Cruise Critic Members Up in Arms Over Leaked Carnival Loyalty Program Changes

[CalgonCruiser]

With the new loyalty program we're in the middle. 47 out of 54 days at sea with Carnival. With not reaching the 10th cruise for platinum, opens all cruise lines as options for our next cruise. Guess we should've of booked 3 & 4 day B2Bs instead of 7 day cruises.

[geckog]

from Taylor tx

Dude, me too!

 

Also have 6th and 7th cruises booked this year......in July and October. Will likely have ten in next year, but now need at least five instead of three more.

[yogimax]

NCL's is rather useless. So is RCCLs. Only Princess has perks worth having. The 150 internet minutes is actually useful and is, in fact, a great perk.

 

Hogwash regarding your comment about RCCL. They also have free internet, in addition to multiple perks including balcony discounts, casino matchplay, etc..

 

Probably the biggest one, though, is the nightly event. Here on Carnival folks are clamoring for one party.

 

On RCCL, after approximately ten cruises, you are invited to a nightly 3 1/2 hour gathering. On some ships it will be complimentary wine, champage or soda. On ships with a Diamond Lounge, it will be complimentary mixed drinks, cocktails, wine, beer, hors d'oevres.

 

That is like a party every night on RCCL.

 

Your statement that RCCL's program is "useless" is pure drivel!

[wranglerguy]

I cruise not for the perks but for the fun and relaxation

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OIIIO

[Cactuscruise]

I am Platinum on Carnival and the so-called perks are nothing to get excited about. They're not what I cruise for. These changes don't bother me in the least. Certainly nothing to get worked up about.

[dclark]

I cruise not for the perks but for the fun and relaxation

 

OIIIO

 

Free nightly drinks/cocktails sounds pretty darn relaxing to me.

[PaulMedik]

 

NCL doubles your points if you book 6 months in advance and/or a suite

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Sharecruises,

 

Almost all of ours have been booked a couple of years in advance with some over three; double points would put us well past Diamond.

 

I also like the idea of reciprocity on sister brands; we cruise with our sons now, but in the future it would be nice to enjoy perks on Carnival's sister brands. Reciprocity would go a long way towards keeping the new cruisers they attract via Carnival within CCL corporate, but as it is now there's no reason not to venture out to other lines.

[carsastic]

Im not surprised at all with the recently “leaked” update to the loyalty program, nor am I upset that its quasi spokesman ( john heald) puffed up the program . Carnival cruise lines has made a conscious decision to drive behavior. And one would expect that its spokesman would do all he can to puff it up regardless of how it affected a certain percentage of the base base.

CCL is a major play in the cruise line industry, they own several brands at many different price points . Carnival is there budget brand, they gave outstanding value years back, they build up quite a base and went on a shopping spree for other brands .They have kept the rates very low and something had to give.. the line today has certainly moved to more of a ‘NCL” model IE more pay for services..its also tailored to more of the first time cruisers than to seasoned vets.

People ( mostly with multiple sailings/ close or at platinum ) are outraged, and were expecting more not less .. I found this to be strange as the seasoned ones should be the folks who have seen the changes ( ie cutbacks ) occur before the newbies. Almost as if well with all the changes / cutbacks there is no way that it will effect me , the loyal cust with a bazillion cruises with them ??

If they lose 75% of seasoned cruisers due to this change I highly doubt that it would effect the bottom line as the boat would sail full, and perhaps, just perhaps it would sail full with pax who buy, photos, excursions, sushi and god forbid cappuccino.

I would love to see Carnival now to announce a sister program much like RCL/X where status is portable, but not holding my breath as again their original targeted customer was the Budget traveler and not sure if the typical season carnival cruiser would transform to the targeted customer for their other brands.

Its a change , it’s a conscious decision with Im sure a good deal of number crunching to go with it.

BTW I’m platinum , still sail carnival but do most cruising on another line ..

[pe4all]

 

Maybe that is the British definition of brilliant- not the American definition ! :p (spelled correctly)

[golfadj]

Maybe that is the British definition of brilliant- not the American definition ! :p (spelled correctly)

 

Its one thing to spin but should have at least some basis of truth.

 

Getting nothing new and losing stuff makes me wonder how he can look in the mirror after saying this.

 

Oh well lets see what Monday will bring.

[cruzn buckeye]

I dont see Carnival making it so that you can transfer your status to one of their other lines.. simply because they have made so many cutbacks, so many changes to entertainment ( I mean really, how many of want to see the past guests playing 3 nights??) and so much of a difference in say , the dining room service, for passengers as well as the staff, that if they do this... many will take their "status" and cruise on another line...

I think their new program, if rolled out as leaked, is really good for... wait for it.. wait for it...

their competitors...

[golfadj]

It won't affect my cruises or cruising...but I am not thrilled. Not "up in arms" but just underwhelmed

 

all this talk, all this build up and then....pfffft

 

NCL and Royal both have really good perks Grandma btw

 

NCL doubles your points if you book 6 months in advance and/or a suite

I am not a suite type person but I do book in advance so that is good

 

Royal has the free drinks lounge deal....that is nice.

 

I am honestly more upset about the way they just stopped the Fun Farewell with NO warning

 

I believe NCL is double when you book 9 months in advance.

[Celandine]

Per day replacing per cruise is long overdue. Too many book short, even overnite, cruises simply to advance their standing. Princess needs to do the same.

 

Princess does count the sailed days and not number of cruises.

 

and they have as long as I've been dealing with them (over 2 years)

[pe4all]

I believe NCL is double when you book 9 months in advance.

I wish CCL would do this. We book at least 1 year out for all our cruises- sometimes 18 months out!

[golfadj]

I wish CCL would do this. We book at least 1 year out for all our cruises- sometimes 18 months out!

 

Normally we book about 4-6 months out but for our first NCL did it almost 1 year out.

 

Hard to plan that far out.

[Topo Gigio]

Disney has virtually no loyalty program. NCL's is rather useless. So is RCCLs. Only Princess has perks worth having. The 150 internet minutes is actually useful and is, in fact, a great perk.

 

Do your homework before you give wrong info here!

 

Being a diamond member with Royal Caribbean I can tell you they have the BEST loyalty program of the 7 seas!

[keishashadow]

I guess if you put a pencil to it , Disney might be the way to go..Never cruised them , but I hear they are well liked..

 

Disney's overall reputation for service precedes them, and they do fill the ships. IMO itineraries are nothing to write home about and they are oh so pricey. Carry on booze and free soda does help to take the edge off though;)

[SmogMonster]

Disney has virtually no loyalty program. NCL's is rather useless. So is RCCLs. Only Princess has perks worth having. The 150 internet minutes is actually useful and is, in fact, a great perk.

 

Have you looked at RCCL's program? It is actually quite extensive. "Useless" is a term that means different things to different people. Something might be useless to you but not others.

[halos]

I have a little bit different perspective on this.

 

Personally, I do not believe Carnival cruisers are as upset about the New Loyalty Programs, as they are about how badly Carnival misreprented it for the past 3 1/2 years.

 

True, no one wants to lose perks. However, had Carnival been upfront and straight forward all those years ago, you would not have seen this kind of outcry.

 

 

If someone makes promises, ( and yes all these promises are well documented) .... they should keep them.

 

I agree with you 100%.

This just wound up being the last straw for some.

 

I think you are right on target with this.

 

 

 

It won't affect my cruises or cruising...but I am not thrilled. Not "up in arms" but just underwhelmed

 

all this talk, all this build up and then....pfffft

 

 

Exactly....it's just another sign of piss-poor management.

 

~~~

I have never cruised for perks BUT if people do not understand why others that stand to lose out are upset, then those people just aren't thinking.

I think the loyalty thing absolutely needed to be revamped....but the changes should not have had a negative impact on CCL's more loyal customer base. It's INSANE.

[H82seaUgo]

I agree with you 100%.

This just wound up being the last straw for some.

 

I think you are right on target with this.

 

 

 

 

 

Exactly....it's just another sign of piss-poor management.

 

~~~

I have never cruised for perks BUT if people do not understand why others that stand to lose out are upset, then those people just aren't thinking.

I think the loyalty thing absolutely needed to be revamped....but the changes should not have had a negative impact on CCL's more loyal customer base. It's INSANE.

 

..and the damage is done, regardless how they end up spinning this.

[halos]

..and the damage is done, regardless how they end up spinning this.

 

Yes, some damage is done no matter what is released on the 11th because some people are turned off. Fortunatley for CCL, not many of their passengers are CC members.

[H82seaUgo]

Yes, some damage is done no matter what is released on the 11th because some people are turned off. Fortunatley for CCL, not many of their passengers are CC members.

 

but they are the most vocal, even taking cruise advice off line, in, egads :eek:, face to face situations.

 

my spouting off, vocally, about how good ccl is, has gotten quite constipated in recent years.

[djwood24]

but they are the most vocal, even taking cruise advice off line, in, egads :eek:, face to face situations.

 

my spouting off, vocally, about how good ccl is, has gotten quite constipated in recent years.

 

Agree 100%...word of mouth is any company`s best advertising

[cruisercrazy69]

Just curious are you on the Carnival payroll?

" I know nothing " sgt schultz

 

any hogans heroes episode LOL

[cruisercrazy69]

Princess does count the sailed days and not number of cruises.

 

and they have as long as I've been dealing with them (over 2 years)

Princess does both the figure 10 days a cruise

it is possible to become elite after 5 days at sea by booking 5 1 night cruises solo in a full suite between seattle and vancouver