Adjustments to VIFP levels

[19cruiser59]

16 hours ago, Joe817 said:

For now at least. We got our official notice yesterday, that they cancelled our bought & paid for FTTF, and the cost is going to be refunded back to our cc.

For what cruise might i ask?  I am on 7/10 Horizon and have not received anything regarding this cancellation yet.

[NCTribeFan]

I'm fine with these changes.

 

FTR, my past few cruises, I've simply stopped at Customer Service early on (avoiding the first-day rush) and asked that they make a note to NOT deliver the strawberries.  Mine always seem to come on Gala night.  Besides, I already consume 2 or 3x the amount of calories when I cruise than I normally do.  Just don't need them.

 

I also return the Platinum gift if I don't want it (or find someone to give it to).

 

As a shareholder, I'm all about reducing waste and cost.

[firefly333]

41 minutes ago, 19cruiser59 said:

For what cruise might i ask?  I am on 7/10 Horizon and have not received anything regarding this cancellation yet.

It was officially cancelled for july, but now some august cruisers are getting letters.

 

I'd call and ask.

[Anyislandwilldo]

On 6/17/2021 at 1:22 PM, kdr69 said:

wondering about FTTF too

me too!

[firefly333]

8 hours ago, sailingships said:

Actually I had forgotten about the free drinks and I was wondering "What are they talking about? Paper coupons?" LOL So much to remember !!! More perks !!!

They told me the free drink coupon was enough for either a mimosa or screwdriver. Anything else I had to pay the overage on. Lol. 

 

Luckily I have cheers 2 out of 3, not last leg of breeze for Halloween unless they send me another new offer.

[Joe817]

48 minutes ago, 19cruiser59 said:

For what cruise might i ask?  I am on 7/10 Horizon and have not received anything regarding this cancellation yet.

The Vista departing 08/21/2021 for 7 days. Can't hardly wait.

[TNcruising02]

35 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

I'm fine with these changes.

 

FTR, my past few cruises, I've simply stopped at Customer Service early on (avoiding the first-day rush) and asked that they make a note to NOT deliver the strawberries.  Mine always seem to come on Gala night.  Besides, I already consume 2 or 3x the amount of calories when I cruise than I normally do.  Just don't need them.

 

I also return the Platinum gift if I don't want it (or find someone to give it to).

 

As a shareholder, I'm all about reducing waste and cost.

I will reach platinum on my next cruise and think that Carnival's change to have people request the strawberries is a good one.  We definitely eat a lot more on a cruise, so we will be fine not getting the strawberries. This is a good money saver.  As far as the platinum gift, we may or may not use it.  It should save them money by not automatically delivering these items to every priority passenger since many might not want them.

[sanmarcosman]

2 minutes ago, TNcruising02 said:

I will reach platinum on my next cruise and think that Carnival's change to have people request the strawberries is a good one.  We definitely eat a lot more on a cruise, so we will be fine not getting the strawberries. 

For now Carnival is saying this procedure is temporary. As far as the berries are concerned I think it should be permanent 🙂  

[sanmarcosman]

On 6/17/2021 at 3:07 PM, firefly333 said:

Only platinum and diamond get priority boarding of loyalty levels, unlike other cruiselines. Carnival might need to add something above diamond?

The level above Diamond will require an additional 310 cruising days and will be known as Carnival Deceased 😉 

Here is the prototype Sail and Sign card being considered for the new level. Keeping it simple in basic black seems a good fit. 

Edited June 19, 2021 by sanmarcosman

[19cruiser59]

15 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

The Vista departing 08/21/2021 for 7 days. Can't hardly wait.

Thanks, strange i have not received the cancellation notice....

Have a great cruise!

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

The level above Diamond will require an additional 310 cruising days and will be known as Carnival Deceased 😉 

I do think carnival might want to come up with a level above diamond. Some like a level to work toward. With so many casino offers, diamond is so common now. Just me, but I'd like a higher level with some perks worth money. .. not more laundry.

[jfaaborg]

On 6/17/2021 at 11:30 AM, kdr69 said:

I know its showing sold out on my November cruise which is usually them saying not available.

FTTF has not been offered for my Nov cruise. would calling the fun shops have better access than the website?

 

[firefly333]

45 minutes ago, jfaaborg said:

FTTF has not been offered for my Nov cruise. would calling the fun shops have better access than the website?

 

It comes and goes, cant predict. Calling wouldnt help

[Wanna_Cruize]

5 hours ago, firefly333 said:

They told me the free drink coupon was enough for either a mimosa or screwdriver. Anything else I had to pay the overage on. Lol. 

 

Luckily I have cheers 2 out of 3, not last leg of breeze for Halloween unless they send me another new offer.

Hopefully your cabin is the same on the 3rd leg, so you can stockpile up some beverages during legs 1 & 2 to tide you over. If you're not using your 15 per day, ask for a bottle or two unopened to take back to your cabin. I guess if you have to switch cabins, your luggage still doesn't have to go through the scanners again. 

[surfone]

5 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

I will reach platinum on my next cruise and think that Carnival's change to have people request the strawberries is a good one.  We definitely eat a lot more on a cruise, so we will be fine not getting the strawberries. This is a good money saver.  As far as the platinum gift, we may or may not use it.  It should save them money by not automatically delivering these items to every priority passenger since many might not want them.

I wish Carnival would do what NCL does and give the platinum cruisers one free specialty dinner and do away with the free drink coupon, logo gift and strawberries. But, it wouldn't work on every CCL ship since in our experience there seems to be more specialty restaurants on NCL vs CCL.  Maybe in the future as the newer ships are built to have more specialty restaurants.

[firefly333]

5 minutes ago, Wanna_Cruize said:

Hopefully your cabin is the same on the 3rd leg, so you can stockpile up some beverages during legs 1 & 2 to tide you over. If you're not using your 15 per day, ask for a bottle or two unopened to take back to your cabin. I guess if you have to switch cabins, your luggage still doesn't have to go through the scanners again. 

That is a thought, though only 2 legs. My cabins arent even close. Deck 2 and deck 9. The deck 9 is the sideways cabin. 

 

I read I can get green leaf bottled ice tea with cheers. Might put some aside. I dont like canned water i can bring on. I'm not a beer drinker even a little bit. Not sure what else i could get first leg for the 2nd. 

 

I just didnt want to drive to Galveston just for a 5 day. Took me 2 days to decide to even book the first leg, maybe it was cheers that decided me, then the cheers offer poofed. The deck 9 was the best I could do 2nd leg. .. first leg I got a favorite cabin, but its booked for 2nd leg. Idk I guess I'll keep watching and hoping for another cheers offer.

 

I really want to push for 340 loyalty level on rcl during double pts. promo. Another part of me says I could throw money into a one armed bandit on vista and I bet get some of those dandy casino offers. Then I tell myself I'm kinda booked up. I lost my april best deal on rcl because I'm so booked up. Couldnt lift and shift it, just have all the bookings i need .. and then squeezed in 10 days on breeze. I'm dying to cruise right now but after a bunch bam bam bam, might get tired of them again. I don't even have any obc on breeze, just cruising to cruise. ..though thinking ahead to 2nd leg and saving some bottled ice tea makes sense. Thanks

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, surfone said:

I wish Carnival would do what NCL does and give the platinum cruisers one free specialty dinner and do away with the free drink coupon, logo gift and strawberries. But, it wouldn't work on every CCL ship since in our experience there seems to be more specialty restaurants on NCL vs CCL.  Maybe in the future as the newer ships are built to have more specialty restaurants.

I would give my other stuff for a free specialty dinner too. 

 

Diamond one dinner forever, makes me roll my eyes. 

 

Rcl at diamond plus gives buy one get one free I'd even settle for...something off each cruise. Carnival is adding more and more specialty dinners but a lot of obc floating around.

[jfaaborg]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

It comes and goes, cant predict. Calling wouldnt help

Thankx. I've been on the phone with CCL enough. I'm tired of doing that survey at the end of the call...

[Aplmac]

On 6/19/2021 at 9:57 AM, sanmarcosman said:

The level above Diamond will require an additional 310 cruising days

and will be known as Carnival Deceased 😉 

Here is the prototype Sail and Sign card being considered for the new level. Keeping it simple in basic black seems a good fit. 

 

As a serious collector of Carnival cruise cards

this is good information, although I suspect
this will be one of the rarest of all cards to get! lol

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

On 6/17/2021 at 5:36 PM, SNJCruisers said:

I used to think that way too, until I found out that 100% of the laundry is done in hot water.

 

Yep - after getting some white socks returned almost a light blue/grey, we've been very particular regarding what we send out!

 

 

 

On 6/18/2021 at 4:59 PM, TNcruising02 said:

Maybe it won't be so bad having it cancelled.  You can try to do your online check in right after midnight to snag and early appointment time.  If the ship is only sailing at 60% capacity, there shouldn't be long lines anywhere.

 

Do you know if anything (official) has been put of there about reduced sailing capacities - initially at least? It seemed to be floated for months, but perhaps that was posturing?

 

On 6/19/2021 at 10:03 AM, firefly333 said:

I do think carnival might want to come up with a level above diamond. Some like a level to work toward. With so many casino offers, diamond is so common now. Just me, but I'd like a higher level with some perks worth money. .. not more laundry.

 

I fully agree - we were Diamond when the program began 9 years ago (I think our Liberty sailing was one of the first).

 

 

 

Back then, there were not nearly as many Diamonds. The "perks" are rather limited, compared to most any other cruise line for their "top tier" guests. LONG AGO we used our once-in-a-lifetime steakhouse perk. I feel they they need to refresh (perhaps every DECADE!) their past guest program. Maybe a new level for 300 nights, or 400? And, why have these number ALWAYS been the same:   ??

 

Cruise Day Points

 

VIFP Points

 

It's as if they intended to have ways to increase your VIFP points, but never followed through with it (ok, yes, it's only been NINE years). Book an inside, get a multiplier of 1, book a balcony, perhaps 1.5, a suite - maybe 2.0. Spend $1,000 onboard, get a couple bonus points, loose 10 grand in the casino, get a free drink, lol !

 

Oh well -- off that old soapbox again!

 

Tom

 

 

[sailingships]

3 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

 

 

 

Back then, there were not nearly as many Diamonds.

Yes for the Sunshine TA in Nov 2013 there were 200 Diamonds 700 Platinum and 1,200 Gold. We had 5 parties on the past guest party day which included the Gold and starting at 1PM They didnt clean or toss people out between the parties so some people went at 1PM and stayed all afternoon. For the Vista TA there were about 700 Diamonds. For the Horizon TA in May 2018 there were 1,000 Diamonds and 1,300 Platinum. When we went on they told us that we should not expect to be treated special, there was too many of us. That party day they cleared the room between the groups of D/P. 

 

One thing about the Horizon. Even though we were coming from a foreign port (Barcelona) with so many D/Pl everyone got the strawberries and the gifts and the 1,000 of us who did B2B were processed at 8am for our 2nd cruise in mere minutes. Just line up get our new S/S card new photo and out the door. That was one well run ship.  Ive done B2B with only 12 of us and its taken most of the morning. 

[BlerkOne]

On 6/19/2021 at 8:43 AM, firefly333 said:

They told me the free drink coupon was enough for either a mimosa or screwdriver. Anything else I had to pay the overage on. Lol. 

 

Luckily I have cheers 2 out of 3, not last leg of breeze for Halloween unless they send me another new offer.

It is printed on the coupon it is good for up to $9 and plenty of drinks are available. I often get a LI ice tea and pay the 25 cents or whatever.

[mpdog42]

On 6/19/2021 at 6:47 AM, TNcruising02 said:

I will reach platinum on my next cruise and think that Carnival's change to have people request the strawberries is a good one.  We definitely eat a lot more on a cruise, so we will be fine not getting the strawberries. This is a good money saver.  As far as the platinum gift, we may or may not use it.  It should save them money by not automatically delivering these items to every priority passenger since many might not want them.

Which is why they are doing it...All the big business in the US are using the virus as a excuse

[mpdog42]

And here is a idea, Give solo's who paying Double the rate the points they payed for like RCL does!!

[BlerkOne]

20 minutes ago, mpdog42 said:

And here is a idea, Give solo's who paying Double the rate the points they payed for like RCL does!!

People who want Carnival to be more like RCL should just stick to RCL. Carnival wants cruisers who like the Carnival brand and don't cruise for bribes.