Future of FTTF...when?

[BoozinCroozin]

I know the entire cruise industry is in a fluid situation (pun intended) with covid, protocols, the CDC case ending the CSO, and so on. This is not to debate or discuss any of that. Carnival has canceled FTTF for some sailings, still selling it for many sailings. My question is when do people think Carnival will realistically be able to implement FTTF again? 

• Platinum and Diamond were quickly updated to check-in 16-days early instead of 14-days.
• Something similar could be done for FTTF at 15-days or block off the first hour of arrival for only FTTF guests after the VIFP is done for 2-days. They should know how many they sold, how many can be pushed through the terminal process, and determine the amount of time to block off just for FTTF after VIFP.

 

Instead of dedicated or special security and check-in lines, all of the lines are for the group boarding window. By knowing the number of people in a boarding window, there is no guessing where they have to que up at. Terminal staff sends everyone to the shortest lines to cattle call them through. Have it be more like a passthrough process. Enter the terminal, go through security, go through the electronic check-in stuff, walk past the seating area, and up the long gangway. Slow people on the right and faster traffic on the left.

 

[sailingships]

1 minute ago, BoozinCroozin said:

. My question is when do people think Carnival will realistically be able to implement FTTF again? 

 

How for are you from Platinum? Once you make that you wont have to worry about FTTF. 

[BoozinCroozin]

9 minutes ago, sailingships said:

How for are you from Platinum? Once you make that you wont have to worry about FTTF. 

Step 0. The question was about FTTF though. Trying to see when people think they may implement it again after the initial cancelations for July and August (I think).

[groundloop]

I see that FTTF is available for our November cruise, but have decided not to bother because it's not that big of a deal for us.  We tried it once but noticed that the regular lines for boarding were very short and it didn't really gain us anything.

[firefly333]

I imo it is harder to program fttf because it's a revolving group of people. Platinum and diamond is maybe easier, idk ,..but IT hasnt programmed it yet.

 

July and august cancelled. Many on my roll call for sept purchased it, and waiting to hear. IT is probably busy bees right now. Has to be programmed to open bookings sooner. ..and who knows as john says this might be only until nov 1st or whenever the cso lifts... is it worth programming? 

[jimbo5544]

9 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I imo it is harder to program fttf because it's a revolving group of people. Platinum and diamond is maybe easier, idk ,..but IT hasnt programmed it yet.

 

July and august cancelled. Many on my roll call for sept purchased it, and waiting to hear. IT is probably busy bees right now. Has to be programmed to open bookings sooner. ..and who knows as john says this might be only until nov 1st or whenever the cso lifts... is it worth programming? 

Good question, the answer is probably focused around trying to determine if and when the old way is reimplemented.  If signifcant in their eyes (the time) my guess the answer would be yes.  Revenue driver that costs them nothing.  Dollars will reign king for a while.

[sassy0930]

I still have it for my Aug 19th Sunrise.

[skywalkr2]

I have FTTF for my Thanksgiving booking this year... After that I only have one more till Platinum...

[asalligo]

Of course no one knows, but my guess is October. Assuming cruising goes well in July, August, and September. I expect October to be getting back to real normal a little. Who knows what three months will bring though. Just as easily could be back to all cruising cancelled in October. 

[Bases5]

I think September, 3, 2021 @ 3:08 pm eastern standard time

[asalligo]

1 minute ago, Bases5 said:

I think September, 3, 2021 @ 3:08 pm eastern standard time

Happens at 3:10 PM, Cruise Critic, LOL, look how wrong you were!

[TravelBluebird]

I can see that FTTF is still available for purchase for my November cruise (although I’m not purchasing it because I’m in a Suite for that one).

[elcuchio24]

I mean just a guess. I assume some more travel-mask mandates drop this fall. Also, assume the whole Negative-test-for-re-entry drops for vaccinated folks around the same time. I would anticipate some thawing around that timeframe with FTTF.

[travelplus]

You don't know 😁

[ultrafighter]

I haven't decided if we'll get it for our family cruise in February, but I'm pretty optimistic that it will be back to "normal" by then.  FTTF only, I mean.  Not necessarily the general cruise experience.

[ProgRockCruiser]

Last week I tried to purchase FTTF for a Sept cruise on Magic, but failed: at first the transaction would fail, and the next day I couldn't even add it to the cart (the page just "blinked" at me, as it were), and then later it was just gone.

 

Today, it has popped up again, so I tried to purchase it.  It went through!

 

So...maybe FTTF is going to be available after all for Sept cruises?

 

Or I will get a refund when they change their minds again...

[robc1972]

Be back sooner than later, its a huge cash cow for them for essentially doing nothing.

[pinklucky61]

I'm still a long way from platinum, have used FTTF for last cruise.  I check every day for it to show up for our Feb. 2022 cruise.  Loved cabin being ready and ended up using it at guests services more than I planned.  

[ultrafighter]

18 minutes ago, pinklucky61 said:

I'm still a long way from platinum, have used FTTF for last cruise.  I check every day for it to show up for our Feb. 2022 cruise.  Loved cabin being ready and ended up using it at guests services more than I planned.  

Getting to drop off our carry-ons immediately when we're sailing with our small kids is HUGE for us.  The GS line is a nice bonus.  👍

[BoozinCroozin]

Thanks for all the comments. I do have it for our Thanksgiving cruise. I just hope it will be around then. There is going to be enough stress with all the Thanksgiving travel and everything else that goes on. To me it was worth the money to be able to avoid some of the crowding and some of the stress points as cattle get herded. Being able to avoid that a bit, get on an hour or two earlier, eat before larger crowds get on, unpack the room while others are crowding dining, and explore is all worth it for me on our first cruise.

[Cruise Related]

Just now, BoozinCroozin said:

Thanks for all the comments. I do have it for our Thanksgiving cruise. I just hope it will be around then. There is going to be enough stress with all the Thanksgiving travel and everything else that goes on. To me it was worth the money to be able to avoid some of the crowding and some of the stress points as cattle get herded. Being able to avoid that a bit, get on an hour or two earlier, eat before larger crowds get on, unpack the room while others are crowding dining, and explore is all worth it for me on our first cruise.

Sorry, don’t mean to hijack your thread, but I’m curious. Have you done a Thanksgiving cruise before? Wondering what it’s like.

[BoozinCroozin]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Related said:

Sorry, don’t mean to hijack your thread, but I’m curious. Have you done a Thanksgiving cruise before? Wondering what it’s like.

Never cruised before at all other than the 8-hour gambling cruises. I just know what travel will be like just flying in. I can only imagine the initial stress of a lot of people until they are on the ship. Once onboard, I think all that stress immediately washes away.

Edited June 23, 2021 by BoozinCroozin

[crazy4themouse]

4 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Never cruised before at all other than the 8-hour gambling cruises. I just know what travel will be like just flying in. I can only imagine the initial stress of a lot of people until they are on the ship. Once onboard, I think all that stress immediately washes away.

 

Your thinking is absolutely correct. ☺️  The moment you step off the gangway and onto the ship, it always feels like you've just walked through a portal, and suddenly all of the "really real world" stuff like bills and job stress and breaking appliances and whatever else is just instantly left behind... and you think to yourself, "Wow, it can't get any better than this", but it does -- over and over again. Every single cruise. 🥰  Welcome to your new addiction, lol.

 

And to tie it in to your thread topic -- It is even better when you have FTTF and can get onboard and to that feeling even.. wait for it.. faster!! 😁  Seriously, it really is awesome and worth every penny, and I sure hope it's back for our October cruise!!

 

 

[happygirlchocolate]

I'm on Horizon, August 29th and so far I still have my purchased FTTF.  I keep checking for the email with the cancellation but so far nothing.  It's still showing up on my planner.  

 

[hurricane0226]

I am on the Magic, Aug 7th, and had purchased the FTTF, it has not been canceled yet. The 

reason I bought it was,  we are Platinum's, but at the time, they did not know if they were going to

be having priority for Diamonds, and Platinum. So bought it, but will be canceling it in the next

day or so, unless Carnival cancels it first.