Just Back from Paradise - Not Good for Diamonds

[Retiredmedic]

On 5/26/2022 at 6:43 PM, kona_wahine said:

We finally went on NCL, first time on another line other then Carnival. Food was far superior, the ship was gorgeous. We also paid 4x as much…..

We booked a NCL for 2023, 7 day, balcony room, drink package and 4 nights upgrade dining for the same price as our 7 day Vista cruise with the cheers package and no paid dining.

[maryann2]

12 hours ago, AtomicCruiser said:

 

Also due to staffing issues (supposedly at Carnival home office), we have been trying unsuccessfully for months to get our benefit for completing 25 cruises.  It used to mean 25% off an upcoming cruise.  They have now changed that to 25% in onboard credits (OBC).  So, on a $4,000 Journeys Cruise, would you rather have $1,000 off, or $1,000 in use it or lose it credits?

 

This has not changed.

It has always been OBC  -  not taken off the price of the cruise.

[Funsince1983]

16 hours ago, Cigar City Nole said:

Yup … HA is PERFECT

 

for the newly wed and the nearly dead …. 

And the over fed 😉

[TomCruise48]

39 minutes ago, maryann2 said:

This has not changed.

It has always been OBC  -  not taken off the price of the cruise.

When DW used her 25th milestone benefit in 2014 and I used mine in 2015, it was 25% off the basic fare.  We are now eligible for the 50th milestone, but the rules have since changed to OBC rather than a fare discount.

[maryann2]

Just now, TomCruise48 said:

When DW used her 25th milestone benefit in 2014 and I used mine in 2015, it was 25% off the basic fare.  We are now eligible for the 50th milestone, but the rules have since changed to OBC rather than a fare discount.

Interesting.

I used mine in 2016 and had OBC.

[Guest BasicSailor]

12 minutes ago, maryann2 said:

Interesting.

I used mine in 2016 and had OBC.

It takes about a year for all of Carnivals personnel to get that notice.😉

[maryann2]

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1173/kw/25th cruise/session/L3RpbWUvMTY1MzgzOTYyMC9zaWQvZlVXaUtmNEpGNkNaeEppbHpGWFdKeGJrZzlyUGN5UHFWNmF5bURzJTdFUjRGalVQWjBQXyU3RXlpb3gzNkdFc2t0VVh5eVd3a3ptSjB2ejBpanRPdUJsNENYQndCMzkzZkZiSl9jSlh3d3N1OTloSGtabkh5QW9IcHJHUSUyMSUyMQ%3D%3D

 

Link and designated phone number for milestone benefits.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, TomCruise48 said:

When DW used her 25th milestone benefit in 2014 and I used mine in 2015, it was 25% off the basic fare.  We are now eligible for the 50th milestone, but the rules have since changed to OBC rather than a fare discount.

Idk when I used my 25th to Alaska if it really matters I can look it up. It was years before covid.

 

I got 25% obc not a discount. Ok I looked it up 2013.

 

I was NOT offered a discount. I was told I could only get 25% obc. .. August of 2013 I was told this. Someone else might have gotten a discount but in 2013 I was told only obc lf 25%.

 

It's not something new.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, maryann2 said:

Interesting.

I used mine in 2016 and had OBC.

I used mine in 2013 and also got obc.

[kicia]

19 hours ago, AtomicCruiser said:

My wife and I will turn Diamond on our next Carnival cruise.  We have been on a couple lately (Breeze in March and Dream in April and May).  The ships are definitely understaffed.  We saw 1/2 hour wait in deli or coffee bar lines, slow service in restaurants, and minimal onboard activities.

The Platinum/Diamond parties used to be very nice (sliders, other snacks, and plenty of drinks).  Not lately." On the Breeze, the party was at 11am (drink time?), due to staffing.

Also due to staffing issues (supposedly at Carnival home office), we have been trying unsuccessfully for months to get our benefit for completing 25 cruises.  It used to mean 25% off an upcoming cruise.  They have now changed that to 25% in onboard credits (OBC).  So, on a $4,000 Journeys Cruise, would you rather have $1,000 off, or $1,000 in use it or lose it credits?

Also noticeable on these cruises was the high number of blue and red badges.  Carnival is definitely catering to the newer cruisers, as they are spending tons of money onboard.  This and many of the reductions are all feeding the bottom line.  Obviously, they are not as concerned about tried and true loyalty (Diamond and Platinum) as they used to be.

So, no more lounge for preboarding, no more special Diamond meeting, minimal (if any) Platinum/Diamond parties, hard time getting benefits.  The next thing they will say is no more free laundry.  My be time to rethink that RV, even with high gas prices.

The Milestone award was never a  percentage off of the cruise rate and it always was OBC in the amount of 25% (or whichever level) of your alone basic cruise fare.  We used our 25% in 2007 and nothing has changed.  It is not automatically applied but you must call the Milestone desk a few days prior to sailing.

[jetsfan58]

We are concentrating on the wrong area. None of us can dictate Carnival Policy or Carnival Rules. I don't worry about my cruise status as I am more concerned about my Cruise Fun! I certainly don't need or require a Diamond recognition party to enjoy my Adventure.  

 

Maybe I am different but I cruise for the Enjoyment not the Recognition! 

[Guest BasicSailor]

29 minutes ago, jetsfan58 said:

We are concentrating on the wrong area. None of us can dictate Carnival Policy or Carnival Rules. I don't worry about my cruise status as I am more concerned about my Cruise Fun! I certainly don't need or require a Diamond recognition party to enjoy my Adventure.  

 

Maybe I am different but I cruise for the Enjoyment not the Recognition! 

Nothing wrong with that either, we all have our likes and dislikes. Some of us tend to not need the Adventure as you say because we've been there and done that.  It's just nice to have a get together with the Captain and a few other officers over brunch . You would be amazed with the conversation that are had. Even so what one can learn from these discussions. And the free drinks sure help with the enjoyment and relaxing.🍷🥤😉

[RollingMeadows]

1.  We've been on the Miracle and the Panorama over the past year. My expectations of the line of dropped quite a bit, but that doesn't mean I dislike the line. It means I like it even more since I pack less and more casually. I'll be back on the Panorama in August for another solo trip. I don't cruise for benefits, which is probably why we like to cruise other lines so much.

[RollingMeadows]

I'm changing my answer. 🙂

 

I'm 21 sea days from diamond. We've quit going to the platinum party and I don't know that we'd make an effort to attend every diamond party. Might be that the diamond parties are much nicer and if that's the case I'm sure it's something we both look forward to attending. 

 

On the flip side, I can see cutting back on these benefits on the short and cheap cruises. This is what I mean when I say I don't cruise for the benefits, though I sure like some of them. The laundry comes to mind. It seems the ONLY additional benefit of any meaning for diamonds, other than the initial benefits of a free dinner and upgrade, would be the nicer cocktail party. I don't drink, but if the party is a step up, that's something I'd learn to appreciate pretty quickly.

[BlerkOne]

7 hours ago, kicia said:

The Milestone award was never a  percentage off of the cruise rate and it always was OBC in the amount of 25% (or whichever level) of your alone basic cruise fare.  We used our 25% in 2007 and nothing has changed.  It is not automatically applied but you must call the Milestone desk a few days prior to sailing.

This^

 

My first milestone was 2009 and was OBC. They don't apply it until a couple of days before your cruise, because cruise fares could drop. I do think they like 30 days notice.

[Hunter69]

On 5/29/2022 at 10:08 AM, cruizergal70 said:

I don't get why the Diamond/Platinum "party" is such a big deal. 

Here in Australia our Drinks package is around $100 US, it's not worth it.

But we would have on average around 50-75 Platinum/Diamonds on a cruise, so besides the boring bits, we would get around 4 - 6 Cocktail drinks. Plus near the end grab 4 or 5 carry out beers for the rest of the night & into the following day... Happy Times...

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 5/29/2022 at 10:35 AM, maryann2 said:

This has not changed.

It has always been OBC  -  not taken off the price of the cruise.

You are correct. Our 25th was OBC the cost of the cruise. You can choose to do both if you both are on the 25th or more cruises. This one will be our 50th. We will see what happens.

[Bostwick girl]

Atomic Cruiser, you will definitely see a revolt if the free laundry is stopped! I think more people write about the laundry benefit than anything!

 

[Laurie S.]

On 5/26/2022 at 7:16 PM, icft said:

Carnival folks really don't have any room to talk. Try sleeping past 9am through all the CD announcements. Try finding anything to do except drink or gamble after 11pm. Try finding food after 10 or 11pm.

 

Hey! I'm all over the Carnival deals and we really enjoy ourselves, but they keep nursing home hours.

How do you hear the announcements in your cabin?  We never do.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

On 5/30/2022 at 1:00 AM, Hunter69 said:

Here in Australia our Drinks package is around $100 US, it's not worth it.

But we would have on average around 50-75 Platinum/Diamonds on a cruise, so besides the boring bits, we would get around 4 - 6 Cocktail drinks. Plus near the end grab 4 or 5 carry out beers for the rest of the night & into the following day... Happy Times...

Next time buy a bottle on board and purchase the soda package. Far better deal.

[1kaper]

On 5/29/2022 at 11:47 AM, Funsince1983 said:

And the over fed 😉

 

Ok, I was offended by the first one because I didn't fit in. This is me.  😅

Kidding.  Even in my prime I never was able to stay up late and party on vacation.  I think the sun just makes me tired. 

[1kaper]

17 hours ago, Laurie S. said:

How do you hear the announcements in your cabin?  We never do.

 

I had to open my door to hear what was being said about tender debarkation at one port.  I knew they were saying something, it just wasn't loud enough to actually hear

[1kaper]

On 5/28/2022 at 11:08 PM, AtomicCruiser said:

My wife and I will turn Diamond on our next Carnival cruise.  We have been on a couple lately (Breeze in March and Dream in April and May).  The ships are definitely understaffed.  We saw 1/2 hour wait in deli or coffee bar lines, slow service in restaurants, and minimal onboard activities.

The Platinum/Diamond parties used to be very nice (sliders, other snacks, and plenty of drinks).  Not lately." On the Breeze, the party was at 11am (drink time?), due to staffing.

Also due to staffing issues (supposedly at Carnival home office), we have been trying unsuccessfully for months to get our benefit for completing 25 cruises.  It used to mean 25% off an upcoming cruise.  They have now changed that to 25% in onboard credits (OBC).  So, on a $4,000 Journeys Cruise, would you rather have $1,000 off, or $1,000 in use it or lose it credits?

Also noticeable on these cruises was the high number of blue and red badges.  Carnival is definitely catering to the newer cruisers, as they are spending tons of money onboard.  This and many of the reductions are all feeding the bottom line.  Obviously, they are not as concerned about tried and true loyalty (Diamond and Platinum) as they used to be.

So, no more lounge for preboarding, no more special Diamond meeting, minimal (if any) Platinum/Diamond parties, hard time getting benefits.  The next thing they will say is no more free laundry.  My be time to rethink that RV, even with high gas prices.

 

I'm pretty sure at this point they are concerned about survival. It's been a rough couple years. 

[UpstateCruizer]

On 5/29/2022 at 9:56 PM, RollingMeadows said:

I'm changing my answer. 🙂

 

I'm 21 sea days from diamond. We've quit going to the platinum party and I don't know that we'd make an effort to attend every diamond party. Might be that the diamond parties are much nicer and if that's the case I'm sure it's something we both look forward to attending. 

 

On the flip side, I can see cutting back on these benefits on the short and cheap cruises. This is what I mean when I say I don't cruise for the benefits, though I sure like some of them. The laundry comes to mind. It seems the ONLY additional benefit of any meaning for diamonds, other than the initial benefits of a free dinner and upgrade, would be the nicer cocktail party. I don't drink, but if the party is a step up, that's something I'd learn to appreciate pretty quickly.

The Diamond “event” varies from ship to ship and from one sailing to the next. If there isn’t a large number of diamonds on board you may get an invite to the bridge for coffee and desserts with the captain on one of the sea days. We’ve been invited to the steakhouse at lunch time for appetizers and drinks with the captain. Our most recent invitations have been for a lunch with drinks. Since Covid we haven’t seen the captain at any of the Diamond events(understandably so). We used to get a picture with the captain and it was delivered to our cabin. That has stopped as well with Covid. 
 

When they resume the Diamond events I’d suggest attending the ones that may interest you. There are quite a few Diamonds on each sailing now so the events are bigger. They also extend some of the invitations to & guest. We’ve enjoyed them in the past but honestly the $50 in OBC they are giving now is more appealing 🙂 

[Laurie S.]

3 hours ago, 1kaper said:

 

I had to open my door to hear what was being said about tender debarkation at one port.  I knew they were saying something, it just wasn't loud enough to actually hear

We do that, too, if we want to hear them.  They don't bother us because otherwise we never hear them.