Royal Caribbean Exclusive Top Tier Event

[Jetdriver787]

In fairness, the proffered libations were never really of the Krug or Dom Perignon variety. Usually just the overflow from a poorly attended art auction! Nevertheless, it was an opportunity to feel important as not one of the eleven people on board who hadn’t received an embossed invitation on their pillow due to their non-existent (is that even possible?) or lowly Crown & Anchor status. Sometimes you might even see the Captain without him having those eyes that betrayed his mentally calculating how many more bloody people he would have to shake hands with, before being allowed to retire to bed!

 

The high point was often the thrill of watching a newly minted “Diamond plus” member being presented with (better quality) Champagne, flowers, gifts, a statue dedicated to their magnificence and quite possibly a college education for their grandkids, as reward for achieving such giddy heights of devotion. In awe, we would quickly forget the slight aftertaste of our drink as we applauded and even enviously wondered how we could ever  dream of such achievement! Well….not without an inordinate amount of luck on a particularly salubrious lottery,  taking our chances with a bank and a shotgun, or becoming a Miami dowager who had managed to outlive at least 3 particularly wealthy husbands!

 

Nowadays, even the last 11 people are invited, and the main reason for attendance seems to be to satiate a widely held curiosity of where we actually are in the pecking order. As each group is announced by the excited Cruise Director or Loyalty Ambassador (presumably depending on who lost the coin toss?) cheers rise from scattered points around the chosen venue. This happens until said Master of ceremonies gets to “Pinnacle!” Then a cheer arises from all 140 plus Grandees who appear to have been corralled into a safe herd in a penned off corner of the venue. Presumably it’s the corner where they hide the “good stuff?” The Grandee champion is then announced as the individual who has 48,000 cruise points, and the herd is then shepherded under armed escort to some other lounge or quiet venue with free flowing liquor and far removed from the “hoi polloi” in order to  regale each other with something they once did that didn’t involve a cruise ship?

Edited August 19 by Jetdriver787
Two L’s in Polloi, one L in Leather and Noel’s in Christmas!

[leaveitallbehind]

3 hours ago, Biker19 said:

No, apparently the OP thinks that RCI intentionally moved the event to the morning (vs afternoon/night) knowing fewer folks will show up and drink in the morning, not whether alcohol is served at the event.

Yeah I see that, but I was including a response to the comments made by others that alcohol was no longer served at these events in their experience.  Shortcut on my part but same net response.  The OP seemed upset by the timing change even if alcohol was still served and IMO I didn't see the change as being as significant an impact to the C&A program benefits as they felt it was.  Again, JMO.

Edited August 19 by leaveitallbehind

[LobsterStalker]

22 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

There’s no alcohol provided at the top-tier event any longer, at least not the last five or six that I have been to.

What loyalty member benefits is royal making it difficult to get? I just don’t understand this statement at all.

Champagne and mimosas at the last 2 I've attended

[LobsterStalker]

12 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 

Obviously I need to be paying closer attention 

Maybe you are still pie eyed from the night before 

or... Maybe you don't care for them and therefore aren't looking..

 

Cheers

[LobsterStalker]

8 hours ago, Jetdriver787 said:

In fairness, the proffered libations were never really of the Krug or Dom Perignon variety. Usually just the overflow from a poorly attended art auction! Nevertheless, it was an opportunity to feel important as not one of the eleven people on board who hadn’t received an embossed invitation on their pillow due to their non-existent (is that even possible?) or lowly Crown & Anchor status. Sometimes you might even see the Captain without him having those eyes that betrayed his mentally calculating how many more bloody people he would have to shake hands with, before being allowed to retire to bed!

 

The high point was often the thrill of watching a newly minted “Diamond plus” member being presented with (better quality) Champagne, flowers, gifts, a statue dedicated to their magnificence and quite possibly a college education for their grandkids, as reward for achieving such giddy heights of devotion. In awe, we would quickly forget the slight aftertaste of our drink as we applauded and even enviously wondered how we could ever  dream of such achievement! Well….not without an inordinate amount of luck on a particularly salubrious lottery,  taking our chances with a bank and a shotgun, or becoming a Miami dowager who had managed to outlive at least 3 particularly wealthy husbands!

 

Nowadays, even the last 11 people are invited, and the main reason for attendance seems to be to satiate a widely held curiosity of where we actually are in the pecking order. As each group is announced by the excited Cruise Director or Loyalty Ambassador (presumably depending on who lost the coin toss?) cheers rise from scattered points around the chosen venue. This happens until said Master of ceremonies gets to “Pinnacle!” Then a cheer arises from all 140 plus Grandees who appear to have been corralled into a safe herd in a penned off corner of the venue. Presumably it’s the corner where they hide the “good stuff?” The Grandee champion is then announced as the individual who has 48,000 cruise points, and the herd is then shepherded under armed escort to some other lounge or quiet venue with free flowing liquor and far removed from the “hoi polloi” in order to  regale each other with something they once did that didn’t involve a cruise ship?

Lmao

Cheers

[not-enough-cruising]

38 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

Maybe you are still pie eyed from the night before 

or... Maybe you don't care for them and therefore aren't looking..

 

Cheers

Don’t care for them; and certainly doing a poor job looking for them are very accurate statements!

[PhillyFan33579]

23 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

There’s no alcohol provided at the top-tier event any longer, at least not the last five or six that I have been to.

What loyalty member benefits is royal making it difficult to get? I just don’t understand this statement at all.

I have never attended a top tier event without alcohol provided by RCI. Since February of this year I have been to top tier events on Icon, Symphony, Explorer, Radiance, Grandeur and Enchantment. There was plenty of Mimosas and Champagne available at all of these events. 

[PhillyFan33579]

10 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I actually prefer the morning top tier event.  On a sea day, in the afternoon, I've got things I'd rather be doing than that.  In the morning is nice time for me... I've finished breakfast, I'm just starting to get wound up for the day, and a little Q & A is good way to get the day rolling.  

 

I also prefer when the top tier event is in the morning. At least since the restart almost every top tier event I have attended has been scheduled in the morning, with a few exceptions. 

[3yorkies]

23 hours ago, ivanrocko said:

Hello everyone,

I recently went on Freedom of the Seas (August 2024) and Wonder of the Seas (June 2024), and the Exclusive Top Tier Event on these 5+ night sailings were in the morning. On my previous Royal cruises these events were in the afternoon or evening. I felt like Royal Caribbean doesn’t care about loyalty members anymore and it is trying to save money knowing that a lot of people will not show up or if they do they will not drink in the morning during the event. Is this happening in all of the Royal Caribbean ships? Is this temporary? What is the point of having Member benefits if we can not use them because Royal is making it difficult to get?

They have been in the morning since at least 2021.  I actually like it.   It is a nice start to the day and doesn't interrupt things later.   A glass of champagne is great

[Engineroom Snipe]

Vision of the Seas in April out of Norfolk this year. Alcohol was served in various drink offerings. A bit early for me (cannot handle it like I used to). 

 

The band was great and I saw many people enjoying their libations.

 

If I was younger, this would have not affected my enjoyment of event no matter what time they had it.

 

🤣😃🤕🤢🤮

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

As a non-drinker I have relatively little skin in the game, but I think I'm the fifth person just in this thread who actually prefers them in the morning. Not that I always bother to attend, but I would certainly do so less often in the evening, or even afternoon.

[bavrail18]

Just got of the Grandeur. The event was at 5:00 PM and early dinner was at 5:00 PM. Good scheduling.

[LuCruise]

22 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

...

I actually prefer the morning top tier event.  On a sea day, in the afternoon, I've got things I'd rather be doing than that.  In the morning is nice time for me... I've finished breakfast, I'm just starting to get wound up for the day, and a little Q & A is good way to get the day rolling.  🙂 

Agree 100% with this.  Much prefer the  morning, and quite like the timing.

And for any that we have attended, there has been alcohol served (and can't say that I would have even thought that this was a factor for the timing).

Edited August 20 by LuCruise

[LuCruise]

1 hour ago, bavrail18 said:

Just got of the Grandeur. The event was at 5:00 PM and early dinner was at 5:00 PM. Good scheduling.

That's ridiculous.  

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, bavrail18 said:

Just got of the Grandeur. The event was at 5:00 PM and early dinner was at 5:00 PM. Good scheduling.

I mentioned above there were a few exceptions with later top tier events I have attended recently. One of the exceptions was on Grandeur with the exact same times you experienced. 

[neverbeenhere]

Seems like it's Top Tier followed by 340 Lunch. I've consumed the drank on some cruises, but usually avoid it.. The 340 lunch seems to end up being a brag-fest about your cruises session.(In which we won't participate) The food can sometimes be good.

[nelblu]

I stopped going to these events as I have no interest. 

The days of snacks and hors de hovers are long gone.

Stayed away from the champagne and was able to get a beer. 
Very interested in attending when there was the announcements of the intro of Oasis and Quantum classes. 
One  of the best events was on the Vision many years ago as they served snacks and huge shrimps in the Solarium.