Pearl Castaway level?

[DCLMP]

You say you're not complaining, but it sounds like you feel the people driving to the port for quick cruises are somehow less deserving to attain Pearl status? I don't see why, DCL chose to make qualification based on cruises and not nights, and all the people racking up all these cruises know that going in.

If you weren't saying they're less deserving, I apologize, but fail to see what point you're trying to make in that case.

I agree. I guess my post was removed for calling people out for being petty. Honestly who cares? I'm a five hour flight away and I could care less if people are a five hour drive away.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Why does it matter what other people spend?

I guess the question is - is "loyalty" measured in how much money you spend onboard or how much time you spend onboard. Or how many times you book a cruise.

 

[Cruise]

I am not a Disney defender, but I have a sad theory about the CC tier levels. It won't be popular. I guess Platinum used to have a bunch of perks that have gone away, like tours and receptions, etc. But those were to reward a relative small number of guests who had demonstrated loyalty in the early years of DCL. I have sometimes felt that DCL was being cheap by taking away perks, but there are too many Platinums now for some things to be realistic. How do you give bridge tours (or Palo dinners) to every Platinum on a cruise that is half full of platinums? How do you let all Platinums board early at the same time if there are 2000 or even 1000 of them? Maybe they have to move some perks (like port arrival) from Platinum to Pearl just to be practical.
No, I don't like it.
I wonder how the number of Pearl's now compares to the number of Platinums, say, ten years ago.

You're probably right. But that's a Disney planning issue. I can't believe they didn't think there would ever be this many Platinum members - I'm sure one of their main goals is to have guests return time after time. But it feels like a bit of bait-and-switch when they dangle rewards to get people to strive for higher tiers and then take the perks away because they become impractical to carry out.
The biggest problem is that they have continued to take away perks without replacing them with anything else that could be seen as valuable. They could easily add something like free wifi, a free custom drink each day, a free 8x10 photo, an upgraded room service menu, etc. - any number of things that would actually cost them pennies (their actual cost). Instead, they've just taken away perks without replacing them with anything else. Compared to other cruise lines, DCL's "loyalty program" benefits are very lacking. They probably just don't care because they still manage to fill up ships without offering any perks.

 

[DCLMP]

I guess the question is - is "loyalty" measured in how much money you spend onboard or how much time you spend onboard. Or how many times you book a cruise.

Good grief. There's a lot of people that get discounts like military, cast members, florida residents, and travel professionals. How in the world would a cruise line go about figuring who is most deserving of the fruit bowl and lanyard based on money spent? I have spent 10's of thousands of dollars on DCL cruises and I honestly don't care if people living in Florida spend less. Good for them I wish I lived in Florida.

Honestly, I'm hoping next time I cruise as a Pearl I get more than a fruit bowl.

 

[DCLMP]

You're probably right. But that's a Disney planning issue. I can't believe they didn't think there would ever be this many Platinum members

I think with the current cost of Disney cruises there will be less and less families hitting the platinum level much less Pearl level. I'm sure most of us in the Pearl level starting cruising DCL when cruises were more affordable, WDW was more affordable, and food and gas were more affordable. If we were 20 years younger and just starting our family there is no way we would reach 10 cruises much less 25 at these prices.

 

[nancipants]

As someone who only lives 1.5 hours away from Port Canaveral, it’s not as easy to just hop on a boat whenever we see a deal. First, yes, they’re good deals, but we’re still talking at least 1.5-2k for our family of three on a 3 day cruise. We save for specific trips and usually don’t have an extra couple thousand dollars lying around for random cruise weekends, especially now that we have a kid. Could we do it once a year? Probably. More than that? Not without sacrificing more desirable trips.

Second, arranging time off work is a pain when it’s not planned in advance. Even if we cruise over the weekend we would have to take at least one day off work. If we want to take advantage of a deal on our preferred ship, the Fantasy, that’s a week off work. Wouldn’t be as big of a deal now with unlimited PTO, but it still requires planning to be gone that long. And again, for trips that long they’re usually planned out longer in advance.

 

[FWRR3]

You're probably right. But that's a Disney planning issue. I can't believe they didn't think there would ever be this many Platinum members - I'm sure one of their main goals is to have guests return time after time. But it feels like a bit of bait-and-switch when they dangle rewards to get people to strive for higher tiers and then take the perks away because they become impractical to carry out.
The biggest problem is that they have continued to take away perks without replacing them with anything else that could be seen as valuable. They could easily add something like free wifi, a free custom drink each day, a free 8x10 photo, an upgraded room service menu, etc. - any number of things that would actually cost them pennies (their actual cost). Instead, they've just taken away perks without replacing them with anything else. Compared to other cruise lines, DCL's "loyalty program" benefits are very lacking. They probably just don't care because they still manage to fill up ships without offering any perks.

I agree with your post, and you hit a nerve with me when you mention "bait and switch" as they do that in the parks too. I've wasted too much money trying to get in Virtual queues. I guess there are too many people trying to experience a limited number of experiences. Just like Taylor Swift tickets.

 

[DCLMP]

As someone who only lives 1.5 hours away from Port Canaveral, it’s not as easy to just hop on a boat whenever we see a deal. First, yes, they’re good deals, but we’re still talking at least 1.5-2k for our family of three on a 3 day cruise. We save for specific trips and usually don’t have an extra couple thousand dollars lying around for random cruise weekends, especially now that we have a kid. Could we do it once a year? Probably. More than that? Not without sacrificing more desirable trips.

Second, arranging time off work is a pain when it’s not planned in advance. Even if we cruise over the weekend we would have to take at least one day off work. If we want to take advantage of a deal on our preferred ship, the Fantasy, that’s a week off work. Wouldn’t be as big of a deal now with unlimited PTO, but it still requires planning to be gone that long. And again, for trips that long they’re usually planned out longer in advance.

Yes and who wants to spend 2k doing the same thing over and over again. I live 4 hours from San Diego and only 2 of my 28 cruises have been from there. I'm sure people living in Florida don't want to spend all there vacation dollars going to Nassau. Just like I don't want to spend thousands of dollars or use all my PTO going to Cabo several times a year. Everyone has limited vacation time and money. Just because you live close to something doesn't mean it's where you want to vacation.

 

[delo4]

I am not a Disney defender, but I have a sad theory about the CC tier levels. It won't be popular. I guess Platinum used to have a bunch of perks that have gone away, like tours and receptions, etc. But those were to reward a relative small number of guests who had demonstrated loyalty in the early years of DCL. I have sometimes felt that DCL was being cheap by taking away perks, but there are too many Platinums now for some things to be realistic. How do you give bridge tours (or Palo dinners) to every Platinum on a cruise that is half full of platinums? How do you let all Platinums board early at the same time if there are 2000 or even 1000 of them? Maybe they have to move some perks (like port arrival) from Platinum to Pearl just to be practical.
No, I don't like it.
I wonder how the number of Pearl's now compares to the number of Platinums, say, ten years ago.

I agree with many of your points. I certainly do not know the answer to what is fair or not fair. I was just making the point, that Disney sends a bad message to their loyal cruisers by taking away perks.

I certainly understand that when so many people have become platinum, it gets difficult to maintain. However, some things can be given that are not difficult to maintain because of the number of people in that tier. For instance - a free drink, a free photo, discount on photo packages, boarding number based on tiers, on line check in times based on tiers, etc. It will be interesting to see what they do when they announce the new tier details. You can’t please everyone and no matter what they do, people will complain. It’s just been interesting to watch them take away a lot of fun things you used to get and not replace it with anything. I just think the message could be better.

We’ve been sailing with Disney for over 20 years and we love the product, so what they offer, or not offer, will not keep us from cruising. I was just making a point, that Disney messaging could appreciate those loyal to the brand. But, I know that Disney knows - we already drank the kool-aid!!

 

[Cheburashka]

Why does it matter what other people spend?

That's referring to the fairest way to assign perks. It should be based on what you spend.

 

[KevinFL]

Someone posted the Florida resident tier would like to add the 3 and 4 night tier . Should be based on nights not cruises. with well over 200 nights on DCL. Others with far less seems. wrong ,

Other side of that argument if you are saying more nights equates to more money spent is the cabin categories cost differences. We sail concierge 1-bedroom suite or Royal suite everytime so that can cost 4-10 times more than an inside stateroom for the same cruise.

I would not want to see a point system (let's say 1pt for every $1 spent) because then I would feel sick knowing how much we had spent on DCL. A little bit of ignorance is bliss!

 

[KevinFL]

You're probably right. But that's a Disney planning issue. I can't believe they didn't think there would ever be this many Platinum members - I'm sure one of their main goals is to have guests return time after time. But it feels like a bit of bait-and-switch when they dangle rewards to get people to strive for higher tiers and then take the perks away because they become impractical to carry out.
The biggest problem is that they have continued to take away perks without replacing them with anything else that could be seen as valuable. They could easily add something like free wifi, a free custom drink each day, a free 8x10 photo, an upgraded room service menu, etc. - any number of things that would actually cost them pennies (their actual cost). Instead, they've just taken away perks without replacing them with anything else. Compared to other cruise lines, DCL's "loyalty program" benefits are very lacking. They probably just don't care because they still manage to fill up ships without offering any perks.

Attaining these tiers gives us guests a sense of pride for having travelled that much and a feeling of equity in the DCL brand.

I agree DCL should never reduce benefits that they advertised which guests attained. And DCL should offer some more significant perks for Platinum and the new Pearl tier. This is easily doable for them and current offerings are lacking. Free Wi-Fi should hands down be one thing on the table.

DCL management needs to realize that if they give greater perks they will get much more in return from more loyal guests.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Just when I get to the finish line, they move it! We are going to be Platinum after our January cruise. It took 14 years to get there. Pearl is a very long time away for us.

This is us! Just reached Platinum this September. Oh well...

 

[Garyjames220]

Other side of that argument if you are saying more nights equates to more money spent is the cabin categories cost differences. We sail concierge 1-bedroom suite or Royal suite everytime so that can cost 4-10 times more than an inside stateroom for the same cruise.

I would not want to see a point system (let's say 1pt for every $1 spent) because then I would feel sick knowing how much we had spent on DCL. A little bit of ignorance is bliss!

I don’t think dcl would want to work it that way because if it was done that way then people would no how much they spent on say 20 trips very easily and might be silly money and make people think twice about if it’s getting to much

 

[jrapps]

I think the only thing we can all agree on is that no solution will please everyone. Some people want the tiers by nights, dollars, cruises, etc. In the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what DISNEY thinks is the right way to do it. They could have taken the opportunity to change it up when introducing Pearl, but they didn't, so my guess is they have ZERO plans to do so anytime, at least in the next decade. THEY value the number of cruises you take, and that is what they "reward". Take it or leave it.

Now the value of that reward is something I think we all collectively agree is lacking. Other cruise lines give significantly better perks for loyalty. When I hit Diamond on Royal (which took me 12 cruises to hit and I feel is a comparable expression of my loyalty to Royal as my Platinum status is to Disney), the perks were significant. 4 free drinks per day, a free photo, discounts on Wifi, top-tier events on the ship, etc. I have spent far more money on Royal than Disney because I know when I go, I get value for that loyalty.

I love DCL, and I will continue to cruise it, but business is business (both from Disney's perspective AND MINE!) As long as Disney thinks that reducing perks and nickel & diming is the way to increase profits, then I will choose to make them my #2 cruise line. I love both experiences, but Royal does a better job of enticing me back with the perks.

In the end of the day, I feel this is all because DCL just doesn't have enough ships. Yes they have too many Platinums for the size of the fleet. So the only options are to water down the Platinum benefits, or build more ships at a faster pace. I feel they are doing both. But it takes time to build ships. Taking away perks is easy, but petty. If you are cruising DCL because like me, you love it, then that's great! If you are cruising it because of the expected loyalty, you will be disappointed.

At the rate we cruise, I will likely hit Pearl on Disney around the exact same time as I hit Diamond+ on Royal within the next 3-5 years. I expect to still get far greater value out of the D+ status than the Pearl.

 

[MamaMermaid]

I JUST hit platinum... IDK if I'll ever make it to Pearl!

 

[KevinFL]

I don’t think dcl would want to work it that way because if it was done that way then people would no how much they spent on say 20 trips very easily and might be silly money and make people think twice about if it’s getting to much

Agreed and I would not want them too!

They will stick with what they have now there is no way to slice it to make everyone happy and end of the day we are all sailing for other reasons than a different colored lanyard and a few negligible perks based on tier status. I think the key is consistency they just have to stick to what they offer and never dilute any of the perks for any tiers that people have already attained.

 

[allmousedup]

Should be based on dollars spent per passenger.

Or some combination of spend and number of nights/cruises - I have expected this change (to be more like an airline frequent flyer program) for quite a while, but nothing yet. I am gold and don't expect any future advancement so no skin in the game either way....

 

[bobbiwoz]

I am Diamond on RCCL, Platinum on Princess, and will be Pearl on DCL when they initiate that. We book cruises with itineraries or on board activities we want to enjoy. Period. Currently we have 4 DCL and 3 RCCL cruises booked.

One of the RCCL cruises will go to Israel. Of the 7 cruises, that’s the one I most look forward to doing.

 

[cvjw]

We are just about to hit platinum - will make it next spring. I take the Pearl category as a challenge. It will have taken us about 5 years to make platinum - with DCL closed for over a year of those 5 years.

This new tier will make me change the way I book cruises. I will book VGT rates to make cruises cheaper and do some shorter B2B cruises. No longer will I pay full price for a certain cabin. Have to make our cruise $$$’s stretch if I am to make Pearl.