How long did it take you to reach Platinum VIFP Status?

[CruisingViper]

I've been gold for a year or so now. I'm just wondering how long it took others or what age they were when they got to platinum status, or even diamond. It seems so far away after the short distance between red and gold.

[Lottacruises]

Keep cruising, you will make it!

[shof515]

you need 75 vifp points to platinum. book longer cruises and you reach the status quicker 

[firedisney97]

We are still gold and our first cruise was in 2005, my husband and I each have 36 days right now, but in Feb he will have 44 and I will not.  He is cruising with my son since my daughter and I are going to Europe for 2 weeks in July 2020.  So I will piggy back off of his Platinum status since when ever we get there he will be first 🙂

[vache]

It took me about 8.5 years. We started off with 1 cruise a year then moved to 2 when possible.

[Saint Greg]

I'm going to make it in 5 1/2 years but I went from cruising 5 days a year, to 10 days, to 14 days, to 20 days over that time.

[TNcruising02]

I went on my first Carnival cruise in 2014 and expect to reach Platinum next year.  I would be there already, but we wanted to try several different cruise lines to experience them and see which one we liked the best.  I like Carnival the best, but I am glad for the experiences on the other lines.

[beachbum6264]

It took me from 2004 - 2012. But I got in under the 'old plan'. Platinum used to be 10 cruises, I'm not sure exactly when it changed, but I got grandfathered in. I have a few more cruises than DH. He'll turn Platinum on our next Carnival cruise. We've taken several cruises on other lines too.

[Jamman54]

No time at all. I had 19 cruises (113 days) when the program was started, I believe in 2005.

[buddylover]

It took us about 7 years....but back when we started cruising the rules were different...you needed 10 cruises (of any length- I know, it was a very unfair system) to reach Platinum......and they changed the rules to the current 75 sailing days when we were 2 cruises away......so we ended up booking 3 cruises that year to get in under the old "10 cruises" plan.....so we became Platinum at 71 sea days......saved us one more cruise....LOL!!

[crzndeb]

I had one cruise in 1985 on Carnival, but it didn’t count, so I cruised primarily with Carnival from 2003, and reached Platinum in 2012. Finally becoming Diamond this year. For comparison, I had 62 days on RCI, from cruising in the 90’s with my daughters. They started giving double points for solos in 2013, so I hit Diamond (80 days) in 2017 after a couple of cruises. I have 4 cruises booked with Carnival right now, and 4 with RCI (and 2 with MSC)..on the 4th RCI, I will hit Diamond +.

Edited July 9, 2019 by crzndeb

[buddylover]

2 minutes ago, beachbum6264 said:

It took me from 2004 - 2012. But I got in under the 'old plan'. Platinum used to be 10 cruises, I'm not sure exactly when it changed, but I got grandfathered in. I have a few more cruises than DH. He'll turn Platinum on our next Carnival cruise. We've taken several cruises on other lines too.

Yes, the 10 cruise system was a little unfair. I remember on our Med cruise we toured with 2 couples who were Platinum (they lived close to the ports) and had 10 cruises that were 3-4 day weekend cruises....so they had cruised like 36 days and were Platinum and had FREE LAUNDRY on that 12 day Med cruise....while we had cruised 60+ days in longer cruises, but fewer cruises and we were NOT Platinum.  I, for one, was happy that they tried to level the playing field with sea days....it is a little fairer (although there is still the argument regarding $$ spent - those who cruise in suites vs inside cabins and spend more $$ etc).

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, CruisingViper said:

I've been gold for a year or so now. I'm just wondering how long it took others or what age they were when they got to platinum status, or even diamond. It seems so far away after the short distance between red and gold.

 

If you think the distance to Platinum is far, just wait until you are Platinum and chasing Diamond. I will be there in 2021, but that still seems a long ways away (and assumes the VIFP Program doesn’t change before then). 

[adam3313]

I took my first Carnival cruise in January of 2013, and got platinum status in November 2018.  The vast amount of cruising was between the years of 2016-2018.

 

Continuing to build nights at sea with Carnival, but NCL has been getting more of a share since their Casino program still takes care of their customers...

[rn4t5]

Working full time and cruising both Carnival and Royal, I was at 49 VIFP pts after 7 years (2007-14 with no cruises in '09, '11, '12 and '13.) I booked a 5 day and a 21 day B2B early in 2015 to put me right at 75 points and Platinum level. I was given Platinum status at the start of the 21 day even if my 75th day was not until the last day. After retirement, having the time and resources to cruise longer and more often, my goal was Diamond in 2 years!  And 15 Carnival cruises later from Sep 2015-Feb 2017, I celebrated both my milestone (25) and Diamond cruise on the Freedom. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by rn4t5
comment added

[N7786W Flyer]

It took me from our first Carnival cruise in 1984 (Mardi Gras) until November 2013 (Paradise)....about 29 years give or take.  However, since I've retired, I have 6 cruises booked for 2020 and 3 more (so far) in 2021. 

 

We should make Diamond in January 2021.

 

Garnett

[rn4t5]

40 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

I had one cruise in 1985 on Carnival, but it didn’t count, so I cruised primarily with Carnival from 2003, and reached Platinum in 2012. Finally becoming Diamond this year. For comparison, I had 62 days on RCI, from cruising in the 90’s with my daughters. They started giving double points for solos in 2013, so I hit Diamond (80 days) in 2017 after a couple of cruises. I have 4 cruises booked with Carnival right now, and 4 with RCI (and 2 with MSC)..on the 4th RCI, I will hit Diamond +.

23 of my 34 Carnival cruises have been solo. Working on Emerald on Royal but would be Diamond + now if I went solo with them, LOL.

[bluesman0711]

10 cruises.

[BND]

We're going on our 6th Carnival cruise in 19 days on Pride (first one was in 2005 on Fantasy)  and currently have 34 points.  Don't know if we'll ever make Platinum.  We normally cruise on Royal, but booked this last minute and Grandeur has been sold out for at least a couple of months.  We're Diamond+ on Royal and have cruised 20 times (all suites except once) with them and are about halfway to Pinnacle unless they move the goal post on us lol.    We have a b2b on Harmony of the Seas this fall (14 days) a b2b on Adventure of the Seas next May (15 days) and an 11 nighter on Grandeur in Oct 2020 which will give us a total of 423 points which is still a ways away from Pinnacle.  But, we're even farther away from Platinum since we don't cruise very often on Carnival.

Edited July 9, 2019 by BND

[Bookbug53]

First cruise was on Destiny in January 1999. Made Platinum on Glory cruise 2013. It eventually happens! 

[lagienomai]

So I am not Platinum yet. Cruised for the first time in 2015 and became addicted. 27 days at sea currently with an 8day in Oct. With my cruises next's year I should be at 50days. My plan is to be there by 2022 as we are starting to cruise twice a year now. My fear though is the talk of revamping the program and it getting pushed longer. Honestly the main perk I look forward to is the free laundry so if the program gets changed I will just continue to stalk the laundry for a free washer.

[Tiger0613]

My first cruise was a 5 day on the Jubilee in June 2002.  I did eight more(4, 4, 5, 4, 8, 5, 7, 5) from February 2016 - February 2019.  I am at 47 days. I have a 5 day on the Valor in December, a 4 day on the Inspiration in August 2020, and a 14 day B2B on the Glory in January 2021.  Those cruises will get me to 70 days.  I will get to Platinum in 2022 if they don't change the program before that.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Tiger0613

[bingomamma19]

4 hours ago, CruisingViper said:

I've been gold for a year or so now. I'm just wondering how long it took others or what age they were when they got to platinum status, or even diamond. It seems so far away after the short distance between red and gold.

My first cruise was 2009 and I just reached platinum 2 months ago.  Its not a matter of time, but of cruise days.   You need 75 cruise days to reach platinum and we cruise mostly 1x, sometimes 2x a year.

[CCLcruiser91]

My first cruise was on the Jubilee back in 1991.  Platinum in 2006 and finally reached Diamond status this year (3/31)!  It only took me 28 years and 40 cruises to reach 200+ days. 

[Titan_Cruiser]

First cruise was Oct 2004 and reached Platinum Oct 2013 but we got in on the old plan of 10 cruises. We had done shorter cruises and only had 50 days at the time. We have number 22 booked and it will put us at 121 days. Looking forward to Diamond in a few more years.