RCVoyager

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

How is your friend being upgraded an insult to you? I get you think upgrades should only come down to the highest C&A members first, but that's how it works. 
Free alcohol every night in Diamond Lounge, priority boarding, free print photos. Heck, the free drinks alone are a perk unrivaled on any other cruise line.

To answer your question I haven’t encountered any disloyalty from Royal Caribbean.  
As a D+ I’ve encountered many times the concierge lounge becoming over subscribed and the need for them to accommodate D+ in an expanded Diamond area.  That’s always worked very well.  The result is no loss of benefits.  
As far as upgrades go, those are not promised to anyone.  No D+ should ever get upset over a missed upgrade.  If they did give out upgrades by CAS status a Pinnacle would have received the upgrade so either way you lost out on nothing.
Instead be happy for your friends.  

I don’t understand.....what matters is that you and your colleagues are on the same boat. Not what cabin you or your friends are in.
And, you are claiming that Royal Caribbean is just giving away a grand suite to someone who has effectively purchased a balcony???
As a Diamond Plus status, you don’t know Royal by now that they don’t elevate anyone by two cabin grades especially one of the big rooms without collecting big additional $$$? C’mon.....
 
Have the DL concierge do the few keystrokes required so that have you all dine and sing Happy Birthday at the same MDR table and enjoy your time together on your holiday.
 

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

Agree 100%.  
I love cruising and always want friends or family to cruise with us.  On a previous RCCL cruise, when I was the point man, there were only 2 aft balconies left and we needed 3.  All 3 paid the same price, but my wife and I gave up the aft balcony and took one on the same floor right beside the 2 aft balconies (without discussing it with the other two couples).  Seeing the looks on their faces and enjoying the conversation about their great balconies... especially when both parties realized what we had done for them, made any sense of missing out fade to a feeling of having really done a good thing.
That was 2016, and they still talk about it.
It was a small gesture that made an impact on the 6 people involved.

I used Paradise Rental last year and they were great delivering the car when we arrived to the cruise ship 340-643-2692

Your ship will port on the South end of the most history packed concentrated area in the Western Hemisphere.  There are two world class forts, the oldest churches in the west and a million other historic sites with in a 15 minute walk.  There is plenty of shopping and restaurants, including a Senor Frogs right across the street from the dock.  You can make San Juan a beach day, but there will likely be better beach days on your cruise.  You can make it a tour day (Bacardi Distillery or the rain forest, ect), but with all you have right in front of you, there is no need.  
 
My recommendation is once you finish at Senor Frogs, walk directly West on the outside of the wall (it is a walled city, but the Eastern half of the wall has been removed).  Once you curve around the wall you will see the city gate which is how the city was entered for centuries.  Once inside the gate it's 2 blocks up the hill to an amazing Catholic Church (and by the way, I'm no fan of the Catholic religion, but this place is awesome).  It's open all day long and contains the grave of Juan Ponce De Leon.  Once out of the chuch head up the hill North and West until you see the El Morro.  What a fort.  Even my teenage daughters liked it.  You can get ice cream and drinks about anywhere along the way.  It's a nice day.
Read up on it.  OSJ is a great place.  Find the sites you and your family want to see.  It's all in a 7 square block area.

Where I live, when people find out I'm 81, they say (without fail), "Oh, you're still a baby!" Neither my husband (84) nor I is fully retired, we both work part-time - he's a jazz musician, I'm a clinical social worker. One of our friends here is 106, and his girlfriend will turn 100 in March. Most of our neighbors are in their 90's. They're all retired. Come to think of it, we're going to have to make arrangements to take time off for our first cruise . . . in only 108 days!! ? 'Can hardly wait.

Of COURSE @twangster would have a balcony cabin on the correct side of the ship to catch this! Thanks for sharing! 

I guess I don't understand your point.  RCCL is pushing back and doing so in a professional manner.  They are defending their position, and while it should not have been done is a public manner, the original info was leaked in an attempt to pressure RCCL into buckling.  What is not "squeaky clean" about the cruise line's response?

I want the family to get the closure they need, but I hope RCCL's attorneys match the effort of their's and that none of them see a penny from this.

I want the family to get the closure they need, but I hope RCCL's attorneys match the effort of their's and that none of them see a penny from this.

It's not clear.  
The attorney was involved so quickly.  He was issuing statements very soon after the news broke.  On one hand it was reported they were so distraught they couldn't speak to local authorities and they had to be sedated.  On the other hand they were contracting with the attorney in Florida during the same time frame.  
How would an attorney in Florida track down the family and get through to them in their distraught, sedated state?  Were they taking phone calls from strange phone numbers that could be news reporters?  I know I wouldn't be taking phone calls or going through voice mail.
Given her legal background I suspect she lawyered up immediately and had someone in her office back home or the legal circles she runs in track down the Florida attorney.  This is speculation but as it played out, that attorney was instantly engaged and making statements very soon after the incident.  

I want the family to get the closure they need, but I hope RCCL's attorneys match the effort of their's and that none of them see a penny from this.

Your ship will port on the South end of the most history packed concentrated area in the Western Hemisphere.  There are two world class forts, the oldest churches in the west and a million other historic sites with in a 15 minute walk.  There is plenty of shopping and restaurants, including a Senor Frogs right across the street from the dock.  You can make San Juan a beach day, but there will likely be better beach days on your cruise.  You can make it a tour day (Bacardi Distillery or the rain forest, ect), but with all you have right in front of you, there is no need.  
 
My recommendation is once you finish at Senor Frogs, walk directly West on the outside of the wall (it is a walled city, but the Eastern half of the wall has been removed).  Once you curve around the wall you will see the city gate which is how the city was entered for centuries.  Once inside the gate it's 2 blocks up the hill to an amazing Catholic Church (and by the way, I'm no fan of the Catholic religion, but this place is awesome).  It's open all day long and contains the grave of Juan Ponce De Leon.  Once out of the chuch head up the hill North and West until you see the El Morro.  What a fort.  Even my teenage daughters liked it.  You can get ice cream and drinks about anywhere along the way.  It's a nice day.
Read up on it.  OSJ is a great place.  Find the sites you and your family want to see.  It's all in a 7 square block area.

Thank you. I guess I can talk until I'm blue in the face, but no one who has not suffered such a tragic loss can understand it: losing your child, especially violently, especially needlessly, makes you crazy for a long time. The family is out of their minds and cannot be held responsible for behaving like sheep, accepting the invitation of the TV show and parroting the words of the lawyer. The lawyer is the one who should know better than to take advantage of them this way. He is behaving disgracefully. Years from now the family may well be embarrassed by their TV appearances, if they can bring themselves to watch the tapes. They are still out of their minds with grief and deserve to be left alone.

We have to remember that the family, a day after the incident, has threatened to sue Royal for this "tragic accident".  They went on national TV spreading a narrative filled with inaccuracies. So it's not like the family is looking at this as an accident, they're trying to put the blame on Royal.  The charges made against the grandfather and the trials that follow will establish whose fault it is.

I guess I don't understand your point.  RCCL is pushing back and doing so in a professional manner.  They are defending their position, and while it should not have been done is a public manner, the original info was leaked in an attempt to pressure RCCL into buckling.  What is not "squeaky clean" about the cruise line's response?