Crown & Anchor Program Change

[electech]

They certainly made attaining Diamond harder, that's for sure. The current Diamond and higher crowd should be set for smaller crowds now! I'm not sure how they did the points either, I had 5 cruise credits and now have 38 points, go figure!! Don't get me wrong, I am going to cruise, regardless, but it is annoying to have this feeling of being done wrong. You would have thought that any changes would be for all new folks signing up. It probably was a good move on RCCL's part because the perks are trivial until you reach the Diamond/Plus level anyway and too many folks at that level would cost them money. Now, if I can just remember to stand aside as the Diamond Plus Royalty passes by, I will be good to go!!! Yeah, just a little miffed!! Think barking chihuahua!!!! LOL!!!

[Dave]

Looks like each credit a member had was worth 7 points regardless of their member level. Those with 1-7 credits then got 1 bonus point added. Those with 8 or 9 credits got 3 bonus points added. Those with 10 or more credits got 13 bonus points added.

Hence, some higher end platinum members went to emerald level. It appears nobody got bumped from diamond to diamond plus.

100% will never be happy when something is changed. I'm sure RCI assigned a risk factor to the changes and knew some might get mad enough to walk away, but they feel that in the end the company will come out ahead. None of these loyalty programs (cruise, airline, hotel, grocery store chain) are meant to be a show of altruism for the products users.

[electech]

The only way the math works on mine was for them to do 7 points per c.c and then add 3 bonus points since I started at 5 c.c's. At any rate, C&A or not, I will still take the RCCL brand. However, I might be more inclined to go with other brands now that the Diamond goal line has been moved so far away. I still think any significant changes such as this should apply to all new people signing up. At least this way, you would know the rules before you started and would not have a leg to stand on as far as complaining. Since it is Superbowl time, to me this is like going from 1st and goal inside the 10 with 5 minutes to play to being 1st and goal on the 50 yard line. The prize is the same, just gotta go farther to get it and it doesn't matter that you played the rest of the game under normal rules.

Anyway, I've said my 2 cents about it and now I'm done. It is what it is as they say.

[LisaP]

The only way the math works on mine was for them to do 7 points per c.c and then add 3 bonus points since I started at 5 c.c's.

I think, but am not sure, that I started with five cruise credits also. My Platinum status was due to having attained the Select level in Celebrity's Captain's Club. I've had just two Royal Caribbean cruises -- 17 nights total. I still can't get into my account on Royal Caribbean's site, so I'll have to talk to a human at some point.

So, what does it mean to have 38 credits? Is that still Platinum, or is it likely I've been demoted? According to Celebrity's site, I am still Platinum, yet I don't know when it was last updated.

[Dave]

I rechecked and I should have said those with 5 or more credits got 3 bonus points plus 7 points for each credit. Those with 1-4 credits only got 1 bonus point.

Nobody got demoted in the new C&A plan, but some platinum members (8 or 9 credits) got promoted to Emerald member.

The new levels are:

Gold: 3 points (one 3-night cruise)
Platinum: 30 points
Emerald: 55 points
Diamond: 80 points
Diamond Plus: 175 points
Pinnacle Club: 700 points

[Sandy]

Gold level is now 3 completed cruise points.
Platinum is 30 points.
Emerald is 55 points.
Diamond is 80 points.
Diamond Plus is 175 points.
The Pinnacle is 700 points.

Cruise points are based on the number of days cruised, and the category of room.

[Sandy]

Ha Dave, we were posting at the same time, but I'm typing on my phone.

[Dave]

I hate typing on my iPhone.

I need to look at how many points RCI's high roller loyalty members like 'Super Mario' have. I think he had something like 350 cruise credits. Maybe it was a little less. I met him on the Oasis in 2009.

[Sonny V]

A lot of people living near a port were taking 3 and 4 night cruises which gave them 2 cruise credits - while people taking 7 night cruises were only getting 1 cruise credit. I think there were a lot of complaints about that. Most of the people that I know with over a hundred credits are from Florida, or book suites. I just checked my status and found that I have 496 points. I'll be getting 7 points for my next cruise, and if I were booked in a suite I'd be getting 14 points. I think this new point system is a fair one. I'm sure some will be ranting about it though.

[electech]

Yeah, us lower level snails will appear as whining and complaining I guess but I would venture to say that it doesn't rise to the level of whining had any royalty been demoted!!

I don't have a problem with the way the new system accrues points, that's fine and will help prevent those darn Florida scoundrels from playing the system. However, if you do the math, they have now made it harder/longer, to reach the next level on top of making it more fair. They shouldn't have moved the goal line in my opinion, just the manner in which you got there. But, I don't want to sound like I am complaining though as I always have more fun when I am straining to see the next goal!!!