Military Discount for Civilians?

[blondieJen]

I have already booked a cruise for the cruise in my signature. I got a great deal, but now I see that Carnival has military discounts.

 

I work for the Army, and have a civilian access card (CAC card), and often can get discounts for working for the military just by showing this CAC card as ID.

 

Do I have to be in the military to get the discount? Or can I just work for the military and have my federal government ID card?

[poobears]

You have to be active, retired or have served 2 years in the military and honorably discharged. I don't think you would qualify, sorry

[luvtrips]

The military discount is a big "Thank You" to the brave men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces. It is a show of gratitude from individual companies for our soldiers sacrificing and serving our country. They do not have to offer these discounts, they do it as an act of gratitude.I don't believe it is honorable for you to "show your civilian ID" because you work for a government agency, to take advantage of these discounts. They are not meant for you, they are meant for our Heroes. Yes, I am a military wife, I don't mean to offend, just set you straight.

[PNFAM]

The military discount is a big "Thank You" to the brave men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces. It is a show of gratitude from individual companies for our soldiers sacrificing and serving our country. They do not have to offer these discounts, they do it as an act of gratitude.I don't believe it is honorable for you to "show your civilian ID" because you work for a government agency, to take advantage of these discounts. They are not meant for you, they are meant for our Heroes. Yes, I am a military wife, I don't mean to offend, just set you straight.

You sound like you are offended by the posters question. I served eight years in the military and thought the question was appropriate. The poster did not sound like he/she was trying to get over on Carnival by pretending to be active duty military.

[blondieJen]

Oh please, go ahead and "set me straight." Somehow I knew I would get flamed for this. Did it not occur to you that I WORK FOR THE ARMY? I devote everyday in my career to making sure the soldiers come back home alive. I don't do it for the money, clearly, since I could be making a lot more going private industry, but I don't. I do it for the men and women that serve their country. You know, civilians are a huge part of making sure that your husband gets home safe. I am not by any means saying that we should not be thanking our military, since I have devoted my life to them. I am simply saying please don't flame me for asking a question.

 

Some military discounts apply to civilians too, as long as you have a Government ID. I was just clarifying if Carnival's was specifically active/retired military or not.

 

Please, feel free to go all self righteous on me because I asked a question. And I agree, you, as a military wife have the hardest job of all, worrying about your husband day and night. But let's be clear, I didn't ask this question to be flamed or "set straight." I guess I thought this forum was for helping people with questions they had about cruising. But apparently its about inflicting your opinions and morals on others.

 

So thanks, luvtrips, for setting me straight. I really appreciate it. And thank you, poobears, for answering the question at hand.

[jimw]

I say contact a supervisor involved in military discounts at Carnival. You may be eligible. I am a veteran and have used the discount several times. I have noticed recently that many more cruiselines are also offering vets the military discount. Take a look at *****

[Guest Crazeecat5]

The military discount is a big "Thank You" to the brave men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces. It is a show of gratitude from individual companies for our soldiers sacrificing and serving our country. They do not have to offer these discounts, they do it as an act of gratitude.I don't believe it is honorable for you to "show your civilian ID" because you work for a government agency, to take advantage of these discounts. They are not meant for you, they are meant for our Heroes. Yes, I am a military wife, I don't mean to offend, just set you straight.

I am a military mom and had to worry for 18 months while my son fought in Iraq. I very rarely heard from him , often not knowing if he was dead or alive. With the possiblity of him deploying again, I live with this fear every day.

I did not take any offense to the OP's question. I realize that civilians do work for the military to help keep our men and women safe. By all means, I believe this should warrant a discount. As the OP said "...it's not for the money..." She was up front in asking, not trying to "get over" or anything.

This is just my honest opinion.

[Ken076]

You must be (or have been Military). ken

[brown_eyedgal]

I have already booked a cruise for the cruise in my signature. I got a great deal, but now I see that Carnival has military discounts.

 

I work for the Army, and have a civilian access card (CAC card), and often can get discounts for working for the military just by showing this CAC card as ID.

 

Do I have to be in the military to get the discount? Or can I just work for the military and have my federal government ID card?

 

No offense taken here. And I am in the military...:D

 

Active, Reserve, prior service (like the previous poster said--2yrs honorable). Have to provide either a copy of military id card or DD-214 (depending).

 

You could always call and see?

[MTemple212]

I believe you have to show either an active or retired military card or DD214 which shows your service dates. I am retired military and also now work on a military base and have a CAC card. CAC stands for Common Access Card, which is used to get into computers, security areas,etc. Don't believe it is good for discounts on cruiselines.

[vencruz]

The Military promotion is available to the following members of the United States Military. The Military Personnel is permitted to book one cabin as long as he/she is traveling in the cabin.

 

Active Personnel

Spouses of active Military personnel called to active duty overseas will be eligible to book one cabin as long as the eligible spouse is occupying this cabin. The spouse must provide proof of eligibility by submitting a copy of the Military spouse card as well as a copy of the official orders and/or duties documentation

Reserve Personnel

Active Cadets

U.S Coast Guard Personnel

Active member of the National Guard

Uniformed members of the USPHS (U.S Public Health Services)

Retired Personnel

Retired member of the National Guard

Honorably Discharged member of the National Guard

Veterans, defined as: Individuals who have actively served in the Military for at least two years or during a wartime period and have been honorably discharged.

Spouse of deceased personnel (active/retired) and veterans

The widow/widower of the deceased personnel, (whether the deceased personnel was active or retired), may book one cabin as long as the eligible spouse is occupying this cabin. The spouse must provide proof of eligibility by submitting a copy of the Military I.D that denotes that the military personnel is deceased.

The widow/widower of the deceased veteran may book one cabin as long as the eligible spouse is occupying this cabin. The spouse must provide proof of eligibility by submitting a copy of proof of honorable discharge and a death certificate.

 

 

Note: Military (18/19/20 years of age) will be an exception to our Carnival Age Policy. The age exception will apply to the cabin the personnel occupy as well as the guests in his/her same cabin.

 

 

 

The following personnel are NOT entitled to the Military promotion:

 

Dishonorable Discharged personnel

Delayed Entry Program: Military personnel in a Delayed Entry Program are not eligible until period of active duty.

Employees of the Department of Defense (civilian personnel)

Auxiliary personnel

Non-United States Military

Merchant Marines

R.O.T.C. personnel

Affiliates or Contractors of the Military

[TakeMeAway1001]

OP I think you posed a valid question, sorry that you were made to feel otherwise:rolleyes: Welcome to the boards :)

[tammi0916]

I believe you have to show either an active or retired military card or DD214 which shows your service dates. I am retired military and also now work on a military base and have a CAC card. CAC stands for Common Access Card, which is used to get into computers, security areas,etc. Don't believe it is good for discounts on cruiselines.

 

My DH has an honorable discharge from the Navy and I had to fax in a copy of his DD214 to show honorable discharge and a copy of his picture ID (I sent in passport) to get the discount. The discount was pretty good for us -we got a $476 reduction (total) for our suite. Well worth the effort!

[mek]

My husband is a vet and we get the military rate on Carnival, but I had no idea that I would still be eligible for the discount if I became a widow.

[carlat78]

I am also in the military ( have been for 11 years) and I am no way offended by your question. Civilians are really the backbone of the armed forces and I know MANY civilians who dedicate more of their lives to the military than military members having careers of 30, 40 & 50 years. I would suggest as others have calling the reps at Carnival they might give it you, I know I would ;) Thanks for YOUR service!

[blondieJen]

vencruz, where did you find this list? Is it online? or in a brochure somewhere?

 

Also, I'd just like to say that I've been stewing on this, and would like to throw something out there, specifically to luvtrips, in all her entitled glory.

 

You may not know it, but civilians are the ones responsible for making sure that helmet your husband is wearing is safe, safe enough that it does not let bullets penetrate his skull, but also light enough so that it does not weigh him down when he is running full speed away from an enemy.

 

We are the ones making sure that the HUM-V or MRAP he is riding in is armored well enough against roadside IEDs, and when the threat evolves into something more, like EFPs and RPGs, that we test the correct armor to make sure the soldiers inside of that wheeled vehicle are safe against enemy threats.

 

We are the ones that made sure that M16 he carries does not backfire and have the opposite effect, hurting him instead of the enemy.

 

So no, we may not be as honorable as military service members. We do get to go home to our families everynight (minus deployed analysts, which there is a lot of) and don't have to sleep in sandy bunkers with our guns by our side, but do not think for a second that we aren't a part of our country's armed forces. We are the "behind the scenes" people that make things like shipping out a new landmine that will block the enemy but also make sure kids walking home from school don't get their legs blown off possible.

 

luvtrips, you may not think that our work warrants a discount, and that's fine. You are entitled to your opinion. But please don't discount civilians work as having no worth to our soldiers. We are the ones sitting behind a computer all day crunching numbers making sure that he comes home safe. We aren't the ones implementing what we have tested in the field, but we certainly have a lot to do with why he will return safely from his next tour of duty.

 

*steps off soapbox*

 

Thanks to everyone that answered the question without setting this civilian straight.

[Thirsty Cruiser]

IMO it doesn't matter if one feels they deserve the discount or not - civilians are not entitled to it according to Carnival's criteria.

As a veteran, there are few perks I enjoy, and I am glad this is one of them. I have worked with many civilians in my career, and there is a huge difference (between civilian and military) in the form of the Oath of Enlistment. Not to belittle civilian service, without which we would not be able to perform our duties, but a big difference is in obligation and level of commitment for military members.

[blondieJen]

Again, not saying I DESERVE a discount. Simply asking if I could get one. The fact that she threw opinion into this forum made this into a debate, not me. I was asking a yes or no question. The answer was no. Done and done.

 

But thanks for sharing your opinion. The only one I really care about it Carnival's, obviously.

[JaniceB]

There are many perks or discounts issued to military civilians but this is not one of them, unless you have served in the military and have a DD-214.

[skylock]

The military discount is a big "Thank You" to the brave men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces. It is a show of gratitude from individual companies for our soldiers sacrificing and serving our country. They do not have to offer these discounts, they do it as an act of gratitude.I don't believe it is honorable for you to "show your civilian ID" because you work for a government agency, to take advantage of these discounts. They are not meant for you, they are meant for our Heroes. Yes, I am a military wife, I don't mean to offend, just set you straight.

 

Just to set YOU straight, *I* am in the military and there are a LOT of civilian support people that's a$$es are on the line too and in many cases they qualify as heroes more than me.

 

That response to the OP was totally uncalled for. But apparently, you do not have a clue.

[cruise4fam]

vencruz, where did you find this list? Is it online? or in a brochure somewhere?

 

Also, I'd just like to say that I've been stewing on this, and would like to throw something out there, specifically to luvtrips, in all her entitled glory.

 

You may not know it, but civilians are the ones responsible for making sure that helmet your husband is wearing is safe, safe enough that it does not let bullets penetrate his skull, but also light enough so that it does not weigh him down when he is running full speed away from an enemy.

 

We are the ones making sure that the HUM-V or MRAP he is riding in is armored well enough against roadside IEDs, and when the threat evolves into something more, like EFPs and RPGs, that we test the correct armor to make sure the soldiers inside of that wheeled vehicle are safe against enemy threats.

 

We are the ones that made sure that M16 he carries does not backfire and have the opposite effect, hurting him instead of the enemy.

 

So no, we may not be as honorable as military service members. We do get to go home to our families everynight (minus deployed analysts, which there is a lot of) and don't have to sleep in sandy bunkers with our guns by our side, but do not think for a second that we aren't a part of our country's armed forces. We are the "behind the scenes" people that make things like shipping out a new landmine that will block the enemy but also make sure kids walking home from school don't get their legs blown off possible.

 

luvtrips, you may not think that our work warrants a discount, and that's fine. You are entitled to your opinion. But please don't discount civilians work as having no worth to our soldiers. We are the ones sitting behind a computer all day crunching numbers making sure that he comes home safe. We aren't the ones implementing what we have tested in the field, but we certainly have a lot to do with why he will return safely from his next tour of duty.

 

*steps off soapbox*

 

Thanks to everyone that answered the question without setting this civilian straight.

 

I am also a military spouse and we all well know how much our civilians do to support our troops and they do a lot. Luvtrips did not say anything that civilians did nothing.

 

You work for the military and do a lot thank you and we do appreciate it. If you can get a discount because you have a cac card well that's great. But there are a lot of people who feel military discount are for those who serve or who have served. I understand you are serving but it is different important but different. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks and your question was a valid one.

[Gater Girl]

Defence Employees get INTERLINE discounts at some cruise lines I think. Often they are better than Military. They get discount rates at Disney World and can stay at the exclusive Army resort with proper I.d. and reservations...

I am a retired military vet's wife...Coast Guard...and researched it out one day.

 

Princess has interline discounts that are unbelivable. Ditto Celebrity. Carnival...which we almost always cruise on to show our appreciation....has the same interline rates as military rates. you should be looking there. or ask a good travel agent...or call Carnival or Princess.

[ib4cruzn]

LOL! Welcome to the Carnival board, blondie! There's a lot of useful info here but you do have to wade through a certain amount of BS to get to it. Hopefully the question you asked has helped some poor unsuspecting soul who may have thinner skin than you.

 

Don't take it personally, use what you can and disregard the rest.

[blondieJen]

Just called Carnival myself and got an answer - sans opinion - to my question.

 

The answer is no. That's all I really wanted from this forum but apparently that's too much to ask.

 

Question answered - feel free to fight amongst yourselves about this subject, but I got what I wanted.

 

Next time I will just call directly if I think my question will somehow offend people.

[recyclelady]

Just called Carnival myself and got an answer - sans opinion - to my question.

 

The answer is no. That's all I really wanted from this forum but apparently that's too much to ask.

 

Question answered - feel free to fight amongst yourselves about this subject, but I got what I wanted.

 

Next time I will just call directly if I think my question will somehow offend people.

 

I think you handled this all amazingly well!:D It is strange how some folks feel the need to "set you straight" on this board. Please don't let it put you off too much. Most people can simply answer without a lecture!