Would you spend $115 for double pts?

[firefly333]

Currently booked on JOS 9 days solo cabin 801 plus 159, 

 

Regular inside dropped to 916 plus the 159 taxes.

 

I'm solo so would get double pts. I'm already diamond but not close to diamond plus. Had 2 liberty cruises canc I would have gotten double pts. Solo cabin is aft deck 4 which looks like a good location to me. I dont see a location for new cabin I'm crazy about. Deck 3 aft, worse. Deck 10 forward looks under the work out room. Lots on deck 9 forward but I'd have to go up 2 flights not just 1 to buffet. I will probably eat mostly in buffet including dinner. I'm a slow eater and like to read a book while I read, so eat in buffet a lot and new locations for regular inside are mostly forward, i like my solo cabin location near a elevator just fine. 

 

9 pts toward loyalty a lot, but diamond plus doesnt seem that attractive. 

 

Would you spend the $115. I dont plan on spending time in my cabin except to sleep, it's the 9 loyalty pts.

[Cruisin_n_Boozin]

No

[molly361]

No

[mek]

Good heavens, no.  There is no guarantee that any of the Crown and Anchor programs will continue as we know them when cruising starts back up again.

[CCLNCLRCICRUISER]

I would only do that, if I was close to another level. 

[Jam0610]

No.

[firefly333]

14 minutes ago, CCLNCLRCICRUISER said:

I would only do that, if I was close to another level. 

Nope, need 66 pts. Lost 28 this year from canc cruises. Didnt know the solo cabin only got 1 and regular got 2, been a while since I cruised rcl, did carnival vista last time. I havent been loyal to one or the other or I'd be higher. 

 

Jewel only has 3 solo cabins which are booked up so no price drops there, just on regular cabins where there are gobs empty. 5 ports, hence the higher taxes and fees. I guess I'll hope someone gives up their solo cabin to see if a drop in price or wait for regular to drop below the 959 total I'm on the hook to pay

 

Thanks. I hoped someone would point to some big reason why I should push to diamond plus. Top 3 in loyalty pts used to sometimes get free upgrades, now they are a dime a dozen. I hoped I was missing something. I quit cruising and took a break, now everyone is higher seems like no biggie.

Edited April 29, 2020 by firefly333
Spellcheck grrr

[WeLuvVacation]

This link shows what benefits are for each level. Review and decide for yourself if the additions at the D+ level are worth the extra dollars.

 

https://dlxffu6hwewxp.cloudfront.net/cas/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/CAS_Member_Benefits_Grid_APRIL-2019.pdf

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, CCLNCLRCICRUISER said:

I would only do that, if I was close to another level. 

 

58 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Nope, need 66 pts. Lost 28 this year from canc cruises. Didnt know the solo cabin only got 1 and regular got 2, been a while since I cruised rcl, did carnival vista last time. I havent been loyal to one or the other or I'd be higher. 

 

Jewel only has 3 solo cabins which are booked up so no price drops there, just on regular cabins where there are gobs empty. 5 ports, hence the higher taxes and fees. I guess I'll hope someone gives up their solo cabin to see if a drop in price or wait for regular to drop below the 959 total I'm on the hook to pay

 

Thanks. I hoped someone would point to some big reason why I should push to diamond plus. Top 3 in loyalty pts used to sometimes get free upgrades, now they are a dime a dozen. I hoped I was missing something. I quit cruising and took a break, now everyone is higher seems like no biggie.

 

You only get close to the next level by earning points.  🙂 

 

I would not say "yes" or "no" definitively.  There are good and bad ways to look at this.  Only you know if that would be $116 well spent or not.

[taglovestocruise]

108 sq ft vs 170 sq ft.  Well worth it to me for a extra 50% of space. 

[firefly333]

7 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

You only get close to the next level by earning points.  🙂 

 

I would not say "yes" or "no" definitively.  There are good and bad ways to look at this.  Only you know if that would be $116 well spent or not.

I've even sprung for balconies, or a junior suite. Tbh I live alone and if a solo cruise I dont sit out alone on my balcony, I go up where there are other people. ...though in today's climate might not be where I'm comfortable speaking to others like I usually would be. I'm much more aware of space and keeping away, though I'd still rather be up near a pool where there are people to see than alone. 

 

It's not the money, I just find I almost dont stay in my cabin. I can do that at home.

[HBE4]

35 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I've even sprung for balconies, or a junior suite. Tbh I live alone and if a solo cruise I dont sit out alone on my balcony, I go up where there are other people. ...though in today's climate might not be where I'm comfortable speaking to others like I usually would be. I'm much more aware of space and keeping away, though I'd still rather be up near a pool where there are people to see than alone. 

 

It's not the money, I just find I almost dont stay in my cabin. I can do that at home.

 

If the additional perks are unimportant to you and you are fine with the smaller cabin / location - and from what I've read you are - then I'd spend the $115 on something else. A bottle of wine, spa, specialty restaurant, buying me a drink on a cruise. 😉  (kidding about the last one).

 

Also, how brand loyal will you be going forward? Seems you are about 4-5 cruises away from moving up but if you are going to be sharing the money with Carnival, NCL, etc, it would take awhile.

 

As for status sharing between Celebrity and Royal, I think it ends at the Diamond level but not 100% certain on that point.

 

[LMaxwell]

Look at it this way; $12 a day for a much larger cabin if the points aren't enticing to you. If you're not thrilled with the location, don't spend the money. 

[Merion_Mom]

Another point:  $115 is less than one drink (including gratuity) per day.  😄  

[Merion_Mom]

4 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

 

 

As for status sharing between Celebrity and Royal, I think it ends at the Diamond level but not 100% certain on that point.

 

 

Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle all transfer as "Elite" on Celebrity.

 

Elite, Elite Plus and Zenith all transfer as "Diamond" on Royal Caribbean.

[NancyIL]

I have stayed in a studio cabin on Radiance and Jewel - both for 9 days each. I loved the location on deck 4 - just off the Centrum, and didn't mind the small cabin. However, you'll be getting a much larger cabin for  $115 - and not just double points.

[LMaxwell]

For what it is worth; I did a cheapie weirdn 2 day filler cruise as a solo to get 4 points when I needed 3 to get to Diamond.  I'm right in the middle of Diamond and Diamond Plus and though I know there aren't really major differences in the tiers, for future calculations being able to have another 9 pts would def be helpful.  I think beyond the price of the cruise figure out your overall grand total for the trip; travel, spending money, insurance, etc. and then calculate the upgrade cost. It surely will be in the single digits percentage wise. I am not sure I'd be comfortable in a small solo room for 9 days. 

[Ourusualbeach]

Extra perks for being D+

 

extra Free day of internet per Cruise...$24

BOGO Specialty restaurant...$40-$50
being able to complain about not having access to the suite lounge...priceless

 

[firefly333]

20 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle all transfer as "Elite" on Celebrity.

 

Elite, Elite Plus and Zenith all transfer as "Diamond" on Royal Caribbean.

Maybe they did me wrong. It's been at least 5 to 10 years and I was still platinum. I swear they transferred me as elite to celebrity. I'll have to check. They said it was their top tier. Maybe they made a mistake.

 

Lol at ourusualbeach and bogo meals. I need to find some real life friends who arent broke or afraid of cruising. I'm at a loss what to say when someone says they are scared to be on a ship surrounded by water, grrr. Hahahaha. I cant wait to cruise again. 

[firefly333]

24 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Extra perks for being D+

 

extra Free day of internet per Cruise...$24

BOGO Specialty restaurant...$40-$50
being able to complain about not having access to the suite lounge...priceless

 

Can I take the bogo restaurant at another time and have both meals myself?

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Can I take the bogo restaurant at another time and have both meals myself?

Yes

[Starry Eyes]

Since you seem to like your current location better than the possible new ones, my opinion is stay put for now but keep watching prices.  Maybe you will catch a price drop with a nice cabin location.

 

Although you may not spend a lot of time in your cabin, more space is always nice.  So,  keep an eye out for a good price on the bigger cabin in a good location with double points.

[NCMtnBoys]

I would spend the extra $115 for double points if I were close to the next level, yes. I have a cruise booked for January 2021 and was booked in a JS to get the extra points because the points from that cruise would have moved me from D to D+. Recently, though, I discovered that I could downgrade to a balcony cabin, forego the extra space and extra points, and save nearly $1200 doing so. The difference was not that much when I first booked the cruise. I will miss the extra space and the extra points, but nearly $1200 was way too much just for those things. We normally book balcony cabins so a JS was a splurge anyway, but I'm not willing to spend that much on the splurge. Plus, during this time of uncertainty where we're all wondering whether to make our final payments because we don't know whether the cruise will actually sail, choosing to downgrade from the JS to the balcony cabin results in our final payment amount decreasing by nearly $1200. I'll just have to book a 3-day cruise to get those last points needed for D+!

[FloridaPalms]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Currently booked on JOS 9 days solo cabin 801 plus 159, 

 

Regular inside dropped to 916 plus the 159 taxes.

 

Even though they are sold out, you MAY still be able to get a price drop on the solo. No harm in calling Royal, telling them you noticed price drop on insides, and ask (nicely) about getting a price drop on the solo.  In the past, I’ve gotten price drops on sold out triple occupancy cabins when I saw price drops on double occupancy cabins and called them.  

 

FWIW, I loved the solo cabin I had on Brilliance.  Yes, regular insides are bigger (although a lot of that is taken up by the second bed), but I was only in it to sleep, shower and get dressed.  My cabin had more than ample storage (suitcase fit under the bed). I found the location of the cabin great. While located right off the centrum on deck 4, it was nice and quiet located in a private hallway for just the 9 cabins there.

 

 

 

[jodyndavid2004]

Yes we booked 15 days transatlantic and both of us got a joining balcony  and it was 1200 cheaper than a junior suite