Shut Out on the Free Cruise? How do you feel?

[grumpyjr88]

I was feeling left out that we didn't get one, but you are completely right about first world problems. I hope the offers go to people who wouldn't be able to cruise without them.

 

I am one of those people. My mom usually pays for our cruises upfront and I pay her back. Very slowly. And without interest. So I finally get to go on a cruise that she doesn't have to pay for. :)

[crusinpsychRN]

Someone stole my letter from my mailbox.

[sjn911]

Someone stole my letter from my mailbox.

 

 

Good one and sorry if it is true...:(:D..that's a first world problem too as someone so aptly put...Sarah

[Bobby_Mac]

The way I look at it, I can't miss something I don't have.

[brooklynfc]

Bummed, but not mad. Hopefully, it will be something they continue to do it.

 

So many have fussed about the VFIP offers not being there or being pointless. Guess what.........they aren't now.

 

I just figure, if Carnival continues it, that it will show up for me at a point in time where I really need it for whatever reason (as much as one can REALLY need a vacation).

[2bthereagain]

Someone stole my letter from my mailbox.

 

Yes, I know how you feel! My online VIFP account was hacked and robbed - and my husband's, son's, daughter's, parents', and ex-boyfriend's.....and anyone else's I could think to check.... (just kidding about the last one - I can't remember his birthday....).

Edited February 19, 2014 by 2bthereagain

[azjim66]

I didn't get a "Free" offer but last October I did receive a letter from Carnival , which I almost just tossed out with junk mail. It was a past guest offer based on a 4 day cruise I took in 2010. It was not free but a greatly reduced extended balcony offer. I convinced my wife ( who has never cruised before) that it was a once in a lifetime deal. We are sailing in 3 days on the Miracle for 7 days in an extended balcony (bowling alley) for basically what it would cost for an inside "pack and go" on a 3 day cruise. Not free but a tremendous offer and I am very grateful to Carnival for it!! We are looking forward to a great cruise. Would I love to get another offer?? you bet I would and if it's free all the better. Congrats to all who have gotten a great deal and hopefully those who have not will get one soon!!

[sjn911]

I didn't get a "Free" offer but last October I did receive a letter from Carnival , which I almost just tossed out with junk mail. It was a past guest offer based on a 4 day cruise I took in 2010. It was not free but a greatly reduced extended balcony offer. I convinced my wife ( who has never cruised before) that it was a once in a lifetime deal. We are sailing in 3 days on the Miracle for 7 days in an extended balcony (bowling alley) for basically what it would cost for an inside "pack and go" on a 3 day cruise. Not free but a tremendous offer and I am very grateful to Carnival for it!! We are looking forward to a great cruise. Would I love to get another offer?? you bet I would and if it's free all the better. Congrats to all who have gotten a great deal and hopefully those who have not will get one soon!!

 

Very very happy for you...enjoy it to the fullest...truthfully...I believe the good all comes around..if not from one place another..and the gratitude spills over to all and brings more joy, security whatever just from being in that place..have a lovely time..thanks for your story, Sarah

[Smart Arsenal Fan]

Magic Kingdom does this thing where they wander the park and randomly select a family to sleep in Cinderella's Castle suite. They picked a family directly in front of us. :(

 

I once gave my 12 year old nephew a scratch off lottery ticket.... $2000.00 winner! :( Happy, but still... :rolleyes:

 

 

To be disappointed, is human. Just don't be childish or dwell on it. Life is too short.

[sammee]

Magic Kingdom does this thing where they wander the park and randomly select a family to sleep in Cinderella's Castle suite. They picked a family directly in front of us. :(

 

I once gave my 12 year old nephew a scratch off lottery ticket.... $2000.00 winner! :( Happy, but still... :rolleyes:

 

 

To be disappointed, is human. Just don't be childish or dwell on it. Life is too short.

 

Oh my god, I gave my son a scratch off ticket back in 2007. He just turned 18, he won a cruise on Royal Caribbean, but since he wasn't old enough for Royal and didn't want to choose parents to go with, he gave it to us for our anniversary!

 

I wasn't picked for this event, so I just went and booked on anyway, maybe that'll bring me some luck for a freebie, lol

[azjim66]

Very very happy for you...enjoy it to the fullest...truthfully...I believe the good all comes around..if not from one place another..and the gratitude spills over to all and brings more joy, security whatever just from being in that place..have a lovely time..thanks for your story, Sarah

 

Thanks Sarah!!

[xitappers2bx]

Your'e not alone on this one....I've been reading too, of the lucky folks that have been getting the free cruise which appear to have not sailed as many times as I...

 

Oh well, guess I just don't meet the demographic they are looking for.

 

Still leaves me feeling not as important though. :p

 

I concur... they're certainly not rewarding people who cruise often or those who book suites (this next cruise will be the first time I'm NOT in a suite and I was feeling bad about it until I realized they're rewarding people who don't cruise a lot and who don't spend the money I do to cruise with the free one)

[sjcruiser]

Someone in a family got one, and I'm glad at least someone I know did, but it doesn't bother me until I read this thread (lol, only kidding). I just found out my neighbors parents got some mail from Carnival that they didn't open, and of course I told her about the free cruise mailings. I'm waiting to here back that its an offer for a free cruise!!!

[Jenna1983]

Don't really care but no one in my family has gotten one and it's ranged from 10 cruises, 7 cruises, 3 cruises and 1 cruise. So there's really no rhyme or reason to now they choose. Would be interested to see if my 90 year old grandmother has one. Lol

[CruzCrazy]

Okay, I'm trying to be objective about this...

 

I've been reading how some people don't understand why others can't understand that this free cabin offer is (or seems to be) random/luck of the draw. Well, maybe that's the problem: We're trying to UNDERSTAND the cruise line's reasoning/motivation.

 

I'm not saying it's not random, BUT if this truly is simply RANDOM, I think Carnival missed the boat and missed an opportunity for some really creative marketing.

 

I've wracked my brain trying to figure out why would they send out free cabin offers on a totally random basis (the only proven criterion being the fact that the recipient of the offer at one time or another has taken at least one Carnival cruise). I've read that maybe Carnival is desperate and that desperation is driving this promo. Only they know for sure how "desperate" they are, but if we are to believe them and their press releases, they just set a record for new bookings with the $50 deposit promotion, so something doesn't jibe there. A new record for new bookings doesn't seem to indicate desperation.

 

From a marketing standpoint, wouldn't it make more sense to target the offers? In this day and age of technology, it shouldn't be too hard to predict from whom the offers would bring the biggest return on investment for the cruise line (for instance, those who used to cruise Carnival frequently but haven't in a while, those whose S&S bill was higher than average, on average, etc.--people who, if given a "free" cabin, would drop some bucks on the cruise and make it worth the investment by the cruise line).

 

The whole idea of rewarding past customers for their business sounds nice, but that wouldn't NECESSARILY create more business/make more money/generate profit for the cruise lines if those particular customers are somehow "predicted" to continue to book more cruises regardless. On the other hand, giving away free cabins to people who have not substantially added to their bottom line and couldn't be "predicted" to change their spending habits in the future doesn't seem to make much sense either.

 

So, to all who are trying to "crack the code," I feel ya. It's just hard to believe that the cruise line is not using this promotion for more than what meets the eye. But, hey, it's not my cruise line to run.

 

Neither DH nor I has received the offer (so far, LOL). We currently have a cruise booked on another cruise line, our first venture away from Carnival after 10 Carnival cruises, but that is totally coincidental to this promo. We had simply decided to try something different and booked it last month because of a nice fire/police/EMT discount on Royal. Carnival could always try to win us back, though ;)

 

Congrats to those who got the offer and are able to use it, no matter what the criteria (or lack thereof) are.

[Acosmo]

Okay, I'm trying to be objective about this...

 

I've been reading how some people don't understand why others can't understand that this free cabin offer is (or seems to be) random/luck of the draw. Well, maybe that's the problem: We're trying to UNDERSTAND the cruise line's reasoning/motivation.

 

Great post, thank you for taking the time to write your thoughts. We feel the same way and I also agree with Amber in her post. There's no way to understand the process unless you know someone who was part of the decision-making. But I don't believe it's random.

 

In our family we have everything from 2 time cruisers to Diamond. Out of 8 cruisers, there were none who received the offer. When one of the Diamond members called their PVP to ask about it, he said the offer wasn't available to them but did have another option for a cruise in May that is very, very low in cost and no single supplement.

 

I'm not going to suggest that it's being offered as an alternative to those who didn't get the Free Cruise offer and call their PVPs asking about it. I'm just relaying their experience with calling to ask.

[Bella8286]

CruzCrazy - We're about to sail Royal in April for the first time in years based on the FF/EMT rate as well! I haven't booked just yet but the price doesn't even compare to what we can sail with Carnival.

 

I keep checking my VIFP offers daily as well in hopes that maybe I'll have an offer pop up before I book the RCI cruise but VERY doubtful that will happen! :rolleyes:

 

We've sailed Carnival, Royal and Disney and Carnival is by far our most favorite cruise line. Maybe one day in our lifetime we'll get some kind of "freebie" :)

[ShanteS]

Some of these posts and responses just makes me SMH. A few weeks ago there was a gentleman that posted about how he'd received (probably one of the first of these free cruise offers) a letter that offered him a free cruise of his choosing and he chose the repositioning cruise on the Legend. A good amount of the posters here attacked him, "BS!!" "You're full of it!" etc. etc. I was happy for him and said as much "That's awesome. Enjoy your cruise!" and I kept it moving. I didn't sulk and become sad or angry wondering WHY I wasn't chosen and what'd he have or do that I didn't etc.

 

Lo and behold sometime later I received my own free cruise offer even though I already had my cruise on the Breeze booked. I was so happy and excited. This would be the perfect opportunity for a girls vacation with my best friend who lives thousands of miles away from me. I have the opportunity to take her on her first cruise and we will now have a week to spend together after not seeing each other for nearly 4 years.

 

Moral of the story: Try being genuinely happy for others and maybe some good fortune will find you too. Life, Carnival (hell anyone for that matter) does not owe you anything!! All of you crucifying Carnival right now may very well get selected at a later time. Life's way too short, be happy. This was not meant to offend anyone but if it has flame away. This is how I feel. *shrug* Have a great day and happy cruising! :)

[awhcruiser]

Best post so far. I know the mailman keeps misplacing my letter...LOL

Moral of the story: Try being genuinely happy for others and maybe some good fortune will find you too. Life, Carnival (hell anyone for that matter) does not owe you anything!! All of you crucifying Carnival right now may very well get selected at a later time. Life's way too short, be happy. This was not meant to offend anyone but if it has flame away. This is how I feel. *shrug* Have a great day and happy cruising! :)

[Acosmo]

Life, Carnival (hell anyone for that matter) does not owe you anything!! All of you crucifying Carnival right now may very well get selected at a later time. Life's way too short, be happy. This was not meant to offend anyone but if it has flame away. This is how I feel. *shrug* Have a great day and happy cruising! :)

 

As you said, "this is how I feel." The title of the thread started by Midwestgal is "How Do You Feel?" I think there were some very honest answers to the OP's question, and those who answered truthfully about their disappointment were slammed.

 

Any of these posters may be happy for those who were given a free cruise. On the other hand, disappointment in not receiving one themselves is perfectly natural, particularly when there's no rhyme or reason as to how Carnival gave them away.

 

It's not like anyone said, "I hope your ship is stuck at sea." Or "Wishing it rains for your entire cruise." Or "Maybe your cruise will be the one hit by Noro-Virus." THAT would be nasty and petty, and a lot of the other names posters have called the ones who expressed disappointment at Carnival.

 

I wish everyone who sails the very best in their travels, no matter what they paid, or didn't, for their cruise. :)

[BenjiRodney]

I took 3 Carnival cruise last year, guess they figured we did not need a free one.

[OrlandoD]

Here's the thing I have been the Carnival Site everyday since I've heard about this FREE cruise. I open that page the same way I look at my lottery ticket numbers......please try again ;)

So perhaps the rhyme or reason was to drive us to their site?! or maybe to drive us crazy - just not sure on this one!

[CruzCrazy]

CruzCrazy - We're about to sail Royal in April for the first time in years based on the FF/EMT rate as well! I haven't booked just yet but the price doesn't even compare to what we can sail with Carnival.

 

I keep checking my VIFP offers daily as well in hopes that maybe I'll have an offer pop up before I book the RCI cruise but VERY doubtful that will happen! :rolleyes:

 

We've sailed Carnival, Royal and Disney and Carnival is by far our most favorite cruise line. Maybe one day in our lifetime we'll get some kind of "freebie" :)

 

That's always been our experience, too--Carnival just was a better value. We happened to catch a really nice FF/EMT discount for this particular cruise we have booked on Oasis, making it LESS money than the cruise we were looking at for the same week on the Breeze (comparing balcony cabins). To be fair, the Oasis is 7 days, while the Breeze is 8, but when you do the math, it comes out to about $13 per day less on the Oasis. We just couldn't pass it up. Good luck to you!

Edited February 21, 2014 by CruzCrazy

[jakeT]

It not that Carnival owns me something. But be fair. If you are going to give cruise. At least give them to people who cruise with you. Not to people who goes on two cruise, don't spend any money on the cruise. Do go to the casino. But give them a free cruise

[kicia]

Congratulations to all of those that have received free cruises. It would be nice if we would receive one too but since we're at 37 cruises with 262 days it probably won't happen. I wish there was something more for Diamond cruisers and maybe some day there will be. We've never received an upgrade, or even upsell, offer and there are those that complain that they've been on three or four cruises and why don't they receive an upgrade.

 

Think of the bright side. Free cruises don't count towards the Milestone levels and we only need 13 more for double milestone. We only have one cruise booked this year so it will take us a few years to get to the next level.

 

Of course everyone wants something for free but I would rather have won the Powerball this week. Too bad we didn't buy a ticket.

 

Anyway, enjoy the free cruises and everyone else - keep cruising because it's fun!