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Just a heads up for anyone sailing soon and hoping for casino perks for Prime level.  The new program information going to the casino hosts is not correct so before you sail - get something from a representative from the casino telephone number with your point total!!!

We just got off Anthem and in our rooms was a letter from the casino host with our new tiers.  My husband's letter stated he was Prime and mine stated Choice.  I had called before I left on vacation and a casino representative stated that I would be Prime as I reached more than 2,500 points from July 2016 through December 2017 so I was confused. 

I went to the Casino Host and explained that I know for a fact I reached over 2,500 points (I really just want it so I don't have to pay for drinks in the casino and waive 5% fee).  He looked me up and stated I only did 1,900 (which I know was just on my short September cruise and didn't include the longer cruise from March). He wouldn't budge and insisted his system was correct but to come back later in the cruise.  Needless to say, I was annoyed!!

I called the casino telephone number today to inquire about it because of what I was told before the cruise versus on the cruise.  She stated that she was showing 1,900 for my last cruise but can't see points from the March 2017 cruise because it was over 12 months ago which is why he was only showing the last cruise.  I stated that I was confused since they are supposed to be going back to July 2016 so how can they do that if they are only including people's points for the past 12 months.  She was confused as well and has someone looking into it and will get back to me.

She did tell me that Year 1 eligibility was 6/1/16-12/31/17, Year 2 is 1/1/18-3/31/19 and Year 3 (and all years after) is 4/1/19-3/31/20 (12 months - not a rolling 12 months).

I just want to get this warning out.  We are sailing again in June and hope they have this straightened out so I don't have to buy the drink package!!!

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Wow.  What a horrible mistake for them to make.  You and Tonyfsu can commiserate about poor service by the casino host on a ship.  I guess in your case, it is really not the hostesses' fault.  She was given bad intel but it doesn't make it any more acceptable.

Don't let them off the hook though.  You are right and they are wrong.  Keep after them and hopefully you will get satisfaction like Tony did.

I still have gotten NOTHING from Club Royale.  I found out our tier levels from the casino hostess on Allure 2 weeks ago but still nothing from the shoreside program folks.

I have only tried to book 1 cruise since the new program took effect and I will say that if the price I was quoted is going to be indicative of casino rates and discounts for Prime, going forward, they are nearly useless.  I thought the certificates were useless but the pathetic discount they quoted us for a cruise on Grandeur in Sept. 2019 was really horrible.  I will give it more time to see if they get any better but what a disappointment. After having received casino discounts in the 48 - 55% range (off total cruise fare price), the quote for the Grandeur cruise was truly pathetic.  A total of $237 for BOTH of us on a cruise fare of $6740.00.  Of course, we still got our C&A balcony discount and the prevailing BOGO50 but for casino discount alone - horrible, horrible, horrible.  I guess this is where the REAL negative benefits of the lower tier levels is going to hit us.

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WAAAYTOOO, I am definitely not letting them off the hook.  I had bought a drink package originally and then cancelled it when I found out I was Prime (before the cruise).  Needless to say, I had to pay for drinks in the casino because I wasn't showing as prime and so it end up costing me money because of the bad information the casino was given.  

I also spoke with them about a cruise in September 2019 as well and the discount was horrible.  They told me they can only take around 5% off if booked more than a year in advance but that they would give us more off as soon as the cruise fell within a year.  I asked whether I could lock in the price now and then re-price it in September (1 year out) and she said yes but it would be at prevailing rates.  So disappointing because we like to book far in advance to lock in good rates but it sounds like we can only book a year in advance.

We have been considering "jumping ship" and just doing land based casino trips such as going to Atlantis instead but not sure if they do comps there for rooms/drinks.

 

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CGTLH, if I read this correctly (it has "lawyer language" and I am not a lawyer), that means, if I am at Prime now, as soon as April 1, 2019 rolls around, I am no longer Prime and have to earn it all over again.  We typically cruise in March and September so to me that means September will be our first cruise in the period and if we don't earn all 2,500 points on that one cruise then we get no perks.  Or, should it be interpreted that it looks at the prior 12 month period to determine eligibility during the current 12 month period?

So confused!

 

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@jaullram Will need to reread it my self. On a mobile device so lawyer print isn't that friendly.

As of late I'm a small minnow (even minnow might be too big) in the Club Royale lake. Only thing I really cared about was the 5% fee. Seeing that it is at a level that I would be lucky to reach I'm not amused and sure play will become very limited. Add to the mix on newer ships the minimum play at the tables is $10 I've started to stay out of the Casino.

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47 minutes ago, jaullram said:

CGTLH, if I read this correctly (it has "lawyer language" and I am not a lawyer), that means, if I am at Prime now, as soon as April 1, 2019 rolls around, I am no longer Prime and have to earn it all over again.  We typically cruise in March and September so to me that means September will be our first cruise in the period and if we don't earn all 2,500 points on that one cruise then we get no perks.  Or, should it be interpreted that it looks at the prior 12 month period to determine eligibility during the current 12 month period?

So confused!

 

The way I understand it is that right now, I am earning points for next year so come 1 April 2019, I will be tiered based on my year 2 evaluation period play (I know that the year 2 evaluation period is a bit longer than they will be in the future...more than just 12 months.  I think maybe it's Jan 1, 2018 - 31 March 2019 but I can't remember exactly).  I have already accumulated more than the necessary 2500 points (on Allure 2 weeks ago) so I am automatically ALREADY qualified at Prime for the 1 April 2019-31 March 2019 year.  Now...if I manage to accumulate another 12,500 points (which is next to impossible for me) over my next 4 cruises then I will qualify for Signature level.  Believe me, I am NOT holding my breath on that one.

If my understanding of the evaluation criteria is correct (and GOD KNOWS it may not be !) you will never truly revert back to -0- unless you take NO cruises during the evaluation period.  If you do cruise during that period and accumulate less than 2500 points, then you will be in the Select tier which gives you virtually no benefits at all.  So there is NO doubt that this program favors those who cruise frequently and makes it very difficult for those who cruise infrequently.  I do think, however, that this new program removes a lot of pressure for those of us who happen to take a cruise where we either don't play in the casino at all or play very little.  Since the tier levels are now based on CUMULATIVE points rather than "you're only as good as your last cruise" then you can have a "slow" cruise and it won't really hurt you unless you're trying desperately to get to the next level...something I will never be doing.

About an hour ago I received an email offer from Royal for $1000 off any of 3 cruises (1 was to Cuba, 1 was for a Med cruise and the third was for Radiance to Hawaii, which is the one I am interested in).  Other than a completely comped cruise (usually for an inside room), this is the most "dollars off" offer I have ever received.  I looked the email over very carefully to see if there was any mention of my Club tier level and there isn't.  So this may be a mass emailing and may not be an offer specific to any tier level.

I've asked Michelle to get 2 prices for me from CR.  1 using this "dollars off" offer and 1 using just the casino rates.  This cruise SHOULD have a casino rate since it is within 1 year.  We shall see how "good" the casino rates are for me now that I am in the Prime tier.  This should be a good test case.

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That is what I originally thought but then reading the "lawyer language" in the link posted above I got confused! I believe you are correct though!

I would be interested in hearing whether they give you a good discount or not!

I saw you said you were on Allure recently - how is the casino on that ship?

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5 hours ago, jaullram said:

WAAAYTOOO, I am definitely not letting them off the hook.  I had bought a drink package originally and then cancelled it when I found out I was Prime (before the cruise).  Needless to say, I had to pay for drinks in the casino because I wasn't showing as prime and so it end up costing me money because of the bad information the casino was given.  

I also spoke with them about a cruise in September 2019 as well and the discount was horrible.  They told me they can only take around 5% off if booked more than a year in advance but that they would give us more off as soon as the cruise fell within a year.  I asked whether I could lock in the price now and then re-price it in September (1 year out) and she said yes but it would be at prevailing rates.  So disappointing because we like to book far in advance to lock in good rates but it sounds like we can only book a year in advance.

We have been considering "jumping ship" and just doing land based casino trips such as going to Atlantis instead but not sure if they do comps there for rooms/drinks.

 

Please make sure you send an email out requesting to be reimbursed for drinks, fees exc. I have been reimbursed and I’m still in talks for future cruise perks exc to make up for the treatment I received on Enchantment. They need to get their s@it straight. 

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4 hours ago, jaullram said:

That is what I originally thought but then reading the "lawyer language" in the link posted above I got confused! I believe you are correct though!

I would be interested in hearing whether they give you a good discount or not!

I saw you said you were on Allure recently - how is the casino on that ship?

The casino on Allure is very big and I loved the 2 hostesses. They could not have been more helpful with getting tier levels etc.  They have removed the electronic poker machines (hallelujah!) and now have 2 live dealer tables but I never saw more than 1 of them manned during our cruise.  The table minimums, like all of the other Oasis Class ships, are higher with most of the table games ($10 minimum vs $5 on the smaller ships).   Lots of slots, if slots are your game of choice. I love playing in the O class casinos.  I don’t plays slots but I’ve heard others complaining about the slots being very tight.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I also received my letter stating I was Prime on the Majesty of the Seas and an explanation of the new Tier Levels. One benefit indicated for Prime is an annual complementary interior cabin cruise. So I called Casino Players today to book a cruise using my cruise certificate and to upgrade my free cruise to a balcony. Well, land side still does not have our Tier levels. Couldn't believe it. I had to book the balcony without the discount for the interior cabin. Now she told me that at some point I will receive an email stating my level and benefits. Then I can call them and supposedly get the credit for the interior cabin. What a confused mess! I did get free drinks though and waiver of the 5% fee, so that was great. We shall see what happens.

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  • 8 months later...
3 hours ago, MikedMikedoz1 said:

The question I have is my wife and I budget our money as one can they do the same in the casino it’s all coming from husband and wife for a total amount spent each night

Not sure if I understand your question....but if you’re asking if you can pool your money and “share” the status, the answer is “no”.  You CAN pool your money and concentrate on one of you getting all the points, but only the person whose card is being played will get the credit and thus, the tier status.

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30 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Not sure if I understand your question....but if you’re asking if you can pool your money and “share” the status, the answer is “no”.  You CAN pool your money and concentrate on one of you getting all the points, but only the person whose card is being played will get the credit and thus, the tier status.

Welcome back! How was anthem star class?

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1 hour ago, Sweety said:

Welcome back! How was anthem star class?

Hey, Sweety !

Still on !  We are in Nassau today...going to Coco Cay tomorrow then heading back.  Off on Sunday morning.  Then back to work.

The Cruise(s) has been wonderful.  Truly, a trip of a lifetime.  Our Genie, Yen is incredible.  So sweet and dedicated. She told us she was getting off for a while in Nassau today and going to eat some Chinese food. I hope she really enjoys her time off the ship. She works so hard.

I will do a sort of cruise highlight post when this is over. I don’t have the proper resources (laptop) with me to do it real time.  Dan absolutely loves the Q class and I do too.  I think I still prefer the O class but I think Dan is a convert. He loves 270. I admit...it’s pretty swell.

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  • 4 weeks later...

You cannot combine a free cruise with a certificate of any kind.  But you CAN upgrade your free cruise by simply paying the upgrade fee, which is very reasonable, as a rule.

If you are both Prime, you can actually combine your annual "free" Prime cruises to upgrade from your free inside to an ocean view BUT combining your cruises in that way is very inefficient, IMO since they will only upgrade you 1 category. If, instead, you chose to use both of your free cruises on B2B cruises (or any 2 cruises even if they aren't B2B)  then you get the full benefit of both cruises.  We recently did that with our free casino cruises.  I booked each of us a cruise on Anthem, for 2 consecutive weeks in Feb.  So we basically got a free 16 day cruise. Well....it would have been free if I had not upgraded both of them to Star Class...You definitely get more benefit from taking both of the cruises individually than you do by combining them but you CAN combine them if you choose to do that.  Keep in mind that your "free" cruise is based on the lowest category inside room on the ship....

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  • 4 months later...

Just a share as I was reading to see if everyone felt the new casino program stinks!  Just got off the Freedom of the Seas.  I gamble every cruise usually average $1000 a night.  I got free drinks, no free Wi-Fi.   The casino host never introduced herself to me despite my being a diamond plus, booked through the casino players program etc.  The host was busy on the computer most of the time on personal emails and messages as I saw all the emoji's.  So what did my 4,000 plus points get me??? A small bowl of fruit lol and a certificate for an ocean view cabin.  Mind you it's about 4 dollars for every point you do the math!!!  The new program stinks.  The hosts don't care anymore.    The staff in the casino were rude.  Overall we thought this ship had the worst staff and worst food.  We booked an owners suite and were excited, the ship disappointed.  

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  • 2 months later...

I just came back from a cruise on the symphony of the seas. Casino was great and ship was awesome!  So I reached the level for a comp balcony room. I get the certificate and all the cruises are in 2019 with a few dates in 2020 ending 04/2020. None of these cruises are what I want so I called and asked about a nov/2020 cruise.  They would not budge on allowing me to use my certificate because it has to be within a year. I have never had this problem and always use my certificate for my next cruise.  I think Royal is getting really bad and definitely do not treat their vip members well.  I am so disgusted!   Any sugestions?  I'm thinking of starting to cruise a different cruise line.  This is just horrible!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Today I called Royal to find out why we had been "Demoted" from prime to choice. We have been on 7 RC cruises since 2017 and always enjoyed Casino rates and free drinks in the Casino. On cruise number 6, on 9/30 Majesty, we were told by the Casino host that we did not qualify for free drinks. I was asked to pay $3.00 for a small bottle of water. We are booked on another cruise on 1/11/2020 and upon inquiring was told that with their new system, the points earned only are good for one year and I was short for this new cruise.  Nobody explained this when we booked. My Emails requesting an explanation for the downgrade also went unanswered.

Fortunately, we are not really big drinkers, but $3.00 for water while we are gambling just is a bit much. It may be time to price other cruise lines!

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Yes, Club Royale went to the airline-style annual rewards program a few years back.  Originally, once a qualified member, always a qualified member but now, all members must re-qualify every year to remain eligible for Club a Royale Prime status.  Benefits (cruise discounts, in particular) have diminished and I’ve heard rumblings that the threshold to achieve Prime may increase next year.  All very bad signs for casino regulars.

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  • 2 years later...

I wanted to share this information because I couldn't believe my new tier status was taken away by casino royal on the newest ship wonder of the sea. I love playing and always look forward to the benefits of losing as well. my card stated I had 304 points to the next tier which was signature after having so much fun playing and losing, also being one of the first to ever sail on wonders of the sea. I immediately ran to the host dest after seeing my points taken a few hours later to ask why was my status taken away. he stated because I used my freeplay. I stated isn't freeplay apart of what you earn from your play so why would it be taken from my points to reverse my new tier. I have an accounting degree which pushes me to add because I know what I played through room charges and atm withdrawals but what happened to the wins that I lost. I did a whole ledger explaining to him what happened to my points. He kept telling me to come back because a technician was on his computer. I was so upset because I kept getting come back for about 8 times before he was able to get on his computer. the last time I walked away to add insult I was called 40 seconds later that I won $100 in a raffle. I was so insulted because of the amount I played and reaching signature as my card announced omachine. 

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5 hours ago, ADJ said:

I wanted to share this information because I couldn't believe my new tier status was taken away by casino royal on the newest ship wonder of the sea. I love playing and always look forward to the benefits of losing as well. my card stated I had 304 points to the next tier which was signature after having so much fun playing and losing, also being one of the first to ever sail on wonders of the sea. I immediately ran to the host dest after seeing my points taken a few hours later to ask why was my status taken away. he stated because I used my freeplay. I stated isn't freeplay apart of what you earn from your play so why would it be taken from my points to reverse my new tier. I have an accounting degree which pushes me to add because I know what I played through room charges and atm withdrawals but what happened to the wins that I lost. I did a whole ledger explaining to him what happened to my points. He kept telling me to come back because a technician was on his computer. I was so upset because I kept getting come back for about 8 times before he was able to get on his computer. the last time I walked away to add insult I was called 40 seconds later that I won $100 in a raffle. I was so insulted because of the amount I played and reaching signature as my card announced omachine. 

I had  the question when I was on board recently which I think is what you are describing.  You are on your cruise and you earn points.  You then cash those points in free play lets say on day 2 of a 5 day cruise.  Your points for your cruise goes back to zero on the cruise.  BUT, they do not go to zero on earning for the 'yearly' total of all points or even if they have a promotion just for that particular cruise.  So you play more and earn points for the next few days and before you leave the ship you cash in your free play again.  You are back to zero.  But your overall points does not go down and are accumulated.  You go on another cruise or look online you will see you have x amount of points to get to the next level.   That's how I believe it works and how it seems to work from my experience.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

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6 hours ago, Bob Burd said:

I had  the question when I was on board recently which I think is what you are describing.  You are on your cruise and you earn points.  You then cash those points in free play lets say on day 2 of a 5 day cruise.  Your points for your cruise goes back to zero on the cruise.  BUT, they do not go to zero on earning for the 'yearly' total of all points or even if they have a promotion just for that particular cruise.  So you play more and earn points for the next few days and before you leave the ship you cash in your free play again.  You are back to zero.  But your overall points does not go down and are accumulated.  You go on another cruise or look online you will see you have x amount of points to get to the next level.   That's how I believe it works and how it seems to work from my experience.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct. That has also been my experience.

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