Is FTTF loosing some of its value with the new staggered check in?

[SFplusP]

For us, I don't really think it's worth it most cruises. We did get it once and were very happy to have the room ready when we got on (travel with 2 small kids so lots of odd shaped carry ons) and a guest service line, but I try and avoid guest service if I can, and now the kids are getting old enough to carry their own backpacks on and hubby and I can be in charge of 1 rolly bag for us.

 

Personally, I'm more upset about the staggered check in than anything. I would be 100% fine with it if we could get past security and sit in the lobby and then wait to check in. Then we can sit there and the kids can play with small toys or we can read or something. Being stuck outside is no fun.

[StolidCruiser]

For us, I don't really think it's worth it most cruises. We did get it once and were very happy to have the room ready when we got on (travel with 2 small kids so lots of odd shaped carry ons) and a guest service line, but I try and avoid guest service if I can, and now the kids are getting old enough to carry their own backpacks on and hubby and I can be in charge of 1 rolly bag for us.

 

Personally, I'm more upset about the staggered check in than anything. I would be 100% fine with it if we could get past security and sit in the lobby and then wait to check in. Then we can sit there and the kids can play with small toys or we can read or something. Being stuck outside is no fun.

 

No need to be stuck outside at all. Just hang out wherever you are starting from (airport, hotel, home...) and judge arrival closer to your check in time. Easy peasy and just as, if not more, comfy than the cruise terminal.

 

It can work quite well if passengers let go of their current rigidity. I, for one, am all for it.

[figdu]

Most of the time mine were delivered after the Muster drill - and, yes, I got the orange stickers.

 

I also make sure the orange stickers are on my bags. Not that it has done me any good....

 

Sometimes I am unpacked before muster drill and other times not. But have never seen a bag beat me to the room. Either way I am on vacation.

[KatieCharlotte]

No need to be stuck outside at all. Just hang out wherever you are starting from (airport, hotel, home...) and judge arrival closer to your check in time. Easy peasy and just as, if not more, comfy than the cruise terminal.

 

It can work quite well if passengers let go of their current rigidity. I, for one, am all for it.

 

It's not always "easy peasy" to properly time your arrival to port in an unfamiliar area, driving through unfamiliar traffic patterns (sometimes for long distances) or taking unpredictable shuttles. And many like to leave lots of room for unexpected delays, because Carnival won't wait.

[Havingfun2010]

FTTF was a ripoff before. Now it's even worse.

 

It's only a rip-off for the consumer, but for Carnival its free money. Imagine sitting on a tender, with the person next to you bragging about how they got on first because they had FTTF!. I got on for free. Guess who snickers louder!

[HamSammie]

It's only a rip-off for the consumer, but for Carnival its free money. Imagine sitting on a tender, with the person next to you bragging about how they got on first because they had FTTF!. I got on for free. Guess who snickers louder!

 

The person behind you for having to even listen to that conversation?

[golfb4cruzing]

I'll know at the end of April. I purchased it because we are used to Princess and as soon as boarding starts, cabins are ready. Plus I wouldn't want a 2pm board time. That is almost wasting a day.

[travler27]

Seven platinum cruises and two FTTF before that. My bags have never been delivered before I boarded.

 

Every time I've had FTTF, 4 times so far, the bags have been in the cabin when we got there. I don't know if it matters but we always get a suite and I make sure the porters put the orange tag on our bags too. Maybe I'm just lucky.

[figdu]

Every time I've had FTTF, 4 times so far, the bags have been in the cabin when we got there. I don't know if it matters but we always get a suite and I make sure the porters put the orange tag on our bags too. Maybe I'm just lucky.

 

We are at the port early every time and have been the first checked in several times. Being part of the first boarding group may be why I beat them there.

[17andacruiseaddict]

To the question in the title of this thread, "Is FTTF losing some of it's value with the new staggered checkin?"

 

I could see that. If you paid to just zoom right through all lines, staggered checkin shouldn't even be relevant to you.

 

In the same way of thinking, I believe FTTF makes being platinum lose some of it's value. If you earned platinum perks, one being the biggest perk, which is skippin likes at checkin, how special is it, if anybody could just buy it?

And if so many people are buying this perk, doesn't the captain's lounge(where you get your sail and sign cards) get more crowded and feel less exclusive and special?

[Warm Breezes]

Value is subjective. To me FTTF never had any value. We usually just have 1 carry-on that we don't check in with our wine/drinks/electronics/paperwork in it. It is very easy to wheel and maneuver around. Everything else is checked in. When our luggage gets to our room, it gets there. We usually are not in a hurry for it. Most of the time it beats us to our room. Very rarely have we had to wait in lines to board or tender. We just came at off times. We have 10-10:30 check in for our Dream cruise so we expect very little wait there. We are not getting off in Belize so don't have to worry about the tender. We plan self debark and are driving home so no need there. Our kids are 19 and 21 now so they know how to be patient....in fact they knew how to be patient when they were 4 and 7 for their first cruise so never really needed FTTF...can't see us needing or wanting it in the future either. If it has value to you go for it. If not don't. Your choice.

[Athankfulheart]

We sailed the Magic in December with FTTF and the new staggered check in and it was a mess. We waited for a LONG time after getting to the terminal at about 10:30.

 

I assumed that the same would happen in February at the same terminal ( Freedom this time) but it didn't. The only differences I can think of are that it was new in December and we came later in February.

 

In February, we dropped 2 couples without FTTF off at the terminal for an 11am check in on the Freedom. We drove to the port parking where we checked in, parked and took the shuttle back to the terminal. We then proceeded through the entire process of security and check in without stopping - except for talking to the desk folks obviously. A bit of stop and go up part of the ramp to the ship. We found our cabin, unpacked our luggage (carry on only) and meandered back to the atrium to wait for our friends. They boarded about 90 min after us. For what it's worth, at the time we walked through security and on to the check in desk they were calling zone 16 ! This was between 11:30 and noon. I can't seem to remember exactly. It was MUCH different than the December sailing which we had 5 of our children with us for. We shuffled all the way through the process VERY slowly and were exhausted by the time we found our cabins .

 

Other than that, we LOVE priority tendering and early cabins (we travel with carry on only- backpacks) and we have even profited from the short line at GS. I don't think that FTTF has been devalued by the staggered check-in. I also will not show up at the terminal before 11 ever again :p

[HectorAchilleus]

To the question in the title of this thread, "Is FTTF losing some of it's value with the new staggered checkin?"

 

I could see that. If you paid to just zoom right through all lines, staggered checkin shouldn't even be relevant to you.

 

In the same way of thinking, I believe FTTF makes being platinum lose some of it's value. If you earned platinum perks, one being the biggest perk, which is skippin likes at checkin, how special is it, if anybody could just buy it?

And if so many people are buying this perk, doesn't the captain's lounge(where you get your sail and sign cards) get more crowded and feel less exclusive and special?

 

I have noticed a decline in the value of my plat status since FTTF. I am not blaming the people who buy it - I would probably do the same. But since FTTF we have seen longer lines in the check-in place, at times huge crowds waiting for priority tenders (when there used to be 10-20 people); SOME (definitely not all) FTTF people who ignore the announcers and barge into the boarding process when they call Diamonds, longer lines at GS.

 

Still, I did not cruise for perks in the first place and thoroughly enjoy cruising. It just makes me more willing to use other lines.

 

To get back to the OP - FTTF is still valuable for tendering, guest services, etc. but if the main reason you get it is for early boarding and you already have an early time, then it would definitely diminish its value.

[Savlamara]

Value is subjective. To me FTTF never had any value. We usually just have 1 carry-on that we don't check in with our wine/drinks/electronics/paperwork in it. It is very easy to wheel and maneuver around. Everything else is checked in. When our luggage gets to our room, it gets there. We usually are not in a hurry for it. Most of the time it beats us to our room. Very rarely have we had to wait in lines to board or tender. We just came at off times. We have 10-10:30 check in for our Dream cruise so we expect very little wait there. We are not getting off in Belize so don't have to worry about the tender. We plan self debark and are driving home so no need there. Our kids are 19 and 21 now so they know how to be patient....in fact they knew how to be patient when they were 4 and 7 for their first cruise so never really needed FTTF...can't see us needing or wanting it in the future either. If it has value to you go for it. If not don't. Your choice.

 

Same here, we never saw value in FTTF so we never buy it. We have kids under 12 and they just wait with us. The last cruise we had the grandparents who had wheelchair service so they just sat and waited with us. No biggie.

[Scott6444]

Never bought FTTF before. I know some swear by it, but i have never needed it. I arrive early, hardly wait at all, and now with staggered check in should be even easier. We go straight to our cabin, always been ready, deposit our carryons and proceed to lunch and a swim.

 

Its like any other program, if you percieve value in it, get it, if you dont then dont!

Cheers

[17andacruiseaddict]

I have noticed a decline in the value of my plat status since FTTF. I am not blaming the people who buy it - I would probably do the same. But since FTTF we have seen longer lines in the check-in place, at times huge crowds waiting for priority tenders (when there used to be 10-20 people); SOME (definitely not all) FTTF people who ignore the announcers and barge into the boarding process when they call Diamonds, longer lines at GS.

 

Still, I did not cruise for perks in the first place and thoroughly enjoy cruising. It just makes me more willing to use other lines.

 

To get back to the OP - FTTF is still valuable for tendering, guest services, etc. but if the main reason you get it is for early boarding and you already have an early time, then it would definitely diminish its value.

Yeah I agree. I still love cruising carnival. I'm just a bit unhappy with the things they are starting to consider perks lol

 

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[richmke]

If Carnival was smart (and that's a big "if"), they would give FTTF the earliest Check-in Times, and the earliest Boarding Group (after Diamond/Platinum/Weddings). Then you can show up when you want, and board when you want. That would help maintain some of its value.

 

FTTF is not worth it to me since my wife prefers to sleep in and to check out of the hotel as late as she can. If the Cabin isn't ready when we board, I'd rather pre-tip the Cabin Steward to let us leave our bags in the closet out of his way, and hopefully get superior service during the cruise (to earn his end of cruise tip).

[HectorAchilleus]

If Carnival was smart (and that's a big "if"), they would give FTTF the earliest Check-in Times, and the earliest Boarding Group (after Diamond/Platinum/Weddings). Then you can show up when you want, and board when you want. That would help maintain some of its value.

 

FTTF is not worth it to me since my wife prefers to sleep in and to check out of the hotel as late as she can. If the Cabin isn't ready when we board, I'd rather pre-tip the Cabin Steward to let us leave our bags in the closet out of his way, and hopefully get superior service during the cruise (to earn his end of cruise tip).

 

Or, if they were smarter, they could make an Elite level for FTTF and Plats (But free for Diamonds) and allow them exclusive check-in AND boarding in the earliest time slots for an extra $25.00. I am sure a great number of people would be willing to buy it.

[cruizinisthebest]

Or, if they were smarter, they could make an Elite level for FTTF and Plats (But free for Diamonds) and allow them exclusive check-in AND boarding in the earliest time slots for an extra $25.00. I am sure a great number of people would be willing to buy it.

 

So $85 just to check in and board early?:eek: Thing is, I bet even if they charged per person people would still say it's "worth every penny."

 

I think the way they are handling it now is just fine. Other than having priority folks pick a time. Don't really see the point in that, but maybe it's to keep track of crowd flow.

Edited March 14, 2016 by cruizinisthebest

[SFplusP]

No need to be stuck outside at all. Just hang out wherever you are starting from (airport, hotel, home...) and judge arrival closer to your check in time. Easy peasy and just as, if not more, comfy than the cruise terminal.

 

It can work quite well if passengers let go of their current rigidity. I, for one, am all for it.

 

Somehow sitting in an airport or standing around a hotel lobby doesn't seem any more appealing than standing outside the port.

[StolidCruiser]

Somehow sitting in an airport or standing around a hotel lobby doesn't seem any more appealing than standing outside the port.

 

Well, everyone has their preferences. If its cold and raining or blistering hot, I know where I'd rather wait. I just know it wont be in the terminal if its before my assigned check in time.

[Florings]

We purchased FTTF for the first time for our upcoming Splendor cruise. The main reason was the cabin being ready when we board so we can drop off our luggage. Boarding early is certainly a nice perk. The GS line....don't go there unless no other choice. And getting the balance of our luggage early is a nice perk.

 

Still, we will give it a try this time and see what we think...

[okgirl]

I still think it has value (though I don't need it), because depending on when you book your cruise all the early checkin times may already be taken. But with FTTF you can still get to the pier as early as you want and then be among the first to board.

 

The other perks remain unchanged and are important to some people, i.e. priority tendering, use of the VIP line at Guest Services, priority self assist debark.

[SFplusP]

Well, everyone has their preferences. If its cold and raining or blistering hot, I know where I'd rather wait. I just know it wont be in the terminal if its before my assigned check in time.

 

For sure if it comes down to it, I'm standing inside a hotel lobby vs. outside in the rain and/or heat. But the hotels we have stayed in having had much seating in the lobby and they are usually full of cruisers anyway, so I imagine most spaces being taken. I have a bad hip and it's hard for me to just stand in one place for a long time, so getting into the cruise terminal and sitting down is highly preferable to standing anywhere. As well as having the kids- if we have seats to coral them near they are better behaved- if we are standing up it seems to go into a 2/3 year olds head that their "I'm allowed to go this far" circle opens up because standing = on the move. They are quite well behaved, but if we have to check out at 11 and are stuck standing around until 1, I imagine by the end they will be testing their limits. All in all it just adds up to all of us being more tired and in a worse mood by the time we get on the ship. We'll certainly live, and it won't stop us from cruising or anything, but I would much rather have an indoors seat waiting.

[WiCruiseDreamer]

Prior to the stagger check in, I would not have found value to the FTTF, but having to be restricted to a certain "time slot" makes FTTF more of a value. I have always arrived at the port about 9:30a and there was never any line to worry about as well as getting an early zone number. Now, depending on how many have booked before we have and how many have selected the early check in times will dictate how soon I can arrive. FTTF allows me to arrive early even with a later check in time. The cabins being ready when we board with the FTTF may make a difference as to whether we carry on our own luggage or not. So for the value of FTTF, for us, it has increased.