Priority rooms ready at 130 today....

[S.S.Oceanlover]

8 hours ago, cruisemom67 said:

How much does this perk cost them?  NOTHING. I would hate to see them do away with it. I have been cruising for 26 years and have seen cutback after cutback in all the lines.  I like Carnival, and have cruised mostly with them.  But if they keep cutting perks, and give it to FTTF, I will move to another line.  They are all about the same, anyway.  I was one of the Platinum VIFP that was upset when they rolled out FTTF.  Then I realized it didn't really affect my experience, so way to go Carnival, having a way to get pure profit.  Keeps my cruise fare cheaper so I can go more often!

 

Just my opinion but I don't think corporations like CCL or any other cruise line for that matter are going to make fares cheaper because they make more profits.

 

Bill

[jimbo5544]

33 minutes ago, S.S.Oceanlover said:

 

Just my opinion but I don't think corporations like CCL or any other cruise line for that matter are going to make fares cheaper because they make more profits.

 

Bill

FTTF as a perk was a great idea, I have said it before, whoever thought of it, deserved a promotion.  That said, I stand by my previous post that if my friend is right and they pull the perk from plats and diamonds, it would be a disaster.  Despite my emotional friend, and I do understand the logic that was posted, I just do not think they want to go there.  I will effort it on on the Breeze starting next weekend.

Edited October 29, 2018 by jimbo5544

[S.S.Oceanlover]

6 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

FTTF as a perk was a great idea, I have said it before, whoever thought of it, deserved a promotion.  That said, I stand by my previous post that if my friend is right and they pull the perk from plats and diamonds, it would be a disaster.  Despite my emotional friend, and I do understand the logic that was posted, I just do not think they want to go there.  I will effort it on on the Breeze starting next weekend.

 

Jim,

 

Looks like your talk to text is working as well as mine.😲 Why is your friend emotional?

 

Bill

[jimbo5544]

2 minutes ago, S.S.Oceanlover said:

 

Jim,

 

Looks like your talk to text is working as well as mine.😲 Why is your friend emotional?

 

Bill

I do not know... I thought we were getting along just fine.  My post was more an attempt at humor than anything else.....

[BlerkOne]

Princess used to have cabins ready when passengers cabins ready when the boarded. The obvious trick was to delay boarding until the cabins were ready. Now I don't think they even bother trying. 

 

 

[S.S.Oceanlover]

33 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I do not know... I thought we were getting along just fine.  My post was more an attempt at humor than anything else.....

OK it's late so i guess I missed it.

 

I was wondering what this meant...  "I will effort it on on the Breeze starting next weekend." Thus my statement about the talk to text. Have a good night my friend.🙂

 

Bill

[RWolver672]

On 9/10/2018 at 6:43 PM, CruiserMiami said:

I work at Miami and was instructed by our supervisors to tell guests that all rooms (even for Priority and FTTF) would be ready at 1:30.

I asked my supervisor if they were sure and if it was going to be just for that specific day, and they said “the ship has instructed us that all rooms will be ready at 1:30 from now on”

I’m not a new employee, have been working in Port of Miami for 10 years!

 

There is a big difference between ALL of the rooms would be ready and NONE of the rooms would be ready.  ALL of the cabins have always been ready by 1:30.

 

JH posted yesterday on FB that an upcoming cruise on the Conquest has over 800 priority guests and that none of the cabins would be ready but you (Priority) could still go to your cabin and drop off your carry-ons as long as you didn't stay in your cabin.

[Chief93]

This was on Vista TV last week

[jimbo5544]

9 hours ago, S.S.Oceanlover said:

OK it's late so i guess I missed it.

 

I was wondering what this meant...  "I will effort it on on the Breeze starting next weekend." Thus my statement about the talk to text. Have a good night my friend.🙂

 

Bill

I will be on a Journey cruise aboard the Breeze on 11/3 which John Heald will be on.  I will find some time to discuss with him, tell him what was posted here and see his reply.  Again, if they change the earliest you can board to 1:30 for everybody, while disappointed, I will understand.  If they still allow FTTF to board early and not their most loyal guests, I think it is a disaster they will regret.

[quickrate]

On 10/27/2018 at 6:34 PM, bury me at sea said:

 

I respect your opinion but hope you understand this "perk" of early access to cabins was offered to P an D cruisers only when Carnival introduced FTTF. 

 

Check the benefits for various VIFP levels on the Carnival website.  Early access to cabins is still not listed as a perk.

What you are saying is true, but the reason they offered the perk also to Pand D is because they had eliminated some perks which was very upsetting to some cruisers and then gave early access to cabins for FTTF. This is why they included that perk in loyalty program. 

[NCTribeFan]

Just off Ecstasy last Thursday.  First time I've sailed out of Charleston where the key cards were at the cabin rather then given at check in.  I was on the ship by 11:30 and went straight to my cabin.  It was still being serviced when I arrived but the section manager was there and we stood and chatted for quite a while as the cabin was being finished.  The steward arrived and handed me my card.

 

Travelling solo, it is nice to be able to put my things in the cabin.  I don't really like putting my bags down somewhere on Lido and then going to find food.  Sorry if I just don't trust all my fellow travelers!

 

What I did miss on this sailing was the ability to just go to the service desk and say I was ready to take the tender (er, Water Shuttle  ) but instead had to meet in the Library with about 50 blue-card FTTF families with out-of-control kids running around shrieking so we could all be escorted down to the tender at the same time that the CD called #s 9-15 stickers from the theater!  It was ridiculous.

 

Oh well.  Next two upcoming cruises are not on Carnival.  Honestly, just not sure I'll reach Diamond even though I'm only 5 nights away.

[pacruise804]

On 10/27/2018 at 7:30 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

To me it’s not a matter of what the perks are, it’s the point that as a company you should at least show some minimal appreciation to your most loyal customers. 

While I will utilize and appreciate perks, I generally don't expect a company to provide them for "loyalty" (merely being a repeat customer).  I expect perks to be offered as a way of gaining more revenue (incentivize the person to use the service more).  Should suite passengers also not have perks?  It's on a much grander scale, but aren't they similar to FTTF guests in "purchasing" the perks vs. "earning" them?

 

19 hours ago, wannagonow123 said:

 

Carnival is the only cruise line that I know of, that does not have rooms ready when you get on the ship. 

 

When we sailed Regal Princess in 2017 the cabin wasn't ready at boarding (I think that's the norm for that class of ship).  Pretty sure our 2016 NCL cruise didn't have the cabin available either.

 

3 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Again, if they change the earliest you can board to 1:30 for everybody, while disappointed, I will understand.  If they still allow FTTF to board early and not their most loyal guests, I think it is a disaster they will regret.

I may have misread, but I thought the discussion was cabin access, not boarding.  I agree that removing priority boarding from D/P while keeping it for FTTF would be wrong.

 

As a lowly red card who has used FTTF on the past two cruises, my opinion is that if they remove early cabin access from FTTF without lowering the price or adding other perks that would be a disaster too.  While it isn't the only reason we purchased, the ability to immediately access the cabin was the key decision in getting Faster to the Fun. I think the cabin access is a big selling point for many others too based on the FTTF threads.  D/P still get special parties, free drinks, free laundry, and boarding before FTTF, so it isn't like all perks are being bought for a one time fee.

[shipshape3]

I purchased FTTF on our last cruise on the Valor in Oct and was told that our room would be ready at 1:30 with our room key in the mailbox! Well I thought with FTTF you had early access to your room and it turned out we didn’t! The doors were locked and no key was outside our door! So we waited like everyone else so we could get into our room and we had to wait on our luggage! So the FTTF was a complete waste of money!!

[pacruise804]

I would have mentioned this to guest services and gotten refunded.

[gakawgirl]

On 9/9/2018 at 4:48 PM, Donh44 said:

 

 

You can. Somebody was misinformed. This is one of the perks that you pay for when purchasing FTTF.

what is FTTF?

[pjfnme]

On 9/18/2018 at 6:49 PM, Hotdog 52 said:

Here is the email we received day before yesterday. The email had the platinum heading stating we were platinum. I sent an email back stating that we had early access to the room and could arrive when we wanted not 1 to 1:30. I asked if they could start correcting the emails. My reply was thanks for the email. They create their own problems.

 

 

 

Thank you for completing your Online Check-in. You are on your way to a fun and memorable vacation.

 

Arrival Information

 

 

• Please make arrangements to get to the cruise terminal within your Arrival Appointment which is 1:00 PM-1:30 PM. Guests who arrive outside their Arrival Appointment can expect longer wait times.
• To enter the terminal, present your boarding pass, and a government-issued picture ID (applicable to all guests 16 years and older) and citizenship documents (including any necessary visas).
• Final Boarding: In preparation for final boarding and departure, all guests must be on board the ship no later than 60 minutes prior to the published sailing time or they will not be permitted to sail.

 

General Information

 

• Staterooms are available at 1:30 PM.
• Lunch is served on Lido deck until 3:00 PM.
• Checked luggage service is only available until 2 hours before the ship's published departure time. Guests arriving after this time will be responsible for taking their bags on board.
• Guests are not allowed to bring bottled beverages, (e.g., liquor, water, sodas and other non-alcoholic drinks) on board. Please review our beverage policy before you board.
• Guests (21 and older) may bring one 750 ml bottle of sealed/unopened wine or champagne, per person, in their carry-on luggage only.

 

Mobility Devices

 

• For the safety of all our guests and crew, mobility devices cannot be left in hallways or other public areas and must be stored in the guest’s stateroom in a manner that does not block a clear and safe exit path from the stateroom. Unless you have reserved a fully accessible stateroom, mobility devices must be able to fit in a standard stateroom with a 22" entry doorway. Guests must be prepared to collapse their walkers, wheelchairs or scooters to allow for safe storage. Please visit carnival.com for full details.

 

We are looking forward to welcoming you aboard for a FUN and memorable cruise vacation.

 

The Carnival Triumph Fun Team

 

 

 

Your cruise is right around the corner and we want to provide you with important information regarding your embarkation experience.

I too received one of these emails, but mine specifically stated that the arrival appointment time INCLUDED Diamond/Platinum, FTTF and suites.  ALL guests must arrive at their scheduled time or will be turned away.  I believe there were special circumstances around this on my particular cruise but it does seem to be something that they are slowly moving towards. 

[pacruise804]

2 hours ago, gakawgirl said:

what is FTTF?

Faster to the Fun - an "Excursion" Carnival offers at your home port giving priority: boarding, room access, luggage delivery, guest services line, tendering, and I think something about dining time choice priority (but not guarantee).