What is a Carnival non-revenue sailing?

[Thankyouall]

Recently on back-to-back Carnival cruises. One counted toward VIFP days at sea other one didn't and was told second one was a non-revenue sailing. Booked months earlier through Carnival vacation planner. Does this pertain to me or everyone on that cruise? How and when is that determined? Is there any way to know in advance?

Thank you!

[Essiesmom]

I think I’ve read that free cruises through casino offers may not count.  But that might be another line…. EM

[cruisin from vegas]

I’ve been on several free casino sailings on Carnival.  Two since restart and another booked for July…. Got credit for days sailed on all of them.

[hurricane0226]

9 minutes ago, cruisin from vegas said:

I’ve been on several free casino sailings on Carnival.  Two since restart and another booked for July…. Got credit for days sailed on all of them.

We also get all the credits for sailing, even though they were casino offers.

[Essiesmom]

Hmmm…that shoots that theory.  Was one of them a charter?  EM

[groundloop]

I just got home from a 5 day super cheap cruise on a casino offer.  I saw this thread and decided to check my points balance, so far this latest cruise isn't showing up. 

 

I've never really bothered to check before, how long does it normally take for a cruise to show up in your points total?

 

 

[Knights on the Beach]

2 minutes ago, groundloop said:

I just got home from a 5 day super cheap cruise on a casino offer.  I saw this thread and decided to check my points balance, so far this latest cruise isn't showing up. 

 

I've never really bothered to check before, how long does it normally take for a cruise to show up in your points total?

 

 

We've been home a week.  I'm not sure when that cruise showed up but I know it was there Wednesday when I checked to see how many points we are away from Diamond (waaaaaaay too many).

[groundloop]

14 minutes ago, cruisemom2 said:

We've been home a week.  I'm not sure when that cruise showed up but I know it was there Wednesday when I checked to see how many points we are away from Diamond (waaaaaaay too many).

 

Yeah, in the great scheme of things those 5 days for me won't matter.  I'll turn Platinum on our cruise in December with or without those points, but still........

[Wanna_Cruize]

In the past, when DH had some 'free cabin' offers, we made sure to pay to get a better cabin (so if interior was free, paid $50 for window, etc.) That was all it took to get points added for the cruise, since they did get some revenue from the trip. YMMV

[emm126]

I have always received credit for my free casino cruises so I don't think that is it. The only cruise I didn't receive points for was for a cruise I won at a charity event. If I remember correctly, the cruise was donated as a prize and the money I paid went to the charity, so non revenue as far as Carnival was concerned. The cruise is listed when I look at past cruises but with 0 points. 

[Thankyouall]

Thank you for your replies. It was not free casino cruise since I do not play a lot. I booked as normal, and the 2nd cruise that didn't count was approx. 200 dollars less cruise rate than the first. However, I did personally spend more on the 2nd cruise.  Although this wasn't one, I have booked cheaper cruises called pack and go years ago, and they all counted. Carnival really didn't explain the concept when I emailed them just that it was a non-revenue sailing and didn't count. I asked if management was involved in this decision and was assured it was reviewed by management. Again, thank you for your thoughts on this.

[sgttami]

12 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I think I’ve read that free cruises through casino offers may not count.  But that might be another line…. EM

ALL my cruises are casino offers and I got credit for them all.

 

The non revenue cruises I heard of were the ones that were on RCL where the people volunteered for the first test cruises after shutdown.  I know some that went and got no credit for the cruise.

[Knights on the Beach]

This doesn't sound right to me.  Did you ask your PVP about it?

[jetsfan58]

Am I missing something here? In my mindset I have never received a "free" Carnival Cruise. We received the Casino Offers but still had to pay Port Fees and Taxes. We also purchased souvenirs at the Gift Shops; isn't that considered Carnival Revenue?

[Thankyouall]

Yes, multiple emails with iCare@Carnival and they stated their position is unchanged. I thought it was just a simple mistake. My PVP who I have booked over 15 cruises with stated that's a decision she is not involved with. I asked my PVP to at least find out how and why this cruise was flagged a non-revenue and get back to me (which she said she would by end of that day) however I have not heard from her in over a week. 

 

Yes, I agree we paid cruise rate, port fees and taxes, insurance, gratuities, excursions and sail and sign bill. It was not any special Casino offer. Just booked 5 day back-to-back and one is flagged non-revenue.

 

Thanks

[jetsfan58]

It appears that Carnival needs to revisit their "Non Revenue" definitions and maybe tweak them a bit. Really interested to hear more about your flagged cruise. Any funds spent over and above a "deal rate or funds spent for booking a non deal" rate should be deemed as Revenue generated. Basic Accounting and Finance principles.

[Lane Hog]

Was one of them booked as a travel agency or group rate?  I used to work with airline revenue accounting and certain industry discount rates were lumped into non-revenue including standby and confirmed.

 

If your PVP booked this, they owe you a better answer.

[Tiger0613]

My 11/29/21 5 day cruise on the Valor got flagged as a non-revenue cruise even though I paid for everything on my credit card.  I didn't use any kind of FCC.  I didn't even have OBC.  I booked the cruise through my PVP.  I booked Early Saver and later used price protection to get the balcony for the price of an oceanview rate.  My number of cruises did go up.

 

I needed those points to get to Platinum on my 1/15/22 cruise, so I called my previous PVP and she contacted whoever she needed to.  My cruise days and points were adjusted.  The cruise still shows as 0 days and points in the cruise history, but it was corrected where it mattered.

 

All of my other cruises have posted correctly.

 

 

Taxes, fees, and port expenses don't go to Carnival.  They go to the relevant government and port authorities.  So it wouldn't surprise me that only paying those expenses would get a cruise flagged as non-revenue.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Tiger0613

[csm5986142]

This is so interesting to me; I've never heard of it. I even googled it and found that Carnival does indeed specify that non-revenue cruises do not qualify for the VIFP program, but I couldn't find any details as to what constitutes a non-revenue cruise (aside from the covid test cruises).

I have been on an absolutely free cruise (a free interior casino deal where we only paid taxes/port fees, then that was returned to us when we missed our ports, plus we were given OBC too as a consolation).  That cruise still appears just like all the others in my cruise history/VIFP points.

[adventuredancer]

On 3/27/2022 at 12:25 PM, Tiger0613 said:

My 11/29/21 5 day cruise on the Valor got flagged as a non-revenue cruise even though I paid for everything on my credit card.  I didn't use any kind of FCC.  I didn't even have OBC.  I booked the cruise through my PVP.  I booked Early Saver and later used price protection to get the balcony for the price of an oceanview rate.  My number of cruises did go up.

 

I needed those points to get to Platinum on my 1/15/22 cruise, so I called my previous PVP and she contacted whoever she needed to.  My cruise days and points were adjusted.  The cruise still shows as 0 days and points in the cruise history, but it was corrected where it mattered.

 

All of my other cruises have posted correctly.

 

 

Taxes, fees, and port expenses don't go to Carnival.  They go to the relevant government and port authorities.  So it wouldn't surprise me that only paying those expenses would get a cruise flagged as non-revenue.

their later post stated that they paid cruise rate. and even free cruises (minus the stated covid test cruises) have counted towards days

[Bgcruising]

Carnival employees get free cruises and their families do also. They are non-revenue cruises. If you only pay port fees it's a non revenue cruise.   Maybe the travel agent got the cruise for free and put your name on it and charged you. Anything can happen and nothing is perfect. Maybe some mistakes were made and people didn't get the credit they deserved.