Royal Caribbean Softens Stance On Past Guest Perks

Last month thousands of Diamond members of Royal Caribbean’s customer loyalty program were outraged to find out the perks they would receive on certain cruises were to be butchered.  Diamond cruisers are those passengers who have accumulated between 10 and 24 Royal Caribbean cruises under their belts, in short some of their most loyal customers. This week Royal Caribbean has decided to give in (a little) due to the outrage which was generated.

Previously Diamond and Diamond+ (25 or more cruises) passengers had access to the concierge lounge but as part of a reworking of their loyalty program access is now restricted to only Diamond+ passengers as well as suite guests (even if it is their first cruise).  Those of you familiar with the Concierge lounge know that its where all the good stuff goes down.  Every night there is a happy hour with free booze as well as a concierge available to booking shore excursions, spa treatments and specialty dining reservations.  In other words this is an extremely desirable perk, one that should never have been taken away from those already able to enjoy the lounge.

Now it looks like Royal Caribbean is softening its stance a bit on what Diamond members will receive as perks on their ships.

• Starting on September 1st, Diamond members will be able to enjoy a private party every night between the hours of 5 and 8pm in a designated lounge.  Complimentary Champagne and wine will be served at the party and a 25 percent happy hour discount will be available on all other beverages.
• There will be a special continental breakfast available from 8 to 10am in a room next to the main dining room.  A crewmember will be present to assist passengers in a sort of, “Concierge Lite” role.

These new perks are great news for those Diamond passengers that have lost their perks, but it is my opinion that those who already enjoyed those perks should have been grandfathered in.  I understand that there was a problem with overcrowding in the Concierge Lounges due to people sneaking in their friends.  I also understand there is a significant expense to operating these lounges, but blatantly disregarding a significant portion of your most loyal customers is a poor answer, enforcing your own rules regarding access to the Concierge Lounge is the right answer.  Instead what happened is Royal Caribbean made a poorly thought out decision which ended up being a public relations nightmare.

While this is far from a victory for those Diamond Passengers who wanted full reinstatement of the perks they have grown accustomed to, it is a step in the right direction.  I applaud those who contacted Royal Caribbean to let them know how they felt about the situation, I also applaud Royal Caribbean for responding to the voices of their customers.

Related posts:

1. Suite Perks for Royal Caribbean Passengers
2. Royal Caribbean ‘s Controversial New Menu Item
3. Shedding Light on Royal Caribbean’s New Room Service Fee
4. TIC Examines: The Royal Caribbean Alcohol Policy

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