VIFP program

[IPlayWithString]

5 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Reduce benefits for platinum, taking away the priority boarding,

No thank you. I like having that now that we are platinum because it means I don't have to feel guilty about pulling the "I have a disabled kid" card. MOST of the time, they would board us after weddings, suites, FTTF and Plat/Diamond. But not always and when they did (like the time that one bride looked like she wanted to murder me) it was SO embarrassing for me.

[SNJCruisers]

24 minutes ago, IPlayWithString said:

No thank you. I like having that now that we are platinum because it means I don't have to feel guilty about pulling the "I have a disabled kid" card. MOST of the time, they would board us after weddings, suites, FTTF and Plat/Diamond. But not always and when they did (like the time that one bride looked like she wanted to murder me) it was SO embarrassing for me.

You miss quoted....the statement you credited to me was from "Lottacruises" on post # 70.

[xDisconnections]

9 hours ago, Amyracecar said:

As a new(ish) Carnival customer can I also say that it amuses me greatly that our 'perk' is a bottle of water each. (Especially as they're now doing the cheaper water packs to order. When we first started cruising in-room water was expensive, not quite so much now) 

 

I still have all the other rather average perks to look forward to! 

 

It baffles me how they can't work something like this to their advantage. Why not offer red/gold cruisers something like a free drink in the speciality restaurants, meaning that it encourages people to book & pay for a table, or 10% off a couple of photos. Either way they're potentially making more money but it looks like you're getting a benefit. 

If I remember correctly, the complimentary bottled water was a replacement benefit when lower tiered members were no longer invited to the repeater party. This caused the elimination of the Carnival Past Guest Party and resulted in the new Platinum and Diamond VIFP Party.

 

I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong regarding the above.

[gkbiiii]

13 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

Royal Caribbean: Diamonds & above get comped drinks & more.

Celebrity: Elite & above get comped drinks and more.  Zenith gets Premium Drink package!

MSC: Black Cards get a Specialty Dinner for two, & more.

Princess: Elite's get cabin beverage set up & more.

Crystal: free credit and comped cruises, even suites!

NCL: Platinum & above, get Comped Specialty Dining & more.

Cunard: Diamonds get Comped Specialty Dinner for two.

Costa: Peril & above Comped Specialty Dining.  Peril Diamond Comped Spa Dining Room whole voyage.

 

So yes, Carnival could step it up a notch or two!

 

Yes, another two levels would work well too.  Lets say Emerald and Blue Diamond as the final level.  The Emeralds would get a party, as well a a free photo, and the Blue Diamonds would get a comped adult drink package, Comped Specialty Dining on every cruise, Dinner with the Captain.  

 

Key Diamond/ Blue Diamond benefit: Status match/transfer to the top two tiers, for every Carnival Corporation LLC, owned "Leading Lines of the World" brand. 

Edited February 19, 2019 by gkbiiii

[SNJCruisers]

18 minutes ago, gkbiiii said:

 

Yes, another two levels would work well too.  Lets say Emerald and Blue Diamond as the final level.  The Emeralds would get a party, as well a a free photo, and the Blue Diamonds would get a comped adult drink package, Comped Specialty Dining on every cruise, Dinner with the Captain.  

 

Key Diamond/ Blue Diamond benefit: Status match/transfer to the top two tiers, for every Carnival Corporation LLC, owned "Leading Lines of the World" brand. 

Those perks would only be available in Fantasyland.

[xDisconnections]

20 minutes ago, gkbiiii said:

 

Key Diamond/ Blue Diamond benefit: Status match/transfer to the top two tiers, for every Carnival Corporation LLC, owned "Leading Lines of the World" brand. 

I sincerely hope not.

 

Elite on Princess is overcrowded enough with people who earned it by number of cruises and days at sea that it takes over 72 hours to get your laundry back, the top guest each cruise usually has several thousand days at sea and more than 70% of the guests are Elite on some cruises.

 

If anything, these loyalty tiers should need annual requalification.

Edited February 19, 2019 by xDisconnections

[gkbiiii]

You all are so different than the Royal board, where their would be a revolution, is RCL tried this with us!  Take away our status, remove the Diamond Lounges, make for annual qualification: if I wanted Costa, I would sail them!

[xDisconnections]

1 minute ago, gkbiiii said:

You all are so different than the Royal board, where their would be a revolution, is RCL tried this with us!  Take away our status, remove the Diamond Lounges, make for annual qualification: if I wanted Costa, I would sail them!

When everyone has top tier loyalty status, nobody has top tier loyalty status and your benefits become unpredictable.

[gkbiiii]

I have been on transatlantics, where their were 60 Pinnacles, 300 Diamond Plus, and 800 Diamonds. It does change the experience!

[IPlayWithString]

SNJ--my bad.

[xDisconnections]

1 hour ago, gkbiiii said:

I have been on transatlantics, where their were 60 Pinnacles, 300 Diamond Plus, and 800 Diamonds. It does change the experience!

Now imagine that becomes every itinerary you have.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, xDisconnections said:

When everyone has top tier loyalty status, nobody has top tier loyalty status and your benefits become unpredictable.

 

Sounds like Princess. 

[xDisconnections]

1 minute ago, BlerkOne said:

 

Sounds like Princess. 

Lol, it’s still my preferred cruise operator 🙂

[gkbiiii]

1 hour ago, xDisconnections said:

Now imagine that becomes every itinerary you have.

That is happening at Royal, where 25 year old's are Pinnacles.

[masterty]

13 hours ago, IPlayWithString said:

See..the reason I don't like this is because it's unfair. If you keep it at 1 pt per cruise day, then it's fair across the board, no matter if you are staying in an inside room or the grand suite (or whatever it's called). If you change it to 1 pt per X$, then some people would NEVER get to platinum or diamond because they  just don't cruise that often or don't spend that much money per cruise.

 

We usually choose inside rooms, which are cheaper, and we choose them for a variety of reasons. One of which is usually cost. It's not that we don't like balconies, but inside rooms are generally better for us. Are you saying we don't deserve to reach diamond (since we're already platinum) because we don't spend as much money as Joe Megabucks who books a suite every time?

 

 

There is no reason suite pax should be subsidizing inside cabin pax perks. Pay more get more. That is how life works.

[SNJCruisers]

2 hours ago, masterty said:

There is no reason suite pax should be subsidizing inside cabin pax perks. Pay more get more. That is how life works.

Please list for me any perks that Platinum or below receive that costs Carnival a lot of money. Suite pax are not subsidizing anything of value.

[CdrescherRBL152]

Okay After reading the first two pages. Have seen a common misunderstanding. The VIFP program is not designed nor was it ever designed to make you loyal to Carnival. It was design to reward you for being loyal. And might just be me but if you are cruising for the perks you can get. You are cruising for the wrong trasons.

 

[glrounds]

23 hours ago, wms99 said:

 

What would be above a Diamond? Adamanthium? Uru? Mythrial? Vibrainium? I ask in a serious way.

 

I think UNOBTAINIUM would be a great name for it. 🙂

[Amyracecar]

17 hours ago, schazzy said:

 

I guess we are spoiled by having very good tap water at home, but unless it's ice cold, the ship's tap water seems to taste very metallic to us, so we tend to drink the bottled water more often than not on a cruise. So we actually appreciate getting 2 large bottles of water to have for the cabin and not having to pay $4 a piece for them. Greatest perk ever? No. Do I enjoy getting them? Yes.     

I think it probably seemed more of a benefit before they introduced the cheaper bulk packages of water, which will appeal to a lot of people, particularly on longer cruises where 1 bottle each won't last you very long and you'll likely buy more anyway. 
In all seriousness though, it doesn't really bother me. It's a pretty lame 'perk', but seems worse because I'm comparing it to other cruise lines, often lines where i'm spending a lot more for a similar cruise. I'd rather Carnival offer competitive pricing than get an extra bit of tat after just one or two cruises. (I'm talking about just the first tier here, I can see why the upper tiers need revising) 🙂

[IPlayWithString]

10 hours ago, masterty said:

There is no reason suite pax should be subsidizing inside cabin pax perks. Pay more get more. That is how life works.

How are suite pax subsidizing inside cabin perks? Whether you got to  platinum by sailing 75+ days in a suite or in an inside cabin, you get the SAME perks no matter what.

 

Suite pax are not subsidizing ANYTHING for the "lower class" pax like those who choose inside cabins for whatever reason. The suite pax are not the rich upper class subsidizing welfare for the lowly inside cabin pax, FFS.

[robertlanajean]

28 minutes ago, IPlayWithString said:

How are suite pax subsidizing inside cabin perks? Whether you got to  platinum by sailing 75+ days in a suite or in an inside cabin, you get the SAME perks no matter what.

 

Suite pax are not subsidizing ANYTHING for the "lower class" pax like those who choose inside cabins for whatever reason. The suite pax are not the rich upper class subsidizing welfare for the lowly inside cabin pax, FFS.

I'm afraid to dip my toes in this pool ... but i THINK that poster is more referring to the idea that suites pay more and at the end of the day all guests cost the same to feed and entertain (based on INCLUDED items). Having said that, i think the difference is not large when you factor in the # of suites vs # of inside cabins. I think cheers buyers do more to offset costs than suites. As a non cheers buyer i appreciate their contribution! 

I would love to get extra credit for nights in upgraded rooms but think that would be a logistical nightmare with how many different room codes they have. 

[IPlayWithString]

I totally agree. It's hard enough to keep up with the room codes as it is....this letter and that numbr and there's at least a dozen of them (it seems like).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Aplmac]

6 hours ago, CdrescherRBL152 said:

 And might just be me...

but if you are cruising for the perks you can get

you are cruising for the wrong reasons.

.

Well said!

[Aplmac]

When I first heard of the Gold Level perk-switch

from one free drink within a narrow time frame

to bottled water - I thought Bummer!

 

Now it turns out

the water lasts a lot longer than one lousy free drink

and is a lot more useful/practical...not to mention healthier

 

____________________________

In fact, years later

I still have the stupid blue Carnival-cabin water bottle
which I refill from my special water source!

I disembarked on a hot day with the bottle about 2/3rds full, took it home

and here it still is!

[xDisconnections]

7 hours ago, CdrescherRBL152 said:

Okay After reading the first two pages. Have seen a common misunderstanding. The VIFP program is not designed nor was it ever designed to make you loyal to Carnival. It was design to reward you for being loyal. And might just be me but if you are cruising for the perks you can get. You are cruising for the wrong trasons.

 

Sorry, I have to disagree. There’s a huge difference between Rewards Programs and Loyalty Programs.

 

Rewards programs offer a higher percentage of an earn-to-burn rewards currency, typically in the form of points or number of visits, that can be used to generate free items relatively quickly. Loyalty programs typically offer a greater set of benefits to provide a more personalized and exclusive experience as a way to build loyalty and keep those guests that have a higher disposable income. Although loyalty programs usually offer some redemptions, they generally don’t have anywhere near the earning power of Rewards Programs as they take much longer to earn.

Edited February 20, 2019 by xDisconnections