anna08
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2008
- Messages
- 1,154
Of course it does because you've spent more, but those who commit more time are going to feel that time spent is worth more. That's why the person you quoted, and myself, among others, suggested something based on days *and* on amount spent, or a combination thereof.
Somebody who actually takes the time to book early in order to spend extra time with DCL at a lower price, or cruises out of season to be able to spend more days, usually spending more money on the ship by virtue of the longer stay, etc. shouldn't get less consideration than the person who waited until the last 90 days and paid out the nose for a three or four-day trip. It should take many factors into consideration.
If you fly 5000 miles with Delta you get 5000 miles. If you fly 200 miles with Delta you get 200 miles. They don't care if you paid $1 for your 5000 mile flight and $1,000 for your 200 mile flight. Amount of time spent with them is amount of time spent with them. They do average in your money spent as part of the equation, but that doesn't even have to be money spent to fly. We meet the money requirement every year because we use our Delta Skymiles Amex on a regular basis to build up the frequent flyer points, but we don't meet the air miles requirement for the Sky Club because we really don't like to fly unless we have to. DCL should do the same, even going so far as to use money spent on a DCL credit card to qualify toward the money end. It shouldn't be that hard an algorithm to figure out.
What's "fair"? Whatever favors the person determining the fairness usually. Is it fair if a billionaire gets more consideration from a senator because they donated more money to the senator's campaign than the lowly welder who donated the only $10 she could spare, even if the welder worked for the senator's campaign for 400 hours during the last election cycle, while the billionaire vacationed in Monte Carlo for the summer? I would imagine the billionaire thinks it's completely fair because they spent more money, and money trumps faithfulness in a lot of peoples' eyes. I know it's hyperbolic to the extreme, but I think it's a decent - though overblown for a reason - comparison.
Not that the perks for DCL Gold and Platinum amount to a hill of beans compared to other lines' benefits anyway. A $40 Palo dinner doesn't begin to reflect the commitment made for the past ten $10k 7-day Concierge cruises in the slightest, especially when the people at the table next to you only paid $2500 every time they did a three-day inside stateroom cruise on their way to the same loyalty class. It's all a slippery slope when talking about loyalty and how it is quantified and somebody is going to be ticked off when it comes down to it.
I don't book last minute - work schedules don't allow that, and school schedules necessitate travel during peak seasons. So we pay a lot more than those lucky enough to not have to attend to work or school and have the luxury of time. I really don't care how many miles/dollars anyone else sails or spends, I just would like to feel like I'm being thrown a bone once in a while for my loyalty. And because as Hundredacre stated - the perks as they stand are a bunch of junk items, none of which are really costing them more than pennies, it all doesn't matter in the end. They'll be others that will take our place in line to cruise with DCL.