Is your room still ready right away if you’re platinum?

[Lee Cruiser]

15 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Generally to drop bags off, but not always.

 

A steward on one of my cruises wasn't thrilled that I was dropping off, but didn't tell me  I couldn't. I went back around 1 to check on the cabin and the door was closed, but no key to be found. I did find the steward and he said he didn't put the keys out until all of his rooms were ready. Lesson learned.

It certainly varies from ship to ship and steward to steward.  On two of our cruises our room was ready and key was waiting when we boarded.  However, on our April Mardi Gras cruise our key wasn't available until after one.  We went to drop off our bags and the steward was quick to tell us that our room was not ready.  He did seem a little annoyed as well.  There were other platinum guests walking around earlier with their keys.  They said their rooms and keys were available when they boarded, but our steward appeared to wait until he had every room ready.  There is no real consistency.  That's what causes the problem for some folks.

[Hoosierpop]

1 minute ago, tjsmama said:

I saw this from another response to this thread

 

It seems that Suite guests have the same perks as Platinum (according to what is listed on the VIFP members benefits page) except for being able to do the online check in 16 days prior and having your room ready when you board. We are going on an Alaska cruise in July and will be Platinum on that cruise. Do Platinum cruisers get a letter like this, also or do they get the usual 14 day check in and priority boarding but not having your room ready?

My platinum letter was similar but the big difference. Here’s what mine said.

 

• STATEROOM ACCESS – Due to enhanced cleaning and sanitation, staterooms may not be ready at the time of boarding for the early Arrival Appointments.   If you have not checked your bags, feel free to quickly drop off your luggage while our crew puts the finishing touches on your stateroom.  This will allow you to complete your e-mustering process and start your vacation promptly.

[LHARTWICK]

Agree with Lee Cruiser for sure.  Even if our room is ready (which now with under staffing, that's the case more often than not) we don't need to stay in our room anyway.  Just drop and go!

[Lee Cruiser]

4 minutes ago, tjsmama said:

I saw this from another response to this thread

 

It seems that Suite guests have the same perks as Platinum (according to what is listed on the VIFP members benefits page) except for being able to do the online check in 16 days prior and having your room ready when you board. We are going on an Alaska cruise in July and will be Platinum on that cruise. Do Platinum cruisers get a letter like this, also or do they get the usual 14 day check in and priority boarding but not having your room ready?

 

This was the letter we received in April before Mardi Gras:

 

 

VIFP PLATINUM AND DIAMOND GUESTS UPDATE AND ONLINE CHECK-IN INVITATION

Dear Valued Platinum and Diamond Guests, This communication is being sent to our booked Platinum and Diamond guests.  It is independent from any request our guests might have pending for an exemption to vaccine requirements, and the receipt of this communication is not any indication of the status of your request. We want to thank you for the loyalty and support you have shown Carnival, and also make you aware of the new way to redeem your VIFP amenities. These changes were designed in accordance with our new Have Fun. Be Safe. protocols to minimize the number of stateroom deliveries, while making it easier for you to collect some of your benefits. Moving forward, certain VIFP amenities will be linked to your Sail & Sign folio for electronic redemption, like how we currently handle complimentary laundry.  Simply claim your benefit, using your Sail & Sign card, and a one-time credit for that item will be posted on your folio and be visible on your statement. Complimentary Beverages Brunch Beverage – redeemable in the dining room. 1.5L Bottled Water – redeemable from any bar, restaurant or your stateroom.  Chocolate Delight (5+ Day Cruises) A tasty treat will be ready for you to enjoy; just call room service to schedule delivery. Carnival Logo Gift & Ship Pin Please visit our Photo Gallery to claim your Carnival logo gift and your Carnival ship pin.  We encourage you to claim your gifts no later than two days prior to the end of your cruise. We also want you to know that given our focus on meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) requirements and implementation of new health and safety protocols, we will need to adjust how we deliver some of the VIFP priority benefits, as follows: ONLINE CHECK-IN – All guests will be required to complete Online Check-In, which will open 14 days prior to sailing.  Platinum and Diamond guests will be given 48 hours advance access to select their preferred Arrival Appointment. Please visit My Cruise Manager on Carnival.com starting at 16 days prior to sailing to complete your Online Check-In and select the Arrival Appointment that works best for your plans.  Due to additional embarkation day processes, all guests will have to arrive promptly at their Arrival Appointment.  Regrettably, we cannot accommodate any early arrivals and guests will be turned away and asked to return at their assigned time.    STATEROOM ACCESS – Due to enhanced cleaning and sanitation, staterooms may not be ready at the time of boarding for the early Arrival Appointments.   If you have not checked your bags, feel free to quickly drop off your luggage while our crew puts the finishing touches on your stateroom.  This will allow you to complete your e-mustering process and start your vacation promptly.   WATER SHUTTLE PRIORITY – Priority water shuttle debark will be provided subject to local guidance at the destinations we visit, which may change without prior notice.  Our team on board will keep you informed of the debarkation plans for each port.   CASINO – Although we are currently unable to host casino tournaments on board, you will be given US$25 in Casino FunPlay®, in addition to any other FunPlay® you might be entitled to as part of your booking.   DEBARK – We will do our best to offer priority debarkation, however, this may not be possible if we have unusually high numbers of Platinum and Diamond guest on board. We thank you for your understanding and patience as we work through our restart plans.  Your continued support means a lot to us and our great staff and crew can’t wait to welcome you back on board! Sincerely,

Christine Duffy President, Carnival Cruise Line

[wemjam]

20 minutes ago, LHARTWICK said:

Same as others here - just drop off your luggage quickly and leave.  We literally are in there 30 seconds or so then it's off to muster drill and lunch!  Make sure your bags are clearly marked with your name so they don't think the previous passengers left their bag.  That's just my $0.02.  🙂 

We do a quick drop and I always make "contact" with the steward as we are coming in or going out and let him know what room we just did it in so they know it is ours.😉

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

20 hours ago, pe4all said:

Just be aware that if your cabin isn't ready the cabin door may be propped open and anyone can stop in and take your stuff.  Not saying that has ever happened, but we did have a passenger walk into our cabin last week when we were dropping off our backpacks.  They did not know we were in there until they were well inside the cabin and saw us putting our stuff down. They said "oops" and quickly walked out.   Don't know their intent- might have just walked into wrong cabin for all we know - but we took our backpacks with us until cabin was "officially" ready and the door was closed by the steward.

What about luggage in the passage way? 

[pe4all]

1 hour ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

What about luggage in the passage way? 

I would think- or hope - that most people would lock their luggage.  Or, if they did not lock it, wouldn't put anything valuable in it "just in case."  

[jsglow]

John Heald provided public clarification on this topic a couple weeks back.  D&P (and Suites) are welcome to quickly drop luggage and go upon embarking the ship.  Blue/Red/Gold card holders are not and should not proceed to their cabins for any reason until the 'all clear' announcement is made by the CD.  On our very first Platinum cruise, we were personally greeted by our Steward's first level manager (who somehow knew it was our initial Plat cruise). He welcomed us onboard at our cabin handing over his card and saying 'Welcome and please reach out if you need anything from me our my team.' It was a nice gesture.  We pushed our carry-on bags under the bed and quickly departed respecting the protocol.  In our multiple cruises since then, we have always had access and were careful not to abuse the privilege.

[DAllenTCY]

Believe me, I know the difference between a locked door and one that is heavy.  

 

In the event of a fire, the bridge could unlock all of the the doors.

 

The firewall doors are locked only on one side....just like a bathroom door.

 

 

David

Edited July 15, 2022 by DAllenTCY
adding content

[dmet0225]

I have an ocean suite booked on the Vista for later this month.  I checked in today, and also received the letter this evening stating that my stateroom would be ready when I board.   I’m neither a platinum nor a diamond member.  

[LHARTWICK]

23 hours ago, LHARTWICK said:

Agree with Lee Cruiser for sure.  Even if our room is ready (which now with under staffing, that's the case more often than not) we don't need to stay in our room anyway.  Just drop and go!

Just realized I stated this incorrectly:  meant to say now with under staffing issues, more often than not our room is not ready when we board.  But we also board earlier in the day, so completely understandable regardless of staffing issues.  We're ready to hit the feed trough, so off we go after dropping our luggage!  😅

[Stick93]

I don’t see why it’s difficult to have a speed line for P/D and suites. I feel like Carnival will milk the Covid train as long as they can. I have been on Celebrity and Royal and have seen them handle the passengers just fine with all the same “staffing issues”. I even had my room serviced twice a day without asking!
If the staffing issues are so bad for carnival they should limit the passenger counts - I would think it’s safer for all to do that. 

Edited July 17, 2022 by Stick93

[shof515]

6 hours ago, Stick93 said:

I don’t see why it’s difficult to have a speed line for P/D and suites. I feel like Carnival will milk the Covid train as long as they can. I have been on Celebrity and Royal and have seen them handle the passengers just fine with all the same “staffing issues”. I even had my room serviced twice a day without asking!
If the staffing issues are so bad for carnival they should limit the passenger counts - I would think it’s safer for all to do that. 

i dont understand carnival covid train. i cruised with NCL 3 times since cruises restarted, they too have similar platinum perks that place items in your room with the strawberry and other goodies that they still do. I hate on carnival it is like a treasure hunt to pick up the platinum items yourself and dont understand why cant put it in the room like back in the day. It seems like it could be a cutback/cost saving for carnival if people dont pick up the items

[jetsfan58]

I try and not be selfish and allow the stewards to complete their jobs. How would we feel if someone abruptly just entered your office while you were on a teleconference? Same scenario here.

 

Let's just learn to be patient and allow these hard working individuals to complete their assignments.     

[mz-s]

6 hours ago, Stick93 said:

I don’t see why it’s difficult to have a speed line for P/D and suites. I feel like Carnival will milk the Covid train as long as they can. I have been on Celebrity and Royal and have seen them handle the passengers just fine with all the same “staffing issues”. I even had my room serviced twice a day without asking!
If the staffing issues are so bad for carnival they should limit the passenger counts - I would think it’s safer for all to do that. 

 

Carnival has cut service, cut amenities, cut food quality, cut staffing levels, and asked us all to pay more gratuities. Their ships look run down, even the ones that have been drydocked since COVID. This is the first time since COVID that I don't have a Carnival cruise booked, and I'm like 3 days away from Platinum. I love Carnival and I am waiting for them to bring the experience back up to pre-COVID levels before I return.

 

"I'm just happy to be cruising again" isn't good enough for me and my money anymore.

[Stick93]

2 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

Carnival has cut service, cut amenities, cut food quality, cut staffing levels, and asked us all to pay more gratuities. Their ships look run down, even the ones that have been drydocked since COVID. This is the first time since COVID that I don't have a Carnival cruise booked, and I'm like 3 days away from Platinum. I love Carnival and I am waiting for them to bring the experience back up to pre-COVID levels before I return.

 

"I'm just happy to be cruising again" isn't good enough for me and my money anymore.

You may be waiting a awhile.
 

Good news is there are plenty of good options at a similar price point. Even a bit more is worth more to pay if the product is that much better and the truth is - the product is better. Those cruise lines all live on the same world as carnival - so stop the excuses. 

[pinklucky61]

10 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

Carnival has cut service, cut amenities, cut food quality, cut staffing levels, and asked us all to pay more gratuities. Their ships look run down, even the ones that have been drydocked since COVID. This is the first time since COVID that I don't have a Carnival cruise booked, and I'm like 3 days away from Platinum. I love Carnival and I am waiting for them to bring the experience back up to pre-COVID levels before I return.

 

"I'm just happy to be cruising again" isn't good enough for me and my money anymore.

Not trying to be snarky or anything, but don't CCL points transfer over to Princess?  I've never done Princess, just thought you might want to look into that.

[Elaine5715]

2 minutes ago, pinklucky61 said:

Not trying to be snarky or anything, but don't CCL points transfer over to Princess?  I've never done Princess, just thought you might want to look into that.

No.  People have asked over and over for status to spread over all CCL lines and it is unlikely to ever happen.

[Elaine5715]

On 7/14/2022 at 9:32 PM, DAllenTCY said:

Believe me, I know the difference between a locked door and one that is heavy.  

 

In the event of a fire, the bridge could unlock all of the the doors.

 

The firewall doors are locked only on one side....just like a bathroom door.

 

 

David

I guess I am super strong since I have opened countless closed hallway doors.  

[LHARTWICK]

12 hours ago, shof515 said:

 It seems like it could be a cutback/cost saving for carnival if people dont pick up the items

I think this is EXACTLY why they continue to have passengers pick up their gifts.  Many will not - which will save $$ for CCL.  For our cruises since the restart, we haven't bothered with having the chocolate delight delivered.  Just didn't want to mess with it.  I should have pressed them for it, but didn't.  And on  both cruises since restart we've had issues with the free drink that is supposedly already added to our account.  Still get charged for it and it's such a hassle to get it straightened out.  Not worth it - I don't need the drink that bad.  I think CCL should do better by their P/D members.  It's just a matter of principle.

 

18 hours ago, Stick93 said:

I feel like Carnival will milk the Covid train as long as they can. 

Agreed!!!

[mz-s]

24 minutes ago, LHARTWICK said:

I think this is EXACTLY why they continue to have passengers pick up their gifts.  Many will not - which will save $$ for CCL.  For our cruises since the restart, we haven't bothered with having the chocolate delight delivered.  Just didn't want to mess with it.  I should have pressed them for it, but didn't.  And on  both cruises since restart we've had issues with the free drink that is supposedly already added to our account.  Still get charged for it and it's such a hassle to get it straightened out.  Not worth it - I don't need the drink that bad.  I think CCL should do better by their P/D members.  It's just a matter of principle.

 

Agreed!!!

My wife and I tell them “please make sure this rings up as our free drink”

[BlerkOne]

19 hours ago, Stick93 said:

. I have been on Celebrity and Royal and have seen them handle the passengers just fine with all the same “staffing issues”.

I garontee Celebrity and Royal have staffing issues. On one Celebrity Infinity sailing passengers were having to wait up to 2 hours to be seated for dinner. They were even pulling staff from the spa to help.

 

[Stick93]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

I garontee Celebrity and Royal have staffing issues. On one Celebrity Infinity sailing passengers were having to wait up to 2 hours to be seated for dinner. They were even pulling staff from the spa to help.

 

I can guarantee this - if this is the issues celebrity is having, carnivals issues are greater.  It’s really not a contest. They can all do better - but the general consensus is that carnival is always farther behind the curve and cutting more corners. 

Edited July 18, 2022 by Stick93

[BlerkOne]

6 minutes ago, Stick93 said:

I can guarantee this - if this is the issues celebrity is having, carnivals issues are greater.  It’s really not a contest. They can all do better - but the general consensus is that carnival is always farther behind the curve and cutting more corners. 

General consensus among Carnival haters, no doubt. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the competing cruise lines are behind some of the rumors.

 

No way can a 2 hour long wait for pizza after midnight be compared to a 2 hour wait to be seated for dinner.

[Stick93]

12 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

General consensus among Carnival haters, no doubt. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the competing cruise lines are behind some of the rumors.

 

No way can a 2 hour long wait for pizza after midnight be compared to a 2 hour wait to be seated for dinner.

“Haters” - or cruisers. 

Its okay you love carnival no matter what.

 

Carnival tries the least. Their ships overall look more tired and are not kept up to standard we all think they should be.  Their product is fun but not in tune to specifics or details. You can love them for that - but they are cheap and cost cutters at passengers expense 100% of the time.  Their issues are more transparent than the other cruise lines. 
What does it cost to have P/D priority check in line??? I can assure this it’s close to zero! You want to give your loyal passengers a gift - you stick it in their room. You don’t have them go on a scavenger hunt to get them.  The other cruise lines get this and these are two easy examples that cost nothing. There are probability many more examples.