Carnival loyalty means nothing anymore

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, cuccicruisers said:

Maybe I don’t buy the photos but I’ve lost track of how many newbies we’ve taken with us and now they are hooked on Carnival. 
  
 

No doubt Carnival appreciates the introduction, but it is because of Carnival that they keep coming back 

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 9/11/2024 at 4:50 PM, BenjiRodney said:

We booked a 10 night Journeys cruise for 2026 and got an email from Carnival the next day advising that there will be no extra Platinum/Diamond benefits available on the cruise, other than the 48 hour advance check in (16 days) prior vs 14 for other VIFP members.  All rooms ready at 130pm.  I had heard that was the case with all Journeys cruises now. 

 

There was a Journey cruise on the Spirit this week (14 day Alaska cruise), and priority was just given to Suite guests.  All staterooms were to be ready by 1:30 PM.

[UPNYGuy]

On 9/12/2024 at 9:26 PM, vwrestler171 said:

Its amazing that so many "loyal" cruisers will rush to complain because they feel they are being slighted when this happens ALL THE TIME on the longer cruises with higher numbers of diamond and platinum cruisers.

And this isn’t just with Carnival. Go to the Royal Caribbean form and you will see diamond members bitching that on longer cruises, they are excluded from happy hour. And, on ships they are excluded from the diamond lounge.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, UPNYGuy said:

And this isn’t just with Carnival. Go to the Royal Caribbean form and you will see diamond members bitching that on longer cruises, they are excluded from happy hour. And, on ships they are excluded from the diamond lounge.

Grass is always greener

[UPNYGuy]

Just now, jimbo5544 said:

Grass is always greener

Yup. 
 

DW and I have sailed on the majority of the mass market cruise lines that ply the US waters. They are more similar than different. Strip away the interior decor, livery, and standardize the entertainment, and most people would find there to be very little difference between one cruise line and another.

[RoperDK]

Seems that we've been down this road before.  You either like Carnival or you don't.  Their benefits are not great. Never have been.  What Carnival did excel at was giving a good cruise at a good price.  Unfortunately, the prices are increasing and the food and service is decreasing and the value is not there for me anymore. I have a couple of Carnival cruises booked and I still look for good itineraries, but most of my cruises are now booked on another line.  This is just my opinion. Everyone has one and I'm sure that we will go back and forth on this like we always do.  

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, RoperDK said:

Seems that we've been down this road before.  You either like Carnival or you don't.  Their benefits are not great. Never have been.  What Carnival did excel at was giving a good cruise at a good price.  Unfortunately, the prices are increasing and the food and service is decreasing and the value is not there for me anymore. I have a couple of Carnival cruises booked and I still look for good itineraries, but most of my cruises are now booked on another line.  This is just my opinion. Everyone has one and I'm sure that we will go back and forth on this like we always do.  

Options are a good thing.  We all have subjective views on just about everything.  You have yours, I I have mine.  They need not aline.   

Edited September 14 by jimbo5544

[pppiglet]

I couldn't tell you what status we are. I just book cruises when and where I want to go. (mostly on Carnival though)  The port is easy for us to drive to.  We did get free drinks and free water on our embarkation day on the last cruise we went on and it was a surprise to us, making our embarkation day just a bit special.   

[BlerkOne]

21 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Options are a good thing.  We all have subjective views on just about everything.  You have yours, I I have mine.  They need not aline.   

And it isn't an airport. No need to announce your departure 

[2wheelin]

8 hours ago, JMAE said:

I can see the addition of a free digital picture and a day or two of internet since there isn't a direct expense to the cruise line.  The photographers are already snapping the pictures, and the internet is already in place on the ships.  I think these are the types of changes we will see.  

This is how perks should work. You get something without it negatively impacting other cruisers experiences like priority does.

[jimbo5544]

2 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

This is how perks should work. You get something without it negatively impacting other cruisers experiences like priority does.

Perks are perks, nothing more or nothing less.  Each cruise line (or airline, or credit card company, or whatever) offers what they believe is small token of thanks for cruiser loyalty, That is it.  These constantly change, the perk value can be altered at any time.  Carnival’s situation is not all that unique, their loyalty levels have grown as more and more people continue to cruise (a pretty good problem for them to have).  IMHO, they need to raise the bar, you simply cannot have 2/3 of a ship participating in something they offer to their most loyal guests, it is simply unsustainable.  What NCL, or RCCL, or MSC or HAL, or whomever else do is really not meaningful.  I am Diamond, and have been that for a fair amount of time.  Would I love more perks?  Sure.  Do I think they “owe” it to me?  Not a chance.    

[aborgman]

8 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Perks are perks, nothing more or nothing less.  Each cruise line (or airline, or credit card company, or whatever) offers what they believe is small token of thanks for cruiser loyalty, That is it.  These constantly change, the perk value can be altered at any time.  Carnival’s situation is not all that unique, their loyalty levels have grown as more and more people continue to cruise (a pretty good problem for them to have).  IMHO, they need to raise the bar, you simply cannot have 2/3 of a ship participating in something they offer to their most loyal guests, it is simply unsustainable.  What NCL, or RCCL, or MSC or HAL, or whomever else do is really not meaningful.  I am Diamond, and have been that for a fair amount of time.  Would I love more perks?  Sure.  Do I think they “owe” it to me?  Not a chance.    

 

It is not a "token of thanks". It's marketing to get people to buy more cruises.

 

 

[2wheelin]

10 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Perks are perks, nothing more or nothing less.  Each cruise line (or airline, or credit card company, or whatever) offers what they believe is small token of thanks for cruiser loyalty, That is it.  These constantly change, the perk value can be altered at any time.  Carnival’s situation is not all that unique, their loyalty levels have grown as more and more people continue to cruise (a pretty good problem for them to have).  IMHO, they need to raise the bar, you simply cannot have 2/3 of a ship participating in something they offer to their most loyal guests, it is simply unsustainable.  What NCL, or RCCL, or MSC or HAL, or whomever else do is really not meaningful.  I am Diamond, and have been that for a fair amount of time.  Would I love more perks?  Sure.  Do I think they “owe” it to me?  Not a chance.    

Not sure how this related to my quoted comment, but I agree. Maybe i should have said “IF perks are granted”, which everyone seems to be doing these days. What I meant was if the coffee shop on the corner gives a 10th cup free to card holders, it does not significantly impact me. I don’t have to wait in line any longer because their cup is free.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, 2wheelin said:

Not sure how this related to my quoted comment, but I agree. Maybe i should have said “IF perks are granted”, which everyone seems to be doing these days. What I meant was if the coffee shop on the corner gives a 10th cup free to card holders, it does not significantly impact me. I don’t have to wait in line any longer because their cup is free.

I get it, while I referenced your post, it was less commenting on your post than your post prompted my additional thoughts.  We are pretty much on the same page...albeit that and $5.99 (probably a lot more now...) would get you a happy meal at MCD's.

[RoperDK]

17 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

And it isn't an airport. No need to announce your departure 

I gather you are referring to my post, but not quoting it.  I didn't announce my departure but said that I was looking for value elsewhere. I assume that opinions are still considered valid on this board.  Sometimes I wonder.   

[crzndeb]

22 hours ago, UPNYGuy said:

And this isn’t just with Carnival. Go to the Royal Caribbean form and you will see diamond members bitching that on longer cruises, they are excluded from happy hour. And, on ships they are excluded from the diamond lounge.

Just a bit of clarification for those that may not sail Royal. Now called the Crown Lounge, depending on the amount D+ and higher guests, it may be restricted for use to Diamond members during those evening few hours. You still have to use vouchers, so the only extras they’re missing are the canapés. A lot prefer to use their vouchers all day at different bars around the ship. The Crown Lounge is still open all day to Diamond members. So they can still enjoy the specialty coffee machine and continental breakfast and canapés at lunch.

[UPNYGuy]

3 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Just a bit of clarification for those that may not sail Royal. Now called the Crown Lounge, depending on the amount D+ and higher guests, it may be restricted for use to Diamond members during those evening few hours. You still have to use vouchers, so the only extras they’re missing are the canapés. A lot prefer to use their vouchers all day at different bars around the ship. The Crown Lounge is still open all day to Diamond members. So they can still enjoy the specialty coffee machine and continental breakfast and canapés at lunch.

correct

[UPNYGuy]

22 hours ago, UPNYGuy said:

And this isn’t just with Carnival. Go to the Royal Caribbean form and you will see diamond members bitching that on longer cruises, they are excluded from happy hour. And, on ships they are excluded from the diamond lounge.

this had a typo. The last sentence should have read on SOME ships they are excluded from the diamond lounge.  This is usually happening on the larger ships, and on longer sailings. 

Edited Sunday at 05:13 PM by UPNYGuy

[BlerkOne]

6 hours ago, aborgman said:

 

It is not a "token of thanks". It's marketing to get people to buy more cruises.

 

 

Some cruise lines bribe customers like that, others let the brand speak for itself. In the case of Royal the program is not to keep people coming back but to try to keep people from trying a superior cruise line.

 

Given the differences in programs, it is obviously is not one size fits all justification for a program.

[UPNYGuy]

17 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Some cruise lines bribe customers like that, others let the brand speak for itself. In the case of Royal the program is not to keep people coming back but to try to keep people from trying a superior cruise line.

 

Given the differences in programs, it is obviously is not one size fits all justification for a program.

 

I don’t find Royal Caribbean all that different from Carnival and from MSC, NCL, or HAL. Some of the worst service I have ever had has been on Holland America, and some of the best I have ever had has been on MSC and Carnival. It all depends on what you are looking for. We also venture over to Oceania from time to time, and I don’t find them to be as highly rated as the O superfans claim they are. They have decent itineraries and nice ships, but I do not find the food to be as good as it is made out to be. I can frequently get better at home. 

Edited Sunday at 05:33 PM by UPNYGuy

[Oletruckdude]

7 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Some cruise lines bribe customers like that, others let the brand speak for itself. In the case of Royal the program is not to keep people coming back but to try to keep people from trying a superior cruise line.

Thank you for your opinion. 

Now here is mine....

All the cruise lines have loyalty marketing to attract repeat customers. Call it "bribes" or whatever you like, it's marketing targeting repeat customers. Without repeat customers any business is doomed to failure. The cruise industry cannot grow without repeat customers. The programs are not "to try to keep people from trying a superior cruise line". The programs are to build a loyal customer base. As far as a "superior" cruise line goes, that's your opinion and you're welcome to it. My personal opinion is that I choose the cruise line that is offering me a cruise on a ship I like, on a date I like, with an itinerary I like, at a price I like. I happen to like RCL's loyalty program more then Carnival's, although I still cruise Carnival several times a year based on the above criteria. I'm not a cheerleader for any of the lines. They all have their pros and cons, as does each individual ship and port. 

Choose wisely grasshopper.

 

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, Oletruckdude said:

Thank you for your opinion. 

Now here is mine....

All the cruise lines have loyalty marketing to attract repeat customers. Call it "bribes" or whatever you like, it's marketing targeting repeat customers. Without repeat customers any business is doomed to failure. The cruise industry cannot grow without repeat customers. The programs are not "to try to keep people from trying a superior cruise line". The programs are to build a loyal customer base. As far as a "superior" cruise line goes, that's your opinion and you're welcome to it. My personal opinion is that I choose the cruise line that is offering me a cruise on a ship I like, on a date I like, with an itinerary I like, at a price I like. I happen to like RCL's loyalty program more then Carnival's, although I still cruise Carnival several times a year based on the above criteria. I'm not a cheerleader for any of the lines. They all have their pros and cons, as does each individual ship and port. 

Choose wisely grasshopper.

 

LOL, so based on your comments, loyalty works for them but not for you.  It is not important what label we put on it or what we call it.  It also does not help the argument by implying anyone with a different opinion is a cheerleader, a grasshopper, or Kwai Chang Caine (great show by the way).  You are correct that cruise lines need repeat customers, of course they do.  

 

What they do not need, nor do they want and they do not get, is the vast majority....wait, majority of their business from something as trivial as a loyalty perk (notice I did not say marketing program...want to know why?). Of course there are pros and cons to all cruise lines.   You might be surprised on the how many lines each of us cruise on....not that it has anything at all to do with the topic at hand.

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, Oletruckdude said:

Thank you for your opinion. 

Now here is mine....

All the cruise lines have loyalty marketing to attract repeat customers. Call it "bribes" or whatever you like, it's marketing targeting repeat customers. Without repeat customers any business is doomed to failure. The cruise industry cannot grow without repeat customers. The programs are not "to try to keep people from trying a superior cruise line". The programs are to build a loyal customer base. As far as a "superior" cruise line goes, that's your opinion and you're welcome to it. My personal opinion is that I choose the cruise line that is offering me a cruise on a ship I like, on a date I like, with an itinerary I like, at a price I like. I happen to like RCL's loyalty program more then Carnival's, although I still cruise Carnival several times a year based on the above criteria. I'm not a cheerleader for any of the lines. They all have their pros and cons, as does each individual ship and port. 

Choose wisely grasshopper.

 

Since you asked for my opinion, repeat customers seriously overvalue themselves. No cruise line has 100% retention and repeat customers do not grow a business. That takes new customers. It is new customers that pay for new ships.

 

By your own admission there are times when you choose to cruise on Carnival despite Royal having a superior bribe program. Carnival has no interest in offering competing bribes. There is no need to throw that money away. Carnival ships still sail full.

[Number12]

I think it would be nice, if they are going to take away a benefit, to replace it with something else.  Drinks, free room service, a coupon for Cherry on Top, just something to compensate for the inconvenience.  It would also be good to get a second bottle of water for Journeys.

[Oletruckdude]

Hey Jimbo5544 and Blerkone. Thank you both for the spirited debate. It's good exercise for the mind. I believe we're more in tune on this issue then it may appear. What we can certainly agree upon is the love of the cruising lifestyle. 

To that end I wish you both many more ocean sunsets and great days at sea.

Keep on cruisin'