Diamond balcony discount

[iluvit!]

Upon turning Diamond I’m looking at cruises. for my $250 balcony discount. Surprised to see only $75-100 off. Did RCCL downgrade this benefit while I wasn’t looking?

[LBumb]

How many days are the cruises you’re looking at

[iluvit!]

A week on Rhapsody out of Barcelona next May,$100 discount and $75 off for a 5-day out of Galveston in Jan. 

[Merion_Mom]

51 minutes ago, iluvit! said:

Upon turning Diamond I’m looking at cruises. for my $250 balcony discount. Surprised to see only $75-100 off. Did RCCL downgrade this benefit while I wasn’t looking?

 

Here are the complete charts.  How recently did you turn Diamond?  Has there been enough time for RC to update your account?

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2665043-ca-balcony-discount/?do=findComment&comment=57526343

[twangster]

In my experience it's variable depending on other promos at the time.  

 

Don't assume the C&A rate is always going to be cheapest.  Sometimes my travel agent will find a better rate and not apply the C&A balcony discount since it can't always be combined with other discounts and promos.  NextCruise OBC sometimes can't be combined with C&A balcony discounts or it might reduce the Next OBC.  It all depends.

[Ourusualbeach]

18 minutes ago, twangster said:

In my experience it's variable depending on other promos at the time.  

 

Don't assume the C&A rate is always going to be cheapest.  Sometimes my travel agent will find a better rate and not apply the C&A balcony discount since it can't always be combined with other discounts and promos.  NextCruise OBC sometimes can't be combined with C&A balcony discounts or it might reduce the Next OBC.  It all depends.

The OBC from Next cruise is the one of the few remaining OBC’s that is combinable with the balcony discount.  It’s the monthly promotions that offer instant savings or OBC that can’t be combined.

 

also with the 50% off the second guest your OBC is reduced as they take the balcony discount and poly it equally to both guests and then take the 50% off the second guest.

[twangster]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

The OBC from Next cruise is the one of the few remaining OBC’s that is combinable with the balcony discount.  

 

Except when it isn't.  I lost $100 OBC booking the Symphony TA at NextCruise.  Even appealed it to Miami and lost.  "Not all NextCruise OBC combinable with C&A balcony discount" was the final answer given from HQ.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Except when it isn't.  I lost $100 OBC booking the Symphony TA at NextCruise.  Even appealed it to Miami and lost.  "Not all NextCruise OBC combinable with C&A balcony discount" was the final answer given from HQ.

Interesting.  Never seen that and never seen any mention in any literature.

[molly361]

28 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Except when it isn't.  I lost $100 OBC booking the Symphony TA at NextCruise.  Even appealed it to Miami and lost.  "Not all NextCruise OBC combinable with C&A balcony discount" was the final answer given from HQ.

First time I have ever heard of that

[cruiseguy1016]

3 hours ago, iluvit! said:

Upon turning Diamond I’m looking at cruises. for my $250 balcony discount. Surprised to see only $75-100 off. Did RCCL downgrade this benefit while I wasn’t looking?

 

The balcony discount for Diamond members is only $225. Diamond plus gets the $250.

Edited June 9, 2019 by cruiseguy1016

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, molly361 said:

First time I have ever heard of that

Something tells me that the next cruise people included in the OBC offer whatever the promotional OBC at the time was.  That I’ve seen and they do it to make it look more appealing but it really is two different types of OBC.  

Edited June 9, 2019 by Ourusualbeach

[SantaFeFan]

5 hours ago, iluvit! said:

Upon turning Diamond I’m looking at cruises. for my $250 balcony discount. Surprised to see only $75-100 off. Did RCCL downgrade this benefit while I wasn’t looking?

 

Don't know about any benefit downgrades, but when I made my Oasis booking last month for a March 2020 cruise, as Diamond level we received $150 off our "ocean view with large balcony" room. 

[iluvit!]

11 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Here are the complete charts.  How recently did you turn Diamond?  Has there been enough time for RC to update your account?

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2665043-ca-balcony-discount/?do=findComment&comment=57526343

Two weeks ago, and it’s been updated on the C&A site.

[iluvit!]

10 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The OBC from Next cruise is the one of the few remaining OBC’s that is combinable with the balcony discount.  It’s the monthly promotions that offer instant savings or OBC that can’t be combined.

 

also with the 50% off the second guest your OBC is reduced as they take the balcony discount and poly it equally to both guests and then take the 50% off the second guest.

I was looking at the 50% off second person deal, this must explain the low discount. Thanks!

[Truluv]

Agree with Twangster's experience.  I booked a solo JS cruise next Feb through my long-time cruise TA during one of the recent "sales."  When he booked my cruise, he asked about applying my Diamond discount.  RCL told him that the Diamond discounts didn't apply to the special rate I was already getting.  He argued with them for quite awhile, and even went up the chain.  As he pointed out, taking away the Diamond discount defeats the purpose of rewarding long-time RCL cruisers if they are giving the same rate to new cruisers who book at the sale price.  He pointed out that I am approaching next level, have a 9-day  cruise booked with them in the Fall, etc.  He didn't win - unfortunately.  RCL sometimes changes the small print when you actually try to lock down pricing.

Edited June 10, 2019 by Truluv

[Billy Baltic]

Is there any diamond discount for an ocean view stateroom? We are a family of five and suites that accommodate that many are well outside my budget. It seems unfair that 1 or 2 people get a discount for a balcony, while 5 don’t. 

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

Is there any diamond discount for an ocean view stateroom? 

No, balcony discount only, when available.

[orville99]

Diamond discounts can be reduced if one books a reservation that allows changes in dates/ships.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

Diamond discounts can be reduced if one books a reservation that allows changes in dates/ships.

I’ve always received the same discount regardless of whether I book a refundable or a non refundable rate.  

[orville99]

17 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I’ve always received the same discount regardless of whether I book a refundable or a non refundable rate.  

My bad, it is the onboard booking bonus that is reduced.

[brillohead]

On 6/10/2019 at 3:38 PM, Billy Baltic said:

Is there any diamond discount for an ocean view stateroom? We are a family of five and suites that accommodate that many are well outside my budget. It seems unfair that 1 or 2 people get a discount for a balcony, while 5 don’t. 

It might be cheaper for you to book two connecting balcony rooms, as you'd get the balcony discount for both rooms (assuming that you have more than one person who is Diamond level, which is easily achieved by linking accounts).  

You'd also benefit from more space, more bathrooms, more privacy, etc.

 

[Billy Baltic]

On 6/12/2019 at 4:45 AM, brillohead said:

It might be cheaper for you to book two connecting balcony rooms, as you'd get the balcony discount for both rooms (assuming that you have more than one person who is Diamond level, which is easily achieved by linking accounts).  

You'd also benefit from more space, more bathrooms, more privacy, etc.

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion but it hasn’t been cheaper to date. With 2 young children I also don’t think I could relax with a balcony off the stateroom.  

[brillohead]

40 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

 

Thanks for the suggestion but it hasn’t been cheaper to date. With 2 young children I also don’t think I could relax with a balcony off the stateroom.  

The balcony doors are VERY heavy plus they have a Child Lock up high on them.  If the rooms are connecting, there's no way a young child is going to be able to open the balcony door without you knowing all about it.  (Even some adults have trouble opening the balcony door.)

[cindivan]

We just booked using next cruise and they said “current promotion is better than d+ discount” so no additional discount.   So stupid. What is the point of the loyalty discount when the general public discount is almost always better than loyalty discount and not combinable?

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, cindivan said:

We just booked using next cruise and they said “current promotion is better than d+ discount” so no additional discount.   So stupid. What is the point of the loyalty discount when the general public discount is almost always better than loyalty discount and not combinable?

Correct, and anytime they want to disallow the balcony discount they just designate part of the part as an "instant discount".  The price does not have to go down, they just deem it now has an instant discount, and presto, no C&A discount.