Elite cruise question

[cruisinqt]

Our next cruise will be an elite cruise which is a first for us. Since we’ve never done it before, how does the car service work? The offer states: “Private Car Service To And From The Airport” but doesn’t explain how it’s done. How do we arrange for them to pick us up? And do they just drop us off at the port or do they do more? Like do they escort us on board or take us to a separate waiting area? I didn’t use a TA and booked everything myself online. 

[kwokpot]

27 minutes ago, cruisinqt said:

Our next cruise will be an elite cruise which is a first for us. Since we’ve never done it before, how does the car service work? The offer states: “Private Car Service To And From The Airport” but doesn’t explain how it’s done. How do we arrange for them to pick us up? And do they just drop us off at the port or do they do more? Like do they escort us on board or take us to a separate waiting area? I didn’t use a TA and booked everything myself online. 

About three weeks before your cruise you will get an email asking about several things. One is what you want for your In Room Bar setup. You'll choose from a list of Wines and Spirits, each passenger gets to choose one bottle. There will also be a selection of mixers for each of you to choose from a list, which also incudes sodas and water. The bottles are full sized and unopened, and since you'll be getting drinks everywhere for two people you MAY want to decide whether or not you actually want to open and drink the wine/Spirits or take it home with you, which are are certainly allowed to do. Just remember if you're flying into and from the Port you'll need to place the bottles protected in your check luggage. 

Second thing you'll be asked to decide is whether you want the complementary excursion, which there will be a preselected choice for you (both people have to take the same excursion) or you want a spa credit of $300 total, which can be used however you want by either both or just one passenger. 

The last thing you'll decide is whether you want Port Parking or the transfers. If you choose the transfers, you'll get a second email from the transfer company asking for details. 

The second email will ask what kind of transfer you want. You are given two transfers to use however you want, there's no restrictions. So if you're flying into the port you can use the two transfers for any combination you want; airport to hotel, hotel to pier, pier to hotel, pier to airport. The transfers doesn't even need to necessarily coincide with the cruise. For example, we used a Elite transfer from our London Hotel to Heathrow 3 days after the cruise ended. The transfer company didn't care the cruise already ended three days prior. All you need to do is decide which two points you want them to take you from and to, and give them the dates, places and times. To get the most value, if you have multiple transfer needs, for example you're staying in a hotel both pre-cruise and post- cruise, decide which segments are the most expensive and have Carnival pay for those and any other transfer needs you have you use a cab, car service or Uber/Lyft.

Edit: The transfers are a private luxury car service, in a SUV, luxury sedan, or something similar. They simply pick you up and drop you off. Carnival pays the gratuity, but you are obviously welcome to pay additional tips.

Edited August 5, 2022 by kwokpot

[cruisinqt]

20 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

About three weeks before your cruise you will get an email asking about several things. One is what you want for your In Room Bar setup. You'll choose from a list of Wines and Spirits, each passenger gets to choose one bottle. There will also be a selection of mixers for each of you to choose from a list, which also incudes sodas and water. The bottles are full sized and unopened, and since you'll be getting drinks everywhere for two people you MAY want to decide whether or not you actually want to open and drink the wine/Spirits or take it home with you, which are are certainly allowed to do. Just remember if you're flying into and from the Port you'll need to place the bottles protected in your check luggage. 

Second thing you'll be asked to decide is whether you want the complementary excursion, which there will be a preselected choice for you (both people have to take the same excursion) or you want a spa credit of $300 total, which can be used however you want by either both or just one passenger. 

The last thing you'll decide is whether you want Port Parking or the transfers. If you choose the transfers, you'll get a second email from the transfer company asking for details. 

The second email will ask what kind of transfer you want. You are given two transfers to use however you want, there's no restrictions. So if you're flying into the port you can use the two transfers for any combination you want; airport to hotel, hotel to pier, pier to hotel, pier to airport. The transfers doesn't even need to necessarily coincide with the cruise. For example, we used a Elite transfer from our London Hotel to Heathrow 3 days after the cruise ended. The transfer company didn't care the cruise already ended three days prior. All you need to do is decide which two points you want them to take you from and to, and give them the dates, places and times. To get the most value, if you have multiple transfer needs, for example you're staying in a hotel both pre-cruise and post- cruise, decide which segments are the most expensive and have Carnival pay for those and any other transfer needs you have you use a cab, car service or Uber/Lyft.

Edit: The transfers are a private luxury car service, in a SUV, luxury sedan, or something similar. They simply pick you up and drop you off. Carnival pays the gratuity, but you are obviously welcome to pay additional tips.

Wow what a great response! And so many details too. Thanks. We booked an elite on the Panorama in November and another elite on the Celebration in February. So this info will come in handy. I’m doing a screenshot of this and saving it. 

[Old Fart Cruisers]

Kwokpot,

We also just booked our first Elite cruises.  One of them will be departing from Miami, but we will be getting off an RCL cruise in Fort Lauderdale.  Do you know if we will be able to use the transfer to take us from Port Everglades the Miami Cruise Port?  I usually have gotten offers for interior or oceanview rooms, with an occasional balcony, but never had an Elite offer before, so I was shocked when i got this offer.

Thanks in advance.

[kwokpot]

23 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

Kwokpot,

We also just booked our first Elite cruises.  One of them will be departing from Miami, but we will be getting off an RCL cruise in Fort Lauderdale.  Do you know if we will be able to use the transfer to take us from Port Everglades the Miami Cruise Port?  I usually have gotten offers for interior or oceanview rooms, with an occasional balcony, but never had an Elite offer before, so I was shocked when i got this offer.

Thanks in advance.

Yes, you should be able to do that. Although we've done Elites before, we were surprised about the flexibility that the transfer company allowed, it was new information for us on our b2b2b in Europe on the Pride in May/June. The first and last cruises were Elite. On the first cruise, since we were staying on for another cruise, we used the transfer from the Barcelona airport to our Barcelona hotel three days prior to the cruise. Then we had them take us from the hotel to the cruise terminal. When the last cruise was over, we had them take us from Dover, England to a Central London hotel, which was an hour 45 minute ride worth over $300 since it's a private car service. The second transfer was from London to Heathrow Airport three days later. 

[travelguy2009]

For those of us who don't know, what is an elite cruise?

[ninjacat123]

5 minutes ago, travelguy2009 said:

For those of us who don't know, what is an elite cruise?

And do you get this offer via email, cruise manager notification or phone call?  TIA!

[dbrucern]

4 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

And do you get this offer via email, cruise manager notification or phone call?  TIA!

They usually send an email letting you know you will be getting an elite offer and what day it will be posted. Then you will find them under your offers on the Carnival site 

[dbrucern]

12 minutes ago, travelguy2009 said:

For those of us who don't know, what is an elite cruise?

Money to spend in the Casino plus onboard credit

Transfers (Private car) to and from the cruise or free parking

Free excursions or $300 to spend in the Spa

Two bottles of your favorite drink with mixers in your room

Free Cheers package

Free Social Wifi

[kwokpot]

12 minutes ago, travelguy2009 said:

For those of us who don't know, what is an elite cruise?

An Elite Cruise is one of the top offers from Carnival's Casino Department. Unlike some of the other cruiseline casino programs Carnival doesn't have a published casino player tier  program like the VIFP program they have. The way Carnival's casino players program works is they have different types of promotional cruises that come with various benefits. Depending on your casino play you'll be offered various promotional cruises in which some of the benefits, like free slot play bonuses, can very among people based on your casino play. Carnival considers their Elite cruise promotions their top published casino offer. You'll know you have an Elite Offer either by email, a mailed paper brochure, or checking your account on their website. 

[ObstructedView2]

1 hour ago, travelguy2009 said:

For those of us who don't know, what is an elite cruise?

 

 

Carnival Elite Cruise Located @:

https://www.cclpromos.com/carnivalplayersclub/elite/

 

 

 

 

🙂

[cgreenwade]

Hi, Is there a way to know or check and see if you booked an Elite cruise.  I got the email and booked couple of days later but now I'm second guessing if i booked Elite or another offer🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️Is there an offer code.

[cruisinqt]

16 hours ago, cgreenwade said:

Hi, Is there a way to know or check and see if you booked an Elite cruise.  I got the email and booked couple of days later but now I'm second guessing if i booked Elite or another offer🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️Is there an offer code.

I did the same thing earlier in the year. Just email the casino host and they’ll get right back with you and let you know what deal you booked. They got back with me in under 24 hours. 

[Teresa T. C.]

On 8/5/2022 at 4:59 PM, kwokpot said:

 

[The second email will ask what kind of transfer you want. You are given two transfers to use however you want, there's no restrictions. So if you're flying into the port you can use the two transfers for any combination you want; airport to hotel, hotel to pier, pier to hotel, pier to airport. The transfers doesn't even need to necessarily coincide with the cruise. ]

Thank you for this wonderful description.  I have another question.  If you are flying into Fort Lauderdale, will the transfer service pick you up from there?  Must I fly into Miami is what I am wondering?

Thank you ahead of time for your answer.

Teresa

[kwokpot]

Just now, Teresa T. C. said:

Thank you for this wonderful description.  I have another question.  If you are flying into Fort Lauderdale, will the transfer service pick you up from there?  Must I fly into Miami is what I am wondering?

Thank you ahead of time for your answer.

Teresa

No problem with flying into FLL and getting picked up from the airport there or any hotel in Ft Lauderdale and taken to port of Miami and/or any combination of Miami and ft Lauderdale airports and hotels. 

[ninjacat123]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

No problem with flying into FLL and getting picked up from the airport there or any hotel in Ft Lauderdale and taken to port of Miami and/or any combination of Miami and ft Lauderdale airports and hotels. 

DH and I like staying in North Beach in Ft. Lauderdale.  Probably will stay there the night before a cruise out of Miami and then Uber to the Miami cruise port.😃

[Sgwscruiser]

4 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

DH and I like staying in North Beach in Ft. Lauderdale.  Probably will stay there the night before a cruise out of Miami and then Uber to the Miami cruise port.😃

If this is an elite cruise why do you need to take an Uber to Miami

[ninjacat123]

11 hours ago, Sgwscruiser said:

If this is an elite cruise why do you need to take an Uber to Miami

I meant for any cruise that is out of Miami that we would stay in North Beach the day before.  Sorry if it was confusing.