First and Ten

I hardly do the dining room to begin with. I'll never pack a suit and tie for a cruise ever again.

Elegant Night doesn't require a suit and tie

I like it....I feel it gives a different vibe to the ship. It's 2 nights out of 7. For guys, it's easy....1 pair of khakis and 2 golf shirts. For those that don't want to dress up even minimally those 2 nights, the buffets is available for you.

So if i understand this correctly.....Every cabin in your group has FTTF with the exception of 1 (which equates to 2 people). Hypothetically lets say those 2 people without FTTF after checking in are assigned Zone 5. If all boarding together is one of the highlights, the other 11 just wait until Zone 5 is called and then you all get to walk onto the ship together....problem solved!!!! No need for "special favors" or Calls/escalation to Carnival management. To save you some money, the other cabins can still cancel your FTTF and save each cabin $70....win/win!!!!

while booking for a group of 24 people, the last 2 were not able to purchase fttf. We have diligently watched for months. We are now 12 days out with no hope of getting FTTF for the last two. We really want to board as a group for a picture. Any suggestion?

Board later with the other 2 people

LOL!! Ok first of all I have been on 17 Carnival cruises and never seen that many Diamond/ Platinum guests . Lately the last 2 or 3 I have taken there are maybe 200-300 at the party .

Also , The so- called perks we get above except for the laundry and Private party any cruiser can now get for $50 FTTF pass for everyone in the cabin . Even if its your first cruise.

So I don't feel like being a loyal Carnival cruiser as platinum we are getting anything above and beyond what a first time cruise who pays the extra $50 is getting .

Can Carnival do something about it ABSOLUTLY . Will they NO, because they are selling cabins .

Do I whine and complain about it? No, I know the way it is and will still cruise with them because I enjoy the experience and I do have the option of other cruise lines which I have explored and taken .

I think the original poster was just stating that for some unknown reason the deals and perks ( including the casino) are all over the place . Its like they put everyone's name in a hat and choose every month what everyone will get . Some get nothing ever no matter how much the cruise, some get 2, 3 4, offers a year .

It would be nice if there were some kind of consistency to it. But again they don't have to have consistency because we all still book cruises .

Hockey, its curious that you brought up the FTTF crowd. While I wont say all, I am willing to bet there is a good portion of the Plats/Diamond crowd that has....how can I put this....a subtle animosity toward the idea of FTTF and there is some resentment that "newbies" can get a lot of the same perks for $70 that took the Plats/Diamonds years to earn....My question for the Plat/Dia crowd, is it more perks that only your crowd should be getting or better sale offers to cruise from Carnival?

Illegal drugs may get you an even bigger line....like 3-5 yrs :)

I am usually like you with the exception of my upcoming Edge cruise. I had to book that one in April for January of 2019 because it will be a brand new ship and cabins were selling out. Not to mention the prices were increasing at a feverish rate. Luckily l found a TA that had locked in opening day prices and got me a phenomenal deal.

I can understand that....you aren't cruising just to cruise, you want that specific ship, right? Question, are you taking any other cruises between the time you booked the Edge until you actually sail on her?

I've got cruises booked through Dec 2018 at this point (3 more this year, 2 in 2018). For much bigger trips like Hawaii or Panama Canal I have started doing mock bookings now actually. I won't do those trips until my son is older and can appreciate it, but having a low/high range on price allows earlier and easier budgeting. If I know I need to have $10K discretionary "fun" money in 3-5 years I can just pay myself out in 36-60 installments separated out from any household budget.

I get on the RARE occasions, my posts can have what some consider to be a "snarky" connotation :D....No snarkiness, I cant believe someone plans a cruise 18mos/2 yrs in advance....its just something I am not built to do....if I want to go on a cruise, I am not waiting 2 yrs....I get where you are coming from where you have multiple cruises booked, so you are hitting one every 6 months or so. I couldn't imagine wanting to go on a cruise and booking it almost 2 yrs out....that is some serious planning

Lol. Yeah I booked this upcoming cruise I think 10 or so months in advance and that was WAY out for me.

I am just shocked at the amount of people who apparently do this, this 1 yr plus booking....I think on one cruise the longest time between booking and sailing was maybe 6 months ahead of time....I shortest time between when I booked and sailed was 3 weeks. It seems like the room is a big deal. Not just balcony vs interior, but it has to be a balcony, on this spot on this deck on this side, down to the actual room number and if they cant get that specific room, they wont book the trip....wow, that is intense

If I book a cruise 18 months out and have to pay for it 15 months down the road; let's say I owe $2k on it. Paying that $2K out to pay down additional principle on a mortgage, or accelerate investments is more advantageous than paying early on something without benefit. The cruise costs the same amount today or in 15 months. If I do need to cancel the cruise I also am not waiting for a refund of more funds than was strictly necessary.

 

I could send the water company a check large enough to not have a water bill for two years, but there's no reason to do that when there's more advantageous ways to spend the money. That's the logic at work here.

I get the "prepay" is a psychological trick some people play on themselves. Whatever works for you. I am floored people plan cruises out 18 months in advance. People are actually planning vacations for 2019. I think that is amazing

I am torn thinking of getting it would love not to have an expensive bar bill as those frozen drinks add up!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

What do you consider an expensive bar bill? With Cheers, a 7 night cruise for 2 people (if you are cruising with another adult in your cabin with you), with the gratuity added is roughly $800 (rough numbers, don't flame me if I am off a few $). Now if you consider $500 a high bar bill, you are much better off paying by the drink if you don't feel like you will approach the amount that Cheers will charge you

I've been booked for August next year since April of this year. FTTF showed up in late May with 40 slots right out the gate. Used to be the story they were peddling is that fttf was sold in increments of 15 with a max of 30, maybe more if the sailing has few priority cabins. That's clearly not true. I would guess that yes they are making more available as they increase prices. And the beards are blissfully aware that people are willing to pay whatever they charge. By 2019, fttf will be $100 per cabin for longer sailings no doubt. Either that or they will start charging it per person for the first two people.

Agree....it went from $50 to $70 and you still have people lined up to buy it. There are a few that view it as a worthwhile convenience but others view it as vital to have a good cruise. A few posters claim they wont sail without it (I wonder if they would really cancel a cruise if they didn't get it, seems a bit extreme)....I could see the next hike going to $100 per cabin (7 night cruise). I wonder what the ceiling is? :confused:

I would ask the Diamond/Plats of the world, what is your expectation? What exactly do you want? I believe it was another thread, one poster claimed that out of 2100 passengers, 1900 were Dias/Plats. I would have never guessed it was close to a majority that are Dias/Plats on a cruise. So if Carnival is sailing full most if not all cruises, so there isn't a need to get people on board, I would like to know from the Dias/Plats out there what should Carnival be giving?

Without looking it up Dias/Plats get:

Priority Boarding

Priority Desembark

Priority Tendering

Priority MDR timeslots

Private Party

Laundry Service

Guest Services Line

I am sure there are other perks that I didn't list.

What else do you want/think you deserve that Carnival isn't offering?

I have to give it up to Carnival....creating such a demand for something that doesn't cost them anything. FTTF is pure profit. Can you imagine the laughter around the boardroom table...."We jacked the price up 40%, and they are still fighting for it. Woo-Hoo" PT Barnum truly nailed it [emoji23]

Just a question for the smugglers....I don't think ignorance is an issue as it seems all smugglers here know it's against the rules. The penalty for getting caught smuggling can be removal off the ship....Question, if after you embarked and in your cabin, there is a knock on the door. You answer it and 2 officials from Carnival are there with your checked luggage. They verify the luggage is yours and you agree. They advise you are being removed from the ship due to smuggling. My question is, do you accept that maturely and without incident?

Lmao I thought I was the only one who has made this request.....but my RS wouldn't do it not even for an extra 10

One night he created the towel monkey with a long......well you get the idea....another night an elephant with 2 long trunks[emoji16]

Once in junior high a girl assured me that it's not how deep you fish it's how you wiggle your worm. I think that this can be applied to cruise ship selection in some ways. I tend to like the smaller ships because they have a higher passenger to space ratio, either on the plans or de facto.

She was just trying to make you feel better....sorry about the little worm bro [emoji23]

Not a bribe, compensation for extra service(s). They are so over-worked seems more than appropriate.

Agree with you Trina....the tightwads out there lash out against people that want to "insure" service. I say to them it is my money, I will spend it how I see fit. My early tipping at the bars have insured my cocktail service right away, even if the bar is 2 deep

I printed off my luggage tags and of course, they are just on regular paper. How do I secure them on my luggage?

 

Or do I just bring them them when we check in and staff secures them?

Stapler

Oh First and Ten...SMH. Yes, we can agree on most if not all have sped. I'll even add in lied so again we have a rule and a law. No, I haven't said I shouldn't be criticized for breaking a rule or law. I'm fine if people would like to state it broke the rules. What I don't like is the arrogance that they don't do the same. That they are more moral, better parent, or somehow less flawed as a human.

 

 

 

For a change of examples...it reminds me when I got pregnant at 19. Many people judged me openly about it. How wrong I was. How I wasn't as moral as them. That it somehow that made me promiscuous. The point they failed to realize was most were just as guilty, they just weren't caught were the whole world knew they have premarital sex. Some even had been with many, many more people than I had as well, but somehow they thought they were somehow better.

 

 

 

This type of thinking is what I don't like. That clear it up?

Good post, I like it

Agree, getting pregnant at 19 does not make someone promiscuous

If I may add that someone getting pregnant (at any age) while being tapped by multiple partners would make that person (not saying you, just in general) "promiscuous". (There are so many other better descriptive words that can be used rather than promiscuous, but I am not giving the mods an easy reason to slap me down [emoji23])

Well thanks for that admittance I suppose. I guess the good thing is I haven't done any of your quotes. As I said before I didn't realize the FAQ on the website (that I hadn't read until someone posted here) were part of the agreement.

 

 

 

I will also say I don't care what someone wears to the MDR, or if they are underage in adult areas, or what they do with cheers or bubbles. It isn't my business when it doesn't affect me.

 

 

 

I bet SOME PEOPLE would have a better time as someone earlier stated if they would pull the stick out, worry about themselves, and stop trying to police everything that they cannot control.

 

 

 

Some find it offensive, I don't care about what doesn't affect me so greatly, that is why I'm probably happier than them.

Again, it's not just about YOU.

The MDR dress code threads can get rather.........intense [emoji11]

Now on cruise Elegant evenings, you can't wear jeans or shorts....that is the rule. While you may have the mindset of you don't care what other people wear, some posters apparently do (one poster claims he/she will go to the MD and request the rules be enforced). Who are you to arbitrarily decide what people should and should not worry about. While some of the mindset of "it's MY vacation", the reality is it's 3000 other people's vacation to. More people need to realize it isn't just about them

Oh and First and Ten....I KNOW they break more important law/rules because they admit to speeding which is more important than don't go to adult areas under age. Of course speeding is just one example. I'm sure we could throw in lying, most are guilty of that as well at some point. As you like to repeat...it isn't a law, but it is a rule.

I want to understand the logic....Said person has went over the speed limit numerous times during their life as a driver (let's assume all drivers have at one point or another....we agree?) so your argument is you shouldn't be criticized for breaking a ship rule of comedy club/serenity deck/etc because at one time somebody else did something more egregious....you know I am going to take this to the extreme....there have been some wacky posts on CC. What if a poster started a thread that they like going on cruises because they get to increase their costume jewelry collection from taking it off unattended lounge chairs (I told you, I am really reaching). I mean your logic, how can I possibly criticize this person for stealing a $20 bracelet when I myself have sped? I mean the speeding ticket may have amounted to $200. This person stole a few bracelets worth $50....No big deal, right?

How I know? Well let me see, bc some are pretty vocal about it in their post. If they weren't being self righteous, judgmental, or a hypocrite then they would acknowledge that while they don't like what I do it isn't any worse than what they do. But some instead seem like bc they don't supposedly ever break a rule/law on a cruise that makes them somehow more moral, which is totally absurd.

 

 

 

Did I specifically say First and Ten is who I'm talking about? No I didn't. I said "some". But hey, if you feel like it applies to you, feel free to apply to yourself. ;)

No, you did not specify me. I used "I" when I should have said "some", my bad for that. I have been very vocal about my opinion (oh, there's a bombshell admission, ya think [emoji13]). So have you

I have used the terms "selfish" and "entitled". Let's be clear, I wouldn't call a person who mistakenly breaks a rule due to lack of familiarity/ignorance of the situation, etc as selfish or entitled. My issue is with those, knowing the rules, knowing the situation will do it anyway due to the fact that "it's MY vacation and I will do what I want" I consider that a selfish and entitled mindset. The cherry on top is there is no humility. They brag and justify it. Because they don't like the rule or agree with it, they shouldn't have to follow it. You see it all over the place on CC, for example

"I paid for cheers and I am not going to drink 15 drinks, so it's ok to share some drinks"

"I paid for my vacation just like you did, and I am going to wear what I want when I want in the MDR"

"I know the sign and announcements say 18+, but my kid is mature and I want them with me because it's my vacation"

(Those are not actual quotes verbatim, I was trying to represent general arguments)

It's a Hierarchy of Needs thing. Some of us need to "belong" to the cruise ship as fast as we possibly can.

 

 

 

.

That's a good example, well said....For some, that need is an obsession [emoji849]

 

Think u did somehow after reading all this thread miss my main point is some are self righteous, judgemental, Hippocrates that break more important laws or rules frequently yet act like a lesser rule breaking that didn't affect them like it ws murder.

This is my issue with this part of the post. How do you know the people that are disagreeing with you are breaking more important laws or rules? You don't. You are ASSUMING they do. You have your opinion, it differs than mine. So am I to understand and accept that your opinion is lucid and logical, but because I am on the other side of the fence, that makes me "self righteous, judgemental and hypocritical"? [emoji848]