Cruise credits
- Thread starter sanjoseca
- Start date
BruinSteve
Environmental Compliance Officer
On and off for about the last 10 or 12 years...
They did mix things up a few years back by going to an extra credit for longer cruises and an extra credit for a suite...
But, if you think about it, there really is no equitable system without some complex accounting system...
Is a 3 night cruise during high season in a suite with someone who books shore excursions and air and pre-cruise hotels with the cruise line really worth fewer points than a 9 night cruise for someone booking low season at a sale rate in an inside cabin with "cruise only" and doing their own tours?
Heck, why should anyone booking a $599 rate on sale in an inside cabin get the same (or even just half the points as it's been changed) as the guy spending $8000 per person for the Owners' Suite on the same cruise? Are they equal points just because they're both 7 nights? Does that make any more sense?
To be entirely fair, you'd probably have to track every single dollar spent with the cruise line...
The whole thing was developed in order to be EASY...
Who cares if some people get more points than others? It really doesn't mean that much anyway...It's an arbitrarily loose system for a few minor perks --none of which should be your reason for booking or not booking the cruise...Keep cruising, and one way or the other, you eventually move up...
I don't know how many cruises I have with RCCL right now--they say 12...but I know they're missing at least a couple...and I know they've accounted for a couple I am pretty sure I wasn't on...of course, though, it was the 70s...and, you know what they say..."If you can remember the 70s you weren't really there"...
Anyway, they must have been great cruises...
RCI accounting is pretty horrendous--and that's just trying to keep track of a simple points system...
It doesn't matter to me--I'm "Diamond" either way...
And I'm Diamond anyway--since I'm also "Elite" on Celebrity's Captains Club...
Even with my two upcoming RCCL cruises, I'll still be a long way from Diamond Plus--enough not to worry about it...
The only way any change in accounting really does anything for me would be if they combined the points from Royal Caribbean and Celebrity--then I'd be at Diamond Plus...
Of course, then they'd probably just up the needed number to 50...or they'd decrease the benefits to make them worth even less...
Like, now that I'm Diamond and they've brought the Mariner to the West Coast, they've done away with the "Diamond Lounge"...
Oh, well...
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You make some good points Steve......a combination of money paid and length of cruise purchased along with on board purchases would be a good way of awarding credits for Crown and Anchor members. It would be better than the current way of awarding an inordinate number of credits for people taking short, low cost cruises just to get their credit count up.
In my mind, the current system of awarding cruise credits is what forced RCI to recently eliminate a lot of the benefits that were previously enjoyed by Platinum and Diamonds,,,,,they created way too many high level members too quickly.
There's those that say that it's their rules, I just play by them. If no changes are made though, the program will continue to be diluted and more benefits will be removed.
It'll be interesting to see the way RCI deals with all this in the future.
In my mind, the current system of awarding cruise credits is what forced RCI to recently eliminate a lot of the benefits that were previously enjoyed by Platinum and Diamonds,,,,,they created way too many high level members too quickly.
There's those that say that it's their rules, I just play by them. If no changes are made though, the program will continue to be diluted and more benefits will be removed.
It'll be interesting to see the way RCI deals with all this in the future.
cruisingator
RCI <b>Tail-Gator</b>
I myself could personally care less. RCI has removed so many perks that it really doesn't matter anymore. The perks was one reason that I made the move to RCI. Also, their suite perks suck compared to NCL and HAL. For what RCI charges for suites, the perks should be much better.
I agree..............much ado about nothing.......
MisterD21
If you take me serious, it's your problem
Unless perks are the sole reason you are cruising i cannot see where this really makes any kind of difference. Sure the whole perk thing is screwed up, and not just on RCI(which btw, probably made changes to it's perks system because other lines have already done so(or had crappy perks to begin with)may also be trying to shift some of it's cruisers to give =X= a try).
I personally cruise for the experience, not the perks or lack thereof. I think rather than being faithful to one particular cruiseline i will probably sail on several different cruiselines for different reasons. Restricting yourself to one or two cruiselines just limits yourself from different experiences each line has(small nuances that some would never notice).
Don't get me wrong, i know many of you have your favorites, and i think that's good. It means that you have found a line that meets or exceeds your wants and needs in a cruise atmosphere. I just think one shouldn't let perks dictate who they cruise with. Especially now in recent years where the cruiselines are rewarding returning cruisers with less and less reason to become a regular patron.
Perhaps one day the cruiselines will again realize that return customers are the ones who generate more revenue for them than first time cruisers(i.e. are more likely to choose alternative dining, spend on paid amenities, and shore excursions, and most importantly...word of mouth advertising for new cruisers). Unfortunately, until that time comes... i think it best to just ignore the perks altogether. They really aren't worth squat until you reach diamond plus anyways....
I personally cruise for the experience, not the perks or lack thereof. I think rather than being faithful to one particular cruiseline i will probably sail on several different cruiselines for different reasons. Restricting yourself to one or two cruiselines just limits yourself from different experiences each line has(small nuances that some would never notice).
Don't get me wrong, i know many of you have your favorites, and i think that's good. It means that you have found a line that meets or exceeds your wants and needs in a cruise atmosphere. I just think one shouldn't let perks dictate who they cruise with. Especially now in recent years where the cruiselines are rewarding returning cruisers with less and less reason to become a regular patron.
Perhaps one day the cruiselines will again realize that return customers are the ones who generate more revenue for them than first time cruisers(i.e. are more likely to choose alternative dining, spend on paid amenities, and shore excursions, and most importantly...word of mouth advertising for new cruisers). Unfortunately, until that time comes... i think it best to just ignore the perks altogether. They really aren't worth squat until you reach diamond plus anyways....
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even then,they are no big deal.......and THAT'S why I said much ado about nothing(meaning the perks are really nothing to write home about)....
We enjoy the RCCL ships and in this time of our life,it suits us the best......we can't take long vacations and the weekend cruises are mini vacations......the only other cruise line close to us that does weekenders is Carnival.........and I just prefer the RCCL ships for that...........
T
Texaspepper
Guest
The perks that RCCL has that we use are:
RCCL stock ownership: 100 shares = $100 OBC
RCCL Visa Card Use= about $50 + OBC
14 + Day cruises = 2 cruise credits
We joined the "Nation Of Why Not" once again for Voyager Of The Seas -Galveston Jan 10, 2010 7 Days. Why Not? Could not pass the price for this date. Got an Outside Guarantee at sucha deal!
Plus, since we are RCCL stock holders, we get $100 OBC each time we cruise RCCL which is a good deal. This will be the fourth time we have used the OBC for booking on RCCL. Thank you RCCL
Oh for warm weather on the this cruise. Lighthouse Parking In Galveston. . .here we come again.
RCCL stock ownership: 100 shares = $100 OBC
RCCL Visa Card Use= about $50 + OBC
14 + Day cruises = 2 cruise credits
We joined the "Nation Of Why Not" once again for Voyager Of The Seas -Galveston Jan 10, 2010 7 Days. Why Not? Could not pass the price for this date. Got an Outside Guarantee at sucha deal!
Plus, since we are RCCL stock holders, we get $100 OBC each time we cruise RCCL which is a good deal. This will be the fourth time we have used the OBC for booking on RCCL. Thank you RCCL
Oh for warm weather on the this cruise. Lighthouse Parking In Galveston. . .here we come again.
