FTTF not selling out.

$50 was more than enough but I allowed for one increase, because I figure it would happen. Not paying one penny over $60 for it. And that's a stretch. I've gone without it and gotten onboard before people with it. There isn't a tender port that I'm that anxious to get to ASAP. Guest services lines aren't always long. You don't need to pay a premium to avoid a long line. And I don't bring a bunch of stuff with me onboard. Even if I did, I'm content waiting for my room. I will still buy it, but the price increases are outrageous to me. I see no cost involved. Hell, Carnival won't even make a separate priority logo for platinum diamond folks. Everything priority uses the fttf logo. Lame.

 

Everyone has their personal max on how much they will spend on things. In the end, suit yourself.

My luggage tags have PRIORITY on them. Daughter's have FTTF. Sailing end of June.

WHOA!!!

I was NOT expecting that! I had to think long and hard about $40....decided against it and glad I did because once we arrived there was no way we could've gotten "to the fun" any faster than we did. WOW! $90 a person is ridiculous :O

While I do not like to agree with my friend on any Carnival post, I cannot think of any cost for FTTF (I have said in the past, whoever thought of it should have gotten a raise). Have they hired more help to get the room ready? no Have they increased shore side staff? no (just the opposite actually) Does someone have to manage the program and allotment of slots? no Where is the increased cost?

Yes, if you let several hundred people onboard hours earlier and allow them to start consuming unlimited amounts of food, using water, electricity, etc.....that costs. People with unlimited drink packages get an extra hour or two of that as well. Time is money.

WHOA!!!

I was NOT expecting that! I had to think long and hard about $40....decided against it and glad I did because once we arrived there was no way we could've gotten "to the fun" any faster than we did. WOW! $90 a person is ridiculous :O

As has been known since the FTTF program started, it is $90 max PER CABIN, not per person.

For our group of three sailing together, it would be a maximum of $30 each -- and that's only if it was priced at $90; some shorter sailings are still $50 and $60 per cabin. $30 each is, frankly, peanuts. We have no problem paying it, but we realize that every person's price-point is different.

I think I am going down to reprographics and have some stickers printed for my sign and sail card.

This is exactly what all of the "reasoning" I'm reading in this thread sounds like!!! It's hilarious! As a business owner, this kind of stuff lets me know there are always people out there who will buy something AND pay a pretty penny just because you said it was exclusive or limited.

You don’t have to own a business to know people will buy just about anything (e.g. The Pet Rock). Purchasing FTTF doesn’t make them stupid, like a few here love to claim, nor does it make them gullible. They are getting a handful of perks and, to many, it’s well worth the cost, even after the price hike.

Carnival isn’t just “saying” FTTF is limited, it actually is limited. They only sell so many. So as a business owner, you should be aware of the law of supply and demand and how it affects prices. Please be sure to inform your customers that you think they’re gullible idiots who will buy anything and let us know how that turns out.

The word reasoning doesn’t belong in quotes. People have their reasons for purchasing FTTF. Those reasons are sometimes different than other’s. It’s no different than someone’s reason to decide to buy anything. Just because some people don’t want it doesn’t make the reasons of the ones who do any less legitimate. It’s value is subjective. Just like, for example, Cheers. Many don’t think that’s worth it. The difference being, those people don’t run around these boards insulting everyone who does buy it.

You don’t have to own a business to know people will buy just about anything (e.g. The Pet Rock). Purchasing FTTF doesn’t make them stupid, like a few here love to claim, nor does it make them gullible. They are getting a handful of perks and, to many, it’s well worth the cost, even after the price hike.

Carnival isn’t just “saying” FTTF is limited, it actually is limited. They only sell so many. So as a business owner, you should be aware of the law of supply and demand and how it affects prices. Please be sure to inform your customers that you think they’re gullible idiots who will buy anything and let us know how that turns out.

Awesome post!!!!

The word reasoning doesn’t belong in quotes. People have their reasons for purchasing FTTF. Those reasons are sometimes different than other’s. It’s no different than someone’s reason to decide to buy anything. Just because some people don’t want it doesn’t make the reasons of the ones who do any less legitimate. It’s value is subjective. Just like, for example, Cheers. Many don’t think that’s worth it. The difference being, those people don’t run around these boards insulting everyone who does buy it.

 

You don’t have to own a business to know people will buy just about anything (e.g. The Pet Rock). Purchasing FTTF doesn’t make them stupid, like a few here love to claim, nor does it make them gullible. They are getting a handful of perks and, to many, it’s well worth the cost, even after the price hike.

 

Carnival isn’t just “saying” FTTF is limited, it actually is limited. They only sell so many. So as a business owner, you should be aware of the law of supply and demand and how it affects prices. Please be sure to inform your customers that you think they’re gullible idiots who will buy anything and let us know how that turns out.

If someone wants to put "reasoning" in quotes then that is their business. This is not an English class. It is similar to why a person would want to buy "FTTF" or not, its their business.

Yes, if you let several hundred people onboard hours earlier and allow them to start consuming unlimited amounts of food, using water, electricity, etc.....that costs. People with unlimited drink packages get an extra hour or two of that as well. Time is money.

Hi

It might be the case if what you are saying was true, but it's not.

They aren't letting hundreds of people onboard earlier. Boarding always started when the ship is ready. All they are doing is controlling who those people are and when some of them can arrive at the terminal. That was part of what selecting a check in time did. That as well as relieving the initial crush at the terminal building when before, everybody wanted to be first. Whether they have priority boarding privileges or not the same amount of people are boarding at the same rate and time as always.

Just because you have priority boarding doesn't mean you would want to get up early, just to get to the port early, and then wait for the ship to be ready for boarding. I don't. Arrive later and you don't have to wait to board the ship even if you don't have priority boarding.

The only extra cost I am seeing, is the sheet of paper the supervisors would have to hand the stewards to advise them of which cabins needed to be cleaned first.

If someone wants to put "reasoning" in quotes then that is their business. This is not an English class. It is similar to why a person would want to buy "FTTF" or not, its their business.

People on CC love to attack those who purchase FTTF as well as those who purchase an internet plan, ad nauseam. And most of the time they're quite aggressive about it, too. Yet these same people never go after passengers who buy Cheers, play in the casino, eat at specialty restaurants, or anything else that costs extra on board, with as much vigor as they do ranting about FTTF & Wifi. Why is that?

The only extra cost I am seeing, is the sheet of paper the supervisors would have to hand the stewards to advise them of which cabins needed to be cleaned first.

It comes from someone who implies that a person's reason for buying FTTF, no matter what that reason is, isn't legitimate because said person obviously feels like FTTF isn't worth it. Hence their quotes. It may not be worth it to them, but it is to others.

 

People on CC love to attack those who purchase FTTF as well as those who purchase an internet plan, ad nauseam. And most of the time they're quite aggressive about it, too. Yet these same people never go after passengers who buy Cheers, play in the casino, eat at specialty restaurants, or anything else that costs extra on board, with as much vigor as they do ranting about FTTF & Wifi. Why is that?

 

Then you're not seeing the big picture when it comes to the cost of providing a service. Sorry, but it's more than just a sheet of paper. But as I've acknowledged many times, the profit margin is definitely high.

And some of these attackers could possibly be on one of those organized meet n greets. I wonder if they'll be attacking Cheers, FTTFs or Lanyards there. I gave up Cheers because I can no longer make it work for me. My lanyard is my business and so is my use of FTTF.

CCL makes almost $3.5 billion Gross Income a year. 100 FTTFs ($900) or 200 FTTF ($1800), even if it is 100% profit, it is about as significant a one kernel of popcorn in a 10,000 pound bag. Putting another way, it will probably raise its stock value about $.00000000000000000001.

If someone wants to put "reasoning" in quotes then that is their business. This is not an English class. It is similar to why a person would want to buy "FTTF" or not, its their business.

Agreed.

As has been known since the FTTF program started, it is $90 max PER CABIN, not per person.

 

For our group of three sailing together, it would be a maximum of $30 each -- and that's only if it was priced at $90; some shorter sailings are still $50 and $60 per cabin. $30 each is, frankly, peanuts. We have no problem paying it, but we realize that every person's price-point is different.

Yeah, I meant to change that right after I posted to "per cabin." But like I said before, I didn't want to do it $45 so not going to do it at $90 especially when there was no delay for us. Unless they include rocket jet shoes we couldn't have been "to the fun," any faster.

The word reasoning doesn’t belong in quotes. People have their reasons for purchasing FTTF. Those reasons are sometimes different than other’s. It’s no different than someone’s reason to decide to buy anything. Just because some people don’t want it doesn’t make the reasons of the ones who do any less legitimate. It’s value is subjective. Just like, for example, Cheers. Many don’t think that’s worth it. The difference being, those people don’t run around these boards insulting everyone who does buy it.

 

You don’t have to own a business to know people will buy just about anything (e.g. The Pet Rock). Purchasing FTTF doesn’t make them stupid, like a few here love to claim, nor does it make them gullible. They are getting a handful of perks and, to many, it’s well worth the cost, even after the price hike.

 

Carnival isn’t just “saying” FTTF is limited, it actually is limited. They only sell so many. So as a business owner, you should be aware of the law of supply and demand and how it affects prices. Please be sure to inform your customers that you think they’re gullible idiots who will buy anything and let us know how that turns out.

Hmmm...are you unfamiliar with the American use of air quotes as sarcasm or unfamiliar with the definition of reason: Reason is the capacity for consciously making sense of things.

In either case, your sensitivity to the discussion caused you to ignore the fact that the other poster and I were laughing at the idea of Faster to the Fun. And in the act of making fun of the premise and those who buy into it, I poked fun at the so called "reasoning," in other words, "making sense of the idea of purchasing the service." So next time you are so hurt or embarrassed because someone called you a sucker that corporations love to see coming, just suck it up and move on instead of trying to find grammar errors. :'):'):')

Hi

 

It might be the case if what you are saying was true, but it's not.

Yes, it's true.

Damn, that 3100 lb bag of popcorn might not last the evening, here.

Hmmm...are you unfamiliar with the American use of air quotes as sarcasm or unfamiliar with the definition of reason: Reason is the capacity for consciously making sense of things.

In either case, your sensitivity to the discussion caused you to ignore the fact that the other poster and I were laughing at the idea of Faster to the Fun. And in the act of making fun of the premise and those who buy into it, I poked fun at the so called "reasoning," in other words, "making sense of the idea of purchasing the service." So next time you are so hurt or embarrassed because someone called you a sucker that corporations love to see coming, just suck it up and move on instead of trying to find grammar errors. :'):'):')

Wow:( I understand that many do not see any value in FTTF, but to outright state that you are "making fun of" those who do is pretty sad.

I'm glad that we have options in cruising. Some I see value in and some I don't (I can't personally see the appeal in the casino), those options I don't value I don't spend my money on. I also don't laugh at, make fun or, or otherwise berate those who choose to spend differently.

Hmmm...are you unfamiliar with the American use of air quotes as sarcasm or unfamiliar with the definition of reason: Reason is the capacity for consciously making sense of things.

 

In either case, your sensitivity to the discussion caused you to ignore the fact that the other poster and I were laughing at the idea of Faster to the Fun. And in the act of making fun of the premise and those who buy into it, I poked fun at the so called "reasoning," in other words, "making sense of the idea of purchasing the service." So next time you are so hurt or embarrassed because someone called you a sucker that corporations love to see coming, just suck it up and move on instead of trying to find grammar errors. :'):'):')

May I say without being attacked for it that the whole purpose of FTTF is to buy PRIORITY over other passengers for a number of things and whoever wants to pay whatever amount for those priority perks is probably no more stupid or unreasonable than someone else that may simply have other 'priorities' when on vacation?

May I say without being attacked for it that the whole purpose of FTTF is to buy PRIORITY over other passengers for a number of things and whoever wants to pay whatever amount for those priority perks is probably no more stupid or unreasonable than someone else that may simply have other 'priorities' when on vacation?

YES thank you cruziJenn! Choices, we all have them, how or why we choose is not up to anyone else.

May I say without being attacked for it that the whole purpose of FTTF is to buy PRIORITY over other passengers for a number of things and whoever wants to pay whatever amount for those priority perks is probably no more stupid or unreasonable than someone else that may simply have other 'priorities' when on vacation?

Of course that's how reasonable adults discuss things.

Children hurl insults at each other as a way to bolster their own self-importance.

It's really easy to spot who is who in threads such as these. However, it's evident some adults just can't resist arguing with children and, therefore, end up behaving like children themselves.

Yes, if you let several hundred people onboard hours earlier and allow them to start consuming unlimited amounts of food, using water, electricity, etc.....that costs. People with unlimited drink packages get an extra hour or two of that as well. Time is money.

When the ship is ready, some passengers will be boarding even if Diamond, Platinum, and FTTF did not exist. And there is no way for us to know if there is any connection of passengers that purchase Cheers and FTTF. As others have mentioned Carnival is now making a profit from those first boarders instead of it being just first come first served.

No doubt FTTF is profitable, and is a good argument for why P/D cruisers are not as important as some think they are to Carnival. In addition, novice cruisers tend to have higher on board spend, as well.

Ideally, FTTF won't completely sell out, but close enough, to maximize profit from the program, and also to increase average on board spend, while allowing all who wish to purchase have the opportunity. We have all seen the treads about FTTF being sold out; likely Carnival has, too

Wow:( I understand that many do not see any value in FTTF, but to outright state that you are "making fun of" those who do is pretty sad.

 

I'm glad that we have options in cruising. Some I see value in and some I don't (I can't personally see the appeal in the casino), those options I don't value I don't spend my money on. I also don't laugh at, make fun or, or otherwise berate those who choose to spend differently.

Well if it made you sad, you have bigger things to worry about. I joke and "laugh at" lots of things....even with those near and dear to my heart. No love lost, just finding the humor in the situation.

And I'll continue to do so...someone calling it sad isn't going to shame me into agreeing with them.

Oh I’m quite familiar with the type of person you are. You sound like you might be one of Beach Bum64’s many usernames. Or soon to be meeting the same fate he repeatedly has for his inability to control his childish attitude. As a self-proclaimed business owner, you should have a basic understanding of free market and of services offered and their value to many who purchase them, regardless of what you think of said services. I suspect that if you do operate a business successfully, it surely isn’t because you treat your customers in the same manner you act when anonymously posting on an internet forum.

If me cracking jokes on something you love offends you then you can do what you should've done to the other guy a long time ago.....put me on ignore.

Or you can continue to stalk our comments and make idiotic comments that have nothing to do with the subject. I don't feel like going back and looking but the fact that you're bringing up how I conduct business leads me to believe you're the person who said I should tell my customers I think they're gullible. Why? Carnival didn't tell you did they? So why do you think I would do that? With advice like that, you let us all know that any rationalizations from a business standpoint you have are null and void.

SMH....these two are classic. Have nothing to say on the topic and are obviously embarrassed they were categorized as frivolous spenders so they resort to trying to shame with words like, "sad," "childish," blah blah blah :rolleyes: