Credit for days at sea

[Poppy42]

We are gold and approaching diamond.  We always take a balcony cabin usually on the higher decks.  Why does Carnival award days solely on the number of days sailed?  Why should a person in an inside cabin get credit for as many days as a person in a balcony or stateroom?  If we took an inside cabin we could have sailed on more cruises - we are retired and live within 2 to 3 hours of all Florida ports so we have the time.  

Edited October 30, 2018 by Poppy42
Grammer error

[Djptcp]

On Holland America cruises we usually book Neptune Suites and we receive double the number of cruise days plus a day for every $300 we spend on board. For example, on our last 10 day Panama Canal cruise, we received 20 days for having a Neptune Suite plus 3 days for our on board spending, so 23 days instead of just  10. They have the right idea. Since Carnival Corporation owns Holland America, I don't know why they don't do the same thing for Carnival cruises, at least award double the number of days for suite guests.

[Cruiser_1977]

You are making the argument that status should be awarded on dollars spent not days at sea. That seems a bit elitest. Not everyone can, or is willing, to spend $2,000 on a balcony. If done your way, those that are able to sail in a Havana Cabana would get status faster. The current program is, in my opinion, fair. A day at sea is a day at sea regardless of $$$.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2018 by JennyB1977

[jsglow]

One, you are not currently Gold approaching Diamond. Diamond requires 200 sea days, not 75.  That's Platinum.  Two, it's because Carnival has always employed a relatively egalitarian approach to cruising.  This can be seen throughout their product offering with only minor departure.  Apart from Havana pool/cabins, they don't do 'restaurants for 1st class pax only', 'clubs for 1st class pax only', etc.  It's not the Carnival way.  You want that?  Look elsewhere. 

Edited October 30, 2018 by jsglow

[bigdog1958]

20 minutes ago, Poppy42 said:

We are gold and approaching diamond.  We always take a balcony cabin usually on the higher decks.  Why does Carnival award days solely on the number of days sailed?  Why should a person in an inside cabin get credit for as many days as a person in a balcony or stateroom?  If we took an inside cabin we could have sailed on more cruises - we are retired and live within 2 to 3 hours of all Florida ports so we have the time.  

I guess you should start taking inside cabins, and you will be able to get to the next status quicker for less money

[Poppy42]

1 minute ago, bigdog1958 said:

I guess you should start taking inside cabins, and you will be able to get to the next status quicker for less money

A little hard to work on my all-over tan in an inside cabin.

[Melissalcsw]

Maybe choose a line that puts value on money spent vs days.

[Bert64]

If status on Carnival is that important to you, "slum" it with all the other lowly inside cabin passengers so you can cruise more until you reach your Platinum/Diamond cards. Then you can move it back up to the "upper class" accommodations.

[chadci]

17 minutes ago, Poppy42 said:

A little hard to work on my all-over tan in an inside cabin.

 I don't see how that entitles you to higher rank. I'm nearly platinum, live in Florida and typically do an indoor room because I'm rarely in the room and it serves as a bedroom and a closet. Yet, you think you deserve more than me? This could get really political really fast and I won't go there, but, that mind set is a lot of what's wrong with this country in general.

[CruisinCrow]

I don't choose cruises or cabins to get the highest number of points.  The loyalty program perks are not worth much and seem to be worth less all the time.  At least we used to get one free drink.  Now it's a bottle of water.    (If cruise lines are getting rid of straws, why are the handing out plastic bottles of water?  But that's another issue...)

 

We get a balcony cabin whenever we can afford it because we like balconies.

[Ziggy7]

Sea days are at sea, not how much you pay to be at sea :P

[InitialD]

Back in the day it used to be based on number of cruises, so people would do a 3 day/4 day back to back to get Platinum quicker. 

[bakersdozen12]

I hear what you are saying, and to some extent, I do agree with you.  However, technically no one is stopping you from doing just what you said: booking more cruises in insides rather than fewer cruises in balconies.  Personally, I think they should do away with the whole tiered rewards program altogether.  I would much prefer something more like credit card rewards: earn points for every dollar spent (on anything with Carnival, not just the cruise fare), and then be able to cash in those points towards future purchases with Carnival.  This would encourage people to keep sailing with Carnival, but would eliminate the entitlement that often comes along with the higher up tiered levels.

[pc_load_letter]

2 hours ago, Poppy42 said:

We are gold and approaching diamond.  We always take a balcony cabin usually on the higher decks.  Why does Carnival award days solely on the number of days sailed?  Why should a person in an inside cabin get credit for as many days as a person in a balcony or stateroom?  If we took an inside cabin we could have sailed on more cruises - we are retired and live within 2 to 3 hours of all Florida ports so we have the time.  

 

Um....others have said much more elagantly than I could...but for posterity reasons...I say, yeah, to hell with that.

 

I hate balcony rooms and my wife and I don't mind taking an inside cabin if it's a last minute cruise offer. We are never in our room. We're not old fogies who sit in their room 60% of the cruise.

 

Sorry that you think you should get extra perks for higher tiered rooms.

 

**I don't think this post is going the way OP hoped it would

Edited October 30, 2018 by pc_load_letter

[Saint Greg]

I would be for a change like that..but they aren't going to do it. JH just had a poll on it and I think it was 85-90% to keep it at days not dollars. You're retired and close to a port. The best thing to do would be hit as many cheap cruises as possible until you reach your desired level.

[coevan]

59 minutes ago, CruisinCrow said:

I don't choose cruises or cabins to get the highest number of points.  The loyalty program perks are not worth much and seem to be worth less all the time.  At least we used to get one free drink.  Now it's a bottle of water.    (If cruise lines are getting rid of straws, why are the handing out plastic bottles of water?  But that's another issue...)

 

We get a balcony cabin whenever we can afford it because we like balconies.

 

 

 

We are Platinum and always get a free drink. What do water bottles have to do with straws? I have never put a straw in a water bottle or any bottle. Do you drink beer with a straw?

[CruisinCrow]

29 minutes ago, coevan said:

We are Platinum and always get a free drink. What do water bottles have to do with straws? I have never put a straw in a water bottle or any bottle. Do you drink beer with a straw?

 

We are Gold and USED to get a free drink at the Sea Day Brunch.  Now they've changed it to a bottle of water. 

 

The reason I mentioned straws is that the cruise lines are doing away with straws because they are single-use plastic, a lot of which ends up in the ocean.  But so are water bottles.  I'm fine with eliminating straws.  I don't drink bottled water because of the plastic waste.  So to me, not only is bottled water not an equivalent perk, it's not even consistent with Carnival's plan to reduce plastic in the oceans.

 

I don't drink beer at all, with or without straw. 🙂

Edited October 30, 2018 by CruisinCrow

[Badfinger]

So you want credit for dollars spent...but I will bet since you are retired that you generally cruise during the non-peak season to save money.   I don't expect an answer and I would probably be skeptical if you said you do sail during peak season so you can spend as much money as possible...being retired and all.

 

But beyond that...sure you spend more for a balcony...but you are getting "more" during your cruise...and that is a balcony to enjoy.

 

You cannot have your cake and eat it to...but in this case is sounds like you want someone to chew it for you as well having it and eating it.

 

Just another entitlement thread.

 

Flame away!

[schazzy]

1 hour ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

We are Gold and USED to get a free drink at the Sea Day Brunch.  Now they've changed it to a bottle of water. 

🙂

 

I'm Gold as well, I get the bottle of water and a voucher for a $9 or less drink on the last night after 5pm. I think Platinum/Diamond get a bottle of water and a similar voucher for the drink, but theirs is to be used at Seaday Brunch. My DH who is Red gets just a bottle of water. 

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, Poppy42 said:

We are gold and approaching diamond.  We always take a balcony cabin usually on the higher decks.  Why does Carnival award days solely on the number of days sailed?  Why should a person in an inside cabin get credit for as many days as a person in a balcony or stateroom?  If we took an inside cabin we could have sailed on more cruises - we are retired and live within 2 to 3 hours of all Florida ports so we have the time.  

 

Not sure why you don’t book inside cabins based on your post. 

[hockeyguru32]

IMHO a day at sea is just that a day at sea no matter what cabin you're in. YOU choose what cabin you're in so WHY should you be rewarded by spending money when the set up for loyalty perks is DAYS AT SEA?

 

If you want loyalty for what you spend go on those ships that allow you to do that. You might as well go on MSC where they match your status to whatever loyalty card you are on.

 

No one should be rewarded because they have more money.

[Jenny in TX]

1 hour ago, CruisinCrow said:

 

We are Gold and USED to get a free drink at the Sea Day Brunch.  Now they've changed it to a bottle of water. 

 

The reason I mentioned straws is that the cruise lines are doing away with straws because they are single-use plastic, a lot of which ends up in the ocean.  But so are water bottles.  I'm fine with eliminating straws.  I don't drink bottled water because of the plastic waste.  So to me, not only is bottled water not an equivalent perk, it's not even consistent with Carnival's plan to reduce plastic in the oceans.

 

I don't drink beer at all, with or without straw. 🙂

We are gold also.  You still get a free drink you just have to use the coupon on the last day after 5pm.  We also got free water.

[CruisinCrow]

19 minutes ago, schazzy said:

 

I'm Gold as well, I get the bottle of water and a voucher for a $9 or less drink on the last night after 5pm. I think Platinum/Diamond get a bottle of water and a similar voucher for the drink, but theirs is to be used at Seaday Brunch. My DH who is Red gets just a bottle of water. 

 

Yes, that's right.  On the longer cruises, you get a free drink on the last night.  Unfortunately, that is only for 5-night cruises or more and we take 3 and 4-day cruises so we just get the bottle of water.

 

This is why I don't cruise for the loyalty points.  The perks just aren't great and they keep changing the rules.  Who knows - by the time we ever get to Platinum, they'll probably have changed it all again.

[CruisinCrow]

3 minutes ago, Jenny in TX said:

We are gold also.  You still get a free drink you just have to use the coupon on the last day after 5pm.  We also got free water.

 

Only on 5-day or longer cruises.  You only get a bottle of water on 3 and 4-day cruises.

 

From Carnival's website for Gold cruisers:

 

Edited October 30, 2018 by CruisinCrow

[shof515]

4 hours ago, Poppy42 said:

Why does Carnival award days solely on the number of days sailed?

 

because that is what other cruise lines do and that it makes most the logical sense