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Rackham

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Posts posted by Rackham

  1. 6 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

    Here's the thing though....let's say it does stop people from "wasting" food.  What happens to that same food that is prepared, waiting to be eaten, but never ordered/served ?  It goes to the fishes just like the plate of food would do if you ordered it and then wasted some of it.  The whole thing is just stupid.

    Royal has software which predicts how much of each dish will be ordered based on passanger demographics. Their kitchens then make enough to cover anticipated orders plus a buffer so they don't have to tell someone they're out. While they're making extra each evening, getting passangers to order fewer dishes means less will be prepared in the future and less food for the fishes. In other words, the kitchen isn't making enough for everyone to order everything off the menu each evening, and wasn't doing so before this policy. But the policy should help reduce food waste from people who were ordering multiple dishes then barely touching either. 

  2. 5 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

    I would disagree with this. The promotion did exactly what they wanted. Ensured that people would sail during a time when most people wouldn't and rewarded those who were loyal. I don't think it made too many diamonds. Every time someone post the numbers after a top tier event, I am shocked at how low the numbers are. Shocked because people keep saying how that promotion made so many diamond or higher members. On any given cruise the combination of diamond and higher combined, are less than gold or new cruisers. I think it put people where they would be, had they not lost out on 15mths of cruises.

    I'm hypnotizing that the complaints are coming from guests aboard itineraries popular with those in the higher C&A levels. Percentage wise, it typical tracks from sailings I've been on and seen others posted, 7% or less are Diamond and above. On the sold out Anthem Christmas sailing last year, the amount of Platinum members aboard (296) was nearly that of Diamond and up (325). Gold had more than both combined at 880. Typically, this approximate ratio is maintained between sailings, at least when school is out from ships I've been on, with about there being ~10%-25% more Diamond and up aboard versus Platinum, and with Gold out numbering both by a significant margin.

  3. Another tier? No. Here's the loyalty program benefits charts for Carnival, MSC, NCL, and Royal.

    Royal's for everyone who doesn't have the chart memorized already: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/crown-and-anchor-society-benefit-grid.pdf

    Depending on what you value, Royal's or NCL's program is going to be the best. Interestingly enough, both of which have similar point requirements for the tiers. It's just that Royal's has a hidden tier at 340 points versus NCL giving it a name at 350.

    Carnival.jpg

    MSC.jpg

    NCL.jpg

  4. To throw a tiny amount fuel on this fire, I received an email survey from Celebrity this evening inquiring about my feelings on status matching the loyalty programs between Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Silversea (the attached picture). It sounds like, at least for the moment, RCG isn't planning any major changes to how each works, but there might be more alignment with tiers between brands.

    2024-02-15_18-10-01.jpg

  5. 4 hours ago, Plumlee2028 said:

    https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/02/royal-caribbean-group-signs-agreement-with-chantiers-next-oasis-class-ship/

     

    Royal Caribbean ordered a 7th Oasis Class for Delivery in 2028 from Chantiers (financing needs completed).  I was a little surprised to read that this morning, I assumed another large one would be Icon class at this point.  

    I wonder if what's required to build the AquaDome doesn't restrict which shipyards can build an Icon class ship? 

    I'm somewhat surprised, but not, on the announcement of another Oasis class. They print money for Royal and no other line has an offering quite like it. 

    Concering smaller ships, Icon 2 & 3 together have more passanger capacity than all 4 of the Vision class ships in operation combined. I could see the company sunsetting these ships before having even ordered a single Discovery class vessel. Adding in Oasis 7 with the 2 Icon class ships yet to be delivered, passanger capacity between them is over 167% of all Vision class ships added together. 

  6. On 2/1/2024 at 12:59 PM, Southern Dan said:

    If the rumors are true and the new Discovery Class ships are going to be a similar size to the Radiance Class then I think you will see a few things that don't take up a massive footprint (Rock Climbing Wall obviously, Mini Golf, Flowrider and perhaps a couple water slides) but you can't put too much on that size of ship.  I'm curious if they will try to do a promenade like Voyager Class and above or will they do the traditional Atrium Style like the older ships.  Also curious if they bring back the Viking Crown Lounge.  Either way I'm looking forward to seeing what's next...

    I'm wondering if Royal wouldn't try a promenade with enhanced sea views leading to a Two70 or AquaDome-ish (minus the water) style venue.

  7. After cruising a multitude of times in the past two years and treating it partially like a class in Royal Caribbean cruising, I personally prefer the Windjammer over the MDR. In exchange for a couple menu items per evening (either more expensive offerings, like lobster tail, or things which don't work on a buffet) there's a wider range of options than what's presented on the MDR menu with which you're free to mix and match. Service is at your speed. Portion sizing is under your control. However, the Eggs Benedict is better in the MDR and the presentation of the French onion soup is better there too (though I find it easier to eat when having it in the 'jammer since there isn't a broiled mess of cheese on top). Depending on the ship class there's fantastic views from the Windjammer; that goes double in Alaska.

    My biggest issue is/was getting over the mental hurdle of "I'm passing up a table service meal for a buffet," even when I'm finding the buffet to be better. 

  8. 3 hours ago, Jill said:

    All I’m gonna say is if Royal gets rid of the D drinks there will mass outrage! Going to find my torch and pitchfork right now just in case 😂

    Can't imagine Royal getting rid of that one. The servicing charge on drink vouchers, based on personal estimates, isn't that much (and is easily incorporated into fare pricing without significantly impacting them), yet gets people really, really fired up to be "Loyal to Royal" for those future benefits. Even people who would be better off aiming for the lowest total cruise price with any line, doing the itinerary they want, which includes Diamond and up style benefits, or at least drinks, want to cruise with Royal for loyalty status.

    My guess is the biggest overall change will be you have to remain active, sailing once every so many years, with the primary RCG brands to keep your loyalty status with any of the lines. Disney quietly implemented the requirement of once every 5 years early this year and MSC has had theirs set at 3 years before that. So with the RCG, something like at least one cruise every five years with either Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Silversea to keep your status in the newly combined program. This would be part of the reason why they're aligning loyalty programs as keeping truly separate accounts would make deactivation (and reactivation when things go "oopise") more problematic.

    I'm also going to speculate that they'll be transitioning C&A points to the Captain Club's system on Celebrity where cabin category determines how many points are earned per night. While it's true that no other mass market line uses such a system, this doesn't mean they cannot. With the differences in pricing between Royal's newest ships and oldest alongside pricing differences with interiors versus suites, this could help Royal promote their whales quicker and encourage people desiring C&A benefits to book slightly more expensive cabins than they might otherwise have.

  9. While I can't see Royal cannibalizing DBP sales by offering a 10 punch, any drink card in the cruise planner, I could see them offering a 10 punch card good on glasses of beer and wine up to $10-11 each for around $60 ("SAVE UP TO 45% ON BEER AND WINE BY THE GLASS!") People who want cocktails will skip it, people who were wanting a beer and wine package will consider it, and light drinkers might bite since they don't know how much they'll actually drink aboard and don't want to commit the money to the full DBP (among a multitude of groups).

  10. 1 hour ago, Jamie SC said:

    My son is looking at a cruise on Royal Caribbean and the price for 2 people is cheaper than booking for one person. Has anyone ever booked for two people to get a cheaper price knowing the other person won't go. Is there a penalty for doing that if the second person just 'cancels' or doesn't show up for the cruise?

    The only penalty, at this point, is your son won't receive an extra loyalty point per night. Port taxes and fees and such should be refunded for the other person.

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