.Question for Platinums

[ChosenOne]

I remember when they first implemented the different color cards & when I became Platinum and was boarding the ship I proudly held my card up and one of the crew smiled at me and said "that card entitles you to a free desert in the main dining room" and I just laughed....but I still remember that moment!    Free laundry & priority boarding are what I appreciate most.  They used to give you a plate of chocolate covered strawberries one night and a plate of canapes another night.  I don't miss those canapes and now I rarely eat the strawberries.  I wish they would give us a choice of what we get.      The gifts" some are awesome & usefully, some not so much.  It is the thought that counts, right?

[RWolver672]

We turned Platinum on our last cruise.  We had bought FTTF for our cruises since they started offering it.  For that reason, when we did turn Platinum, there wasn't that much of a difference.  It was nice to see that silver card and the big red Priority on our boarding passes and luggage tags.  

 

On our last cruise, when we got to the P/D party, the only seats available were in the middle.  There were 565 Platinum and 86 Diamond passengers on this cruise.  We got one drink and one snack.  (I can't spell that other word for snack.  🤔)  The waiters never made it to the middle before their trays ran out.   It was no big deal.   

 

We did notice that having a silver S&S card made for a lot of conversations with strangers.  They would ask how many cruises we had been on, which ships we liked the best etc.

 

For all of our previous cruises, we always got to the port as early as the doors were opening.  Then we sat and waited.  This past cruise, my brother said that he would rather stay at the hotel until boarding began instead of just sitting and waiting.  We got to the port a little after 11:30, checked in and walked right on the ship. Never did get to see what the P/D waiting area was like.

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, RWolver672 said:

There were 565 Platinum and 86 Diamond passengers on this cruise.

 

It’s numbers like these that make me believe the rumors I keep hearing about Platinums losing benefits without grandfathering when the VIFP Program changes at some point in the future. 

[Bases5]

22 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

can you list a few benefits no longer offered?

The one I can remember is. Free entrance into blackjack or slot tournament. 

Now it’s buy one get one free. 

[Jamman54]

11 minutes ago, Bases5 said:

The one I can remember is. Free entrance into blackjack or slot tournament. 

Now it’s buy one get one free. 

 

True, but since I play in both the blackjack and slot tournaments I was buying an entry anyway, so that change didn't affect me. 😎

[Bases5]

3 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

 

True, but since I play in both the blackjack and slot tournaments I was buying an entry anyway, so that change didn't affect me. 😎

 

3 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

 

True, but since I play in both the blackjack and slot tournaments I was buying an entry anyway, so that change didn't affect me. 😎

True

i play in both also. But I would use my DW free entry so it did cost me. 🙁

[xDisconnections]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

It’s numbers like these that make me believe the rumors I keep hearing about Platinums losing benefits without grandfathering when the VIFP Program changes at some point in the future. 

Those numbers are really low though. On most Princess cruises lately, more than half the ship is Elite and the most traveled passenger is always 2000+ days. The overcrowding situation is so bad that it takes more than 72 hours to get your laundry back and the priority tendering is an entire dining room.

[PhillyFan33579]

5 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

Those numbers are really low though. On most Princess cruises lately, more than half the ship is Elite and the most traveled passenger is always 2000+ days. The overcrowding situation is so bad that it takes more than 72 hours to get your laundry back and the priority tendering is an entire dining room.

 

You really can’t compare Carnival to Princess since they market to completely different demographics. 

[xDisconnections]

1 minute ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

You really can’t compare Carnival to Princess since they market to completely different demographics. 

In this case, why shouldn't the amount of elites on a particular cruise be compared?

[evandbob]

46 minutes ago, Bases5 said:

The one I can remember is. Free entrance into blackjack or slot tournament. 

Now it’s buy one get one free. 

 Another cutback was the P&D priority line when returning to the ship while it was in port.  The divided gangway had one side for regulars and the other for priority.  I've mentioned this several times.

Returning tenders to the ship also had a priority line.

Guaranteed dining times in both the MDR and specialty restaurants was cut back to priority times.

 

These items were more significant to me than getting unripened strawberries.

Edited July 14, 2019 by evandbob

[RWolver672]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

It’s numbers like these that make me believe the rumors I keep hearing about Platinums losing benefits without grandfathering when the VIFP Program changes at some point in the future. 

 

In all fairness, that was a Premier cruise which we didn't know about until we were onboard.  Lots and lots of gamblers.  I saw many, many playing MAX on the slots.  It was nothing to see 8000 points on their machines.

[PhillyFan33579]

7 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

 

In all fairness, that was a Premier cruise which we didn't know about until we were onboard.  Lots and lots of gamblers.  I saw many, many playing MAX on the slots.  It was nothing to see 8000 points on their machines.

 

Understand your point about a Premier cruise, but the high number of Platinums on cruises is becoming more and more common based on my experience. The priority lounge is always packed these days and it is not unusual for Carnival to host 2 D&P parties on a cruise due to the high number of D&Ps. When it gets to the point where so many people have priority  status on a cruise, you have a problem that needs to be addressed in my opinion. 

[xDisconnections]

6 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Understand your point about a Premier cruise, but the high number of Platinums on cruises is becoming more and more common based on my experience. The priority lounge is always packed these days and it is not unusual for Carnival to host 2 D&P parties on a cruise due to the high number of D&Ps. When it gets to the point where so many people have priority  status on a cruise, you have a problem that needs to be addressed in my opinion. 

It will get addressed with notices saying your room won't be ready upon boarding but you can drop off your belongings (already in the works on Journeys cruises) and soon, notices that you may see a delay in your laundry being returned.

[Jamman54]

28 minutes ago, evandbob said:

 Another cutback was the P&D priority line when returning to the ship while it was in port.  The divided gangway had one side for regulars and the other for priority.  I've mentioned this several times.

Returning tenders to the ship also had a priority line.

 

For the life of me I don't remember that. Not saying that wasn't the case, but I don't remember it, especially on return tenders.😑

[RRLLAL]

4 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

 

For the life of me I don't remember that. Not saying that wasn't the case, but I don't remember it, especially on return tenders.😑

 

I’ve been cruising carnival for 25 years and I don’t remember some of that stuff. I’m sure it’s true if he says so but must not have been that important to me or wasn’t something really needed. 

[RRLLAL]

3 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

It’s numbers like these that make me believe the rumors I keep hearing about Platinums losing benefits without grandfathering when the VIFP Program changes at some point in the future. 

 

Those numbers are nothing compared to some lines like princess. My in laws cruise princess and they say it seems like most the ship is elite status or whatever they call it. 

[evandbob]

40 minutes ago, evandbob said:

 Another cutback was the P&D priority line when returning to the ship while it was in port.  The divided gangway had one side for regulars and the other for priority.  I've mentioned this several times.

Returning tenders to the ship also had a priority line.

Guaranteed dining times in both the MDR and specialty restaurants was cut back to priority times.

 

These items were more significant to me than getting unripened strawberries.

 

6 minutes ago, RRLLAL said:

 

I’ve been cruising carnival for 25 years and I don’t remember some of that stuff. I’m sure it’s true if he says so but must not have been that important to me or wasn’t something really needed. 

 Belize and Grand Cayman were 2 ports that had priority tendering.  I would walk past the line, since the sign was only posted once you reached security, show my card, and be whisked on board.

[quickrate]

On 7/13/2019 at 11:40 AM, crzndeb said:

I became Platinum on a B2B2B back in 2012. I can’t even remember if I felt any sort of excitement, because there wasn’t really anything that was a big deal to me. I can understand if some of the perks are important to you and the first one being exciting. I don’t use the free laundry service (laundry snob), and I don’t really attend the past guest parties much anymore, since they have become so overly crowded. Now granted, they are longer cruises, and there are a ton of Plats and Diamonds.

I finally hit Diamond this year, but I don’t know if there is anything I’m excited for. Itineraries are what’s important to me. 

 

 

One of the things about being diamond I have enjoyed is the Diamond only invite. I agree the platinum/diamond party has become very crowded but we still go. 

[lazydayz]

We are Platinum, going on a Journeys cruise which is also a Premier Cruise.  I expect the vast majority of the cruisers to have Priority.  Will be interesting to see how it plays out.  Since the cruise leaves from my home city, we will probably arrive later, after the crowd has boarded. 

[coevan]

We do the same thing rarely arrive before one, even though we a Platinum. We always walk right on the ship, figure the only thing we will miss in 2 hours are the long lines.

[ETHS1965]

10 hours ago, Bases5 said:

The one I can remember is. Free entrance into blackjack or slot tournament. 

Now it’s buy one get one free. 

On the cruise where we became platinum, I said to my husband, let's join the slot tournament.  Buy one get one free.  We had never done that before.  I won the $500 and a tee shirt that is too small!

[mdsgu]

My wife recently turned Platinum, and I'm just a few cruise days short.  However, she was excited to get the Platinum Sign & Sail card.  The in-room strawberries were meh.  The Platinum/Diamond party was VERY nice, though short.  By far, the thing we look forward to most is the free laundry.  It is so nice to return home with mostly clean and folded clothes!

 

So, anti-climactic?  Perhaps a bit, because there is so much information as to what you will get.  There really aren't any surprises.

[javamom]

To answer for him, one platinum perk that has been taken away is free slot tournament.  

[evandbob]

On 7/13/2019 at 2:40 PM, RRLLAL said:

 

Exactly. And don’t forget the 2 for 1 slots or blackjack tourney entry. . 

 

This Platinum perk used to be one free entry, now it's downgraded to a 2 for 1 price.