Faster to The Fun price increase.

[Amyracecar]

It's one of those things that i'm happy to pay for if I need the peace of mind, but I can live without. On our recent cruise we stupidly booked a very early flight and spent the rest of the time worrying we'd make it. Having FTTF meant we actually got to the airport early (before even the advertised debarkation times) with hours just waiting around. If I was in a similar situation again i'd definitely pay the extra, however I wouldn't pay it just to get onto the boat early. I don't think the additional cost is now worth it just to have a couple of extra hours on board. 

[PhillyFan33579]

40 minutes ago, Amyracecar said:

It's one of those things that i'm happy to pay for if I need the peace of mind, but I can live without. On our recent cruise we stupidly booked a very early flight and spent the rest of the time worrying we'd make it. Having FTTF meant we actually got to the airport early (before even the advertised debarkation times) with hours just waiting around. If I was in a similar situation again i'd definitely pay the extra, however I wouldn't pay it just to get onto the boat early. I don't think the additional cost is now worth it just to have a couple of extra hours on board. 

 

If you have an early flight, Carnival will let you debark the ship early. We had friends on a cruise on Horizon who had an early flight out of Miami. They were told to go the FTTF waiting area on debarkation morning and left the ship with the rest of the FTTF passengers who carried their own luggage off the ship (i.e. self-assist). 

[Robert & Debra]

We had FTTF on our last cruise and we were on the ship ate our lunch and unpacked our bags before the other rooms were ready. I also pay for that way over priced alcohol to drink in my room as well as the extra tips I will give.I figure all of it into the price of the cruise and then decide if its worth it. It usually is.

[NCTribeFan]

Bit of advice for the first-time cruisers who purchase FTTF and have a tender port...

 

When you arrive at the meeting point to be taken down to the tender, please realize that there will be plenty of seats on the tender and you do NOT have to push and shove other people out of your way to try to get to the front of the line.  Yes, this did happen to me.  I actually yelled at the mob behind me to stop pushing and shoving.  There were some who were practically running over the people in front of them trying to get to the front.  Once you're on the tender, you'll sit there quite a while as they fill all the remaining seats.  They hold a lot of people. Please just calm down!

 

When I sail in October, we call at Princess Cay.  Wonder if I can convince someone to just let me go down to the tender and board. 😉

[TNcruising02]

2 hours ago, ishap said:

 

Exactly!  I am a planner.  I enjoy the logistical planning of traveling and enjoy traveling, but I still always worry about getting there, getting there on time, etc.  So, this sums it up.  Paying $119 six months before the cruise...I won't miss the money...so the peace of mind it gives me is worth it.

 

But the FTTF debate will always be there and there are always arguments for both sides.  Bottom line is that chances are Carnival will continue raising prices until people stop buying it.  I will eventually hit the upper limit of what I'm willing to pay, but it's not there yet.

By the time I hit my limit, I will be Platinum.  I was able to get FTTF for my cruise this month and am trying to get it for my cruise in September.  I will only have one more cruise after that one to get it and then I will be Platinum and never have to hunt for it again.  I am glad that some people don't find any value in it because it is hard enough to get as it is.

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

If you have an early flight, Carnival will let you debark the ship early. We had friends on a cruise on Horizon who had an early flight out of Miami. They were told to go the FTTF waiting area on debarkation morning and left the ship with the rest of the FTTF passengers who carried their own luggage off the ship (i.e. self-assist). 

Yes, we have done this on two different Carnival ships.  We did not have FTTF, but had early flights.  Sometimes they ask you to go to guest services ahead of time and show them your flight information and other times you can just show up and they don't ask for anything.

Edited June 13, 2019 by TNcruising02

[Tuckers_Mom]

Where do you purchase FTTF? I’ve been watching the home port (where you purchase excursion) daily since we booked. I have never seen it. We are on the Inspiration January 27, 2020. Thanks for your help.

[Sabalon]

4 hours ago, Tuckers_Mom said:

Where do you purchase FTTF? I’ve been watching the home port (where you purchase excursion) daily since we booked. I have never seen it. We are on the Inspiration January 27, 2020. Thanks for your help.

 

The easiest way to find it (for me) is go to Carnival.com, login, go to your cruise in the Cruise Manager, click on Shore Excursions, and under Activity Type check "Faster to Fun" which will limit it to just that.  I'm assuming that if it's sold out it'll appear but say sold out.    I say that because ours said sold out and then one day it suddenly wasn't anymore.

[n6uqqq]

Someone has to pay for the two multi-million dollar fines!

[StolidCruiser]

2 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

Someone has to pay for the two multi-million dollar fines!

 

True.  But it won't be by the sale of FTTF.

 

Try again.

[n6uqqq]

2 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

True.  But it won't be by the sale of FTTF.

 

Try again.

Okay then throw in higher fares to go with it. What else would you like? Higher alcohol prices?

[Tuckers_Mom]

4 hours ago, Sabalon said:

 

The easiest way to find it (for me) is go to Carnival.com, login, go to your cruise in the Cruise Manager, click on Shore Excursions, and under Activity Type check "Faster to Fun" which will limit it to just that.  I'm assuming that if it's sold out it'll appear but say sold out.    I say that because ours said sold out and then one day it suddenly wasn't anymore.

Ours ( Inspiration 1/27/2020 out of Long Beach) doesn’t show Fast to Fun under activity type. Could that mean it hasn’t been offered yet?

[TNcruising02]

15 minutes ago, Tuckers_Mom said:

Ours ( Inspiration 1/27/2020 out of Long Beach) doesn’t show Fast to Fun under activity type. Could that mean it hasn’t been offered yet?

Another way to look is to click on excursions, then click on the first port (the one you are sailing from).  FTTF should show up there.  On one cruise, it didn't show up until closer to the cruise date.

[Sabalon]

16 hours ago, Tuckers_Mom said:

Ours ( Inspiration 1/27/2020 out of Long Beach) doesn’t show Fast to Fun under activity type. Could that mean it hasn’t been offered yet?

 

No idea.   Could always call Carnival and ask.   I've only looked for it a couple times and have always found it (either available or sold out)

[cruisin from vegas]

As of a few months ago, FTTF was not offered at all at the Long Beach terminal.  I don’t know if that’s changed since February.

[Organized Chaos]

To the person who referred to it as a "tax on impatience," for many, being impatient isn't a factor at all. Some people want to get on board as soon as they can, not because they're impatient, but because they simply want to start their cruise vacation as soon as they can. Get the most out of it, kind of thing. I like the priority Guest Services line, not because I'm too impatient to stand in the regular line, but because I've stood in that line for 20-30 minutes and have no desire to waste that much of my vacation time standing in the GS line. There are so many reasons beyond impatience. That's just a silly attempt to insult the people who buy it just because you don't aren't of them.

 

On 6/12/2019 at 5:38 AM, KmomChicago said:

I only visit guest services very rarely and while it’s sort of fun to waltz your fancy self up to the priority window with a little superior glance at the commoners waiting angrily in line, I wouldn’t say it was the highlight of the vacation or anything. Not like I had to be anywhere if I’d had to stand around waiting my rightful turn.

 

I don't view myself any better than others just because I'm able to use the priority line with FTTF. I don't look down my nose at people in the regular line. I've been there, I know it stinks. And I don't think anyone is advocating that the priority GS line is any kind of highlight. To say those in the regular line are waiting for their "rightful" turn implies that people in the priority line have less of a right to go straight to the desk. That's not so. It's a perk given to P/D/FTTF...they all have the right to take advantage of it. You may not mind spending long periods of your vacation time standing in that line, but not everyone feels the same. You say it's not like you had to be anywhere, but being anywhere on a cruise other than that line is a vast improvement.

 

On 6/12/2019 at 1:27 PM, Warm Breezes said:

And that is probably part of the reason I see it as a waste of money.  I like planning out the logistics of getting where we need to go and when we have to be there.  I like to make it all part of the vacation.  I'm a flexible planner and always have been.  I've done it so many times between FLL and MIA, I pretty much have it down with my favorite places to stay, eat, and ways to get around.  We are also a patient and go with the flow type of family.  I've never had anything pop up that has made me second guess my decision not to get FTTF.

 

I, too, like to research and plan our vacations. I put a lot of time & effort into the logistics leading up to all of ours. But that doesn't make FTTF any less valuable to me. A vast majority, if not all, of my planning is done well before the perks of FTTF can even come into play. The fact that we both like the logistics aspect, but have completely different views about the value of FTTF, just reinforces the premise that FTTF is totally subjective.

[ShakyBeef]

20 hours ago, Tuckers_Mom said:

Ours ( Inspiration 1/27/2020 out of Long Beach) doesn’t show Fast to Fun under activity type. Could that mean it hasn’t been offered yet?

 

In my case (Elation BTB January 2020 out of Port Canaveral), that is exactly what it means.  I booked this cruise 400-and-some days out from the sail date.  And have been checking several times a day for FTTF to appear.  Other Shore Excursions started showing up many months ago.  Still no FTTF.  Not sold out, just has never been offered yet.

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Carnival's FAQ's say that FTTF has been opened for sail dates through 2020, "where applicable." Long Beach is one of the ports listed where FTTF has been opened, but maybe for some reason it's not available on that particular cruise. Hence their "where applicable" phrasing.

 

It should appear under your Home Port excursions, even if it's sold out. If sold out, it would still appear and say sold out. For our March 2020 cruise, FTTF was released back in March of this year. But I remember others saying theirs wasn't released till later, even though their cruise was earlier. So maybe there's still a chance for you. It doesn't hurt to keep checking.

 

I didn't realize that notice was on the Carnival website.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention.  My embarkation port is also on that list:

 

"Faster to the Fun is open on sail dates through 2020, where applicable, in the following home ports: Baltimore, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Miami, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Port Canaveral, San Juan, Seattle and Tampa. 

 

Faster to the Fun is not offered on Carnival Journeys departures, cruises in Europe, nor on cruises from the following home ports: Honolulu, Norfolk and Vancouver. It will be offered on the Carnival Panorama, starting with departures in February 2020, Carnival Radiance, starting with departures in January 2021 and Mardi Gras, starting in 2021 (date to be determined)."

 

...and it got me worried that FTTF isn't going to be released for my sailings at all. 😧  Ugh!!! 😠  I really just want to be done with this, either be able to purchase it or find out for sure that it's not going to be available so that I can stop looking several times every day for 200-and-some days and counting...

 

[KmomChicago]

2 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

 

I don't view myself any better than others just because I'm able to use the priority line with FTTF. I don't look down my nose at people in the regular line. I've been there, I know it stinks. And I don't think anyone is advocating that the priority GS line is any kind of highlight. To say those in the regular line are waiting for their "rightful" turn implies that people in the priority line have less of a right to go straight to the desk. That's not so. It's a perk given to P/D/FTTF...they all have the right to take advantage of it. You may not mind spending long periods of your vacation time standing in that line, but not everyone feels the same. You say it's not like you had to be anywhere, but being anywhere on a cruise other than that line is a vast improvement.

 

 

Wow. Obviously I better work on my sarcasm because I didn’t mean anything like this. The people in the regular line certainly did look at me with anger and irritation but that hardly made me feel better than them nor did I look down at them. I tried to avoid eye contact entirely and was joking about it being fun. 

 

Everyone does not not have the potential to buy FTTF as it can sell out and does before some even book their cruise.

 

I don’t spend long periods of my vacation in line as I rarely visit GS and I don’t expect anyone else to spend their money or any aspect of their cruise as I would.

 

I thought the conversation was weighing the point at which those perks become too expensive. Sorry my failed humor was an offensive attack on you. 

[Bob NC]

I always buy FTTF and I don't understand why anyone would even have a problem with it.

 

FTTF is apparently not for everyone.

 

You will not see me and my family on Lido deck at noon with long pants on dragging our carryons around with us. 

[summersigh]

Sunshine out of Charleston - This coming December - 5 days  $79.95

 

[bitemyfly]

I agree. This it the time where one feels and battles the crowds 

as far as why people have issues..I know some feel after all their ‘loyalty” the company sold the perks for 49-109 dollars., perhaps others don’t want to spend extra and do not like others have a benefit.

but really it’s the  way of the world.. u can buy anything..  

I assume the perk program will eventually follow suit to all other programs.. the more u spend the more benefit you get..

[CHOPPERTESTER]

It's the new Fastest To The Fun program, better than the Faster To The Fun program, so it costs more. Essentially, the Fastest To The Fun crowd are loaded on a a platform and as soon as the P's and D's start boarding they get craned/hoisted to the Lido deck to be first in line to load up on Honey Kissed Chicken, claim that Serenity seat for the week, or fill up that hot tub with their DOTD in hand. Once P's and D's are done then the Faster To The Fun crowd board.

[dave_k58]

On 6/4/2019 at 1:01 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

You can verify current prices for FTTF on Carnival’s website if you have any cruises booked. I have stated this many times on this site, Carnival needs to continue raising the price of FTTF because it keeps selling out on the majority of cruises. There is obviously a price point where people will stop buying it, but I don’t think Carnival is close to that level yet. 

WE're going on Panorama Mar 28 - FTTF won't even go on sale until Dec 29  from what I read and it will be $109.99.  It was worth it at $49 and even $59 and $69.  No more.

[Organized Chaos]

6 hours ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

In my case (Elation BTB January 2020 out of Port Canaveral), that is exactly what it means.  I booked this cruise 400-and-some days out from the sail date.  And have been checking several times a day for FTTF to appear.  Other Shore Excursions started showing up many months ago.  Still no FTTF.  Not sold out, just has never been offered yet.

 

I didn't realize that notice was on the Carnival website.  Thanks for bringing it to my attention.  My embarkation port is also on that list:

 

"Faster to the Fun is open on sail dates through 2020, where applicable, in the following home ports: Baltimore, Charleston, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Miami, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Port Canaveral, San Juan, Seattle and Tampa. 

 

Faster to the Fun is not offered on Carnival Journeys departures, cruises in Europe, nor on cruises from the following home ports: Honolulu, Norfolk and Vancouver. It will be offered on the Carnival Panorama, starting with departures in February 2020, Carnival Radiance, starting with departures in January 2021 and Mardi Gras, starting in 2021 (date to be determined)."

 

...and it got me worried that FTTF isn't going to be released for my sailings at all. 😧  Ugh!!! 😠  I really just want to be done with this, either be able to purchase it or find out for sure that it's not going to be available so that I can stop looking several times every day for 200-and-some days and counting...

 

 

I have no idea what they mean by where applicable, in the following ports. So it is available in the following ports or not? Yes, it is, but only where applicable. Maybe they mean as long as it's not a Journeys cruise out of those ports.

 

I'm surprised it hasn't opened up for you and Tuckers_Mom's Jan. 2020 cruises yet. Surely they will soon.

[Sean_B]

We booked at 540 days out. We're now 480 days away from our 8 day itinerary on the Breeze out of Ft Lauderdale, and there's been no mention of FTTF on the Excursions page.

Edited June 15, 2019 by Sean_B