Anyone else hearing that starting 7/1 C&A Sav Certs will no longer be allowed w/NC

[Ocean Boy]

The OP stated that C&A savings certificates would no longer be used with a NextCruise!!!!

And I for one know firsthand about this, because I argued with the coupon dept. for 3 days regarding just this above statement. I submitted my savings certificate to be used along with a Next Cruise and the coupon dept. kept denying it. "Said you can't use a savings certificate since you already have an OBC":eek:

On the 3 day (3rd attempt) I got a different C&A rep and she said fax it to her and she would take it to their resolution dept., because that rule will not go into effect until July 1st.

 

If this is the case then I see very little reason to book with the next cruise option. With the state of the economy I think there will be plenty of C&A coupon options out there to try to fill up the ships.

[cruizinmimi]

If this is the case then I see very little reason to book with the next cruise option. With the state of the economy I think there will be plenty of C&A coupon options out there to try to fill up the ships.

 

This was my argument all along with the coupon dept. I kept saying "Why have a Next Cruise then"...."C&A loyalty cruisers will just find a coupon to apply".

 

This is definitely going to be a wait and see situation, but it will be interesting to see what the higher ups are going to decided on. According to the C&A dept., this will take place July 1st. According to the coupon dept...well, they will not admit to anything and they just kept sending me an email back saying "You cannot combine the savings cert. with the NextCruise OBC".

[cruisenfever]

According to the coupon dept...well, they will not admit to anything and they just kept sending me an email back saying "You cannot combine the savings cert. with the NextCruise OBC".

We booked the Radiance Member's cruise for next April 26 when the itinerary was first announced and we used a NextCruise booking.............there was a $225 C&A coupon that was issued in the first quarter of 2008 and our TA had no problem having it applied.

 

It just makes me wonder if the left hand knows what the right hand is doing sometimes!:(

[dirtgirl]

I booked a cruise last month using a Next Cruise, a balcony discount, and a Savings Certificate. If they bring about these changes, well, they will have a lot of angry loyal RC cruisers! We'll see what happens come July 1st!:rolleyes: I will most likely stop getting Next Cruises, as my what soon will be Diamond discount for balconies will trump it.

[patnolen]

I can't see offering a balcony discount and a coupon and not honoring both. When you get to platinum then diamond level you begin to get discounts for booking a balcony room, then the cruise line sends out coupons with discounts ranging from outside to balcony level, why bother offering a coupon when it out weighs the first coupon, why not just over the difference. These rumors are making no sense. And as far as stock holder options, I bought my stocks back when it was $40 a share, now it's around $30. I guess I'm stupid for holding on thinking I would keep getting my discount along with my future cruise OBC.

 

I agree with others, if these perks continue, I might have to look at other cruise lines and travel with them. I'd hate to do that, but it's getting tough to afford to cruise and it's only going to get tougher.

[patnolen]

I meant discontinue not continue, I'm getting tired, it's bedtime!

[Jeka]

Oh, dear. I’ve been outed. After nearly 5 years posting on these boards someone has finally uncovered my sinister plot. :rolleyes:

 

Sure do. But then I’m still not convinced that this won’t happen at some point in the not-so-distant future (maybe by the first of the year). P.S. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION!!

 

And I don’t see anyone (least of all me!) being adamant that not being allowed to combine discounts with Next Cruise is a done deal. Perhaps you should re-read the end of my original post:

 

Sorry if I offended your sensibilities by attempting to share information gleaned from other threads. I thought some would want to know what might be coming and I was also hoping to see if anyone else has been hearing anything similar.

 

What you posted is hearsay, and some of it pretty silly. I have no problem with those who post first hand their experiences, but when someone else posts what someone else posted, sorry, pure gossip.

 

Regarding the C&A levels, the person was aboslutely adamant about the changes happening almost immediately. Funny, never occurred.

 

You're like the person who posted and said My Time is a disaster, it didn't effect me, but I heard others say...................

 

Again, if someone wants to post their own experiences fine, but you dragged 3 different posts and posters into the OP and none were your own.

 

Sorry if I offend you, but not sure you did a service today, and you have upset people without one fact of your own to back it up.

[webteach]

I wonder if this is what happened to my coupon from March when I booked onboard (Jewel)for the first time! My little $50 has never been credited despite repeated calls to RCCL. It's not much but I did go to the trouble of carrying that coupon with me onboard!

[Aprille]

What you posted is hearsay...

And I clearly presented it as such.

 

Regarding the C&A levels, the person was aboslutely adamant about the changes happening almost immediately. Funny, never occurred.

I still believe this is very likely to be a change in the foreseeable future. And I appreciate the information being put out there. Even though it hasn't happened. Yet.

 

Sorry if I offend you, but not sure you did a service today, and you have upset people without one fact of your own to back it up.

No offense taken. I just happen to believe there are others out there, like me, who appreciate any and all information out there for the taking.

 

YMMV. :cool:

[hylasgirl]

If this does become their policy...........they might be losing a lot of shareholders!

 

I will be one of them also...

 

I also heard on our last cruise... Monarch, when meeting with the LA, she said that they WILL change the requirements for the Diamond status but she did not know when. We were really hoping to make Diamond quite soon, and now... I don't know if we will get it in in time...:(

 

What is the point of even doing the "Next Cruise" option??

 

Can it be combined with OBC your TA might give you?

[sandgrand]

I think I am gonna go ahead and get my RCCL visa OBC ($50) and get my stock OBC ($100) for my next two cruises before July 1st. I cruise in November '08 and February '09. Does anyone know if it is too soon to get these credits lined up??? I have already booked one with a coupon and the other with "next cruise" At leaslt if any of this comes true - maybe they will not change what has already been booked. :confused:

[critterchick]

I wonder if this is what happened to my coupon from March when I booked onboard (Jewel)for the first time! My little $50 has never been credited despite repeated calls to RCCL. It's not much but I did go to the trouble of carrying that coupon with me onboard!

 

I was told that they apply those coupons as you get close to your sail date.

[Jeka]

And I clearly presented it as such.

 

I still believe this is very likely to be a change in the foreseeable future. And I appreciate the information being put out there. Even though it hasn't happened. Yet.

 

When this was posted last fall it was presented as weeks not months, still hasn't happened. That person had it on good authority. People were incensed that they weren't getting to the new level when they cruised in a month or so. The poster wasn't even close with his weeks, it's been more than 1/2 year and nothing. Now you are stating it will occur in the foreseeable future. Maybe you should start another thread to upset folks on this topic.

 

 

No offense taken. I just happen to believe there are others out there, like me, who appreciate any and all information out there for the taking.

 

As do I, not from someone who read it elsewhere and started a post. If you heard this info from an LA on a ship and reported on it, I could ask you questions directly about it. You simply cannot, so if you want to share info with others, make sure it's yours, not others.

 

YMMV

 

I don't mean to pick on you, but I think it is unfair to report on something like this without first hand info.

[aqhacruiser]

I wonder if this is what happened to my coupon from March when I booked onboard (Jewel)for the first time! My little $50 has never been credited despite repeated calls to RCCL. It's not much but I did go to the trouble of carrying that coupon with me onboard!

 

I had the 50.00 coupons mailed to me and I sent them in to apply to 2 new cruises I had just booked for 2009 using Next Cruises for both. I received an email stating I could not use the 50.00 coupons on cruises booked using Next Cruises however I've had no problem having my Shareholders AND Visa onboard credits applied on any of my cruises booked with Next Cruises or having my diamond discount applied. The last cruises I booked were in March/April 08 so it may change in the future I suppose. I have also had C & A certificates applied to cruises booked with Next cruises last year but I have not had any in 2008 as of yet to try to apply them. I can understand limiting the amount of discounts taken off a cruisefare ( not that I'm thrilled about it) but I do not understand why they would limit onboard credits as the money is usually just spent on the ships anyway. I still have some Next Cruises left but I had decided not to buy anymore awhile ago as they changed the amount from 200.00 obc to 100.00 obc on a 9 night cruise and that's a typical sailing for me out of Bayonne. They are still honoring Next Cruises 200.00 OBC I had bought before the Dec. 2007 change but I did not appreciate how they changed the policy with no warning although the contract is open ended by stating onboard credit will be determined at time of choosing sail date so they did have the ability to change it. I also find the Next Cruises restrictive as you must call to book and make changes and I prefer to just book and handle my own reservation online. If they limited a next cruise to no other onboard credits it definitely would not be worth it for me as I get more from my Visa points then 100.00 or even 200.00 or from my Shareholders.

They would still remain a good item to purchase for those that do not have other sources of onboard credits or discounts :)

[aqhacruiser]

I was told that they apply those coupons as you get close to your sail date.

 

If you book direct with RCCL you can call C & A and make sure they were applied and request a confirmation email showing any discounts and onboard credits long before my sail dates. I do that with all my cruises so I have it including anything booked with a Next Cruise. I did not have the chance to do that with those 50.00 coupons before I received an email shortly after I mailed them in stating I couldn't use them with a Next Cruise. :o

[Moeve]

Perhaps many of you are not aware of this but these next cruise OBC are ONLY available to North American guests. There are some legal problems for international guest so they are unable to offer this to all passengers. Now since RCCL is aquiring many more internationl guests I would see that they are getting heat from them since they are being denied thoughs benefits especially when due to exchange rate they often pay a higher rate. This is only a hunch but it does make sence - could they be limiting the use of which one you get to use to make it fair on the increasing number of "other" guests????

[Fury1995]

I don't mean to pick on you, but I think it is unfair to report on something like this without first hand info.

 

Why are you specifically calling out Aprille for some reason while ingnoring other posters responses one of whom Aprille quoted giving first hand info.

 

Originally posted by cruiszinmimi: This was my argument all along with the coupon dept. I kept saying "Why have a Next Cruise then"...."C&A loyalty cruisers will just find a coupon to apply".

 

This is definitely going to be a wait and see situation, but it will be interesting to see what the higher ups are going to decided on. According to the C&A dept., this will take place July 1st. According to the coupon dept...well, they will not admit to anything and they just kept sending me an email back saying "You cannot combine the savings cert. with the NextCruise OBC".

 

I would think cruizinmimi has some first hand info. It may be correct or incorrect, but it's first hand and on this thread now.

[Aprille]

Now you are stating it will occur in the foreseeable future. Maybe you should start another thread to upset folks on this topic.

:::sigh::: I was not stating it as fact but as my opinion hence the "I still believe" part of the statement. BTW, did you catch this (3 posts above your last reply):

 

I also heard on our last cruise... Monarch, when meeting with the LA, she said that they WILL change the requirements for the Diamond status but she did not know when.

 

As do I, not from someone who read it elsewhere and started a post. If you heard this info from an LA on a ship and reported on it, I could ask you questions directly about it. You simply cannot, so if you want to share info with others, make sure it's yours, not others.

You are apparently concentrating so much on me that you are missing the posts from those with first-hand information.

 

Why are you specifically calling out Aprille for some reason while ingnoring other posters responses one of whom Aprille quoted giving first hand info.

Thanks, Kenny. I was beginning to feel like I was banging my head up against a wall. ;)

[mediator]

I booked a cruise last month using a Next Cruise, a balcony discount, and a Savings Certificate. If they bring about these changes, well, they will have a lot of angry loyal RC cruisers! We'll see what happens come July 1st!:rolleyes: I will most likely stop getting Next Cruises, as my what soon will be Diamond discount for balconies will trump it.

 

For our cruise in August, I used next cruise, stock, and visa which is OBC.

I don't understand why it would not be combinable. I had to pay money and follow the rules for the benefits to apply. I also was able to get a diamond disc. on the balcony and happened to have a C&A coupon. I agree with you. I will not be very happy.

 

On the other hand, our cruise in Jan. had no discounts (inside cabin), no C&A certificates) only OBC which again, I spent $$ to earn the benefit.

 

If they change the rules, I no longer will use VISA, I'll go back to my AMX which we stopped using. I will not book on board... giving them my money to use early, and rethink the stock, however, we bought at the $40 share and not at the pitiful low $27 it is at now.... so, I hope this is all rumor, and no changes are made.

 

Times are bad out there and nothing wrong in maximizing your dollar. We try to do 2-3 cruises a year. W/o these "discounts" would probably do less. And, we do not have to fly. I feel for all of you... used to fly, but not with the current restrictions and fees that have been added.

[39august]

IF this happens, I will just go back to booking a specfic cruise while on board a cruise to get the OBC. The Next Cruise reduced deposit is no real advantage as you will pay in full eventually. And any specific booking can be transferred to a different sailing if you wish.

[torpeedo]

I would think that if there were a change like this for NC bookings, it might be for those purchasing NC bookings from 7/1 forward? Makes more sense to me.

We are loyal RCI cruisers. With the economy problems and lots of people not taking that extra cruise, or any cruises, I can't imagine RCI would upset their customers with drastic changes. I think RCI wants to keep their loyal passengers as well as adding new cruisers to the list. Bad press never helps. We have two NC bookings and hope to combine with our Diamond discounts and any other C&A coupons that come along. If not, our world won't end. We have heard the rumors about Diamond changes which I am sure would be for future Diamond status requirements. Again, it would be suicidal for RCI to upset their current Diamond and Diamond plus passengers, IMHO.

[mediator]

IF this happens, I will just go back to booking a specfic cruise while on board a cruise to get the OBC. The Next Cruise reduced deposit is no real advantage as you will pay in full eventually. And any specific booking can be transferred to a different sailing if you wish.

 

The only advantage for us was not having to decide on board, or ahead of time. It gave me the luxury to come home and watch prices and have sometime to make a decision. Obviously, if I know when I board what I want to do then not an issue. I'm not much for booking and switching later.

[critterchick]

Here's a question, then: if you book a 3-nighter onboard and pay the $200 deposit, then transfer to a longer cruise, do you get the larger credit? If so, that would be just like booking a Next Cruise for a couple except that you'd have to transfer the booking before the original cruise sails, so you wouldn't have more than a year or 18 months to decide. For somebody who cruises annually or more frequently, that wouldn't be a tough call, would it?

[PH8]

I will be one of them also...

 

I also heard on our last cruise... Monarch, when meeting with the LA, she said that they WILL change the requirements for the Diamond status but she did not know when. We were really hoping to make Diamond quite soon, and now... I don't know if we will get it in in time...:(

 

?

And on my last cruise(May 11th) the LA asked us if we read CC when we asked her about this.........she said it was a rumor........so who knows??:rolleyes:

 

Here's a question, then: if you book a 3-nighter onboard and pay the $200 deposit, then transfer to a longer cruise, do you get the larger credit?

Yes, you do get the larger credit.....

 

RCCL is not thinking this out.............no one is going to get NCs if we cant get coupons applied..Chances are there are some NCs that never get used and are non refundable.......so at times,RCCL will make extra moeny from those unused NCs....Then there are people who feel they have to use them rather than lose the deposit..........either way RCCL makes money with the NCs...........take away the redemption of coupons with NCs and no one will buy them.......I know I wont......do like you said,reserve a 3 nighter(paying only $200 deposit) and get your OBC and redeem coupons plus it will be refundable.......No brainer..

[Oville]

Is it me, or is this thread a rumor mill run amuck? Kewlguy last fall assured us all that C&A levels were changing in days or weeks, not months because he heard from someone in the know aboard a ship. Now we have someone suggesting the B&A coupons won't be available and stock OBCs are going away effective July 1. Not sure why RCCL would stop the B&A credits, they're not coming off their buttom line. Is there anyone posting here that has any facts?