A Complete Overhaul Of the VIFP Loyalty Program - A Huge Idea

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I would just base the level on the dollars spent. $1 = 1 point. Keep it simple. The points accrued are for anything, from cruise fare, to onboard spending, shore excursions, etc.

 

This way, people that do spend the most on a Carnival cruise are rewarded accordingly.

 

Ok...I'll agree with you. As long as its based on dollars spent and the cruiser gets to choose how they want to spend their bonus. They could even place a redeemable points value on the steak house, laundry, or priority boarding etc.

That way people could be rewarded with the things that are most important to them.

 

And as long as all the spending is done on each cruises account it wouldn't be hard to track. At the end of the cruise they just print out your rewards points...you hold on to them and accumulate them and then spend them when you wish. Computers can do amazing things...just ask peeps who have airline reward points.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Sweet Dutch Girl

[Tapi]

Cruise lines have always prided themselves on the non class system of cruising.

 

Not really. It may not appear as such, but several cruise lines do provide a class system. Let's start with the most obvious, Cunard, with its Queens Grill, Princess, and Britannia accommodations. Norwegian, with its Haven accommodations and exclusive access to areas of the ships that passengers on lower categories don't have access to, as well as one of the most extensive list of suite perks at sea. Celebrity, with its Aquaspa accommodations and exclusive access to dining venues like Blu, not accessible to the rest of the passengers. Royal, with its perks for suite passengers which basically segregates them from the rest of the passengers by giving them reserved seating at the main theater and other venues onboard, as well as private beaches within their private destinations, in addition to exclusive access to lounges onboard and ashore. Even Carnival, that prides itself on treating everybody the same, does its share of segregation by giving access to Cloud 9 facilities only to those passengers on select categories or willing to pay more.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Tapi

[Tapi]

Ok...I'll agree with you. As long as its based on dollars spent and the cruiser gets to choose how they want to spend their bonus. They could even place a redeemable points value on the steak house, laundry, or priority boarding etc.

That way people could be rewarded with the things that are most important to them.

 

 

I like that idea! Allow people to accrue points and then choose from a list of rewards.

[theriac]

I would just base the level on the dollars spent. $1 = 1 point. Keep it simple. The points accrued are for anything, from cruise fare, to onboard spending, shore excursions, etc.

 

This way, people that do spend the most on a Carnival cruise are rewarded accordingly.

 

This would be perfect. It reminds me of what Subway used to do. One point for every dollar spent. 50 points was a half a sub, at 75 points you could order whatever regular sub you wanted, if you had 100 points you could order a premium sub, and smaller points got you a drink, chips, or cookie.

 

I really don't like subway, but for whatever reason I'd go there for lunch because I wanted that free sub eventually.

 

They could offer incentives as well like double points during the slower season and not have to discount as much as they normally do in let's say the fall when it's historically a slower season.

 

The only real issue is if there would be black out time periods. Also figuring out the points system and what cost what.

 

They would also need to keep casino spending off this list as the religious gamblers paying their casino tithe get enough perks with all of the special rates they receive. This way it takes longer for people already receiving free/discounted cruisers to earn points unless they upgrade or spend on board/excursions.

[theriac]

Oh yeah my point about subway is it didn't matter if I only went and ordered 6" subs, 15 $5 footlongs, or 10 premium footlongs as long as I accrued the points they were mine to use as I saw fit regardless of how much was spent each time.

 

I think if a cruise line had the balls to do this people would jump to their line. It's a lot nicer earning one big thing instead of a bunch of small stuff overtime.

[bar1068]

I think if a cruise line had the balls to do this people would jump to their line. It's a lot nicer earning one big thing instead of a bunch of small stuff overtime.

 

What might one get if one earned stuff during regulation time?

[theriac]

What might one get if one earned stuff during regulation time?

 

Haha, auto correct must have picked up overtime from when I was texting at the Lightning game last week against the Rangers.

[bar1068]

i

Haha, auto correct must have picked up overtime from when I was texting at the Lightning game last week against the Rangers.

 

Nice...I mighta gone right past this, but was reading this thread with the Ducks vs Blackhawks game on...so...you know....

Edited May 28, 2015 by bar1068

[evandbob]

Haha, auto correct must have picked up overtime from when I was texting at the Lightning game last week against the Rangers.

 

autocorrect will result in Rangers win 7th game:)

[theriac]

Off topic but what great series there's been this playoff season. Now if Bishop can step up in MSG and help the Bolts win I will be a happy hockey fan. I certainly wasn't last night.

[riclop]

I had a nice long day off today and decided I wanted to think of a creative way Carnival could recognize days sailed and people who spend a lot onboard in their loyalty program.

 

Disclaimer: None of this is official and just my own ideas. If you like my ideas please share with Carnival!

Also, for those who start looking this up on search engines, this content is written & owned by my blog: http://www.embarkandaway.com/general-cruise-blog/how-carnival-could-rewrite-their-vifp-loyalty-program

(I give myself copyright permission to share my own stuff here. :) )

 

How I Think Points Could Be Awarded

Cruisers could earn points based on the days sailed and revenue spent during cruising. Both of these categories would combine to create one point total that shows a cruiser's overall loyalty to Carnival.

 

For Sailing:

Everyone should get some points for the number of days sailed, just like Carnival's existing structure of the loyalty program.

1 point = 1 Day of the Cruise

Onboard Spending:

- 1 point earned for every $100.00 spent onboard. Partial points could be awarded for increments of $25 or $50. For example, if a cruiser spends $150.00 he or she could earn 1.5 points. This category could be maxed at 10 points to insure a person could not buy a higher loyalty level.

- .5 point earned for each shore excursion booked.

- 1 point earned if a cruise's onboard expense account is linked with a Carnival credit card.

- 1 point earned if a future cruise is booked while onboard the cruise. The point will not be awarded until the final payment of the cruise comes.

- .5 earned for booking a transfer or airfare with Carnival.

 

Loyalty Levels - The Way I Think They Could Be Done:

Level 1: First Cruise Only

1) Digital Newsletter By Email

2) E Coupon Book Mailed To Cruiser's Email Address - Carnival could send some digital coupons a cruiser can print from home and bring to the cruise that could be valid for various offers

3) Certificate At End of First Cruise - This certificate could certify that the cruiser has completed his or her first cruise and could name basic voyage information.

 

Level 2: 2nd Cruise - 69 points

1) Two Free Cruise Raffle Tickets - Carnival could have a shipwide drawing where cruisers have a chance to win a free cruise. In this level each cruiser would get two raffle tickets to put into the free cruise drawing.

2) Carnival Logo Ballpoint Pen - This could similar to the old pens Carnival would place in staterooms.

3) Digital Newsletter By Email and E-Coupon Book - Same Descriptions As Level 1

4) Certificate of Completion of Voyage - This certificate could show the cruiser's name, ship name, itinerary taken, and dates onboard.

 

Level 3: 70 points - 139 points

1) 5% Off A Cruise Upon Entry To This Level - When a cruiser earns this level Carnival could offer a 5% cruise discount that can be applied to the booking. This would be a one time offer.

2) Three Free Cruise Raffle Tickets - Carnival could have a shipwide drawing where cruisers have a chance to win a free cruise. In this level each cruiser would get three raffle tickets to put into the free cruise drawing.

3) Admission To Select Activities, Games, and Events - Carnival could have designated activities onboard, in addition to the regular activities, that are for cruisers on the Level 3 loyalty level and above. Some of these activities could include things such as trivia, bean bag toss, or a scavenger hunt.

4) Extra Hour To Utilize Facilities - Such As The Waterslide, Casino, Pools, Serenity Adults Only Retreat. Carnival could open these things one hour earlier to avoid impacting other cruiser's vacations.

5) Carnival Logo Ballpoint Pen - This could similar to the old pens Carnival would place in staterooms.

6) Digital Newsletter By Email and E-Coupon Book - Same Descriptions As Level 1

7) Certificate of Completion of Voyage - This certificate could show the cruiser's name, ship name, itinerary taken, and dates onboard.

 

Level 4: 140 points - 249 points

1) 10% Off A Cruise Upon Entry To This Level - When a cruiser earns this level Carnival could offer a 10% cruise discount that can be applied to the booking. This would a one time offer.

2) Five Free Cruise Raffle Tickets - Carnival could have a shipwide drawing where cruisers have a chance to win a free cruise. In this level each cruiser would get five raffle tickets to put into the free cruise drawing.

3) One Free Beverage Coupon - It would be great to have a coupon that could be used on any item under a certain price, at any place, and at any time.

4) Additional Main Dining Room Selections Menu - Carnival could offer a few extra options on the main dining room menu at dinner for these guests. These options could be available for an additional charge to everyone else, but free to people in this level.

5) Half Price Beverage Service 8:00 - 9:30AM On 1st Sea Day

6) Free Tour of An Area of the Vessel - Carnival could give people a choice of touring the bridge, engine control room, Deck 0 crew areas, or galley of the vessel.

7) Ship on a Stick Trophy - Carnival could give a ship on a stick trophy to all guests that qualify for this level.

8) Admission To Select Activities, Games, and Events - Carnival could have designated activities onboard, in addition to the regular activities, that are for cruisers on the Level 3 loyalty level and above. Some of these activities could include things such as trivia, bean bag toss, or a scavenger hunt.

9) Extra Hour To Utilize Facilities - Such As The Waterslide, Casino, Pools, Serenity Adults Only Retreat. Carnival could open these things one hour earlier for these guests to avoid impacting other cruiser's vacations.

10) Carnival Logo Ballpoint Pen - This could similar to the old pens Carnival would place in staterooms.

11) Digital Newsletter By Email and E-Coupon Book - Same Descriptions As Level 1

12) Certificate of Completion of Voyage - This certificate could show the cruiser's name, ship name, itinerary taken, and dates onboard.

13) Name Entered Into Drawing For Free Faster to the Fun - 2 weeks prior to cruising a random guest from this category will be selected to receive Carnival's Faster to the Fun for free.

14) 15% off All Photo Gallery Orders

 

Level 5: 250 points - 499 points

1) Port Taxes and Fees Waived For One Cruise Only - The fees that are added to the base ticket price could be waived upon entry into Level 5.

2) Seven Free Cruise Raffle Tickets - Carnival could have a shipwide drawing where cruisers have a chance to win a free cruise. In this level each cruiser would get seven raffle tickets to put into the free cruise drawing.

3) Past Guest Lunch Party- Instead of the typical party, Carnival could offer lunch in a dining room for guests of this level and above. The lunch could be a variety of selections from the regular main dining room and steakhouse. Carnival could offer free beverage service to all the guests in this party. This could take place on the last sea day of the cruise vacation.

4) Free Bag of Laundry - Carnival could allow for the guests in this level to have one free bag of laundry washed per cruise.

5) Chocolate Covered Strawberries - Carnival could send a plate of chocolate covered strawberries to these people's staterooms.

6) Logo Gift - Carnival could give a logo gift to these guests similar to what the actual current program does.

7) Priority Boarding and Disembarkation At Normal Boarding & Disembarkation Times

8) Priority Line at Guest Services

9) Priority Dining Selections For Main Dining Room

10) Admission To Select Activities, Games, and Events - Carnival could have designated activities onboard, in addition to the regular activities, that are for cruisers on the Level 3 loyalty level and above. Some of these activities could include things such as trivia, bean bag toss, or a scavenger hunt.

11) Extra Hour To Utilize Facilities - Such As The Waterslide, Casino, Pools, Serenity Adults Only Retreat. Carnival could open these things one hour earlier for these guests to avoid impacting other cruiser's vacations.

12) Carnival Logo Ballpoint Pen - This could similar to the old pens Carnival would place in staterooms.

13) Digital Newsletter By Email and E-Coupon Book - Same Descriptions As Level 1

14) Certificate of Completion of Voyage - This certificate could show the cruiser's name, ship name, itinerary taken, and dates onboard.

15) Welcome Letter From The Captain - An official letter from the ship's captain welcoming the guest back onboard could be presented upon arrival.

16) Priority Luggage Delivery

17) 20% Off Photo Gallery Orders

 

Level 6: 500+ points

1) Dinner With the Captain & Officers - A complimentary steakhouse style dinner with the ship's leadership team could be provided.

2) Unlimited Laundry - Carnival could allow these guests unlimited laundry washing.

3) Past Guest Lunch Party- Instead of the typical party, Carnival could offer lunch in a dining room for guests of this level and above. The lunch could be a variety of selections from the regular main dining room and steakhouse. Carnival could offer free beverage service to all the guests in this party. This could take place on the last sea day of the cruise vacation.

4) Automatic Boarding - Instead of waiting in the terminal for boarding to begin, these guests could be escorted onboard to a specialized waiting area on the ship. At the time regular boarding will begin, the guests would then be told they are free to move about the cruise ship.

5) Chocolate Covered Strawberries - Carnival could send a plate of chocolate covered strawberries to these people's staterooms.

6) Logo Gift - Carnival could give a logo gift to these guests similar to what the actual current program does.

7) Priority Boarding and Disembarkation At Normal Boarding & Disembarkation Times

8) Priority Line at Guest Services

9) Priority Dining Selections For Main Dining Room

10) Admission To Select Activities, Games, and Events - Carnival could have designated activities onboard, in addition to the regular activities, that are for cruisers on the Level 3 loyalty level and above. Some of these activities could include things such as trivia, bean bag toss, or a scavenger hunt.

11) Extra Hour To Utilize Facilities - Such As The Waterslide, Casino, Pools, Serenity Adults Only Retreat. Carnival could open these things one hour earlier for these guests to avoid impacting other cruiser's vacations.

12) Carnival Logo Ballpoint Pen - This could similar to the old pens Carnival would place in staterooms.

13) Digital Newsletter By Email and E-Coupon Book - Same Descriptions As Level 1

14) Certificate of Completion of Voyage - This certificate could show the cruiser's name, ship name, itinerary taken, and dates onboard.

15) Welcome Letter From The Captain - An official letter from the ship's captain welcoming the guest back onboard could be presented upon arrival.

16) Priority Luggage Delivery -

17) Priority Room Service Order - These guests could receive priority room service delivery.

18) 25% Off All Photo Gallery Orders

19) First To Have Stateroom Serviced At Night - These guests could have their stateroom serviced at night before the others.

20) Free Tour of The Bridge, Engine Control Room, and Galley - This could be similar to the Behind the Fun Tour, but without seeing the full tour area. Most likely, the people in this level would have already seen these places, but may want to visit them again.

 

Please keep in mind all of these items are my suggestions and are not officially happening at this time. Some of these ideas I based on the current loyalty program, but many others I have come up with on my own.

 

Thoughts? Please Share What You Like & Dislike!

 

You must of been bored today.

[firemanbobswife]

i

 

Nice...I mighta gone right past this, but was reading this thread with the Ducks vs Blackhawks game on...so...you know....

 

Hawks win! Hawks win! Hawks win! Hey did ya know the Hawks won?! :D

[LibratPDX]

Way too complicated IMHO. I think they should award extra points for suites like Celebrity, and double points for solos paying for two people. That's about it.

 

 

I agree! While I appreciate the work you did on the idea, I think it's too complicated and it could easily be confusing. Definitely want double points for solos paying for two fares, it's not unheard of!

[theriac]

Hawks win! Hawks win! Hawks win! Hey did ya know the Hawks won?! :D

 

Two game sevens?!?! This is the second time since the sixties this has happened. I think the two days off will help the Hawks defensive line more then it helps the Ducks big line.

 

I really hope it is a Tampa/Chicago Stanley Cup. I think we will get 6-7 great hockey games regardless who wins, but the Bolts will win!

[AtSeaWithChris]

The loyalty program needs to be simple and easily managed. Activities that are exclusive cost extra labor and logistics plus alienates people not included. The program should also be beneficial to both Carnival and the customer otherwise why bother. The points for days currently is the only way to earn points. If Carnival were to allow points to also be earned from dollars spent then it wouldn't be for less than the average cost per sailing. So would be in the ballpark of one point = $500 - $1,000 spent. That way Carnival encourages and the guest is incentivized to spend dollars.

 

It's a quid pro quo thing.

[firemanbobswife]

Two game sevens?!?! This is the second time since the sixties this has happened. I think the two days off will help the Hawks defensive line more then it helps the Ducks big line.

 

I really hope it is a Tampa/Chicago Stanley Cup. I think we will get 6-7 great hockey games regardless who wins, but the Bolts will win!

 

 

It's gonna be a nail biter for sure! I don't know if I can watch Friday. It's all too much!

[Tutontow]

i'm neither here nor there on most of this. My input is since i can not book no more than 12 weeks out from a cruise i always pay top dollar for a cruise. Not only should sea day be counted, but a few extra points added for the dollar amount spent for the cruise. I end up spending $4,000 or so for a 7 cruise.

 

ouch

[Tutontow]

I would just base the level on the dollars spent. $1 = 1 point. Keep it simple. The points accrued are for anything, from cruise fare, to onboard spending, shore excursions, etc.

 

This way, people that do spend the most on a Carnival cruise are rewarded accordingly.

 

I totally agree. I know people who are Platinum and I guarantee you I have spent more on my eight cruises than they have spent to reach Platinum.

 

They always book inside cabins, don't drink and don't gamble and very rarely book excursions. When they do book excursions they book third party.

 

My wife and I are the exact opposite of them and on top of that we live at the Blackjack tables.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

Shifting the loyalty program to one based exclusively on dollars spent opens the door to changes to the program that y'all may not be real happy with.

 

Cruise fares will see a pretty good increase because of the changes needed to make the switch. There will need to be significant infra-structure changes to track and record all of the various assemblage and expenditures of the points awarded. There will need to be a new organization put together and trained to make sure that the records of point accumulation and usage are accurate because outstanding point totals will have to be booked as company liabilities at every single point in time.

 

This approach will completely eliminate all of the status that the current VIFP program has given to past customers. You will not be able to assign any kind of over time status to anyone because that status can change in a moments notice by the further acquisition or expenditure of points. The number of points you have accumulated cannot be used to give you any kind of status or any on board recognition since you could use them all up tomorrow and go back to zero. No more free anything on board. You will have to use points for anything you get. Want your laundry done, "gimme your points". You want a "free" meal in the steakhouse, "gimme your points". You want a shore excursion, "gimme your points". And as you spend all of your points, what kind of status do you really have?

 

AND, like the airlines, once they saw the vast amount of "miles" that they were responsible for, this program would have to install rules that limit the amount of time you have to be "active" again before you lose the points you have accumulated. Also similar to what happened to the concept of stock options years ago.

 

Let me tell you, every Carnival customer who has reached a higher level status is going to be in for a real surprise if they think that this is the way to go. If you want a cruise line that rewards you with points based on what you spend, then be prepared to lose what you have now, and come into a world where you will have to pay something (your earned points) for everything you get on a ship. And there is nothing you have that you can hang any kind of status on.

[TEXASMUNK]

We are D plus on Royal..Met this couple who were also D+. he bragged he bought the cheapest cabin, never spent a penny on board, and always refused to tip the staff. But with a ton of 3 night cruises (under Royal;s old program) he got to D+.

I firmly believe that onboard spending should be added to the points count.

[sailor_jimc]

Heck they can't even track how many cruises you have been on accurately. We just had someone post about being down graded to Gold because of their system. There is NO WAY they could track a spend based point system. At best they may be able to handle doing the double points for suites or solo cruises but nothing more involved than that.

[Tapi]

I totally agree. I know people who are Platinum and I guarantee you I have spent more on my eight cruises than they have spent to reach Platinum.

 

They always book inside cabins, don't drink and don't gamble and very rarely book excursions.

 

I agree. I'm one of those who reached Platinum with minimal expense. I lived in Miami for a few years and I sailed on short, weekend cruises several times, for as little as $99. We rarely book any category higher than a standard oceanview, and our onboard account is usually low; basically 1-2 drinks a day, a fridge magnet and a hat. I'm talking maybe $100 total by the end of the week

 

While I'm grateful to have reached Platinum level, I feel that it wasn't fair how I got there, and that I cheated the system (NOT on purpose).

 

I know that there are people that have probably spent more on one cruise than what I've spent on all of my Carnival cruises combined, yet they are probably considered gold or red. That's why I believe that a revamp of the system is due, and why I think that 1 point per $1 is a fair system and more representative of who to reward for the money they spend on Carnival.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Tapi

[Tutontow]

I agree. I'm one of those who reached Platinum with minimal expense. I lived in Miami for a few years and I sailed on short, weekend cruises several times, for as little as $99. We rarely book any category higher than a standard oceanview, and our onboard account is usually low; basically 1-2 drinks a day, a fridge magnet and a hat. I'm talking maybe $100 total by the end of the week

 

 

LOL, my wife has spent $100.00 before the muster drill :)

[kublaieod]

It is an interesting idea, it would prevent seeing 10/12 year old kids walking around with platinum cards. Saw a number of those last cruise. For some reason that just doesn't seem right to me. But good for them.

[theriac]

If the point system went into effect I could only imagine how many points my old boss would have. He showed me a bill from a 5 night cruise that was $19,000 which he said didn't include the casino. He went with 6-7 other friends for a bachelor party and he said the cheapest bill was $3900 and that was the groom.