Gold / Platinum and More - Are You?

[CrystalKat]

My husband and I have gone nuts - we didn't know about the gold and platinum past passenger recognition prior to being handed gold cards last October when we sailed on the Paradise, and now that we know there's a platinum level, we've already been back to the Paradise and we're planning on the Elation. Then again, there can't be a thing as too many cruises! We've seen a few other passengers on board with gold cards, but very few with platinum -- and certainly not in our age bracket -- we're 31 and thrilled that we've discovered our love of cruising and have the means to pull it off as much as we can.

 

I'm also a freelance writer and I'm working on a pitch to Currents, but I'd love to be able to speak with a high platinum passenger -- 20+ Carnival cruises. If you wouldn't mind offering up your experiences for article quotes (which would require your real name -- not to be posted here, of course -- and your hometown), please get in touch with me at Mayntz - at - gmail.com or post here and I'd be happy to message you for details.

 

We're also considering the Holiday but not too sure about that -- we prefer the larger ships, and the Celebration wasn't all that great when we sailed on her. But then again, a cruise is a cruise, and now that we'd know what to expect, it might be doable. Time to set sail!

[Muumuu]

I see that cruising has claimed another addict. My grandsons at the ripe old ages of 11 and 6 are also addicts. Two more cruises and the 11 yo will be VIP, 3 or 4 and the little one will be one as well. Proud to say they follow in their grandparnets footsteps.

[luckycruzer]

I reached Platinum on CCL, on a B2B last Oct, after only 13 months of cruising with them. Of course some will say, "yeah, cheep, short cruises"..my choice, but a sea day is a sea day.. I pay for it, whether is it short or not. While I'm a CCL junky now, I have enjoyed many cruise lines..a lot of which are no longer sailing. Sitmar, still being my pennacle expierience of cruising years. As I only live 100 miles from port....duh.!!!.altho Tampa,(where mom lives close by) and Miami have been in my recent past.

The h'or doe ouvres", and sweet treets are nice, as well as totes, embossed stationary, thermos, VIP boarding, and familiar faces on board make it extra special! I hadnt cruises since late 80's, but did the Europe thing several times a year. Now...a mornings drive to port suits just fine. meeting fellow CC-ers for dinner the eve b4..is a great fit for me..lucky

[DqALEX]

I see that cruising has claimed another addict. My grandsons at the ripe old ages of 11 and 6 are also addicts. Two more cruises and the 11 yo will be VIP, 3 or 4 and the little one will be one as well. Proud to say they follow in their grandparnets footsteps.

My 9 year old daughter will be Platinum next year. I said to my wife the cruise total this kid could have by the time she is 50 years old will be something

[thepeach]

My DD is now 20 and a Platinum member, and asked a few years ago if we could go someplace normal like Washington, DC!! I told her she had her whole life to do land based vacations with her own money!!

[bemarshall]

How many cruises do you need to obtain the Gold status? And what are the perks, if any? Just a gold card?

[kicia]

You're gold on your second through ninth cruises. You can book the cruise with a past passenger discount (if available on that cruise) and you can attend the past guest party.

[augie]

We made platinum just as they were rolling the program out. One of the ships being used for the then pilot program was the Miracle, which we just happened to be taking.

 

The best parts for me were the priority embarkation, debarkation, and tendering.

 

It's too bad we can't tranfer that status to someone else, because we've grown tired of cruising (at least I have - my wife would probably like to go on at least a few more).

 

I'm glad that Carnival decided to get onboard (no pun intended) with a repeat cruisers rewards program, for a long time that was something they did not provide.

[Jdfireman]

Hello to the OP send me a message I will tell you all real stories from hitting another small boat, to missing a boat, even watching 2 passangers climb off a pilot boat onto the ship while leavingport. So many stories e mail me

 

JD

[CrystalKat]

You're gold on your second through ninth cruises. You can book the cruise with a past passenger discount (if available on that cruise) and you can attend the past guest party.

 

Actually, you're not gold until your fifth cruise, and the past guest parties are only on 5 nights or longer (if they schedule them - it's up to the cruise director and other social hosts). After your first cruise, you can get some benefits like Currents and such, though, but it's not a full gold level.

[bonnys]

Actually, you're not gold until your fifth cruise, and the past guest parties are only on 5 nights or longer (if they schedule them - it's up to the cruise director and other social hosts). After your first cruise, you can get some benefits like Currents and such, though, but it's not a full gold level.

 

 

This is pulled from Carnivals website:

 

At Carnival, it is a pleasure to welcome you aboard again, and again. In fact -- starting with your second Carnival sailing -- you will become a Gold Member of our Past Guest Recognition program. With only your tenth sailing -- you'll qualify for the Carnival Concierge Club benefits of a Platinum member. And with Carnival's new Milestone program, you'll receive shipboard credit representing 25, 50, 75 and even 100% of your 25th, 50th, 75th and 100th sailing respectively. It's our way of saying "It's good to see you again."

[CrystalKat]

Ah, my bad. Must be recent changes - We became gold on our fifth sailing, just this past October, but then again we hadn't been passengers for awhile since (we moved away from the coast, so it's harder to get to ports). Thanks for letting me know!

[CrystalKat]

I've gotten a couple of nice responses of Platinum passengers willing to be interviewed; anyone else interested? If you'd like to check out my credentials, please email (Mayntz - at - gmail.com) and I will send you my professional URL with resume, clips, etc. Thank you!

[LHP]

Our youngest son is 16 and will become a Milestone Rewards Member this year.

 

His 22nd cruise is on the Legend in a couple of weeks.

Then we have the Ecstasy, Splendor and Freedom set up to finish out the year.

[BigDoug]

Ah, my bad. Must be recent changes - We became gold on our fifth sailing, just this past October, but then again we hadn't been passengers for awhile since (we moved away from the coast, so it's harder to get to ports). Thanks for letting me know!

Register at carnival.com with your past guest number and check your past cruises. You may be missing some and that's why you were not credited until your 5th cruise.

[LHP]

Actually, you're not gold until your fifth cruise, and the past guest parties are only on 5 nights or longer (if they schedule them - it's up to the cruise director and other social hosts). After your first cruise, you can get some benefits like Currents and such, though, but it's not a full gold level.

 

That is incorrect.

 

You get your "gold" card on your second cruise.

 

The levels are: First cruise - Original Red/White/Blue Card

2nd - 9 th cruise - Gold Card

10th - 24th cruise - Platinum

25th plus is Platinum with the Milestones Reward logo on it

 

EDIT: read further down...and noted the correction on another post.

[CrystalKat]

That is incorrect.

 

You get your "gold" card on your second cruise.

 

The levels are: First cruise - Original Red/White/Blue Card

2nd - 9 th cruise - Gold Card

10th - 24th cruise - Platinum

25th plus is Platinum with the Milestones Reward logo on it

 

EDIT: read further down...and noted the correction on another post.

 

We were cruising with Carnival for several years but took a break when we moved across the country and away from departure ports; our second, third, and fourth cruises were very clearly NOT gold, but we were awarded in on our fifth cruise (and all our cruises are tracked correctly); they changed the qualifications between our fourth cruise (May 2005) and our fifth (October 2007). No big deal either way, since we'll be cruising enough for it not to make a difference. :)

[LHP]

My husband and I have gone nuts - we didn't know about the gold and platinum past passenger recognition prior to being handed gold cards last October when we sailed on the Paradise, and now that we know there's a platinum level, we've already been back to the Paradise and we're planning on the Elation. Then again, there can't be a thing as too many cruises! We've seen a few other passengers on board with gold cards, but very few with platinum -- and certainly not in our age bracket -- we're 31 and thrilled that we've discovered our love of cruising and have the means to pull it off as much as we can.

 

I'm also a freelance writer and I'm working on a pitch to Currents, but I'd love to be able to speak with a high platinum passenger -- 20+ Carnival cruises. If you wouldn't mind offering up your experiences for article quotes (which would require your real name -- not to be posted here, of course -- and your hometown), please get in touch with me at Mayntz - at - gmail.com or post here and I'd be happy to message you for details.

 

We're also considering the Holiday but not too sure about that -- we prefer the larger ships, and the Celebration wasn't all that great when we sailed on her. But then again, a cruise is a cruise, and now that we'd know what to expect, it might be doable. Time to set sail![/QUOTE]

 

Since you are coming all the way from Utah...I can't see making that trip for the Holiday. Don't get me wrong, the Holiday has served us well over the years...but it time for her to retire....

 

If you are going to have to pay airfare, I would try one of the Fantasy class ships that have gone through the Evolutions of Fun drydock...like the Imagination or Inspiration. (although I have heard the Inspiration has had some propulsion problems...which is disheartening since it just went through drydock.) The Fantasy will be going through this drydock in Sept...

 

If you want some great information from folks who clearly love cruising...the Bloggers Cruise in February out of New Orleans on the newly remodeling Fantasy would be a great cruise to hit!

[LHP]

We were cruising with Carnival for several years but took a break when we moved across the country and away from departure ports; our second, third, and fourth cruises were very clearly NOT gold, but we were awarded in on our fifth cruise (and all our cruises are tracked correctly); they changed the qualifications between our fourth cruise (May 2005) and our fifth (October 2007). No big deal either way, since we'll be cruising enough for it not to make a difference. :)

 

That is because they did not introduce the program until January 2006!

 

The card colors were actually changed in July 2005. We got our Platinum cards on our Alaskan trip in July 2005, but there were no benefits.

 

So the reason you did not get a Gold card in 2004, was because there was no program at that time. It had nothing to do with the number of cruises you had.

[knuckles]

Get this. My DD's 10 & 13 are Platinum on CCL and Diamond on RCCL. They never want to leave home. Guess I made it hard on their future husbands. LOL

 

Knuckles

[LHP]

Get this. My DD's 10 & 13 are Platinum on CCL and Diamond on RCCL. They never want to leave home. Guess I made it hard on their future husbands. LOL

 

Knuckles

 

I figure if the kids have to be addicted to something...cruising is better than all the other choices out there. :D

[knuckles]

I figure if the kids have to be addicted to something...cruising is better than all the other choices out there. :D

 

 

Soooooo true. They been cruising since they were 3 & 5 respectively.

 

Knuckles

[runcassrun_07]

I've gotten a couple of nice responses of Platinum passengers willing to be interviewed; anyone else interested? If you'd like to check out my credentials, please email (Mayntz - at - gmail.com) and I will send you my professional URL with resume, clips, etc. Thank you!

I'm a high platinum cruiser and interested in helping out!

runcassrun_07@yahoo.com

Cassandra

[Texarribean Chick]

My husband and I are high Platinum cruisers as well. This July on the Valor will be our 20th cruise and actually we are celebrating our 10 year anniversary. We met on the Sensation the summer of 1998. I'd be happy to help in any way - you can contact me at

 

crystal at discpro dot com

 

Good Luck

 

Chick.

[CrystalKat]

Cassandra and Chick - I've emailed you with some basics (Graham too); please let me know via email so I can be sure I have all the contact details! Hopefully Currents will pick up the pitch, otherwise I may try other magazines as well. Thanks so much!