Milestone procedure

[pryd]

This is just an FYI for those that are gettting close to, or their next cruise will be milestone.

 

This perk is not Automatic...You will be sent a letter by Carnival stating how much they love you as a returning cruiser. This letter contains an info card with a phone number on it for the Milestone desk..(Department)

 

You have to call the number, tell the agent your booking number and sailing date for your milestone cruise to get the OBC.

 

This might have been discussed here before but I thought it would be worth a mention if it had not been.

 

The agent also mentioned that the OBC I was quoted would go up if I decided to upgrade before the cruise to a higher priced cabin. So the amount is not frozen when you originally booked but changes with any changes you make in your booking.

 

Hope this helps

[golfadj]

Thanks for the info. We have 18 and 19 booked so should get their in a few years.

[tattoos]

OBC??? I was under the impression that your cruise fare was discounted by a certain percentage (25%)??

[gelo7]

Thanks for sharing.

[SkyMaster]

OBC??? I was under the impression that your cruise fare was discounted by a certain percentage (25%)??

 

That's correct! That's why you MIGHT want to hold the OBC until you take that 12 Day Med Cruise in that Owners Suite, instead of the 3 day cruise to nowhere. :eek: (OBC for Milestone is 25% when you hit cruise #25,,,50% for cruise #50,,,, 75% for #75,,,and FREE at #100.

 

"SKY".

[okgirl]

This is just an FYI for those that are gettting close to, or their next cruise will be milestone.

 

This perk is not Automatic...You will be sent a letter by Carnival stating how much they love you as a returning cruiser. This letter contains an info card with a phone number on it for the Milestone desk..(Department)

 

You have to call the number, tell the agent your booking number and sailing date for your milestone cruise to get the OBC.

 

This might have been discussed here before but I thought it would be worth a mention if it had not been.

 

The agent also mentioned that the OBC I was quoted would go up if I decided to upgrade before the cruise to a higher priced cabin. So the amount is not frozen when you originally booked but changes with any changes you make in your booking.

 

Hope this helps

 

And let me add, that if you have booked your cruise through a TA then there is a different number to be called and you have to involve your TA in the process.

 

I thought I was going to have my OBC and it didn't show up right away. I went to the desk to ask and they said give it a day......okay.......a day goes by and still no OBC......go back to the desk and they said I'll don't have the OBC because it wasn't processed through my TA........

 

I'll just use it next time.

 

OBC??? I was under the impression that your cruise fare was discounted by a certain percentage (25%)??

 

I was under that impression for awhile too, but sadly no it's not discounted cruise fare it's given in the form of an OBC.....I did confirm this with the Milestone department.

 

I was very disappointed with the whole experience. I thought that there were surely so few milestone cruisers out there that every time I presented my white card it would be recognized for what it was.......The reality was that ONE person asked why my card was white and my sisters card was Platinum.........In the Welcome aboard show when the Cruise Director was on stage he asked people to clap based on how many cruises they had and he started the countdown from 10.......he went on to explain the different card colors and ask people to raise there hand for their card color and he did mention white and 3 of us raised our hands..........

 

That was it........no other recognition of any kind......I didn't even have any kind of special letter or anything in my cabin..In fact the letter that was in my cabin was a welcome back PLATINUM guest......

[deeluvs2cruise]

When I reached Milestone status last year, my PVP handled everything. I did not have to make any additional calls. Perhaps they have changed their proceedure since then?

Sure was nice to get that 25% OBC.

[klfrodo]

I'm assuming this OBC is refundable if not fully used by the end of the cruise?

[PA Dutchman]

Our PVP did everything, the 25% off the cruise is a OBC you pay the cruise price whatever it is. Turned into a big $300 ea OBC for 25 cruises. Big woop. We get much more for a Players club cruise.

[framerman]

OBC??? I was under the impression that your cruise fare was discounted by a certain percentage (25%)??

You get the 25% off in the form of OBC

[tattoos]

What a revolutin' development this is. I'll reach milestone status on my next cruise and while I am grateful for any perk from Carnival, one of the reasons I have been a loyal Carnival cruiser is because of the loyalty program.

 

OK girl...that is very disappointing, no welcome letter identifying you as a milestone cruiser? That is a very small, inexpensive thing to do for your milestone cruise. I'm not surprised that team members did not recognize your white card as being a milestone cruiser, I have found some employees very knowledgeable regarding VIP status perks and some look at you like you have two heads. If you ask the same question of two different staff members, you will get two completely different answers.

 

Skymaster, you can bet your last money that I'm going to wait until we sail on a 7 day or more.

 

Thanks for all the information, I had no idea. Hopefully, while Carnival is revamping their loyalty program, they will at least add in a "welcome milestone cruiser" letter in your stateroom. Wow, I thought they would give you some drink coupons, photo coupons, etc. After all, you have spent thousands of dollars to reach your milestone. How much does a Xerox copy cost?

[bookcreator]

This is just an FYI for those that are gettting close to, or their next cruise will be milestone.

 

This perk is not Automatic...You will be sent a letter by Carnival stating how much they love you as a returning cruiser. This letter contains an info card with a phone number on it for the Milestone desk..(Department)

 

You have to call the number, tell the agent your booking number and sailing date for your milestone cruise to get the OBC.

 

This might have been discussed here before but I thought it would be worth a mention if it had not been.

 

The agent also mentioned that the OBC I was quoted would go up if I decided to upgrade before the cruise to a higher priced cabin. So the amount is not frozen when you originally booked but changes with any changes you make in your booking.

 

Hope this helps

 

Our milestone cruise will be the TA on the Breeze as it stands now. Not sure how it will work if they switch the program and there are 4 different levels with perks that do not correspond with the old system. I suspect we will be close to the top level, if we don't make it when they change the system. A few of our cruises were 4 and 5 days, but then we have a bunch of long TA's and Med cruises so it evens out.

The Breeze TA (our 25th) gives us 185 days at sea. I believe the top level was a bit over 225 when they we playing with the numbers in their surveys, so we will probably not qualify for the top level in the new system.

Doesn't matter to us really, as we would qualify in our 27 or 28th cruise, with the days at sea totals. Even if we lose in the transition, I think the change will be for the better. On some cruises, you can't even get into the VIP embarktation area, it is so crowded with all the people who qualify for it now.

 

People have said they would not lose privileges, but I believe the system will be so different, and the perks so mixed up with subtractions and additions, that it will not compare to the old system at all. It will be straight days for perks and that is it.

[okgirl]

I'm not sure what I think should be done for milestone status....I'm really not expecting too much extra, but at minimum there should be some kind of recognition.......even the Maitre'D stopping by the table would be welcomed......if you are a gambler..(and I am), I think a visit from the actual casino host is appropriate......

 

And don't get me started on the whole "On Us" drinks program in the casino........I was on the Magic 2 weeks ago and drink service in the casino was horrible......you were lucky to see a bar waiter once per hour.....and if you did order a drink it was taking almost 30 minutes for it to be delivered..........I gave up even pretending that I was gambling.......I'm not going to run through 50+ dollars on a machine waiting on a $5.95 drink.....I even tried tipping the waiter when I placed my order and still got horrible service.

[Texarribean Chick]

I'm not sure what I think should be done for milestone status....I'm really not expecting too much extra, but at minimum there should be some kind of recognition.......even the Maitre'D stopping by the table would be welcomed......if you are a gambler..(and I am), I think a visit from the actual casino host is appropriate......

 

And don't get me started on the whole "On Us" drinks program in the casino........I was on the Magic 2 weeks ago and drink service in the casino was horrible......you were lucky to see a bar waiter once per hour.....and if you did order a drink it was taking almost 30 minutes for it to be delivered..........I gave up even pretending that I was gambling.......I'm not going to run through 50+ dollars on a machine waiting on a $5.95 drink.....I even tried tipping the waiter when I placed my order and still got horrible service.

 

This is so disappointing to hear especially coming from someone I know is an experienced cruiser. As much as I love CCL, the recent decline in service, quality, perks, recognition, etc. is really making me want to try another line. NCL or Celebrity. The only problem is that those two lines do not cruise the Caribbean during summer months which is when I like to go.............oh well. I'll just keep cruising with CCL and try and have a totally positive attitude about everything. I'm 3 cruises from Milestone; but with the new loyalty program, looks like I'm going to be more like 8 away from milestone :(

[LHP]

As stated earlier, it is not automatic because you have the choice of which cruise to use it on.

 

We are using both our 50% on our Hawaii cruise next month. :)

 

Hubby elected to save it for this expensive cruise and mine just worked out to be ON my 50th.

[tattoos]

I would be happy if the person manning the Purser's Desk (VIP line) would actually be aware of the perks, including priority tendering. On my last Liberty cruise we went to the show lounge to get a ticket for tendering and I told the two young people in charge that I was Platinum and qualified for priority tendering...they told me to wait in the lounge with the rest of the passengers. I walked thru the lounge and went to the Purser's desk (VIP line) and asked her what the procedure was for priority tendering and she directed me back to the lounge so I asked another Carnival staff member and he directed me to the staff member guarding the stairs and that staff member allowed us to join the line already in progress. We still got on the tender faster than other passengers but I was under the impression that a staff member was to escort you to the debarkation exit. Does anyone know the correct procedure to follow??

[okgirl]

This is so disappointing to hear especially coming from someone I know is an experienced cruiser. As much as I love CCL, the recent decline in service, quality, perks, recognition, etc. is really making me want to try another line. NCL or Celebrity. The only problem is that those two lines do not cruise the Caribbean during summer months which is when I like to go.............oh well. I'll just keep cruising with CCL and try and have a totally positive attitude about everything. I'm 3 cruises from Milestone; but with the new loyalty program, looks like I'm going to be more like 8 away from milestone :(

 

I am still a Carnival loyalist. I've never had a reason to want to cruise with anyone else and if I did it would probably be on one of the sister lines.

 

And I have a great time on every cruise, because I cruise for the relaxation and enjoy getting to visit with people from all over the country and world.

 

But it is frustrating when a large corporation that is in the service industry continues to fall short on some of the very simple and basic things that should be second nature to them.

 

Maybe they didn't have me down as Milestone on the big list. As I said when I checked in I was given a Platinum card and was told to exchange it on the ship. I got on the ship and went to guest services but the computers were down, so when I went back later and finally presented my Milestone letter (I'm glad I brought it with me) they just exchanged the card and said "there ya go".....no welcome back, nothing....in fact this was the 1st time that not a single person in any capacity failed to say Welcome Back to me or even sister personally.

 

Only one bartender even asked about it, nobody in the casino mentioned it, even when I got my "On Us" card no mention of it. Nothing at all. I think they want to try to explain the lack of recognition as being a result of the program modifications and all will be different soon........but simple recognition of a Milestone card isn't something that should be new.

[LHP]

I would be happy if the person manning the Purser's Desk (VIP line) would actually be aware of the perks, including priority tendering. On my last Liberty cruise we went to the show lounge to get a ticket for tendering and I told the two young people in charge that I was Platinum and qualified for priority tendering...they told me to wait in the lounge with the rest of the passengers. I walked thru the lounge and went to the Purser's desk (VIP line) and asked her what the procedure was for priority tendering and she directed me back to the lounge so I asked another Carnival staff member and he directed me to the staff member guarding the stairs and that staff member allowed us to join the line already in progress. We still got on the tender faster than other passengers but I was under the impression that a staff member was to escort you to the debarkation exit. Does anyone know the correct procedure to follow??

 

Some perks like this you just have to kinda take it in your own hands...

 

We have only used it a couple of times...but when we have, we simply found who was directing the tender count and asked them to let them know we were headed down.

 

We have never actually walked to Guest Services.....

[LHP]

I am still a Carnival loyalist. I've never had a reason to want to cruise with anyone else and if I did it would probably be on one of the sister lines.

 

And I have a great time on every cruise, because I cruise for the relaxation and enjoy getting to visit with people from all over the country and world.

 

But it is frustrating when a large corporation that is in the service industry continues to fall short on some of the very simple and basic things that should be second nature to them.

 

Maybe they didn't have me down as Milestone on the big list. As I said when I checked in I was given a Platinum card and was told to exchange it on the ship. I got on the ship and went to guest services but the computers were down, so when I went back later and finally presented my Milestone letter (I'm glad I brought it with me) they just exchanged the card and said "there ya go".....no welcome back, nothing....in fact this was the 1st time that not a single person in any capacity failed to say Welcome Back to me or even sister personally.

 

Only one bartender even asked about it, nobody in the casino mentioned it, even when I got my "On Us" card no mention of it. Nothing at all. I think they want to try to explain the lack of recognition as being a result of the program modifications and all will be different soon........but simple recognition of a Milestone card isn't something that should be new.

 

I agree that there are lots of little things that Carnival could do that cost NOTHING....but they just can't seem to get it together.

[keyguide]

I'm assuming this OBC is refundable if not fully used by the end of the cruise?

Unless it has changed ...it is use it or lose it.

[okgirl]

I agree that there are lots of little things that Carnival could do that cost NOTHING....but they just can't seem to get it together.

 

It really is just a matter of adequate training and then reinforcing that training on a frequent basis. I work for a Fortune 10 company that is very customer oriented and those values and behaviors are constantly being reinforced through training. Improving the customer experience is everyones top priority where I work, even though my job is not directly customer facing.

 

Maybe I should apply for a job with Carnival as Director of Guest Experience as related to Employee Training........:p

[LHP]

Our milestone cruise will be the TA on the Breeze as it stands now. Not sure how it will work if they switch the program and there are 4 different levels with perks that do not correspond with the old system. I suspect we will be close to the top level, if we don't make it when they change the system. A few of our cruises were 4 and 5 days, but then we have a bunch of long TA's and Med cruises so it evens out.

The Breeze TA (our 25th) gives us 185 days at sea. I believe the top level was a bit over 225 when they we playing with the numbers in their surveys, so we will probably not qualify for the top level in the new system.

Doesn't matter to us really, as we would qualify in our 27 or 28th cruise, with the days at sea totals. Even if we lose in the transition, I think the change will be for the better. On some cruises, you can't even get into the VIP embarktation area, it is so crowded with all the people who qualify for it now.

 

People have said they would not lose privileges, but I believe the system will be so different, and the perks so mixed up with subtractions and additions, that it will not compare to the old system at all. It will be straight days for perks and that is it.

 

This is something else that I predict that Carnival will make a mess of if they are not careful.

 

Folks grandfathered in won't be an issue...but those who are "close" (I fear) will be chaos!!

[LHP]

It really is just a matter of adequate training and then reinforcing that training on a frequent basis. I work for a Fortune 10 company that is very customer oriented and those values and behaviors are constantly being reinforced through training. Improving the customer experience is everyones top priority where I work, even though my job is not directly customer facing.

 

Maybe I should apply for a job with Carnival as Director of Guest Experience as related to Employee Training........:p

 

I'd vote for you!!!

 

:)

[pryd]

Don,t get my first thread starter wrong, I was not complaining about the perks, just the way you have to go to get them.

 

I still think 25% in OBC is fair along with the Platinum perks. But I just wanted fellow C,C,ers to know the process on how to get that perk.

 

Until they roll out the new program, I for one will enjoy spending Carnivals money while sailing to and from Alaska

[okgirl]

I'd vote for you!!!

 

:)

 

LOL.......thanks Linda......you are getting short for your Hawaii cruise.....have a Happy Birthday....that cruise is on my bucket list........I assume this will be DJ's 1st trip there? I'm anxious to see how he likes it.

 

John Heald talked a lot about the new loyalty program on BC5...it sound like they are way over thinking it...and that's part of what the delay is....apparently the new S&S cards will have our cruise history and preferences and habits and all kinds of stuff embedded in them........I'm not so sure that I'm thrilled with that....I think they think it will help them give us a more personalized experience, but I'm not sure.....

 

And how much personal and private information will be on that card????? And how easy would it be for someone to access the information and find out where I live or what credit card I used for my S&S account......