Elite cruises

[Old Fart Cruisers]

On 3/1/2023 at 4:51 PM, cruisinqt said:

Also when I wore my Elite lanyard (not Platinum, sorry) in the casino that’s when the host offered me free specialty dining.

 

The casino hosts have readout of players points, along with where their card is currently being used. So, it’s more likely that you had reached a high enough point count that triggered a specialty dining offer, and since the computer shows them where you are currently playing, they knew where to fined you and the Elite lanyard had nothing to do with it.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

12 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

The casino hosts have readout of players points, along with where their card is currently being used. So, it’s more likely that you had reached a high enough point count that triggered a specialty dining offer, and since the computer shows them where you are currently playing, they knew where to fined you and the Elite lanyard had nothing to do with it.

 

The host found me a couple of nights ago - asked if she could treat us to the Steakhouse (already booked for all nights pre-cruise, Rudi's as well). Then asked about spa services - we had already enjoyed a couples massage that afternoon, but thanked her and passed on the offer. She asked if there was anything else we could think of - so I went with my go-to request - a bottle of Caymus Special Selection. I think we've taken 4-5 of these home over the last several cruises.  YAY !!

 

 

Tom

[cruisinqt]

2 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

The casino hosts have readout of players points, along with where their card is currently being used. So, it’s more likely that you had reached a high enough point count that triggered a specialty dining offer, and since the computer shows them where you are currently playing, they knew where to fined you and the Elite lanyard had nothing to do with it.

I wondered how they kept finding me and offering me free bottles of wine and free specialty dining wherever I was. I thought it was an Elite perk since that’s the only thing that stood out about me but your explanation makes more sense. 

[Old Fart Cruisers]

11 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

I wondered how they kept finding me and offering me free bottles of wine and free specialty dining wherever I was. I thought it was an Elite perk since that’s the only thing that stood out about me but your explanation makes more sense. 

 

I asked a host once how many points it takes to get different perks.  He said even he didn't have the exact formula.   He didn't give a straightforward answer, but from what he said it sounded more like how many points you earned compared to others on the cruise at the time, your past point history and other factors, including the casino's budget for perks on that particular cruise.

[cruisinqt]

8 hours ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

 

I asked a host once how many points it takes to get different perks.  He said even he didn't have the exact formula.   He didn't give a straightforward answer, but from what he said it sounded more like how many points you earned compared to others on the cruise at the time, your past point history and other factors, including the casino's budget for perks on that particular cruise.

Well both cruises were bigger newer ships. It was the Panorama and the Celebration. So maybe they have bigger budgets for perks on the bigger ships. Because I’ve never had offers like that before. 

[Youyoyotoo]

On 5/27/2022 at 2:30 PM, Prismism said:

Sorry if off topic- I have never been offered an elite cruise and never noticed if there were other sailors who were on theirs when onboard. I noticed some people in our facebook cruise group that mentioned they are doing an elite cruise for our cruise date. Before reading that I just assumed an elite cruise meant that ALL of the cruisers on that sailing were on an elite cruise. So, does this mean that the casino on our sailing will be packed since there will be people on there who took the Elite cruise offer?

Do all sailings have Elite cruisers on them?

Well, yes. Elite cruise offerings are capacity controlled and why there are not a lot of choices to choose from in any given promo period. For sure, SOME sailings in my experience will have lot's of Elite members onboard. Not absolute but many sailings 7 days and under CAN have hundreds of Elite's, Ultra's, Premiere's on board intermixed with several thousand other casino patrons at any given moment on any Carnival Cruise. Although eligibility for Elite offers may  individually change every quarter, so do the overall # of eligible Elite cruises for any given period. Most of the time, although well qualified for Elite cruises, the specific cruises they enable as eligible Elite are often either NOT within date(s) I can vacation OR are ported in places that would require substantial additional costs for flights and pre/post hotel and added transpo/meal costs just to sail on, that I can't/don't ever take the plunge and accept one.

 

It has been a frustrating road with Elite status and after sailing with Carnival brand for 17 years, I don't think "Elite" offers, once achieved by whatever means it takes to be included in such offers, should be as painful and confusing for a brand loyal player to assess and book. Carnival's contracted partner (Global Casino Services) management and casino marketing company has made Elite offers under the Carnival brand convoluted and difficult to exercise the option. That statement MAY not be true for passengers that live within a 50-100 miles radius of a Carnival cruise terminal in the U.S. However, I do not. Therefore the complexities involved in planning/booking a cruise vacation, let alone an Elite voyage, are more in depth than for those within 50-100 miles of the port. I submit they should consider R/T air  coupons/vouchers valid for the Elite voyage from the loyal passenger's home zip to any of the ports listed within the eligible Elite offer pages for that period. It would be an ELITE perk, and one that would ENABLE rather than EXCLUDE folks that do not have the inherent benefits of a home port <100 miles. Perhaps enable that perk if ALL of the following applies: Elite CASINO player status AND (not or) Diamond or Platinum cruise line status AND passenger residency >100 miles but less <500 miles from one port listed in Elite offers during the Elite eligible period. Even IF they only offered flight coupons to only SOME of the relevant Elite cruises offered. Let's say to ports within 500 miles of the passenger's home zip code. IDK for sure how to work that out, but it can be done, and absolutely would remove a lot of the otherwise voodoo planning and significant individual consumer cost barriers many of us loyal players otherwise have to deal with just to accept an Elite offer, while others don't (and just don't do it)...

 

In collusion, YES. The casino MAY be "packed" with casino hosted guests of varying levels at anytime and on virtually any cruise itinerary. 

 

 

[Youyoyotoo]

On 3/3/2023 at 8:00 AM, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

The host found me a couple of nights ago - asked if she could treat us to the Steakhouse (already booked for all nights pre-cruise, Rudi's as well). Then asked about spa services - we had already enjoyed a couples massage that afternoon, but thanked her and passed on the offer. She asked if there was anything else we could think of - so I went with my go-to request - a bottle of Caymus Special Selection. I think we've taken 4-5 of these home over the last several cruises.  YAY !!

 

 

Tom

Good touch by the host. Smart business. Glad to hear.

[dallasdan]

My regular casino offers are better than my elite cruise offers.  Why would I choose Elite?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 minutes ago, dallasdan said:

My regular casino offers are better than my elite cruise offers.  Why would I choose Elite?

 

Yeppers ... and so many more sailings to choose from. Everything else being equal, I'd prefer to be on a sailing without a group of diehard players ! !

 

Tom

[dallasdan]

I have 3 cruises booked right now where I get free play and free cheers.  I am not really a drinker but I like the free cheers for coffees, water and maybe one mixed drink per day.  They definitely don't lose money on me with the free cheers.

[weezal]

44 minutes ago, dallasdan said:

My regular casino offers are better than my elite cruise offers.  Why would I choose Elite?

for the Elite perks and benefits?
https://www.carnival.com/casino/carnival-players-club/cruises/elite

[Teresa T. C.]

On 12/22/2022 at 11:58 AM, grimpil said:

Do you recall if crown royal was on that list?

Hi, just going on my first Elite.  It does not have Jack Daniels.  No Crown Royal or at least not on mine.

[Teresa T. C.]

On 6/2/2022 at 8:48 PM, WKUTopperFan said:

 Elite cruises are capped at around 110 guests. 

I just came back from an Elite cruise about three weeks ago.  You are absolutely right, we had around 102 Elite cruisers with me and hubby and counting us, that makes 104 in all.  The casino was not packed, except the first night, and then after that, I could find any machine I wanted to play.  I won 300 on the Elite cruise the first night of give-a-ways and then another 300 right after that and people in my Elite group complained that the same people win all the time.  I can tell you, I did not get any free play for my Elite cruise (others did get upwards of 1,000) and I wondered if I won that amount as they did not give it to me in my offer.  I usually do not win anything, so I was thrilled with that first win and never even thought I would win anything else but I am grateful I did.  The give-a-ways in the casino were nice and after my two-streak win, I did not win again and no one else won twice.  As a matter of fact, my chances would have been improved as when they scrolled through the names on the list of Elites, people were not in the casino and so they had to call three or four names just to find one winner who was actually present.  So, definitely not a bunch of Elites in the casinos hogging the machines.

Just my .02 worth.

 

[casinostreer]

Anyone still following this thread? Tagging along on an Elite cruise this coming February (19 days to go) and am just looking to see what to expect. 🙂 We'll be on a small ship for this Elite - so I'm hoping the casino isn't ridiculously packed. But - it's an 8 day so I'm sure there will be plenty of time for playing. Anyone sailed on an Elite recently than the last post in January of 23?

[hapytobehr]

I have sailed on many Elite cruises (not as one of them) and the casinos are always packed.

 

People sit at the machines and tables before they open in order to play.  If you are a late-nighter, you will find a seat or machine at that time.

 

However, I will say, Ultras and premiers are much worse.

[weezal]

4 hours ago, hapytobehr said:

I have sailed on many Elite cruises (not as one of them) and the casinos are always packed.

 

People sit at the machines and tables before they open in order to play.  If you are a late-nighter, you will find a seat or machine at that time.

 

However, I will say, Ultras and premiers are much worse.

if the casino is packed, it's due to regular passengers, not due to elite guests (capacity controlled offer).

 

[Colorado Beach Bum]

6 hours ago, weezal said:

if the casino is packed, it's due to regular passengers, not due to elite guests (capacity controlled offer).

 

Elite not as special as pre Covid when there were only like 25 capacity controlled but still better than Ultras which makes the casino crazy busy. 

[hapytobehr]

10 hours ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Elite not as special as pre Covid when there were only like 25 capacity controlled but still better than Ultras which makes the casino crazy busy. 

There were 105 Elite passengers on the last cruise this month.

[luvs2beachit]

Hi all,  I need some information regarding peoples experience with the Elite transportation benefit as I have only used it on past Elite cruises for parking at the port and not for personal transport.  For my Elite cruise in May I will be flying into Miami / Ft Lauderdale one day prior to the cruise and staying at a hotel with a shuttle so pickup at the airport by the Elite transportation is not necessary.  What I will need is transportation to the port from the hotel the following morning.  So my questions are: 1}  Will the Elite transport pick me up at the hotel and 2} how far a distance from the cruise port would be a reasonable distance?  ie. Ft Lauderdale / Dania Beach to Miami port?  TIA.

Edited January 30 by luvs2beachit

[kwokpot]

6 minutes ago, luvs2beachit said:

Hi all,  I need some information regarding peoplesexperience with the Elite transportation benefit as I have only used it on past Elite cruises for parking at the port and not for personal transport. This Elite cruise in May I will be flying into Miami / Ft Lauderdale one day prior to the cruise and staying at a hotel with a shuttle so pickup at the airport by the Elite transportation is not necessary.  What I will need is transportation to the port from the hotel the following morning.  So my questions are: 1}  Will the Elite transport pick me up at the hotel and 2} how far a distance from the cruise port would be a reasonable distance?  ie. Ft Lauderdale / Dania Beach to Miami port?  TIA.

You'll be fine with what you need from the Elite transfers. You're allowed two transfers and it doesn't really matter which segment it is. The distance is fine too. We used it from Dover, UK cruiseport to our London hotel which was a 90 minutes trip and would have costed us over $300 if we paid for it ourselves. We had a beautiful large Mercedes sedan and our driver was excellent.  

Edited January 30 by kwokpot

[lazydayz]

3 minutes ago, luvs2beachit said:

Hi all,  I need some information regarding peoples experience with the Elite transportation benefit as I have only used it on past Elite cruises for parking at the port and not for personal transport.  For my Elite cruise in May I will be flying into Miami / Ft Lauderdale one day prior to the cruise and staying at a hotel with a shuttle so pickup at the airport by the Elite transportation is not necessary.  What I will need is transportation to the port from the hotel the following morning.  So my questions are: 1}  Will the Elite transport pick me up at the hotel and 2} how far a distance from the cruise port would be a reasonable distance?  ie. Ft Lauderdale / Dania Beach to Miami port?  TIA.

They will be glad to pick you up at your FLL hotel and transport you to the Port of Miami.  

 

Furthest we have asked for, and was granted, was pick up in London with transfer to Dover (on day prior to the cruise, about 90 minutes travel time), and back to London on debarkation day.  

[kwokpot]

1 minute ago, lazydayz said:

Furthest we have asked for, and was granted, was pick up in London with transfer to Dover (on day prior to the cruise, about 90 minutes travel time), and back to London on debarkation day.  

Probably the best use of this benefit of all the places Carnival regularly cruises from. We stayed 3 nights post cruise in London and then used the 2nd free transfer from London to Heathrow to go home. It worked so well since there was a transit strike that day we were to fly home!

[weezal]

1 hour ago, luvs2beachit said:

Hi all,  I need some information regarding peoples experience with the Elite transportation benefit as I have only used it on past Elite cruises for parking at the port and not for personal transport.  For my Elite cruise in May I will be flying into Miami / Ft Lauderdale one day prior to the cruise and staying at a hotel with a shuttle so pickup at the airport by the Elite transportation is not necessary.  What I will need is transportation to the port from the hotel the following morning.  So my questions are: 1}  Will the Elite transport pick me up at the hotel and 2} how far a distance from the cruise port would be a reasonable distance?  ie. Ft Lauderdale / Dania Beach to Miami port?  TIA.

 

[leela8]

I was on the Venezia in Sept. on an Elite and the host told me they don't offer the spa credit in lieu of the shorex. She said they don't offer that any longer?  Can any one verify this information? I have an elite in November and want to know because I want the spa credit not a shorex.

[64funwhisper]

I have an elite cruise in 28 days just recieved the letter to pick what type of transportation, liquor. for my room it also asked if I wanted the shore excursion or the spa credit so - yes they are still giving it hope that answered your question