DRINKS IN THE DIAMOND LOUNGE DURING HAPPY HOUR

[jamscckmc]

Hi, was reading about the 4 daily drinks on Diamond card and that you can use then at any bar or in the Diamond lounge. Last time I was on RC the drinks in the Diamond lounge didn’t count towards the 4 drinks per day loaded on your card. Has anyone been in the Diamond lounge recently that can clarify?

[DaniDanielle]

They count now

[reallyitsmema]

14 minutes ago, jamscckmc said:

Hi, was reading about the 4 daily drinks on Diamond card and that you can use then at any bar or in the Diamond lounge. Last time I was on RC the drinks in the Diamond lounge didn’t count towards the 4 drinks per day loaded on your card. Has anyone been in the Diamond lounge recently that can clarify?

 

You get four drinks daily, up to $13, no more limited list and at any time of the day.  There are no longer unlimited drinks in the DL so there are now seats available during the typical happy hours.

[Scoobydobe7]

Are the alchohol choices in the Diamond Lounge still limited or do the have a variety of brands available??.... thanks...

[Biker19]

Just now, Scoobydobe7 said:

Are the alchohol choices in the Diamond Lounge still limited or do the have a variety of brands available??

You can get just about anything you can find at any bar.

[cruiseguy1016]

I don't think there were ever 4 free drinks on your Seapass AND unlimited drinks in the DL during Happy Hour, were there. I think when RCI decided to put the 4 drinks on your card, they stopped serving free ones in the DL. I know there was a time when you had 2 freebies plus unlimited in the DL.

[reallyitsmema]

2 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

I don't think there were ever 4 free drinks on your Seapass AND unlimited drinks in the DL during Happy Hour, were there. I think when RCI decided to put the 4 drinks on your card, they stopped serving free ones in the DL. I know there was a time when you had 2 freebies plus unlimited in the DL.

 

No one said there were four free drinks on your sea pass and unlimited drinks in the DL during happy hour.

 

Drinks used to be unlimited in the DL during happy hour and diamond, D+ and pinnacle also got three drinks on their sea pass cards to use at bars during happy hour.  

[Ourusualbeach]

18 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

No one said there were four free drinks on your sea pass and unlimited drinks in the DL during happy hour.

 

Pretty sure they were referring to the OP's original post. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Ourusualbeach

[brillohead]

There are NO free alcoholic drinks in the DL anymore.

You can get ANY drink up to $13 with your voucher, not restricted to low-budget drinks.  They get the drinks from a nearby bar with a standard list of drinks available.

Previous to COVID, there were THREE vouchers per evening that could be used in any bar but ONLY for the drinks on the list of Diamond Lounge cheap liquors and ONLY during the designated Happy Hour time frame.  

The current Diamond drink vouchers can be used at ANY time of day at ANY bar* for ANY drink up to $13.  (*Note: certain ships may restrict voucher usage at certain bars, like the Bionic Bar or the Rising Tide Bar.  This will be noted in the letter outlining the program that will be in your room on Embarkation Day.)

[Tin can]

9 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

there are now seats available during the typical happy hours.

 

Many seats available and servers standing around was our recent experience on Anthem.

 

 

[SuitesRbest]

Such a pitty they changed this in my opinion. The DL used to be full and it was good to talk and mingle with all.

Will not see that again unfortunately!!

[molly361]

What happened to all the people that went there to hang out with LMP?😇🤣

[Tin can]

1 hour ago, SuitesRbest said:

Such a pitty they changed this in my opinion. The DL used to be full and it was good to talk and mingle with all.

Will not see that again unfortunately!!

 

It used to be great, buzzing and full and we also met and spoke with many people. I was genuinely shocked late May on Anthem how much it had changed. The C & A tier count on the cruise was 600 odd Diamonds and 240 D+ and no one was in there.

 

Royal will know everyone is using the vouchers round the ship and the lounges days are numbered I fear. Hope I am wrong.

[Tlbecker1]

2 hours ago, SuitesRbest said:

Such a pitty they changed this in my opinion. The DL used to be full and it was good to talk and mingle with all.

Will not see that again unfortunately!!

I agree it was a nice meeting place, but the vouchers are GREAT!  Being able to use them at any time of the day has been a really nice perk, I hope that the vouchers stay.

[AspiringCindy]

5 minutes ago, Tlbecker1 said:

I agree it was a nice meeting place, but the vouchers are GREAT!  Being able to use them at any time of the day has been a really nice perk, I hope that the vouchers stay.

I couldn't agree with you more! These vouchers are much more valuable!

[twangster]

Personally I much prefer the any time, any drink vouchers.

 

It's been curious to me to see the DL still crowded on most of my restart cruises during the happy hour time period.  I still see some ships with no seating available in the earlier hours before first seating for dinner.  

[saridien]

Your mileage may vary, but we went on the Freedom in May and never got charged for our drinks in the diamond lounge. They would ask our room number and we would give it, but it never showed up on our folio. We went almost every night for snacks and a glass of wine. Once I even ordered a cocktail that they got from the Viking crown and still was not charged for it. It might not be every ship that operates this way, but the freedom diamond lounge is very relaxed. 

[Biker19]

36 minutes ago, twangster said:

It's been curious to me to see the DL still crowded on most of my restart cruises during the happy hour time period. 

It's tough to change human nature.

[island lady]

16 hours ago, jamscckmc said:

Hi, was reading about the 4 daily drinks on Diamond card and that you can use then at any bar or in the Diamond lounge. Last time I was on RC the drinks in the Diamond lounge didn’t count towards the 4 drinks per day loaded on your card. Has anyone been in the Diamond lounge recently that can clarify?

 

When was the last time you were on an RCL ship?  🤔

[island lady]

38 minutes ago, twangster said:

Personally I much prefer the any time, any drink vouchers.

 

It's been curious to me to see the DL still crowded on most of my restart cruises during the happy hour time period.  I still see some ships with no seating available in the earlier hours before first seating for dinner.  

 

Love...love...love the vouchers!   So much so, it pushed us to start really enjoying the many various "drinking stations" around the ship.  We never go in the lounges for happy hour drinks any longer.  

 

And in fact...happy hour is now "any hour" at any place you choose!  🤗

 

The lounges?  Coffee in the morning, and a place to hide on a sea day while cabin is being cleaned...that's about it.  😉 

[John&LaLa]

15 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

I don't think there were ever 4 free drinks on your Seapass AND unlimited drinks in the DL during Happy Hour, were there. I think when RCI decided to put the 4 drinks on your card, they stopped serving free ones in the DL. I know there was a time when you had 2 freebies plus unlimited in the DL.

 

It was 3 pre Covid

[John&LaLa]

38 minutes ago, saridien said:

Your mileage may vary, but we went on the Freedom in May and never got charged for our drinks in the diamond lounge. They would ask our room number and we would give it, but it never showed up on our folio. We went almost every night for snacks and a glass of wine. Once I even ordered a cocktail that they got from the Viking crown and still was not charged for it. It might not be every ship that operates this way, but the freedom diamond lounge is very relaxed. 

 

I've had a couple get 'missed' in the lounges but 90%+ have been charged

[twangster]

7 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

It's tough to change human nature.

 

Me included.  I find myself thinking it's time to head to a lounge for a pre-dinner cocktail around 4:30pm.  That usually starts with a wardrobe change to get out of my day clothes. 

 

Old habits are indeed hard to break. 

 

There is a social aspect of looking to see if I know anyone else on board.  On Empress that lacked a DL many of us frequent cruisers wound up at the Schooner Bar creating our own pre-dinner happy hour event even though every drink was non-voucher.  

 

Or maybe this old dog can't learn new tricks. 

[John&LaLa]

6 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Me included.  I find myself thinking it's time to head to a lounge for a pre-dinner cocktail around 4:30pm.  That usually starts with a wardrobe change to get out of my day clothes. 

 

Old habits are indeed hard to break. 

 

There is a social aspect of looking to see if I know anyone else on board.  On Empress that lacked a DL many of us frequent cruisers wound up at the Schooner Bar creating our own pre-dinner happy hour event even though every drink was non-voucher.  

 

Or maybe this old dog can't learn new tricks. 

 

We had 3 vouchers back then.🤔

 

Actually preferred Boleros. Schooner had a funny smell, and notbthe typical funny smell of Schooner

[Another_Critic]

3 hours ago, Tin can said:

 

It used to be great, buzzing and full and we also met and spoke with many people. I was genuinely shocked late May on Anthem how much it had changed. The C & A tier count on the cruise was 600 odd Diamonds and 240 D+ and no one was in there.

 

Royal will know everyone is using the vouchers round the ship and the lounges days are numbered I fear. Hope I am wrong.

 

Oasis DL in Oct 2021 was always full during HH (we were turned away by the bouncers most nights).  Anthem DL in Dec 2021 and the May TA was busy; ironically, the CL was empty, but D+ were banned.  Enchantment DL and CL were popular in Mar 2022.