Getting to Platinum status

[Chris41]

I know this will probably start a big argument but that is not my intention.

A good friend of mine and I were just talking about the Platinum perks and the rules of getting to that reward status. Here is my problem with the way carnival does the reward program and he agrees with me that some things could be changed. His wife has just completed her 10th 3 day cruise. This adds up to 30 days of cruising with Carnival. I will have 31 days of cruising with Carnival when I complete my Med cruise in Aug. I however will have many more cruises to take before I get to Platinum status myself. Is it just us that feels that the system could be redone to account for days cruising instead of how many times one has boarded a ship?

[DGP1111]

It won't actually 'start' an argument as much as it will continue what has already been discussed quite a bit. There is no method that will please all, and CCL seems to have chosen one path, and continues to follow it.

[Wennfred]

Three 3 day cruises per year will get you there in no time. Thats the way Carnival has it instead of acutal days so take advantage of it. Will see you there at the VIP check-in.

 

I have over 1000 days at sea from the Navy not including my Carnival Cruises should I get Captains Perks?

 

 

 

Fred

[Sandgnat]

It is much easier for us that live near a port to become Platinum. I have only flew to one cruise, Alaska. It is the way Carnival decided to make it's perks and I don't think they will change it.

[firefly333]

You might want to try Princess instead if this is an issue, they have an either/or type deal, either so many cruises or so many days of cruising.

 

The platinum perks to me arent worth fussing over, I have two Carnival cruises from before Carnival lost their records about 1990, that I moved and threw away all my keepsakes, how about that, should I be upset I cant get credit for two cruises?? Would it help get me more credit?? rolf!!! Some things are just how they are, accept them and move on if you cant change them.

[toad455]

YEAH!! I turn platimun on my cruise in January on board the Legend!! YEAH!!

[firefly333]

Three 3 day cruises per year will get you there in no time. Thats the way Carnival has it instead of acutal days so take advantage of it. Will see you there at the VIP check-in.

 

Fred

 

OP Fred has a good idea, instead of booking a 7 day, book a B2B2B, three days and get there much fast for about the same cost to cruise.

[Sandgnat]

YEAH!! I turn platimun on my cruise in January on board the Legend!! YEAH!!

Welcome to the group. It is a fun group to belong to.

[Top-Cat]

Three 3 day cruises per year will get you there in no time. Thats the way Carnival has it instead of acutal days so take advantage of it. Will see you there at the VIP check-in.

 

I have over 1000 days at sea from the Navy not including my Carnival Cruises should I get Captains Perks?

 

 

 

Fred

 

 

OK Fred. You get Captain's perks :D . Were two away. I can't wait!

[CruzVinnieCruz]

I know this will probably start a big argument but that is not my intention.

A good friend of mine and I were just talking about the Platinum perks and the rules of getting to that reward status. Here is my problem with the way carnival does the reward program and he agrees with me that some things could be changed. His wife has just completed her 10th 3 day cruise. This adds up to 30 days of cruising with Carnival. I will have 31 days of cruising with Carnival when I complete my Med cruise in Aug. I however will have many more cruises to take before I get to Platinum status myself. Is it just us that feels that the system could be redone to account for days cruising instead of how many times one has boarded a ship?

 

 

The system Carnival uses baffles me also. I would never pick a hotel rewards club based on the number of reservations made instead of the number of nights stayed. Same with a car rental rewards club based on reservations instead of days rented.

 

The current system just seems flawed in the fact it is biased toward cruisers who have the ability to take more short cruises over those who take longer cruises. I say just pick a number of nights to achieve platinum and however one chooses to get there so be it.

 

Just my opinion.

[Wennfred]

Don't think that Carnival isn't smart, once you hit Platinum they got ya! So the sooner the better.

 

 

Fred

[Bandman]

This is an argument with many sides. I am a teacher and can only cruise during the expensive times of the year. I could take 2 cruises in the Fall for what I pay in the summer. Kind of a bummer. I book balcony cabins while others only book inside guarantees. I pay for my two kids to cruise with us --meaning instantly more money for the Carnival Photog department. Others cruise alone.

 

There are so many sides to this that, as someone said, no solution would be agreeable to everyone. So, we all are in the same boat(ha, ha) - Carnival has set the rules and that's that.

[CruiseCentric]

Yes, this topic comes up about once a month.

 

Some want it based on days sailed or money spent on cabin or money spent on ship. I think Carnival is happy with saying "A cruise is a cruise."

[StrangeBrew]

86' the Moose -88' the Santa B , plus many many many other deployments even to Cuba , do I get Captains Perks as well ? Anyway, am I wrong in saying who cares about platinum ? Your on a cruise enjoy it , who cares how many one has been on , Wennfred and I as well as others have been to more countries than most of the people who are platinum will ever get to see , just enjoy the fact that when you cruise ,you are not working your way to pay it , It is more fun this way , beds are better as well.

[CruiseCentric]

86' the Moose -88' the Santa B , plus many many many other deployments even to Cuba , do I get Captains Perks as well ? Anyway, am I wrong in saying who cares about platinum ? Your on a cruise enjoy it , who cares how many one has been on , Wennfred and I as well as others have been to more countries than most of the people who are platinum will ever get to see , just enjoy the fact that when you cruise ,you are not working your way to pay it , It is more fun this way , beds are better as well.

 

Well of course people care(although Im not one of them)..I see you have 3 cruises listed in your siggy, so they must be there for a reason.

[StrangeBrew]

I guess in that way I am following everyone else's lead . If I ever make platinum, I'll be glad to give some else the perks. I prefer to do my own laundry, and I already get the best perk of all, the free drinks at the capt's party as well as past guest , so in that, I am estatic .

[Chris41]

I wouldn't stop cruising because of the way carnival does thier reward program. I was just wondering how others looked at it. I know people that think because they fly more often than me they should get better perks but the airlines choose to do it by miles flown instead of how many times you got on thier plane. If I was really worried about it I would have my wife drive the 20 minutes to Port Canaveral every other weekend and cruise but she doesn't like to go without me. Like I said I was just wondering how others viewed the subject. Have a great day\night and Happy Sailing

[Bases5]

Remember Carnival dident have a past guest program all that long ago.

Anything is better than nothing,

RCI does it the same way but they do give you 2 credits for a suite

[pungo3]

Frankly, I'm just glad Carnival offers the "Platinum" incentive. I have 76 days of sailing and I'm not Platinum until my next cruise. I don't care that someone can get Platinum with 30 days of cruising (10 - 3 day cruises). I will definitely enjoy the VIP embarkation and I will use the free laundry. I paid for laundry on my last cruise and they did a wonderful job. I was quite impressed. It looked like even the socks had been ironed. Yes, I know it's only wash/dry but our cabin steward was wonderful and everything looked like it had been ironed as well as washed. I wish I could take him on all my future cruises.:D

[popsec]

Three 3 day cruises per year will get you there in no time. Thats the way Carnival has it instead of acutal days so take advantage of it. Will see you there at the VIP check-in.

 

I have over 1000 days at sea from the Navy not including my Carnival Cruises should I get Captains Perks?

 

 

 

Fred

 

We did a B2B2B on the Fascination and that helped move us on our way to Platinum. We'd also done some 8 day cruises. BUT, we had to fly down to FL so it doesn't make sense to us to just do a short cruise. With airfare on the rise, we look at either longer cruises or B2B cruises.

[LHP]

Our family of four were already Platinum before all this stuff started....

 

But since Carnival had almost 20 years of cruises with no records to back them up, before they started this program....how else could they have done it?

 

It is hard enough to prove a cruise from 1972 much less prove how many days it was or how much money you spent on it.

 

For the price of Carnival cruises and the amount of perks you do (which I do feel is in line)....this system works fine.

 

"Days at sea" still would not be fair to folks who book Suites as opposed to interiors....those who book in June as opposed to January....and those who drink and gamble more than the price of the cruise as opposed to those who do neither.

 

It is the best system for their situation of starting the program almost 20 years after they started the company.

[popsec]

Frankly, I'm just glad Carnival offers the "Platinum" incentive. I have 76 days of sailing and I'm not Platinum until my next cruise. I don't care that someone can get Platinum with 30 days of cruising (10 - 3 day cruises). I will definitely enjoy the VIP embarkation and I will use the free laundry. I paid for laundry on my last cruise and they did a wonderful job. I was quite impressed. It looked like even the socks had been ironed. Yes, I know it's only wash/dry but our cabin steward was wonderful and everything looked like it had been ironed as well as washed. I wish I could take him on all my future cruises.:D

 

I thought the wash and fold service was awesome....wish I could fold laundry and have it look that nice!

[big_duck]

I think Carnival is well aware of how easy it is to get Platinum on Carnival which is why there isn't much "value" in the perks, especially compared to some other lines.

 

Everything the "give" you costs Carnival nothing, or very little.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Previous threads related to this topic... (even with the search feature, sometimes it's not easy to locate old threads) :

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=782071

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=782862

 

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

Carnival created a past guest number for them, giving them credit for the 87 cruises, and of course all cruises since.

 

WOW - 87 cruises.... that's A LOT!

 

;) :D

 

Tom