Platinum gift

[vicky3vicky]

I was just wonderinG if the platinum appreciation gift is still a lanyard, and if that is most likely a permanent thing [with the design changing occassionally] 

[Retired_to_Cruise]

9 minutes ago, vicky3vicky said:

I was just wonderinG if the platinum appreciation gift is still a lanyard, and if that is most likely a permanent thing [with the design changing occassionally] 

Seriously doubt it!

[RjayB]

So the current platinum gift is a lanyard?  ☹️

[Garth2]

4 minutes ago, RjayB said:

So the current platinum gift is a lanyard?  ☹️

Yes, it is.  We returned ours to guest services last time, since we don't do lanyards.  Found out later that others list them on eBay.

[phoneman69]

we got the usb speaker and head phones on our last 2 cruises last year. Lanyard would be real disappointment.

[Stick93]

There will always be good and not so good gifts. Give them to other passengers who are not platinum. They will appreciate it more than the front desk taking it back. Not sure why people feel the need to give it back and make a complaint. The people at the front desk have nothing to do with this gift. 

[xbatt8]

2 hours ago, Stick93 said:

Not sure why people feel the need to give it back and make a complaint. The people at the front desk have nothing to do with this gift. 

 

Well, because that’s how you let Carnival know that there is improvement needed. I get a survey after every cruise. I presume that they actually want me to be honest on that survey. In fact all customers should be honest on that survey. It’s how Carnival knows what goes on, where to improve, how to better train,  and what things are terrific and should be left alone. The DP gift is no different. If people are unhappy with them, then Carnival should know about that. Not voicing your opinion could allow Carnival to think that the lanyards were a popular gift... when the opposite is actually true. 

 

As for the people at the “front deck” having nothing to do with this gift, I disagree. First, they are called Guest Services for a reason. It is exactly where guests should go. More importantly, they distribute the DP gifts. They exchange the DP gifts (if they have others in stock). And where would you go if your DP gift didn’t show up in your cabin? Guest Services I’d wager. So Guest Services is where the poster should have gone. Where else?

 

On a lighter note, I do agree that the poster should NOT have turned in their lanyard. That just means it’ll take Carnival longer to run out of them...  😁

 

Bob

[jimbo5544]

3 hours ago, xbatt8 said:

 

Well, because that’s how you let Carnival know that there is improvement needed. I get a survey after every cruise. I presume that they actually want me to be honest on that survey. In fact all customers should be honest on that survey. It’s how Carnival knows what goes on, where to improve, how to better train,  and what things are terrific and should be left alone. The DP gift is no different. If people are unhappy with them, then Carnival should know about that. Not voicing your opinion could allow Carnival to think that the lanyards were a popular gift... when the opposite is actually true. 

 

As for the people at the “front deck” having nothing to do with this gift, I disagree. First, they are called Guest Services for a reason. It is exactly where guests should go. More importantly, they distribute the DP gifts. They exchange the DP gifts (if they have others in stock). And where would you go if your DP gift didn’t show up in your cabin? Guest Services I’d wager. So Guest Services is where the poster should have gone. Where else?

 

On a lighter note, I do agree that the poster should NOT have turned in their lanyard. That just means it’ll take Carnival longer to run out of them...  😁

 

Bob

If you think that “complaining” about a free gift to GS is the right thing to do, you would be wrong....... they have no impact on the picking of the gift, nor the distribution.  That said, you answered your own question, the way to let the company know is thru the email survey at the end of the cruise.  At the end of the day, the diamond platinum gift has always been a thing that the company gives as a token with the company logo on it.  Think of it as a a little free advertising that others could see AFTER the cruise.  If someone does not like it, simply say no thanks to the RS when it is delivered,  When and if it changes is not going to be changed by someone on CC thinking by their action it will”end” sooner.

[jimbo5544]

13 hours ago, phoneman69 said:

we got the usb speaker and head phones on our last 2 cruises last year. Lanyard would be real disappointment.

Life is full or surprises and disappointments...... the “gift” changes a couple times a year, I would say they are here for at least a couple more months......

[Stick93]

4 hours ago, xbatt8 said:

 

Well, because that’s how you let Carnival know that there is improvement needed. I get a survey after every cruise. I presume that they actually want me to be honest on that survey. In fact all customers should be honest on that survey. It’s how Carnival knows what goes on, where to improve, how to better train,  and what things are terrific and should be left alone. The DP gift is no different. If people are unhappy with them, then Carnival should know about that. Not voicing your opinion could allow Carnival to think that the lanyards were a popular gift... when the opposite is actually true. 

 

As for the people at the “front deck” having nothing to do with this gift, I disagree. First, they are called Guest Services for a reason. It is exactly where guests should go. More importantly, they distribute the DP gifts. They exchange the DP gifts (if they have others in stock). And where would you go if your DP gift didn’t show up in your cabin? Guest Services I’d wager. So Guest Services is where the poster should have gone. Where else?

 

On a lighter note, I do agree that the poster should NOT have turned in their lanyard. That just means it’ll take Carnival longer to run out of them...  😁

 

Bob

I agree with all you said just not over the free gift. 

 

Next time you get a gift from someone and don’t like it - give it back and complain how much you wanted something else. 

 

The truth is that the gift is a nice gesture. If you don’t like it write about it on the survey - but if your trip is good and they staff have you great service and you used all your other platinum perks.... I am not sure what you complain about. 

 

Here is a different thought. If you don’t like the gift - maybe go to the front desk and return all your perks. Than stick it to them by getting off the ship - that would really show them! 

[Tapi]

18 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Think of it as a a little free advertising that others could see AFTER the cruise.

My last Platinum gift was the throw blanket with a big Carnival logo and even bigger Carnival letters. I take it to the kids soccer practices or games to lay on. Definitely free advertising. It’s a conversation starter from people that either have been on a Carnival cruise or from people who want to go on a cruise. 

[Tapi]

4 hours ago, xbatt8 said:

Well, because that’s how you let Carnival know that there is improvement needed.

I bet that corporate’s response to a lot of complaints about a free gift would be to remove it altogether from the list of perks, to only limit it to Diamonds, or to change the requirements to become Platinum so that less people qualify for the gift.The rule of unintended consequences.

 

With more and more people qualifying for Platinum, I doubt that the quality of the gifts will get better. The budget for gifts will need to be spread out among more people rather than to be increased. 

 

. 

[Retired_to_Cruise]

We normally now only take B2B cruises. That means we get 4 D/P gifts in those two weeks. If we like them, at least 2 grandkids get one of them. If we have no use for them, 4 grandkids get one of them. Surprisingly, I have never had a grandkid come back to grandpa's G/S counter and turn them back in and complain that it was not a good enough gift. I am glad I have classy grandkids.

[Stick93]

2 minutes ago, Tapi said:

My last Platinum gift was the throw blanket with a big Carnival logo and even bigger Carnival letters. I take it to the kids soccer practices or games to lay on. Definitely free advertising. It’s a conversation starter from people that either have been on a Carnival cruise or from people who want to go on a cruise. 

 

I think most people agree the blanket was one of the better gifts. 

 

On my last cruise I received 6 blankets for my family. I don’t need 6 blankets and I sure as heck wasn’t  returning them. I gave a couple to people who who were with us as first time cruisers to carnival. They don’t cruise enough to get close to platinum for many years but they loved the gift. I also had staff members who showed interest in the pins. I have gave those away also.  

 

I will get 6 lanyards next cruise - I will take them and figure out if I want to use them or not and keep them or not. I will not return them and I will not complain about them. I will complain only about things that impact my trip that should be made better for then next people who sail after me. 

 

[Tapi]

8 minutes ago, Retired_to_Cruise said:

Surprisingly, I have never had a grandkid come back to grandpa's G/S counter and turn them back in and complain that it was not a good enough gift.

This reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would come home from work and gift me the freebies that he’d received from medical sales reps. Note pads, pencils, squeeze balls, hats, etc. I treasured these gifts as if they were made of gold. 

[Crusin Hogs]

We cruise in the winter months , Last 2 years we have gotten the insulated cup and blankets , We just became Platinum ,,2 years ago 

[TNcruising02]

If Carnival is trying to save money on the gifts, which with the lanyard seems to be the case, they could give the better gifts to diamonds and the cheaper ones to platinum passengers.  Since I haven't reached platinum, I've never had a good gift so the gift doesn't matter to me.  I think the issue is that they used to give away good gifts and then changed to an extremely cheap one.  In a way, that's taking away a benefit.  Any time a benefit is taken away, it is viewed as a negative by many people.

If they stick with the cheap gift and never give a good one again, people will get used to it.  A nicer gift for diamond passengers would be nice for them.  When I cruised on Disney, we let our son bring two friends.  One of them had cruised on Disney one time before our cruise, so Disney put a nice backpack in the room for him.  Of course, Disney gets that money back easily in the cost of the cruises.

[Banditswife]

Last cruise we got a gray shoulder bag.  We love it, use it all the time.  The insulated mugs are still in their original box.  But a gift is a gift,  I have never worn a lanyard, maybe I will start after getting one as a gift.  But if Carnival is hoping I will wear it outside of a Carnival cruise... I don't think so.   Just wondering... if we are on a premiere cruise & we get lanyards from casino, will lanyards still be the PD gift.  Doesn't really matter to me.  I will accept it graciously.

[Sparky2]

7 hours ago, xbatt8 said:

 

On a lighter note, I do agree that the poster should NOT have turned in their lanyard. That just means it’ll take Carnival longer to run out of them...  😁

 

Bob

 

LOL - I sure hope they're gone by February 2020. 

[Sparky2]

1 hour ago, TNcruising02 said:

If Carnival is trying to save money on the gifts, which with the lanyard seems to be the case, they could give the better gifts to diamonds and the cheaper ones to platinum passengers.  Since I haven't reached platinum, I've never had a good gift so the gift doesn't matter to me.  I think the issue is that they used to give away good gifts and then changed to an extremely cheap one.  In a way, that's taking away a benefit.  Any time a benefit is taken away, it is viewed as a negative by many people.

If they stick with the cheap gift and never give a good one again, people will get used to it.  A nicer gift for diamond passengers would be nice for them.  When I cruised on Disney, we let our son bring two friends.  One of them had cruised on Disney one time before our cruise, so Disney put a nice backpack in the room for him.  Of course, Disney gets that money back easily in the cost of the cruises.

 

By the time you reach Platinum, you already have a lanyard or don't want one and carry your S&S card in your pocket.

 

I have a small black purse/wallet on a string around my neck which has clear sleeve for S & S card + 2 zippers on back - one for folded bills & smaller one for change.

[Sparky2]

42 minutes ago, Banditswife said:

Last cruise we got a gray shoulder bag.  We love it, use it all the time.  The insulated mugs are still in their original box.  But a gift is a gift,  I have never worn a lanyard, maybe I will start after getting one as a gift.  But if Carnival is hoping I will wear it outside of a Carnival cruise... I don't think so.   Just wondering... if we are on a premiere cruise & we get lanyards from casino, will lanyards still be the PD gift.  Doesn't really matter to me.  I will accept it graciously.

 

Most likely you'll get the Premier lanyard in your cabin when you board the ship.  I assume you'll also get the VIFP lanyard, too.  We're doing our first Premier cruise in Feb., and I hope they've run out of lanyards by then.

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Sparky2

[TNcruising02]

1 hour ago, Sparky2 said:

 

By the time you reach Platinum, you already have a lanyard or don't want one and carry your S&S card in your pocket.

 

I have a small black purse/wallet on a string around my neck which has clear sleeve for S & S card + 2 zippers on back - one for folded bills & smaller one for change.

True. We've been using lanyards since our first cruise.  If nothing changes in the program, I will reach platinum next year.  I bought the lanyards online in a multi pack for around $10.  I guess it's nice that I never got used to nice gifts.  LOL.  I can't miss what I never had.  It sounds like Carnival is trying to save money.  The gift is much less important to me than having priority boarding, dropping off carry-ons immediately, priority guest services and tender,  being able to exit the ship first, and free laundry.  I am looking forward to those benefits and all but one don't cost Carnival a dime.

Edited August 11, 2019 by TNcruising02

[jimbo5544]

4 hours ago, Tapi said:

I bet that corporate’s response to a lot of complaints about a free gift would be to remove it altogether from the list of perks, to only limit it to Diamonds, or to change the requirements to become Platinum so that less people qualify for the gift.The rule of unintended consequences.

 

With more and more people qualifying for Platinum, I doubt that the quality of the gifts will get better. The budget for gifts will need to be spread out among more people rather than to be increased. 

 

. 

You are on a roll today.... we have not agreed this much since Bob Dickerson was running the show 

[nydney1]

Just off the Fantasy yesterday. The Platinum gift was the lanyard.

 

It did not appear to be very popular as I did not see anyone wearing them. But it seemed like everyone was wearing a lanyard. More than any other of the cruises we have been on.

[Shaded Lady]

I have a different perspective on the gifts- Carnival may not necessarily be trying to save money so much as come up with different ideas for gifts!

 

I managed an IT professional event for many years, and as part of their registration each attendee got a gift from us... we started with portfolios, then backpacks, moved on to insulated mugs, umbrellas, you name it! It took 10 months of planning for that event, but by far the hardest thing I had to do was decide what the giveaway was going to be each year!

 

And invariably, I had people complain to me about the choice. My response, equally without change, was if you don't care for it, either don't take it or give it away! I actually had someone dictate that they didn't want the very nice laser pen and USB drive set so I should give them back the cost of that item in lieu of a gift! I explained the theory of gift giving to them and kindly asked them to move on!

 

So Carnival is never going to hit it out of the park with their gifts- some will like them, others hate them- some are great, some are a swing & a miss! So my advice is to just accept it in the spirit it was intended  (a gift to say thank you) and do what you will with it!

Edited August 11, 2019 by Shaded Lady
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