VIFP Deals?

[PurpleShamrock317]

We’ll go from red to gold VIFP level while on our November cruise. I want to book something for the first part of next year. When you go up to gold do you get better VIFP offers? Trying to decide if I want to book something now or wait until after we’re gold to see if we receive better offers.

[firefly333]

There seems to be no rhyme or reason anyone knows. Your guess is as good as ours.

 

I got a welcome back offer after my vista cruise for up to 35% off. .. considering there are several other sales listed up to 40% off I guess they dont care if I rebook.

 

I'm doing my b2b end of this month and will see if not having anything booked gets me offers. 

 

No one knows or can say, not even my pvp. 

[V_V]

I don't know if we are going to see any better deals than what is out there right now. They are struggling to fill (the reduced capacity) of some of these ships. I would go ahead and book it now.

[Schoifmom]

Honestly, I didn't find that the "deals" (if you choose to call them that) were different from Red to Gold.

[firefly333]

Just now, V_V said:

I don't know if we are going to see any better deals than what is out there right now. They are struggling to fill (the reduced capacity) of some of these ships. I would go ahead and book it now.

 My theory is if you have something booked maybe they woukdnt send those low offers to get you to come back. True the prices have never been lower. Wish I'd waited to book.

[volfan22701]

by far the best deals are the casino rates. and there are many different offers from the casino. we usually get offers for free inside rooms and less than half price balcony's. they usually come with drinks on us cards while in the casino. right now i am seeing many offers for free rooms up to balcony level with extras like free drinks and casino cash or on board credit. i have 4 booked thru 2023 all with very good rates like this.

[Top_of_the_Cube]

From reading other threads about people's experiences, I would guess that the super VIFP deals (not casino) being offered to some have nothing to do with loyalty status.  Or at least very little.

 

I don't recall any of these crazy VIFP rates being offered prior to the pandemic.

 

I think they are targeting customers that fit a profile of one who would likely spend a lot of money on board.  Even if you do spend a lot, there are so many other factors that might get you overlooked for a special deal.  They are into generating revenue more than rewarding frequent cruisers.

 

I probably have mentioned this on another post, but I am fine with this marketing strategy.  The big spenders on board help keep my fares down.  As long as I get the quality of service I expect for the money I pay, that is a win even if someone else was offered a discount half or more than a rate available to me.

[V_V]

42 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

 My theory is if you have something booked maybe they woukdnt send those low offers to get you to come back. True the prices have never been lower. Wish I'd waited to book.

 

I thought the same thing but we have cruise booked in Nov and another in April. I don't have any casino or drink offers but the VIFP rates are super low. I found a short cruise (3-5 days) for less than $90 per person. The port fees/taxes were more than the room rate/gratuities. 😲

[Saint Greg]

Not for me...not at gold or platinum. I book their regular deals everyone gets.

[funinthesun1964]

The deals are better coming from the casino rather than moving up levels on Carnival.

[john91498]

8 minutes ago, funinthesun1964 said:

The deals are better coming from the casino rather than moving up levels on Carnival.

 

Agreed, we just sailed with a free room from a Casino deal. It was a 7 day and all we had to pay were the port fees and taxes.

[funinthesun1964]

1 minute ago, john91498 said:

 

Agreed, we just sailed with a free room from a Casino deal. It was a 7 day and all we had to pay were the port fees and taxes.

Same here, but we got a free 8 day. It won't be "free" by the time I'm done 😄 but still couldnt pass it up

[sfaaa]

Cruise prices out to Feb 2022 have never been this low. You have to go back to the days after 2008 financial meltdown to see cheap deals like the current offers.

[toober]

6 hours ago, funinthesun1964 said:

Same here, but we got a free 8 day. It won't be "free" by the time I'm done 😄 but still couldnt pass it up

How much are you spending at the casino to get these offers?

[Colorado Beach Bum]

Agree that it’s more for casino than loyalty level.  We are almost at Diamond but get great casino offers, not anything else.  I do think there may be something with spending money on board.  If you’ve spent money in casino, bars, excursions, etc in the past you may get better offers.  My sister has been on many cruises but rarely spends any money on board and has not received any good offers.  We spend a lot of time in casinos and have many offers.  We even have multiple cruises booked and still get more offered everyday. 

[Guest BasicSailor]

Me , never understood gambling offers to be FREE.  You gamble the loss or the win. Guaranteed the loss prevails every time. 

[Illbcruzn4life]

10 hours ago, firefly333 said:

 My theory is if you have something booked maybe they woukdnt send those low offers to get you to come back. True the prices have never been lower. Wish I'd waited to book.

My wife and I are Platinum, have nothing on the books, and haven't cruised Carnival in awhile.

 

We don't get any too good to pass up deals.

[BoozinCroozin]

I got my first ever VIFP offer that was worth anything. Unfortunately it cannot be used for an existing cruise after the final payment date. If it did, I would have save $1,000 on my Thanksgiving cruise.

[volfan22701]

15 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Cruise prices out to Feb 2022 have never been this low. You have to go back to the days after 2008 financial meltdown to see cheap deals like the current offers.

 

when i check our offers we have good casino offers out into spring of 2024. most are free interiors with free drinks in casino. some come with extra on board credit. have 4 of thee booked now out through 2023.

[bstel]

9 hours ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Agree that it’s more for casino than loyalty level.  We are almost at Diamond but get great casino offers, not anything else.  I do think there may be something with spending money on board.  If you’ve spent money in casino, bars, excursions, etc in the past you may get better offers.  My sister has been on many cruises but rarely spends any money on board and has not received any good offers.  We spend a lot of time in casinos and have many offers.  We even have multiple cruises booked and still get more offered everyday. 

we just got back from a 7 day on a casino rate.  Our casino rate offers were 1) interior room at $25pp.  2) interior room at $100pp with $100 OBC pp.  we ended up booking 1 interior for our kids at the $100pp with $100 OBC and then upgraded to a balcony for me and the wife at $170pp with $100 OBC pp,  so basically "free" for the interior rooms and $70pp for balcony.  But i would agree on the onboard spending being a large component of who gets the offers, as we are only Red status.  I gamble pretty minimally in the casino, maybe win or lose a couple hundred on the cruise overall.  But my wife and I get the drink package, she gets a massage, we did 2 excursions with our kids, etc, so they got plenty of money from us on our "free" cruise.

[Lee Cruiser]

20 hours ago, firefly333 said:

 My theory is if you have something booked maybe they woukdnt send those low offers to get you to come back. True the prices have never been lower. Wish I'd waited to book.

We already had three booked (two in 2022 and one in 2023) and got a great offer for cruises through Feb 2022 out of N.O., so we booked another one for January. We booked a balcony cabin for half of what we normally pay.  Our September Vista cruise also dropped by $150, which is the third drop since we booked it.

[jskinsd]

I just got back from a Alaskan cruise on Friday and was interested in the Mexican Rivera for December.  So I looked on Saturday. You have to check prices every day and sometimes very hour.  And check many web sites.   And then a VIFP deal happens.  Even during covid.  Just booked a 7 day Mexico cruise on the Panorama on a VIFP deal.   $169 for a balcony.  Since I cruise solo I pay double.  $338 plus $121 port fees and taxes.   $459 is the lowest price I have ever paid for a balcony.  To be real the $459 is the best price I have ever paid for any cabin for a 7 day cruise.  The cruise does sail in two weeks.

It's all game.  Price reductions. You have to be flexible to cruise anywhere, anytime.  And it helps living close to a cruise port that.  Transportation to and from the cruise always adds a lot more cost.✌️

[mondello]

I've got offers right now that have more OBC than the cost of the cabin.

[MoTex]

I am booked for Dec at $25 pp for any cabin, including suite, $1000 free play, free drinks anywhere on ship

I put the booking on hold until I talked to my PVP (my daughter thought it was a scam) and she verified the rate. She told me it was too good of deal to pass up.

a friend of mine got the same $25 pp offer but his deal only went up to balcony and his suite jumped to $450 pp, only $500 free play. I dont recall if it had free drinks anywhere or just in casino - 

there is no rhyme or reason to it

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by MoTex

[funinthesun1964]

22 hours ago, toober said:

How much are you spending at the casino to get these offers?

 

Maybe a couple hundred a cruise. Sometimes more, sometimes less. That doesn't count the money that I won and put back in, either.