Sometimes, a JS doesn't earn 2 credits

[bartelbee]

Last year we took a cruise with the kids--we booked a JS in my husband's name and an OV in mine. A few weeks later, I saw online that we each had 2 more C&A credits posted to our accounts (as per their policy that both spouses receive the same credit.) Early this year, we cruised with kids again, in a JS and a D1. I booked with a TA, who randomly put my husband in the balcony and myself in the JS this time. Not realizing it would make a difference, I let the reservation stand.

When my account later showed only one additional credit, I emailed C&A under the assumption that I was entitled to 2 credits for my JS. I got an answer weeks later, showing the total again and leaving it to me to provide further documentation. I sent a letter including copies of both JS sea passes, explaining that if my account showed 20 credits before this cruise, I should be at 22 after sailing in a JS, reminding them of their policy of matching spousal credits. One month later, a C&A rep called to deny my request. She said she'd spoken to her supervisor and they knew "what I was trying to do," but after all, I "did receive the balcony discount" and they can't allow "double dipping." She knew this one credit would place me at diamond plus after our next cruise but her solution was to take a "quickie 3 day cruise" to make up the difference. She also admitted that if I'd booked my husband in the JS, I'd have gottten the extra credit.

After the call, I was naturally disappointed, and somewhat embarrassed (she made me feel that I was trying to get away with something) but I've come to realize that my experience might benefit someone else. Hence, this post.

It also served as a much needed wake-up call for me. I'd gotten so caught up in getting to diamond plus status, I was booking our vacations solely with that in mind. Yes, we saved $200 on the balcony discount but think how much more we could have saved if I'd booked a balcony instead of the JS. Worse, I didn't even price the other lines to make a comparison.

Lesson learned. Someday we may yet get to diamond plus but no more squandering hard-earned vacation dollars to get there.

[PhoenixCruiser]

I'm confused, were you trying to get 3 credits for your cruise?

 

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[piercetc4]

i must be slow............i don't get why you didn't get the 2 cruise credits for the j.s.- you and your spouse 's credits are the same, right? ( which i thought they were supposed to be) and they randomly decided to just give you 1 credit for the j.s. because they "know what you are trying to do" ? i don't get it- does not sound right since policy says j.s. get 2 cruise credits- have you thought about calling and talking with another rep?

[wolfcathorse]

I don't understand RCI's thinking that 2 credits for a suite and getting a discount on a balcony is double dipping. Double dipping what. One is a monetary savings, the other is their reward program. I'd like to see other responses here but I think you got jipped. I'd call the C & A desk and ask for a clearer explanation. Or first just call C & A and say I had a JS but only got 1 credit and see what they say.

[bubbadog]

you should of gotten 2 credits for the js and your hubby 1 for balcony room right?,unless im confused too lol,but i thought you get 2 for js so dont see where youre only entitled to 1 on this trip:rolleyes: :confused:

[Annefran]

Ok right now I'm booked in a balcony room on Explorer of the Seas, March 2008. I received my $200 discount because I'm a platinum member. I was thinking of upgrading to a JS because on 12 Night cruises, I would receive 3 cruise credits. But it sounds like I wouldn't receive 3 credits because I received the $200 discount. Is that correct??? If it is, I may NOT book the JS at all. Will have to discuss with my TA before I do that. The JS is a lot more expensive and the only reason I was considering it is because it would put me at Diamond level after I completed that cruise. :rolleyes:

[Nothin' But Sun]

annefran. Do you get $200 discount on a balcony once you become Platinum or is it a OBC. I thought it was a $100 discount or OBC once you become platinum.

[Annefran]

annefran. Do you get $200 discount on a balcony once you become Platinum or is it a OBC. I thought it was a $100 discount or OBC once you become platinum.

 

RCI gave me a $200 discount toward my balcony room because I'm platinum. The TA I booked through had a special; free cruise insurance or free tips (OBC) for the cruise. I took the tips, they gave me $240 toward the tips for the 12 night cruise.

[critterchick]

RCI allows you to double, triple, even quadruple dip - you can combine the 2 credits for a JS with an onboard booking credit, shareholder discount and apply any applicable coupon to your sailing to boot. I think you can add credit card points, but we don't have an RCI card, so am not sure about that.

 

So RCI will give a wife the extra credit for the husband being booked in the JS but won't do the reverse? I have to say that's a little bizarre (and sexist)... If that's their policy, they should seriously consider changing that. Not that there's any real fear of a class action lawsuit for shortchanged C&A credits, but that's a little, well, 1950's...

 

And there I was, wondering why it took so long for RCI to have a female Captain...:rolleyes:

[cruisenfever]

Ok right now I'm booked in a balcony room on Explorer of the Seas, March 2008. I received my $200 discount because I'm a platinum member. I was thinking of upgrading to a JS because on 12 Night cruises, I would receive 3 cruise credits. But it sounds like I wouldn't receive 3 credits because I received the $200 discount. Is that correct??? If it is, I may NOT book the JS at all. Will have to discuss with my TA before I do that. The JS is a lot more expensive and the only reason I was considering it is because it would put me at Diamond level after I completed that cruise. :rolleyes:

Your balcony discount has nothing to do with cruise credits. If you book a JS on a 12 night or longer cruise you would get your 3 credits.

 

We are D+, we did a b2b last September/October on Radiance and stayed in a JS for both cruises. Before we left we had 24 credits. We now have 30 credits. And on both cruises we received our D+ balcony discount of $300.

 

This coming September we are doing the 14 night C&A Member's Cruise. We are staying in a JS again. We received our $300 balcony discount, was able to apply a $225 savings certificate towards it and we will still get 3 credits.

 

If you book a cruise onboard you would still get a balcony discount plus an OBC for the length of the cruise and get your cruise credits.

 

I think another call is in order. Remember, you can call 7 times and get 7 answers.

[Annefran]

Your balcony discount has nothing to do with cruise credits. If you book a JS on a 12 night or longer cruise you would get your 3 credits.

 

We are D+, we did a b2b last September/October on Radiance and stayed in a JS for both cruises. Before we left we had 24 credits. We now have 30 credits. And on both cruises we received our D+ balcony discount of $300.

 

This coming September we are doing the 14 night C&A Member's Cruise. We are staying in a JS again. We received our $300 balcony discount, was able to apply a $225 savings certificate towards it and we will still get 3 credits.

 

If you book a cruise onboard you would still get a balcony discount plus an OBC for the length of the cruise and get your cruise credits.

 

I think another call is in order. Remember, you can call 7 times and get 7 answers.

 

Thanks for the helpful information. I think before I upgrade with my TA, I'll have him ask that question before he books it. Thanks so much for the clarification. Looking forward to our FIRST Junior Suite on AOS next month! Happy Cruising.

[breal6]

What the original poster stated, could happen if both husband and wife had not sailed every time together. let me explain

 

DH and i are both Dplus with 48 credits. i am going on a cruise with out him. i will then have 49 credits and as my spouse he will get a number also. let's say he goes on a cruise after that with out me, he will not get credit for that cruise because of the credit he got for my sailing.

 

so if op has sailed separatly at anytime from the spouse, one or the other may be playing the catch up game.

 

hope this explains it a bit.

[critterchick]

What the original poster stated, could happen if both husband and wife had not sailed every time together. let me explain

 

DH and i are both Dplus with 48 credits. i am going on a cruise with out him. i will then have 49 credits and as my spouse he will get a number also. let's say he goes on a cruise after that with out me, he will not get credit for that cruise because of the credit he got for my sailing.

 

so if op has sailed separatly at anytime from the spouse, one or the other may be playing the catch up game.

 

hope this explains it a bit.

 

Now I'm really confused! I thought you had the same C&A level as somebody in the same household, not the same number of credits. So if I took a cruise w/o DH that bumped me up to DP, he would also be DP, but that he'd still only have 23 credits on his account to my 25.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

Now I'm really confused! I thought you had the same C&A level as somebody in the same household, not the same number of credits. So if I took a cruise w/o DH that bumped me up to DP, he would also be DP, but that he'd still only have 23 credits on his account to my 25.

 

That's my understanding too. We did a cruise with the kids where we booked a GS for us all to hang out in, plus an inside for some of the kids to sleep in. Since we had to book an adult in the inside, I have one more credit than DH does . . . but . . . we both made Platinum together.

[bartelbee]

Sorry for all the confusion--I really appreciate all the feedback. Thanks breal6 for helping to clarify. I think I must have fallen into a gray area. We didn't sail separately, we took the same cruises, with 2 cabins each time. It seems like this was a technicality that could go either way and I happened to hit the supervisor on the wrong day.

 

Annefran, you shouldn't have any problems--ours was a unique situation is because we booked 2 cabins for each cruise and used the balcony discount on both cabins for the 2nd.

[Bcurley]

How do I know how many credits I have? Where do I find them? I'm cruising in April on Freedom and while this is my 6th cruise, it's only my 2nd w/ RCI. I joined the C&A right after the last cruise, will I get credit for that one? I should have asked my TA, but methinks you guys are quicker on the draw than her.

[critterchick]

How do I know how many credits I have? Where do I find them? I'm cruising in April on Freedom and while this is my 6th cruise, it's only my 2nd w/ RCI. I joined the C&A right after the last cruise, will I get credit for that one? I should have asked my TA, but methinks you guys are quicker on the draw than her.

 

Go to the RCI website and login (or create a username/password if you don't already have one). You will see your C&A status and can click on "completed cruises" to see what has been credited to your account. Sometimes it takes awhile for credits to post - we've been lucky <knocks wood> and gotten most of our credits within days of sailing, but others have reported having to wait up to 3 months to see them. You should get credit for your first cruise.

[tinkerme1]

Maybe, here is the answer?

 

If you received a full balcony discount and a full JS balcony discount, then essentially you would be getting two full discounts for both balconies for four qualified cruisers of C&A.

 

If one of your kids sailed in the cabin with you, then they do not/are not entitled to the balcony discount. Example: $200 for a regular balcony really translates to $100 per person (assuming that both cruisers are C&A members). Since kids under a certain age cannot belong to C&A, maybe this is what they are referring to at this juncture?

 

In other words, you had the adults split into two separate rooms, each with a child but RCCL gave you the FULL discount for each cabin. My goodness this is confusing!

[critterchick]

Maybe, here is the answer?

 

If you received a full balcony discount and a full JS balcony discount, then essentially you would be getting two full discounts for both balconies for four qualified cruisers of C&A.

 

If one of your kids sailed in the cabin with you, then they do not/are not entitled to the balcony discount. Example: $200 for a regular balcony really translates to $100 per person (assuming that both cruisers are C&A members). Since kids under a certain age cannot belong to C&A, maybe this is what they are referring to at this juncture?

 

In other words, you had the adults split into two separate rooms, each with a child but RCCL gave you the FULL discount for each cabin. My goodness this is confusing!

 

The discount is per cabin, not per cruiser, so it shouldn't matter how many people are in each one - if there are two full fares in each cabin, regardless of age, and one of them is a Platinum or Diamond C&A member, each cabin is entitled to the discount.

 

The discount has nothing to do with cruise credits, either. That's just a red herring the C&A rep pulled out of her....hat!

 

It sounds to me like RCI got this one wrong (there goes my Liberty pre-inaugural invite!). Based on the booking, not the actual occupancy (I assume they did a Seapass switch once onboard since the kids can't be booked in their own cabin), the OP should have gotten 2 credits for the JS in her name & her DH should have gotten 1 for the balcony in his name.

[breal6]

Now I'm really confused! I thought you had the same C&A level as somebody in the same household, not the same number of credits. So if I took a cruise w/o DH that bumped me up to DP, he would also be DP, but that he'd still only have 23 credits on his account to my 25.

 

well, technically yes and no, lol. he would show 25 credits too, but if he then took a cruise without you he wouldn't get any credit for it til he caught up to you.

 

i have taken a cruise every Dec for the last 3 years in a suite w/o my hubby so he is six behind me. his account shows the same number as i have. now if he ever goes without me (fat chance lol) he won't move in number til he catches up those 6 credits.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

well, technically yes and no, lol. he would show 25 credits too, but if he then took a cruise without you he wouldn't get any credit for it til he caught up to you.

 

i have taken a cruise every Dec for the last 3 years in a suite w/o my hubby so he is six behind me. his account shows the same number as i have. now if he ever goes without me (fat chance lol) he won't move in number til he catches up those 6 credits.

 

Brenda........ROFL....."Fat chance!!!!!" I'm gonna tell on you. :D

 

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[tinkerme1]

Jean, of course you are right, that the balcony discount applies "technically" to the booking, but let's say, just for a moment, if RCCL is looking at this a little differently. Of course kids can't cruise together, but if they could, they would not be able to receive a balcony discount. By splitting up the couple, you have now garnered an additional balcony discount that otherwise would not apply, right?

 

Just about every TA that has taken care of us explains the balcony discount as a per person total, i.e., $300 - = $150 per person. Maybe RCCL looks at it this way too?

 

I tend to agree that RCCL is looking at this as a means of someone trying to "buck the system". Maybe a further explanation is required!:D

[Merion_Mom]

Jean, of course you are right, that the balcony discount applies "technically" to the booking, but let's say, just for a moment, if RCCL is looking at this a little differently. Of course kids can't cruise together, but if they could, they would not be able to receive a balcony discount. By splitting up the couple, you have now garnered an additional balcony discount that otherwise would not apply, right?

 

Just about every TA that has taken care of us explains the balcony discount as a per person total, i.e., $300 - = $150 per person. Maybe RCCL looks at it this way too?

 

I tend to agree that RCCL is looking at this as a means of someone trying to "buck the system". Maybe a further explanation is required!:D

I usually sail with my kids. Three in a cabin. $200 balcony discount for a 6 day cruise on the Enchantment.

 

Sailing next January with a friend. Two in a cabin. $200 balcony discount for a 6 day cruise on the Jewel.

 

It truly is "per cabin", and has NOTHING to do with the number of passengers in the cabin. If one of the passengers in Cabin A is Diamond, the "cabin" is entitled to a $200 discount (if the cruise is 6-8 days)

 

The "fine print" for a single passenger booking says that you get the full balcony discount if paying the full single supplement. (so I guess that it's a two passenger minimum. :))

[madforcruising]

I might be totally of here, but I think while RCCL honours the the highest C&A level for family living in the same household they don´t put them on the same amount of cruise credits.

 

It´s just like with the matching of C&A and X Captains Club. Having earned 10 credits on Captains Club makes you elite and therefore Diamon on Royal Caribbean even if you have not cruised with them, however you have still to earn 24 cruise credits on RCCL to get DP and not 14.

 

What I think has happened in the OP´s situation (but again I might be off) is one of them got two credits and the other one only one for the cruise.

This would be correct then as only status is matched but not amount of cruise credits. Of course once the one of them got DP the other one would get DP too, though still short on cruise credits.

[Fury1995]

You see, there is a lesson to be learned here folks. If you have sailed enough times to be Diamond or Diamond Plus and your spouse hasn't and is still given your status as Diamond or Diamond Plus, it's one more thing you get in the divorce. The car, the house, and the Crown & Anchor status..... LOL :D .