The Carnival Natives Are Restless

[swedish weave]

Lots of complaints about the free hats, but if Carnival stops giving them away, CC will have to buy a bigger computer to handle all the complaints about that !!!

[leedm]

How hard would it be to give platinum and diamond a choice of gifts. Maybe OBC or a hat, or what ever. I don't need hats, picture frames, but a picture album with the name of the ship would be nice. Again a choice.

[firefly333]

I think people dont really care, just give us something to talk about :D

 

People LOVE to talk cruising.

[Cruizinman]

Lots of complaints about the free hats, but if Carnival stops giving them away, CC will have to buy a bigger computer to handle all the complaints about that !!!

What people need is respect ;) Carnival lost that somewhere in the ocean with their new loyalty program .

[CalaDragonflyLady]

Why not little menu? These gifts for Platinum and a few nicer for Diamond - Check/Tick off the box of the gift you want. Maybe a Man would like a hat but a lady would like a cup. Maybe you don't need same gift if you do a B2B so you'd mark something else...

Not that hard to figure out.

 

Great idea!

 

Not quite sure why people are put out by the FTTF program. How do you know it was started for impatient people? That is quite a generalization! What is so wrong with wanting your cabin to be ready once you board the ship. It makes life just that much more pleasant, to drop your bags in your stateroom and make your way to the lido deck unencumbered to get a bite to eat. For those who are willing to pay the $50 for this service to enhance their cruise experience go for it, I did and I'm not making any apologies for it. :p

 

Agreed! I travel solo, so juggling bags while trying to get something to eat is awkward.......there's nobody I can leave my bags with to take turns. I am looking forward to my first FTTF experience on my next cruise. None of the ports I'm going to are tender ports, but the ability to go to my cabin right away and drop my bags with worth the $50 to me!

 

If you're not interested in it, don't purchase it, but why insult those who do?

[skyeman27]

I think Carnival marketing fully understands the target market and it is those who were once in the target market that don't understand.

 

For most of Carnival's existence, there was no loyalty program. Unlike other cruise lines, there really is no need to bribe customers to sail on the Fun Ships. ;)

 

Why would Carnival even start a loyalty program? Kinda like a bribe? Why would Carnival lower prices to full a ship? Kinda like a Bribe?

[big_duck]

I don't know. I just did a cruise a few weeks ago and it was great. So I guess you are wrong. Most people have a great time.

 

Sent using my Commodore 64

 

I hate to point this out to you, but you are one people, not most.

[Fydlstyx]

People, people! Stop complaining about the gifts or they will go away all together!

 

My only comment on the FTTF program, is why not adopt the policy that the airlines use...families with young children and anyone with a disability or a wheelchair should automatically qualify for boarding ahead of able bodied passengers. This is based upon the premise that it just takes certain groups of people longer to board than others. Very simple.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

I disagree with your idea to have families with young children board ahead of everyone else. Having children does not make you need to be first in line for things. And yep, I have three kids. They are all in their teens now, but I can tell you that we never, never took advantage of the option to board a plane first because we had young children flying with us.

 

I don't know anyone in their right mind that wants to actually extend the amount of time your toddlers are confined to airplane seats. :D Boarding first just allows for the kids to explore everything there is to see in that tiny space before people are all even on board. Then they go from being boarded early to being bored early. No thanks. We would board closer to last in order to minimize the amount of time stuck in a confined space. Of course, now that airlines charge ransom to check bags, everyone brings all of their worldly possessions on board and shoves them into the overheads, so boarding last with small kids could be an annoyance because you'd have to spend so much time finding a space for your carry-ons.

 

I am not sure why FTTF annoys people. If someone wants to pay more for the privilege of boarding the ship sooner, that has no effect on me. Let 'em pay and do their thing. Letting them board early just because they have kids, that would annoy me.

 

I agree with you that free gifts are a nice touch for repeat cruisers, but I can also see the point that some of those gifts are worthless to people. I wonder if enough people simply leave the unwanted hats on board instead of taking them, will Carnival get the message that it's not a popular gift? The gifts are going to change more frequently, though, right? So, if someone hates the gift this time, maybe next cruise they will get something they really like. I would be happy to forgo cups, hats, lanyards, and all that stuff if they just wanted to send me some choco covered strawberries. ;)

[Cuizer2]

Can people not enjoy free gifts anymore?

 

They like that it is free. It is just that they are expecting something more in line with a free cruise in a suite for a week - or better.