Majesty Diamond situation

[Joseph2017China]

1 hour ago, Happycruiser17 said:

Attached is an email I just sent to Mr. Bayley's office:

 

Mr. Bayley,

I am currently on the Majesty, B/B/B.  Last night at the upper tier event we were informed that there will not be an evening event for Diamond/DIAMOND PLUS/Pinnacle guests but only 3 drinks on our Seapass card.  I feel this is short-sighted on whomever is responsible fo this decision and this treatment of your loyal guests is DESPICABLE!  Pinnacle, with over 700 points, and we, who have over 600 points get the same benefit as those with 80 points?  WOW!!!  We are close to Pinnacle and when we reach this plateau we will NOT be loyal to Royal any longer, but will look at MSC etc.  Another perk bites the dust...don't bother to book the Majesty!    Wallace Stiving

 

How many drinks to you have during the event?  Normally I have one or two, before dinner.  The only way I see this as despicable is if someone is a binge drinker. 

[Happycruiser17]

You may think it is irrelevant now, but there are changes coming to the C&A program.  There is no excuse for not affording the passengers on Majesty the same privileges ... there were originally no lounges on the fleet and we always had our evening social hour in the VCL or similar.  Because Royal now only has a few of their old ships left in the fleet does not warrant not using the VCL (or portion thereof) for those few hours. 

[DaniDanielle]

After reading some of these comments about points, I wonder, don’t you upper levels remember making Diamond.  I am sure you didn’t automatically go from gold to D+ or Pinnacle.  Making Diamond and enjoying its perks kept us sailing until we made D+.  Without these fun incentives we may have sailed more on different lines,  My husband can’t even drink due to all his medication but he still enjoys socializing in the DL.

Maybe Royal should just switch to all suite sailings🥴that way nobody gets kicked out of anything!!

[Happycruiser17]

What you also lose in not having the lounge is the friendships you make and they become cruising friends, many for life.  We have friends all over the world and we share our itineraries each year to meet up.  It is more than "drinking".  

 

[Moltar]

It doesn't have a dedicated Diamond Lounge. Sail on ships that do. Problem solved. Not busting chops, I love the DL and I agree on making friends part, it really is a special part of the DL.

Edited January 17, 2020 by Moltar

[Happycruiser17]

17 minutes ago, BeachChik said:

How about be thankful that you can do three cruises in a row. Or be happy that you have been able to sail as much as you clearly have.

 

People today are so ungrateful.

I think you missed the point.  Yes we are very grateful we have been able to cruise ... however, the point is that we could have done the cruising on any cruise line,  but we chose Royal to continue to build the benefits they "promised" if we continued with their line versus another.  That is the point.  It has nothing to do with being grateful or not.  Remember ... they call Crown & Anchor a LOYALTY PROGRAM!

[DaniDanielle]

We also enjoy socializing in the Lounge but you sound like you want everyone out but you with higher tier credits.    That really is not a fair assessment of the LoyaltyProgram, 

it was meant for everyone to enjoy.  Working Up the ladder is part of the fun but who wants to if you can’t enjoy the benefits that were in place.  Maybe Pinnacles should have their own ship and then won’t have to associate with lowly Diamonds. By the way we are D+ and  the Diamond benefits were what kept us sailing Royal.

[BeachChik]

6 minutes ago, Happycruiser17 said:

I think you missed the point.  Yes we are very grateful we have been able to cruise ... however, the point is that we could have done the cruising on any cruise line,  but we chose Royal to continue to build the benefits they "promised" if we continued with their line versus another.  That is the point.  It has nothing to do with being grateful or not.  Remember ... they call Crown & Anchor a LOYALTY PROGRAM!

 

No I didn't miss the point. To cruise any particular line over and over to get benefits that could go away at any time is crazy. They don't have to give anything and could stop the program at any time if they really wanted to. So yes you should be grateful for whatever they decide to give to you for free.

 

And before you say that you earned those "perks", no you paid for cruises which they have provided. Anything else is simply a nice bonus.

[Happycruiser17]

5 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

We also enjoy socializing in the Lounge but you sound like you want everyone out but you with higher tier credits.    That really is not a fair assessment of the LoyaltyProgram, 

it was meant for everyone to enjoy.  Working Up the ladder is part of the fun but who wants to if you can’t enjoy the benefits that were in place.  Maybe Pinnacles should have their own ship and then won’t have to associate with lowly Diamonds. By the way we are D+ and  the Diamond benefits were what kept us sailing Royal.

The point made is that as Diamond Plus you should be realizing that you have been losing benefits, as I mentioned in another response, and I listed a few of the benefits that have been eliminated.  Just because there is no dedicated lounge on Majesty does not mean that space cannot be provided for the 3-1/2 hour social hour and that's the whole point of this thread, i.e., another "benefit" is lost by cruising Majesty.    

 

[DaniDanielle]

Okay, see your point. You are right about  Majesty.  I was too busy reading about points and not paying attention to your original post.  I thought you were blaming the lower levels for the elimination of the Diamond Event.  Sorry about that.

[davekathy]

2 minutes ago, Happycruiser17 said:

Majesty does not mean that space cannot be provided for the 3-1/2 hour social hour and that's the whole point of this thread, i.e., another "benefit" is lost by cruising Majesty.    

Agree. The LA and staff could close off part or all of (depending on the numbers of the upper three tier levels onboard) the Spectrum to host the C&A HH. Or set up a temporary bar for drinks and snacks in the conference rooms/center for the C&A HH. The Captains Club host and staff on Celebrity reserves the Sky Lounge (M&S class ships) and the Club (E class ships) for the two hour evening CC HH as Celebrity doesn't have a dedicated lounge for elite and elite plus. Zenith are also welcome but they also have access (depending on the ship class) Michales Club or the Retreat. 

[Happycruiser17]

13 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

We also enjoy socializing in the Lounge but you sound like you want everyone out but you with higher tier credits.    That really is not a fair assessment of the LoyaltyProgram, 

it was meant for everyone to enjoy.  Working Up the ladder is part of the fun but who wants to if you can’t enjoy the benefits that were in place.  Maybe Pinnacles should have their own ship and then won’t have to associate with lowly Diamonds. By the way we are D+ and  the Diamond benefits were what kept us sailing Royal.

I am advocating that not providing a space for Diamond Lounge evenings on the Majesty is wrong.  I believe that we are all entitled to the perks Royal gives each loyalty tier.  But when the C&A changes come, how will you feel if they decide, because if you look around on all their ships, including the large ones, the Diamond and above overwhelm the space and staff on most sailings, that Royal possibly decides to remove the Diamonds from the lounge and only get drinks on their cards and the Diamond Plus no longer can use the Concierge Lounges on ships and are moved to the Diamond Lounge and Pinnacles are in the Concierge Lounge and Suites are in Coastal Kitchen?   If anyone has been on the Oasis since the recent refurb in November, you will see that the size (on such a large ship) of the new Diamond Lounge has only 50 seats (while C&A is expanding exponentially).  The 2-story lounge they had on Deck 12 has been turned into cabins.  What does that foretell of the future?

[shipshape sam]

34 minutes ago, Happycruiser17 said:

I think you missed the point.  Yes we are very grateful we have been able to cruise ... however, the point is that we could have done the cruising on any cruise line,  but we chose Royal to continue to build the benefits they "promised" if we continued with their line versus another.  That is the point.  It has nothing to do with being grateful or not.  Remember ... they call Crown & Anchor a LOYALTY PROGRAM!

I think you resolved your issue with Celebrity.  They are not loyal in the sense that they plan to keep programs and benefits the same forever.  They change them in most part,  I bet, in that they are not being use enough or they have figured a way to make/save more money.

 

We quit going to the evening events before they put drinks on our cards when we sailed with friends.  We like the drinks on the card and meet plenty of people at the lounges all over the ship.

 

I identify with you that another perk or Item you enjoyed may be gone.  I used to get Boddingtons at the evening event and I enjoyed the events as an example  for me.  I even on my last cruise this past August, paid for a good craft beer at one bar vs using my card for a cheap beer or a standard wine on Captains Club list.

 

We realize that the Loyalty program for us is chasing a preferred benefit that could be gone the day we make the next level, thus we do not play  the Loyalty game.  We sail Celebrity now about 50% of the time we sail and only if the itinerary and price and time of year align.

 

Still like Celebrity and thank them for the nice perks they do provide us when we sail.

Edited January 17, 2020 by shipshape sam

[LorraineP]

27 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

We also enjoy socializing in the Lounge but you sound like you want everyone out but you with higher tier credits.    That really is not a fair assessment of the LoyaltyProgram, 

it was meant for everyone to enjoy.  Working Up the ladder is part of the fun but who wants to if you can’t enjoy the benefits that were in place.  Maybe Pinnacles should have their own ship and then won’t have to associate with lowly Diamonds. By the way we are D+ and  the Diamond benefits were what kept us sailing Royal.

Yes but now our Diamond Plus benefits are diminishing one by one. 

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, Happycruiser17 said:

I believe that we are all entitled to the perks Royal gives each loyalty tier. 

I think RCI has plenty of history for you not to expect that; heck some people can't even get a cabin with a GTY booking.

[DaniDanielle]

Harmony’s Diamond Lounge is also small. We had no problem with crowding but I guess when higher numbers are onboard it could be a problem.  I don’t know what is going to happen but there will be plenty of unhappy people.  Diamond+ are being excluded from the Concierge/Suite Lounges from what I have been reading.

Maybe we should start our own cruise line and run it like the old Days!!! 

[Coralc]

So...the Happy Hour event was reinstated, but now it has been removed again? 

[LadyShiva]

Why would write such a hyperbolic email, if what you treasure are the friendships made in the RCI Lounge?  You fired a salvo that is excessively easy to dodge by sorting your message into the round file. It wasn't constructive criticism as much as a declaration of war by someone who always intended to take their money vaguely "elsewhere."

[klfrodo]

This thread just screams elitism.

[Happycruiser17]

7 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

This thread just screams elitism.

I guess you are right if you think being elite is Diamond or above on Royal Caribbean.  The point of this thread is the loss of a benefit.

[Happycruiser17]

45 minutes ago, Coralc said:

So...the Happy Hour event was reinstated, but now it has been removed again? 

Yes.  They have it for the Jan 11 cruise but it was announced at the Upper Tier Event yesterday that going forward Miami has told them they cannot do it anymore.  The Hotel Manager and staff are not happy about it and nor were the people at the Upper Tier last night!

 

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, Happycruiser17 said:

The point of this thread is the loss of a benefit.

If only society was this upset when others less fortunate than themselves have their healthcare, sick leave, and/or pension benefits reduced. Those are real world problems. Losing a drink benefit or a lounge benefit are elitist problems.

[kruzerci]

43 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

If only society was this upset when others less fortunate than themselves have their healthcare, sick leave, and/or pension benefits reduced. Those are real world problems. Losing a drink benefit or a lounge benefit are elitist problems.

Get a grip. We are talking about vacations. Leave you’re politics at the door. 

[kruzerci]

1 hour ago, Happycruiser17 said:

Yes.  They have it for the Jan 11 cruise but it was announced at the Upper Tier Event yesterday that going forward Miami has told them they cannot do it anymore.  The Hotel Manager and staff are not happy about it and nor were the people at the Upper Tier last night!

 

All diamond and above members need to be emailing Royal Caribbean and posting on social media about this. It isn’t just about Majesty. If they do this to Majesty without a backlash, they will take it as a signal that they can make further changes without repercussions. Give an inch and take a mile. 

[twangster]

5 hours ago, Happycruiser17 said:

when we reach this plateau we will NOT be loyal to Royal any longer

 

This kind of dilutes your case a little bit. 

 

Why continue on towards Pinnacle if you plan to immediately start cruising elsewhere? 

 

The truth is once you hit Pinnacle they kind of own you.  Sure that doesn't stop a pinnacle from sailing another line but once you get there are you really going to stop sailing Royal?  If so, switch now and start enjoying the greener grass over there and vesting into that loyalty program.

 

BTW - you'd better avoid Empress.  No nightly Diamond event at all, just 3 drinks on the card.  Somehow still great cruises though.