Well, I can say that on our 12-night Med cruise, we met quite a few people who I'm sure were at least Gold. I was really surprised the number of people we met who had taken multiple RSSC cruises, and while I can't say how many had enough nights to qualify for Gold, I can say that a surprising amount had a good 7 to 10 RSSC cruises under their belts.

Yes Andi, that's what I'm saying too. I think the cruises LONGER than 14 days are loaded with Gold and Platinum but not on the 7 nighters.

Hi Ajax, I am glad to see your smiling face again!!

Glad to be back, Karen! Our little cruising six-some is in the process of booking on the first leg of SA for January, 2007...already getting excited!
Tim

I wonder how many folks really have that many cruising days? Marcie, Are there a lot of repear RSSC cruisers on the long cruises? I don't know, because the longest cruises we have taken are one b2b and one ten day.

We have taken 7 cruises since December 2001 and only have 52 days. Most of ours have been short.

In Marcie's journal of the World Cruise, she remarked that a fairly large number of the people were multiple repeaters. That could add up in a hurry, I'd think.

Andi:

We have 8 cruises since December 2002 and have 90 days; never could figure out why all of you left Mariner in Aruba as they practically gave away the next nine days for free. I think Gold will be a very large group of people.

You're so right Pam! As I've mentioned, on our WC we were the "virgins" since up until then our longest cruise was 11 nights! MOST all of the full WCers were on their 3rd,4th,5th (or more) time. To many the longer cruises like SA and especially the WC are their winter homes where they go every year regardless of price or itinerary. Margo, Doug Burns (and others)have been on enough crossings where I'm sure they find the people with gazillion RSSC nights too.

We've been on 5 since 2001 with 48 days. We've got 25 days booked this year <img border="0" alt="[vhappy]" title="" src="graemlins/icon_vhappy.gif" /> so we'll have to see if we continue RSSC in 2007 or try something else like Silversea.

On our recent Auckland to LA trip, during the SSS reception the CD said there were (as I recall) 490 SSS on board out of 678 pax. McKeever and others were on this leg too, so they might remember a little better than me; but, I think those numbers are close.
Greg

PS We've been on 6 for 69.

We have 76 days (each?) after 4 cruises, but as Marcie mentioned, we've done a few longer cruises.

On our Pacific cruise (26 days) there were so many SSS passengers that they didn't even announce the "100 day" members - I think they started at 200! Passengers with "most" days number around 500 I think. I'll have to go back and check my seamails, but that's what I recall.

We have 76 days (each?) after 4 cruises, but as Marcie mentioned, we've done a few longer cruises.

Margo: Is it each???

Pam..they were suppose to install WiFi on the Navigator the week of Dec. 19 (they were picking up the equipment in Fort Lauderdale). The computer manager told me the entire internet system might be down for a week (glad I wasn't on board them!)

Perhaps installation didn't go as smoothly as expected.

I've begun to expect such things from RSSC. It's not a good policy to promise something and fail to deliver on time - especially when it seems to become a habit!

Joanna...I don't know - we've always been a twosome, that's why I said 76 days each!

But it makes me wonder...how will they count days for singles if they count them as one day for couples? Or does each passenger qualify for all items in a level? Guess we have to wait until everyone gets their letter!

I think they're going to individual days? (maybe someone who already has their letter can chime in)

There's single people like Olivia who has taken her kids several times and roomed with/paid for them but didn't get credit for them as a spouse did. I think that's why they're going to individual days.

will also be interesting to see how they divy it up when one person in the cabin doesn't have the days that the other does.

Does that mean if for example Gil makes it to gold he gets to disembark early while I have to sit there? Or he's allowed to use the internet for free, while I have to pay? How about the exclusive gold activity onboard?

How about now? can he give me his complimentary spa certificate? Can he get his tux pressed, but I have to pay?

We have 37 days each logged and 17 more booked this year. You'd think Radisson would want to motivate us and lots of others like us to keep on booking. Here is how they chose to motivate us with the new SSS program..

They cut the 5% discount. For us, that is a cut in the $250 to $500 per person range. They replaced the cut with pressing ($20 per person) and internet access ($30 per person). WHAT A MOTIVATOR!!!!

They then proudly told us that as a special benefit we would get a publication and special emails. That is an insult to our intelligence since these marketing materials are current and standard practice or should be.

Finally, they told us we would now sail in second class with respect to speciality restaurant reservations until we logged on many more hours when we would then be generously granted a place in line ahead of many of our fellow passengers. AND THEY ASSUMED THIS WOULD BE A MOTIVATOR?

Are these folks nuts?

Since we first sailed Radisson, they have increased fares significantly. They have doubled the price of on board booze. They have all but eliminated the SSS discount (either the new "benefits" cost the company little or are presented at the expense of other passengers as in the reservations matter). What other out-of-view cuts have they imposed? Have they cut the food budget? Quietly decreased the size of the crew? We know they, or the new PG owners, are taking out a lounge and replacing it with more cabins on the PG. What else is happening behind the scenes?

This, for us, has not been a good Radisson year. We are looking at other options. We will still grap a good deal on a Radisson ship. But the competitors are looking ever more attractive.

We love the Radisson experience as we knew it and we want the company to succeed. And that means we want the company to be profitable. But the SSS initiative is a step in the wrong direction.

Patrick

My husband got the letter today but I didn't. I'm not surprised as all the brochures and letters come only addressed to him. The letter included a detail of "his" trips and related days. It was correct.
If they only knew that if it wasn't for me planning these cruises he probably would have never set foot on their ships ;) .

I'll wait a while and if I don't get anything I guess I'll have to follow up. Does anybody know how I would do that?

Editing to add: The certificate for the upgrade is a joke! It only applies to a very limited number of cruises in 2006 and you have to book by February.

So Maria, is it now individual nights and not nights as couples anymore? Sorry to hear about the upgrade certificates....it does sound like a joke.

Can we add our individual nights together if we are traveling together to get a higher status?

Marc, I think we left because we had to return to work to pay for the cruise!! Really, I was leaving for Europe to work and had no time left.

Andi, this is the old way....I believe it has changed now to individual nights??????? Waiting for confirmation from some one who has already received their letter. We probably won't receive out letter until we return in mid March. Talked to a 2006 WC who is leaving tomorrow, she still hasn't received a letter either. She won't get hers until mid April now. (very poor planning by RSSC IMO). Postage goes up in a day or two...by this time ours may be returned for insufficient postage.

Marcie,

I guess it's individual nights as my name doesn't figure anywhere in the letter. I still use my maiden name so the letter is not addressed to "Mr. and Mrs", just the Mr.

Sadly, Patrick they have...on our Alaska cruise last year on the Mariner, instead of the Suite Stewardess and her Attendant tending to the Suite, it was only the Suite Stewardess...our poor girl was pretty tired. She said they gave her less rooms to do, but you could tell it was hard on the ladies...

I wonder if in the cruise industry you can do what you used to do (I haven't had any status to speak of since I stopped travelling so much for business) with the airlines, e.g. if you were 100K on UA, you could call up AA and ask to be comped platinum...anybody know or has tried?

Hrprof, Ngaire told us in the Seamail section that Voyager still has computers in the larger suites.

I agree. Although I'm not on any of the South America trip or the World Cruise, It sounds like the passengers on these long cruises lose the most with an April start date especially the South America passengers. At least the World Cruise includes free liquor 24/7.

BTW, thanks for the warm welcome! Happy I've met some of you and look forward to meeting many more.

Slightly off topic, but please note a correction....in my prior posting I said I was "Gold", and I meant to say I am "Silver" and will never BE gold. I was re-reading all the posts and saw my own mistake!

If only I had sailed that many times before!

Charlene

Jillian and Elaine, I am a passenger on the SA cruise and I couldn't agree with you more!

I was trying to see what the other non - luxury cruises provided to their repeat customers and I found looked at these rewards linked below. Seems like RSSC copied some of the items. What I found is that this might be where priority seating came from - which is applicable to fixed seating on the other lines. Almost sounds like there is a step down and they are viewing the competition as being RCCL/Princess/HAL instead of Seabourne, Crystal, Silverseas, and Oceania.

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/cas/benefits.do;jsessionid=0000r7s_qFxJlp_TN7rMI85EROM:10ktdmpjo

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/jsp/memberShipBenefitsForProspect.jsp

http://www.hollandamerica.com/mariner/award.do

Kathy,

You're a 100% correct in your observations. Just last night I told my husband that the Radisson 4 tier reward language sounded just like the ones in RCI and Princess . We receive their loyalty programs literature because in the past we used to cruise with them.

Kathy,
I think you hit the nail on the head. Here are Celebrity's benefits:
http://www.celebrity.com/captainsclub/heroSingleTxtSub.do;jsessionid=0000QvJEo5csIOoORBj3nZ8j1u9:1028etq20?pagename=membership_benefits&cS=SIDENAV

Now we can see where the mysterious advisory board comes from.

Pam

Thanks for the update on the large suite computer question.

Ted

But has anyone compared Silversea's or Seaabourn's benefits?

These Celebrity beneifts made me laugh, talk about useless:

Private Onboard Cruise Consultation - (we have Ngaire - who needs that!) They want to sell me something and htye are going to talk to me privately????? I hated my Celebrity experience

10 Complimentary Internet Minutes - Whoa - hardly time for an LCT Posting!

Complimentary Wine Tasting - On RSSC we can do that nightly!

Hi,

If you go to page 1 of this thread Don (cruisinsince75) did a comparison.

Very interesting data. It appears that RSSC's strategy is to focus on moving mass market cruisers to RSSC and to not attempt to pull other 6 star cruisers over. Unfortunately, it seems that they assumed that we would not notice as we had no previous loyalty program and they aimed for the lowest common denominator.

Shallow marketing.

If you think about it they could have done Marketing Research on what we would want from a loyalty program in our staterooms or sent them to us via email or snail mail. However, considering none of us were consulted, I bet they just did the market research with the mass market cruisers. It is interesting that they are not trying (obviously) to convert other 6 star cruisers. It would seem we are not their target audience.

Andi,

We reached the same conclusion several days ago, and concur wih your comments.

I knew I'd get some answers from you guys. I have just read this thread, all 4 pages of it and I still have a few questions.

Ted got his notice but I did not get one. It lists the 2 cruises we took and the total days but just for him, not me. It has been a few days and I did not get a separate notice. Am I a SSS member or not? Must I travel with him to get any benefits? I took the same 2 cruises and we each have 24 days. Did they forget me? There is a correction form included with space for 2 passengers but the second space is blank. Geez, I'm married to the guy even if I did keep my maiden name.

I interpreted the complimentary liquor different from everyone else. I thought it would mean we would no longer get the bottles in the room. Only platinum would get them. But every one would have to sign chits in the bars. Did anyone else think this?

As a silver member I really don't see any reason to move up to gold. Free internet, a bit of pressing, and a phone call I'll rarely use. I don't need the rest of the stuff.

Guess I'll give it a few weeks and then try to find out why I got left out.

Hi Colleen,

Welcome to the club! You're not the only wife whose husband got the letter but she didn't . I'm sure it's an oversight but even if it isn't and I depend on being with my husband to get these "perks" I can't get too excited about it. Other than the free internet there isn't anything in the Silver tier that I really care for. And since my DH doesn't use the internet too much I hope he'll let me use his password when he's not at the computer ;) .

About your comment re the liquor, WOW! I never thought of it that way. That would really be a deal breaker for me!

Oh, I wanted to add one more comment on the preferred reservations. I interpreted that to mean that they would hold back a few tables each night until the last minute for the preferred SSS members. I figured once you made a reservation, it was yours even if a higher lever member wanted it. They may have a wait list for those tables in case no one makes the reservation but I really didn't see much change here for.

Overall, this new system will not make me want to sail Radisson more. I will be chosing my cruises as I have in the past - location, timing, price, service - but not simply to accrue more days with RSSC. Most of these perks are marginal to useless for me. Free internet being the one really great perk, assuming the connections are good and the computers are available.