Is carnival faster to the fun worth it?

[metsmom]

Sailing on the Carnival Pride in November out of Baltimore and saw they have this Faster To the Fun program(FTTF) which offers some perks like boarding quicker and some other perks. It it $70 for our 1 week cruise and not sure it's worth it. We have never been to the Baltimore terminal and not sure if it's a nightmare to embark or relatively smooth and would rather spend my money elsewhere if there is not much of a difference. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks!

[BDRebel]

Short answer, I get it when I can.

[reerun25]

I always get it, for the priority boarding, the cabin being ready, and having the short line a guest services. If there are tender ports, that is gravy. Again, it is subjective, but for me, it is worth it.

[ryano]

No, not for me. Its an individual choice though.

[ultrafighter]

It is for us. Getting to our cabin to unload all of our stuff and get our two small children lunch before everything is crowded and chaotic is important to us.

[ultrafighter]

I'm also on the fence of getting FTTF and have no qualms arriving at 2pm to breeze on the ship. Will lido still be open for food around that time, 2-3pm?

 

They'll be open until it's time for the muster drill.

[Razor_Poke]

I like(d) it, but I don't care for the recent price hikes, although I don't blame Carnival for making money.

 

The problem for us this year is that we have 2 staterooms. I wish Carnival would consider some form of discounting when bookings are linked, particularly when it's children in the other room.

[azjim66]

Definitely worth it to us! Priority boarding, Priority tender off the ship in tender ports, Room ready as soon as you board, Dedicated line at Guest Services should you need it, We also usually drive to the port and its a 5-6 hour drive so getting off the ship first at debarkation is a plus when you have a longish drive home (Last cruise were off the ship and through customs by 7:20 am). To each his/her own We love it.

[cfr70]

They'll be open until it's time for the muster drill.

 

 

Thanks. I'll get there 2 then and apply the money towards Cheers instead. :)

[teknoge3k]

We always get it. We always have 4 carry on luggages as well as 4 cartons of soda so I don't want to lug them around until 1:30+. We drop them off immediately and have our hands free. It's very nice to skip the lines at the terminal as well. On the first 2'ish days and the last day the GS line will be super long. If you need to go there then you will have your own line. Plus if you have any tendered ports then you will have priority tendering to those ports. If you're spending a lot of money on a cruise, what's $70 extra? To each their own though.

[Organized Chaos]

So as you can probably tell by now, the only person who can determine if it's worth it to you, is you. Some people gladly pay the fee for only one, maybe two, of the perks and feel it is completely worth it. Others say it's totally unnecessary (sometimes quite rudely, I might add). In the end, it's subjective and only you can decide if it's best for you.

 

We just went on our first cruise last year and I didn't think the check-in process and wait time to board was all that bad. The lines at guest services were usually long, which was a pain, so FTTF would've been nice to have there, but I really didn't think we'd ever buy it. But then I started thinking about it for our next cruise. There's going to be 8 of us and I'm seriously considering it because the situation has changed. Eight of us means, potentially, 8 carry-on bags and having the ability to put them in our cabins right away would probably make FTTF worth it. And I certainly won't complain about the priority guest services line either. We don't have any tender ports, so that won't apply, but no big deal. So what you have to do is look at all the perks FTTF provides and decide for yourself if they're worth it or if you'd much rather spend that money elsewhere.

[First and Ten]

I like(d) it, but I don't care for the recent price hikes, although I don't blame Carnival for making money.

 

I have always said that FTTF is the single best marketing scheme that Carnival has ever come up with....Think about it, they are charging people an extra $70 per cabin for.....absolutely nothing....everyone is getting on the ship, everyones room is going to be ready at some point. Its absolutely brilliant of Carnival and it doesnt cost them anything

[42rob22]

Although it may seem like it sometimes, but most people don't plan on spending a significant portion of their vacation complaining to guest services. Its comforting to know that if I do have an issue, I don't have to spend 45 minutes in a queue waiting to speak to someone.

[First and Ten]

Although it may seem like it sometimes, but most people don't plan on spending a significant portion of their vacation complaining to guest services. Its comforting to know that if I do have an issue, I don't have to spend 45 minutes in a queue waiting to speak to someone.

 

On the other side of the fence....In all my cruises, i maybe have been to GS maybe 5 times. With the exception of the last night when many of the passengers are removing tips off their bill, i never remember seeing these phantom 45 min + lines....and even if there were, if you didnt have some immediate pressing need, why not just come back at a less crowded time?

[Tangojango]

My family and I used FTTF on the Glory last month. In my cabin at 1145 am. Most of my bags there by sail away. Very short line at guest services. I didn't utilize priority tender because my one early excursion got canceled in Belize. Back in Miami, I was literally at my car at 745 am. I will always get FTTF on every cruise.

[summersigh]

We don't ever get it.

DH needs wheel chair assistance to board and to disembark so that determines when we board.

We have them take us to the Lido deck area and get a table (which we're always happy to share with others looking for a seat to eat). We have a leisurely lunch (often a grilled Ruben from the deli and a salad) and afterwards a rum "umbrella drink" which we sip while we people watch. A little after 1:30 we stroll to our room and hang out on our balcony until the luggage arrives which we like to unpack before sail away.e

[It's a Ship!!!]

It isn't worth it to me. Normally I say you have to try something before you can say if it is worth it or not, but in this case I have never been on a cruise where these perks would have mattered to me enough to pay $70. I have never been in line at guest services longer than 10 minutes. I have never needed to be the first off the ship in a tender port because I either have no excursion or book through the cruise line. I usually get on the ship early enough anyway, and I'm patient enough to wait in a line for a little while. I have no problem carrying my small backpack with me to eat lunch. My bags have always been in my cabin before dinner.

 

Some of those perks would be nice to have in certain situations, but certainly not worth the same price as a dinner for 2 in the steakhouse. However I'm sure there are plenty of people who feel the opposite.

[deborahjo]

I always get it, for the priority boarding, the cabin being ready, and having the short line a guest services. If there are tender ports, that is gravy. Again, it is subjective, but for me, it is worth it.

 

 

 

Same here. But now that I am platinum I don't have to buy it.

 

 

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[riclop]

Waste of $$$.

[TNcruising02]

I always get it when I can.

* I can check in earlier and there is a separate line for FTTF

* I can take my luggage directly to my room as soon as I board the ship

* If I have an early flight home, I can leave the ship earlier

* Shorter line at customer service

 

To me, it's worth it. I don't like standing in line or waiting any longer than I have to. Sure, I could board the ship at 2:00 pm with no line, but I would rather have been on the ship for two hours, had lunch, dropped my luggage off at my room, and be exploring the ship by then.

[BG18]

I always get it when I can.

* I can check in earlier and there is a separate line for FTTF

* I can take my luggage directly to my room as soon as I board the ship

* If I have an early flight home, I can leave the ship earlier

* Shorter line at customer service

 

To me, it's worth it. I don't like standing in line or waiting any longer than I have to. Sure, I could board the ship at 2:00 pm with no line, but I would rather have been on the ship for two hours, had lunch, dropped my luggage off at my room, and be exploring the ship by then.

 

 

Yeah this is pretty much how I feel, I hate waiting around plus I rather get a head start on my vacation, I'm usually done with the excursion desk for my cabana or villa getting reserved, done with lunch, on my 2nd drink, with my bags unpacked and my fridge stocked with the carry on soda and water bought from fun shop before some people board, to me spending the couple extra hours on the ship is worth it, then you get more time at the tendered ports with the priority boarding.

 

It's not a something you need to have a great time but it's a nice luxury to have, it's like any other extra thing you can buy on the ship (booze, steakhouse, gambling, balcony, suite, etc..) or an excursion at a port.

 

My suggestion is if you're interested in the perks and not on a tight budget, get it now and see how you like it, as you've already seen you have people telling you all different things good and bad, but in the end only you will know if it's worth it or not

[Ocean Dancer]

Wow, I'm Platinum and never realized that my earned perks were so sought after, but $70? I personally would not buy it, maybe I just take it for granted. Does FTTF include any laundry or gifts that we get?

[terri-eddie]

In my opinion....yes. Here's why. We fly in to our embarkation port a day in advance and spend one night in a hotel. The next day, we usually have to check out before noon. We don't rent a vehicle. Where would we go from noon until 130 or 2pm? We get FTTF so we can take a cab or shuttle to the port around 1030am, check in, wait inside with a/c instead of in a line wrapped around the building outside in the hot sun [yes, we have done that before FTTF was a thing]. Then we can get on the ship while it's still relatively uncrowded, drop off our luggage, have some lunch, and explore the ship and take pictures with fewer people in them!

 

You have to decide for yourself if it is worth the price. I never try to convince people to do it....because the more people who buy FTTF, the harder it is for me to get it!

[bury me at sea]

The "is it worth it" question can't be answered. How can we know what anyone else values?

 

The following time line may demonstrate what many other people value:

 

Feb. 23, 2017, booked cruise for 7/8/18.

 

April 12, 2017, FTTF became available for purchase, and I bought it. Makes 6 cruises in a row I will have had it.

 

July 8, 2017, FTTF sold out - a year in advance.

 

Is Cheers worth it? Is a spa pass worth it? Is the Steakhouse worth it? Is doing a bag of laundry worth it? Is Behind the Fun Tour worth it? All packages have value for different people.

[kyleg2949]

I didn't read all the posts above because I know how these threads go. However, I will give you my opinion.

We purchased FTTF for the first time on the cruise we just completed.

1. We got to the port about 10:30. There was a VERY long line waiting to check-in. There was no line in the FTTF line and we walked straight to the front. As soon as we walked up, they called us to a counter. We carried on our luggage and went straight to our room to unload our luggage. No having to wait on luggage either that way. We were on the boat within 15-20 mins.

2. Any time I went to Guest Services, there was usually a long line around the corner waiting. The most people I ever saw in the Diamond,Platinum, FTTF line was 1. Totally worth it to me.

3. We had to tender in Grand Cayman. We went about 30 mins after they started tendering and got sent on the next available tender. Again, hardly no wait.

 

I will most definitely buy FTTF any time I cruise if its available.