Crown & Anchor Platinum and Emerald - Why should I care?

[jeffmw]

My family and I are on the verge of going Platinum on Crown & Anchor. 

At first, I was excited to get there, but it really doesn't seem like you get much of anything. I'm sure this has been discussed here often, but do the lower levels of C&A not seem almost insultingly underwhelming?

You literally get Gold for just going on a cruise. And it seems the only additional thing I get for getting up to Platinum (which represents a month on their ships, >$25k spent with their company, etc.) beyond everyone else who has ever been on a cruise before is a bath robe and an additional 5% off spa services and Internet (we're talking <$1 per day on Internet service.) And even the Emerald level, which represents additional 25 days -- and another $~20k spent on their ships -- seems to only get me a couple free bottles of water. 

How is this possible? I realize there are a lot of people at these levels so anything they give away needs to be of negligible hard cost , but how can they possibly pass these things off as legitimate perks for repeat customers? Even to get a discount on a sailing, I have to book a balcony or better. Why would loyal customers who repeatedly decide to vacation with Royal not be provided even a small discount for choosing a lower-cost room?

There are so many things they could offer customers at this level that would cost them little to nothing and make them feel appreciated for their loyalty. To give someone a bath robe and TWO bottles of WATER as a thanks for spending $50k+ with them is almost insulting. 

Again, sure this has been discussed here to death before, but just wanted to see if perhaps I'm missing something. 

 

 

[Xaa]

They also gave $50k worth of cruises to the prson who spend $50k.

I think maybe you are doing it wrong though if your spending $800 per day per person for your cabin staying in balcony cabins.

[wordell1]

There is really very little difference up to the Diamond level.  There will be a few added on board offers but they also don't amount to much.

I agree that it would be nice to have added a few more perks at each level but I will say that the Diamond rewards are worth working towards.

[OCSC Mike]

17 minutes ago, wordell1 said:

There is really very little difference up to the Diamond level.  There will be a few added on board offers but they also don't amount to much.

I agree that it would be nice to have added a few more perks at each level but I will say that the Diamond rewards are worth working towards.

Agreed. The biggest jump is getting to Diamond. We're about to be 7 points away from D+ and there are a couple added perks we're looking forward to but nothing like getting to Diamond.

[mk-ultra]

I'm D+.  Usually in a suite and with a DBP.  For me, I don't see any substantial benefit until I hit 340 points.  That's where the single supplement drops from 200% to 150%.  That's a pretty decent savings for a solo cruiser.

[OCSC Mike]

33 minutes ago, mk-ultra said:

I'm D+.  Usually in a suite and with a DBP.  For me, I don't see any substantial benefit until I hit 340 points.  That's where the single supplement drops from 200% to 150%.  That's a pretty decent savings for a solo cruiser.

If you buy the DBP and are in a suite, that makes sense.

The Diamond drinks were a big deal to me b/c I'm frugal, not a huge drinker, and only in a suite if someone else is paying. Plus my wife doesn't really drink so I usually get 1-2 of hers and 5-6 drinks per day is fine by me. I also use the coffee machine in the DL every morning for several cappuccinos and we still like to pop in at night just to check out the snacks. We used to make more use of it before the switch to drink vouchers of course.

There are a couple other perks, of course, like the free pictures we have printed and then don't ever display, lol, but for someone who sails frugally, 8 free alcoholic drinks plus several fancy coffee drinks per day is a substantial perk to me. That's a face value of over $100/day.

At D+, I'll try my best to use up the extra drinks and we'll probably use the BOGO specialty restaurant perk on occasion.

[ChessE4]

1 hour ago, jeffmw said:

My family and I are on the verge of going Platinum on Crown & Anchor. 

At first, I was excited to get there, but it really doesn't seem like you get much of anything. I'm sure this has been discussed here often, but do the lower levels of C&A not seem almost insultingly underwhelming?

Yes, as others have stated, there isn't much, but the point is to enjoy cruising itself.  How much you spend is really irrelevant.  We worked our way up the ladder and enjoyed the CAS events or pins along the way with an occasional Bingo or drink discount.  It was something, but it wasn't worth paying "extra".  I found we enjoyed putting our $$ towards the best itineraries, not expensive rooms, but that's just us.  Everyone has their preference.  I hope your future travel plans, whatever they may be, are fulfilling for you and your significant others.

[Psycho and Barb]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

At D+, I'll try my best to use up the extra drinks and we'll probably use the BOGO specialty restaurant perk on occasion.

Don't forget your free bag of laundry...Lol

[OCSC Mike]

17 minutes ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Don't forget your free bag of laundry...Lol

Huge oversight on my part! That's definitely as exciting as 10 free drinks per day and 2 BOGO meals!

[Carlos A.]

As far as I can remember the only "perk" I've used since becoming Platinum and then Emerald are the Bath Robes, and the only perk that seems to be interesting to me once becoming Diamond are the drinks vouchers. 

[jeffmw]

1 hour ago, ChessE4 said:

Yes, as others have stated, there isn't much, but the point is to enjoy cruising itself.  How much you spend is really irrelevant.  We worked our way up the ladder and enjoyed the CAS events or pins along the way with an occasional Bingo or drink discount.  It was something, but it wasn't worth paying "extra".  I found we enjoyed putting our $$ towards the best itineraries, not expensive rooms, but that's just us.  Everyone has their preference.  I hope your future travel plans, whatever they may be, are fulfilling for you and your significant others.

My beef really is less coming at this from a consumer's perspective and more from the standpoint of business and marketing, which is a lens I tend to view things from. I don't need or expect a bunch of free things and discounts (although they're obviously appreciated). But it's a big missed opportunity from a marketing and customer loyalty standpoint. People love perks. They love to feel special and appreciated -- that their loyalty gets them something, even if it's not necessarily at a significant cost. 

A lot of the C&A 'perks' are actually self-serving for Royal. Discounts on spa services are only a discount if you already get spa treatments when cruising. What Royal is trying to do (and they're not alone in this -- this is what all sorts of companies do) is get people who would otherwise not book spa services to do so, driven by the minimal discount. It's almost certainly a net positive and a revenue driver for Royal rather than a sacrifice they're making to honor loyal guests. Same goes for discounts on Internet, etc. 

There's a often-referenced study in business that perks like additional days off, free snacks and drinks at the office, etc., are perceived as more valuable to employees than pay raises, even though the cost of the perks don't near that of the pay raise for the individual employee. But there's greater employee satisfaction out of the former because it's tangible and unique. 

Getting two bottles of water in your room after spending 55 nights on their cruise ships just seems lazy. There are so many ways they could make lower-level loyalty guests 'feel' special without affecting their bottom line. 

[Jill]

1 hour ago, jeffmw said:

My beef really is less coming at this from a consumer's perspective and more from the standpoint of business and marketing, which is a lens I tend to view things from. I don't need or expect a bunch of free things and discounts (although they're obviously appreciated). But it's a big missed opportunity from a marketing and customer loyalty standpoint. People love perks. They love to feel special and appreciated -- that their loyalty gets them something, even if it's not necessarily at a significant cost. 

A lot of the C&A 'perks' are actually self-serving for Royal. Discounts on spa services are only a discount if you already get spa treatments when cruising. What Royal is trying to do (and they're not alone in this -- this is what all sorts of companies do) is get people who would otherwise not book spa services to do so, driven by the minimal discount. It's almost certainly a net positive and a revenue driver for Royal rather than a sacrifice they're making to honor loyal guests. Same goes for discounts on Internet, etc. 

There's a often-referenced study in business that perks like additional days off, free snacks and drinks at the office, etc., are perceived as more valuable to employees than pay raises, even though the cost of the perks don't near that of the pay raise for the individual employee. But there's greater employee satisfaction out of the former because it's tangible and unique. 

Getting two bottles of water in your room after spending 55 nights on their cruise ships just seems lazy. There are so many ways they could make lower-level loyalty guests 'feel' special without affecting their bottom line. 

Priority boarding would be nice. Pretty much did away with it during Covid when they switched to check in times which no one follows anymore and rarely enforced. I have heard that Galveston is doing priority boarding again. Costs nothing but to me a nice perk 

[Mike n Ky]

It was nice to hit those levels but the lower tiers were mainly steps in my journey to diamond where the perks got a lot better. Not far from D+ and the best thing about being D/+ is the added benefits.

[Ampurp85]

I don't think Royal's loyalty program differs in perks or concept from a lot of places. How many flights do I need to take before I can get a free one or enjoy lounge access? The same with credit card and banking rewards. Not to mention the food and grocery rewards.

The point is loyalty, yes, some added perks won't cost the company much but when they change the smaller ones, the higher ones will also change. 30 nights on a ship is a feat so I think the benefits for Platinum and above could be a bit better. I think the drink vouchers could start at Platinum with one, then two for Emerald.

I sail Mon and will cross over to D+ after my second night. D+ is the sweet spot for me, with all the perks I will be cutting my spending down dramatically. 

[Bowen]

They’re reserving the perks for the loyal customers. Not much point in giving great perks to someone who has been on two cruises and splits their time along the other cruise lines. It took me almost 20 years to get to Diamond, in hindsight the half dozen cruises I took on other lines would have been better spent on Royal. Royal would have been happy to Diamond me much sooner.

[jeffmw]

1 hour ago, Bowen said:

They’re reserving the perks for the loyal customers. Not much point in giving great perks to someone who has been on two cruises and splits their time along the other cruise lines. It took me almost 20 years to get to Diamond, in hindsight the half dozen cruises I took on other lines would have been better spent on Royal. Royal would have been happy to Diamond me much sooner.

I agree with that completely. But once you're at 30 nights (Platinum) we're talking most likely 5+ cruises. At 55 (Emerald), we're talking 7-10.

Keep in mind, Royal is targeting families; not retirees who can travel 12 months out of the year. So if you take into account that most families with kids in school, etc., can only take 1-2 big vacations per year (if they're fortunate enough to be able to afford even that), that's considerable dedication. I have a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old. Every time I book with them. I'm choosing Royal over Disney World, cruises on another cruise lines [Disney, Carnival, Norwegian], all-inclusives all over the world, Mexico, D.R., South Florida, and every other potential option for a family with kids. 

So while I get that you don't want to give status to people who aren't loyal customers, I would say once you get to 5+ cruises, for most people in their target audience, that's a lot of dedication to one option. 

[Bowen]

15 minutes ago, jeffmw said:

I agree with that completely. But once you're at 30 nights (Platinum) we're talking most likely 5+ cruises. At 55 (Emerald), we're talking 7-10.

Keep in mind, Royal is targeting families; not retirees who can travel 12 months out of the year. So if you take into account that most families with kids in school, etc., can only take 1-2 big vacations per year (if they're fortunate enough), that's considerable dedication. I have a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old. Every time I book with them. I'm choosing Royal over Disney World, cruises on another cruise lines [Disney, Carnival, Norwegian], all-inclusives all over the world, Mexico, D.R., South Florida, and every other potential option for a family with kids. 

So while I get that you don't want to give status to people who aren't loyal customers, I would say once you get to 5+ cruises, for most people in their target audience, that's a lot of dedication to one option. 

Maybe so, but it’s not enough dedication to make It monetarily viable for Royal to give better perks. Like I said, it took me 20 years, I feel you, but the line is going to look at the bottom line.

[jeffmw]

15 minutes ago, Bowen said:

Maybe so, but it’s not enough dedication to make It monetarily viable for Royal to give better perks. Like I said, it took me 20 years, I feel you, but the line is going to look at the bottom line.

This was my original argument (or at least the one I presented midway through the topic). People's perception of a 'perk' can be far greater than the value of the perk itself, and cost a company virtually nothing. Royal is not alone in this (Carnival's loyalty program seems to be similar), but there are plenty of things they could do to make a repeated customer feel more appreciated that cost the company little to nothing.

I totally understand reserving free drink packages, free specialty restaurants, access to the Diamond Lounge where there's limited space for people with greater status. But, for example, offering boarding times by status costs them nothing and makes people feel 'special' even if the time difference is marginal. It's perception. One time during each cruise, have an hour in a lounge where people who are Platinum or better can shake hands with the freaking captain or something (don't take that as a literal suggestion and tell me why it's unfeasible -- I'm simply providing an example of something that costs nothing, wouldn't even interest everyone, but gives people the perception that their loyalty is getting them something.)

There are so many things they could do. And, again, I don't personally really care. But I think it's a massive missed opportunity by RCI to increase consumer enthusiasm for the brand. 

[Bowen]

15 minutes ago, jeffmw said:

This was my original argument (or at least the one I presented midway through the topic). People's perception of a 'perk' can be far greater than the value of the perk itself, and cost a company virtually nothing. Royal is not alone in this (Carnival's loyalty program seems to be similar), but there are plenty of things they could do to make a repeated customer feel more appreciated that cost the company little to nothing.

I totally understand reserving free drink packages, free specialty restaurants, access to the Diamond Lounge where there's limited space for people with greater status. But, for example, offering boarding times by status costs them nothing and makes people feel 'special' even if the time difference is marginal. It's perception. One time during each cruise, have an hour in a lounge where people who are Platinum or better can shake hands with the freaking captain or something (don't take that as a literal suggestion and tell me why it's unfeasible -- I'm simply providing an example of something that costs nothing, wouldn't even interest everyone, but gives people the perception that their loyalty is getting them something.)

There are so many things they could do. And, again, I don't personally really care. But I think it's a massive missed opportunity by RCI to increase consumer enthusiasm for the brand. 

They used to do special boarding bars on class, I think even at Emerald. They don’t anymore, so I can only guess that somehow it was costing them money. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but I do think Emerald used to Have a special boarding line. Now they don’t even have one for Diamond, at least not that I’ve seen since the COVID mandates ended.

[Bowen]

Boarding based on class, enormous typo.

[Ampurp85]

1 hour ago, jeffmw said:

This was my original argument (or at least the one I presented midway through the topic). People's perception of a 'perk' can be far greater than the value of the perk itself, and cost a company virtually nothing. Royal is not alone in this (Carnival's loyalty program seems to be similar), but there are plenty of things they could do to make a repeated customer feel more appreciated that cost the company little to nothing.

I totally understand reserving free drink packages, free specialty restaurants, access to the Diamond Lounge where there's limited space for people with greater status. But, for example, offering boarding times by status costs them nothing and makes people feel 'special' even if the time difference is marginal. It's perception. One time during each cruise, have an hour in a lounge where people who are Platinum or better can shake hands with the freaking captain or something (don't take that as a literal suggestion and tell me why it's unfeasible -- I'm simply providing an example of something that costs nothing, wouldn't even interest everyone, but gives people the perception that their loyalty is getting them something.)

There are so many things they could do. And, again, I don't personally really care. But I think it's a massive missed opportunity by RCI to increase consumer enthusiasm for the brand. 

But based on your argument, the perception of perks is there. Even if its 5% off, they are getting something by just choosing to sail with RCI. You seem to be arguing more about what you perceive as an actual perk and not the perception. Everything cost a business something and a business is there to make money foremost than anything else. I want to know what other cruise line, theme park, or hotel beginning perks are so amazing? 

[Psycho and Barb]

It’s not the perks that keeps us coming back to Royal…We keep coming back for many reasons.  We love their ships, shows and customer service and other things.  The perks are nice and we think could be improved.  

[Rackham]

No major difference to Carnival's (https://www.carnival.com/vifp) or NCL's (https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program#tier_benefits) loyalty programs at those levels. What this tells me is the mass market lines know they don't need to offer much with their programs to keep people coming back early on. It's keeping people happy who frequently cruise, filling cabins that might otherwise go unsold, happy. People like retirees and those who cruise during the school year happy to keep ships' occupancy high (or at least as high as possible) during the off-season. 

[twangster]

11 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I sail Mon and will cross over to D+ after my second night. D+ is the sweet spot for me, with all the perks I will be cutting my spending down dramatically. 

Woohoo!  Congrats!

[twangster]

Cruise because you love to cruise, not because of a loyalty program.  That is first and foremost.

Like most loyalty programs the perks get better as you increase in rank.  

You are not wrong.  The perks for the lower levels of most travel loyalty programs don't tend to be great.  That's largely because these levels in the program have the most members.  If it doesn't work for you there is nothing wrong with that.   It's a free program.  

[ScottD]

We don't cruise much, so my wife was very set on only Sailing Royal so we could "build up the points" I finally showed her how much we'd have to cruise to make points relevant, and she quickly agreed that sailing for perks wasn't worth it, and we should just cruise when and how we want. This is why we finally decided to try another line next year... we don't cruise THAT much, so we may as well try something different once in a while rather than just worrying about being loyal for perks 

[ScooterScott22]

@jeffmw just wondering what perks you are comparing the Crown & Anchor too?  There are quite a few different programs out there and I would say that the majority don't really have all that great of perks until you get to the highest tiers and even then they might have limited application to a specific individual.  The cruise lines are hampered by the fact that they started all their programs with a "no renewal" policy unlike other travel programs.  That means they have no real way to purge the demand of perks other than by people dying or not using their product.  It makes sense that they would limit the amount of perks until someone establishes a brand loyalty.  

I have been traveling for work for years and have Platinum with American and Delta, A+ with Southwest, Diamond with Hilton, similar with Marriott, Hyatt and IHG, Executive Elite with National, Presidents Circle with Hertz, and on cruises - Royal - Diamond, DCL - Platinum, and MSC - Diamond.  Most of the perks are not that exciting in any of these programs, except for the upgrades with flights.  On the programs with renewal periods some of the services provided can be helpful and some of the "carry over" from year to year is beneficial but as for real gifts or free stuff there is not much.  

[jeffmw]

14 hours ago, Rackham said:

No major difference to Carnival's (https://www.carnival.com/vifp) or NCL's (https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program#tier_benefits) loyalty programs at those levels. What this tells me is the mass market lines know they don't need to offer much with their programs to keep people coming back early on. It's keeping people happy who frequently cruise, filling cabins that might otherwise go unsold, happy. People like retirees and those who cruise during the school year happy to keep ships' occupancy high (or at least as high as possible) during the off-season. 

You're right on that. Carnival's doesn't appear to be any better. Norwegian's, though, is a considerable step up. There are larger discounts earlier on plus some of the perks reserved for top-tier C&A levels kick in much sooner. 

Either way, there's no doubt these are developed through intensive consumer research. It's someone's (or, perhaps several people's) job to design and manage this program, so it's not as if the tiers and benefits are developed without thought. 

There does seem to be a bit of laziness in the plan, though. As I've said, it's not about free stuff or massive discounts. There are ways to make repeated customers feel valued (and from a business standpoint, that stuff can get you a lot of ROI for the effort) and they don't really seem to take advantage of that. 

 

[jeffmw]

33 minutes ago, ScooterScott22 said:

@jeffmw just wondering what perks you are comparing the Crown & Anchor too?  There are quite a few different programs out there and I would say that the majority don't really have all that great of perks until you get to the highest tiers and even then they might have limited application to a specific individual.  The cruise lines are hampered by the fact that they started all their programs with a "no renewal" policy unlike other travel programs.  That means they have no real way to purge the demand of perks other than by people dying or not using their product.  It makes sense that they would limit the amount of perks until someone establishes a brand loyalty.  

I have been traveling for work for years and have Platinum with American and Delta, A+ with Southwest, Diamond with Hilton, similar with Marriott, Hyatt and IHG, Executive Elite with National, Presidents Circle with Hertz, and on cruises - Royal - Diamond, DCL - Platinum, and MSC - Diamond.  Most of the perks are not that exciting in any of these programs, except for the upgrades with flights.  On the programs with renewal periods some of the services provided can be helpful and some of the "carry over" from year to year is beneficial but as for real gifts or free stuff there is not much.  

Again, I think many of the responses here miss my initial point and the one I've been stressing throughout my replies. Perhaps it's a common complaint to bemoan lack of access to valuable perks or significant discounts at lower levels of loyalty programs. That's not my position here and that's not possible for many of the reasons you list above. 

I don't think free specialty dining or drink packages, etc., is a reasonable expectation at lower levels of C&A. But, again, from a business standpoint, showing appreciationfor loyalty -- even in simple, innocuous ways -- can go a long way and lead to a long-term ROI for minimal cost, particularly for a company like Royal which is competing so vehemently for limited dollars (people's travel budgets) against some massive players (Disney, Marriott, Hilton, other cruise lines, etc.) 

Little, stupid things can make people feel like, "Oh Royal appreciates that I've chosen them again over all those other options." Meaningless boarding priority, separate lines for things, meet and greets with staff or show casts, special hours for certain attractions. Not all of these things. Maybe one or two.

Again, this isn't about me saying, "I WANT FREE CRAP!" It's a mere observation that Royal seems to put minimal consideration into making repeat customers feel appreciated, and I think that costs them valuable opportunities to lock in loyal customers long-term. 

 

[Pooch]

Lucked out on the Covid double points promo.  15 days in suites = 60 points. From 22 points (gold) to 82 points (diamond) in 2 cruises.

[Jolly Ogre]

39 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Lucked out on the Covid double points promo.  15 days in suites = 60 points. From 22 points (gold) to 82 points (diamond) in 2 cruises.

Me too

[crazy4disney]

1 hour ago, jeffmw said:

Again, I think many of the responses here miss my initial point and the one I've been stressing throughout my replies. Perhaps it's a common complaint to bemoan lack of access to valuable perks or significant discounts at lower levels of loyalty programs. That's not my position here and that's not possible for many of the reasons you list above. 

I don't think free specialty dining or drink packages, etc., is a reasonable expectation at lower levels of C&A. But, again, from a business standpoint, showing appreciationfor loyalty -- even in simple, innocuous ways -- can go a long way and lead to a long-term ROI for minimal cost, particularly for a company like Royal which is competing so vehemently for limited dollars (people's travel budgets) against some massive players (Disney, Marriott, Hilton, other cruise lines, etc.) 

Little, stupid things can make people feel like, "Oh Royal appreciates that I've chosen them again over all those other options." Meaningless boarding priority, separate lines for things, meet and greets with staff or show casts, special hours for certain attractions. Not all of these things. Maybe one or two.

Again, this isn't about me saying, "I WANT FREE CRAP!" It's a mere observation that Royal seems to put minimal consideration into making repeat customers feel appreciated, and I think that costs them valuable opportunities to lock in loyal customers long-term. 

 

 

I've been following this thread, and am surprised that more people haven't agreed with you. I definitely agree! It's not about free crap, it's about feeling like your choice of where you spend your cruise dollars (or any dollars) counts to that company. As you have very well said, it's about the perception of being valued... and that really doesn't take a lot to accomplish. Priority lines, early access to boarding, shows, special reservations, maybe a special behind-the-scenes tour or something, all of that costs the cruise line nothing yet gives the perception of valuing their customer. It can go a long way.

 

[Ampurp85]

33 minutes ago, crazy4disney said:

 

I've been following this thread, and am surprised that more people haven't agreed with you. I definitely agree! It's not about free crap, it's about feeling like your choice of where you spend your cruise dollars (or any dollars) counts to that company. As you have very well said, it's about the perception of being valued... and that really doesn't take a lot to accomplish. Priority lines, early access to boarding, shows, special reservations, maybe a special behind-the-scenes tour or something, all of that costs the cruise line nothing yet gives the perception of valuing their customer. It can go a long way.

 

A lot of you keep saying these things cost the cruise lines nothing but that isn't true. Everything cost. Whether it be in actual dollars or goodwill. 

If after one cruise, and becoming Gold, you get priority line and early access, etc. Then what will the next tier need to be? Then the one after that? Those things will add up because in order for things to seem like a perk, they have to either upgrade or downgrade something. Then comes the complaints, which cost the company and that will trickle down. Considering that perception is subjective, so will the value be. Currently Gold gets two 50% off coupons for drinks, 10% of internet and money off services on the ship. That has value. 

[DoomSlayer]

Personally, I value my Club Royale status more than my Crown and Anchor status as I feel I get more from it.  Unfortunately, Club Royale is not a lifetime status and must be "renewed" annually.

[KevinK]

22 minutes ago, DoomSlayer said:

Personally, I value my Club Royale status more than my Crown and Anchor status as I feel I get more from it.  Unfortunately, Club Royale is not a lifetime status and must be "renewed" annually.

I would say "renewed fee" 

[jeffmw]

1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said:

A lot of you keep saying these things cost the cruise lines nothing but that isn't true. Everything cost. Whether it be in actual dollars or goodwill. 

If after one cruise, and becoming Gold, you get priority line and early access, etc. Then what will the next tier need to be? Then the one after that? Those things will add up because in order for things to seem like a perk, they have to either upgrade or downgrade something. Then comes the complaints, which cost the company and that will trickle down. Considering that perception is subjective, so will the value be. Currently Gold gets two 50% off coupons for drinks, 10% of internet and money off services on the ship. That has value. 

This ignores the gist of everything I've been saying so far. From the get-go, I specifically said "Gold" simply means you've been on a cruise before. I never advocated for anyone who has simply been on a cruise before to get wild special treatment. Once you get to Platinum and Emerald, through, it's without question that those customers have exhibited some level of loyalty. With minimal cost and effort, Royal could do a few things of course proportionally less significant to what's provided to the higher levels, to make customers who continue to choose Royal as their vacation provider feel appreciated for their ongoing patronage. 

You mention some costs being non-monetary but rather "goodwill" which proves my point further. The monetary cost of these sorts of gestures of appreciation is negligible. And if a billion-dollar corporation has no "goodwill" left to sprinkle upon its dedicated customers, that corporation surely needs the type of self-examination that I'm advocating in this post in the first place. 

[Ampurp85]

25 minutes ago, jeffmw said:

This ignores the gist of everything I've been saying so far. From the get-go, I specifically said "Gold" simply means you've been on a cruise before. I never advocated for anyone who has simply been on a cruise before to get wild special treatment. Once you get to Platinum and Emerald, through, it's without question that those customers have exhibited some level of loyalty. With minimal cost and effort, Royal could do a few things of course proportionally less significant to what's provided to the higher levels, to make customers who continue to choose Royal as their vacation provider feel appreciated for their ongoing patronage. 

You mention some costs being non-monetary but rather "goodwill" which proves my point further. The monetary cost of these sorts of gestures of appreciation is negligible. And if a billion-dollar corporation has no "goodwill" left to sprinkle upon its dedicated customers, that corporation surely needs the type of self-examination that I'm advocating in this post in the first place. 

No cost is negligible from a business standpoint. To provide some things might incur minimal cost but there will be cost.

Your argument is that you perceive the perks starting at platinum to have no value, I pointed out that even starting at Gold there is value. You and others keep saying you don't want free crap but the perception of perks. I just pointed out there is, just not what you want.

[Pooch]

2 hours ago, crazy4disney said:

 

I've been following this thread, and am surprised that more people haven't agreed with you. I definitely agree! It's not about free crap, it's about feeling like your choice of where you spend your cruise dollars (or any dollars) counts to that company. As you have very well said, it's about the perception of being valued... and that really doesn't take a lot to accomplish. Priority lines, early access to boarding, shows, special reservations, maybe a special behind-the-scenes tour or something, all of that costs the cruise line nothing yet gives the perception of valuing their customer. It can go a long way.

 

Well I am crazy for Disney too.  20+ trips under my belt and they give me SQUAT for my loyalty.  5 cruises into Royal and I get free drinks, photos, free day of internet, a dedicated lounge and more.

[crazy4disney]

20 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Well I am crazy for Disney too.  20+ trips under my belt and they give me SQUAT for my loyalty.  5 cruises into Royal and I get free drinks, photos, free day of internet, a dedicated lounge and more.

 

Very, very true... My worshipping at the alter of the mouse garners me nothing more than a big smile on my face and an empty bank account, lol. I miss the days of things such as the old Magic Kingdom Club! 

 

[Pooch]

And the mouse lost me when they started lightening lanes, genie+, paid early admission.  My DGD is 5 so there will have to be one more trip but then, except for an occasional Epcot F&WF visit, I think I’m done.