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

[happy cruzer]

I disagree about the VIFP benefits. I am Platinum (75+ sea days) on Carnival - which gets me priority boarding, debarkation, 1L water, priority guest services line, free drink, chocolate delight, priority tender and 2-3 bags of laundry. On Princess, Platinum (51-150 sea days), gets me priority boarding, only a priority debarkation lounge and an internet credit (which is the last thing in the world I want when cruising)...and none of the other things mentioned above. It is not until someone hits Elite (151+ sea days) that the perks are much better on Princess.

 

So yes, if you are TOP TIER, then the benefits are better on other lines. But for your more typical person (working full time, raising kids with only a couple of weeks of vacation a year) you will get some useful benefits MUCH sooner on Carnival. That is one of the reasons I have stayed primarily with Carnival. Price is also another...when booking 2 cabins for our family, keeping costs down allow us to vacation more frequently.

 

When we retire and our boys are finished school, then Princess with much longer cruises will be our line of choice. But even then I am guessing we will have to take 3-4 30 days cruises to reach Elite and heaven only knows what kinds of benefits will exist then.

 

Wow, you made go look in case it had changed :). Princess still gives your the upgrade to platinum insurance at the standard rate. We use that benefit.

[Cinders411]

We started cruising in 2010 on Carnival because honestly it was the cheapest. After several Carnival cruises we decided to try RCI. We decided this due to changes within the loyalty program. We did return to Carnival last fall when we booked the Vista. We wanted to do the sailing from New York to Miami.

[A&Jfamily]

Wow, you made go look in case it had changed :). Princess still gives your the upgrade to platinum insurance at the standard rate. We use that benefit.

 

Sorry...forgot the insurance one. We don't always do insurance and if we do it is privately purchased so again not a perk I use...

[cruisenewbie1]

Due to cost and time restrictions, we have to drive to either Galveston or New Orleans. I just did a mock booking on the only 2 sailings available to me on the same weekend. I have to go with my wallet. With similar type staterooms on similar decks, it was going to cost me $850 more to cruise with RCL. I look forward to trying them one day but for now Carnival earns my loyalty simply based on price.

[eileenfa]

We love to cruise, and be in spa rooms. Not to many ships have them. Been on Ncl- didn't care for the up sell of food on restaurants. We just eat at buffet and mdr. Plus, the rooms were tiny. Carnival is comfortable to us. We been going on them for 7 ships now and one this year the Vista. I don't care about vifp benefits really but, just stop changing them.

 

 

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[just4cruzin]

We travel on Carnival mainly for the price. We go for rest and relaxation and can get that on any cruise line. In regards to benefits, we are now platinum on Carnival and really only utilize getting on early and free laundry. All other benefits are nice but not necessary and I'm not sure if the other lines can offer much more. I do enjoy gambling on cruises and I have found that their casino benefits are the best and that's a major incentive. I have had at least 5 free cruises (except port fees and taxes) and that's a MAJOR benefit I have not been offered on the other lines.

[evandbob]

i sail with carnival because they are the only other cruise lines that sails out of NYC regularly..i dont want to fly to other ports

 

 

Carnival doesn't sail from NYC all year long. NCL does. And in nearby Bayonne, Celebrity and Royal offer many more cruise dates than Carnival.

 

So I don't understand your logic????

[buddylover]

I feel I've invested plenty.

 

 

I'm 60 years old. Have been cruising since 1983 and have taken 43 cruises spread out between 8 different cruise lines. Some long. Some short.

 

We have repeated ships on some lines and are not particularly loyal to any one cruise line and prefer the variety. Our next scheduled trip is the HAL Eurodam (for the 2nd time) in November. Last one was the Vista this past January.

 

Hopefully some day, maybe when we retire, I can catch up to you.

 

Sorry, but I took what you wrote at 'face value' and you wrote that you have taken 6-7 CCL cruises......that indicated a newer cruiser to me, thus my sentiments that 'loyalty' is not a issue at that point in a cruising career. Don't need to be snarky.....one can only know facts from what is written by you yourself. So sorry.......

[gottaluvcruises12]

I have only cruised with Carnival but the advertisement I see for other lines seems to cater to a more mature crowd. I am in my 30's so when we are cruising we are looking for fun and even with the kids its more family oriented. I haven't taken my daughter on a cruise. Thus far it has been girl trips and my next one will be with my husband. We have been considering going with couples. I also think it is the crowd it attracts. We enjoy grown up fun. I have considered RCCL but the price is always way more the Carnival going to the exact same places. I have only been on 3 cruises so the VIFP program doesn't really benefit me.

[Number12]

One of the things that we enjoy about Carnival is the option of going to the comedy club. We're not big fans of the production shows and this gives us a good option for entertainment.

[crzndeb]

There are many Carnival cruisers that are still working and are perfectly happy going to the same Carib ports over and over. I sailed 17 Carnival cruises since 2003, 175 days, and have been lucky enough to go to Australia twice and a B2B2B on the Vista in Europe/TA last year. I don't use their laundry, and tender priority isn't a big deal. Plus, pretty much everywhere is a long flight. Also, I don't gamble, so that's not a draw for me.

 

As a solo traveler, they have the worst perks. I have to pay a double deposit, and I only get a single point for days sailed. But I had friends on most of those long sailings, and the price was right. It was a great product for me, at the time.

 

I have 5 RCI cruises booked now (and 3 NCL that will be cancelled). I become Diamond this year on RCI and free drinks in the evening in the lounge (plus the 3 drink coupons) trumps laundry any day...LOL

 

Plus I get double points for days, and I only have to pay a solo deposit. I like both lines, but I cruise for itineraries now, and I want to go to new places.

 

I have cruised other lines since 1980, but Carnival and RCI the most. I have to start fresh on NCL (kids first cruise back in 1993), since their program doesn't go back that far, for perks, but they do cruise to unique destinations.

 

We all have different opinions on where we want to go and what we want to do. It's not a one size fits all. But for me personally, I could never stick to one cruise line.

[EBFURR]

Due to cost and time restrictions, we have to drive to either Galveston or New Orleans. I just did a mock booking on the only 2 sailings available to me on the same weekend. I have to go with my wallet. With similar type staterooms on similar decks, it was going to cost me $850 more to cruise with RCL. I look forward to trying them one day but for now Carnival earns my loyalty simply based on price.

 

If I saw a $850 difference I would be on Carnival too! We always compare and never seem to find a big difference. Maybe it is just when and where we go. We usually look at port Canaveral, Charleston, and sometimes Miami & Ft. Lauderdale. I will keep shopping though. Definitely want to do another cruise on Carnival. Unlike Deb, we tend to do the same ones over and over. It is in our DNA I guess.

[skiingj]

Decided to expand to other lines as there have been too many Carnival cutbacks and as you said the loyalty program stinks. We will still occasionally sail Carnival but have found Royal has a better product for us,

[summersigh]

We've sailed Cunard, RCCL, HAL and CCL.

Service and itinerary make the biggest difference to us along with cost to a lesser degree. We often watch an itinerary over a period of time and book when we feel it's the best deal.

We also happen to like the food on CCL lately better than HAL which tries to be very gourmet with, for us, hit and miss dishes. The food on RCCL was fine and on Cunard everything was excellent.

 

We don't like the HAL ships that go from Lanai cabins that open onto a promenade deck straight to junior suite type cabins for almost double regular balcony cabins on other ships.

[Pellaz]

A few reasons why I check Carnival's sailings and prices first...doesn't mean I'll be exclusively loyal in the future, but they get "right of first refusal" when I'm browsing for cruises. :)

• prices are generally lower for similar sailings/ships/itineraries.
  
• staterooms are generally larger within categories. Example: Carnival's 225 sq. ft. oceanviews vs. smaller OVs on Royal.
  
• fee-included dining options on most Carnival ships are (IMO) better and more numerous than on other lines. This was a startling difference when comparing, say, Royal's Indy (last Feb.) with Carnival Conquest (last October).
  
• More "fun" activities for me on Carnival than on equivalent ships. I.e., I'd rather go on a water-slide than embarrass myself on a rock-climbing wall or an ice-skating rink. :)
  
• Service staff on Carnival have generally been at least as good and attentive than on my RCI cruises
  
• I've enjoyed Carnival's semi-exclusive ports of call (Grand Turk, Amber Cove) more than Royal's similar ports of call (Labadee, Falmouth). I DO wish Carnival was still "borrowing" CocoCay from RCI as a port, though, as the snorkeling there was great. :)
  
• I can obtain some nice perks via the FTTF program on Carnival; there is no equivalent on other cruise lines.
  
• ...and, some "little things" based on my recent experiences: 24-hr pizza is better on CCL than Royal; soft-serve ice cream is 24 hours on CCL and not on Royal; CCL has self-serve kiosks while Royal has none; Carnival's ships have more elevator banks than Royal's, meaning shorter walks, etc.
  

I'm eyeing MSC since they're bargain-pricing to get more into the Caribbean market, and NCL since some of their fares+perks are reasonable, but Carnival gets the first look from me.

[Hoosierpop]

The best reward to me is value. Carnival provides the best value. That simple.

 

 

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[emm126]

We travel on Carnival mainly for the price. We go for rest and relaxation and can get that on any cruise line. In regards to benefits, we are now platinum on Carnival and really only utilize getting on early and free laundry. All other benefits are nice but not necessary and I'm not sure if the other lines can offer much more. I do enjoy gambling on cruises and I have found that their casino benefits are the best and that's a major incentive. I have had at least 5 free cruises (except port fees and taxes) and that's a MAJOR benefit I have not been offered on the other lines.

 

That's funny to me- when I want rest and relaxation, I go on a Carnival cruise. I choose ATD beforehand and my time on the cruise is when/what I want to do. I might make a reservation for the steak house before the cruise, if not I try when I get on board, I usually can get a reservation 1 night.

 

When I go on RCI or NCL, there is so much planning and making reservations for dinner, shows, etc that it is not relaxing to me at all. A cruise should not be that complicated that you need a planner to tell you where to go and what to do every day. IMO. :)

[NOSaints1]

We've got a cloud 9 balcony booked on the Dream next April for 954 pp which translates to 1260 CDN for that price we could book an interior on the Oasis class or an interior on celebrity edge

 

 

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[firemanbobswife]

We've got a cloud 9 balcony booked on the Dream next April for 954 pp which translates to 1260 CDN for that price we could book an interior on the Oasis class or an interior on celebrity edge

 

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I'd do the Edge and get a package with some perks!

[NOSaints1]

I think the edge is around 1300 cdn with one perk

 

 

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[firemanbobswife]

I think the edge is around 1300 cdn with one perk

 

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I bet the right TA could get you more ;)

[NOSaints1]

Do you use an online tax to book your cruises or someone from the cruise line

 

 

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[firemanbobswife]

Do you use an online tax to book your cruises or someone from the cruise line

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I found a TA for my Celebrity Cruise after I already booked direct. I called him, he got me a cabin upgrade at a much lower price than offered by Celebrity, and OBC. Saved me quite a bit. For Carnival I use my PVP.

[Bigbob75]

It's a low rent cruise line and I'm a low rent type of guy..

It's the Walmart of the seas , I'm a big fan of Walmart.

Seriously for me it comes down to price ..

the overwhelming percent of the time I travel it's flat out cheapest.

Regarding the loyalty program.. it's so cheap to get on I don't see how they can give out much., plus I don't buy much of carnival products ( booze ..I smuggle , pics never bought one, excursions I buy local , and only book deals ) ... so I don't expect much cause I'm not paying much

. when I'm on x and spending 2k more for the same amount of days.. I expect a different program .

[DebJ14]

We sail Carnival because they have 3 ships in our home port of Galveston, which is within an hours drive. DH hates to fly to start with and after all the shenanigans on United he is refusing to fly anywhere right now.

 

As for bargains, haven't been finding them on Carnival so much.

 

In fact of the next 4 cruises we have booked 2 are Royal Caribbean

.

We got an aft wrap Jr. suite on a 5 day sailing on Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas for the same price as an 8D balcony on the Carnival Valor 5 day the same week.

 

I also snagged a great deal on a Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean Liberty of the Seas for May 2018 that priced a total of $2135 less than a Grand Suite and $207.00 less than an Ocean Suite on the Carnival Breeze the same week. The GS on RCCL is larger, and comes with loads of perks, so it was a no brainer to go with RCCL.

 

We're Diamond on Carnival and Diamond on RCCL and the RCCL Diamond perks are head and shoulders above the Carnival perks, even though there are still 2 levels above us.

Edited June 16, 2017 by DebJ14