Why do you sail Carnival and I don't think it's for the vifp benefits

[Indytraveler83]

It’s sort of weird really. I don’t have any loyalty to Carnival per say, as every cruise was compared to other lines.

 

Carnival has won every time due to price and selection. I think the sheer mass of ships allows them to go more places cheaper.

 

I also don’t appreciate formality during cruising much, so I’m only interested in the lines with a more relaxed dress close.

 

Will I always stay with Carnival? Probably not. But I’m also going to choose each trip based on certain requirements. And if Carnival best meets them every time, so be it.

[Sea Raven]

My first two Carnival cruises were paid for by employer and were very enjoyable. I have my 9th and 10th cruises booked now. I would say that convenience and familiarity are bigger factors than price. Although, I book suites and Carnival's are more affordable than other lines suites. I will absolutely try other lines in the future, but I always remember the comments that I hear about some of the other lines like "You wouldn't even know you were on a ship at sea!" That kind of makes me sad, because that is one of the main reasons that I cruise - to be near and enjoy the ocean.

[AD5ZA]

Biggest bang for the buck.

 

 

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[Jellyfish21]

RCL DOES have food on the pool deck. On the oasis class ships, there is a hotdog / burger place toward the back.

I do factor in my platinum goodies if I book a cruise. The free drink coupons and cocktail party have value.

The free laundry is a big deal for us . When we go to FL, we like to spend five days in Disney world first. We board CCL and let them do the laundry .

[SNJCruisers]

Biggest bang for the buck.

Not if you like to indulge in a few alcoholic beverages of your choice. After factoring in the Cheers program, you can get a better bang on some of the NCL ships. But if you're a teetotaler, you're correct, unless you want to try the European oriented MSC who is running promotions to try to draw away some of the market share of the mainstream US based cruise lines.

[bubba777]

I do not look for rewards from a company to keep my business. I look strictly at price. When planning my vacations, I look at where I want to go, and who will get me there the cheapest. We don't do excursions, we don't drink, and we don't pay extra for food. We usually cruise in the winter to escape the cold, so give me a lounge chair in the sun and we are happy.

 

For us, we don't care about the perks or what color our s&s card is.

[SNJCruisers]

The free drink coupons and cocktail party have value.

Limited selection of drinks at restricted times of usage. And the cocktail party used to be a good thing back in the day when it was 1 hour in length during happy hour and you could order any drink you wanted. Now it's 45 minutes on the last day as you're packing up your clothes.

[Saint Greg]

RCL DOES have food on the pool deck. On the oasis class ships, there is a hotdog / burger place toward the back.

I do factor in my platinum goodies if I book a cruise. The free drink coupons and cocktail party have value.

The free laundry is a big deal for us . When we go to FL, we like to spend five days in Disney world first. We board CCL and let them do the laundry .

 

Not if you buy Cheers. How about you let me use that drink coupon anytime? That way if I'm sailing out of Galveston I can use it on the first day when Cheers isn't available.

[mara93]

Having sailed Disney, MSC & Carnival .... we prefer Carnival.

 

Not to say that the others weren't enjoyable cruises but Carnival offers more of what we like. Every night, we drop the kid off at Camp Carnival & head downstairs to enjoy the comedians. We're not big drinkers or gamblers. Does any other line offer comedians on board every night?

[tropicaledrink]

Price has been a big concern for us the last couple of years with DH being back in school. With the times we could sail over the last couple of years, I have price compared to RCI, NCL, and Princess. Carnival always came out on top price wise - by quite a large margin. Granted, we were cruising at peak times. Also, factor in that a lot of the times we could sail - some lines just didn't have sailings in the time frames we needed them (looking at you Princess). Our preferred port in Florida is Port Canaveral, and Carnival maintains great sailings from there. I will say in the last couple of years, NCL and RCI have stepped this up and we came super close to sailing the Oasis later this year, but the date we wanted didn't work out, and we ended up on the Carnival Pride in September for several other reasons as well (Baltimore is our closest port that routinely offers 7 day sailings!)

 

Other reasons we love Carnival:

• Good included lunch options - we love the Pasta Bar and Tandoor on the newer ships, we both love Guys and Blue Iguana, and DH enjoys the Mongolian Wok. We also liked the Pig and Anchor on the Magic (less enjoyable on the Dream). We also both enjoy the deli and the pizza (for the most part - the Magic's pizza was disgusting last time we were on)
  
• Reasonable cover charges for not included restaurants - $15 for Cucina and JiJi is a huge deal. We also found Bonsai to very reasonably priced. We've noticed some competitors tend to price things very high in the paid retaurants
  
• ALCHEMY BARS - by far our favorite things on the ships
  
• Cloud 9 Spa on the newer ships - our last two sailings were on spa cabins on the Dream and Magic
  
• Relatable passengers who are looking to have fun
  
• Carnival's developed ports - Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Mahogany Bay, Amber Cove - all well done areas in our opinion (and cost effective when trying to cruise on a budget)
  
• Amount of evening options offered - we enjoy the live music offerings and the Comedy shows. Main shows are okay, but we did thoroughly enjoy America Rocks!
  

And to be fair, a few things I don't love:

• Inconsistent staffing experiences - we've had both GREAT and terrible experiences with our stateroom stewards and dining staff. There is often a lack of consistency from ship to ship and sometimes even sailing to sailing.
  
• Lack of varied itineraries
  
• Lack of kid free hot tubs - especially on the Vista class
  
• pretty much every dessert offered on Lido ;)
  

 

Overall, Carnival offers a stellar experience for what I have paid. I know what I am getting when I sail Carnival.

 

 

That being said, we want to try Princess for sure. MSC was on my list until some reviews on the Seaside started coming in. NCL is kind of iffy for me - their CEO has made some comments at points that have turned me off.

 

 

The sailing we are looking at for 2019 is a Canada/New England on RCI from Baltimore. It will be a smaller RCI ship, but the itinerary is great and much better than anything Carnival ever dreams of offering.

 

 

Happy Sailings to whatever you choose!

[bsp]

Just wondering why it seems Carnival has the worst benefit programs amongst the other cruise lines.i love carnival just as much as other people but is there a reason everyone stays loyal when other cruise lines treats their customers better and gives them better rewards

 

 

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We have been on 3 cruise lines - Carnival has been the one we've been on the most because they offered more cruises less than 7 days and that's what we liked when we were working. We became Platinum back when it only took 10 cruises (and it didn't matter how many days they were; we live about 40 minutes from Norfolk, VA and have done (3) 2-day cruises and (2) 6-day from there). We've been on 19 or 20 and can't say that any were bad. But, if I could pick out things I like with each line and put it on one, that would be great. I can't even say that Carnival is cheaper because last year we went on a 12 night with a line that included drinks (all you want as long as you wait 5 minutes), we had a concierge balcony on pool deck and we got off ship owing less than $50 and thought the price for that trip was reasonable. But, even though we aren't late night folks at home, we love staying up late on cruises and we think Carnival has a lot more activities at night than the other 2 lines we have been on and since we are Platinum, the little perks are nice. I guess each person likes something different and you just have to pick out what you like best. And yes, price does play a part in it; for that reason we've never been on Disney. Getting ready to go on Magic and picked that one because - we can drive to the port since we are retired now, we got a casino rate that beat any offers we'd seen, haven't been on that size ship yet and there are 2 ports we haven't been to, and we stuck with inside cabin to save $. Sorry for rambling; happy cruising everybody :cool:

[Keys2Heaven]

Just wondering why it seems Carnival has the worst benefit programs amongst the other cruise lines.i love carnival just as much as other people but is there a reason everyone stays loyal when other cruise lines treats their customers better and gives them better rewards

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Well, you always remember your first, and Carnival was our first cruise experience. And, Carnival was by far the most cost-effective way for us to cruise, so we have tried to be loyal to the cruise line. We had one exception, which was a RCCL cruise in '09 but that was a large family cruise decision and it came down to timing and itinerary.

 

But, our first cruise was over 10 years ago and, since that time, the kids have grown and left the roost, we've found what we like/don't like on a cruise, and want to cruise other places than the Caribbean all the time (although it is our favorite).

 

We have two more cruises with Carnival (this year and next) and, after that, we're going to try Celebrity to see what that line brings to the table and for a really neat Caribbean itinerary to ports Carnival doesn't frequent. Who knows, Carnival might have some more tricks up their sleeves that we come back to them, or we can start branching out even more.

 

The way we cruise, I don't think we should ever concern ourselves with becoming high up in anyone's loyalty program.

[Knights Templar]

I have cruised different lines so i have never achieved the level of Platinum/Diamond or similar on any of them. I guess the Priority boarding is a nice perk (but you can get alot of the "perks" with FTTF for $70) I think its Royal or NCL that has the private bar/lounge. Again, there are plenty of bars for the "common" folk so that really isnt a big deal to me. I noticed people seem to like to do laundry when on vacation. Again, different things to different people really turn them on, but laundry isnt that big a deal, i will do it when i get home. So that isnt a make or break perk. I think sometimes its more of a status symbol, people like flashing their different color S&S card and their "rank" becomes a part of their daily speech. Instead of being just John & Jane Smith from the coast of Florida they are John & Jane Smith, Platinum, from the coast of Florida :)....The gifts (gold plated pin and fleece blanket) are a nice gesture, but really arent worth that much in the grand scheme of things

[glrounds]

I cruise on all cruise lines and never pay attention to the rewards.

Rewards is a marketing trick. The real reward is a cruise on the right ships on the right itinerary for the right price. Today I am taking a cruise on Carnival, tomorrow on NCL, then may be on HAL, Viking or Cunard.

Carnival has a few very good ships. They offer some itinerarues that I like.

Carnival ads don't lie.

That's why I cruise on Carnival.

Rewards have zero value for me.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Exactly my answer. Value value value. Any perks are just frosting on the cake.

 

 

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[Cjohiocruiser214]

i am by no means well off, and we save for two years to go on a cruise. i dont know if other lines do but i like the fact you can pay a little a time.

[CheckersMidwest]

When choosing our first cruise, we chose Carnival because of the price. We enjoyed it and each cruise since then. We have fun. We like the service. The food is good. The ports are fun. It's a nice vacation that doesn't break the bank and allows us to still do other things. I could care less about VIFP perks. I've been to Disney a lot too and don't expect anything from them either. That's not why we vacation or choose where we go.

[nutterbutter818]

Carnival is not my favorite cruise line however I have never had a bad experience with them. I like the suite perks of other cruise lines however my choice depends on timing, itinerary, and if we are traveling with others. I have certain months that are a PTO blackout at work so I have to work around my work schedule too. Once I find an itinerary that it is appealing to me, then I go with whatever cruise line has decent rates, promotions, etc. I have a cruise in May in which we are traveling with my Dad. He is a bit of a tightwad so he typically cruises with Carnival. That is why we are cruising Carnival again. Next year we have a European itinerary with RCI.

[Joebucks]

I have only done 2 cruises. They have both been through Carnival because it sounded most up my alley. It is an incredible vacation that is very affordable. I love the food, the ports, the Punchliner, the bars, the outdoor movies, etc. It has everything I need.

 

I do eventually want to try other lines, but if it ain't broke don't fix it. Keeping costs low also help me do multiple cruises a year. I do think Platinum VIFP is an enticing offer.

[CruiserFromFL]

Mostly because it’s familiar territory. It fits my boyfriend and I age group it isn’t super uptight and formal. Also every time I compare prices I come out ahead on Carnival mostly because we aren’t heavy drinkers or casinos goers.

[coevan]

I did not read 220 posts, but, we sail for the perks

[Kyndal93]

Carnival is more fun. I’ve been on Royal and had fun as well, but never as much fun as Carnival. The comedy is better, the trivia is better, 24 Hour pizza, and the casino stays open until at least 3am every night. Last time I went on Royal, they try to shut everything down by 1am. I got security called on us twice because we were having a night cap and talking on our balcony. Carnival just caters to my kind of fun

[TomAceEsq]

Been on Disney, Royal, and Carnival. We stay booked on Carnival strictly because of price to cruise more often. That said, even if we could afford it, we most likely would stay with Carnival because we enjoy the attitude and feel of everything. The vibe seems to be a little more vacationy which my wife and I enjoy rather than the serious cruisers crowd who can bring down a good time faster than a nuclear bomb.

[dorchrislen]

I certainly agree that there are differences.

I stay with Carnival because I can afford it and I'm afraid if I go to another line I will see what I'm missing and have to spend more to go with them in the future.

 

We cruise Carnival generally on price, but also wanting a laid back cruise that has fun activities.

This ^ too.

 

We are platinum now, so that also solidifies the decision not to stray (to get free FTTF, a couple drinks, extra water, and laundry done.)

[Mr2Scents]

We sale for the value afforded by a Carnival Cruise. Carnival sails the Caribbean year round with numerous ships. We have tried Royal, HAL as well. HAL skews too old for us (we are 52). The entire process of Royal isn’t user friendly. We like being able to get gift cards to budget and pay for the cruise. I know RCI has cards too, but the restrictions on how to use them are prohibitive. I do wish Carnival would vary their itineraries as the same ports are visited for years without change. I’m happy heading back to the southern Caribbean any time value allows.

 

 

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[johnandcristina]

I am a platinum member and between the fun we have and the benefits we get I won’t change! I love our VIFP benefits

 

 

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