Newly Minted Platinum - A Few Questions

[groundloop]

I'll be getting on a ship in a few days for my first cruise as Platinum and have a few questions concerning the Platinum perks.

 

Is "Priority Debarkation" only for getting off the ship at the end of the cruise or is this also for getting off the ship on port days?

 

What is "Priority reservations at Main Dining Room....."?  Does that just put you at the front of the que for Your Time Dining?

 

What are the "Carnival logo gifts" we can get from the Photo Gallery?

 

How do I send in laundry for the free "wash & fold" service?  Do I just fill up the provided bag and leave it for the cabin steward?  Is there anything that I shouldn't send through the laundry service (dress pants, shirts etc.)?

 

 

 

 

[May1cruiser]

Debarkation is only at end of cruise and it does allow an earlier debark time if you are not carry off. 

 

Never understood the dinning reservations, no difference to anytime. 

 

Logo gifts change and usually simple gift. 

 

Ask room steward for laundry. Same process for all, however three bags are free. I would only send durable clothes. They use very hot water and it is not gentle. 

[jsglow]

Priority reservations means you are Very Likely to get the slot you want for dinner; Early, Late, or YTD.  I suspect that's why the 'waitlist' thing exists pre-cruise.  If a Diamond (guaranteed) or a Platinum (preferred) wants that dining arrangement and books the cruise 3 weeks before departure, they're accommodated.  It has nothing to do with the queue when checking in for YTD on the ship.

 

My most common logo gift has been a drink coozie. (It's always very modest.)

 

One additional thought on laundry beyond 'durable clothes only'.  Fill out the laundry form with each item in the bag but DO NOT fill in the prices.  There's a shaded box on the form that needs your folio# and that's historically how they know it's comped.

[elklemi]

If you are going to a tender port you receive priority on an early tender to port, no priority on returning to ship.  This is really useful if you go to HMC or have a private excursion planned.  Enjoy 

[ChuckF]

I always find it helpful to personally hand my laundry bag to the steward and make sure he/she knows that we are Platinum. 

[nwcruiselover]

I just write “Diamond Wash and Fold” prominently on the slip that goes in the bag with the clothes.  I roll the clothes tightly to get in as much as possible.

[ShakyBeef]

1 hour ago, jsglow said:

Priority reservations means you are Very Likely to get the slot you want for dinner; Early, Late, or YTD.  I suspect that's why the 'waitlist' thing exists pre-cruise.  If a Diamond (guaranteed) or a Platinum (preferred) wants that dining arrangement and books the cruise 3 weeks before departure, they're accommodated.  It has nothing to do with the queue when checking in for YTD on the ship.

 

This is exactly correct.  One little addition, not really important here, but FWIW: Suite guests also get guaranteed dining time choice.

 

"Confirmed Dining Preference in our Main Dining Room
Guests traveling in suite accommodations will be guaranteed their dining option choice.

If their preferred dining is closed, their request will be entered into the system as a waitlist.

Overnight, the system will retrieve information and automatically clear the waitlist.

The waitlist clearing process stops 4 days prior to the sail date. Within this 4 day period, any upgrades/changes to suites or new bookings in suites will not result in the waitlist clearing. In these cases, guests will be guaranteed their dining choice once onboard. The Maitre d’ will send a confirmation to their suite confirming their requested dining time."

[groundloop]

7 hours ago, jsglow said:

Priority reservations means you are Very Likely to get the slot you want for dinner; Early, Late, or YTD.  I suspect that's why the 'waitlist' thing exists pre-cruise.  If a Diamond (guaranteed) or a Platinum (preferred) wants that dining arrangement and books the cruise 3 weeks before departure, they're accommodated.  It has nothing to do with the queue when checking in for YTD on the ship.

 

My most common logo gift has been a drink coozie. (It's always very modest.)

 

 

So theoretically I should be able to go to the MDR after we board and get switched to YTD?  (My travel agent checked for me a few weeks ago and said that YTD was full.  I wouldn't have shown up as Platinum yet as it was before my previous cruise).

 

And I'll be happy with some coozies as the gift, we're in need of a few more.

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by groundloop

[jsglow]

Just now, groundloop said:

 

So theoretically I should be able to go to the MDR after we board and get switched to YTD?  (My travel agent checked for me a few weeks ago and said that YTD was full).

 

And I'll be happy with some coozies as the gift, we're in need of a few more.

 

Well, your chances of getting switched are better than a Red Card's.  If you don't get reassigned prior to the cruise I'd head to the MDR right away and see what they can do.

[Elaine5715]

There is a line about being Platinum  on the laundry slip

[havanadaydreaming]

my wife is plat and we get two bags laundry per cruise.  it's a very nice feature that we take advantage of consistently.  it's nice to have clean clothes to haul back home.  

 

the only items i dont put in the bag are slacks and my favorite tshirts (that i'm afraid might shrink in an industrial dryer). 

 

the platinum gift last week was a slap and go koozie.  i think we got that all three cruises this past year.  

[Anyislandwilldo]

22 hours ago, elklemi said:

If you are going to a tender port you receive priority on an early tender to port, no priority on returning to ship.  This is really useful if you go to HMC or have a private excursion planned.  Enjoy 

Listen for announcements by the cruise director.  He/she will announce where to go if you want to get priority debarkation in a tender port.  The meeting place may also be listed in the fun times.

[sanmarcosman]

1 hour ago, havanadaydreaming said:

my wife is plat and we get two bags laundry per cruise. 

Keep in mind the number of bags varies by the length of the cruise.

" Complimentary Wash & Fold laundry service
(2 bags on 3-6 day cruises,
3 bags on 7-13 day cruises, 5 bags on 14+ day cruises) "

[elklemi]

25 minutes ago, Anyislandwilldo said:

Listen for announcements by the cruise director.  He/she will announce where to go if you want to get priority debarkation in a tender port.  The meeting place may also be listed in the fun times.

I always have a letter delivered to my cabin with instructions on when and what time to meet to get early debarkation.

[bguppies]

On 12/19/2022 at 9:59 AM, groundloop said:

I'll be getting on a ship in a few days for my first cruise as Platinum and have a few questions concerning the Platinum perks.

 

Is "Priority Debarkation" only for getting off the ship at the end of the cruise or is this also for getting off the ship on port days?

 

What is "Priority reservations at Main Dining Room....."?  Does that just put you at the front of the que for Your Time Dining?

 

What are the "Carnival logo gifts" we can get from the Photo Gallery?

 

How do I send in laundry for the free "wash & fold" service?  Do I just fill up the provided bag and leave it for the cabin steward?  Is there anything that I shouldn't send through the laundry service (dress pants, shirts etc.)?

 

 

 

 

Priority debark is for the end of the cruise but I have used priority tenders in HMC and Grand Cayman before.

Does nothing for you in ports that you walk off the gangplank. (most of them)

We put our luggage out in the hall to debark and have always been the first group off the ship after the people carrying their own luggage. (luggage tags 1 or 2 in our three cruises this year.)

 

And you will get a letter the day before, telling you exactly where to go and meet so a member of the entertainment staff can lead you down before they start calling deck numbers.  (I'm pretty sure it is usually the main theater on every ship)

 

Once we got to platinum, we have never, not gotten our requested YTD right after booking.

Hopefully you get your requested time once on board.

 

Carnival logo gifts have careened downhill in quality in the past few years.

 

As long as your gonna be happy with the koozies, you should be happy for the next decade or so.

 

We used to get a different gift about every 6 months or so, so unless you cruised more than twice a year, you'd get something new each cruise. (headphones, tervis tumblers, nightlights, photo albums, beach twels, hats, etc.)

 

DW did 3 cruises this year and got koozies on all 3.

I'm pretty sure that is all Carnival has given out all of 2022. (and for as cheap as it is compared to previous gifts, that will propbably be it for the forseable future.)

Edited December 20, 2022 by bguppies

[groundloop]

4 minutes ago, bguppies said:

 

 

We used to get a different gift about every 6 months or so, so unless you cruised more than twice a year, you'd get something new each cruise. (headphones, tervis tumblers, nightlights, photo albums, beach twels, hats, etc.)

 

DW did 3 cruises this year and got koozies on all 3.

 

I'm pretty sure that is all Carnival has given out all of 2022. (and for as cheap as it is compared to previous gifts, that will propbably be it for the forseable future.)

 

John Heald mentioned that they will (hopefully) be getting some new gifts soon.  I've got 7 cruises booked between now and the end of next year (I loaded up while they were on sale) so it'll be nice to get something different, but for now I'll be happy with a few coozies to replace my dwindling supply at home.

[jsglow]

13 hours ago, havanadaydreaming said:

 

the platinum gift last week was a slap and go koozie.  i think we got that all three cruises this past year.  

I've got like 6 of those in the kitchen!  We did give our daughter and her boyfriend our free lanyards as a minor (very!) Christmas gift.  Her response, 'Do folks younger than YOU wear them?' 😂