Administrative change to drink voucher redemption

[smokeybandit]

This seems...unnecessary. Now you're going to have to pay a lot more attention to if your voucher got used or not since they only give you a check to sign if it got charged to your account. I especially don't understand how this helps #2. 

 

Dear Diamond, Diamond Plus & Pinnacle Club Members,

As part of our ongoing efforts in reviewing guest feedback, we’re working towards providing you the best onboard experience and avoiding visits to the Guest Services desk. 

What we noticed was that many visits are related to beverage vouchers provided to our higher tiered Crown & Anchor Society members.

Effective on sailings starting this Friday, November 4th, we’ll have all members sign their check when using any beverage vouchers. The benefit of doing this is two-fold:

1. The receipt has a count of your vouchers to help you better track how many you have left. So if you’re a Diamond member, and you have 4 a day – it may tell you 2 of 4 have been redeemed.
2. We noticed many beverage voucher disputes are related to use on a drink you did not want to use it on.  For instance, you ordered a $3 coffee and we may have applied your voucher – and you don’t learn about it until you’re at dinner, wanting that nice $13 cocktail and you’re out of vouchers.

While it’s a little more work for our teams, by having you have your hard check – you can better control both your count and the proper application!

 

 

[Templecruiser]

Just got mine. I like it. I know I had to remind bar tenders when and when not to use voucher. Once I had to go to customer service to get a voucher back as they used it for a cheap drink and I didn’t want it used. 

[smokeybandit]

I've never had a voucher used when I didn't want it used. In fact on more than one occasion I've had a bartender double check if I really wanted to use a voucher for a low priced item.

 

I can see the Guest Services headaches from people going and asking about their vouchers, but I don't see this as a good solution to solving that.

#1 above could be solved easily within the app. If a voucher was used, indicate that on your folio on the app.

#2 assumes people will pay attention to their check when they're signing it to see if that bottle of water got charged vs. vouchered.  What I think you'll see there will be the opposite. End of the night, people think they're using a voucher for one last drink. They've already had a few anyway, and don't realize on the check that they're out of vouchers and got charged for it and just sign it quickly to go back to the party.

[Atlantix2000]

If you sign a check that says you used a voucher for a $3 coffee, you can't later complain that the voucher shouldn't have been used.  You reject the check and have the bartender fix it before they close the check.  If you fail to notice, that's on you.

However, if the system forces the bartender to print a $0 check when a voucher is used, I think that would actually discourage bartenders from using vouchers without asking.  So this policy may be more about changing the bartenders behavior.  They may have found that bartenders hit the voucher button because it is faster but that is costing them in increased guest services effort.

[WAAAYTOOO]

I feel sure this change became necessary due to too many people being “confused” as to whether they had intended to use a voucher or not.  The example that they provided was perfect-you purchased a $3 bottle of water and the waiter used one of your vouchers instead of either charging your sea pass account $3 or using your drink package, if you have one.  Suddenly, you’re out of vouchers.  “Who has been using my vouchers”, you cry ?!  Now they will have a signed voucher to show that YOU used your voucher.  Frankly, I’m surprised that this hadn’t already become necessary.  It was inevitable.

[smokeybandit]

14 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I feel sure this change became necessary due to too many people being “confused” as to whether they had intended to use a voucher or not.  The example that they provided was perfect-you purchased a $3 bottle of water and the waiter used one of your vouchers instead of either charging your sea pass account $3 or using your drink package, if you have one.  Suddenly, you’re out of vouchers.  “Who has been using my vouchers”, you cry ?!  Now they will have a signed voucher to show that YOU used your voucher.  Frankly, I’m surprised that this hadn’t already become necessary.  It was inevitable.

My concern is people will get too used to getting a check now to sign and start to not pay attention to it assuming they're using a voucher. Then the opposite problem starts to happen.

As it is now, if I don't get a check, I know the voucher was used. So if I got a bottle of water and I didn't get a check, that'd be my clue to say "oh hey sorry can you charge this instead of using a voucher?"

I feel like they could have thought this through better.

[cruisellama]

I can see how people get "dinged" for a low cost beverage and lose out on using it on a more preferred cocktail.    Bar tenders always asked us if we wanted to use our vouchers, so lucky I guess.  But it will provide some level of assurance you're getting what you want.    A minor inconvenience and just killing more trees that could be used for better straws.

[Templecruiser]

I’m sure there will be a learning curve and some complaints, but I feel it’s going in the right direction. 

[smokeybandit]

The easiest way to fix all this?

Give everyone paper vouchers. No guesswork involved there.

[asquared17]

probably an easier way/more environmentally friendly way would be to have a barcode or something similar within the app -- you get little circles to indicate 4+ per day (depending on your CA tier) -- they scan the code, like any other coupon or boarding pass and voila!

you've just used your voucher!

if not, you get it charged to your seapass.

[danv3]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

The easiest way to fix all this?

Give everyone paper vouchers. No guesswork involved there.

Absolutely.  

[BB1]

Maybe it would encourage people to tip when they get their free drinks. We always give cash as there is no other way to tip now but it would be easier just to add a tip to the receipt. 

[Jill]

1 hour ago, BB1 said:

Maybe it would encourage people to tip when they get their free drinks. We always give cash as there is no other way to tip now but it would be easier just to add a tip to the receipt. 

However that tip is shared among others. When you tip in cash at time of drink delivery, the server gets 100%

[Jill]

I’m in agreement with @smokeybandit 

This is due to people not paying attention 

We’ve had 5 sailings totaling 43 nights with free drinks and have never had an issue with vouchers being used incorrectly. 

Right after the re-start there was some confusion among bartenders but now, they all are pretty much on the ball. 

[BB1]

1 hour ago, Jill said:

However that tip is shared among others. When you tip in cash at time of drink delivery, the server gets 100%

I didn't think about that but should  it be shared,  what about the bar tender and other staff? I don't know what would be better.

[CGTLH]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

wanting that nice $13 cocktail and you’re out of vouchers.

Don't know why, I find it funny that the $13 cocktail figure was used. Makes me ponder how long this change was bouncing around.

[TXcruzer]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

My concern is people will get too used to getting a check now to sign and start to not pay attention to it assuming they're using a voucher. Then the opposite problem starts to happen.

As it is now, if I don't get a check, I know the voucher was used. So if I got a bottle of water and I didn't get a check, that'd be my clue to say "oh hey sorry can you charge this instead of using a voucher?"

I feel like they could have thought this through better.

Not always, on NUMEROUS occasions I have had vouchers used on non alcoholic drinks that should have been included on my refreshment package.  Not getting a receipt was normal in both circumstances, and I have wasted a lot of time having the vouchers reinstated.

 

I think it is a great policy change.

[bobroo]

“While it’s a little more work for our teams….”

Everything is ALWAYS easier when someone else does it. Our bartenders and servers already have enough to do. More paper and more crappy white pens does not help service, it congests it. 

 

 

 

 

 

[smokeybandit]

3 hours ago, asquared17 said:

probably an easier way/more environmentally friendly way would be to have a barcode or something similar within the app -- you get little circles to indicate 4+ per day (depending on your CA tier) -- they scan the code, like any other coupon or boarding pass and voila!

.

That would also work. Something you could physically redeem for a drink 

[Pattycruise]

I"ve had drink "charges" in the dining room....when I had no drink at all.  This has happened on more than one cruise.  A voucher used at a venue i was not in.  Usually I don't hit my voucher allotment since I drink free in the casino, so I've not had to waste my time at Guest Services to rectify someone's mistake.  
My friend had a horrid time on an Alaska cruise on Radiance this past Sept and she had all sorts of drink charges (not voucher related) and when she disputed them they told her it was up to her to go find the waitstaff in the dining room/elsewhere and have the waiter proove she did not get a drink.  Just how does one do that? LOL   (BTW-she took all that BS along with the rest of the BS on that sailing and sent  a letter to MBayley-she received a nice credit.)

I find the wording of this to be "cheeky".   Was this an onboard letter?  I have not seen this yet  I guess I'll find out when I board on Sunday!
 

[BrianB]

8 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Was this an onboard letter?  I have not seen this yet  I guess I'll find out when I board on Sunday!

It’s an email. I got it yesterday.

[Matt]

I can see why they'd make this change.  For the most part, keeping track of your drinks is easy enough, but there have been plenty of times it's not crystal clear if the server used your diamond drinks or not. This is especially true at restaurants where you order a drink from one waiter and another delivers it.

[Atricks]

Only problem we had with vouchers was when we tried to use them on Labadee (on the Mariner group cruise this past July), since many places there don't have the electronic registers, it really got hosed with the hand written ones a day later which meant a trip to guest services.  Not sure how it would effect something like that.  

[smokeybandit]

One other thought. It's common to go get 2 drinks using 2 cards. Will they let you do that now?

What about a minor's drinks. Will they be expected to sign?

 

Probably not for either, but I'll be curious how that plays out.

[Fairlynew]

I was on Voyager last week, and we had a lot of issues.  We bought the refreshment package to supplement our 4 free drinks a day, which we used only for alcohol drinks.  We had charges on our account almost every day.  My husband's latte, covered by the refreshment package, was charged as a diamond drink.  Same with my fresh squeezed orange juice and other non-alcoholic drinks we had through the day.  I had to go to guest services almost every day to get charges removed-it was not an issue to have them removed-it was just inconvenient for both us and guest services.  And, yes, I know I could have gone to the diamond concierge, but the hours were not convenient, and luckily, guest services was usually not busy.  

[Jill]

I guess I can see the issues with having the refreshment package plus free drinks. 
 

We don’t get any package. We drink water or alcohol but when I order a drink, I tell them EVERY time that I’m using a Diamond drink or I’m not. For example: my husband pays for his beers by the pool and saves his vouchers for his vodka tonics at night. He always tells the bartender that he’s paying for the beers and not to use his vouchers. 
 

My guess is people are not telling the wait staff? Just hand over their card? 

[smokeybandit]

45 minutes ago, Jill said:

My guess is people are not telling the wait staff? Just hand over their card? 

That's what I've always done and never had an issue. But I don't have any other packages to possibly confuse things either.

[teddy]

I'm just glad the voucher program is still here.  We finally got to Diamond and are looking forward to taking advantage of the drinks

[karl_nj]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

One other thought. It's common to go get 2 drinks using 2 cards. Will they let you do that now?

What about a minor's drinks. Will they be expected to sign?

 

Probably not for either, but I'll be curious how that plays out.

Minors sign if they have charging privileges and order a drink have to pay for, so I don't see why they wouldn't sign a voucher one.

I know I had way too much fun signing for virgin pina coladas and virgin strawberry daiquiris as a 12 year old on Norwegian Carribean Line's Skyward in the late 80's.  Mom was a little upset when she saw the bar bill at the end of the cruise... lol

 

[Ampurp85]

I think they had to do this as all the new crew seem to be confused when it comes to C&A stuff. Other than the wasted paper I am okay with this.

[Pattycruise]

2 hours ago, teddy said:

I'm just glad the voucher program is still here.  We finally got to Diamond and are looking forward to taking advantage of the drinks

I agree.  Thankfully they’ve not stopped the program because that would have been easier than us having to sign slips of paper!

[TXcruzer]

4 hours ago, Fairlynew said:

I was on Voyager last week, and we had a lot of issues.  We bought the refreshment package to supplement our 4 free drinks a day, which we used only for alcohol drinks.  We had charges on our account almost every day.  My husband's latte, covered by the refreshment package, was charged as a diamond drink.  Same with my fresh squeezed orange juice and other non-alcoholic drinks we had through the day.  I had to go to guest services almost every day to get charges removed-it was not an issue to have them removed-it was just inconvenient for both us and guest services.  And, yes, I know I could have gone to the diamond concierge, but the hours were not convenient, and luckily, guest services was usually not busy.  

My experience exactly, this is why i like the new procedure

[AshleyDillo]

If I was expecting to pay for a drink and didn't get a receipt for it, I would ask about it right there to make sure they didn't use my voucher.  I always made it a point to tell them when I wanted to use one.  I thought it was standard that you got a receipt when you had to pay for a drink. Otherwise you wouldn't get a receipt and they'd charge your drink package or use a voucher. 

[LinRon2]

We have our doubts about this new policy of signing checks.  My wife and I treat our 8 total drinks between us together.  I might go to the bar to get us drinks or coffee in the morning, and instead of taking two ship cards, I'll, say, just use mine for two vouchers.  Later one, we might use her card for something I want...say two beers to take back to our cabin etc.  IOW, we track our vouchers as eight total rather as individuals.  I suspect this new policy might make things more difficult if not impossible for a collective strategy to use the vouchers; not sure.

Here something else.  We like to have martini's up in the crown lounge or diamond lounge [if we can find a seat, ha] before MDR dinner.  So far, our vouchers have been accepted; but martini's I think are $17 drinks.  Point here, is if RCI is taking a closer look at these vouchers, will it be harder [if again impossible] for bars to accept the vouchers for anything except the $13 drinks [I think it's $13; forget].  See...can of worms kind of thing.

finally, ever since they introduced this voucher program for diamond and above, it's really made big difference in our enjoyment on our cruises.  Even from the getgo, I was sort of worried if RCI would continue this benefit for long.  We've always found it unbelievable anyone would purchase the full drink package [who drinks that much...totally puzzled we are, ha]...so the vouchers are plenty for us [we have trouble using up all our vouchers; at the end of the day, like I said, we try and order a few beers or sodas to use them up...not always allowable depending on the ship].  Point here, if there are too many problems with this voucher program, via complaints, confusion, or just lack of control...well, we surely don't want to lose this important benefit.  It weighs heavy on our decision to book Royal instead of other cruise lines.  

Anyway, we're keeping an open mind and hopefully this check signing will help things.  We'll probably lose the martinis before dinner though, LOL.

[asquared17]

On 11/4/2022 at 10:33 PM, LinRon2 said:

We have our doubts about this new policy of signing checks.  My wife and I treat our 8 total drinks between us together.  I might go to the bar to get us drinks or coffee in the morning, and instead of taking two ship cards, I'll, say, just use mine for two vouchers.  Later one, we might use her card for something I want...say two beers to take back to our cabin etc.  IOW, we track our vouchers as eight total rather as individuals.  I suspect this new policy might make things more difficult if not impossible for a collective strategy to use the vouchers; not sure.

maybe i'm not understanding this correctly, so forgive me if i'm losing the thread here, but -- why wouldn't you still be able to do this?

the vouchers are the vouchers. whether they run both vouchers for two beers simultaneously/on the same receipt (unsure if this is possible, just speculating) --  or run two separate checks in succession, you're still within your rights to request/have those two drinks.

as long as you and your wife both have room for it that day, using them how you see fit doesn't seem like it would be an issue, other than the crew potentially having to print one each on a receipt/running the card twice for two slips of paper. you'd still have the drinks to use.

[Neesa]

On one of our previous sailings, (maybe Harmony?) in August someone kept using our drink vouchers In the bar at Central Park or the restaurants there. We were Diamond and had 4 each. By the time we arrived at dinner we would have maybe 2 left but we didn't use them all yet. We dined at CK and did not have the UDP and did not dine at Chop's the entire sailing yet our drink vouchers were being used there as well.  The one day that we were in port they started being used in the evening, when whomever returned. ( I was keeping track on the TV) Day 2 I went to the concierge who said it would be taken care of, I sat there while he was on the phone trying to sort it. The other person was insisting I was fibbing and that I used them. By day 4 I went to the Guest relations desk and demanded they pull up their thousands of cameras and clearly you would see it was not myself or hubby. Again, they were very accusatory and made me feel like I was trying to get more drinks on them. The drinks were taken off & I asked they request to see the sea pass card moving forward. It was a mess. 4 days to get it sorted. 

[smokeybandit]

12 minutes ago, Neesa said:

On one of our previous sailings, (maybe Harmony?) in August someone kept using our drink vouchers In the bar at Central Park or the restaurants there. We were Diamond and had 4 each. By the time we arrived at dinner we would have maybe 2 left but we didn't use them all yet. We dined at CK and did not have the UDP and did not dine at Chop's the entire sailing yet our drink vouchers were being used there as well.  The one day that we were in port they started being used in the evening, when whomever returned. ( I was keeping track on the TV) Day 2 I went to the concierge who said it would be taken care of, I sat there while he was on the phone trying to sort it. The other person was insisting I was fibbing and that I used them. By day 4 I went to the Guest relations desk and demanded they pull up their thousands of cameras and clearly you would see it was not myself or hubby. Again, they were very accusatory and made me feel like I was trying to get more drinks on them. The drinks were taken off & I asked they request to see the sea pass card moving forward. It was a mess. 4 days to get it sorted. 

Signing for voucher drinks won't fix this scenario though. Only requiring bartenders to swipe a card instead of just typing in a cabin number.

[LinRon2]

49 minutes ago, asquared17 said:

maybe i'm not understanding this correctly, so forgive me if i'm losing the thread here, but -- why wouldn't you still be able to do this?

the vouchers are the vouchers. whether they run both vouchers for two beers simultaneously/on the same receipt (unsure if this is possible, just speculating) --  or run two separate checks in succession, you're still within your rights to request/have those two drinks.

as long as you and your wife both have room for it that day, using them how you see fit doesn't seem like it would be an issue, other than the crew potentially having to print one each on a receipt/running the card twice for two slips of paper. you'd still have the drinks to use.

Well, we think it's more a convenience thing really.  If' I've used up my 4 vouchers getting drinks for drinks for the both of us, say in our cabin...I doubt I could use my wife's card to get more, meaning she'd have to be the "gopher" or we go together...that sort of thing.  As long we're together no problem I would think.  But often we aren't [and I'm always the go-fer, ha].  

On the martini's, which we highly enjoy before dinner, I somehow think having to make a hard copy with signature will eliminate this with vouchers, since these are $17 drinks.  I'm not sure, but somehow I think bars were lending a kind of blind eye on these [at least 2 ships we've been on since the voucher policy allowed the martinis].   I hope not, but with a paper trail, management probably will demand a closer alignment with actual RCI policies.   Just guessing on all this and we'll adapt of course.  I'm just glad RCI offers these vouchers period.  We're just spoiled, LOL.  Oh dear...does that mean we're becoming a 'Karen and Kyle"? Ha.  

[asquared17]

40 minutes ago, Neesa said:

On one of our previous sailings, (maybe Harmony?) in August someone kept using our drink vouchers In the bar at Central Park or the restaurants there. We were Diamond and had 4 each. By the time we arrived at dinner we would have maybe 2 left but we didn't use them all yet. We dined at CK and did not have the UDP and did not dine at Chop's the entire sailing yet our drink vouchers were being used there as well.  The one day that we were in port they started being used in the evening, when whomever returned. ( I was keeping track on the TV) Day 2 I went to the concierge who said it would be taken care of, I sat there while he was on the phone trying to sort it. The other person was insisting I was fibbing and that I used them. By day 4 I went to the Guest relations desk and demanded they pull up their thousands of cameras and clearly you would see it was not myself or hubby. Again, they were very accusatory and made me feel like I was trying to get more drinks on them. The drinks were taken off & I asked they request to see the sea pass card moving forward. It was a mess. 4 days to get it sorted. 

omg. i wonder if this was genuine human error (like did you have a similar last name) or a real scammer!!

eta: wait wait WAIT. you mentioned the other person was insisting that you used them -- the PERSON USING YOUR DRINK COUPONS WAS SAYING THIS?!! oh let me AT THEM!!!!!

who would even DO this and think that they wouldn't get caught????

i'm so sorry this happened, @Neesa! truly a cautionary tale for us all

[asquared17]

34 minutes ago, LinRon2 said:

Well, we think it's more a convenience thing really.  If' I've used up my 4 vouchers getting drinks for drinks for the both of us, say in our cabin...I doubt I could use my wife's card to get more, meaning she'd have to be the "gopher" or we go together...that sort of thing.  As long we're together no problem I would think.  But often we aren't [and I'm always the go-fer, ha].  

On the martini's, which we highly enjoy before dinner, I somehow think having to make a hard copy with signature will eliminate this with vouchers, since these are $17 drinks.  I'm not sure, but somehow I think bars were lending a kind of blind eye on these [at least 2 ships we've been on since the voucher policy allowed the martinis].   I hope not, but with a paper trail, management probably will demand a closer alignment with actual RCI policies.   Just guessing on all this and we'll adapt of course.  I'm just glad RCI offers these vouchers period.  We're just spoiled, LOL.  Oh dear...does that mean we're becoming a 'Karen and Kyle"? Ha.  

hahaha i do not think you are a karen and kyle in the slightest

i'm also unsure re: the martinis... in my experience (which is admittedly all pre-covid at this point), the diamond lounge was a little more flexible in terms of pricing etc unless you were going super super top self like a higher end sipping tequila or really fine wine. the martinis we saw being made were always in the same range and i never saw anyone needing to pay extra for them.

sidebar; the standard mixed drink/cocktail value is now $14 and vouchers have gone up to match. this is slowly making its way through the fleet, some on the forums have said their ships are still showing the $13 price on menus so YMMV. but if it's a $3 difference, especially in the diamond lounge, i wonder if that would be covered or if they'd insist on charging you for whatever upsell it was. the only other way i could see if being a $17 drink is if they factored in the 18% gratuity maybe? just can't recall seeing that on any updated drink menus recently.

i also wonder if you made it a point to travel back to the same bar and were able to tip them (not in a dishonest way, just in like a, thanks for your service/you're clearly our bartender of choice kind of way) if it might alleviate some of the uncertainty re: your card vs your wife's. my point is, if they get to know you, and they understand you are married, it might be less of an issue to challenge that you are clearly not her when presenting the card. but that's just my thoughts haha, so take it with a grain of salt