Another report of Platinum embarkation problems at Tampa

[DarthGrady]

I have read sporadic reports on these boards about the lackluster Platinum embarkation treatment at Port of Tampa. Fortunately I had a fairly uneventful experience there a couple of years ago and it went smoothly.

 

Unfortunately my wife called me today from the ship (before they set sail) with a less than stellar report. She is on Inspiration this weekend for a girl's cruise with her friends. They got to the unmanned Platinum desk and waited for about ten minutes while the regular line moved right along. After a few tumble weeds blew by, she found an agent to help her and her roommate check in. Not exactly a warm welcome for their most frequent cruisers.

 

Life goes on I suppose, or at least it did for a while. That is until she checked her Future Cruise Certificate OBC and found that they had split it between her and her roommate. When I last spoke to her she was being sent to the Future Cruise rep to try and get it straightened out. I suppose I will get the epilogue when she gets back on Monday.

 

So I guess the moral of the story is to bring an air horn to announce your arrival at the Platinum check in desk at Tampa, and always check your OBC when you use a Future Cruise Certificate. :D

[AQW]

Thanks for the update. As of now a Tampa departure will be my first platinum sailing, so I've got my eyes peeled for stories like this.

[tlw440]

Thanks for the update. As of now a Tampa departure will be my first platinum sailing, so I've got my eyes peeled for stories like this.

Our first platinum sailing was 12/18/10 out of Tampa, it was great, you couldn't ask to be treated any nicer.:D:D:D

[Frank12]

Our first platinum sailing was 12/18/10 out of Tampa, it was great, you couldn't ask to be treated any nicer.:D:D:D

 

Ours also. Your wife must have caught them on an off day.

On our recent Dream cruise I noticed that they also split the FCC between DW and I. It showed up as two $50.00 credits instead of a $100.00 credit.

Never noticed this before? :confused:

[bklsmom]

Our first Platinum Sailing was last year out of Tampa (Legend) and it was such a fast check in. We arrived at 11 AM, were let straight to the platinum check in desk. Then led to a "roped off section" of the waiting room, and were on the ship by 11:45. Being first in the food lines was great, no waiting and then when the lines were long, we were done eating and off exploring. Love the port of Tampa, easy embarkation, even for non platinum!! Hope she enjoys her free laundry!! That is the sweetest perk of all platinum perks!!

[lillian marie]

We had no problems a few weeks ago with the Platinum desk. We got on the ship, the Legend, after 3 wedding groups, but before other cruisers.

[DarthGrady]

Ours also. Your wife must have caught them on an off day.

On our recent Dream cruise I noticed that they also split the FCC between DW and I. It showed up as two $50.00 credits instead of a $100.00 credit.

Never noticed this before? :confused:

 

My thoughts as well. Hopefully it was just a fluke.

[kelzbelz77]

If you read the FCC, it is split among the first 2 in the Cabin. It has always been done like that.

[Buffettfan 225]

Our first Platinum Sailing was last year out of Tampa (Legend) and it was such a fast check in. We arrived at 11 AM, were let straight to the platinum check in desk. Then led to a "roped off section" of the waiting room, and were on the ship by 11:45. Being first in the food lines was great, no waiting and then when the lines were long, we were done eating and off exploring. Love the port of Tampa, easy embarkation, even for non platinum!! Hope she enjoys her free laundry!! That is the sweetest perk of all platinum perks!!

Free laundry? I did not know this perk...that perked my ears, is it the type where you put it in a bag and it comes back folded?

[Ronn452]

Yes, Platinum can send it DAILY! My wife loves it. Take less clothes and get home with most of them washed and folded.

[serene56]

If you read the FCC, it is split among the first 2 in the Cabin. It has always been done like that.

 

 

This is correct- and if your wife was cruising solo she would only get 50.00.

 

I hate that she may lose that other 50.00 cant see tell the other person just to give it to her?? (take it out in the casino as a credit?)

[MCC retired]

If sailing alone the OBC is split between the guest and the cabin steward.

 

 

 

Oops! Just kidding . Just have the 2nd guest pay 1st guest back .

[scchasgal]

This is correct- and if your wife was cruising solo she would only get 50.00.

 

I hate that she may lose that other 50.00 cant see tell the other person just to give it to her?? (take it out in the casino as a credit?)

 

Didn't they change that recently that you don't lose 1/2 the FCC OBC since you are paying 200% cabin fare?

[DarthGrady]

This is correct- and if your wife was cruising solo she would only get 50.00.

 

I hate that she may lose that other 50.00 cant see tell the other person just to give it to her?? (take it out in the casino as a credit?)

 

I imagine thats what she will end up doing. I guess she just assumed that she would get the full OBC since it was her certificate.

 

It doesn't make a lot of sense that it defaults to a 50/50 split. It would make a lot more sense for the booking agent to ask the customer how to split it, just to avoid stuff like this.

[sharecruises]

The future cruise money is split...and that can be pretty awkward for singles sharing a cabin, the "roommate" sees the credit. Explaining it is not that easy and Carnival is NO help.

 

Really stupid and unfair....just another example of the fact that Carnival assumes the ship is Noah's Ark...2x2...

 

and IF one buys a future cruise cert and goes solo you only get $50 per cabin..even though you are paying a lot. No bargains for singles

 

Fortunately I have been able to explain and pre-notify roommates about the FCC, both for myself and for other cruisers who have the credit.

[pe4all]

I imagine thats what she will end up doing. I guess she just assumed that she would get the full OBC since it was her certificate.

 

It doesn't make a lot of sense that it defaults to a 50/50 split. It would make a lot more sense for the booking agent to ask the customer how to split it, just to avoid stuff like this.

I totally agree here. If I have to pay for the certificate when purchased on my credit card, and my name is on the certificate, and it is credited under my booking number, why should anyone sailing with me get 50% of it - even if it is a family member? It should be easy enough to put it against my s and s card - and not to have to go to Guest Services and waste time switching it. I never noticed how it was split, cause I sail with dh or dd - but I do all the purchasing, paperwork, etc. involved. COLOR]

edited: I just dug out my s and s statement from 2/10 Glory cruise - I had the $100 fcc credited fully to me - not split between dd and myself.

[SkyMaster]

Free laundry? I did not know this perk...that perked my ears, is it the type where you put it in a bag and it comes back folded?

 

Yep, the free laundry is GREAT,,,,however,,,,don't send anything that even remotely MIGHT shrink! They use very high temperature steam in the laundry process, and it really does a job on fabrics that have a tendency to shrink. I sent a nice pullover shirt some time back, and now my miniature schnauzer wears it! :eek: Oh yes,,,,you can send laundry every day if you wish, it's not just a once a cruise thing! (Helps cut down on the amount of stuff that we need to pack.) :D

 

"SKY"

[Snorkel2Much]

Thanks for the update. As of now a Tampa departure will be my first platinum sailing, so I've got my eyes peeled for stories like this.

I have the same situation, my March 2012 sailing should be my 10th on Carnival. Is there anything in your booking docs that shows/proves your impending Plat status? (in case there is an issue when boarding).

[serene56]

I have the same situation, my March 2012 sailing should be my 10th on Carnival. Is there anything in your booking docs that shows/proves your impending Plat status? (in case there is an issue when boarding).

 

 

Yes, go to carnival web page and click on manage my cruise. VIEW details

VIEW cruise documents. PRINT GENERAL INFORMATION

You get a nice VIP on the top right hand corner. yipee

[Snorkel2Much]

Yes, go to carnival web page and click on manage my cruise. VIEW details

VIEW cruise documents. PRINT GENERAL INFORMATION

You get a nice VIP on the top right hand corner. yipee

...and there it is. Thanks serene.:cool::)

[nybumpkin]

 

Unfortunately my wife called me today from the ship (before they set sail) with a less than stellar report. She is on Inspiration this weekend for a girl's cruise with her friends. They got to the unmanned Platinum desk and waited for about ten minutes while the regular line moved right along. After a few tumble weeds blew by, she found an agent to help her and her roommate check in. Not exactly a warm welcome for their most frequent cruisers.

Sounds like what happened to us in NYC last year. They had a separate line for VIP boarding and there were a lot of people in the line. At first they had three agents for VIPs, but then two of them switched to boarding a wedding party, leaving us with one agent. And then he disappeared, leaving no one to check in the rest of us. Meanwhile, the non-VIP passengers were being processed very quickly through the regular lines and were boarding the ship. We tried to get the attention of another agent, but she blew us off with "the other guy will be right back." Finally we got the attention of a supervisor and she checked us in. It would have been faster to go through the regular line.

 

Hopefully when we sail on Glory in 5 weeks they'll have their act together....

[GlendaleCruiser]

This is correct- and if your wife was cruising solo she would only get 50.00.

 

I hate that she may lose that other 50.00 cant see tell the other person just to give it to her?? (take it out in the casino as a credit?)

 

 

That's happened to us the last two times. We are just friends. Split the OBC. We just pay the person who should have it and go on. Easier that dealing with GS.

[CWcruisers]

See, I don't get the whole raving about Tampa thing. I have seen many people post about how wonder the port of Tampa is, but IMHO, it is nothing to write home about.

 

They have the ladies at the desk that take forever to check people in, and the same thing happened to me once where the regular line moved faster. Problem is that they should have a line for people that booked suites that have no clue what they are doing and a line for real VIP's that know how to fill out the forms.

 

Ships that sail from CA let the VIP's off before anyone else. That is how it is supposed to be. Not waiting until self assist gets off. All of the FL ports do not understand this concept.

[Cruisin'Lovebirds]

On 5/26, the desk was fully staffed: two agents checking us in, a greeter directing the next party to benches waiting for each, and two escorts: one for each desk, taking the checked-in party over to the boarding photo station. It was a breeze, as usual. We have not experienced the unstaffed desk others have.

[ooulio]

We have sailed from Ft Lauderdale, Miami and Port Canaveral. We have had no problem getting on at all. SAiled right thru . Getting off was very easy. We were off in Feb before 8:10 and at ariport by 9:30. Another time last year was later because of Customs last year in Miaimi. Never know. We took the Carnival Shuttle so that is why we had to wait. When we did the taxi, we were gone in a few minutes. Shutttle wasn't bad at all. They filled up the bus and off we went.