Did I waste my FTTF?

[Captain Fletch]

My wife and I flew into Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago and landed at 11:10am. We took a taxi to Port Miami and got there around 12:15 pm. (We had the taxi driver stop at a local store) We had FTTF passes and was escorted to the front of the line at each station. (We had to ask at each area and make sure you have your pass printed off) We boarded the ship at 12:30 pm and avoid some very long lines. Our room was ready as soon as we boarded and our luggage arrived just after a quick lunch.

 

 

 

The FTTF pass got us priority at guest services and that was a big plus. It also helps if any of your ports are tender ports. You will be one of the first to tender. They were also handy during Debarkation. We were with the first group off the ship. No wait. This is a no brainer to us to buy them each time, if available. Have a great trip! :)

 

 

Awesome! I really appriciate everyone's input.

[Sparky2]

With Half Moon Cay as your tender port, you will be very happy to be able to go to Guest Services & be escorted to the next tender, bypassing all the other peeps that are waiting in a very long line.

[Qchell]

Reading this makes me realize how incredibly different wait times can be from ship to ship and port to port. Our last cruise was on Liberty out of Port Canaveral. We arrived a little after 1 pm to no lines and our cabin ready. Security inspecting our wine and our soda to ensure they were wine and soda took longer than the actual boarding process!

 

I've also arrived so early that our shuttle had to wait in the parking lot for permission to unload. No lines but definitely had to wait for cabin to be ready. :)

 

Something tells me it could go either way. But I would take advice from those who have recently sailed that ship from that port. They would probably have the best insight on how things may be for your sailing.

[evanAction]

With Half Moon Cay as your tender port, you will be very happy to be able to go to Guest Services & be escorted to the next tender, bypassing all the other peeps that are waiting in a very long line.

 

 

Last time we were at HMC we did exactly this.....we walked onto the 2nd tender and it was quiet for an hour or two at HMC. Quite a few people were upset they had to wait to tender, said they never heard of FTTF otherwise they would have bought it for use at this port. Personally, I'm glad Carnival doesn't promote the heck out of FTTF....sometimes it's hard enough to buy it without all the hype.

[cruisinpips]

FTTF is definitely worth every penny if you don't like waiting for a tender, if you don't like waiting in line at Guest Services, if you like having your room ready early and getting your luggage first and unpacking. I love walking to GS, seeing a long line and walking right up to the counter with my FTTF sticker and not having to waste 20 min of my day. We have bought it anytime it was available since its introduction. After our next cruise wife will be Platinum. No need to purchase then.

PS- we just got off Magic Sunday, and in Belize they had a 45 min wait for a tender. We were directed to GS where we were led to a tender within 10 minutes.

 

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Edited April 6, 2015 by cruisinpips

[asalligo]

I felt it had been somewhat of a waste when boarding the Pride, but I will still buy it every time it is available.

 

We checked in early as usual, and were escorted to the FTTF waiting area, but as occurs very often the Pride did not board until around 2pm, so we were among the first 100 or so to board, but rooms were already ready when everyone arrived on board. We also had no tender ports.

 

I am personally a person who hates waiting though and any chance to bypass a line I am ready to pay for.

[asalligo]

I love walking to GS, seeing a long line and walking right up to the counter with my FTTF sticker and not having to waste 20 min of my day.

 

I felt guilty about this, but really loved it. I did not need much at guest services, but a couple of times the line was honestly 20 people deep and I walked right up and got what I needed. I bet the people waiting in line for who knows how long hate FTTF.

[golfb4cruzing]

Do you do the same thing with the Bridge? The Engine Room? The Galley?

 

We leave in 12 days. I'll get back to you however those may involve a touch more security than somebody making a bed.

[arubanut]

...if you don't like waiting in line at Guest Services, if you like having your room ready early and getting your luggage first and unpacking. I love walking to GS, seeing a long line and walking right up to the counter with my FTTF sticker and not having to waste 20 min of my day....

 

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That alone makes it worth it!!!!

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Yes FTTF is always a waste.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

I agree with this so much. Thats a whole lot of money to have your cabin ready, which is likely to be ready snyway.

 

Double agree.

[The_Geek]

I agree with this so much. Thats a whole lot of money to have your cabin ready, which is likely to be ready snyway.[/Quote]

 

We are only speaking about $50, by no means is that a whole lot of money.

[mjhouse2]

Just wondering if we should get it. It sounds great!!!! We are booked in two cabins a JS and an inside. Would we only have to book it for the inside? Does JS get the same advantages or should we book it for both? How do I find out if we will be tendered?

[eponym]

Just wondering if we should get it. It sounds great!!!! We are booked in two cabins a JS and an inside. Would we only have to book it for the inside? Does JS get the same advantages or should we book it for both? How do I find out if we will be tendered?

 

Last I knew, FTTF is sold on a per cabin basis.

[erinmarie424]

IMO that's one of the perfect scenarios for getting FTTF - we got it for our cruise out of Miami last year and due to some traffic issue b/w South Beach and the terminal we did not get to the terminal until after 11:30 - we walked all the way from the cab to our room, skipping the LONG line at check-in, and were in our room 20 minutes after the cab dropped us off.

[Captain Fletch]

IMO that's one of the perfect scenarios for getting FTTF - we got it for our cruise out of Miami last year and due to some traffic issue b/w South Beach and the terminal we did not get to the terminal until after 11:30 - we walked all the way from the cab to our room, skipping the LONG line at check-in, and were in our room 20 minutes after the cab dropped us off.

 

 

That's awesome. I'm not a fan of long lines at all. I'm going to feel rushed all the way til I get on the ship. FTTF might keep me from knocking over some innocent bystanders.

[b_cruise]

Honestly, I was one who thought what a waste of money after all that is four piña coladas, lol!! Well, peer pressure, I bought FTTF...I'll never sail without it... Just for the guest services line alone. I ended up having to use guest services a couple times and was so happy I had FTTF! The regular line was always long.

[Rinderoo]

I don't think FTTF is a waste. I buy it to get off the ship quicker in ports where we have to tender, to get ON the ship faster on embarkation day and OFF the ship when back from the trip, and the separate line at Guest Services.

 

Just off the Magic and I used FTTF to get on the ship fast and have my luggage delivered by the time I got back to the room for lunch, and I was at GS many times for things like change for the laundry, or posting cash to my account (I did pretty well in the casino, lol).

 

To me, FTTF is fifty bucks well spent. I look at it as a way to avoid long lines and aggravation.

[Captain Fletch]

I don't think FTTF is a waste.

 

 

 

To me, FTTF is fifty bucks well spent. I look at it as a way to avoid long lines and aggravation.

 

 

I agree. $50 is nothing. I'm no rich guy at all, straight middle class. I get intrigued at all the people in here getting butt hurt over $50. I appreciate everyone's option because I DID ask if I wasted my money. But I meant it in terms of my arrival time being too late to take advantage of the early boarding.