Heard rumors about drink vouchers

[reallyitsmema]

26 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

 

30 cruises since the restart and I have had a latte, using a voucher, on debarkation morning on every single one of them. I’m thinking tomorrow morning will be the first time I’m not able to. 

 

Have the voucher counts been on the drink receipts for your sailing?  Does it look like the are doing the 5am reset instead of midnight?  Let us know how that latte goes in the AM.  Make mine a mocha though. 😄 

[mugtech]

2 hours ago, topnole said:

Cruising in general causes a lot of extra trash along with all the other negatives on the environment.  

So why create one more.

[Ocean Boy]

7 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

 

30 cruises since the restart and I have had a latte, using a voucher, on debarkation morning on every single one of them. I’m thinking tomorrow morning will be the first time I’m not able to. 

Let us know the result.

[Tatka]

11 hours ago, Ret MP said:

I'm not sure, are you taking offense at what I typed?  If so, why?  What was offensive?

Offensive?!

You are constantly misreading posts in some reason.

 

You wrote "Just as an aside, I've never understood wanting to get off the ship ASAP, " I explained why people could want to disembark fast.

[John&LaLa]

On 12/16/2022 at 6:08 PM, Biker19 said:

The perks working that day are not unique, Voom and drink packages also work like that. 

 

I usually switch to cell service that morning.

[John&LaLa]

On 12/16/2022 at 6:14 PM, Tatka said:

Voom is working a bit differently I think. 
You embark later on Day #1 than you disembark on day #8. 
So it’s 7 times of 24 hours use.

 

Shame that Pt Canaveral parking garage doesn't work that way. Make you pay for 8th day regardless of the 24 hour time periods

[Jimbo]

11 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

 

30 cruises since the restart and I have had a latte, using a voucher, on debarkation morning on every single one of them. I’m thinking tomorrow morning will be the first time I’m not able to. 

You spent $1000's on all those cruises, I hope paying the Extra $14.00 for that drink the last morning doesn't keep you up all night worrying about it.

Edited December 19, 2022 by Jimbo

[The Fun Researcher]

17 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Debarkation day technically arrives at midnight and plenty of us are still up enjoying the ship at that time.

This new policy doesn’t really change that though right since it goes to 5 AM that last night?  I guess the difference is you only have the vouchers from the seventh night and not debarkation day after midnight?

 

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, The Fun Researcher said:

This new policy doesn’t really change that though right since it goes to 5 AM that last night?  I guess the difference is you only have the vouchers from the seventh night and not debarkation day after midnight?

 

Right. So the new policy does have more affect than just a simple time change.

[Ret MP]

20 hours ago, Ret MP said:

Just as an aside, I've never understood wanting to get off the ship ASAP, making travel connections or other important reasons excluded, of course.  We book a cruise months or years out, watch Youtube videos about our upcoming cruises, post on social media about how excited we are, purchase excursions, beverage, meal packages, and just get so excited we almost jump out of our skins.  Then we can't wait to get off the ship.  Us humans we are a strange bunch, aren't we!  

 

One of the first things I say to my wife and others we may be cruising with, during the walk from the terminal to the ship, "it's going to seem like just a few minutes and we will be doing this same walk but in reverse".  I usually hate leaving the ship.  

This is specifically for: @Tatka:

 

First, I didn't ask for an explanation nor does it require an explanation.

 

I also qualified my not understanding by saying:  "making travel connections or other important reasons excluded, of course".   Other important reasons is an individual thing, whatever is important to you.  That's not my call.

 

Then:  ""  might have been a clue for most reasonable people!   Do you read fiction books and then question their validity?  

 

You say I constantly misread or whatever.  I really think if you read my post that you obviously have issue with, you'd come to the conclusion that the whole post is in jest and the emojis would have been a clue AND when I said, "Us humans we are a strange bunch, aren't we!"  NOTE:  No question mark at the end of that.

 

It's obvious to me that you felt offended somehow by a post that was intended as social intercourse and jest, as a personal attack to your actions.  Otherwise, why respond in such a personal manner.  No, I don't think I'm the one misreading/misunderstand/or whatever.  Do I do that at times, hell yes.  I'm like everyone else, I'm human and I do make mistakes and I've admitted to them, even in here, many times, just in the past few days.  

 

Geesh. 

 

 

[nferr]

16 hours ago, topnole said:

Cruising in general causes a lot of extra trash along with all the other negatives on the environment.  

 

Pretty much taking a different vacation is also going to result in negatives to the environment. Instead of thousands on a cruise ship you'll have thousands driving or flying around eating and drinking etc. 

[actuarian]

16 hours ago, Ret MP said:

For those that think that just one olive less, isn't much and we can live without it, ask yourself, what's next?  After each and every instance of lowering something from expectations, ask your self, what's next?  How many times are you going to ask yourself, what's next?  What's next?  Are the cruise lines going to tell you that you have to bring your own bedding with you?  Are you going to have to bring your own salt and pepper?  These questions are ridiculous, aren't they?  Or are they?  

You and most of the other people who have posted on this thread are right that the cruise line is slowly reducing perks and even some services, to cut costs and increase revenues. When they turn a library into four inside rooms, or build new rooms in another previously public area, or reduce room services from twice a day to once a day, that is what they are doing. However, the case of the drink vouchers is a little different. It wasn't that long ago that the only complementary drinks available to diamond and above C&A members were the happy hour drinks served in the diamond or concierge lounges. As those lounges became increasingly crowded, I for one found it very difficult to use that perk and, when I did use it, I only received one or at most two complementary drinks per day. With the present system, I receive five complementary drinks per day (although half of those are non-alcoholic since I do not drink that much alcohol). This is a very significant improvement and a rare case in which the cruise line actually upped its expenditure. Now they are clawing back a very small part of that increased expenditure. My only complaint is that they are trying portray this change in a deceptive manner. The truth is that their original intent was probably to provide a maximum of 35 complementary drinks per seven-night cruise but they ended up (IMHO accidentally) providing up to 40. This change is simply to correct that accident and I would be much more accepting if they said as much.

[Ret MP]

4 minutes ago, actuarian said:

You and most of the other people who have posted on this thread are right that the cruise line is slowly reducing perks and even some services, to cut costs and increase revenues. When they turn a library into four inside rooms, or build new rooms in another previously public area, or reduce room services from twice a day to once a day, that is what they are doing. However, the case of the drink vouchers is a little different. It wasn't that long ago that the only complementary drinks available to diamond and above C&A members were the happy hour drinks served in the diamond or concierge lounges. As those lounges became increasingly crowded, I for one found it very difficult to use that perk and, when I did use it, I only received one or at most two complementary drinks per day. With the present system, I receive five complementary drinks per day (although half of those are non-alcoholic since I do not drink that much alcohol). This is a very significant improvement and a rare case in which the cruise line actually upped its expenditure. Now they are clawing back a very small part of that increased expenditure. My only complaint is that they are trying portray this change in a deceptive manner. The truth is that their original intent was probably to provide a maximum of 35 complementary drinks per seven-night cruise but they ended up (IMHO accidentally) providing up to 40. This change is simply to correct that accident and I would be much more accepting if they said as much.

I totally agree, the present drink voucher system is an improvement over the old.  However, I have no experience with either, yet.  But, just to be clear, because I have no experience with the C&A drink voucher system, I've kinda kept away from commenting on it.  I've just commented around the periphery of it.  But, again, I totally agree with you.

[Tree_skier]

15 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

 

30 cruises since the restart and I have had a latte, using a voucher, on debarkation morning on every single one of them. I’m thinking tomorrow morning will be the first time I’m not able to. 

Maybe, let us know how it goes? Have we confirmed it doesn't work yet?

[watcher_62]

My two cents now that we've been on a couple of cruises with the "new" vouchers and the new bill signing. Apologies if this is redundant...

 

We like them.

 

We no longer have to face the hoards in the Diamond lounge during happy hour, which would be even crazier with concierge access gone. We can visit when we wish, the masses have reduced, and we can get our drinks anywhere anytime.  Huge benefit.

 

We no longer have to carry around cash to tip, as we understand that the staff don't get any gratuity like they do with drink packages.  We can simply add it to the bill that we are required to sign now, and it shows on  our room charges.

 

All positive from our perspective. 

[John&LaLa]

40 minutes ago, actuarian said:

You and most of the other people who have posted on this thread are right that the cruise line is slowly reducing perks and even some services, to cut costs and increase revenues. When they turn a library into four inside rooms, or build new rooms in another previously public area, or reduce room services from twice a day to once a day, that is what they are doing. However, the case of the drink vouchers is a little different. It wasn't that long ago that the only complementary drinks available to diamond and above C&A members were the happy hour drinks served in the diamond or concierge lounges. As those lounges became increasingly crowded, I for one found it very difficult to use that perk and, when I did use it, I only received one or at most two complementary drinks per day. With the present system, I receive five complementary drinks per day (although half of those are non-alcoholic since I do not drink that much alcohol). This is a very significant improvement and a rare case in which the cruise line actually upped its expenditure. Now they are clawing back a very small part of that increased expenditure. My only complaint is that they are trying portray this change in a deceptive manner. The truth is that their original intent was probably to provide a maximum of 35 complementary drinks per seven-night cruise but they ended up (IMHO accidentally) providing up to 40. This change is simply to correct that accident and I would be much more accepting if they said as much.

 

I'd hate to head home after downing those 5 extra drinks after midnight on last day 😅 

 

Honestly like the enhancement.  I stay up late a few nights and don't want to use tomorrow's allotment for that. 

[molly361]

I like to get off the ship as soon as possible for no reason other than when it's over it's over and I don't care who doesn't understand why I like to do that 😇

[LinRon3]

21 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

That last morning the crew wants you off and the arriving guests for the next cruise want you off too.

Yea, what Ocean Boy said, sort of what I meant by 'wanting to get off ASAP'.  We are always quite sad to debark.  But we've experienced some qued up lines on Debark day and always the stress of getting home [shuttles, planes, traffic...that sort of thing].  It's not that we're 'glad' the cruise is over.  Quite the opposite.  Just don't like those ques and lugging luggage around.  

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

3 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I'd hate to head home after downing those 5 extra drinks after midnight on last day 😅 

 

Honestly like the enhancement.  I stay up late a few nights and don't want to use tomorrow's allotment for that. 

 

Look at you all virtuous and making your 5 last past midnight.....😇🤣

 

Heading home for me means heading to an airport so those couple of extras at midnight and bloodies or mimosas in the AM, plus the specialty coffee and a bottle of water for pre-security lines were appreciated.

Edited December 19, 2022 by Steeler Nation At Sea

[Ret MP]

2 minutes ago, Steeler Nation At Sea said:

 

Look at you all virtuous and making your 5 last past midnight.....😇🤣

 

 

Well, for me, at home, I usually stay up late to watch reruns of Murder She Wrote and Cannon.  After that, I'd go outside and yell at everybody to keep off my lawn. On the ship, Royal doesn't show those reruns and there is no lawn on the ship, So, I may stay up up a little later, like 9:00 PM. But, that's only if I've taken a double dose of Centrum and put my depends on.  

[Mikew0805]

19 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Have the voucher counts been on the drink receipts for your sailing?  Does it look like the are doing the 5am reset instead of midnight?  Let us know how that latte goes in the AM.  Make mine a mocha though. 😄 

The voucher count was not on any of the receipts, but I did have to sign a receipt each time. (I only use for coffee's)

12 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Let us know the result.

I was not able to get one on my loyalty voucher, so I just paid the $5.50. The odd thing is there is a $5.50 credit on the bill I was sent via email this morning. Not sure what happened there, as I didn't spend anything in the casino except their money, so there would not have been comps from them this trip.

 

 

Edited to say.. it was actually $6.49 with gratuity.. but the credit was for $5.50. still confused about it.

Edited December 19, 2022 by Mikew0805
Clarify the credit amount.

[Mikew0805]

8 hours ago, Jimbo said:

You spent $1000's on all those cruises, I hope paying the Extra $14.00 for that drink the last morning doesn't keep you up all night worrying about it.

Wow.. you don't have a clue about what you are spewing do you? As far as thousand's... lol not nearly as much as you might think. 

 

Latte's are not $14, they are $5.50 or less, and I never once said anything negative about not getting one on the last day... I just said I think it would be the first time. Don't worry, you still corner the market on negativity. 🙄

[Mikew0805]

5 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Maybe, let us know how it goes? Have we confirmed it doesn't work yet?

I was not able to use it, so I just paid for the Latte. They did pretty well when it comes to my usage on this sailing. I used it for a latte every morning, and an iced macchiato in the afternoon, and the other 4 went unused each day.

[Mikew0805]

20 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Have the voucher counts been on the drink receipts for your sailing?  Does it look like the are doing the 5am reset instead of midnight?  Let us know how that latte goes in the AM.  Make mine a mocha though. 😄 

Sorry, I didn't answer the second part... I could not tell if it was being changed at 5am, since I don't ever use them all anyway.

[Ocean Boy]

6 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

I was not able to use it, so I just paid for the Latte. They did pretty well when it comes to my usage on this sailing. I used it for a latte every morning, and an iced macchiato in the afternoon, and the other 4 went unused each day.

We need to cruise together. You won't have to worry about any leftovers.☺️