Met head of Loyalty for Celebrity

[maggie.1008]

We have not gone to any of the Captain Club events for years. We have done most and they are now too crowded. Last time we tried there was not a seat to be had. We are Elite + with over 1600 points. We became Elite 11 years ago when Happy Hour was in Michaels club and only a handful of people. Very nice. 

I hope X will change their mind about a new level. We will never make Zenith. We also have cruised on 12 different lines as there are so many other options. 

[Oceangoer2]

20 hours ago, maggie.1008 said:

We have not gone to any of the Captain Club events for years. We have done most and they are now too crowded. Last time we tried there was not a seat to be had. We are Elite + with over 1600 points. We became Elite 11 years ago when Happy Hour was in Michaels club and only a handful of people. Very nice. 

I hope X will change their mind about a new level. We will never make Zenith. We also have cruised on 12 different lines as there are so many other options. 

There is still only a handful of people in Michaels...at least on our last sailing.  We prefer outside Michael's and among the many cruisers enjoying the music.  I agree, we don't attend the CC events or any X events...not because of seating issues, just not part of what we like to do.  Obviously many do enjoy the venues...

And....why is such an old thread being opened again?  Before I'm flamed...I'll ask the question...why am I answering...LOL?  Didn't even notice it was from last May '19...just came up in my notifications.

Edited January 10, 2020 by oceangoer2

[cruisestitch]

I quoted it and from there some re-opened it.

[TeaBag]

23 hours ago, maggie.1008 said:

We have not gone to any of the Captain Club events for years. We have done most and they are now too crowded. Last time we tried there was not a seat to be had. We are Elite + with over 1600 points. We became Elite 11 years ago when Happy Hour was in Michaels club and only a handful of people. Very nice. 

I hope X will change their mind about a new level. We will never make Zenith. We also have cruised on 12 different lines as there are so many other options. 

Ditto, Maggie.

Frankly, I think Celebrity shot themselves in the foot by setting the tier points too low!  When there are 1500 Elites and above on the ship, it's impossible to get a seat in the lounge btwn 5 and 6 (we eat early so can't stay past 6).  Who wants to join the line at 4:30 just to get a seat?

I also think they should stop the reciprocity, as there are many Royal people taking advantage of this. We were often impressed by how many there were at the Captains Club 5-7 event.  Like Maggie, we have stopped going to that years ago.

[TeaBag]

2 hours ago, oceangoer2 said:

And....why is such an old thread being opened again?  Before I'm flamed...I'll ask the question...why am I answering...LOL?  Didn't even notice it was from last May '19...just came up in my notifications.

Because it is still an issue!

[jelayne]

Beating a dead horse.

[hulamoon]

I am happy with my elite plus perks, yes they Are duplicated by other perks more than my liking.

 

We don’t need another event, we barely make any anyway. So a cocktail party will not incentivize us.

 

We are at the zen level of about 1500 and we absolutely began to shop.  
 

Obc would be fine with us at a level that covers a couple of specialty restaurants, that way people can be flexible.
 

 

[Texed]

48 minutes ago, hulamoon said:

We are at the zen level of about 1500 and we absolutely began to shop.  
Obc would be fine with us at a level that covers a couple of specialty restaurants, that way people can be flexible.

 

So, you would like OBC for the Zen level?  I do not believe Zenith gets that.  Would you want Celebrity to upgrade the perks across the board?  I just can not see them doing that.  

[hulamoon]

It’s up to them what they do. I heard they didn’t want to do anything. Any benefits a Mythical zen level would get would also be zenith.

[OuiOnboard]

Cruising less these days....not expecting to reach Zenith in this lifetime...one or two levels of recognition between E+ and Zenith would be nice...perhaps offer a pick-a-really-free-perk on your next 7-day cruise...or such. Whatever.

[clskinsfan]

Any thoughts to matching a portion of competing lines loyalty points? MSC has done this and though I have never cruised with them it seems like a smart idea. Now that we have no kids in the house Celebrity is a good fit for us. Nice relaxing vacation instead of the hustle and bustle of Carnival or NCL. We took our first Celeb cruise last May and loved it. It would be nice to be able to take advantage of at least a portion of the points we have built up over the years on other lines.

 

Edit: Sorry. Just noticed this thread was from back in March. 

Edited January 12, 2020 by clskinsfan

[tfred]

This is a problem with airline elite ranks and to some extent, the airline clubs - too many people are there.

 

What started out as a good thing - free upgrades to first class - ended up being a nightmare since "everyone" is eligible, and most never see the front cabin.  Now they are mad and want to switch airlines without realizing that it is the same no matter where they go.

 

the clubs are the same - too many ways to get in for free or low cost.  Most clubs are jammed with no seats.  

 

Airlines now gauge loyalty by higher fare basis getting more points.  Heavily discounted fares are allotted less points.  The days of "cheap elites" are over.  Could be the same for cruise lines as well.  Inside rooms at a huge discount counts for less

[tfred]

2 minutes ago, clskinsfan said:

Any thoughts to matching a portion of competing lines loyalty points? MSC has done this and though I have never cruised with them it seems like a smart idea. Now that we have no kids in the house Celebrity is a good fit for us. Nice relaxing vacation instead of the hustle and bustle of Carnival or NCL. We took our first Celeb cruise last May and loved it. It would be nice to be able to take advantage of at least a portion of the points we have built up over the years on other lines.

 

Edit: Sorry. Just noticed this thread was from back in March. 

airlines and hotels will match status but it is regarded as a "challenge".  To keep that level you need to book and stay/fly so many miles/nights within 90 days or so.  If you don't you lose the status

[Orator]

As the OPof this thread I must say that my initial impressions were incorrect. The importance of loyalty has declined over the last year. The "top spender" no longer receives a complementary dinner in a speciality restaurant and the Zeniths are no longer introduced or invited to any Captain's Tables. Frequent past cruisers don't represent current or future income in the eyes of the company so just not valued in terms of the bottom line.  I fully expect that loyalty will further decline in importance so long as ships are full. I don't blame LLP since she works at the direction of the company and given their emphasis on double-double almost any CEO would take the same actions. I am no longer cruising exclusively with Celebrity and have recently spent 20 days on Crystal Serenity and have booked Quebec to Miami with them. Also planning to book 14 days Miami-Miami with Crystal. Next week I board Equinox since some of my favorite people, including the Captain are on the ship. 

[verizon]

I am a solo cruiser.I have decided to spend more times on land vacation than cruises on sea.

I found out that it  is much cheaper for me to fly business class and stay in 5 stars hotels even I got all the benefits from the ship as Zenith member.

I don't see any value of double Zeniths that I can be achieved at the end of this year.

 

[PBTravelBug]

On 3/15/2019 at 7:15 AM, Redtravel said:

on the Reflection recently. The library had only a few books to lend. Of those, most were in foreign languages. I was looking for an English novel. Nothing!  There were lots of empty shelves and some phony book fronts.  I didn’t know that Celebrity is eliminating the libraries. One of my all time favorite activities to do on a cruise is read a good book.  At home, I read with interruptions.  Nothing can compare with curling up with a good read on a chaise lounge uninterrupted....no phones, no kids, no cooking, etc.  it’s what I do while waiting for the next meal or port.  Sadly,  every time that I sail on Celebrity there are more cutbacks.  What is next?  

I read these comments and wonder why a cruise line doesn’t seem to value it’s best assets. Repeated guests come back because they are happy. They spread the word among their friends and family.  That also works in reverse.  When the quality of the cruise experience diminishes, they look at other ways to vacation.  

With so many cruise options available, a cruise line should go over and above making all guests happy.  Strive to make each guest want to come back again.  With each new level of a loyalty program, make guests want to feel it has value.  Offer discounts, OBC or free tips. Offer benefits that can be enjoyed by all.  

We were just on Equinox for 5 nights and were SO disappointed with the library! I was not aware that Celebrity is eliminating the libraries - disappointed to hear this news. The library is one of our first stops when we get on board as we enjoy the surprise of what we might find. On our Equinox sailing the shelves were bare and anything that was there was in another language. 

[Algebralovr]

1 hour ago, PBTravelBug said:

We were just on Equinox for 5 nights and were SO disappointed with the library! I was not aware that Celebrity is eliminating the libraries - disappointed to hear this news. The library is one of our first stops when we get on board as we enjoy the surprise of what we might find. On our Equinox sailing the shelves were bare and anything that was there was in another language. 

 

Probably because so many of us don't bother any longer - I fill my Kindle full of things I've been meaning to read, and finally can while on a cruise.  Amazon makes constant recomendations to me, and I do Kindle Unlimited, so I get to check them out.  

[Luvcrusn]

44 minutes ago, Algebralovr said:

 

Probably because so many of us don't bother any longer - I fill my Kindle full of things I've been meaning to read, and finally can while on a cruise.  Amazon makes constant recomendations to me, and I do Kindle Unlimited, so I get to check them out.  

You hit the nail on the head. DH and I used to each take several books on board with us during each cruise and left them in the library when we finished them. These days most fellow passengers we see are using e-readers, tablets, or iPads to read from and can't leave them behind. I doubt that X ever stocked the libraries, and if they did it was minimally. Most selections were left behind by passengers.

[PBTravelBug]

9 hours ago, Algebralovr said:

 

Probably because so many of us don't bother any longer - I fill my Kindle full of things I've been meaning to read, and finally can while on a cruise.  Amazon makes constant recomendations to me, and I do Kindle Unlimited, so I get to check them out.  

Yes of course. We have Kindles as well but always enjoyed the surprise of what we might find in the ship's library. We have each read books on cruises that we might have never chosen elsewhere. I still prefer printed material over e-material. I love the library space on the ship. What can I say I am a big fan of libraries.... lol... my Mom is a retired librarian!

[MamaFej]

2 hours ago, PBTravelBug said:

Yes of course. We have Kindles as well but always enjoyed the surprise of what we might find in the ship's library. We have each read books on cruises that we might have never chosen elsewhere. I still prefer printed material over e-material. I love the library space on the ship. What can I say I am a big fan of libraries.... lol... my Mom is a retired librarian!

I, too, read mostly on my Kindle, due to space and weight. However, there is something genuinely lovely about the idea of shared books. We are new to cruising, but I have chosen and left many books at campground book exchanges all around North America over the decades. I was delighted to see the same thing available when we first started cruising a few years ago. It makes me sad to see it disappearing.