AngAndBoys

Is there a way to just use your card? Can you fund it at the beginning of the cruise? Someone mentioned a player's bank. Can someone elaborate on the details of this. Or, point me in the direction of information. I don't remember seeing any info on the Carnival site - or perhaps I just missed it.

Yes, you can fund your players bank on the card. Just put card in any slot, tell it you want to get funds from you sail and sign, it will tell you to make a pin then ask you how much, up to 300 per transaction, no idea how many times a day you can do this, but set can more than once. The only thing is, it will put all the money you took out of sail and sign and put it on the machine you are on. You can just cash it back to players bank and use at other machines. No problems, no fees.

If you get cash from sail and sign on tables, they charge, which is dumb when you can get it free on any slot.

Only if you spend. Cabins, booze, soda, treats, trinkets, artwork, jewelry, shops, excursions, etc... is all revenue.

Well right, they can't make you, but a majority do spend some onboard.

We did Galveston once.

It was a hard drive.

That extra 220 miles makes a big difference.

 

Then the debark was horrible and we did not get to the parking lot until after 11:00. That put us too late to get back home. There was a hurricane coming in and finding a hotel was hard.

 

Oddly, New Orleans and Mobile are the same distance, but Mobile is such an easy drive that we could leave early in the morning the day of the cruise.

 

For New Orleans we always go the day before just to be safe.

Ah ok, I can see why you wouldn't want to do that again! I used to always drive to ports to save airline costs, did one harrowing all night drive from Houston to Jacksonville by myself with 3 kids asleep in the car so I couldn't even stop to go to the bathroom! I hit bad traffic and just didn't really have enough time to stop and sleep like I planned. I have not tried to drive that far again. I thought maybe you were north of here. These days I use an airline credit card to rack up miles so flying is an option, but I still prefer to just go from Galveston. So excited Dr the new ships!

and its apparently easier to skim Carnival and receive unwarranted perks for skimming. I think that is the point.

 

As a shareholder I will say that IF your sentence is true, they should just give all the cruises away since spend is not measured and has no bearing in your world.

I know nothing of Carnival's corporate strategies, but my guess is, they are not making money from selling cabins, but from add ons once onboard. I would guess they don't care so much about cabin type as getting you on their ships. And much like casino rewards programs, you are rewarded for giving them the opportunity to get your money, whether they actually get much of it or not. Every day onboard is potential revenue for them.

There is a different analysis. There are a lot of cruisers living in or near home ports that only skim low barrel inside cabin pricing at last minute to build 75 sea days for Platinum. There is no sympathy for someone that can go on 25, 3 day cruises at any price. The question is are they worth more or less to the brand than people not acting that way? carnival currently props up those who do and recognizes them as their crème de la crème.

Yes but said skimmers still have a choice of which line. Carnival is rewarding loyalty, not ability to spend.

Yes. My mother has. Me, I'm with you. No interest whatsoever.

I agree that disembark on Triumph can be a little disorganized, but I always enjoy the rest of the cruise. I just mentally prepare myself for the fun to end promptly at 8:30 on the last morning. :D

First, the loyalty program for Carnival has never been secret.

 

Second, no one is forced to book at higher rates.

 

Third, degradation of the loyalty program is not a new issue. Actually most of us had already experienced it when they did the "Brilliant" changes.

 

I have said this many many times on this forum, Carnival gives a good boat ride for the money.

Other than the boat ride they basically suck. Their customer service and customer relations need work. Carnival also does not communicate well, on the ships or off. Part of that problem, I believe, is language and cultural differences.

 

I know that I have had problems with Carnival in the past.

My signature is a clue. :rolleyes:

 

Yeah, DH and I are platinum.

We have enjoyed the little perks.

And hate to see the perks diminished.

We are not happy about the changes in the past guest party.

Our family and friends have now been uninvited which makes things a bit odd when sailing with them.

 

When we book a cruise, I check and price out all the possibilities.

We need to drive to port for financial reasons and because our airport is historically one of the most expensive to fly out of. There are not deals on airfare from here.

 

New Orleans is currently the only feasible option.

After Katrina, Carnival was the only cruise line in New Orleans for a long time.

And Carnival is the only line that sails from New Orleans year round.

 

So, I can be bitter about the changes or I can accept that I am just a customer paying for a boat ride.

 

I'm not rich or royalty.

And Carnival will not miss me.

Curious why only New Orleans? If you're driving, Galveston or Houston is not that far.

Teenagers are fun! Too old for a sitter, too young to be fully trusted. I would also have a friend stop by randomly and tell the kid's you are doing so. Also make sure they have a contact close to home in case of emergency, illness, etc. Then go enjoy your adult time! I just last month left my 19 year old in charge for 2 nights, was scary but he was genuinely pleased that I trusted him to do it and my house, though pretty messy, was intact when I got home. :D

Been to 8 past guest parties , Never seen beer served

Really? They've always had a glass of draft beer on the tray when I've been to them.

I agree with you, this thread was directed at a few platinum cruisers who were bullying and laughing at some of the gold cruisers on this past Wednesday for not being able to attend the party, my point is just like a person who's in a interior room could be worth more than a person in a suite, a person with a gold card could be worth more than a platinum cruiser. If I offended any of my fellow cruisers I apologize and I'm truly sorry.

I saw that and I agree with you, the thread saying how great the party would be without the golds was tacky, tacky, tacky.

Oh, no . It isn't a case of just happened to see a cheap fare. It's the habit of only accepting those fares and being able to accumulate perks at velocities that others that do not live in port cities can not remotely compete with but are typically are spending more $'s on the brand per cruise day.

 

Fares at a certain discount level should be excluded from point accumulations. Also, onboard spending should accrue points.

 

Loyalty programs and perk programs are often based on the element of spend, and many have exclusion rates for point accumulations.

 

That should level it out for everyone.

Maybe they could handicap us all like golfers! What do you think they could base it on? Annual income, proximity to port? Flexibility of job?

Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

I agree with you about the Golds attending, the more the merrier! And I have also never experienced the really crowded conditions everyone is talking about. I've always gotten plenty to eat and drink at them.

I think people are missing the concept that it is a LOYALTY program, not a dollars spent program. Loyalty means you come back to the same brand, whatever your level of consumption may be. Look at the 4 day cruiser vs the 7day suite cruiser. Yes, there is a different level of spending between the two, but both have to choose a cruise line to do it. The suite guy will get a suite on whatever line he chooses. The 4 day guy can also choose any cruise line he wants. Carnival is giving you rewards because you chose them. Loyalty, not spending.

The way some of you are talking, you'd be happy about being able to basically "buy" your status with higher spending onboard. I would bet all the tea in China these are the same people mad about FTTF. Haha!

And yes, I'm one of those evil people who live close to a port and catch good deals and cruise all the time...LOTS of short ones because it's easier to get 2 days off than a week....but there are 3 cruise lines in my immediate vicinity, and I go on Carnival WAY more than anyone else, at a clip of about 5 to 1 because I like them best and prices are usually best. They reward me for it. I don't feel bad about it at all.

huh?

It's a jab at Platinums who have not "earned" the status. :D

Wow. This place...this is surreal.

 

OP, you sound fine and totally normal. No, I wouldn't want to pay $25 for a small child either; especially not when up until now I know it was half price. Yes, I think giving a bit to a child so they can sample something is very normal and not only would I probably not ever notice, on the odd chance I did notice I would not care or think it was my place to pass judgment on your parenting. Internet sure attracts some....vocal types.

 

Agree, they should have a specialty menu with child size portions at child pricing; not everyone wants to feed their kids the "junk food" kids menu.

 

Not sure why NCL felt the need to jack up all the kids specialty pricing instead of simply providing a portion that more met the lower price point and kids smaller appetites. Even Royal Caribbean doesn't charge kids full price for specialty dining.

 

Another cash grab by NCL. One size doesn't fit all. They had a good gig going getting families into specialty places with half price kids.

Yes, a nice normal rational approach. Always refreshing.

Just curious... Why would lido be better? Would Empress or deck not be better? That way you are sandwiched between two decks of cabins and it would be less noisy?

I guess it depends what you are looking for in your cabin location. They ARE considered a higher category. I liked being up there because of the close vicinity to the pool and buffet, which I spend a lot of my time at. Easy and convenient to run to your own cabin to go to the bathroom for example. Or run out and grab a coffee to take "home". I think noise from lido would be more problematic on deck 8 than 9. I've not noticed a noise issue when I stay on 9, but I sleep like the dead.

That being said, that was my mindset before, when I was willing to pay for the balcony cabins. Since they cut smoking, I've moved to OV, which are mostly decks one and two where I would have NEVER stayed before. I gotta tell you, it is no big deal at all being down lower. It was NICE, don't get me wrong, but I'm actually cruising more than ever because of saving the balcony differential and just moving to the cheap seats. :D

I will gladly loan any Gold Key holder my Platinum Room Key and Invitation so you can attend the Past Guest Party...in exchange for you Free Drink Coupon!!!

 

 

LPC

I'm with you! Especially since nobody I travel with is Platinum. Not sure I'll go to the party by myself.

I just got off Triumph 4 day on Monday, we had 2 comedians, 4 shows every night, except one.

:D

I will tell you our secret to being able to do it. First vacation is a huge priority for our family. My husband and I work opposite hours so our time together is limited to the weekends. We also have six kids so vacation time gives us a chance to be together without the everyday grind. We hardly go to see movies all year long. When we do it is Typically free summer films for the kids. We hardly ever eat out. My husband and I take maybe two date nights a year. We also have chosen to live in a cheaper home because taking two to three trips a year to us is more important than being house poor. Still big enough for our large brood but not all the major bells and whistles.

We have friends who think we are nuts but I think we just prioritize differently. To me vacation time is more important than a lot of other stuff.

Oh we book inside cabins a lot or guarantees to keep it cheap, we also do few excursions too. So we have been fortunate to travel as much as we can.

Kindred spirit!!! You guys sound so like me! I have the exact same philosophy about a bigger house and all that! I drive my cars till the wheels fall off! haha! My last one was 10 years old by the time it died. But I cruise like a fiend! I've lived in the same house for almost 20 years and never upgraded as my income went up. Who cares? I want experiences, not stuff! I even have an autodraft going straight to my "vacation account" every month. I consider it a "living expense".

My currently booked is at 5...Triumph next week, Magic in June, Freedom in July, Freedom again in October, then nothing else booked til August of 2016 which is Norwegian Escape for 8 days. Woohoo!

I will no doubt book more. I also wait for the supersonic deals and will take whatever cabin I can afford. :D

I don't have the offer either. Maybe you're the only one in all of Carnivalland.

To the person that talked about going hungry...just because you are hungry does not mean you have to eat nasty food--hungry people also eat insects in some countries--should carnival serve that too ?

 

Actually - I had the pleasure of having carnival serve me an insect in my Caesar Salad on my cruise on the Victory. There was an alive beetle in my salad - and this was not salad from the buffet - this was in the dining room - on elegant night.

OH! You got the upgraded salad with the protein infusion!

Hi! Enjoying your review as usual! Love your style and detail!

I totally agree about the Blue Iguana burritos. I don't care for them at all either.

And...poor Sakari! OMG! I hurt just thinking about it!

The only advice I can add is be VERY conscious of the difference between ship's time and local time. I actually had the opposite problem and missed my booked excursion because I showed up an hour late to it not realizing that the port time was different than ship's time. Money down the drain on that one.

Oh most definately. I have tried those powered eggs a few times--even tried doused in salt and pepper, also tried eating with a bite of sausage at the same time---just plain disgusting.

 

I eat eggs every day -- a cracked egg is an egg and tastes like an egg.

 

To the person that talked about going hungry...just because you are hungry does not mean you have to eat nasty food--hungry people also eat insects in some countries--should carnival serve that too ?

Only if they dip them in chocolate first!