CHANGES TO CROWN AND ANCHOR BENEFITS

[Joebucks]

Being able to get 4-6 drinks of what you want, when you want, is an absolutely amazing perk to me. I have little interest in rather "maximizing" the lounge happy hour. To wade through the crowds, each night, to suck down as much as you can, with a limited menu, isn't what I'm looking for. 

 

Royal really should offer discounts on the drink package to these people too. Most sane people are not going to buy a (full-priced) package if they already get so many drinks. Since the other half doesn't drink, that would be a minimum of 8 drinks for me each day without a package. Even then, I'm already good. I would laugh at the idea of buying it.

[mayleeman]

23 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

I guess I'll find out in February.

 

Might be revision number 5 or so by then!

[Colorado Babe]

Sounds reasonable to me these changes. We have all suites booked moving forward so for us nothing has changed except more drinks loaded on our card and we can use them anytime!

[John&LaLa]

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

Are you reading it that there will be no drinks in the lounge..or you will need a coupon? 

I'm more interested in the HH snacks...I don't drink more than one drink during those hours.

 

Safety sealed, for your protection😁

[John&LaLa]

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

I too sometimes get just a soda in the lounge. Doesn't seem right that I would have to use a coupon in there...I can see having to maybe use one at another venue...but we'll see.

 

Probably need a voucher for bottled water as well. You shoukd be fine since you only do 1 drink. You have 4 left.

 

Coffee is still unanswered 

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, RFerrington said:

Seems to me that the only "negative" change is that Pinns will not be allowed in the Suites Lounge.  All of the other changes seem like positive ones, to me.

 

CK loss is a potential issue. 

 

Personally I'd be fine except for lunch. And the sad part is lunch is empty of suite passengers for the most part

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, Cigar King said:

That's only a negative if you are not booked in a suite.  Pinnacles in a suite will continue to have access.

 

Yep, can't completely get rid of them. I think I have 3 with SL/CK ships, and 1 on Voyager

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, nelblu said:

Do we know the impact on other C&A benefits, eg.  Bottle of wine, free photo, bogo specialty restaurant, etc.

Good point and I was thinking of asking before you posted 

[baldilocks]

One or two alcoholic drinks for me each day.....but, Diet Coke will use up my quota if it is on the voucher.

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Going from 3-5 drink vouchers and a DL happy hour to 4-6 drink vouchers and no happy hour isn't much of a positive.

 

Why? It was only 3, during Happy Hour only, and limited choices. Now you get 4-6 whenever and almost whatever you want.

 

Sounds like a huge improvement to me🤔

[ILCTCRUISER]

33 minutes ago, LorraineP said:

Wonder what “modified lunch” means. 

GMO??😆

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, LorraineP said:

Was wondering about the bottles of water we usually have waiting for us when we arrive. Not sure if it’s a D+ Benefit. Also if we will still get our 2 bottles of wine & lunch with an officer. 

 

3 hours ago, nelblu said:

Do we know the impact on other C&A benefits, eg.  Bottle of wine, free photo, bogo specialty restaurant, etc.

 

Who knows, there was an ominous press release months ago that foreshadowed some of this.

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, RFerrington said:

I think it is....but I never drink more than 2 drinks at any HH anyway.  I would much rather have my 5 drinks spread throughout the day than to have slug them down during a HH.  We always have the DBP anyway so it won't affect us...but I think, overall, the drinks options are better.

 

Between 5 vouchers and casino drinks, do you still need pkg?

[Ashland]

12 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Safety sealed, for your protection😁

Eeek ! This is no replacement for the shrimp and little quiches I like 

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

I suspect that the DL and SL drinks are going to be free in the lounges, but they will be strictly limited in the number of people in the rooms, maybe no overflow lounges.  

 

That said, why don’t we wait and see what happens in the very near future.  Will be much easier to figure out what is going on and if it is a win or a loss for us the C&A members.  

 

 

 

I'm going to disagree. POS terminals are easy to install and the hassle will just send folks elsewhere. Only hardcore LMP's will remain

[LorraineP]

11 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Probably need a voucher for bottled water as well. You shoukd be fine since you only do 1 drink. You have 4 left.

 

Coffee is still unanswered 

Coffee no problem for me never use the machine in lounges, prefer buying Starbucks. I will miss the bottle water though. Will probably end up buying water package if available. 

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, suzyluvs2cruise said:

 

Letter says voucher to be used at any time and at any bar or in the DL during the nightly Happy Hour. Whether they have snacks remains to be seen and if like the WJ would have to be served.

 

Im fairly sure serving the food and taking vouchers will reduce the appeal and keep crowds to a manageable level

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, Anton said:

I'm reading it to mean if you want a drink in the lounge on the Adventure sailings from Nassau,  you need to use one of your free drink vouchers.  We'll see if that is the case this weekend when the first guests board Adventure.  I then speculated that it might become permanent fleet wide but we'll have to see what happens when other ships return to service over the next several months.

 

Can't wait till Saturday afternoon 🤗 

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, keyboardjunkie said:

Reality check.......why would Royal put drinks on the Sea Pass card and then also provide complimentary drinks in the lounge?  They wouldn't.

 

I see this as:

1. Drink credits are placed on the Sea Pass card.  The number of drinks is based on your C&A level.  Cost allocated is $ 13.  If a drink costs more, the guest pays the difference. 

2.  Guests can use the drink credits anytime during the day (no banking credits for the next day).  So if you want a Mimosa for breakfast and then a glass of wine at lunch, it uses 2 of the drink credits.

3.  The lounge will be open as space allows.  When guests are in the lounge and want a drink/cocktail they will use one of the daily drink credits.  I foresee that the lounge will have snacks as they have in the past but this will not happen initially (due to COVID as Royal would not want guests self-serving from the snacks).

 

That's my crystal ball.

 

My questions are:

 

1. Will a mandatory tip be included when a drink is bought with a credit?  Usually in the lounges most people tip the server when they receive their complimentary drink. Will that be the same and, if not, will the tip be covered by the guest or Royal?  I, personally, would like to know that the crew serving 'complimentary' drinks are receiving remuneration.

2.  Will the coffee machine still be available in the lounge or will the drink credits be used to purchase specialty coffee at the Coffee Bar (i.e on the Promenade)?  I could see Royal removing the coffee machines from the Diamond Lounge and having guests use drink credits to 'purchase' specialty coffee.

3.  Who will monitor lounge space?  The concierge? Security?  Most of the lounges are exceptionally small for the growing number of C&A 'qualified' people. 

4.  Since the lounges are small, is this the first step for Royal have the suite lounge limited to suites (which is happening) and, in the future, the Diamond Lounge limited to Pinnacles (renamed Pinnacle Club)?

 

I guess only the future will provide an answer.

 

Coffee is the key. Folks are really passionate about that

[Lady Hudson]

3 hours ago, Cigar King said:

That's only a negative if you are not booked in a suite.  Pinnacles in a suite will continue to have access.

Definitely a negative if a Pinn is not in a suite — which I would guess are most Pinns.  Wonder how long the DL will be open to both D and D+?  I foresee the DL becoming a PL very soon

— especially with all the extra C&A points passengers will be receiving once cruising

starts up fully again.  Katherine

[John&LaLa]

59 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

They have been doing this for several years now... IE giving vouchers for use at bars and restaurants during the happy hours and free drinks in the actual Diamond Lounge.  Why would they change this?  Why would they go to the bother of installing transactional equipment in the lounges, when they charge will net out to zero?  At the price they pay for the booze considering the quality.😆  The Diamond Lounge has always been a cheap way for them to make loyal customers feel special and thus maintaining loyal customers.  I truly don’t expect this to change.  I could be wrong, but I bet I am not.  Now, I do think access will be limited at least in the beginning.  

 

Time will tell, seems like a waste of energy worrying too much about this. 

 

JC

 

When is your next sail?

 

Maybe things will be back to normal then.

 

But don't hold your breath

[John&LaLa]

7 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Eeek ! This is no replacement for the shrimp and little quiches I like 

 

Obviously, butwe won't know much until Saturday.  I'm sure the goodies you crave will return in some manner. Eventually 

 

Or maybe we get a once a cruise Gala HH with passed goodies like the old top tier events

 

 

[John&LaLa]

9 minutes ago, LorraineP said:

Coffee no problem for me never use the machine in lounges, prefer buying Starbucks. I will miss the bottle water though. Will probably end up buying water package if available. 

 

As said above, people here really like those machines. 

 

BTW, I doubt the vouchers will be accepted at Starbucks 

[John&LaLa]

7 minutes ago, Lady Hudson said:

Definitely a negative if a Pinn is not in a suite — which I would guess are most Pinns.  Wonder how long the DL will be open to both D and D+?  I foresee the DL becoming a PL very soon

— especially with all the extra C&A points passengers will be receiving once cruising

starts up fully again.  Katherine

 

You'd be surprised how many Pinns cruise in suites

[Lady Hudson]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

As said above, people here really like those machines. 

 

BTW, I doubt the vouchers will be accepted at Starbucks 

I was just going to ask about Starbucks/vouchers.  I would miss not being able to go to a lounge for a coffee.  I would hope at least one voucher per day could be at Starbucks.