FTTF Questions

[BoozinCroozin]

8 hours ago, asalligo said:

 

Been seeing this a lot lately. Carnival really should crack down on this if they want to keep selling FTTF. 

 

 

They aren't going to put guards on the corridors to police it. They have better things to worry about. What this issue is is someone paying $150 and not getting a benefit out of it. The only real benefit as I said is you board a few minutes before others. If that is worth it to you, then be happy for yourself. If you want to be Carnival's Karens, so be it. Since everyone only has printed boarding passes then, no one is going to even check. 

 

Just be happy you spent all that money for FTTF knowing that there are no real benefits.

[browerjs]

1 hour ago, BoozinCroozin said:

They aren't going to put guards on the corridors to police it. They have better things to worry about. What this issue is is someone paying $150 and not getting a benefit out of it. The only real benefit as I said is you board a few minutes before others. If that is worth it to you, then be happy for yourself. If you want to be Carnival's Karens, so be it. Since everyone only has printed boarding passes then, no one is going to even check. 

 

Just be happy you spent all that money for FTTF knowing that there are no real benefits.

Are all the staterooms open and you just drop your luggage off?  Or is there another process?

[cruisinfamily7609]

1 hour ago, BoozinCroozin said:

"If you want to be Carnival's Karens, so be it. Since everyone only has printed boarding passes then, no one is going to even check. 

 

Just be happy you spent all that money for FTTF knowing that there are no real benefits."

Wow. Is that really even necessary?  Just be glad you didn’t spend the money since you’re so sure it isn’t worth it. If you can’t say anything nice, why even bother? Do you just enjoy being nasty and getting your digs in whenever possible just for fun? 

[rcrabb1513]

On 1/30/2023 at 9:15 AM, dmori said:

Good morning! Can't seem to find answers to my questions on here and my cruise rep has not returned my prior emails so hoping you fine people can help me out! 
 

1.) FTTF - do they sell a limited quantity of these for each sailing? 
 

2.) FTTF - Is there a cut off date to purchase? Ie: can it still be purchased after cruise check in? 
 

Thank you! 

I might venture an answer if I knew what FTTF was. 

 

[cruisinfamily7609]

2 minutes ago, rcrabb1513 said:

I might venture an answer if I knew what FTTF was. 

 

Faster To The Fun. 🙂 

[mexicobob]

I do LTTF (last to the fun). Last couple of cruises we were in suites so FTTF did not matter. Enjoy being one of the last to board the ship. No lines. No crowds. Straight to your cabin. Have a great lunch on shore which is better than anything served on the ship and then enjoy a leisurely and stress free boarding of the ship. The days of  trying to find a table/seat on the Lido deck on embarcation day are over for me.

[gtouch]

It only matters if time or money is more important. My wife and I have more money than time or the few dollars for FTTF is worth the dollars for the time. A few times we waltzed past a line of others to the services desk and that alone was worth it......for us. There is no right or wrong for everyone you decide. Have a great cruise no matter your choice.

[opensaysme]

I have never cruised Carnival without FTTF. We love the luxury of having it. Having the priority phone line to guest services has been beneficial as each time we have cruised there has been an issue with the cabin. Plumbing more than once, issues with our safe, problems with charges on our card for examples. Love priority to guest services. I've walked right passed long lines at guest services and yes FTTF gets a designated phone line to guest services.

 

But I really love being about to get to our cabin early. I would not be that person who would go to my cabin knowing I haven't been given the permission to and thank goodness a lot of cruisers don't do that. If people keep encouraging this behavior, I'm sure Carnival would eventually make adjustments because complaining that I am not getting what I am paying for hardly considers me a Karen LOL.

 

But, from my perspective, FTTF seems to be less desirable since the price increase because it would always sell out fast in the past but for my upcoming cruise it was available for weeks and has returned several times. For $150 I can't blame anyone, but I am going to stick to tradition until I'm platinum.

[Pellaz]

On 2/5/2023 at 10:36 AM, Rudyard said:

Those are exactly the reasons we get it too. Our carry on bags get heavy after a while and even getting rid of them for a couple of hours is nice. Of the roughly half dozen times I've had FTTF I've only had to go to GS twice (on the same cruise) and it was well worth being able to bypass  the dozen or so people in line, especially since my issues were simple ones that took just a couple of minutes to resolve. I've never understood why so many people seem to think it's all about getting on the ship earlier when that's one of the perks that most of us that buy it care the least about. 

 

I have gotten FTTF on every Carnival sailing up to the COVID shutdown and never regretted it.  On one cruise (2nd on Carnival), the priority line at Guest Services saved the entire cruise.   On another, there was a HUGE line of people waiting outside in the hot Florida sun...which we just instantly bypassed.  On other cruises, the priority tender and the immediate access to the room has helped a lot.  

When you divide the stateroom price by 3 (I normally sail with two friends), it's not unreasonable at all.  

 

On 2/6/2023 at 10:50 AM, staceyglow said:

As one shouldn't. Even the porters tell you to always carry on a bag that has your passports, important paperwork, medications, etc. 

 

And I also put a swimsuit and a change of clothes in my carry-on in case there is a major delay in getting my luggage delivered. 

Bingo!   I was just on a charter cruise with a bunch of people new to cruising and this was something I encouraged them to do.    As well as keep your passport with you; putting it in checked luggage guarantees that your vacation will come to a sad, abrupt end.  

 

On 2/6/2023 at 9:35 PM, staceyglow said:

And seeing that FTTF sells out on many, if not most cruises, it is not overpriced.  If anything, they could probably raise the price some and still sell out.  

 

Shhhhh.   No need for that sort of incendiary talk.   It might give them ideas.  😄  

[opensaysme]

2 hours ago, Pellaz said:

On 2/6/2023 at 9:35 PM, staceyglow said:

And seeing that FTTF sells out on many, if not most cruises, it is not overpriced.  If anything, they could probably raise the price some and still sell out.  

 

Shhhhh.   No need for that sort of incendiary talk.   It might give them ideas.  😄  

My thoughts exactly. LOL

[kelkel2]

On 1/30/2023 at 9:15 AM, dmori said:

Good morning! Can't seem to find answers to my questions on here and my cruise rep has not returned my prior emails so hoping you fine people can help me out! 
 

1.) FTTF - do they sell a limited quantity of these for each sailing? 
 

2.) FTTF - Is there a cut off date to purchase? Ie: can it still be purchased after cruise check in? 
 

Thank you! 

I don’t know about a cutoff date, it seems to typically sell out. Which also answers your first question. Yea, there is some sort of cut off but I don’t know how they determine how many spots they sell. There’s a lot of people on CC that theorize that they base it off of how many plat/diamonds are on the ship. But I really don’t know if they do or not. 
I have done FTTF pre covid and we liked it. It was cheaper back then. We really wanted it for priority tendering in Grand Cayman and pre covid your room was ready and you could stay in it as soon as you boarded. So it was worth it. Oh and the priority debarking is nice too. Fttf goes right after the Diamond/plat/suites. So if you have an early flight to catch it could be very beneficial to you. 

Don’t let the masses in CC tell you how to spend your money. If you see the value in it, get it. 

[asalligo]

On 2/8/2023 at 8:34 AM, opensaysme said:

I have never cruised Carnival without FTTF. We love the luxury of having it. Having the priority phone line to guest services has been beneficial as each time we have cruised there has been an issue with the cabin. Plumbing more than once, issues with our safe, problems with charges on our card for examples. Love priority to guest services. I've walked right passed long lines at guest services and yes FTTF gets a designated phone line to guest services.

 

We have not cruised Carnival without FTTF since it was started in what 2016/2017. I questioned having it on this last cruise though as it cost $149, but we still bought it. First there was early entry into the terminal, early boarding and straight to your room to drop off luggage which was so nice. Especially since I saw that people coming in were being routed to zone E for boarding. Zone E, that is just so far behind so many people. Let me take a sniff of my smelling salts, ok better.

 

Then I thought I would not need to go to guest services, but on day one we found that no FTTF sticker was on our cards, so we went and had that fixed. On day two we realize that none of our OBC is appearing on our account and we appear to be getting charged for items. Maybe other people were having a similar issue because the line was a hundred people deep easy. Walked right past that line and had my issue resolved in minutes. Then on the final sea day, I received nothing in my room for Priority debarkation, so I had to go see them for that. Again the line was enormous as it often is on the last sea day. 

[hillbillycruisers]

1 hour ago, asalligo said:

 

We have not cruised Carnival without FTTF since it was started in what 2016/2017. I questioned having it on this last cruise though as it cost $149, but we still bought it. First there was early entry into the terminal, early boarding and straight to your room to drop off luggage which was so nice. Especially since I saw that people coming in were being routed to zone E for boarding. Zone E, that is just so far behind so many people. Let me take a sniff of my smelling salts, ok better.

 

Then I thought I would not need to go to guest services, but on day one we found that no FTTF sticker was on our cards, so we went and had that fixed. On day two we realize that none of our OBC is appearing on our account and we appear to be getting charged for items. Maybe other people were having a similar issue because the line was a hundred people deep easy. Walked right past that line and had my issue resolved in minutes. Then on the final sea day, I received nothing in my room for Priority debarkation, so I had to go see them for that. Again the line was enormous as it often is on the last sea day. 

A couple cruises ago, I had to go to guest services. I had FTTF, so didn't have to wait in the line twenty something deep. There was no one at the priority window, so I just went to it, waiting for one of the counter peeps to get free. A man at the back of the line hollered at me " Hey Buddy...the line ends here! " ... and pointed behind him. I just ignored him...and he said it a second time. About this time, one of the counter guys came over to help me...and as he was looking up my account on the computer, I glanced over at the guy. He was visibly upset. I was taken care of in less than a minute or two...while the regular line barely moved at all. As I walked away, the guy said to me..." Well...ain't you special!! "....Just one more reason I love FTTF.

[SmoothFlying]

1 hour ago, hillbillycruisers said:

I just ignored him...and he said it a second time. About this time, one of the counter guys came over to help me...and as he was looking up my account on the computer, I glanced over at the guy. He was visibly upset. I was taken care of in less than a minute or two...while the regular line barely moved at all. As I walked away, the guy said to me..." Well...ain't you special!! "....Just one more reason I love FTTF.

You could have handled this situation with the gentleman 2 ways:

 

1) As you slowly walked away from the counter just quietly say 'Are YOU a plat VIP member ? If he nods, then say 'Well, we plats get 'SPECIAL' treatment, at Guest Services, soooo GO stand at the windw !". Or:

 

2) IF he shakes his head no, Simply smile and say ' Wel, keep cruising Carnival, believe me we ALL have been where you're standing now and those days will finally build up and then YOU will been 'special' enough too stand at the Plat/Diamond window'. And then slowly give him a salute , a smile and stroll away.

Mac

[Eli_6]

Yes, and yes.  I saw it still for sale on my most recent cruise a few days before debark. Not sure exactly when they stopped selling it. With that said, I just got off of a cruise where I had purchased FTTF. I had purchased FTTF in the past for cruises prior to Covid. I felt like it was worth it back then. I no longer feel that way.  Every ship and port is probably different, but I felt like I got very little benefit for it on my recent cruise out of Galveston on the Breeze given the way things were ran at the port and with debark.

[Eli_6]

Actually, I will say that the ONLY real benefit I can see out of FTTF is the shorter line at guest services. I forgot about that detail because we never needed GS on our cruise...but the regular line for GS was always ridiculously long.  

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

And if there is availability, more will pop up closer to the sailing (a month or so out). It depends on the number of diamond and platinum guests on a sailing to how many FTTF passes are actually sold. 

[Pellaz]

19 hours ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

And if there is availability, more will pop up closer to the sailing (a month or so out). It depends on the number of diamond and platinum guests on a sailing to how many FTTF passes are actually sold. 

 

Slots often open up right after final payment is due and people's reservations are cancelled.  I've acquired FTTF that way once, but usually we book early and we're Johnny-on-the-spot in purchasing FTTF.   

For my October cruise, I finally turn platinum, but my two cabinmates will not.   We'll all be able to board early, but they would not get access to the shorter line at Guest Services AFAIK, so they opted to purchase FTTF for the cabin anyway.  

[cooncat_mom]

Just wondering - when you look to purchase FTTF, does it show up up in its own category in the Cruise Manager or is it under one of the other categories? We’ll probably purchase it if it opens up on our sailing (although I’m more impressed with Royal’s The Key which includes WiFi and an embarkation lunch in the MDR).  

[kelkel2]

48 minutes ago, cooncat_mom said:

Just wondering - when you look to purchase FTTF, does it show up up in its own category in the Cruise Manager or is it under one of the other categories? We’ll probably purchase it if it opens up on our sailing (although I’m more impressed with Royal’s The Key which includes WiFi and an embarkation lunch in the MDR).  

I think it’s technically listed as a shore excursion. 

[ShakyBeef]

2 hours ago, cooncat_mom said:

Just wondering - when you look to purchase FTTF, does it show up up in its own category in the Cruise Manager or is it under one of the other categories? We’ll probably purchase it if it opens up on our sailing (although I’m more impressed with Royal’s The Key which includes WiFi and an embarkation lunch in the MDR).  

 

It's listed as a Shore Excursion for the Embarkation Port.

[cooncat_mom]

Thanks Kelkel2 and ShakyBeef.  I’ll keep looking!

[pinklucky61]

It also shows under categories' drop menu.

[beray0611]

The Hubby has a CPAP machine, so we purchase FTTF primarily to get early cabin access to put it away.  God forbid something happens to that machine and I have to spend several sleepless nights listening to him snore!  

[reeinaz]

On 2/7/2023 at 4:35 AM, mz-s said:

Only priority guests should be in the cabin corridors until rooms are ready. So no, not everybody can drop off luggage early.

 

Most likely nobody is going to stop you if you drop off your luggage even if you’re not priority. It’s up to each individual guest’s morality.

Also, if your room isn't ready yet, you wont be able to enter because you won't have a key.