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Who wears their Crown & Anchor pin? WHY?


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Guilty here.  We and our cruising friends always have ours on because we attached them to our lanyards.  We aren't arrogant about our status but we have earned that status and enjoy the perks.  We have witnessed people who make sure that everyone knows that they are diamond or whatever (this was back in 2014) and they were jerks about it. I don't mind seeing people wear their status pins or not but we do enjoy wearing ours.

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9 minutes ago, Kirsten said:

At what status do you get a pin?  

Platinum, which is the next level after gold. You should  get one for every level after Gold and it is supposed to be delivered to your stateroom on embarkation day of the next cruise after reaching the level.

So if you take a cruise that pushes you from one level to the next you shouldn't get it there (I say shouldn't because my mom and I got our Emerald pins on our Emerald qualifying cruise which we both knew was weird but I think they were just getting it out of the way) but it should be in your room on the next cruise you take after those points are added.

Of course, with everything going on its been noted that the pins don't always make it to the rooms.

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When we made diamond we went to the C&A office and asked for them. The guy reached into a drawer and handed them to us without even checking who we were or whether we had even earned them.  I would imagine you could go and collect them all except perhaps Pinnacle.

We stashed them away with all our other mementos of cruising. Don't have a problem with anyone wearing them.

It seems like everybody and their brother are at lease Diamonds these days so having a D pin isn't much of a thing anymore. And.... I should have added...so why would anyone care if anyone else wore them or not?

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I would probably put mine on the lanyard or carry-on, as has been suggested.  Bathing suit (from an earlier post) no way!  I think that the pins show you have experience and that you'd (probably) welcome conversations and questions (esp for newbies).  I'm not comfortable with the phrase "earned it".....if others had more money and a more flexible job, we could "earn it" too.  Just some tricky implications with that phrase.  But, again, I don't default to assuming that's what people are trying to display.  My thought is that they are kind of ambassadors who might be interested in telling stories, answering questions for the rest of us "earning" our way up!

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I got all my pins up to Diamond, making D+ in Jan, but they are still in the thing they came in. I am indifferent either way, wear them or don't.

My issue is the people who throw their status around: i.e. "I am diamond do this, give me that, pledge your soul.......etc." My last cruise had about 5 pins, they were are pretty nice and they all wore their pins. People would indeed come up to them.......but people would also come up to me and ask questions. Lots of newbies would ask what "diamond prime" means when they read my seapass card.

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11 hours ago, Psycho and Barb said:

I’m sorry, but if we ever earn Pinnacle…I’m wearing that dang tag!  Think about what it takes to earn that honor…We would wear it with pride.   Just bring honest 

One can only hope that by the time any of us get there those name tags have evolved beyond the “hotel check-in staff” styling!

 

On 9/29/2022 at 9:09 AM, steverk said:

I've spent my kids inheritance and a bunch of time on a cruise ship!"

😳 They earned it, they should definitely spend it.  Their kids may well be making far more money than they ever did (unless they are in the top .00000001% of course). We love our kids and there will be plenty for them no doubt, but there is no goal for that other than to have comfortable and happy twilight years that we worked hard for over 50 years to have 👍🏼  😊

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23 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

Platinum, which is the next level after gold. You should  get one for every level after Gold and it is supposed to be delivered to your stateroom on embarkation day of the next cruise after reaching the level.

So if you take a cruise that pushes you from one level to the next you shouldn't get it there (I say shouldn't because my mom and I got our Emerald pins on our Emerald qualifying cruise which we both knew was weird but I think they were just getting it out of the way) but it should be in your room on the next cruise you take after those points are added.

Of course, with everything going on its been noted that the pins don't always make it to the rooms.

Thanks for the info!  We were platinum on our last cruise (made platinum on the cruise prior to it) and didn't receive pins.  I might inquire about it since I think my kids would like to have them on their lanyards.

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1 hour ago, WAYNO said:

I really didn't know so many people were disgusted with others wearing their C&A pins.  I just may have to find mine and wear it on my next cruise.🤩

I don't think that wearing them is what bothers other people, is the people that act entitled while using them, so go ahead and wear whatever you want on your next cruise, I'm sure no one will be disgusted about it, unless you act entitled... 

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17 minutes ago, Carlos A. said:

I don't think that wearing them is what bothers other people, is the people that act entitled while using them, so go ahead and wear whatever you want on your next cruise, I'm sure no one will be disgusted about it, unless you act entitled... 

This!

If I recall correctly on our Harmony sailing a few (3) ladies (pins) could not get their gold cards to open the door to the suite lounge. I was staying in a CLS and saw them getting angry and continuing to tap but the door wouldn't open. I went over and said oh I'll do it for you and swiped my sea pass for them. The door opened for me and they verbalized how it was disgusting that mine worked and theirs didn't. Wait, what? 

Then they continued they knew they weren't wanted in there but they were going anyway; wait didn't I just open the door for you? 

Not even a thank you and as I was following them in they didn't even attempt to keep the door from closing in my face. I promise you it actually took me a minute to keep my mouth securely shut as that door continued to close in my face behind them. 

It was a sad display and honestly I was like am I on candid camera? I find most pins will gladly share stories and such if asked, I get and feel their frustration as the experience I'm sure has changed a great deal over their 700 plus nights ie. teens in wet bathing suits and no cover ups in the lounge but wow, that really stuck in my crawl for a minute. 

 

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On 9/29/2022 at 9:54 AM, mac66 said:

 So is it more snooty to wear them, or to look down on somebody who does?  😀

 

 

I look at it like:

1 - you can wear them but if you are a braggard, then you get looked down on

2 - if you look down on someone wearing them, it better be because they were braggards and not just wearing them

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On our first cruise as Emerald, my status was screwed up because my name had been misspelled by Next Cruise when we originally booked it (this was before we knew how important a travel agent is). 

My wife had an Emerald pin and welcome letter.  I had a Gold welcome letter.  She got quite a kick out of wearing the pin on her lanyard then asking me if I had a Gold one.  After that cruise, we kind of forgot about the pins. 

We'll get Diamond ones in Feb.  I'm not sure what we'll do with them.  Maybe I'll put on my work hat and see if anyone notices.

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I wore my early pins as tie clips or lapel decorations.  A D+ pin remains on my backpack.  If someone behind me anywhere on the planet sees it they likely don't know the cruise connection while anyone who is D+ or above would likely understand what it is.

Once I earned the Pinnacle badge I wasn't wearing it very often.  More than one loyalty ambassador encouraged me to wear it more.  One even stated they wanted more people to see there are nice Pinnacle too.  

When I don't wear it no one knows that I am Pinnacle.  Standing in line like everyone else I blend into the crowd.  No one comments on Pinnacle who know and follow the rules because the majority of Pinnacle who do follow the rules blend in.  No one knows we are amongst them.  That is the vast majority of Pinnacle.  When I wear the Pinnacle badge and stand in the same line only then does anyone know I am Pinnacle.  What has changed?  I am still standing in line to enter the theater like everyone else.  Then the crew start to open the doors and ask if there are any suite guests or Pinnacle and we are allowed in first.  Now people get out of sorts.  Now we are labelled as rude or line jumping.  Royal owns the ship.  Their ship, their rules.  

If someone is wearing the Pinnacle badge they are now identified.  Like driving a company car with a large logo you stand out from all the other cars.   At this point people wait and watch for any perceived transgression even if it isn't.  They didn't use their blinker long enough!!!

What is it that drives some people bonkers over the Pinnacle badge?  Royal took a lot of effort to create them and distribute them.  Royal decided to make it a name badge.  Is it jealousy?  Is it fear of missing out?  It's just a piece of jewelry.  Do these same people get upset when someone wears earrings or a necklace?    Look at that person wearing massive diamond earrings?!!!  To the theater no less!!! 

Do these same people sit in coach class on a plane and silently brood knowing that more loyal guests in the airline's loyalty club received a free upgrade to first class?  When boarding a plane and walking past first class do they silently guess who paid for a first class seat and who received a complimentary upgrade?  When boarding a Southwest flight do these same people hate on people who get to board before them because those passengers earn that by flying more?

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There are passengers at all levels who do things that are improper or obnoxious.  When they wear a Pinnacle badge it's not the Pinnacle badge that made them that way.  That is just the way they are at the grocery store back home or on a ship. 

Honestly now looking back there are more obnoxious and whiny Diamond Plus members.  It's not Diamond Plus that makes them that way.  On a typical cruise there are hundreds of Diamond Plus while there may be ten or twenty Pinnacle.  By shear numbers there are more obnoxious and whiny Diamond Plus because there are ten or twenty times the numbers of Diamond Plus compared to Pinnacle. 

A cross section of every level from Gold to Pinnacle will have obnoxious members.  By shear numbers there will be more of them in every level compared to Pinnacle.  Yet Pinnacle are known because of the Pinnacle pin.  If every level wore a label only then would it be revealed who are the worst offenders. 

The lore of bad Pinnacle behavior becomes told like stories because like a bad driver in a company car it sticks out in people's minds.  The same bad behavior from any other guest gets written off and forgotten.

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The best parts of wearing the Pinnacle pin are not the published benefits.  Crew deal with an ever changing guest population one cruise to the next.  On a typical cruise roughly half of the guest population has never cruised Royal before.  Crew are constantly dealing with newbies who don't know how anything works on board.  

When crew see a Pinnacle pin they instantly know that guest has been around... a lot.  They know they don't have to explain things like to a newbie.  It's not the kiss ass relationship some people assume.  Crew instantly let their guard down and it's like greeting an old friend or fellow crew member.  It's an ice breaker.  

It is said that the Pinnacle pin opens doors.  That's not literal, as in crew holding a door open, but a metaphor.  It does make onboard life easier in subtle ways.

It starts walking to the terminal doors where the terminal contractors see a Pinnacle pin and instantly know that you know the routine.  If there is a suite and Pinnacle queue they are already welcoming you without having to show a set sail pass.   

When I didn't wear my Pinnacle pin boarding and I've had to show my Set Sail pass to enter the right queue I've had terminal contractors suggest that I wear the pin next time.  It's easier on them too since they know instantly you are in the right place.  Having boarded many cruises I have learned it makes life easier in the boarding process so why wouldn't someone wear it?  Why make it harder than it has to be?  When it's time to start boarding and they call Suites and Pinnacle the terminal folks that are gatekeepers looking for eligible guests for that moment in time can instantly see you are Pinnacle.  No need to examine your papers, keep the line moving.  It's just easier.  Why make it harder?

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I absolutely refuse to wear my pin. A small part of it is the embarrassment of being a Crown and Anchor member and I'd rather not let people know that I am one of "them". 

The larger part is I don't want to pull rank so I don't have to wait in line at embarkation or to get into the MDR; and I don't need to sit in a special seat for a show. I don't fret over the free amenities that are supposed to arrive in the cabin. Now I am just surprised some of those things even arrive at all and am more impressed if they get the brands of the booze correct. I've been around enough to know that you don't necessarily need to spend money on keys, suites, and genies to get some of those perks and sometimes it's a matter of knowing who to ask and more so how you ask because being calm and smiling a lot can open a lot of doors no matter who you are.

After all the years and all the sailings, I'm not owed anything..... I'm just happy to be back onboard the boat.

 

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49 minutes ago, teddy said:

Good perspective.  Thanks twangster 

I agree. I guess it all depends on the reason for wearing it. @twangstermakes very good points why somebody should wear one. Others are just showing off how "important" they are or it can be a prideful sense of accomplishment. We'll never know the truth in most cases. In general, I feel that if you have to show people how "important" you are. You really aren't.  

 

Happy Cruising!

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19 minutes ago, FManke said:

I agree. I guess it all depends on the reason for wearing it. @twangstermakes very good points why somebody should wear one. Others are just showing off how "important" they are or it can be a prideful sense of accomplishment. We'll never know the truth in most cases. In general, I feel that if you have to show people how "important" you are. You really aren't.  

 

Happy Cruising!

It is also possible that those who are not at a certain level feel an inferiority that they inversely project upon the wearer as if the wearer made them feel this way.  It's just a pin, like @twangster said, others wear expensive jewelry because they have it.

I find that people who feel entitled and the need to express that entitlement are just that kind of person and they were that at Pre-Gold the same as they might be that at Pinnacle.  It's not the status or the pin that makes them that way nor is it the wearing of that or any other piece of jewelry or clothing.

It seems to be the viewers of the pin imputing the reason for wearing them as being to show how important they are.  I haven't heard any wearer express they are wearing them for those reasons.  The viewers appear to be assigning those reasons based upon how they feel when seeing the pins.  Their feelings are more indicative about themselves than anyone else.

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13 minutes ago, Xaa said:

It seems to be the viewers of the pin imputing the reason for wearing them as being to show how important they are.  I haven't heard any wearer express they are wearing them for those reasons. 

If they were wearing them for that very reason, I don't suspect that they would admit that. I'm not saying that all people wear them for that reason, but you can't deny that some are. No matter how small the percentage. Just saying. I wonder if Super Mario ever wore one? I'm going to guess no.

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I sometimes wear my pin knowing it absolutely gets under some people's skin.  I think it's absolutely hilarious that it bothers some people so much these threads exist.   

I also very much enjoy those moments when I'm not wearing it and some blabbermouth D+ is sitting at a bar like they are king of the cruise world telling everyone within earshot how much they know, most of which is wrong, then I throw down my Pinnacle sea pass card on the bar to order a drink.  Go on... dig that hole a little deeper.  You were saying?

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17 minutes ago, twangster said:

I also very much enjoy those moments when I'm not wearing it and some blabbermouth D+ is sitting at a bar like they are king of the cruise world telling everyone within earshot how much they know, most of which is wrong

I have a family member like that who is an instant expert on any place they have ever been. Even if they have only been there once. 

Wear your pin for whatever reason. Don't wear it for whatever reason. In the end, does it all really matter. No, it doesn't.  

 

Happy Cruising!

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When I become Pinnacle I will be getting a custom Speedo made with ‘Pinnacle’ on one side and ‘700’ on the other. 

Suggestions on which side to put each? 

Hopefully I can achieve Pinnacle in my mid age as Father Time is not kind to the Speedo. 
 

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On 9/28/2022 at 12:08 PM, ScooterScott22 said:

Did pack our emerald pins on one cruise with some friends to wear as a joke


my wife and I will turn Diamond after our next cruise this year.  We already have a cruise booked with her parents and that will be our first as Diamond, while they will be either Platinum or Emerald (I forget).  We’ve been having so much fun “reminding” them of our future status. Any time we talk about the trip, one of will say something about “I wonder what snacks will be in the Diamond loung on the sea day” or “we’ll get you settled before visiting the lounge”, it’s been a hoot and they kick it back to us as well.

 

We’ve also started referring to ourselves as “pre-Diamond” or “pre-pre-Diamond plus” 

 

it all started when my father in law asked why our set sail passes were different colors 🙂 they will actually move from Gold to Platinum with the next one.

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4 hours ago, AlmondFarmer said:

When I become Pinnacle I will be getting a custom Speedo made with ‘Pinnacle’ on one side and ‘700’ on the other. 

Suggestions on which side to put each? 

Hopefully I can achieve Pinnacle in my mid age as Father Time is not kind to the Speedo. 
 

image.png.d6e3588f7f40ee28556eb8812be6a54f.png

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