Changes to Carnival Loyalty Program

[mz-s]

Perhaps one day the VIFP program will be based on spend, but today it isn't. It is based upon nights cruised. It doesn't matter who pays for the room.

 

You can be upset about that and wish it changed, but then you'd need to turn in your 75 Diamond Milestone card that you got thanks to casino rates...

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

26 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Perhaps one day the VIFP program will be based on spend, but today it isn't. It is based upon nights cruised. It doesn't matter who pays for the room.

...

 

True. Our youngest was Platinum when the program started - and never spent a penny (that wasn't mine).

 

Tom

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

Perhaps one day the VIFP program will be based on spend, but today it isn't. It is based upon nights cruised. It doesn't matter who pays for the room.

 

You can be upset about that and wish it changed, but then you'd need to turn in your 75 Diamond Milestone card that you got thanks to casino rates...

If referring to me, I have NEVER accepted a free cruise, or $100 cruise, or whatever, from Carnival. The only free cruise I have received was from Celebrity, and I still am not sure why, since I had never cruised on them before.

 

When cruising restarted after Covid, Carnival was desperate to get people on ships again, and to get cash flow going. Carnival knew that if you lowered prices enough, people would cruise, no matter what the risk. Risk takers describes gamblers. There are always more waiting in the wings, and Carnival helps nurture new gamblers by giving Platinum and Diamond cruisers $25 seed money.

 

They served their purpose but are now expendable. Carnival needs to get back to basics and what got them where they are today. A mass market family cruise line where all are equal and none are more equal.

 

There is nothing wrong with the casino having their own marketing program and giving away whatever they want - but they crossed the line.

[mfs2k]

I love how people complain about free benefits. 
Loyalty programs are designed to keep passengers loyal to the brand at an affordable cost. It’s all about cost/benefit. 
When the ratio is broken they make adjustments. It’s a risky move to take away benefits from those who already have them. I don’t think we’ll see much of that. But I do see a change where there’s a renewal requirement to hold on to benefits. 

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

1 hour ago, mfs2k said:

I love how people complain about free benefits. 
Loyalty programs are designed to keep passengers loyal to the brand at an affordable cost. It’s all about cost/benefit. 
When the ratio is broken they make adjustments. It’s a risky move to take away benefits from those who already have them. I don’t think we’ll see much of that. But I do see a change where there’s a renewal requirement to hold on to benefits. 

You are correct. Do people have this same energy when a cruise line status matches or someone with a credit card gets the same flying, boarding and upgrade benefit as someone who flys 5 times a month? Its loyalty and marketing 101. 

[aborgman]

22 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

 Reduced rate casino cruisers are in fact in the regular program and should not be.

 

All loyalty programs are nothing more than marketing programs and none are sustainable without change. Nothing is earned or owed. It is basic marketing.

 

Those are contradictory statements.

 

Nothing is earned or owed, and it is just marketing - which means there is no "should" or "should not" involved.

 

It doesn't need to be fair, equal, or equitable... it just needs to be "what makes Carnival the most profit".

 

[aborgman]

19 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

 

The casino operations are not under Carnival.

 

 

 

Carnival Corporation's Global Casino Operations aren't under Carnival?

 

Weird that they advertise their open jobs on Carnival Corporation website.

[aborgman]

3 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

 Carnival needs to get back to basics and what got them where they are today. A mass market family cruise line where all are equal and none are more equal.

 

Needs to? There is no moral imperative.

 

Carnival needs to do whatever they believe will maximize their profits - and if that isn't being a mass market family cruise line where all are equal and none are more equal, then they won't be.

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, mfs2k said:

I love how people complain about free benefits. 
Loyalty programs are designed to keep passengers loyal to the brand at an affordable cost. It’s all about cost/benefit. 
When the ratio is broken they make adjustments. It’s a risky move to take away benefits from those who already have them. I don’t think we’ll see much of that. But I do see a change where there’s a renewal requirement to hold on to benefits. 

Some people just aren't happy if they aren't complaining.

 

Marketing programs exist to provide a certain ROI. When they fail, adjustments are made.

[BlerkOne]

32 minutes ago, aborgman said:

 

Those are contradictory statements.

 

Nothing is earned or owed, and it is just marketing - which means there is no "should" or "should not" involved.

 

It doesn't need to be fair, equal, or equitable... it just needs to be "what makes Carnival the most profit".

 

As neither of us make decisions for Carnival, it is all smoke.

[aborgman]

1 minute ago, BlerkOne said:

As neither of us make decisions for Carnival, it is all smoke.

 

We don't make the decisions, but that doesn't change one bit that they only "should" involved is maximizing profits.

 

If letting everyone who spends $100 in the Casino on the ship for free and increasing room cost for non-gamblers increases profit... that is exactly what they "should" do.

 

 

 

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

34 minutes ago, aborgman said:

 

 

Carnival Corporation's Global Casino Operations aren't under Carnival?

 

Weird that they advertise their open jobs on Carnival Corporation website.

Carnival Global Casino Operations are a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, you are correct. It is not a concession like some other cruise lines .

[BlerkOne]

51 minutes ago, aborgman said:

 

We don't make the decisions, but that doesn't change one bit that they only "should" involved is maximizing profits.

 

If letting everyone who spends $100 in the Casino on the ship for free and increasing room cost for non-gamblers increases profit... that is exactly what they "should" do.

 

 

 

Maximizing profits long term, short term, strategic or tactical, whatever, we lack the knowledge and the power to decide.

[BlerkOne]

54 minutes ago, SwordBlazer Cruising said:

Carnival Global Casino Operations are a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, you are correct. It is not a concession like some other cruise lines .

Carnival global casino op is at a corporate level. Many cruise lines utilize it - not just Carnival Cruise Line.

[VentureMan_2000]

58 minutes ago, SwordBlazer Cruising said:

Carnival Global Casino Operations are a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, you are correct. It is not a concession like some other cruise lines .

Makes sense as Carnival Corp operates 91 ships.

[aborgman]

3 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival global casino op is at a corporate level. Many cruise lines utilize it - not just Carnival Cruise Line.

 

Yes - global casino operation, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise lines, Cunard, HAL, Costa, Aida - all are  "under Carnival".

 

 

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

57 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Carnival global casino op is at a corporate level. Many cruise lines utilize it - not just Carnival Cruise Line.

That's correct. It is a Carnival company, not an outside, un affiliated company or concessionaire like Steiners of London who run the spas or Starboard who runs the gift shops. 

[RoperDK]

20 hours ago, icft said:

I have a hard time understanding those who object to those cruising on casino comps getting credit in the loyalty program.

 

Me, too.  There seems to be quite the resentment towards casino offers.  Even with a logical counter argument, there is no way to sway their opinion.  It's just better to not try. 

[mz-s]

Consider the source. Some of those here who have a resentment towards casino offers have admitted in other threads to booking casino rates. It's just a way to keep the conversation going I think.

[RoperDK]

1 hour ago, aborgman said:

 

We don't make the decisions, but that doesn't change one bit that they only "should" involved is maximizing profits.

 

If letting everyone who spends $100 in the Casino on the ship for free and increasing room cost for non-gamblers increases profit... that is exactly what they "should" do.

 

 

 

Spending $100 in the casino will not get you a free cruise or a reduced cabin price. I know people think it does, but it's just not true.  You have to put a fair amount of time in the casino to get comps.  It's all about the points you accumulate.  The more points, the better the comp.  Also, many of those free cabins are last minute offers to fill up ships that aren't sailing full.       

[jsglow]

1 minute ago, RoperDK said:

Spending $100 in the casino will not get you a free cruise or a reduced cabin price. I know people think it does, but it's just not true.  You have to put a fair amount of time in the casino to get comps.  It's all about the points you accumulate.  The more points, the better the comp.  Also, many of those free cabins are last minute offers to fill up ships that aren't sailing full.       

Yep. And gamblers are notorious liars. Those people actually pay premiums, even if some convince themselves they don't. Carnival doesn't do that to lose money. Promise.

[RoperDK]

23 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

 

What if.... what if Carnival actually started to take onboard spend into account? I'd bet that some of those "freeloaders" are actually contributing more to the bottom line than you might think.

 

I, for one, have sailed on several free/reduced rate cruises. In some cases, I've left with several times less $ than if I had paid for the cruise in full and stayed away from games of chance.

 

FWIW, many of our cruises on the way to Diamond (yes, we were already "there" too when the program started in the summer of '12) were in suites. That's earned us nothing in Carnival land...

 

Tom

Oh my, there would be a huge uproar if Carnival went to a "spend more, get more" business model.  I do believe that many casino cruisers would then be royalty to Carnival.  Carnival basically treats everyone the same. That's why suites have very little benefits other than a larger cabin. On Royal, a suite gets double points and a ton of special amenities.  They do cost more, but Carnival's suite prices have been rising and the benefits have decreased (where are my free cookies!).  We cruise mostly in suites and get the same loyalty points on Carnival as someone who travels in an inside cabin.  It never occurred to me to think that those who cruise in lower grade cabins should get less loyalty points than I do.  I just go about my own business and enjoy my cruise.     

[RoperDK]

23 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Yep. And gamblers are notorious liars. Those people actually pay premiums, even if some convince themselves they don't. Carnival doesn't do that to lose money. Promise.

You speak the truth!  

[BlerkOne]

Who care if gamblers get free cabins. It is the marketing program that some think is a loyalty program that has been wrecked. That is a primary reason why there will never be a higher level than Diamond.

Edited April 23 by BlerkOne

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

58 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

Oh my, there would be a huge uproar if Carnival went to a "spend more, get more" business model.  I do believe that many casino cruisers would then be royalty to Carnival.  Carnival basically treats everyone the same. That's why suites have very little benefits other than a larger cabin. On Royal, a suite gets double points and a ton of special amenities.  They do cost more, but Carnival's suite prices have been rising and the benefits have decreased (where are my free cookies!).  We cruise mostly in suites and get the same loyalty points on Carnival as someone who travels in an inside cabin.  It never occurred to me to think that those who cruise in lower grade cabins should get less loyalty points than I do.  I just go about my own business and enjoy my cruise.     

You mean how Delta did with their Skymiles program? Segments or the amount of flights don't matter, its the cost if the ticket and your in flight spend on your co branded Amex