The Royal Caribbean Diamond or Crown Lounge? Does the Name Matter?

Frequent floaters that prefer Royal Caribbean have been abuzz. What about? Changing the name of the Diamond Club, Royal’s onboard lounge for Diamond and higher elite members, to the Crown Lounge. Seems simple enough on the surface, but some elite Royal Caribbean cruisers see this as the next logical step in excluding an elite tier from the lounge, specifically Diamond members.

Let’s face it, the Diamond Club  Crown Lounge is pretty unique in the cruise industry. Appetizers and free drinks in a special dedicated space just for elite members that have achieved a certain status each night of the cruise. Not to mention, a concierge to help you book onboard activities, specialty restaurants and shore tours. Forget that….there’s continental breakfast in the morning as well! And most importantly, a coffee machine that works most days. The lounge can also be a very quiet place to hide in between the morning breakfast and evening “happy” hours as well. Frankly, as a Diamond Plus member with Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society, the lounges are a highlight of every cruise for me, not for the free drinks (because you can get some of those most anywhere on board now if you’re elite), but for the people you meet each and every night.

In any event, when Royal announced the change from “Diamond Lounge” to “Crown Lounge,” the internet scuttlebutt really took off with the primary speculation being that this was just the next step to excluding certain cruisers from the lounge. Then, on a certain cruise, with a high level of elite members, the specific ship restricted access to Diamond members during the 5 to 8pm “happy hours.” And oh, holy smokes!!!

The Real Deal

Here’s the thing. Royal Caribbean specifically notes in the terms and conditions of its Crown  & Anchor Society that it “….may limit or remove access to the Crown Lounge as needed to
accommodate special sailings including, but not limited to: Charters, Crossings, Repositionings, Inaugurals, Trade Events, and President’s Cruises.”

In my own experience, specifically, a 2015 trans-Atlantic crossing aboard Allure of the Seas, you could not fit in the lounge! Why? The trans-Atlantic cruise attracted an unusually high number of Diamond and above elites. In that case, the cruise line opened up two other clubs in addition to the Diamond Lounge as spaces for elite cruisers during the evening hours. This was before the days when the line offered multiple complimentary drinks to Diamond and higher cruisers at every bar!

I can’t promise anyone access to the Crown Lounge won’t evolve over time. Let’s face it, there are a lot more “frequent floaters” than there used to be. But right now, I just don’t make much of this change. There always have been and always will be some cruises where the number of elites exceeds the capacity of the Crown Lounge. In that case, enjoy alternative venues the ship may offer, or take advantage of the 4, 5 or 6 free drinks Royal Caribbean offers its Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle elite members.

-MJ