Faster to the Fun

[Aubriee01]

I just bought the Faster to the Fun pass (FTTF) for our September cruise.  Is it worth it?  Also when might it be available for our January cruise?

[momof3cruisers]

Depends on what you want it for. Do you have any tender ports at which you aren’t going on a Carnival excursion? Do you have an early flight on the day you disembark? Do you really hate dealing with your carryons the first day?

[Aubriee01]

15 minutes ago, momof3cruisers said:

Depends on what you want it for. Do you have any tender ports at which you aren’t going on a Carnival excursion? Do you have an early flight on the day you disembark? Do you really hate dealing with your carryons the first day?

All excursions are through Carnival and we are driving.  We do hate dealing with carryons though.  I bought it mainly to avoid the long lines at embarkation and debarkation.  My husband hates waiting in long lines.  Is FTTF worth it just for that though?

Edited May 4, 2023 by Aubriee01

[BoozinCroozin]

All FTTF really gets you is on the ship about 15 minutes faster than if you get the earliest arrival time. About the same if you have to debark the fastest. If lines are the issue, decide if arriving at 12:00 - 12:30 and debarking at say 8:30AM is worth the cost. In the end, that is about all of the benefit there is.

[latebloomer56]

Didn't look at this that way we arrive later in the day. What does this cost anyway?

Thanks

[Rudyard]

It's also worth it if you need to visit Guest Services. The normal line for non-priority guests can get long at times. The priority line on  the other hand is usually much shorter or have no line at all. 

[jsglow]

5 hours ago, Aubriee01 said:

All excursions are through Carnival and we are driving.  We do hate dealing with carryons though.  I bought it mainly to avoid the long lines at embarkation and debarkation.  My husband hates waiting in long lines.  Is FTTF worth it just for that though?

That's such a personal decision.  Honestly, if the long lines associated with moving thousands of people are the primary reason AND you are driving I'd personally not get FttF and simply plan to arrive at the port something like 1pm on embarkation day.  You'll literally walk onto the ship and practically proceed directly to your cabin to drop off your bags.

 

And for the way home, just hang out up on Lido with your luggage until most of the ship clears.

 

No need to pay Carnival extra.  Just zig when most are zagging.

[Aubriee01]

2 hours ago, latebloomer56 said:

Didn't look at this that way we arrive later in the day. What does this cost anyway?

Thanks

$129.95

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

FTTF was much more worth it before they started with the arrival times (and it was a lot cheaper too). Back then, half the ship arrived at 10am, and FTTF allowed you to completely get to the front of the line. 

 

Since arrival times, even the busiest time slots aren't too bad.  FTTF will still get you a shorter line, but not as much as a difference. 

 

 

[mz-s]

Just now, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

FTTF was much more worth it before they started with the arrival times (and it was a lot cheaper too). Back then, half the ship arrived at 10am, and FTTF allowed you to completely get to the front of the line. 

 

Since arrival times, even the busiest time slots aren't too bad.  FTTF will still get you a shorter line, but not as much as a difference. 

 

Yeah now that the lines aren't as bad and you don't even get your stateroom early anymore, I don't see why anybody would pay for it at today's prices.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

42 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Yeah now that the lines aren't as bad and you don't even get your stateroom early anymore, I don't see why anybody would pay for it at today's prices.

1. Tender ports, if you have an early, independent, excursion

2. Lots of carry ons that you really want/need to drop off, like medical equipment is probably better off left in the cabin than carried around the ship. And, if your group has a bunch of cabins, only 1 needs to get FTTF, but all can drop off their carry ons into the one cabin.

[wemjam]

Only you can decide if it is money well spent.  If you fully understand all the benefits, and the price seems reasonable to you, then yes it is worth it.

 

You are going to get opinions on both sides (which you already have) because everyone is different as to what they think money being spent on is worth.  😁

 

The better question to ask yourself is why did you buy it?  Is there a particular benefit(s) you felt were worth it?  

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by wemjam

[shortyjoesmith]

I loved FTTF when it rolled out. You were able to get on early, your stateroom was ready, priority Guest Services, priority tendering. That was all for $49 per cabin. So I decided that since my room wouldn't be ready until 1:30 and I had no tender excursions, I didn't need to spend the money. Cue massive regrets. Our group drives to our port. This was the first time I had an aft cabin (it was recommended and I loved it). Half of our car group were in the first muster station to be called to debark. I was in the last one. Include that with the fact that I have always sailed with a birth certificate (I already have my passport application prepped), my friends waited at the car for 2 1/2 hours for me to get off. If I had just parted with the $129, I would have been home at least 2 hours earlier. They were super gracious and gave me no grief at all but I still felt terrible. So, since I love sailing aft, I will be getting the FTTF if I can until I hit Platinum.

[mmtska]

We had FTTF on Mardi Gras, and even thought we showed up later than I wanted to (Thanks traffic) it still was helpful on disembarkation, and was a life saver when it came to guest services. Since we have a CPAP, medicine and carry-on soda (I'm a Coke Zero addict and I can't stand Pepsi) the drop off was worth the money too. Sometimes time is worth the cost. Not lugging around our bags was worth it for us too. If we were planning on getting on after 1:30, then i wouldn't get it. This was the first time that we needed guest services more than once too. Every time we just walked up and the other line was looooong.

[Aubriee01]

10 hours ago, Aubriee01 said:

All excursions are through Carnival and we are driving.  We do hate dealing with carryons though.  I bought it mainly to avoid the long lines at embarkation and debarkation.  My husband hates waiting in long lines.  Is FTTF worth it just for that though?

Oh we also will have two CPAP machines we'll need to drop off in the room.  Really don't want to carry them around till 1:30.

[mmtska]

4 minutes ago, Aubriee01 said:

Oh we also will have two CPAP machines we'll need to drop off in the room.  Really don't want to carry them around till 1:30.

For me, that would make it worth it alone. 

[mz-s]

2 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

1. Tender ports, if you have an early, independent, excursion

2. Lots of carry ons that you really want/need to drop off, like medical equipment is probably better off left in the cabin than carried around the ship. And, if your group has a bunch of cabins, only 1 needs to get FTTF, but all can drop off their carry ons into the one cabin.

 

Tender ports is really it - and that's assuming you're unable to go down and get an early tender ticket on your own for some reason, because if I had medical equipment to carry on I would personally just wait to board until cabins are ready anyway at 1:30.

 

But it's everyone's decision to make for themselves.

 

To me it's just a profit center for Carnival and provides very little actual benefit to the customer. But everyone sees these things differently I recognize.

[wemjam]

9 minutes ago, Aubriee01 said:

Oh we also will have two CPAP machines we'll need to drop off in the room.  Really don't want to carry them around till 1:30.

Just remember, the doors are wide open to the room (and please don't close it) because they are still cleaning.  So anything you drop in your room is "unsecured"

[Italy52]

Newbie to Carnival.  When is Faster To Fun available for purchase in relation to our booking?

[Lee Cruiser]

Is it worth it?  Really depends on whether you think it's worth $150 to get on the ship 20-30 minutes quicker and be able to drop off your carry-ons in your room, have priority tender (only at a few ports), have a special line at guests services (we rarely go to guest services,  probably five times in over 20 cruises) and getting off the ship 30 minutes or so sooner.

For us, it would absolutely not be worth it!  Back when it started it was $50 and your stateroom was ready when you boarded, it was worth it.  Now ridiculously expensive for what you get!

[Thenagers]

I wrote a review of Faster to Fun on my Mardis Gras spring break cruise. I loved Faster to fun Pre Covid on horizon and Glory. Both had tender ports, room was ready at embarkation and our luggage was pretty early. On the recent Mardis Gras cruise we saw little benefits besides guest services line? Our friends without it boarded maybe 10 minutes after us and their luggage arrived before ours? We boarded at 11 and our luggage didn’t make until almost sail away? Most of our hall had theirs before us? Dropping off luggage was fine but not sure the room was cleaned well in the rush? We didn’t have a tender port this time and priority debarking didn’t matter because we carried off our luggage. Definitely not worth $149. I believe we paid $109 on Horizon in 2019 and felt we got our money’s worth? 

[Drazil65]

Whenever we purchased in the past it was to board earlier (we like to enjoy most of the first day on the ship) AND because we generally drive to ports, we used it to debark as early as possible to get back on road home.  We also have used it to get early tender a couple of times when we needed to as well and dropping off our carry on items.  

 

Its personal and only you can decide if it is important enough to enhance your cruise.  

[momof4boys]

We love FTTF.  Almost every cruise something happens that we have to go to the guests service desk.  If you do....you get to go to the side that is diamond, platinum, and FTTF and it has always been much shorter.  (Once my son's credit card was breached on embarkation day.  It wasn't the card he was using, but they let him use their satellite phone several times to rectify this issue.   He was so glad we all had FTTF.)  You never know why you might need this service.

[Italy52]

I am amazed at all the responses about Faster To Fun as obviously people are using this service.  I am a newbie to Carnival and asked the question as to when we could purchase this perk (30 days out, 60 days out???) and yet I can't seem to get a response.  Is there some where I can?  Thank you in advance.

[pinto18]

Not worth it for that price...We are platinum now but havent noticed a huge difference waiting in "special " line at guest services. Tender ports not a biggie and we are usually not in a hurry. Luggage is not delivered any earlier...its a crap shoot.