Free Cruise offers - PVP??

[cruzn buckeye]

For those of you getting free cruise offers, do you use a PVP?

Just wondering because I don't... I book my own... and have never gotten an offer...

[golfadj]

This fellow who uses a pvp has not gotten anything free from Carnival

[funinthesun1964]

I use a PVP, and never received any of the offers for a greatly reduced or free cruise. I always have one booked in the next 6 months though, and I'm thinking that may have something to do with it. I'll quit booking and see what happens. :)

[092306]

We don't use a PVP, but we always have a cruise booked. Maybe that's part of the reason we haven't been selected either.

[jabberjaw070596]

I also use the PVP and have never received any free offers. I also always have a cruise booked so that may be why

[TerReuv]

We now have a PVP but have not used him yet. We cruised last October and before that 2011. We have not received any free offers either. Neither have my parents and they have cruised both times with us. I just see no rhyme or reason to the free cruises. I check both our VIFP and my parents for offers each day. Nothing. Wish we would get one, but not a deal breaker if we don't.

[My6Dogs]

I have never received a free offer, I do all the booking.

My wife, on the other hand, received a free cruise from the casino players club last year. She just received a $50 players club pack and go offer. Looks like a great offer, but we already have one planned and this offer doesn't apply to that cruise. We aren't interested in changing so this offer will not be used...

 

Mike

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[springs741]

We use a PVP and have three cruises booked. No free offers for us. I agree there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the free cruise offers. We have sailed 49 days with Carnival in the last three years. I guess they know we will pay for cruises and have no reason to encourage us.

[ibcnusoon]

I booked my Carnival cruises with Carnival the first time, then a PVP after that. The PVP called me after the first cruise because she saw that I purchased a FCC and wanted to know if I was going to cash it in. At the time I was planning on booking so I went ahead and booked with her.

 

I also booked a cruise with her for my daughter and her sorority friends.

 

In February i checked everyone's VIFP accounts and I was the only one who received the free cruise.

 

This is our breakdown:

 

My father in a cabin next to us (his first Carnival cruise). He gambled at the tables about $100 on this trip. He received the $600 off Fun Select Rates.

 

My stepmom who I booked in a cabin with him (her first Carnival cruise), gambled about $200 in the slots this cruise. She received the 2-category upgrade.

 

My oldest DD, who has been on 3 Carnival cruises and never gambles. She received the $600 off Fun Select Rates.

 

My DH, who never gambles, this was his first Carnival cruise. He received the $600 off Fun Select Rates.

 

My 17 year old DD, has been on 2 Carnival cruises. She received the 2-category upgrade.

 

__

 

On the cruise when all 6 of us went in 3 cabins, I had everyone's S&S account linked to my cabin and I paid it in full under my name. Maybe that's why I got the free cruise?

Edited June 11, 2014 by ibcnusoon

[BIG GUY]

I also use a PVP and never ever received a free cruise offer. Some of my friends received these offers 3-4 times last year. I called PVP and asked why not me? She explained that the offers are associated with the Players Club in Casinos. We were on Paradise a few weeks ago and I went right down to the casino and asked how to get in Players club? Manager told me they take my card or machine will read it and I would be credited points. He also explained that if I was at the tables they would monitor or time my play. I usually play Roulette for as long as I can take the smoke. I guess I will never get enough points or time credits as I can't take the smoke.

[bitemyfly]

We use a pvp along with my brother in law we both got free cruise

We also do not gamble big. Maybe a couple hundred bucks per cruise

A couple of common things

We both have an excess 10 cruises

We both haven't sailed in a couple years and I think what the real decision factor

Our S&S bill is in excess of a 1k

No clue if this is correct but is my guess

[srjones1]

We use a PVP. I have been on four cruises, wife has 10. She is the bigger gambler in the family but our free cruise offer was offered to me and not her. This is our first time getting one. It makes no sense to me how these offers are made either. I'm just happy to get one.

[Rocky Top]

We have used the same PVP for about 6 years. We received a free cruise in 2012 and just received another one on Monday night. Cannot believe it since we are regular cruisers (some say Carnival is trying to get back those who have not cruised in awhile) and we also only spend a small amount in the casino. We both are Platinum but the offers are in DW name. Cannot determine reason.

[bingomamma19]

For those of you getting free cruise offers, do you use a PVP?

Just wondering because I don't... I book my own... and have never gotten an offer...

 

 

I do have a PVP, but he has never been the one to notify me of the free offers. I check my carnival account almost every day--I put in my VIFP number to see my offers--they dont come from your PVP, they come from Carnival (Ocean players club usually) and are loaded under your VIFP number.

 

I was just on the Breeze in Jan this year--This will be my 7th cruise -5 that I have paid for and my 2nd free one. I do gamble--about $100 per sea day--but on a port day--almost no gambling.

 

I won over $7000 on my first cruise february 2009 on the Fascination. No big winnings since that one.

 

So you dont need to be a high roller to get these offers. Maybe people are getting them and have no idea (if they are not checking their offers under their VIFP number in Carnival) If i left it up to any other method (snail mail, email, pvp call etc) i would never have known about them and would have missed out.

 

I do get the other casino offers in the snail mail and email (premier cruises for 40% off and about $300 in casino cash)

 

So I am off to find airfare for my 8 day Southern caribbean Carnival Breeze cruise that I got under this incredible offer--paid to upgrade to a balcony--so taxes and upgrade for 2 was $471 total. I could get one more cruise under this offer-and I was considering doing a b2b--but I just dont think I can afford that, even at the very low price its at. I will just have to suffer through my 8 day :):)

Edited June 11, 2014 by bingomamma19

[Disconnections]

I've been assigned over 25 PVPs who enjoy emailing me to let me know they are my PVP. I have never booked any cruise on any line through a PVP, always the 1-800 number. I do not have any current cruises booked with Carnival and it has been over two years since my last. I have not received any of these offers.

[qshari]

I have booked online and a couple with a PVP. I gambled enough to get the drinks on us card on my last cruise. I do not get any of the good offers I see posted about here. I would love to know how to make the list for free cruises or premier cruises.

[LCTXcruiser]

Ok, before I say this.... don't explode....

 

I got two free offers, but I couldn't take advantage of one. Hate to let it go and wish I could pass it on to someone.

 

We have a PVP, and I received two offers from the casino. Both were pack and play. We booked one for August, and the other we'll have to let go. The free cruise isn't technically free - but pretty darn close! We are paying $271.00 (total with taxes and port fees) for two people. This doesn't include tips. However we're getting a 100 obc. When everything's done, we're out of pocket 171.00 cruise and 156.00 for tips. Can't complain for a 7 day cruise. Room is a 4b category.

 

We didn't have any cruises booked, but I had been looking quite a bit.

 

Hope this info helps!

[CheckersMidwest]

Big Guy: Not all the free cruises are with the Player's Club. In February, there were 2 promos going on.....one with random selected VIFP numbers and another with the casino.

 

We got a free cabin through the random VIFP drawing. My husband plays a lot of roulette, but it's a cash game and he has never given them his sign & sail card to keep track or register.

 

We were assigned a PVP last spring but had never used him. We booked the free cruise through him.

[PA Dutchman]

Not all the free cruises are with the Player's Club, you are right. I have one offer with the players club with 9 ships and dates with casino cash. None are free cruises just 40% off cabin.

This other deal there are a lot of ships and sailings with it. I stop looking and counting how many cruises it involves all the way to Aug 31. Inside free with cost of tax and fees. $120 for a balcony + cost of tax and fees. I didn't check on any thing else, all ship are a controlled amount of cabins involved. How they picked the VIFP number I have no idea. If I lived in Fla I would go every month.

[jsjjkelly]

For those of you getting free cruise offers, do you use a PVP?

Just wondering because I don't... I book my own... and have never gotten an offer...

 

Well, we have 4 different parties in our extended family, and we all use the same PVP. This past spring, 2 of the 4 families received the cards for free cruises. The gambler's party didn't get one. We have the most cruises under our belt, and we didn't get one. The 2 parties who did had only been on 2 Carnival cruises before. My mother in law (the gambler) was MAD she didn't get one, so she called our PVP. He said they have no idea who even gets the cards, but it seems like this promotion was to get those cruisers who have been on a few to come back to Carnival (and hooked in our opinion). He said sometimes they can figure out the criteria of who gets them, and other times they can't.

 

Just shedding some light (I think) on what we just experienced with this just a few months ago. I sadly was not one who got the free cruise... :-(

 

Shawn

[MarkAndSandy]

At this point, I'd love an offer that says "pay an extra $400 for your next cruise".... I have never had ***any*** SPECIAL offer of any shape, form, or fashion. It always has the standard verbiage of "check back often" (and I do, to my disappointment, since it has never said anything different.)

 

I'd just like to know it's functioning for me, even if I'm not receiving a "good one"...

 

Booked our 12th cruise (Oct 2014) on our 11th cruise (May 2014).

Used PVP to book and pay for 5 FULL FARE cruises (out of 6 taken) in 2013.

 

So, out of my own curiosity, I "stealthed" out and peeked at offers of everyone I know (know their legal names and birth dates, so I looked up their VIFP numbers) to see if anyone had offers... My boss has the best of anyone I know ($575 off fun select 6+ day sailings + $40 arcade OBC or $300 off 2-5 day). He's taken 1 Carnival cruise ever, and despite my rallying in Carnival's corner, he says he won't ever cruise again (he saw a dead body floating in Nassau, unrelated to Carnival, but nonetheless, said cruising wasn't his cup of tea.)

 

My mother/father-in-law had the next best offer (past guest rates plus $200 OBC per stateroom on 6+ day sailings. $150 on 2-5 day.) I took them with me on 3 cruises, but they paid their own fare.

 

Call me a stalker, but out of the 14 I checked, only 3 had any offers at all. 5 of those checked are me, my wife, and 3 kids (4 of which I have made platinum over the last 5 years of sailing.) My son joined the USAF and was only able to be on 5 of the cruises (all of which I paid for.)

 

I'm a CCL stockholder and I like to see the stock prices up... I'd just like to know that the "wheel of fortune" is random (and it doesn't appear to be.). I can relate to that... But it would be nice to see any kind of offer where it says "check back often" (even if it says "pay $400 extra" just to know the dang thing works...)

 

5 of those I checked have only ever cruised one time (in 2012 or 2013.)

 

I lose in the casino (do you know the slurpee sound that a straw in an empty drink makes? That's the noise the casino makes in my pocket each time I go in.) They (casino) did give me $25 cash (at the casino cage) when I called them just before our previous cruise in May 2014. I guess they threw me a pity bone.

 

I guess I'm the proverbial cash cow and they have no incentive to "toss me a proverbial bone" since they apparently know I'll be back. Just frustrated by the "check back often" since it has never ever in 5 years ever ever ever ever said anything different.

[cruzn buckeye]

Well, we have 4 different parties in our extended family, and we all use the same PVP. This past spring, 2 of the 4 families received the cards for free cruises. The gambler's party didn't get one. We have the most cruises under our belt, and we didn't get one. The 2 parties who did had only been on 2 Carnival cruises before. My mother in law (the gambler) was MAD she didn't get one, so she called our PVP. He said they have no idea who even gets the cards, but it seems like this promotion was to get those cruisers who have been on a few to come back to Carnival (and hooked in our opinion). He said sometimes they can figure out the criteria of who gets them, and other times they can't.

 

Just shedding some light (I think) on what we just experienced with this just a few months ago. I sadly was not one who got the free cruise... :-(

 

Shawn

Someone on another thread who has many many cruises under his belt, just got the offer. His pvp called with it. Of course, nothing for me again...

[JessyCruises]

How does one get a PVP and what are the benefits?