Pinnacles back to Suite lounges Mar. 15 and other questions

[suesnake2002]

On 2/28/2022 at 5:58 PM, njkruzer said:

As a D+ who enjoyed the CL on Anthem and booked a cabin near it, I was teed off when heard we could no longer use CL.   Understood during covid but want back in.  Oh well. Next Anthem cruise until TA in October.   On Jewel in April I expect we'll be back in D lounge.  Time will tell.

I would like to ask you questions. I'm in a js for anthem march 20th. It is only $400 total for gs, and $1,200 (after we minus drink pkg) for a star class suite. I've looked online at pics at anthems suite sun deck, coastal kitchen, and suite lounge. And I'm not impressed. Was in a full suite on harmony. And suite deck and lounge were awsome with thier own bars. I'm not seeing that on anthem. And on anthem it looks like ciastal kitchen is just a side spot in the windjammer. What are your thoughts on that

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, suesnake2002 said:

I would like to ask you questions. I'm in a js for anthem march 20th. It is only $400 total for gs, and $1,200 (after we minus drink pkg) for a star class suite. I've looked online at pics at anthems suite sun deck, coastal kitchen, and suite lounge. And I'm not impressed. Was in a full suite on harmony. And suite deck and lounge were awsome with thier own bars. I'm not seeing that on anthem. And on anthem it looks like ciastal kitchen is just a side spot in the windjammer. What are your thoughts on that

Never been in a suite on Anthem.  Can't help.

[Cigar King]

18 minutes ago, suesnake2002 said:

anthem it looks like ciastal kitchen is just a side spot in the windjammer. What are your thoughts on that

It is separate.  If you like CK, then it's worth it to be in a FS since they have access and a JS only has access for dinner and then only if space allows.

[topnole]

1 hour ago, suesnake2002 said:

I would like to ask you questions. I'm in a js for anthem march 20th. It is only $400 total for gs, and $1,200 (after we minus drink pkg) for a star class suite. I've looked online at pics at anthems suite sun deck, coastal kitchen, and suite lounge. And I'm not impressed. Was in a full suite on harmony. And suite deck and lounge were awsome with thier own bars. I'm not seeing that on anthem. And on anthem it looks like ciastal kitchen is just a side spot in the windjammer. What are your thoughts on that

I would go for the star class all day long at that price difference.  Not even a close call to me.  

[reallyitsmema]

1 hour ago, suesnake2002 said:

I would like to ask you questions. I'm in a js for anthem march 20th. It is only $400 total for gs, and $1,200 (after we minus drink pkg) for a star class suite. I've looked online at pics at anthems suite sun deck, coastal kitchen, and suite lounge. And I'm not impressed. Was in a full suite on harmony. And suite deck and lounge were awsome with thier own bars. I'm not seeing that on anthem. And on anthem it looks like ciastal kitchen is just a side spot in the windjammer. What are your thoughts on that

 

Coastal Kitchen is totally separate from the WJ on Anthem.  Have sailed JS and full suite and have always been able to get a reservation for dinner in Coastal Kitchen for the time we have requested.  Suite lounge is not attached to Coastal Kitchen like it is on Oasis class ships but we love the aft view that it has.  Have been up to the Suite sun deck but have not used it as we aren't ones to sit out in the sun and typically sail from NJ in the winter.

 

We enjoy the suite experience more on Anthem than we have had on Oasis class ships out of Florida.

[twangster]

2 hours ago, suesnake2002 said:

I would like to ask you questions. I'm in a js for anthem march 20th. It is only $400 total for gs, and $1,200 (after we minus drink pkg) for a star class suite. I've looked online at pics at anthems suite sun deck, coastal kitchen, and suite lounge. And I'm not impressed. Was in a full suite on harmony. And suite deck and lounge were awsome with thier own bars. I'm not seeing that on anthem. And on anthem it looks like ciastal kitchen is just a side spot in the windjammer. What are your thoughts on that

 

Prefer CK on Anthem.  I don't like the mixed use CK/SL.  While it's on the same deck and beside the WJ it's not in the WJ on Anthem.

 

On the other hand the Anthem CL is haul way at the back of the ship.  Amazing views though.  Bar service by wait staff works fine. 

[SherriZ366]

5 hours ago, island lady said:

 

That I could not do.  So many things curtailed with the shorter cruises, too many "party types" and many families with kids running wild on a shorter ones.  Disruption on each TAD...IMHO. 

 

  One thing I found interesting is the new trend to do 6/8 cruises versus 7/7.   On anything less than a 7 night, several perks are missing.  So even though you are on for the full 2 weeks, you get short changed on that 6 night.  😞

We did a b2b on Mariner in 2019.  The 4 nighter was fine but the 3 nighter had a lot of weekend partiers.  We will probably do 4 nights again but not 3 nights.  

[island lady]

14 hours ago, SherriZ366 said:

We did a b2b on Mariner in 2019.  The 4 nighter was fine but the 3 nighter had a lot of weekend partiers.  We will probably do 4 nights again but not 3 nights.  

 

Agree.   If I were to do a shorter than 7 night cruise, though have pretty much gone away from doing that...the cruise that leaves on a Monday is usually quieter.  

 

Of course now, anything that is less than a 14 night is too short for us. 😉 

[topnole]

36 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Agree.   If I were to do a shorter than 7 night cruise, though have pretty much gone away from doing that...the cruise that leaves on a Monday is usually quieter.  

 

Of course now, anything that is less than a 14 night is too short for us. 😉 

Wow.  Very few cruises 14+.  Even most of the TAs are 13 or less.   

[island lady]

25 minutes ago, topnole said:

Wow.  Very few cruises 14+.  Even most of the TAs are 13 or less.   

 

B2B 7 night...14 for us.    

 

BTW...our single cruise Wonder Fall TA is 14.  Our single cruise TP from Sydney is 17.  

 

Just doing first leg on Serenade from Miami end of 2023....63 night.  😉 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 4, 2022 by island lady

[cruisegirl1]

16 minutes ago, topnole said:

Wow.  Very few cruises 14+.  Even most of the TAs are 13 or less.   

 

Correct, especially for US-based Caribbean cruises.
 

For that reason, we do back to back. I think our longest single cruise was 15 days, (Dubai,  Suez Canal repositioning cruise). 
 

The two cruises work out just fine, especially if there is a different itinerary for each. It allows us to back to Florida and regroup (disembark) in case there is some type of family emergency. So much easier to fly home from Florida than from one of the Caribbean ports. 
 

m

[island lady]

5 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

 

Correct, especially for US-based Caribbean cruises.
 

For that reason, we do back to back. I think our longest single cruise was 15 days, (Dubai,  Suez Canal repositioning cruise). 
 

The two cruises work out just fine, especially if there is a different itinerary for each. It allows us to back to Florida and regroup (disembark) in case there is some type of family emergency. So much easier to fly home from Florida than from one of the Caribbean ports. 
 

m

 

Doing B2B out of Port Canaveral...I could drive home, get my mail, do some laundry, water the plants, and be back for lunch on the ship...if I wanted to.  But we don't.  😉 

 

Nice to know we could for emergencies as well though.  🙂 

[ericfromri]

On 3/1/2022 at 9:15 PM, twangster said:

 

Even before the shutdown on the 2020 Allure TA to Barcelona for example Pins had Chops for breakfast.

 

Yes, there was an ugly time before they started giving Pins dedicated venues when thresholds were crossed.  The point is that Royal saw this problem years ago and began trying to address it even before the shutdown.  It has helped.  Breakfast in the CK on the Allure TA March 2020 was lightly attended because Pins were eating in Chops.  Many Pins actually liked it in Chops.  Not perfect.  Some breakfast items didn't make the trip down from deck 17 so it wasn't perfect for some, but for many it worked well.  When cruising restarted that's where they put us (or Giovanni's).  That's where they'll put us any time the numbers justify it.

 

Sometimes I think suite guests who complain had a bad experience once on their annual cruise and are convinced that is was it is like it's forever.  I get that, most suite guests don't sail 5, 10 or 20 twenty a years (unless they are already Pins).  

 

Royal is making adjustments.  Those adjustments started before the pandemic and they continue through and after the pandemic.  

Lunch at 150 Central Park was even a better benefit on the Allure T/A

[jamon]

Now that it is pass the March 15 date stated by RCCL to add back some benefits, does anyone know if not in a suite, can Pinnacles also partake in the 11am to 11pm free wine, beer and water in the suite lounge like we could before, without using our 6 vouchers??? Thanks

[John&LaLa]

On 3/3/2022 at 11:41 AM, twangster said:

 

I don't think DL policy will follow SL policy.  

 

I suspect they have long been hankering to implement a limit in the DL.  Open bar was never a written benefit so the voucher system of any drinks, any time was their "out" to finally deal with the DL open bar "problem".  

 

The SL can include pre-Gold never cruised with Royal through to Emerald with no vouchers so they can't implement a voucher system in the SL.  There are Diamond through Pinnacle in full suites so they can't tell them they need to use vouchers while a newbie or an Emerald in a suite doesn't.  Allowing non-suite Pinnacle into the SL and trying to use vouchers just for them is logistical issue for wait staff.  How does wait staff know what cabin anyone is in without carding them and then they have to card everyone including newbie in suites.  

 

Pinnacle typically account for between 0.5% and 1% of all the guests on a ship.  Many, like myself have long had a hard time finding anything on the old SL drink menu that is appealing so many, like me, will be using our vouchers for a real drink.  From Royal's perspective it's just not that big of a problem to warrant carding everyone in the SL which isn't the image they want the SL to have.

 

Diamond Plus in the Concierge Lounges on Q class like Anthem is a much bigger problem.  Two to three hundred D+ is common on Anthem.  The CL just doesn't scale to that.  Even the smaller CL's on Radiance class can't handle the typical D+ load anymore.  

 

Will D+ member try to draw comparisons and point out Pinnacles are eligible for open bar in the SL?  Probably.  They don't really have a leg to stand on other than the words of Adam Goldstein before the Pinnacle level existed.  All the more reason for D+ to keep on cruising and become Pinnacle.  That's is the intent of the program.  Motivate folks to book more cruises.  Some will. 

 

Honestly don't see an issue asking for cards in the SL. They were doing it on Symphony last week. No one seemed upset. As week went on they seemed to ask less, but did not completely stop

[twangster]

6 minutes ago, jamon said:

Now that it is pass the March 15 date stated by RCCL to add back some benefits, does anyone know if not in a suite, can Pinnacles also partake in the 11am to 11pm free wine, beer and water in the suite lounge like we could before, without using our 6 vouchers??? Thanks

 

The intention is no.  Water maybe?  Time will tell.  

 

Pinnacle in Sky class are getting their cards swapped out from the default gold Pinnacle card left outside the cabin to a blue sky class card so when a Pinnacle is in a sky class suite they can get 11am - 11pm beer & wine if so desired.

 

At least that is the practice on Harmony that has been described.  How it will work long term will take time to observe.  

 

[John&LaLa]

14 minutes ago, jamon said:

Now that it is pass the March 15 date stated by RCCL to add back some benefits, does anyone know if not in a suite, can Pinnacles also partake in the 11am to 11pm free wine, beer and water in the suite lounge like we could before, without using our 6 vouchers??? Thanks

 

Yesterday's sailings may be the first to go after the March 15 start up

[John&LaLa]

4 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

The intention is no.  Water maybe?  Time will tell.  

 

Pinnacle in Sky class are getting their cards swapped out from the default gold Pinnacle card left outside the cabin to a blue sky class card so when a Pinnacle is in a sky class suite they can get 11am - 11pm beer & wine if so desired.

 

At least that is the practice on Harmony that has been described.  How it will work long term will take time to observe.  

 

 

I forgot to get mine swapped on Odyssey in January

[twangster]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I forgot to get mine swapped on Odyssey in January

 

That was before the return of the Pins to the SL was announced.  I don't think they had thought it through back then.  If you were in the SL back in Jan. you were in a full suite.  

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

 

That was before the return of the Pins to the SL was announced.  I don't think they had thought it through back then.  If you were in the SL back in Jan. you were in a full suite.  

 

Harmony hasn't sailed post March 15 though.🤔

 

Maybe the swap is merely to get the door to open

 

I may have said earlier, but concierge on Symphony said Pins would have to use vouchers on all drinks in her SL

[island lady]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

 

The intention is no.  Water maybe?  Time will tell.  

 

Pinnacle in Sky class are getting their cards swapped out from the default gold Pinnacle card left outside the cabin to a blue sky class card so when a Pinnacle is in a sky class suite they can get 11am - 11pm beer & wine if so desired.

 

At least that is the practice on Harmony that has been described.  How it will work long term will take time to observe.  

 

 

Lylie asked me to give her our cards to have them changed out as well.  I couldn't figure it out...and liked my gold card...but she explained the difference you noted and handed back the blue cards.  That way they did not have to ask our cabin number.  She said it was less confusing for the bartender staff.  

[island lady]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Yesterday's sailings may be the first to go after the March 15 start up

 

We are on EX tomorrow for B2B, but it has not added an SL yet.  Will be checking to see if our card works at the CL door....as a "non full suite Pinnie".  😉 

 

Will make me happy to get my morning Latte in the CL right around the corner from our JS on the hump on deck nine...soooo convenient!.  🙂   

 

Will also be interesting to see if non-suite D+ are allowed into the CL.  That tiny cave of a lounge is pretty limited on seating.  We will stick to using vouchers in the much prettier VCL lounge with that great view for HH. 

[island lady]

2 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I forgot to get mine swapped on Odyssey in January

 

LOL...you were the only ones in the SL.   So much so that Laura had to set up the coffee machine in the morning.  😄 😄 

[smokeybandit]

I'll be curious to see how many pins are in the SL tomorrow on Liberty

[island lady]

1 minute ago, smokeybandit said:

I'll be curious to see how many pins are in the SL tomorrow on Liberty

 

What about the Pins in suites?  How do you tell the difference.  😉