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

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, keels81 said:

 

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.

Correct.  Ships don't make money on cruise fares.  Profit comes from onboard spend.  

[SNJCruisers]

The only perks I care about are priority embarkation, which is on hold because of Covid and the roped off line at guest services in case I need to visit there.

All of the others perks such as hot water laundry, strawberries, cheap pins, cheap luggage tags, etc mean nothing.

A BOGO for specialty dining would be nice.  The program has never caused me to book one additional sailing, but it did get me upset when the perks I earned were sold when FTTF was implemented.

[BlerkOne]

Carnival values full ships. The more passengers, the more opportunity for onboard spending. Carnival doesn't make a dime directly from much onboard spending (e.g. shops), but the revenue received from outsourced areas ( such as shops) is based on full ships, otherwise the vendors are going to expect rebates from their payments.

[xDisconnections]

As a Platinum Member, I’m happy to give up sailing on Carnival to allow my vacation time to be spent on cruise lines with a product that provides a more enjoyable experience.

[ilovesparky13]

On 1/18/2022 at 6:04 PM, BasicSailor said:

Did they stop giving out the tokens for the arcade ?

I was recently told that it’s only for guests under 18. 

[audcc77]

6 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival values full ships. The more passengers, the more opportunity for onboard spending.

Exactly.  In my offers I have a FREE interior cabin for 7 days out of Charleston.   When I changed the option from 2 passengers to 1 passenger, it went up $400.  

[CruiseHealing]

If you look at this as an exercise in providing benefits at low to no cost to create loyalty, the cost of it will continue.  Example priority boarding or debarkation.  Carnival does not incur additional expense for this benefit

 

So what items would you consider most costly to provide?  First is the P & D party.  Remember when it used to be Gold, P & D party?  They excluded gold because there were too many golds.  In other words they had to lower the cost of the benefit.  We are now in the same situation with large numbers of Platinums.  Maybe it’s time to raise the number of sea days a Platinum member has, including the current cruise you are on, to attend the return cruiser party.  It takes 75 sea days to go Platinum, so maybe only those guests with 150 sea days or more are invited to the return party.  Those in between 75 to 149 sea days will receive drink coupons or some other value.

 

Another benefit they should provide would be Carnival Corp wide.  And that  is Status sharing with their other fleets.  My platinum status should have Priority Embark and debarked on HAL, PC, P&O as well as their other fleets. Example:  If I earned my Diamond status only staying at Hampton Inns, I still enjoy my benefits at Hilton Curio.  Carnival has different fleets, but they are all part of the Carnival Corp.

 

 

 

[jimbo5544]

On 1/17/2022 at 8:36 PM, BlerkOne said:

Carnival knows they can't please everyone. They should probably just get rid of the program. They really messed up when they allowed people to collect VIFP points on free and discounted cruises. Start everyone over at zero. Get rid of levels. Just have a checklist of perks cruisers can select from based on sea days.

Agree on points for non paying or highly discounted cruises

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

As a Platinum Member, I’m happy to give up sailing on Carnival to allow my vacation time to be spent on cruise lines with a product that provides a more enjoyable experience.

Jason, Jason, Jason

[jimbo5544]

On 1/19/2022 at 1:17 AM, SNJCruisers said:

The only perks I care about are priority embarkation, which is on hold because of Covid and the roped off line at guest services in case I need to visit there.

All of the others perks such as hot water laundry, strawberries, cheap pins, cheap luggage tags, etc mean nothing.

A BOGO for specialty dining would be nice.  The program has never caused me to book one additional sailing, but it did get me upset when the perks I earned were sold when FTTF was implemented.

If memory serves me (which has been questioned in the past), FTTF was a perk for purchase that was then offered as a loyalty perk, not visa versa

[tm_aw_love]

57 minutes ago, CruiseHealing said:

If you look at this as an exercise in providing benefits at low to no cost to create loyalty, the cost of it will continue.  Example priority boarding or debarkation.  Carnival does not incur additional expense for this benefit

 

So what items would you consider most costly to provide?  First is the P & D party.  Remember when it used to be Gold, P & D party?  They excluded gold because there were too many golds.  In other words they had to lower the cost of the benefit.  We are now in the same situation with large numbers of Platinums.  Maybe it’s time to raise the number of sea days a Platinum member has, including the current cruise you are on, to attend the return cruiser party.  It takes 75 sea days to go Platinum, so maybe only those guests with 150 sea days or more are invited to the return party.  Those in between 75 to 149 sea days will receive drink coupons or some other value.

 

Another benefit they should provide would be Carnival Corp wide.  And that  is Status sharing with their other fleets.  My platinum status should have Priority Embark and debarked on HAL, PC, P&O as well as their other fleets. Example:  If I earned my Diamond status only staying at Hampton Inns, I still enjoy my benefits at Hilton Curio.  Carnival has different fleets, but they are all part of the Carnival Corp.

 

 

 

On the status sharing, there would have to be some sort of exceptions or ratio to that... they would quickly make all of their loyal Princess cruisers mad by matching their earned loyalty perks to people who likely paid less to earn platinum/diamond with Carnival. 

That being said, I agree that there should be at least some sort of exchange or match of at least some of the perks. It would encourage loyalty to Carnival Corp. rather than potentially visiting other brands if or when cruisers decide to try something different. 

[xDisconnections]

58 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Jason, Jason, Jason

👀

[cruizergal70]

9 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

As a Platinum Member, I’m happy to give up sailing on Carnival to allow my vacation time to be spent on cruise lines with a product that provides a more enjoyable experience.

Please do this. It's amazing how people will stay with Carnival and complain about every little thing instead of moving to a line that bettermeets their needs. 

 

 

[d12j28]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Agree on points for non paying or highly discounted cruises

We are platinum and have not paid for about 2/3's of our cruises (others discounted besides first ever cruise on Carnival) so I would have to disagree. By getting the free offers from the casino we have stayed with Carnival and spent plenty on board every cruise. If we had not received the offers I'm sure we would have tried out many other lines or land vacations than we have and Carnival wouldn't have had our business. 

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, CruiseHealing said:

If you look at this as an exercise in providing benefits at low to no cost to create loyalty, the cost of it will continue.  Example priority boarding or debarkation.  Carnival does not incur additional expense for this benefit

 

So what items would you consider most costly to provide?  First is the P & D party.  Remember when it used to be Gold, P & D party?  They excluded gold because there were too many golds.  In other words they had to lower the cost of the benefit.  We are now in the same situation with large numbers of Platinums.  Maybe it’s time to raise the number of sea days a Platinum member has, including the current cruise you are on, to attend the return cruiser party.  It takes 75 sea days to go Platinum, so maybe only those guests with 150 sea days or more are invited to the return party.  Those in between 75 to 149 sea days will receive drink coupons or some other value.

 

Another benefit they should provide would be Carnival Corp wide.  And that  is Status sharing with their other fleets.  My platinum status should have Priority Embark and debarked on HAL, PC, P&O as well as their other fleets. Example:  If I earned my Diamond status only staying at Hampton Inns, I still enjoy my benefits at Hilton Curio.  Carnival has different fleets, but they are all part of the Carnival Corp.

 

 

 

Golds, Red, Blues, people walking by...the party was (still is) overrun by people bringing in everyone in their traveling party.  Taking first timers to a free drink party is a bragging point for past cruisers.  

[Roscoe13]

50 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

Golds, Red, Blues, people walking by...the party was (still is) overrun by people bringing in everyone in their traveling party.  Taking first timers to a free drink party is a bragging point for past cruisers.  

Are you suggesting it's not allowed to bring a non diamond/platinum guest with you? 

[xDisconnections]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

Golds, Red, Blues, people walking by...the party was (still is) overrun by people bringing in everyone in their traveling party.  Taking first timers to a free drink party is a bragging point for past cruisers.  

 

9 minutes ago, Roscoe13 said:

Are you suggesting it's not allowed to bring a non diamond/platinum guest with you? 

Ah, memories. Reminds me of 2014.

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Roscoe13 said:

Are you suggesting it's not allowed to bring a non diamond/platinum guest with you? 

When the invitation does not say "And Guest", they are not  invited.  That is ship dependant.  

[BlerkOne]

5 hours ago, CruiseHealing said:

If you look at this as an exercise in providing benefits at low to no cost to create loyalty, the cost of it will continue.  Example priority boarding or debarkation.  Carnival does not incur additional expense for this benefit

 

So what items would you consider most costly to provide?  First is the P & D party.  Remember when it used to be Gold, P & D party?  They excluded gold because there were too many golds.  In other words they had to lower the cost of the benefit.  We are now in the same situation with large numbers of Platinums.  Maybe it’s time to raise the number of sea days a Platinum member has, including the current cruise you are on, to attend the return cruiser party.  It takes 75 sea days to go Platinum, so maybe only those guests with 150 sea days or more are invited to the return party.  Those in between 75 to 149 sea days will receive drink coupons or some other value.

 

There are still budget constraints. The benefit costs the same to Carnival. The per cruiser cost goes down. No marketing (loyalty) program is sustainable without change.

 

 

5 hours ago, CruiseHealing said:

 

Another benefit they should provide would be Carnival Corp wide.  And that  is Status sharing with their other fleets.  My platinum status should have Priority Embark and debarked on HAL, PC, P&O as well as their other fleets. Example:  If I earned my Diamond status only staying at Hampton Inns, I still enjoy my benefits at Hilton Curio.  Carnival has different fleets, but they are all part of the Carnival Corp.

 

 

 

Does a free room at Hampton cost the same number of points as at Waldorf Astoria? The problem with sharing is Carnival dwarfs the other lines and would dilute the value of their programs and even the cruise lines.

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, d12j28 said:

We are platinum and have not paid for about 2/3's of our cruises (others discounted besides first ever cruise on Carnival) so I would have to disagree. By getting the free offers from the casino we have stayed with Carnival and spent plenty on board every cruise. If we had not received the offers I'm sure we would have tried out many other lines or land vacations than we have and Carnival wouldn't have had our business. 

1 down, millions to go. You don't think a free cabin is worth more than a free drink and a bottle of water?

[pe4all]

2 hours ago, Roscoe13 said:

Are you suggesting it's not allowed to bring a non diamond/platinum guest with you? 

Years ago they used to check the invites as you entered.  No invite, no entry.  When dd forgot hers she had to go back to the cabin to get it.  Now it seems anyone can enter.  Maybe they should start checking sail and sign cards as you enter.  Easily done, and would take only a few seconds to flash your card and gain entry.

[cruisingguy007]

19 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

1 down, millions to go. You don't think a free cabin is worth more than a free drink and a bottle of water?

 

Penny-wise pound-foolish. No matter how you slice it, it all comes back around to simple math and that NOTHING is free, included maybe, but still not free; if you don't pay for it (or have increases/costs passed on in other ways), someone else is and that's the bottom line. Economics 101 and business structure won't change no matter how much hooting an hoolerin takes place. 

[BlerkOne]

On 1/18/2022 at 8:43 PM, auburn77 said:

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?

It's all marketing. In this case, to get/keep attendance up at brunch.

Edited January 20, 2022 by BlerkOne

[d12j28]

35 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

1 down, millions to go. You don't think a free cabin is worth more than a free drink and a bottle of water?

I'll take my free cabin and even buy you a drink plus a case of water.

[Roscoe13]

5 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

When the invitation does not say "And Guest", they are not  invited.  That is ship dependant.  

Complete agreeance 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Roscoe13