OK, I'm Stupid. Is FTTF Really Worth It?

[cruizinisthebest]

Personally, I wouldn't do it unless I had something like a wedding onboard I was attending or if maybe I had a super cranky toddler, who waiting was impractical for their mood.

 

Wedding parties board first before anyone. So unless I wanted the other perks, there's no need if part of a wedding.

 

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[JABrown104]

:DThank you for the quick response!! This seems really beneficial!

Faster to the Fun has been rolled out in the following home ports:

 

¨ Baltimore

¨ Charleston

¨ Fort Lauderdale

¨ Galveston

¨ Jacksonville

¨ Long Beach

¨ Miami

¨ New Orleans

¨ New York

¨ Port Canaveral

¨ San Juan

¨ Seattle

¨ Tampa

 

Want to squeeze every minute of fun out of your vacation? You can with our Faster to the Fun package. With this package, you get an express lane to the FUN (and yes, FASTER!). Here’s what it includes:

 

Priority Security, Check-in and Express Boarding

Bypass lines and have exclusive security screening lanes. If you arrive after general boarding has begun, you may bypass the general boarding line and board via the Faster to the Fun lane. The quicker you are on the ship, the quicker you get to hold a frosty drink.

 

First Access to Stateroom

Your stateroom will be ready for you as soon as you board so you can relax or freshen up for all the fun you are about to have.

 

Express Luggage

Your luggage will be expedited to your stateroom so you can unpack and don your cruise attire first!

 

Guest Services

Quickly have any of your questions answered or requests addressed as you will have a dedicated phone and line at Guest Services.

Dining Reservations

Priority Main Dining Room and Specialty Restaurant reservations

 

Tender Priority

You will have priority tender from ship to shore (multiple departure times may be possible) so you can explore ashore as quickly as you want to.

 

Debarkation Choices

We are always sad to see you go. But when your cruise is over, you may choose an early or late disembarkation time upon arrival to your homeport.

Things to Remember

§ The FTTF price is not per person. One ticket per cabin. The $49.95 price covers all occupants of the cabin so only 1 guest needs to purchase but all occupants receive the benefits.

§ After purchasing FTTF package, remind guests to re-print their boarding pass and luggage tags so the Faster to Fun stamp reflects on their documents.

§ FTTF can only be purchased pre-cruise on Carnival.com; no al a carte services can be purchased onboard.

§ The embarkation process typically begins at approximately 11:00am. FTTF guests may arrive at the terminal at that time or any time thereafter.

 

A Few Facts on Faster to the Fun!

§ Platinum and Diamond VIFP Club members and Suite guests will be the only guests to have access to the Priority Check-In Lounge at embarkation, just as they are today. FTTF guests will not have this benefit, so embarkation will not be impacted in the Priority Check-In Lounge.

§ Similar to airlines boarding first class and then elite frequent flyers, etc., we will start with Diamond, Platinum VIFP Club members and Suite guests when embarkation begins. Then we will board FTTF guests.

§ The number of people who may purchase FTTF will be capacity controlled based upon the number of Platinum and Diamond VIFP Club members booked for the sailing. If a sailing has a significant number of Platinum and Diamond VIFP Club members, then we won’t plan to sell many FTTF packages. Conversely, if there are very few Platinum and Diamond VIFP Club members on a particular sailing, then we will be able to sell a few more FTTF packages.

 

In a Nutshell:

§ Early embarkation and choice of early or late debarkation: FTTF gets this after Platinum and Diamond guests and those in Suites.

§ Priority Tender: FTTF gets this after Platinum and Diamond guests.

§ Early Stateroom and Express Luggage Delivery – Platinum and Diamond guests and FTTF all get this benefit. This is a new benefit for Platinum and Diamond guests!

§ Priority Dinner Seating – FTTF gets cleared after Platinum guests; Diamond guests are guaranteed their dining preference.

[Tacosha]

I believe you used the term first sweetie. Not me. I plan to enjoy every portion of my cruise. Every bit that I paid for. It doesn't matter where the services are offered during the cruise experience. If you want it, get it. If you don't, then don't take issue with those who did.

 

AMEN! I plan to enjoy every minute of mine also! Happy Cruising! :)

[PhxRain]

I went ahead and bought it for our 2 cabins (DH, Mom, DS16, DD12 & myself) on our upcoming Alaska cruise and this is why we decided to try it out:

 

My Mom cannot walk long distances or stand for long periods of time before her leg starts to hurt, then the pain lasts long after she has gotten off of it. So getting her onboard ASAP is worth it.

 

We have a teen & a pre-teen. I don't think anymore explination is needed on that matter. :D

 

We have a tender is Sitka which was NOT even a big deal for us because we were just going to casually walk & ride the bus around town for a few hours

BUT THEN

Carnival changed the itinerary for our cruise & gave us 9 hours(4 more than before) in Sitka, so...... I went ahead and scheduled us on a shore excursion not through Carnival and I didn't have to worry about tender lines when scheduling our tour because I remembered, "We have FTTF!"

 

Now if my Mom weren't with us, I would not have thought about FTTF.

[jaxcruiser23]

I believe FTTF is unfair to Platinum and diamond cruisers as Carnival obviously cares more about every dime they can squeeze out of us than loyal long time cruisers.

[Tacosha]

I believe FTTF is unfair to Platinum and diamond cruisers as Carnival obviously cares more about every dime they can squeeze out of us than loyal long time cruisers.

 

I understand what you are saying...but Platinum and Diamond cruisers still take priority (as it should be) over the FTTF...and the more Platinum and Diamond cruisers that are booked on a cruise...the less FTTF passes there are available for sale on that particular cruise.

 

Congrats on your Platinum status...by the way! Perhaps one day I'll get there...although I have a very long way to go! :)

Edited April 26, 2014 by Tacosha

[sassy0930]

We got it an we enjoyed it greatly! Our cruise had two tender ports (Grand Cayman and Belize) and we were on the first tender each time. We were on the Glory and while there are reports of some ships not bothering with priority tendering in Grand Cayman, that wasn't the case for us. When we were ready to go, we went to the guest services desk and said we were ready to go ashore and she radioed to someone in the elevator to escort us. The longest part of the whole process was waiting for the woman working at guest services to finish with the passenger she was helping so she could take care of us.

 

We also really liked getting on the ship among the first group of people. In Miami when the called Platinum and Diamond the woman working the line specifically asked us to wait, because we had FTTF not platinum or Diamond, so I would say that those groups did not get jilted, in that respect, by the FTTF folks. They still received preferential treatment over the rest of the passengers.

[francina]

I never thought about purchasing this feature until I read all the post. I think just to be able to put your bags down in your room it is well worth it. Especially when you have a baby with you.

 

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[dlanesman]

Just to avoid the nasty comments I admit upfront I'm stupid. :p

 

Now to the question, is FTTF really worth it? What does it get you? Do I buy one ticket for the cabin or one ticket for each passenger?

 

Just got back from a 7 day cruise on the Glory. We used FTTF for the 2 cabins in our party. Here is my experience: The security check in was queued outside the terminal. Once we entered the terminal, we asked if there was a line for FTTF. We immediately went to a "new" line with one person in front of us. This saved us about an hour to an hour and half in line. Then we went to the area to receive our Sail and Sign cards. Once again, a packed house! We saw a Carnival Rep and looked at her and said "Faster to the Fun" and POOF! We were at the front of the line again. This probably saved us an additional hour and a half.

On our cruise, we had 2 tender ports...Belize and Grand Caymans. We just walked up to the dedicated Platinum/Diamond/FTTF Guest Services line and they walked us right to the tender. The only thing it doesn't help you with is getting back on board the tender to get back on the ship.

Is it worth it? You betcha! (especially with tender ports)\

Edited April 26, 2014 by dlanesman

[Linda the Book Lover]

Just got back from a 7 day cruise on the Glory. We used FTTF for the 2 cabins in our party. Here is my experience: The security check in was queued outside the terminal. Once we entered the terminal, we asked if there was a line for FTTF. We immediately went to a "new" line with one person in front of us. This saved us about an hour to an hour and half in line. Then we went to the area to receive our Sail and Sign cards. Once again, a packed house! We saw a Carnival Rep and looked at her and said "Faster to the Fun" and POOF! We were at the front of the line again. This probably saved us an additional hour and a half.

On our cruise, we had 2 tender ports...Belize and Grand Caymans. We just walked up to the dedicated Platinum/Diamond/FTTF Guest Services line and they walked us right to the tender. The only thing it doesn't help you with is getting back on board the tender to get back on the ship.

Is it worth it? You betcha! (especially with tender ports)\

 

The more I read about about other cruisers experience the happier I am that my DD said let's get FTTF even for our short cruise. Faster to Serenity! :)

Edited April 26, 2014 by Linda the Book Lover

[dljones]

Just got back from a 7 day cruise on the Glory. We used FTTF for the 2 cabins in our party. Here is my experience: The security check in was queued outside the terminal. Once we entered the terminal, we asked if there was a line for FTTF. We immediately went to a "new" line with one person in front of us. This saved us about an hour to an hour and half in line. Then we went to the area to receive our Sail and Sign cards. Once again, a packed house! We saw a Carnival Rep and looked at her and said "Faster to the Fun" and POOF! We were at the front of the line again. This probably saved us an additional hour and a half.

On our cruise, we had 2 tender ports...Belize and Grand Caymans. We just walked up to the dedicated Platinum/Diamond/FTTF Guest Services line and they walked us right to the tender. The only thing it doesn't help you with is getting back on board the tender to get back on the ship.

Is it worth it? You betcha! (especially with tender ports)\

 

"Holy Fun Time Batman!" I would say, you sure got your monies worth! Well, I never imagined this thread would get so much attention. But it sure is nice to know that it is money well spent. I haven't even told my partner I bought it yet. Maybe I will make a surprise! Cue evil laugh! Hehehehe.... :D

[fishtaco]

Some people like it because they go to the front of the line at guest services. Then they can cancel thier tips quickly.

 

Worth the $49.95 for some but sure others would still queue for the entire amount:D:D:D

[elainmir]

I haven't used it yet (June) but I believe it will be worth it. Hubby has back issues and sitting or standing for a long time hurts him , so I thought it'd be a considerate anniversary gift. I detest lines..so bypassing them will thrill me....looking forward to seeing how worth it this will be! ;)

[fishtaco]

why would someone bother doing that? even if they are totally disgruntled with dining room or whatever the case, why would they cancel tips that are meant for others.. weird

 

another interesting this i found out, as i mentioned earlier the person we had complaining about us and they refunded out suite, the room steward simply said how the guy and wife didnt go to the dining room etc etc anyway. he said he also removed his tips

 

He further advised, on their list, they have the people highlighted who remove their tips which is think is great if i were a steward and knew someone who removed my tips i would do the bare minimum! haha i love the fact that they know!

 

 

I have only cruised Carnival once with another in June this year so cant remember how it works on Carnival but on Royal Caribbean the steward can see who has removed tips by turning on the TV and looking at guest accounts while cleaning to see if they have removed grats! Some people wonder why there tv is on when they return to the cabin, this is so you can hear broadcasted emergency messages in the cabin but it serves another purpose;)

[Anak]

We bought once and it has it's advantages. We decided not to buy it this cruise because we have family comings a just decided we would all go as a group.

 

 

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[b_cruise]

So if i have anytime dining, would i get a table first if I purchased FTTF? (well behind platnum, etc.)

 

Also, do you think they would assign me a cabin asap (Ive booked a guarantee balcony) hahha..? I know this one is wishful thinking, but I was thinking they would need to know what cabin to clean quicker if I had FTTF.

 

I had to go back and correct punctuation as I have been "ripped" on here for having too many exclamation marks, hahah (so I know what some of you posters are talking about when some of the members are a bit harsh, lol)

Edited April 26, 2014 by b_cruise

[IPlayWithString]

I think it depends on the situation.

 

With us, we have a 10 yr old with multiple "hidden" special needs, including Asperger's. For us, we have discovered that FTTF is a must because it allows us to get onboard sooner and we can walk him around, getting him used to being onboard again and situated BEFORE the place gets crazy crowded or whatever.

[trvlgrl422]

So if i have anytime dining, would i get a table first if I purchased FTTF? (well behind platnum, etc.)

 

Also, do you think they would assign me a cabin asap (Ive booked a guarantee balcony) hahha..? I know this one is wishful thinking, but I was thinking they would need to know what cabin to clean quicker if I had FTTF.

 

I had to go back and correct punctuation as I have been "ripped" on here for having too many exclamation marks, hahah (so I know what some of you posters are talking about when some of the members are a bit harsh, lol)

 

I'm curious about the anytime dining time too. I purchased the FTTF this time. I'm hoping it's worth it.

[Linda the Book Lover]

I'm curious about the anytime dining time too. I purchased the FTTF this time. I'm hoping it's worth it.

 

Just a guess but the below description is from the Carnival Faster to the Fun package page. My guess it means you show up and you are placed in the wait line after any Platinum and Diamond diners and before passengers without FTTF. Like you, I am hoping someone with the experience will answer this one..better than my guessing LOL;)

 

Dining Reservations

Priority Main Dining Room and Specialty Restaurant reservations (excluding Your Time Dining).

Edited April 27, 2014 by Linda the Book Lover
Can't spell

[mudman1234]

Just back today from my cruise and first time using FTTF.

Here's my 2 cents. I think it's worth it if you are the type that gets to the port early, have a tender port or cant do self assist debarkation.

We bought it this time because we had a tender port. Not really sure I'd pull the trigger on purchasing FTTF again though. Maybe we had more of a relaxed crowd this time but I don't think it was a huge advantage over regular ticketed guests.

[Linda the Book Lover]

Just back today from my cruise and first time using FTTF.

Here's my 2 cents. I think it's worth it if you are the type that gets to the port early, have a tender port or cant do self assist debarkation.

We bought it this time because we had a tender port. Not really sure I'd pull the trigger on purchasing FTTF again though. Maybe we had more of a relaxed crowd this time but I don't think it was a huge advantage over regular ticketed guests.

 

Did you have anytime dining? If so did the FTTF make a difference?

[mudman1234]

Did you have anytime dining? If so did the FTTF make a difference?

 

We did have anytime dining. It made no difference at all. We had dinner for 7 every night at 6:30 and never waited but FTTF had no impact on that at all.

[bobsfamily]

I'm curious about the anytime dining time too. I purchased the FTTF this time. I'm hoping it's worth it.

FTTF, Platinum and Diamond DO NOT GET YOU TO THE FRONT of the line. When it first rolled out some ships misunderstood what it did and started putting the 3 groups ahead of anyone else. It quickly was revised because it never was to be that way and revolts almost happened on the ships that is was used for a very short period of time. When using ATD, you have no "cuts" to the front of the line.... well I guess the Captain does:eek:

[Linda the Book Lover]

FTTF, Platinum and Diamond DO NOT GET YOU TO THE FRONT of the line. When it first rolled out some ships misunderstood what it did and started putting the 3 groups ahead of anyone else. It quickly was revised because it never was to be that way and revolts almost happened on the ships that is was used for a very short period of time. When using ATD, you have no "cuts" to the front of the line.... well I guess the Captain does:eek:

 

Thanks...love your captain answer LOL

[hereisjohnny]

Funny how those who use the term "poor sport" are always the ones who got one over on the "poor sport". There's a diff between excursions off the ship and the facilities of the ship itself that everyone paid to enjoy. Have fun with your "I got on before you" pass. Just remember when someone wants to use any part of the ship that you're in first, that they paid for their cruise just as you did. :cool:

 

 

 

 

 

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