Davey Wavey

As usual, I read about casino player offers, random free cabin offers...and here I sit still waiting for someone to throw me a bone.....I stay in the casino a lot on our cruises...no I don't bet big money...usually I allow myself $100 daily to play with and sometimes I win a little here and there, but nothing to break Carnival's bank or to get free drinks or strawberries, or whatever....

It's all a big mystery how they do things. I receive Premier Cruise offers and got the recent free cabin offer from the casino, yet don't receive the free drink card until after spending several days in the casino. One cruise I received strawberries one day plus the free card and that was it. The premier cruise I got strawberries everyday, plus bottles of wine on different days and at dinner the final day, and 5 $100 bills on the first day. I sat with the same people every day and played twice the bets, but for the drawing they received almost 3 times the entry tickets as me. Yet, people say they played way more than I know I have, yet received only a token amount of cruise cash. It is just a big mystery.

But, I don't worry about all of that. I play because I enjoy it. I cruise because I like it and the price is worth it. Anything I receive for doing so is just gravy. I don't begrudge whatever anyone else gets. I did call to ask if I had any comps for the upcoming "free cabin" cruise and was told that my comp was the free cabin. I told them "thank you so much, it's a great comp!"

I thought the "Drinks on Us" card was for the current cruise if you hit a certain point threshold.

For slots, yes, the points are tracked automatically on your S&S. Reach the threshold and get your Drinks on Us card. Table games have no automatic points tracker, and the casino host or pit boss will give you a card when the manual tracking they do on you says you deserve a card (or the just think you've earned one)...yep it's not very scientific or precise. I've even had a pit boss just offer a few free drinks before eventually giving me the free card.

People can also get the free card from previous cruise activity. You may have one waiting in your cabin upon boarding. Premier cruise books may include one. You may have to call before the cruise and ask what comps you have for an upcoming cruise, and that may trigger you to have a card waiting in your cabin or allow you to go the casino host and ask for it the first day even before playing.

We have a group of 6 going...all family so its trustworthy.

 

Anyone ever try using one players club card to get your points up high quickly?

 

 

Free drinks would be awfully nice :)

Well, there is no such thing as a players club "card." Your room/S&S card is what they use. I don't play slots, but I don't think there is a way to insert the card into more than one machine at a time so that multiple people could play on the same one. Of course, nothing stops you from passing your S&S card around so someone else could play slots on it while you do something else.

On table games, they won't let you play with someone else's S&S card. I have seen them refuse even letting a married couple play on the same card at the same time. I have seen a spouse buy chips and then the spouse play them, but both could not play at the same time. I did see a dealer allow a married couple play the same color chips at the same time, until the pit boss saw it and made them stop.

They haven't opened our 12-pack boxes of soda, but did look at each to make sure it was all still sealed. They have every time opened up our 24-pack case of bottled water and pulled most of the individual bottles out. As others have said, taping stuff shut will probably guarantee they will open it up.

We use one of those light foldable luggage carriers with bungee cords that weigh less than a pound to cart our drinks. It's easy to pop it into the luggage at the end of the cruise.

My son had a bad experience on 1 cruise because it was during the school year and there was not many kids on board. When we went in the summer, he had a blast. Went on the first night and met lots of friends, then went to most of the "main" activities around 8pm. Otherwise, CC was a meeting place. I advise sending your youngun the first night and see what happens. And be sure to talk to him/her about who they met and what they did. Of course, you know your kid and whether stalking is required. :) If you have other kids, ask them to help watch out for the other even if in different groups. My older son could tell me some of what my daughter was doing as he saw her and who she was with at various times through the day.

I find these threads just amazing. I get on a cruise ship to relax and get away from things going on. If it is that important, my family and friends know where to reach me. My question to you folks, and I am sure to get "flamed", are you the same people who must use your cell phone to talk and text while driving?

 

But as a shareholder, please, keep spending your $100/week on a satellite link that tends to drop frequently. It keeps the share prices up, my dividends paid, and my OBC/cruise :)

 

"Flame away"...

 

Steve

Ok, here's your flames...

Are you the type to enter a thread that you have no interest in and make irrelevant comments and draw unwarranted comparisons? Do you jump into random conversations and spy on your neighbors with binoculars?

Anyway, to the OP, the iPad works great for internet. The speeds vary on different ships and they prices have really come down. I had to pay more than double for 200 minutes than unlimited costs now. The Dream was one that offered a slow speed and a fast speed, both of which were acceptable for internet usage. Both speeds on Dream were easily way faster than what I experienced on the Glory. I found even the fast speed to be unusable for stuff like cheap voice-only Skype calls. I was in school and had a difficult time transmitting documents, but text stuff went fine. I really appreciated the internet availability, though, as I otherwise would not have had time to cruise.

My original posts.

Short version:

I had to return a wedding band purchased in the Fun Shop to Carnival's jewelry partner, Starboard Cruise Services (SCS). SCS said they never received it after telling me twice that had. They even told me they had issued a credit card refund which never appeared.

I was walking through a consumer protection fair. I just so happen to notice a booth for the US Postal Inspection Service and talked to the inspector. I relayed all the information and pointed out how the postal service tracking website said the package had been delivered with signature confirmation but the company said it hadn't. She enthusiastically took all the information.

To my surprise, two days later CARNIVAL issued a credit to my card for the totally different S&S charge for that cruise and then a check came for the remainder of the jewelry return amount. So, Carnival came through for their vendor but I still don't like that it seems that SCS just stole a few thousand dollars of stuff and got away with it. And I especially don't like that it took almost 4 months to get it resolved. I guess I should have just waited out that 4 months for the ring to get sized after all.

Go ahead and blast me. I don't care.

BLAST!!! There ya go...

Yep, I'm kinda bored at lunch. It's too cold to go outside.

I think it's unfortunate anyone has to go away upset, but certainly understandable. In not announcing a reason or pattern to the offers, Carnival has left it to people to divine a reason for themselves. Some will conclude bad things about it all. Some won't. I think the most unfortunate thing is the people who have enjoyed Carnival and have decided to go elsewhere because of this promotion...leaving something they otherwise liked. Hopefully, they can still enjoy themselves at a similar price, and maybe even get a free cabin offer sometime from their new travel partner.

Disney: 7 Days out of Port Canaveral in June 2014 (St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Castaway Cay)

 

Inside room: 2,569 per person

I love Mickey, but not THAT much...

For the price of a 7-day family of 5 on Disney ship balcony, I could stay at the Grand Floridian, go to the parks everyday, and book every character encounter at every meal then still go on a 7-day Carnival cruise. I do keep watching the prices in hopes they have a ridunculous sale, though. Hear that, fairy godmother??? Prolly not, because she's on the Disney cruise...

I use my regular Avon Skin So Soft after every shower on the cruise or in skeeter weather...or in winter to prevent dry tight skin. I can't remember the last time being bit by any bug. The wife and kids use Off! with DEET during the cruise.

I don't know why they sent them out, but I do know why they didn't send us one.

 

It's because DH ate way too many smoked salmon bagels on our last trip.

 

:(

Haha, nice! I haven't seen anyone say they at lots of smoked salmon bagels on their last trip and got a free cabin, so YOU may very well have cracked the code! :D

Suppose thousand dollar bonuses were randomly given out by your boss. You then found out that part time employees (some working only 5 hours per week) received the thousand dollar checks while you, a full time employee, was ignored. I dare say, you would be angry!

.

Well, yes, if I found out all those random employees were all nieces and nephews of the boss. Except I guess in this case they were just random?

That's EXACTLY why I don't play the Lotto. I could spend $10,000 on tickets and some lump could win with a single ticket. I hate how random is sometimes....so random.

I jumped ship to Celebrity which is RCCI and I am stunned at the deal we got.

I am done with Carnival. Next three cruises already booked with RCL and Celebrity.

If they give out free cruises over there for your loyalty, please let us know so we can all jump ship with you! Seriously!

Does anyone know if the offers went only to cruisers who book directly with Carnival?

I only ever booked through a travel agent, never directly with Carnival until now.

 

Why do you feel that those of us who are platinum deserve an explanation? I surely don't.

...if they want one and if Carnival wants to give one and if there is even one to give. Again, people will take things as people take things. Some see a punishment, some see a blessing, some see a random act. I wouldn't be surprised that there are people who feel Carnival did this specifically to NOT give it to them.

My statement was along the lines of hoping people (including Platinums) could find some definite explanation if they wanted it, but people will make of it what they want no matter the reason or explanation.

It's all good! If you are really hard pressed to decide or just have no preference, while you are standing there in line get to know your neighbor and ask them to make something up for you. It's an icebreaker for sure, right??

The really bad thing about the wok is the smoke. I remember really really hoping no one would order the hot sauce. The smoke from the hot sauce is like pepper spray...and then everyone is coughing, even the tough guys like me who try to act like it wasn't affecting me. Then I get up there with my teary red eyes and order the hot sauce even knowing it's too hot for me, cuz I'm tough like that.

Oh, and you'll be hungry again in an hour...

One person has commented that Carnival sent our 105,000 free cruise offers.

 

What's more interesting than who got them is why Platinums did not!

Agree...ask John Heald and see if can explain to you. Platinums at least deserve an explanation.

Are you basing this statement only on what you've seen on CC?

I base it on CruiseCritic and myself. I received the offer in January after having been on ship in November. But as I've said, who knows for sure? I know for sure from where and why my free cruise in June came. For every other reason offered, there are plenty on CruiseCritic alone to "say" they do not fit that reason. Maybe CruiseCritic is full of trolls, liars out to stir up trouble amongst the otherwise happy paying cruisers.

So, again, who knows?

Drop bags off then both go return the car. No need to separate for just the two of you. Just adds stress in my opinion.

Drop your group off at the port with all the bags. Then just one of you take the car back to the rental place and ride the shuttle back. Be sure to have a copy of your set sail for the group and one for the car return person. The rest can go thru the screening and wait for the driver upstairs then check in as a complete group.

This is good because the shuttles often times have room for a single rider most every time, where taking a family of 5 may have you waiting for the next shuttle with room for 5. The terminal has a really big room with lots and lots of seat where your group can wait on you.

This also works in reverse, especially depending on when you leave the ship there can be lots of people waiting on the shuttles and there is just a tent thingy to stand under in the hot air. You can usually squeeze into the first shuttle with no luggage and come back for the group. Of course you can just pay $15 for a taxi to your rental agency with no waiting.

Our 3 trips out of Miami we used Dollar. We usually are very late off the ship and have had a wait for a shuttle of 15 minutes up to 1.5 hours. If you go earlier, they have a constant run of shuttles lined up.

We arrived once at 11:30am and once at 2:56pm. In both cases we went right on the ship. In fact, for the second one they practically ran/carried us to the ship. =D

We use Dollar everytime. We book way in advance and just update the reservation with price codes when they have a sale. Shuttle from airport location to cruise terminal is free and was quick in Tampa and Port Canaveral. Dollar shuttle in Miami is a nightmare.

You definitely made some interesting points however I don't think the motivation behind the free cruises are because of low sales; I say this because Carnival recently the set a one month sales record and overall booking trends have been in the upswing too. I think that they are trying to lure back people who have seemingly strayed from cruising. Thanks for your thoughts.:)

I think enough people have said they had just been on a cruise as recently as a few weeks ago to dispel it was targeted at long lost customers. I tend to think they were underbooked. Think about it. If record sales had filled the ships, they would have none to give away for free. Further, Carnival's annual statements have said that each trip has a fixed cost whether it is full or not. Crew, fuel, maintenance, and perishable food items are a fixed cost. The only "savings" from having fewer people onboard is in unprepared frozen food items, which only account for 3-5% of total expenses, and port charges for those ports that charge "per passenger" instead of the negotiated "per ship" charges.

In short, it is better to give away an empty room where the "free" passenger at least pays the port charges (and possibly spends money onboard) than to have an empty ship.

I have not seen a 2 free cabin offer or rate code. Were the 2 free cabins for the same person or 2 different people? You have to book the VIPF number associated with the free offer in that cabin. So if your free offers came say 1 for you and 1 for your SO, you could book 1 cabin in your name with your son, and 1 cabin in your SO name with your son's GF. Then you could just switch keycards at the service desk once on board.