Is Platinum Worth it?

[Brandonlees]

I am about to go on my 7th cruise in January with Carnival. We love carnival cruises. This kids love them too. Just wondering if all the talk about platinum service is worth going for 10 cruises. Does it pay off? Is the laundry service good or is it just so so? For the price and the fun you cant beat carnival especially for kids. Now i am on my 7th cruise but i am 2 cruises ahead of my wife. When I reach platinum will my wife and kids also recieve the platinum benifits of the laundry service as well? I was thinking yes but I am not sure.

[scperk]

Yes , they can board with you and you can send in laundry every day if you want( I always tip my room steward for taking care of my laundry)..We are usually one of the first people on the ship as they board Platinum just after wedding parties..We separate our laundry by sending in white clothes one day and colored clothes the next...You will also get priority tender at any tender port, just go by pursers desk and they will escort you and your family to the front of the line......We are booked on the Conquest in Jan for my DW's 24th and my 21st and love being Platinum.........Dennis

[firefly333]

If just you is platinum the cabin will board as VIP but they wouldnt get any other platinum benefits. (for instance just you will get the platinum gift)...if they dont have your card, they cant go to the platinum line at the purser's desk, etc .. only you get the platinum if just you are platinum but you cant take them with you if you are getting into the tender line if they are in your cabin or minors.

 

Is it worth it?? then you go on saying how carnival is your favorite cruiseline .. so sounds like you dont want to branch out .. so you will be there anyway.

 

The laundry is a bag of wash and fold. worth less than $10 to me for such a small bag which Iv only used once... just to see how it worked. Sure you can do it more than once during your cruise. I wouldnt get to platinum for the laundry but its nice as the ship folks will see your platinum card and take time to say welcome back. No dollar value like with RCL loyalty program.

[shanenurse]

We enjoyed both the priority boarding and priority disembarking. Our favorite was on the last cruise when, our room was ready early and we had early access to it cause we were platinum. the canapes and chocolate covered strawberries were nice too.. :) The laundry is not such a big deal on a short cruise, but this fall we are doing back to back Med cruises, and with the price of extra/overweight luggage, the laundry service will be invaluable!

 

Shane

[travelntreats]

I am about to go on my 7th cruise in January with Carnival. We love carnival cruises. This kids love them too. Just wondering if all the talk about platinum service is worth going for 10 cruises. Does it pay off? Is the laundry service good or is it just so so? For the price and the fun you cant beat carnival especially for kids. Now i am on my 7th cruise but i am 2 cruises ahead of my wife. When I reach platinum will my wife and kids also recieve the platinum benifits of the laundry service as well? I was thinking yes but I am not sure.

You love CCL.... Your kids love CCL.... Becoming Platinum does not cost you a dime other than to keep cruising with CCL until you reach the magic 10th sailing.

 

Why would it not be worth it when it is FREE and your family LOVES CCL ? :eek::D

[Bo Didly]

Wash , ruined shirts as well as shrunken items.

Fold , horrible.

 

For the most part is useless.

[jimbo5544]

We LOVE the wash and fold service, have had nothing ruined. Makes packing so much easier.

[golfadj]

We have been very happy with the laundry sevice and take half the clothes we used to take.

 

Also like free entry to blackjack tourney as well as being first on and off the ship.

[onthehighseas606]

I don't see where the platinum would benefit us other than boarding the ship before others. I wouldn't use the laundry service as I don't like people touching my undies, we wouldn't eat the canapes or strawberries due to dietary controls (diabetic). We're one cruise away from being platinum, however, we may not go on another cruise too soon due to the TSA pat downs now in effect. Not worth giving up our privacy to cruise.:mad:

[Bo Didly]

We enjoyed both the priority boarding and priority disembarking. Our favorite was on the last cruise when, our room was ready early and we had early access to it cause we were platinum. the canapes and chocolate covered strawberries were nice too.. :) The laundry is not such a big deal on a short cruise, but this fall we are doing back to back Med cruises, and with the price of extra/overweight luggage, the laundry service will be invaluable!

 

Shane

 

Never received any chocolate covered strawberries as a perk :confused:

 

But that would be better than the other crapola they deliver to your room.;)

[framerman]

I am about to go on my 7th cruise in January with Carnival. We love carnival cruises. This kids love them too. Just wondering if all the talk about platinum service is worth going for 10 cruises. Does it pay off? Is the laundry service good or is it just so so? For the price and the fun you cant beat carnival especially for kids. Now i am on my 7th cruise but i am 2 cruises ahead of my wife. When I reach platinum will my wife and kids also recieve the platinum benifits of the laundry service as well? I was thinking yes but I am not sure.

Daily wash and fold is the one great perk. Has greatly cut down on what we take on a cruise

[dbhudgins]

Our family of 6 enjoyed our first Platinum Cruise aboard the Liberty in the Med. We love being Platinum - boarding priority, free cocktail party for Platinums, whatever gift theyre giving that year, the free wash and fold, and we have found the employees recognize that silver sign and sail card, too. We have utilized our Platinum status entry line for issues with billing, booking new cruises, asking questions and for the Priority Tender assignments.

Just a nice thing to have if you sail often, as we do. We also sail other lines and will be moving into another category on Celebrity soon.......we love Carnival and think Platinum is great! Happy Sails to you!

[Bo Didly]

Our family of 6 enjoyed our first Platinum Cruise aboard the Liberty in the Med. We love being Platinum - boarding priority, free cocktail party for Platinums, whatever gift theyre giving that year, the free wash and fold, and we have found the employees recognize that silver sign and sail card, too. We have utilized our Platinum status entry line for issues with billing, booking new cruises, asking questions and for the Priority Tender assignments.

Just a nice thing to have if you sail often, as we do. We also sail other lines and will be moving into another category on Celebrity soon.......we love Carnival and think Platinum is great! Happy Sails to you!

 

 

There are no free cocktail parties for platinum .

[okgirl]

We enjoyed both the priority boarding and priority disembarking. Our favorite was on the last cruise when, our room was ready early and we had early access to it cause we were platinum. the canapes and chocolate covered strawberries were nice too.. :) The laundry is not such a big deal on a short cruise, but this fall we are doing back to back Med cruises, and with the price of extra/overweight luggage, the laundry service will be invaluable!

 

Shane

 

Early access to your cabin is not a Platinum perk and if someone told you that it was they are wrong.

 

Our family of 6 enjoyed our first Platinum Cruise aboard the Liberty in the Med. We love being Platinum - boarding priority, free cocktail party for Platinums, whatever gift theyre giving that year, the free wash and fold, and we have found the employees recognize that silver sign and sail card, too. We have utilized our Platinum status entry line for issues with billing, booking new cruises, asking questions and for the Priority Tender assignments.

Just a nice thing to have if you sail often, as we do. We also sail other lines and will be moving into another category on Celebrity soon.......we love Carnival and think Platinum is great! Happy Sails to you!

 

You must be confusing another cruise lines perks on the free cocktail party, because that isn't one of the perks for Platinums either. All past guests get a free cocktail party, gold or platinum.

[Bo Didly]

Early access to your cabin is not a Platinum perk and if someone told you that it was they are wrong.

 

 

 

Platinum rooms seem to be cleaned first .

While its not a perk I have often dropped my luggage off to a clean and available room.

[mississauga]

Early access to your cabin is not a Platinum perk and if someone told you that it was they are wrong.

 

Thanks for your comment. I was going to ask about it as it is the first time I have read about it. However, it would be great if it was a platinum perk....that's one I would like more than some of the other ones.

[Bunkie103]

Strolling to the head of the check in line when there are 300+ people in line is worth it for me!:D Priority dining time ranks right up there two. As the maitre'd said to me "how can I say no when you show me that Platinum card" on our recent cruise booked 2 days before sailing.

[Terri102066]

I did have one red tank that was ruined but that was not a big deal. I would not give them anything expensive to wash but it is wonderful to come home with all clean clothes.

 

The best thing is the embarkment and debarkment. Nothing better than sitting in the library (or other designated spot) till clearance, then just walking off the ship or just not having to wait in long lines to get on the ship.

[going to see the world]

No dollar value like with RCL loyalty program.

 

 

 

Maybe I should look what they have to offer :cool:

[Brandonlees]

Thanks for all the input. Is there any other benifits seems there is a lot more then just free laundry service? I didnt know about the room being ready early as well. I thought it was always at 1:30 like ussual. Also does platinum give you access to better tables in the dining room? we always seem to be on the lower outside area where you can not see the servers dancing very well at all. Is only platinum people get to be in the center areas? Or is there a trick to getting in the center of the dining room?

[firefly333]

Thanks for all the input. Is there any other benifits seems there is a lot more then just free laundry service? I didnt know about the room being ready early as well. I thought it was always at 1:30 like ussual. Also does platinum give you access to better tables in the dining room? we always seem to be on the lower outside area where you can not see the servers dancing very well at all. Is only platinum people get to be in the center areas? Or is there a trick to getting in the center of the dining room?

 

Iv just read that people say that this is a platinum benefit that they can go to the cabin early...based on word of mouth .. not based on anything in writing.

 

I wouldnt go to the cabin early unless you see that this is allowed, not because a couple of people claim their cabin steward says they are supposed to do those cabins first to clean.

 

rumors..

[zonabelle]

I understand how platinum boarding works - you go to the platinum line for check-in. But how does disembarking work? How does Carnival assign the disembarking "zones" for platinum? Also, how do you make it known that you are platinum for the tenders without looking like you are breaking the long line trying to get to the tenders? How do you notify the cabin steward that th ebag of laundry you are leaving is not to be charged if you do not see him to hand it to him? Can you tell that my December cruise will be my platinum?:p

[Brandonlees]

wow 40000 post how long have you been on here firefly? That is crazy how many cruises have you been on? seems like I see you everywhere on here.

[Bo Didly]

Thanks for all the input. Is there any other benifits seems there is a lot more then just free laundry service? I didnt know about the room being ready early as well. I thought it was always at 1:30 like ussual. Also does platinum give you access to better tables in the dining room? we always seem to be on the lower outside area where you can not see the servers dancing very well at all. Is only platinum people get to be in the center areas? Or is there a trick to getting in the center of the dining room?

 

In most instances ,yes. depending on who gets there be for you.

 

See the maitre d when boarding first .

[okgirl]

Thanks for all the input. Is there any other benifits seems there is a lot more then just free laundry service? I didnt know about the room being ready early as well. I thought it was always at 1:30 like ussual. Also does platinum give you access to better tables in the dining room? we always seem to be on the lower outside area where you can not see the servers dancing very well at all. Is only platinum people get to be in the center areas? Or is there a trick to getting in the center of the dining room?

 

While it's not a platinum perk to get into your cabin early, it's true that they are usually the 1st cabins made ready, but it is still an inconvenience for the cabin crews to have us back there before 1:30. Also, your cabin door is blocked open so they can be inspected so nothing you put in there is secure.

 

I've not experienced better table location based on being platinum, but I do enjoy guaranteed dining times, and now I always request Your Time Dining and it's confirmed at the time of booking instead of being wait listed.

 

The center of the DR are all large tables and I don't know of a way to get one other than to go to the MD upon boarding and ask if there are any openings.