Carnival Inconsistent in Cheers Package

[Many Time Cruiser]

My wife and I have cruised Carnival 14 Times, (Platinum) and recently booked a New Years Eve Cruise and got a Carnival Rep on the line with a 3 way call.  The friends we are traveling with have cruised Carnival 5 Times. We have the same room, adjoining, same cruise.  Our friends who have cruised 5 times were offered the cheers package for $400.00 for the cruise, yes 400 total for both of them, total of 200 each.  They were very happy.  Then when it was our turn, the cruisers with (Platinum?) 14 cruises, we were not offered that perk.  Said there was nothing they could do to get us the same offer our friends got.  I still cannot figure out how they can rationalize this, and they really cant explain it to me either.

 

It is very evident that they could care less that they have loyal customers.

[sparks1093]

7 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

My wife and I have cruised Carnival 14 Times, (Platinum) and recently booked a New Years Eve Cruise and got a Carnival Rep on the line with a 3 way call.  The friends we are traveling with have cruised Carnival 5 Times. We have the same room, adjoining, same cruise.  Our friends who have cruised 5 times were offered the cheers package for $400.00 for the cruise, yes 400 total for both of them, total of 200 each.  They were very happy.  Then when it was our turn, the cruisers with (Platinum?) 14 cruises, we were not offered that perk.  Said there was nothing they could do to get us the same offer our friends got.  I still cannot figure out how they can rationalize this, and they really cant explain it to me either.

 

It is very evident that they could care less that they have loyal customers.

This was a promotion that they ran that some were eligible for and others weren't, just like other promotions. On our glory cruise our sons received it and we didn't. 

[dallasdan]

Did you also factor in the rate of the cruise itself.  When I have been offered cheers at a discount, the cost of the cruise was higher than If I just booked it and bought cheers.  

[ProgRockCruiser]

9 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

Said there was nothing they could do to get us the same offer our friends got.  I still cannot figure out how they can rationalize this, and they really cant explain it to me either.

It's called targeted marketing.  All corporations do it.

 

Cheers is an oddball when it comes to "discounts", because Carnival very rarely offers deals on it.  When it is offered, usually it is offered at a discount to cruisers who don't usually buy the package and don't drink very much (but do drink a little).  This is an enticement to spend a little more than usual but get the opportunity for more than the usual number of drinks - then hopefully the cruisers get into the habit of always ordering Cheers on future bookings.

 

We always get Cheers, so we never get these offers.

 

If you usually (or even just occasionally) get Cheers, this is why it wasn't offered to you.

[Schoifmom]

My guess is that they weren't offered Cheers at that specific price, what they were offered was a promotional rate for the cabin which included Cheers and was $400 more than the rate that they were originally looking at.  We have taken advantage of one of those promotional rates in the past.  They aren't offered to everyone and they don't get repeated very often.

[Many Time Cruiser]

But they got the same cabin as us. I just think it so wrong.  They are on same cruise, same room and paying 400 more dollars than us with the cheers package. We booked at the same time, same salesman.

[havanadaydreaming]

we have never been offered a Cheers discount, other than purchasing it for 10% cheaper before embarkation day.  (like everyone else) 

 

my wife is platinum and i will be before end of year.  

 

i could drink $200 worth after sailaway... ha.  

[sternfanla]

I think Carnival is consistent with the cheers package. I think you are upset with Carnivals promotion. 

People get different promotions, not everyone is offered the same promotion.

 

[Saint Greg]

Look around at other cruise lines. I've been on 22 cruises. All Carnival. They don't offer me a darn thing Joe Schmo blue card can't get. And my next cruise is on NCL.

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Saint Greg

[Many Time Cruiser]

11 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Look around at other cruise lines. I've been on 22 cruises. All Carnival. They don't offer me a darn thing Joe Schmo blue card can't get. And my next cruise is on NCL.

 

Yeah I hear you never thought I would switch but hearing the offer on a 3 way conversation did me in. I won’t feel guilty if I take off all the tips, but these people are going with us so we will just drink on their cheers package haha! Platinum means NOTHING!

[canes20]

2 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

Yeah I hear you never thought I would switch but hearing the offer on a 3 way conversation did me in. I won’t feel guilty if I take off all the tips, but these people are going with us so we will just drink on their cheers package haha! Platinum means NOTHING!

 

Good way to handle the situation. Why should anyone get a tip if you can't get a drink package.

 

[Saint Greg]

5 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

Yeah I hear you never thought I would switch but hearing the offer on a 3 way conversation did me in. I won’t feel guilty if I take off all the tips, but these people are going with us so we will just drink on their cheers package haha! Platinum means NOTHING!

 

I don't think stealing drinks and taking tips from crew members is the answer. All that's going to do is raise prices for everyone else in the future. Nobody forced you to book the cruise.

[tbjl24]

12 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

Yeah I hear you never thought I would switch but hearing the offer on a 3 way conversation did me in. I won’t feel guilty if I take off all the tips, but these people are going with us so we will just drink on their cheers package haha! Platinum means NOTHING!

*****...

[ObstructedView2]

13 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

I won’t feel guilty if I take off all the tips, but these people are going with us so we will just drink on their cheers package 

 

 

🍿 🍿

[tonit964]

11 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

Yeah I hear you never thought I would switch but hearing the offer on a 3 way conversation did me in. I won’t feel guilty if I take off all the tips, but these people are going with us so we will just drink on their cheers package haha! Platinum means NOTHING!

That's some great logic there. Stiff the hardworking crew that make your cruise great even though they have nothing to do with Carnival's promotion policy.

 

Then share a package not meant to be shared because you didn't get the same offer as your friends.

By the way, if your friends are caught giving you drinks, they revoke the package and charge for all the drinks consumed up until that point.

Just move on.

 

[hard_eight]

You're why they should bake the tips in the fare.

 

Unreal.

[Many Time Cruiser]

6 minutes ago, hard_eight said:

You're why they should bake the tips in the fare.

 

Unreal.

ok ok was just kidding

[hard_eight]

3 minutes ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

ok ok was just kidding

I get ya being angry about it, honestly I would be too. Like what the **** but, the promos are per person so that sucks. There's people who likely have better offers than I do, and it would suck to be on the call though.

 

But, the poor folks working their tails off didn't do it!

[notscb]

3 hours ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

but these people are going with us so we will just drink on their cheers package

That's a really good way to get caught and get your friends in trouble. Carnival doesn't look lightly on those who share their drink packages, especially Cheers.

[notscb]

5 hours ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

we were not offered that perk

 

As others have said, and you said, they were offered a perk that you weren't, which happens all the time. If you are platinum, don't you already get drinks at brunch and an entire reception where drinks are flowing freely?

 

Carnival is being inconsistent in some ways- and every single company you interact with does the exact same thing. I wish i could get $400 cheers for a week, too, but targeted marketing means we all get different deals at different times at the whims of their marketing algorithm.

[Stick93]

3 hours ago, notscb said:

That's a really good way to get caught and get your friends in trouble. Carnival doesn't look lightly on those who share their drink packages, especially Cheers.

Never heard of anyone caught and if so nothing has happened. They got bigger issues than the drinks people share. 
Gotta laugh every time some write about trouble.. Have you seen the people on cruises these days - hahahahahh

[Stick93]

6 hours ago, tonit964 said:

 

 

Then share a package not meant to be shared because you didn't get the same offer as your friends.

By the way, if your friends are caught giving you drinks, they revoke the package and charge for all the drinks consumed up until that point.

Just move on.

 

Sounds like a big empty threat. Never heard of one person this happened to besides someone who let their minor drink on their card and I cannot confirm this. 
 

Let me guess someone you know heard from a captain once who told you that their best friends mother did this and they got caught and now they are paying down a dept to carnival cruise line….

 

Never happened and if it did please send proof on this thread -  It’s an empty threat 

[sparks1093]

13 hours ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

But they got the same cabin as us. I just think it so wrong.  They are on same cruise, same room and paying 400 more dollars than us with the cheers package. We booked at the same time, same salesman.

They were entitled to the promotion and you weren't. It is as simple as that. Look at it this way- heavy gamblers get cruises comped frequently. Are you going to get upset that they get a free cruise because they gamble a lot and you don't get one because you don't? These promotions are designed to entice a target audience to book, nothing more and nothing less.

[luv2kroooz]

14 hours ago, Many Time Cruiser said:

But they got the same cabin as us. I just think it so wrong.  They are on same cruise, same room and paying 400 more dollars than us with the cheers package. We booked at the same time, same salesman.

I certainly understand your frustration. You would hope to be rewarded, not penalized, for your loyalty. Sadly, as others have pointed out, the targeted marketing is done in the name of maximizing profits, not loyalty.

 

The only option I see is to respectfully communicate your observations to Carnival and then choose a different cruise line that better matches up with your expectations for your next cruise. In our opinion, Carnival has allowed it's loyalty program to degrade to one of the worst loyalty programs in the industry which further supports the notion that they are thriving on first time cruisers.

 

They talk and talk about how they are studying it, but all they need to do is look at their competition for guidance, many of which offer valuable perks like mini bar setup, complimentary beverages and specialty dining, free laundry service, etc. All loaded onto your account automatically. It really isn't rocket science and doesn't have to be overly complicated. They could just give an OBC to be used at the VIFP member's discretion and do away with the luggage tags, cups, VIFP parties, etc.

[tweak89]

I have booked all of the cruises for my wife and I and yet, she gets all the really good VIFP offers.   I wasn't aware that being platinum had any effect on the offers you get.  I mean you should be super mad because we are Gold and sailed with an RU2 Cheers! promotion on our last cruise!   And we have a Cheers! offer right now (not a good one though) 🤣😁🤣