the elevator, no big deal. It gets me in the Opal Theater fast so I can snag a good seat for CATS. 😉🐱

You don't need to get into the theater fast in order to get a good seat for CATS.

[BND]

2 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Agree!  🙂 That's what makes choice so wonderful.  The choice is yours...wear or not to wear.  I don't understand why it should bother anyone if someone is wearing their pin.  If they enjoy wearing them..so what?   Thankfully we are not all the same...how boring that would be.  Vive la difference!  

But, it appears my personal opinion of what we do ruffles some feathers .  I have a few pins from the Federal agency I work for too, but never wear those either.  Now, DH wears his mini Navy Surface Warfare Officers pin and a pin for another medal on his blazer on formal night, but he got those for serving in the Navy.  I've seen all kinds of cruisers wearing their pins, but it's their behavior that I notice, not the number of cruises they've bought.  One of the most obnoxious cruisers we ever met was on Explorer several years back when we were staying in a GS (I think we were Emerald at the time).  He was  D+ and made sure everyone knew.  Snapped his fingers at the wait staff and was loud and spent all his time talking about all their travel.  His wife looked a bit embarassed.  He was not liked by the wait staff at all.  Point is, his behavior is what caught our attention, but his announcements about his D+ level and calling across the room to the waitstaff in the lounge and at breakfast is what everyone heard.  There is a level of responsibility that comes with wearing those pins if you really want to be an ambassador for RCI.  Being a jerk isn't it.

[island lady]

2 hours ago, steveru621 said:

Well now that I know my D+ pin annoys so many people maybe I'll wear it more.  Now I only wear it on my lapel on formal nights.

 

I would venture a guess half the ship doesn't know what it is anyway. 

 

And you would be right.  One lady asked me if I was a fire fighter....apparently that is what it looked like to her.  Cute...I just told her I was not..and did not offer any explanation. 

 

And I am with you....love to annoy people by wearing my pin.  The DH does not wear his, except for formal night since it looks so festive on his tux lapel.  😉 

Edited March 14, 2019 by island lady

[island lady]

2 hours ago, theotherchad said:

You know, I think that if you cruise enough, and get out and about and mingle, you will run into some obnoxious, status obsessed, entitled types of D & D+ folks, but that is just one type of annoying cruiser. There are the chair hogs, the people with out of  control kids, the one floor up or down elevator riders, the line cutters, the loud drunks, the people who save whole rows of seats in the theater, etc. 

 

I've certainly run into a few of all of those. It does seem like it rankles a bit more when it is someone who has cruised enough to reach the more elite C&A ranks, since we instinctively feel that they should know better. 

 

Still, that kind of behavior (selfish, entitled, rude, obnoxious) happens on land too. It's just part of the world we live in. Thankfully, those types are the exception to the rule. Most of the people we have met on cruises are friendly, polite and kind. And cruising is still our favorite kind of vacation. Don't let the few bad apples spoil it. And don't let some minor reductions in perks ruin your vacation. 

 

Very well stated!  🙂 

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

You don't need to get into the theater fast in order to get a good seat for CATS.

 

You know nothing Jon Snow

[island lady]

1 hour ago, BND said:

But, it appears my personal opinion of what we do ruffles some feathers .  I have a few pins from the Federal agency I work for too, but never wear those either.  Now, DH wears his mini Navy Surface Warfare Officers pin and a pin for another medal on his blazer on formal night, but he got those for serving in the Navy.  I've seen all kinds of cruisers wearing their pins, but it's their behavior that I notice, not the number of cruises they've bought.  One of the most obnoxious cruisers we ever met was on Explorer several years back when we were staying in a GS (I think we were Emerald at the time).  He was  D+ and made sure everyone knew.  Snapped his fingers at the wait staff and was loud and spent all his time talking about all their travel.  His wife looked a bit embarassed.  He was not liked by the wait staff at all.  Point is, his behavior is what caught our attention, but his announcements about his D+ level and calling across the room to the waitstaff in the lounge and at breakfast is what everyone heard.  There is a level of responsibility that comes with wearing those pins if you really want to be an ambassador for RCI.  Being a jerk isn't it.

 

The pin, or the C&A level, or the cabin you cruise in....does not make the person...the person makes the person.  Jerks will be jerks... no matter where they are in life.  We just need to seek out the majority that are nice people and leave the jerks in our wake.  😉 

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

The pin, or the C&A level, or the cabin you cruise in....does not make the person...the person makes the person.  Jerks will be jerks... no matter where they are in life.  We just need to seek out the majority that are nice people and leave the jerks in our wake.  😉 

Absolutely agree with you,it is wonderful meeting and speaking to nice people.

[island lady]

10 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Absolutely agree with you,it is wonderful meeting and speaking to nice people.

 

Thanks!  It's what makes this world a brighter place to live!  🙂 Poo poo on the downers.  Very sad for them.  😞 

[stickyshocker]

3 hours ago, theotherchad said:

 

Still, that kind of behavior (selfish, entitled, rude, obnoxious) happens on land too. It's just part of the world we live in. Thankfully, those types are the exception to the rule. Most of the people we have met on cruises are friendly, polite and kind. And cruising is still our favorite kind of vacation. Don't let the few bad apples spoil it. And don't let some minor reductions in perks ruin your vacation. 

I can attest to this:

From temples - " John Doe was here"... Nobody cares if you were here, stop desecrating historic structures.

 

The Land Cruisers - Shared a ride with a couple equipped w/ Canon 1DX dressed in a neatly ironed matching safari outfits, yelling at the driver for not cutting the other vehicles for getting them the shot... Well what about the other minivan who was there before us?

 

@ the Guesthouses - Lads who thinks Travel is some kind of Olympics, that a destination has to end in a "Stan" to make everyone knows that they are getting the most unique experience.

 

I once overheard a group complaining that everything is expensive in that country and that in "The real world" it would be different... I get it, you guys are on a vacation.. that nice young lady serving you your "Vacation Gelato" is a real person tbh.

 

I have my own share, walking in a bike zone only to be yelled at in a different language..I'm pretty sure it's not " Have a Nice Day"..

 

… Entitlement/douchery comes in all forms of shapes and sizes, not everything comes with a pin. If anything, those cruisers we met who's been to 50-60 cruises, we absorbed the tips they shared and added it to our arsenal on how we want to visit one place.

 

 

Edited March 14, 2019 by stickyshocker