New Carnival Inc Marketing Program

[sunsetbeachgal]

Celebrity does something along this line. They give points based on cabin type, not actual dollars spent. I know Princess gives extra credit for full suites vs. other categories, but X has a point value assigned to each cabin type, insides to suites.

 

And Holland America gives additional loyalty credit for on board spending (which I seem to think RC does also). On our recent HAL cruise in Europe I ended up with five additional days credit for on board spending, even though a lot of it involved spending my very sizeable on board credit from HAL!

Edited November 20, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[Cruise Junky]

I apoligize. I meant to say when Carnival changed their program. Princess is still based on cruises.

 

Princess is based on both. You get elite at either 15+ cruises or 150 days.

[cruzsnooze]

It's way to easy to get to elite on Princess, I hope they raise the threshold to 20 or 25 cruises or 175 nights. It's not hard to get a lot of points with the way the give away double points.

Edited November 20, 2014 by cruzsnooze

[dchip]

We will be very interested in how this pans out. We are planning to book a 35 day cruise with HAL in 2016. We decided to go for the itinerary we wanted and give up Elite perks we have on Princess. We are 2 star Mariners on HAL but their loyalty program doesn't come close to Princess.

 

Cheers, Denise

[Loonbeam]

It's really going to come down to one decision, flat, concurrent or shared independent, the article doesn't say which one..

 

Flat means all lines under the CCL brand will share the same policy and benefits and earning criteria will standardize. I think this is probably the long-term play.

 

Concurrent means that each line will maintain a separate program but some standardized benefits/rules/etc will cross all lines (for example, they could standardized tier names, and a 'gold' tier would get you full benefits on your home line, but a lesser set of gold benefits on others (think airline alliance like OneWorld.) I'd say this is the most likely mid-term scenario, in preparation for a slow move to flat, but that is only my opinion.

 

Independent is what they have now, so based on article not likely to be the long term future state.

[Ethel5]

It's way to easy to get to elite on Princess, I hope they raise the threshold to 20 or 25 cruises or 175 nights. It's not hard to get a lot of points with the way the give away double points.

 

They "give away" double points because we solos pay double!!

[Iamcruzin]

If only I lived in Florida. I could load up on all those sweet low price 3day cruise deals with OBC and be elite in no time flat.

 

 

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[Ethel5]

If only I lived in Florida. I could load up on all those sweet low price 3day cruise deals with OBC and be elite in no time flat.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Those came too late for me.I got Elite with days only. Although, it might be beneficial to rack up cruises before they change their minds again! :confused:

[AZbeachboy]

It's way to easy to get to elite on Princess, I hope they raise the threshold to 20 or 25 cruises or 175 nights. It's not hard to get a lot of points with the way the give away double points.

 

That is why Carnival changed their program to days. I lived in Florida and took many 3 and 4 day trips. I did not have enough days to stay in their new program. I was about 6 days short.

 

On Princess it would not be a problem. All the cruises have been atleast 7 days but I also have 2 fourteen, 1 twelve, and 1 ten. So I am way ahead of the game there. But I suppose the Carnival experiences is why Princess might look at days only in the future since they now have many cruises fewer that 7 days.

[AZbeachboy]

It's way to easy to get to elite on Princess, I hope they raise the threshold to 20 or 25 cruises or 175 nights. It's not hard to get a lot of points with the way the give away double points.

 

Why are you so worried about what others get for benefits. Sounds like "I got mine so forget the rest."

[caribill]

It's really going to come down to one decision, flat, concurrent or shared independent, the article doesn't say which one..

 

Flat means all lines under the CCL brand will share the same policy and benefits and earning criteria will standardize. I think this is probably the long-term play.

 

Concurrent means that each line will maintain a separate program but some standardized benefits/rules/etc will cross all lines (for example, they could standardized tier names, and a 'gold' tier would get you full benefits on your home line, but a lesser set of gold benefits on others (think airline alliance like OneWorld.) I'd say this is the most likely mid-term scenario, in preparation for a slow move to flat, but that is only my opinion.

 

Independent is what they have now, so based on article not likely to be the long term future state.

 

Or they could keep each program the way it is, but allow the total number of days on all CCL Corp lines determine your level on each individual line,

[dorisis]

I wish they would not combine programs. It would just put that many more Elites on the Princess cruises.

 

Agree!

 

I wish Carnival Corp. had a premiun line similar to Oceania.

[geoherb]

Why are you so worried about what others get for benefits. Sounds like "I got mine so forget the rest."

Exactly what I thought. Unless you're on one of the rare cruises that attracts 500+ Elites, you don't really have to worry about how many of your fellow passengers are getting benefits. On those cruises, I have read that the laundry gets slowed down to being done in four or five days instead of one or two--and instead of being able to join the end of the tender line, they have the Elites meet in one of the lounges for tender tickets.

[Ethel5]

I just hope they don't mess with the benefits I have now.

[Avalon35]

Agree!

 

 

 

I wish Carnival Corp. had a premiun line similar to Oceania.

 

 

Seabourn more upscale luxury line than Oceania

 

 

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[pablo222]

[quote name='AZbeachboy']Why are you so worried about what others get for benefits. Sounds like "I got mine so forget the rest."[/QUOTE]

Because of benefits like 'Priority Tendering'. If half the ship
is elite, the benefit is diluted to the point of worthlessness.

This has already happened with laundry on the Royal TA.

[waltd]

Is it possible that this is all intentional on Princess's part? They will have so many Elite that they will then say they have to add another level to stop the squabbling and then hold on to your seats to see what perks you will now be entitled to.

[KruzeKrazy!]

With being able to qualify on multiple lines the tier criteria could go up to keep the overall number per tier at close to what it is today. Unless that is masked with a totally new earning metric (i.e. dollars) that would, however, likely upset many people feeling the yardstick was moved on them...

[By The Bay]

[quote name='cruzsnooze']It's way to easy to get to elite on Princess, I hope they raise the threshold to 20 or 25 cruises or 175 nights. It's not hard to get a lot of points with the way the give away double points.[/quote]
Let me guess. Your Elite?;)

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Deleted. Edited November 22, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[Hawaiidan]

[quote name='Loonbeam']They also could move to the new airline model. Days(miles) plus a required level of spend on fares.[/QUOTE

THe easiest for Carnival is to adopt what the airlines will be doing in 2015
You earn points based on the amount you spend and how often you spend.

So I can see that to become a elite member, you have to sail 28 days a year and spend $ 10,000. Your status will expire or renew every year that you spent that amount and cruised that many days. However, as long as you spent money with the Carnival family during the year your points would not expire. Only your elite status would if you did not meet the annual goal for elite.

Now when you have achieved the elite level, your cruise points will be multiplied by say 1.5 for every dollar you spend and so on

Rather than days it will be points and it makes no difference on which line you accrue the points.
Rewards, up grades dinners, cruises would all be based on the number of points like airlines do for miles.
Does this make sence? with 9 brands a customer sailing a lot on carnival could save his points and get a free cruise on Seabourn or a suite on Holland.
Or an up-grade on Princess..... ( different points for different rewards no matter where you earned them...that is on which line/brand)

[Ethel5]

[quote name='Hawaiidan'][quote name='Loonbeam']They also could move to the new airline model. Days(miles) plus a required level of spend on fares.[/QUOTE

THe easiest for Carnival is to adopt what the airlines will be doing in 2015
You earn points based on the amount you spend and how often you spend.

[/QUOTE]

I would be against any system that rewards only those who have the time and money to cruise more and spend more. There are many, many loyal Princess cruisers who can only take one cruise a year in an inside cabin so why punish them? maybe those with the where with all would like to go back to the old steerage system?

[Iamcruzin]

[quote name='Ethel5']I would be against any system that rewards only those who have the time and money to cruise more and spend more. There are many, many loyal Princess cruisers who can only take one cruise a year in an inside cabin so why punish them? maybe those with the where with all would like to go back to the old steerage system?[/quote]

I agree. The purpose of a loyalty program is to make it seem like the reward is obtainable as well as easy to calculate. After reading some of these ideas, If I need to take a course in quantitative methods or hire an auditor from Price Waterhouse Coopers to figure out my status then you have lost my business and I will just continue to search out the best price on any cruise line. Edited November 26, 2014 by Iamcruzin

[Loonbeam]

I don't think its a GOOD idea, but I could see it. Except for the requalification. Unlike flights, cruises are rarely taken multiple times a year by the very vast majority of cruisers, so no one would...

If they move to a shared model, the thing I see most likely to go is the current 'Number of cruises' model because some, like Carnival, have so many short ones. A point system based on cabin class/price with maybe some credit for onboard spend would make the most sense.

Something like this:

Cabin cats in class A (based on per day revenue) = 1 point per day
Class B = 1.5
Suites/Class C = 2
Every $1000 spent onboard in noncasino/non shopping spending = 1 point
Every $3000 spent onboard in shopping spending = 1 point

In princess terms:

Silver = 7 points
Ruby = 25 points
Plat = 45 points

etc...

In a system like that, bonus points could be offered as promotions as well..

[quote name='Hawaiidan'][quote name='Loonbeam']They also could move to the new airline model. Days(miles) plus a required level of spend on fares.[/QUOTE

THe easiest for Carnival is to adopt what the airlines will be doing in 2015
You earn points based on the amount you spend and how often you spend.

So I can see that to become a elite member, you have to sail 28 days a year and spend $ 10,000. Your status will expire or renew every year that you spent that amount and cruised that many days. However, as long as you spent money with the Carnival family during the year your points would not expire. Only your elite status would if you did not meet the annual goal for elite.

Now when you have achieved the elite level, your cruise points will be multiplied by say 1.5 for every dollar you spend and so on

Rather than days it will be points and it makes no difference on which line you accrue the points.
Rewards, up grades dinners, cruises would all be based on the number of points like airlines do for miles.
Does this make sence? with 9 brands a customer sailing a lot on carnival could save his points and get a free cruise on Seabourn or a suite on Holland.
Or an up-grade on Princess..... ( different points for different rewards no matter where you earned them...that is on which line/brand)[/quote]

[Hawaiidan]

you have 9 brands, from Seabourn at $500 a daypp to Carnival at $75daypp and each brand goes up and up in daily costs.

To make it fair and profitable for Carnival there must be an incentive to spend more and more and more often. Who does the company want the person spending $599 a week once a year or the person who spends $14,000.00 a year every year? You want to keep that $14,000 a year customer happy because he is providing you with 23 times the revenue. If in the process you loose 10 $599 a year customers your still making 13 times more profit with the one. Its a business and its all about insuring profit and long term income.....
Who would you want to try to please if you had a store, a person who comes in every month and buys $500 of stuff or the person who comes in twice a year and buys $50 ?
That's the reality and how airlines are re doing their rewards program..

The airlines had the problem when the combined airline programs... suddenly a mass of new elites and made the program rewards less and less appealing.

So, now you have to not only qualify every year but you have to spend a threshold amount every year.
Not a lot will be able to do that... and the value of being elite will rise. Too it will become a carrot for customers to chase after the heard is thinned.

By accruing points over the years now the little once a year $599 passenger can save to get rewards they never could have had... If your sailing Carnival and Princess... would you prefer a up grade on Princess or Holland or would you like to get a suite on Seabourn... Everyone gets a shot at the golden ring not just the elites...

So you have 2 ways to get a better onboard experience not just one and even if you can be elite you can have other options to get better and better perks.

This is how I see the new program evolving... giving everyone a shot at all your product line and offering more and more incentives to build points and status in more than just 1 way