Changes to Carnival Loyalty Program

[RoperDK]

14 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

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.

Carnival's loyalty program is nothing special.  People cruise on Carnival because they like the Carnival product.  Diamond on Carnival is nothing like Diamond, Diamond + and especially Pinnacle on Royal. If Carnival added another level above Diamond, then they would have to offer upgraded amenities that would go against the business model that everyone is the same and no one is more important than a first timer.  Sure, we get benefits, but they aren't eye opening.    

[BlerkOne]

5 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

Carnival's loyalty program is nothing special.  People cruise on Carnival because they like the Carnival product.  Diamond on Carnival is nothing like Diamond, Diamond + and especially Pinnacle on Royal. If Carnival added another level above Diamond, then they would have to offer upgraded amenities that would go against the business model that everyone is the same and no one is more important than a first timer.  Sure, we get benefits, but they aren't eye opening.    

I have said similar for some time. Carnival wants cruisers who cruise for the brand, not because of perks. Royal prefers to bribe past guests. 

[RoperDK]

1 minute ago, BlerkOne said:

I have said similar for some time. Carnival wants cruisers who cruise for the brand, not because of perks. Royal prefers to bribe past guests. 

Well, I do agree with the first part of your post, but not that Royal bribes its past guests.  We will be Diamond on Carnival and Diamond+ on Royal soon.  The product is just different.  I enjoy both for different reasons.     

[BlerkOne]

Just now, RoperDK said:

Well, I do agree with the first part of your post, but not that Royal bribes its past guests.  We will be Diamond on Carnival and Diamond+ on Royal soon.  The product is just different.  I enjoy both for different reasons.     

Fair enough. One person's bribe might be another person's perk. But the "free" alcohol that Royal "gives" to upper level cruisers is a consideration for some to book Royal.

[jedi bobs]

The one perk I wish they would change is the free drink at seaday Brunch, it clogs up Brunch with DImond/Plat all wanting there free drink. It would be alivated by making that free drink be good at any bar/any time.

[Frank12]

27 minutes ago, jedi bobs said:

The one perk I wish they would change is the free drink at seaday Brunch, it clogs up Brunch with DImond/Plat all wanting there free drink. It would be alivated by making that free drink be good at any bar/any time.

That's funny.  I've done brunch my last 5 or 6 cruises without ordering my "free" drink.  

[ninjacat123]

Just now, Frank12 said:

That's funny.  I've done brunch my last 5 or 6 cruises without ordering my "free" drink.  

We usually have Cheers and don’t even think about it.😁

[Frank12]

7 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

We usually have Cheers and don’t even think about it.😁

Same. 😜

[ninjacat123]

Just now, Frank12 said:

Same. 😜

I wonder, if DH and I were seated at sea day brunch, could we order it as our Platinum benefit and it wouldn’t count in our Cheers 15? Hmmmm….

[VentureMan_2000]

4 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

I wonder, if DH and I were seated at sea day brunch, could we order it as our Platinum benefit and it wouldn’t count in our Cheers 15? Hmmmm….

Carnival limits you to 15 drinks... Cheers package or not.

[hurricane0226]

6 hours ago, RoperDK said:

Carnival's loyalty program is nothing special.  People cruise on Carnival because they like the Carnival product.  Diamond on Carnival is nothing like Diamond, Diamond + and especially Pinnacle on Royal. If Carnival added another level above Diamond, then they would have to offer upgraded amenities that would go against the business model that everyone is the same and no one is more important than a first timer.  Sure, we get benefits, but they aren't eye opening.    

thought we were vifp's

[hurricane0226]

4 hours ago, jedi bobs said:

The one perk I wish they would change is the free drink at seaday Brunch, it clogs up Brunch with DImond/Plat all wanting there free drink. It would be alivated by making that free drink be good at any bar/any time.

diamond luncheon with the captain, free drinks all around, seen people order 5 to take back to their rooms,  I just ordered 3, one for each hand and one that I drink lol

[BlerkOne]

8 hours ago, Frank12 said:

That's funny.  I've done brunch my last 5 or 6 cruises without ordering my "free" drink.  

Me too. And I don't have Cheers or the Casino free equivalent.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

FWIW - I'm not a fan of their brunch, especially what it's morphed into over the years. Good cost savings on their part though. And, to me at least, there's nothing about that meal (atmosphere/selections/etc.) that makes me want to mix in an adult beverage with it.

[mz-s]

30 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

FWIW - I'm not a fan of their brunch, especially what it's morphed into over the years. Good cost savings on their part though. And, to me at least, there's nothing about that meal (atmosphere/selections/etc.) that makes me want to mix in an adult beverage with it.

 

Same - light drinker anyway, even on vacation, so I usually use the coupon for a diet pepsi.

[mfs2k]

17 hours ago, RoperDK said:

Carnival's loyalty program is nothing special.  People cruise on Carnival because they like the Carnival product.

Agree.  I made Platinum in 2013 and only now returning to Carnival for a September 2024 cruise.  The status and perks didn't get me to rebook sooner.  In the past 11 years we've done all inclusive land-based vacations, and cruises on Celebrity and Virgin.  What brought me back to Carnival this year was the price and European itinerary. 

Edited April 24 by mfs2k

[RoperDK]

18 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Fair enough. One person's bribe might be another person's perk. But the "free" alcohol that Royal "gives" to upper level cruisers is a consideration for some to book Royal.

Someone could also turn that around to say that Carnival bribes its upper tier cruisers with the laundry perk.  The "free" laundry that Carnival "gives" to upper level cruisers is a consideration for some to book Carnival.  It's all just perks to me. I don't label them differently depending on what cruise line I'm talking about.     

[Butterbean1000]

12 hours ago, hurricane0226 said:

diamond luncheon with the captain, free drinks all around, seen people order 5 to take back to their rooms,  I just ordered 3, one for each hand and one that I drink lol

People do this?  It's never occurred to me, but it will going forward 😉

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

1 hour ago, RoperDK said:

Someone could also turn that around to say that Carnival bribes its upper tier cruisers with the laundry perk.  The "free" laundry that Carnival "gives" to upper level cruisers is a consideration for some to book Carnival.  It's all just perks to me. I don't label them differently depending on what cruise line I'm talking about.     

 

I'd have to be very much in need to utilize their laundry service. We've used it on rare occasions, but don't send them anything you value (or don't want whites to turn slightly grey, etc).

 

The fact that they now have the guest request/seek out most of the perks was a smart move. So much of the junk they give is something I'd either trash or give away anyway.

 

Tom

[AstoriaPreppy]

18 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Carnival limits you to 15 drinks... Cheers package or not.

 

This is absolutely not true. Passengers are able to continue to order drinks and pay out of pocket once they've exceeded the 15 drinks included with Cheers. Personally speaking, I've received a 16th night cap as my comp VIFP beverage the last night of a cruise multiple times. 

Edited April 24 by AstoriaPreppy

[mz-s]

2 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

This is absolutely not true. Passengers are able to continue to order drinks and pay out of pocket once they've exceeded the 15 drinks included with Cheers. Personally speaking, I've received a 16th night cap as my comp VIFP beverage the last night of a cruise multiple times. 

 

When is the last time you did that?

[Jamman54]

7 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

When is the last time you did that?

Have to agree. I don't ever remember being flagged at 15 unless I was on Cheers. For instance, without Cheers you can buy buckets of beer. They can't assume that you're drinking all 6 of them. 😎

[AstoriaPreppy]

8 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

When is the last time you did that?

 

About three weeks ago, on the Venezia.

[Colorado Beach Bum]

56 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

 

This is absolutely not true. Passengers are able to continue to order drinks and pay out of pocket once they've exceeded the 15 drinks included with Cheers. Personally speaking, I've received a 16th night cap as my comp VIFP beverage the last night of a cruise multiple times. 

I used to do this all the time - stop at 14 and buy the rest until I was done for the night and then get #15.  But over the last few years they say you can’t even buy.  Only loophole is the free drink they add to your account for the plat/diam party on excel class.  

[CruisinTrkrs3]

On 4/2/2024 at 10:06 AM, JMAE said:

Are casino rates already an undocumented VIPF benefit?  

If Only *HUGE Sigh*