Is FTTF worth it?

[stellarose]

OH YEAH. you can access your room earlier too. forget that.

[AutumnorFall]

On 1/10/2019 at 7:16 AM, bbtbear said:

From Carnival's website:
 

Here's what the program includes:

Priority Security, Check-in and Boarding
A dedicated security and check-in lane has been set aside for all Priority guests on embarkation day. FTTF guests will board after VIFP Diamond, Platinum and guests traveling in deluxe suite accommodations.  
Note: Only VIFP Diamond and Platinum guests and guests traveling in deluxe suite accommodations have access to the Captain’s Lounge.  

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.

Priority Luggage
While we process thousands of bags, FTTF luggage will receive priority delivery.
Note: This is also a benefit for VIFP Diamond and Platinum guests.

Guest Services
Quickly have any of your questions answered or requests addressed as you will have a dedicated phone extension and line at Guest Services.
Note: This is also a benefit for VIFP Diamond and Platinum guests.

Dining Reservations
Priority Dinner Time Assignment: FTTF guests will be cleared after VIFP Platinum guests. This benefit does not include specific time reservations for 'Your Time Dining'.
Note: VIFP Diamond guests and guests traveling in deluxe suite accommodations are guaranteed their dining in the Main Dining Room.

Water Shuttle Priority
You will have priority water shuttle service from ship to shore (multiple departure times may be possible) so you can explore ashore as quickly as you want to. When ready to go ashore, if not on a Carnival shore excursion, present yourself at the Guest Services Desk.
Note: This is also a benefit for VIFP Diamond and Platinum guests and guests traveling in deluxe suite accommodations.

Debarkation Choices
When it’s time to say good bye, you may choose an early or late disembarkation time upon arrival to your homeport.
Note: This is also a benefit for VIFP Diamond and Platinum guests and guests traveling in deluxe suite accommodations.

Hey, does carnival sunshine's "ocean suite " count as a "deluxe suites?" Or are they speaking of the captain suites?

[Jerseygirl1416]

4 hours ago, Rudyard said:

 

I agree. At $50 it was nice. After the last price increase I wasn't going to buy it anymore, but had to get it for my cruise leaving tomorrow as I need to be off the ship as soon as possible and hate the self disembark Hunger Games. Embarkation is so much easier now that I'll only get it in the future if there's a pressing need. 

On the Breeze they had people with flights departing before 12pm go off the ship with the FTTF self disembark people. We had FTTF and really the only thing we couldn’t do without was the priority disembarkation. I’m thinking on my next cruise I’ll book flights as close to before 12pm if possible and save the $90 on FTTF.

[evandbob]

If you save that $160 for several cruises, you can use that money for an extra cruise and reach Platinum status faster than if you purchased FTTF for every cruise.

[beachbum53]

On 1/10/2019 at 8:45 AM, Schoifmom said:

"Worth it" is subjective.  Only you can decide if the benefits are worth the price for your family.

 

Exactly. When Carnival first introduced FTTF,  it was $49.95 on a 7 day cruise. Now it's nearly double that amount. For what Carnival's charging now, they should at least throw in a free massage for each person in the cabin. 

[dhaza]

I have a hard time standing in line for long periods due to back problems.  I do have my handicap card so I could claim that I need assistance in boarding and get a wheelchair.  I don't have a problem boarding unless I have stood for long periods.  So I purchase FTF a couple of times and worked to get to the head of the line.  I just hate to have the poor guy or girl pushing a 200-pound man up those ramps on the ship unless I couldn't physically do it   I carry a backpack now that converts into a seat so I always have a place to sit.

[gtouch]

We used it when it was cheaper not sure at this price if it would be worth it. But everyone is different.

[Jobeth66]

For my upcoming cruise (2 weeks from today!) we purchased, as did our traveling companions.  Being in the first group on the ship means I get to Excursions and get a better chance of getting the cabana I want at HMC.  We're doing carry-on only for this trip, so we'll go right to our cabins and unpack - no need to revisit before bedtime!  Priority tender at HMC means I'm in my cabana as early as I can possibly be.  Then we'll grab our stuff and be off the ship early to spend a day in Orlando & visiting family before we leave the following night.  Worth it for me.

[douglinc@msn.com]

No.

[3smithboys]

So I booked FTTF already for our August Breeze cruise for 2 cabins, but now I am thinking that we may not need it. We don’t have any tender ports, so there’s that... I know we can cancel it.

 

Here’s my couple of questions... do we get a refund on our credit card or onboard credit if I cancel? Also, if I wait until May when we do online check in (I think that’s when we will get our time to board) will be get a late time because we already have FTTF? We are planning on getting on at 12:01 to get an early time! Because if we get an early boarding time, we really don’t need FTTF!

[pjhootch]

We bought it once or twice when it was $50 since everyone seemed so excited about it.  After the first time I thought I must just not have used it correctly so was underwhelmed.  The second time I was an idiot and it was a journeys cruise with gazillions of diamond and platinum cruisers on board AND there was a long delay in Galveston where we all were crammed into the terminal, standing room only, for a couple of hours before we were finally all allowed to board at once.  People were literally passing out and needing medical attention.  Clearly there was no bang for the buck on that cruise, but that was my own fault for not really understanding what a journeys cruise out of Galveston might mean.  🙂  Honestly, it was one of the early journeys cruises so I did research but there was not a lot of information out there to clue me in.

 

I never paid for it again and then the price went up.  Eventually turned platinum and I do enjoy the perks of priority embark and skipping some lines.  There is no way I would have paid $160 to get to my room a couple of hours early or maybe save a few minutes in a tender line.  We found you can always get a tender to get you to an excursion early if you need to, and we do not like to try to cut it too close with a morning flight after the cruise anyway- so would just have a cup of coffee and wait for our turn to disembark at the end.

[MrsPhim]

My family is on a 3-day cruise next week and the FTTF excursion was only $39.95 for us...I actually thought there was a price drop but people here are saying there was an increase. I bought it for our cabin yesterday, we've had it before for $50, and at $40 its very worth it IMO. Theres 4 of us so less bags to carry around, ability to board early - basically just not having to wait in line with the kids, less time having to lug our stuff, get to the food and our room faster. Always more excited to start our cruise knowing we have the FTTF package

Edited January 12, 2019 by MrsPhim

[watermelonqueen99]

It was worth it on our first cruise, when we paid $39.95 for it. Now, with staggered check-in and the fact that the price skyrocketed, not worth it at all to us.

[TheLadyK]

With toddlers and my chronic pain issue, its worth it. Lines are deadly to my family right now.

 

With teenagers, I'd skip it. You're not going to need the room for early nap time. Hopefully they can keep it together in line and then go eat everything on the buffet. Normal embarkation is pretty well handled, its not a major difference.

[Siora7777]

Not worth it. Just got back last month, the cruise I went on I didn't have to wait for anything. Got to the port of Miami and was on board within 5 minutes. No waiting for the tenders for Half Moon Cay. The longest wait I had all week was for the elevators. 

[simplelife]

It's not worth it to us. We are pretty laid back on cruises and are rarely in a rush for anything.  Last cruise our friends bought FTTF and we did not: we were on board just a few minutes after they were. We rarely need guest services, especially since the advent of kiosks and the Hub.  Immediate access to your cabin is nice, but rarely do we have to wait very long; same with luggage delivery ( the first  night dinner is always casual in the MDR). The early debarkation in ports only applies to tender ports, and even in those we linger over breakfast and take a later tender after the rush, ( As some mentioned earlier, if you have an excursion booked through the cruise line, they will make sure you get an early tender) Same on debarkation day - we/re in no hurry to get off. So for us, we'd rather use the money for drinks. Of course, if our circumstances and preferences were different, FTTF might be very desirable.

[RogueMonk]

We got FTTF on our cruise last week. We were especially looking forward to our room being ready when we boded. However, it was not and we still had to wait. They did compensate us.....with four measly chocolate-covered strawberries (whippee!!).

[chrisnatca]

Here's how I look at it.  I'm cruising this summer on the Vista.  We spent about $4300 on our cruise (4 people, one balcony cabin).  Paying an additional $89 (or whatever we paid) is an EXTREMELY small price to pay to start our vacation up to 4 hours early.

That's not even factoring in the other benefits of FTTF.

So, to us, it's well worth it.

[stellarose]

in my mind, the earlier on (access to room)- optimizing my time on the ship. 4 hours early is 4 more hours I have to relax 

[garyh9900]

Anybody have any tips for booking FTTF?  We got it on our last cruise that we booked about 9 months ahead of time. I believe it was available to us right after booking.  We booked a cruise for October a couple of weeks ago, and I don't see it anywhere on the excursions list.  I've checked every morning thus far.  So I'm unsure if its sold out, or just not available yet.

[Florings]

We purchase it all the time (one more cruise and Platinum!) - the reason:

1.  Priority boarding, after the platinum/diamond/suite group.

2.  Ability to drop our carry on bags in our cabin before lunch.

3.  Priority guest services line.

4.  Priority disembarkation.

These four reasons are enough for us to purchase it every cruise.  When you are carrying a case with 12 cans of soda and 2 bottles of wine....that alone is worth FTTF, to drop it in our cabin🤩

[GoBucksGoPhilly]

On 1/9/2019 at 5:14 PM, littlemonkeymom said:

Looking at possibly getting FTTF for our family, but with 2 cabins the price tag is pretty steep.

 

Thinking it might be nice to be able to board quickly (especially with hangry teenagers at lunchtime, LOL), as well as to have priority debarkation for our 8:30AM excursion in Cozumel, but is it worth $160??  Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

I'm going to call back and verify this, but I just added FTTF to my booking and was told since one of my cabins is all minors I only had to add the FTTF to the cabin I was staying in and the kids could still board with me.

[Mommawo]

On 1/11/2019 at 4:07 PM, 3smithboys said:

So I booked FTTF already for our August Breeze cruise for 2 cabins, but now I am thinking that we may not need it. We don’t have any tender ports, so there’s that... I know we can cancel it.

 

Here’s my couple of questions... do we get a refund on our credit card or onboard credit if I cancel? Also, if I wait until May when we do online check in (I think that’s when we will get our time to board) will be get a late time because we already have FTTF? We are planning on getting on at 12:01 to get an early time! Because if we get an early boarding time, we really don’t need FTTF!

This will be my first cruise in March. I didn’t buy FTTF however I did get on my cruise manager before 12 am the day I could set my boarding time.  I was there ready when 12 am hit and I got an 11:30 boarding time for my cruise on the Dream.   Again I am very new to all this but did my homework to and got an early boarding time 

[lesleyswimcoach]

I think it is worth it. We have 2 cabins also because our teens are across the hall in an interior.  You do not have to stay up to midnight to try and get an early arrival appointment.  You can arrive anytime you want.  I love going straight to my cabin while others lug there stuff everywhere.  My luggage was prompt. We were on the 1st tender to Half Moon Cay.  My daughter lost her card on the next to last day. We were able to walk right up to guest services for a new one while others waited in an crazy long line to remove tips/ask about bill.  We also were the 1st group to get off the boat with Self debark.

[lesleyswimcoach]

16 hours ago, Mommawo said:

This will be my first cruise in March. I didn’t buy FTTF however I did get on my cruise manager before 12 am the day I could set my boarding time.  I was there ready when 12 am hit and I got an 11:30 boarding time for my cruise on the Dream.   Again I am very new to all this but did my homework to and got an early boarding time 

I was told this as well but found out on this site that both cabins need it.  It specically mentions this on the Carnival Website description.  Just google Carnival Faster to Fun facts.  TAs sometimes do not give out correct imformation.