Platinums and Diamonds; What would you be happy giving up in return for what?

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

6 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Not like that.  They dilute by letting P/D book others into their staterooms to get status perks and then let them switch around onboard.  You can't just walk up into First Class on a plane because there is an empty seat.  While you can include your flight partner with your status upgrades in some situations, you can't switch back and forth during a flight so those in Economy get free adult drinks and meals.  The good gate attendants don't let the entire traveling party on with high status boarding unless it is on their boarding pass.  Carnival rarely enforces (when available) Priority anything.  The Priority Debarkation gets crowded because few are checked.  You can bring what like 6 more people per P/D member for water shuttle front of the line use. You can't bring everyone in your group into the Sky Clubs just because you have a Club membership.  Carnival dilutes the perks by letting anyone into the P/D party. 

Ok good points there. My ariline examples are : AA Admirals club, perk but if you shell out $50 anyone can enter, Southwest A List preferred gets A-15 boarding, if you pay $$ at gate you can also get A 1-15, same w the Delta Skyclub, anyone can purchase a day pass. So although the perks are different, the airlines give the "non earned" public plenty of chances to purchase and use elite perks that others must obtain by flying.

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

1 minute ago, SwordBlazer Cruising said:

Ok good points there. My ariline examples are : AA Admirals club, perk but if you shell out $50 anyone can enter, Southwest A List preferred gets A-15 boarding, if you pay $$ at gate you can also get A 1-15, same w the Delta Skyclub, anyone can purchase a day pass. So although the perks are different, the airlines give the "non earned" public plenty of chances to purchase and use elite perks that others must obtain by flying.

I beleive that something earned, like Faster to the Fun is earned and should not be for sale, same w the airline lounge access. Earn it. Both points we made are examples of diluting the integrity of the loyalty programs.

[BlerkOne]

Status on airlines expires (and MSC). On Carnival you're good for life. You can certainly get waivers for some status requirements based on spending on airline credit cards. Some airline credit cards get you into their Sky Club.

 

With Delta Premium Select, you can board with First Class for a fraction of the cost.

 

Airlines often don't enforce restrooms by cabin. Announcements aren't enforcement.

[RFB143]

Priority Embarkation

Priority Disembarkation

One free drink per day(alcohol, specialty coffee, shakes etc)

two bags of Laundry per person per 7 days

One specialty dining per cruise

Free upgrade when boarding if space is available( much like the airlines do)

Spa/hair/nail discount 25%

One Front row seat for theater show or comedy club performance

 

I don't need a pin, water, chocolates or luggage tags.

 

 

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Status on airlines expires (and MSC). On Carnival you're good for life. You can certainly get waivers for some status requirements based on spending on airline credit cards. Some airline credit cards get you into their Sky Club.

 

With Delta Premium Select, you can board with First Class for a fraction of the cost.

 

Airlines often don't enforce restrooms by cabin. Announcements aren't enforcement.

Good info there. Are you in favor of loyalty programs not allowing the associated perks to be purchased such as Faster to the Fun and or Admirals club lounge, etc. 

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

Also in my opinion, if anyone who if offered a top tier perk, flying on an airline or cruising, no of us ( me included) would refuse it. If I was offered RCI Diamond I would take it and not sure anyone would say, Nah, it will dilute your loyalty program, keep it 🙂

[Roscoe13]

Just off the Liberty 2 days ago. Just turned platinum on this cruise. 

I would have said get rid of casino fun play prior to this cruise  

Neither DW or I gamble. We consider it paying to play video games and we aren't video game players. 

Walked up to the casino cage to claim our $25 fun play each. Told gentleman in the cage that we don't really gamble but that we do partake in currency. He had us each sign for our gift and reached into the till and gave each of us a $20 and a $5. 

$50 bucks! 

That's a perk I'd keep above all others. 

YMMV

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, SwordBlazer Cruising said:

Ok good points there. My ariline examples are : AA Admirals club, perk but if you shell out $50 anyone can enter, Southwest A List preferred gets A-15 boarding, if you pay $$ at gate you can also get A 1-15, same w the Delta Skyclub, anyone can purchase a day pass. So although the perks are different, the airlines give the "non earned" public plenty of chances to purchase and use elite perks that others must obtain by flying.

I am okay with Carnival monetizing the perks because that would increase the value of them.  

[cruisingguy007]

3 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

All this "loyalty " only exists in your mind. You would be better served cruising on any line that meets your needs instead of trying to feel special on Carnival. You don't have the power you think you have as diamond or whatever. 

 

This! Some also haven't done the math on "free". Paying $500 more for a cruise to get 5 free drinks and feel special isn't that great of a deal. I'd prefer if they keep prices lower in general. The so called perks can often be purchased for much cheaper that way, instead of begging for drinks/vouchers which will need to be factored in to pricing offsets vs selling more volume at lower prices. Nothing is "free", the math is all that matters in the end. 

[TravelE]

Keep: Laundry, Free Water, Free Drink (let me use it anytime not just at brunch), VIFP party that has all the drink options plus food, Priority Debarkation

 

Give up: Pin, Gift, Priority Embarkation, Casino Credit

[IntrepidFromDC]

We've been on three cruises since September and I never went to Pixels to get the pin and white, bent, plastic luggage tag.  Also never called room service for the chocolate treat.  Just not worth the extra effort.  It used to feel special coming back to the room with those items waiting.  It also used to feel special being called first and having separate lines from the general population for embarkation.  Last cruise I endured Rodney and his wife arguing over whether he should apply her ointment and rub her bunions before or after a trip to Red Frog.  I get that covid is the explanation for the changes, but it doesn't really make sense to me.  Instead of someone coming in the room to drop off items we go have direct contact with someone to pick them up?  Instead of a sparse line we're lumped in with general population (more germs)?

[mar214]

TOTALLY agree about the free and deeply discounted cruises counting toward VIFP amounts. We have booked only balcony, suites, spa balcony and spa suites, all without any discounts - EVER!!! Why should the free/almost free cruises count the same as mine? Airlines have changed their frequent flier programs to reflect the dollar amount spent on flights - it's time for Carnival to acknowledge the same!

[MardiGras10022021]

we'd give up laundry for priority embark back

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, MardiGras10022021 said:

we'd give up laundry for priority embark back

 

 

Isn't that more of a Covid protocol than losing a status perk?

[NutsAboutGolf]

The cruise industry's biggest competitor is land based AI which offer free wifi; personally, I'd love to see the value wifi given to anyone and the premium wifi given to those with status.

 

I understand there are still those who disconnect, yet more and more of those who were on team disconnect have converted to team connected.

[IntrepidFromDC]

2 hours ago, mar214 said:

TOTALLY agree about the free and deeply discounted cruises counting toward VIFP amounts. We have booked only balcony, suites, spa balcony and spa suites, all without any discounts - EVER!!! Why should the free/almost free cruises count the same as mine? Airlines have changed their frequent flier programs to reflect the dollar amount spent on flights - it's time for Carnival to acknowledge the same!

Carnival values those who spend onboard more than those who don't.  If you were Carnival, would you want to provide promotions to those who spend alot onboard, or those who have continued to book "regular" without having received discounted rates/promotions?  I think Carnival's marketing is genius both with respect to the Platinum/Diamond groups and the heavy spenders onboard.

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 hours ago, mar214 said:

TOTALLY agree about the free and deeply discounted cruises counting toward VIFP amounts. We have booked only balcony, suites, spa balcony and spa suites, all without any discounts - EVER!!! Why should the free/almost free cruises count the same as mine? Airlines have changed their frequent flier programs to reflect the dollar amount spent on flights - it's time for Carnival to acknowledge the same!

I believe the free/almost free offers are offered only to gamblers; their money spent gambling on the current sailing directly correlates to future offers.

[keels81]

29 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

Carnival values those who spend onboard more than those who don't.  If you were Carnival, would you want to provide promotions to those who spend alot onboard, or those who have continued to book "regular" without having received discounted rates/promotions?  I think Carnival's marketing is genius both with respect to the Platinum/Diamond groups and the heavy spenders onboard.

 

This.

 

Carnival knows EXACTLY how much they have to have in paid fare to break even for every sailing on every itinerary on every ship ... they make their money on value adds that cost them nothing over what they were already calculating in that break even number -- the on-board spend. Specialty dining, internet, booze packages ... that stuff was already on the ship in general to begin with. 

 

There's a reason they've really been highlighting the increase in on-board spend compared to 2019 in quarterly earnings reports.

[BlerkOne]

7 hours ago, SwordBlazer Cruising said:

Good info there. Are you in favor of loyalty programs not allowing the associated perks to be purchased such as Faster to the Fun and or Admirals club lounge, etc. 

I'm all in favor of others subsidizing my perks. In the case of Faster to the Food, Diamonds get a couple of perks they didn't have before because of FttF.

[IntrepidFromDC]

I'd be happy giving up the slot tournaments and continuing to get $25 cash for free.  Just add it to my folio, though would ya?  It'll lessen the lines at the cage, making things better for both cruisers and casino cage crew.

[BlerkOne]

33 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

I'd be happy giving up the slot tournaments and continuing to get $25 cash for free.  Just add it to my folio, though would ya?  It'll lessen the lines at the cage, making things better for both cruisers and casino cage crew.

Cruise on Valor and they hand you $25.

[Guest BasicSailor]

Quite a few replies from what the OP stated they Heard😶 Must be an interesting subject as the Op still hasn't responded to where they heard it from. Really it doesn't matter though, as there is too much going on with Dr Covid to make any changes in the near future.

[Guest BasicSailor]

18 hours ago, ilovesparky13 said:

I just want some credit for the arcade. ☹️

Did they stop giving out the tokens for the arcade ?

[IntrepidFromDC]

42 minutes ago, IntrepidFromDC said:

I'd be happy giving up the slot tournaments and continuing to get $25 cash for free.  Just add it to my folio, though would ya?  It'll lessen the lines at the cage, making things better for both cruisers and casino cage crew.

 

9 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Cruise on Valor and they hand you $25.

Same on Pride and Legend in Sep, Oct and Nov.  What I'm saying is I don't want to wait in line and don't want $25 cash.  Just put it on my folio as a $25 credit.

[auburn77]

And the one free drink only during seaday brunch. Why not just give a free drink voucher, period. It's only one free drink! Why does it have to be at brunch?