Platinum Changes

[okwriter]

My only concern is that after my 2 cruises coming up in Oct and Nov that will complete 24. I have the Blogger's cruise booked 3/4/12 and that will be my milestone cruise unless they change the program before then.

 

I'm seriously considering running down to Galveston for a quick 4 day sometime in January just to get my milestone under my belt.

 

Need a buddy? :D

[Bo Didly]

My 10th cruise has been booked for almost a year out . It is March 3/2012 . We are doing our 8th and 9 th cruise b2b over Christmas and New Years.....

 

I am gonna be mighty disappointed to lose my VIP by a day or two....If March is the speculated change date :mad:?

 

Techenically shouldn't we be platium after cruise 9 ?????

 

Charleyann

 

Your only platinum on your tenth cruise ! Technically

[martinchem]

Norwegians Gold tier starts after 9th debarkation, Carnivals Platinum at embarkation of 10th.

[kicia]

I'm glad to see at least a couple of people think the way that I do. I really think the new tier is at the top and is not comparable to any current level.

 

The survey stated "you will earn one cruise point for every day you spend on board a Carnival Fun Ship".

 

I've posted this before here and on John's blog and of course it is just a guess but it makes the most sense to me but it is just my opinion only.

 

The first tier is comparable to the current Blue card and maybe will have a perk or two.

 

The second tier is comparable to the current Platinum level and is from 25 to 74 days. Since the minimum days now to reach Platinum is 30 (10 3 day cruises) anyone who is already Platinum will remain Platinum and there is no need to grandfather anyone in.

 

The second tier is comparable to the current Milestone level and is from 75 to 224 days. The minimum number of days now to reach Milestone is 75 (25 3 day cruises) so again anyone who is currently Milestone will remain there.

 

The third tier at 225 plus days is a completely new tier with no corresponding current level. I think this is where it is needed the most since other than the four actual Milestone cruises - 25, 50, 75, and 100 where you get the percentage OBC, the perks are the same as Platinum.

 

I don't think the perks will remain as they are currently but will be all changed around. I just think the most needed change is at the top and not the bottom and I think people are getting all worked up about the changes for nothing.

 

We have 193 cruise days currently and will have 212 by the end of March. We'll have the 225 by the end of next year so whatever happens we'll be good to go.

[Captain Carnival]

The first tier is comparable to the current Blue card and maybe will have a perk or two.

 

The second tier is comparable to the current Platinum level and is from 25 to 74 days. Since the minimum days now to reach Platinum is 30 (10 3 day cruises) anyone who is already Platinum will remain Platinum and there is no need to grandfather anyone in.

 

The second tier is comparable to the current Milestone level and is from 75 to 224 days. The minimum number of days now to reach Milestone is 75 (25 3 day cruises) so again anyone who is currently Milestone will remain there.

 

The third tier at 225 plus days is a completely new tier with no corresponding current level. I think this is where it is needed the most since other than the four actual Milestone cruises - 25, 50, 75, and 100 where you get the percentage OBC, the perks are the same as Platinum.

 

 

Blue, Platinum, Milestone, but no Gold?

[kicia]

Maybe it will be Blue, Platinum, Milestone, and a new Black card. Even if the current colors stayed at blue, gold, platinum, and white, the perks could all be different. I'm just as anxious as anyone else to see the changes and maybe that will be the Jan. 5 announcement - or not.

[cruiserguy11]

Other than VIP boarding, cant say I use any of them. I just like the silver card. I guess Im pretty simple. I would have liked the black milestone card, .. just because its different. Too many now are platinum.

 

Black? Only if Carnival doesn't give you clean new ones. :D

 

Milestone is white.

[nonna5]

Black? Only if Carnival doesn't give you clean new ones. :D

 

Milestone is white.

 

 

At least all my milestone have been white - I guess I have been getting the clean new cards.:D

[zonacruiser25]

Just need 2 more for 10 so I hope there will be a little lead time in the announcement. Might get to 10 by 4/1/12 but would hate to miss out by a day or a week!

[SANDYJABS]

If you take 7 night cruises, you will get your 75 points, after you have done 10 cruises, looks closer to 11, so it will still take a while, and there should be an advantage for longer cruises, I never understood why short cruises got the same credit as a longer one, when the short cruise cost less.

 

A shorter cruise does not necessarily always cost less. It depends on what time you book and what cabin cat you book, just sayin ;)

[MandynJim]

I currently have 6 cruises. So I am still 4 away from Platinum. So if this new system comes out would have 35 points with my current 6 cruises, so I would be Platinum level? That works for me. We are thinking about taking #7 in March, this would by DH #6 and children #2.

[firefly333]

I currently have 6 cruises. So I am still 4 away from Platinum. So if this new system comes out would have 35 points with my current 6 cruises, so I would be Platinum level? That works for me. We are thinking about taking #7 in March, this would by DH #6 and children #2.

 

No you would not unfortunately be platinum with 35 days of cruising .. more than likely. (nothing is out yet).

 

It would be unlikely though imo to make platinum that low of days. Probably twice that would be my guess.

[kicia]

I currently have 6 cruises. So I am still 4 away from Platinum. So if this new system comes out would have 35 points with my current 6 cruises, so I would be Platinum level? That works for me. We are thinking about taking #7 in March, this would by DH #6 and children #2.

 

If you see my earlier post, I think you would be at the second tier or current Platinum level. Since you can now be Platinum at 30 days (10 3 day cruises), I think that's where the new "Platinum" level, or whatever it will be called, is. I don't necessarily think the perks will be the same since I think they will all be changed around. Currently the only level that really offers perks is Platinum and I think there should be more for Milestone and for the new top tier.

[LadyTenorJD]

Absolutely no offense meant, but what is the big deal?

 

Maybe because I'm about to hit my first Carnival cruise...but I don't care what changes they make. What kinds of perks do folks get, anyway? My good friend is Carnival platinum...all I've heard her mention is free laundry service. I have garnered, from reading this and other threads, that there is also VIP embarkation and disembarkation...I don't mind waiting a bit...when I was on my first cruise (RC Monarch OTS), we didn't wait very long to embark at Port Canaveral. Different strokes for different folks, I guess...

 

Not judging anyone, just a newbie being curious.

[Buffettfan 225]

They have been more specific on John's Blog and to the people that got the survey.

 

My problem is not getting to Platinum (1st I'm already there), but getting to milestone. Under the current plan I had to cruise 15 times to get from Platinum to milestone, under the new plan I would have to cruise 22 times to get to milestone.

 

I think the jump from 75 point tier to 225 point tier is too big.

Totally agree 25 first level, then 75 to 225? After 75 I would think some would start spreading their loyalty around a bit to other lines, as 225 would be unreachable. What happened to 50 ? I know this is all guessing at this point as well as "early spring, to mid-2012" who knows when.

[old sole]

I'm always the pessimist when it comes to program "improvements". I'm afraid that what's happening here is just a splitting of the current platinum level.

 

After the change, I expect:

 

1st cruise - blue

 

1-24 points - equivalent to current gold

 

25-74 points - a new "lower level" platinum, with some of the current platinum perks but not all (and I'd wager free laundry won't be one of them)

 

75-224 points - a new "upper level platinum", with the rest of the current platinum perks and maybe a few new ones thrown in

 

225 points and up - milestone

 

In January, I will complete my 9th cruise but will only have 50 days. I then have a b2b on Breeze in October, with a 12 day then a 15 day leg. I was expecting to be platinum for the first leg, where the free laundry would really come in handy. My gloomy gus speculation would not even put me at the new upper level platinum for the second leg, which would be my 11th Carnival cruise overall, but only 62 days completed at embarkation. And since I won't be platinum under the old rules after completing the 9th (only on embarkation for the 10th), a rules change in the Spring won't grandfather me in:mad:

[crusinpsychRN]

For those of you who are platinum, which of the perks do you really use, use the most, or feel there would be a hardship to cruise without?

 

Wouldn't call it a hardship to not have priority boarding and laundry but those are favorites. When I get home, no laundry to do!

 

I will be asking for petit fours and no canapes. Don't like lox.

[Captain Carnival]

25-74 points - a new "lower level" platinum, with some of the current platinum perks but not all (and I'd wager free laundry won't be one of them)

 

Sounds more like pyrite - fools gold! :D

[near the beach]

With the new program. One cruise and four cruises could be the same level. Now we have blue, gold, platinum and white. This would be like taking a gold card cruiser and making them a blue card cruiser again.

 

A platinum cruiser with ten seven day cruises and a person with ten three day cruises will both be grandfathered into level two. Just the 70 day cruiser will be closer to the third level.

 

I have heard that the announcement will be in March. Not too sure how accurate that info is. I would prefer it to be in July. :rolleyes:

[Snorkel2Much]

Your only platinum on your tenth cruise ! Technically

Maybe so, but I have only completed 9 Carnival cruises and just booked (on short notice) my 10th. As of a few minutes ago I have enjoyed my first Platinum perk 16 days before boarding. My chosen dining time was waitlisted, but I was confirmed for my choice 18 hours after booking. :cool::)

[jimm]

Blue, Platinum, Milestone, but no Gold?

 

After reading John Heald's latest blog I have a suspicion that the color of the cards will be gone and there may just be something in print on each card distinguishing which level the guest is at.

John discusses that he feels not all Milestone and Platinum guests want to show the rest of the ship just how much they love Carnival (i.e. flashing different color cards) and that new designs are in store for the blue, gold, platinum and milestone cards.

[jimm]

Are the perks really worth all the worry I see here? As I see it, isn't simply cruising the major perk? It seems that I am "hearing" people complain as if HAVING TO TAKE another 5 (instead of 1) cruise, to get to the next level, is going to be such a drudge or hassle. It's not like you are being punished or anything.

 

Just what are the perks that have all of you so obsessed with? These?

 

Carnival Past Guest Recognition Program

Platinum Member

All Gold member benefits

Carnival Platinum benefits* including:

Personalized stationery

A special Carnival logo item

Guaranteed dining times and steakhouse reservations

Complimentary $20 entry fee into blackjack or slots tournament**

Spa Carnival priority reservations

Petit fours and/or canapés delivered to cabin*** one evening

Complimentary wash and fold laundry service

Priority tender boarding

Priority embarkation and debarkation

Complimentary arcade tokens valued at $5 dollars for guests under

18 years of age

 

I can honestly say not one of them would I get excited over. Pretty lame perks, if you ask me.

 

I agree. The only ones that I really cared about were the priority boarding and the laundry service, but I guess better than nothing. I wish Carnival would do a Platinum member 5:00 - 8:00 happy hour (25% off drinks) like RCCL does for their Diamond members.

[MonkeyBoy03]

I don't know if this has already been addressed because I got tired of reading through the complaints about how people feel they should be compensated for sailing on a ship.

 

This is not for Carnival's benefit. The reason they are changing the program is because people complained (go figure) that people who took shorter cruises (1-4 days) were getting the same perks as people who took longer cruises (7+ days). People who took those longer cruises felt that people who took the shorter cruises shouldn't be entitled to the same benefits as them.

[Upandadam]

Honestly, until they actually announce the details of the program, you can't really tell what's really going to happen.

 

"Cruise credits" is interesting phrasing on their part - it implies other ways to earn credits other than just days. So maybe it won't be harder to get to the different tiers than currently.

 

For that matter, nowhere does it mention which tier corresponds to what benefits. For all we know, the 25 tier could be the equivalent to the current Platinum instead of the current 75 tier, which could mean earning various benefits earlier.

 

There could also be new benefits at the higher tiers. After all, currently the only thing milestones get you is a cruise discount on milestone cruises -- otherwise it's effectively identical to Platinum. Until they announce what benefits go with which tier, it's almost impossible to speculate.

 

All that said, since I'm currently one cruise away from Platinum, I'm hedging my bets and have booked another cruise for the end of November, just to make sure I'm Platinum before the changes go into effect... :D

 

You bring up some very valid points. At least they mirror some of my thoughts. Especially trying to get that one cruise in before the change. We'll be taking our 9th CCL cruise next month and are now trying to figure out when we can fit in a short little 3 nighter before the change. That would give us 10 cruises and 57 days. But Platinum could equal either the 25 point equivalent or the 75 point one. Who knows.

[tamirpr]

I don't know if this has already been addressed because I got tired of reading through the complaints about how people feel they should be compensated for sailing on a ship.

 

This is not for Carnival's benefit. The reason they are changing the program is because people complained (go figure) that people who took shorter cruises (1-4 days) were getting the same perks as people who took longer cruises (7+ days). People who took those longer cruises felt that people who took the shorter cruises shouldn't be entitled to the same benefits as them.

 

Which is the dumbest argument I've ever heard. Whether you take ten 3-day cruises or ten 7-day cruises, you are making a choice TEN times to be loyal. That's what a loyalty program is about...loyalty.