The Carnival Natives Are Restless

[PSkinner]

We have VIP boarding on our Nov cruise but I paid for the FTTP so our cabin will be available to drop off bags. We are traveling with our soon to be 80 yr old mother and if she needs to rest after boarding she will have a nice cool quite place to go and if she doesn't want to rest she won't have to lug bags with her (or we won't have to carry hers and ours :) ) Worth it for us just to have the cabin.

[wmowan8485]

I don't disagree with your opinion, as I have an 18 month old, and even though she is a calm toddler she would get fidgety. But I also realize your valid reasons are not why Carnival started the program. They started it for impatient people willing to pay more. If the strategy behind the program was for the valid reasons it would be a free option.

 

Again, neither of us is right or wrong, just a difference of opinion.

 

Not quite sure why people are put out by the FTTF program. How do you know it was started for impatient people? That is quite a generalization! What is so wrong with wanting your cabin to be ready once you board the ship. It makes life just that much more pleasant, to drop your bags in your stateroom and make your way to the lido deck unencumbered to get a bite to eat. For those who are willing to pay the $50 for this service to enhance their cruise experience go for it, I did and I'm not making any apologies for it. :p

[RRLLAL]

After taking a bit of a break from reading all the bad publicity Carnival was getting this year, I think I just got the shock of my life reading the last three topics of:

 

FASTER TO THE FUN

PLATINUM GIFT CHANGE TO A HAT

NEW PLAYLIST SHOWS

 

I guess at a time where I thought Carnival should be enhancing the on board experience, they seem to be making changes that are not in sync with the expectations of the passengers, specifically, those fans.

 

Do I have this right? Or did I just pick the wrong morning to catch up.

 

 

You picked the wrong morning to cherry pick threads.

 

Sent using my Commodore 64

[big_duck]

People, people! Stop complaining about the gifts or they will go away all together!

 

Well they can take the $4 they spent on my hat and put it into the shows.

[firefly333]

why not adopt the policy that the airlines use...families with young children and anyone with a disability or a wheelchair should automatically qualify for boarding ahead of able bodied passengers. This is based upon the premise that it just takes certain groups of people longer to board than others. Very simple.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

Surprise!!! there is a HC check in line and they do qualify to get onboard first. Dont have to buy anything, they just ask. We have used the HC boarding many times, even before I was platinum.

 

Now that my sister is not with me, no longer needed, but I got plenty of chances to use it before.

[hornonaboat]

After taking a bit of a break from reading all the bad publicity Carnival was getting this year, I think I just got the shock of my life reading the last three topics of:

 

FASTER TO THE FUN

PLATINUM GIFT CHANGE TO A HAT

NEW PLAYLIST SHOWS

 

I guess at a time where I thought Carnival should be enhancing the on board experience, they seem to be making changes that are not in sync with the expectations of the passengers, specifically, those fans.

 

Do I have this right? Or did I just pick the wrong morning to catch up.

F2F = just another revenue stream. People that don't like it....get over it!

 

Carnival Hat as a gift - people that are offended by a gift of anything are ungrateful...get over that too!

 

New Playlist Shows - still entertainment...if you're too snobbish for the quality....get up and leave....and get over it!

 

More than 50% of Americans would be thankful to do the things on a Carnival cruise that these folks are complaining about. Just sayin'.

[firefly333]

F2F = just another revenue stream. People that don't like it....get over it!

 

Carnival Hat as a gift - people that are offended by a gift of anything are ungrateful...get over that too!

 

New Playlist Shows - still entertainment...if you're too snobbish for the quality....get up and leave....and get over it!

 

More than 50% of Americans would be thankful to do the things on a Carnival cruise that these folks are complaining about. Just sayin'.

 

I have not read even one post of someone who was offended.

 

They might say they dont wear caps.. but offended??

 

People exaggerate a lot to try and make people feel bad for expressing their opinion?

[vols_159]

I've seen alot including the poster above that said they would leave the cap laying on deck.. Again this is a free gift from carnival At there expense any and all gifts comes from there profit margin

[gfy012]

I have not read even one post of someone who was offended.

 

They might say they dont wear caps.. but offended??

 

People exaggerate a lot to try and make people feel bad for expressing their opinion?

 

There are many posters offended LOL! Check out the definition of offended :)

[firefly333]

I've seen alot including the poster above that said they would leave the cap laying on deck.. Again this is a free gift from carnival At there expense any and all gifts comes from there profit margin

 

I got a cap on RCL back when they used to give a logo gift and I probably would have given it to my Dad to sit in his closet, but there was a family from Ireland who REALLY wanted them, so I gave mine away. Nice cap, I just had no use for it, so I didnt keep it.

 

I think the people who need to grow up are the ones with all the name calling .. if you dont want it, you are greedy .. you are offended, you are this and that.

 

Why do people care what someone else does with their gift? The only people who seem offended to me are the people telling off people who dont appreciate the hat. (yes, I know what offended means)

[hornonaboat]

I have not read even one post of someone who was offended.

 

They might say they dont wear caps.. but offended??

 

People exaggerate a lot to try and make people feel bad for expressing their opinion?

If they weren't offended they wouldn't complain. I respect their right to have their opinion, but when you complain about a gift, you're just downright ungrateful.

[thatsonofa]

Not quite sure why people are put out by the FTTF program. How do you know it was started for impatient people? That is quite a generalization! What is so wrong with wanting your cabin to be ready once you board the ship. It makes life just that much more pleasant, to drop your bags in your stateroom and make your way to the lido deck unencumbered to get a bite to eat. For those who are willing to pay the $50 for this service to enhance their cruise experience go for it, I did and I'm not making any apologies for it. :p

 

That is quite a generalization!

 

Its not a generalization at all. Actually here's a realistic description on how the decision was probably made:

 

- Whoever is in charge of Carnival's customer relations notices they are getting an increasing amount of complaints about wait time during check in and boarding.

- In the next board meeting they sit down and discuss what the pain points are and what can be done about it.

- Someone brings up a memory of a past experience with another company in which they had a system that, once a small fee was paid, would allow you expedited access ahead of the normal crowd (reference disney, universal, six flags, major airlines). Of course this gets the CFO's attention and he/she wants to know more... lol

- They discuss and agree on terms, fees, rules, and exceptions. Then they shoot holes in it by coming up with pain points that could occur.

- They trial run it on select ships, then get feedback on the results. Then they tweak the program to refine it.

 

I can't tell you how many corporate decisions I have been a part of that go down in a conversation just like that.

 

What is so wrong with wanting your cabin to be ready once you board the ship.

 

Absolutely nothing is wrong with that. Again, its just a matter of opinion. I am physically fit and have no issues carrying my backpack around with me for a couple hours until my room is ready, or until I get ready to go to the room. I, at least to this date, haven't had kids with me, and I have no condition that makes it necessary for me to need to go straight to my room.

 

I did and I'm not making any apologies for it.

 

No apologies necessary. Again to each is there own. I do not see the value in it, but maybe one day I will if my needs change, like the first time the wife and I take our daughter with us....

[wmowan8485]

Its not a generalization at all. Actually here's a realistic description on how the decision was probably made:

 

The keyword here is PROBABLY if you were not present when the decision was made then it is a guess. IMHO

I'm a healthy adult and can stand in the long lines and lug my carry on around but I choose FTTF for the convenience of not having to do that. My preference is to have the cabin ready once I board to drop my bags off. I also have the ability to wash all of my clothes by hand but I chose to buy a washer/dryer for the convenience of it.

[Sargent_Schultz]

I would think that at some point a light bulb in their marketing group would fire up. Considering that one give away will not be to the liking of all and considering the frequency of some platinum cruisers that they would develope a list of 5 to 10 items on the Platinum Gifts so that one could choose what best suits their frequent customer. Like some but unlike others I would prefer a ball cap to a tumbler whereas my DW loves the tumblers. They are quite expensive gifts considering the cost of the cruises sailed on the eay to plat status.

 

I think Carnival marketing fully understands the target market and it is those who were once in the target market that don't understand.

 

For most of Carnival's existence, there was no loyalty program. Unlike other cruise lines, there really is no need to bribe customers to sail on the Fun Ships. ;)

[PAPERBKWRITER]

Not happy with the Platinum gift change to a hat. I do not wear hats at all. Now with a B2B we'll have 4 hats. Guess we'll just leave them on deck for someone else to enjoy.

 

We received 2 hats when we went on the Behind the Scenes tour. They're just sitting in a drawer. My SO doesn't wear hats either. Bummer. Glad we got 4 Tervis Tumblers on our last B2B cruise.

 

Both my DW and I are platinum so we get doubles too. We always find a kid who's eyes light up like a pinball machine when you give them your extra platinum gift. There truly is more joy in giving then recieving.

[2 cruzen]

They aren't free. We've paid a lot of money for these things.

 

You PAY to cruise...Carnival GIVES you a gift once you reach Platinum.

[H82seaUgo]

You PAY to cruise...Carnival GIVES you a gift once you reach Platinum.

 

therein lies the problem.

 

they are not gifts. they are more like party favors. moreso it is a reward, or usd to be before people just flat out started asking for such favors. and getting them.

 

they never out of the blue send something to my house.

[Cruizinman]

After taking a bit of a break from reading all the bad publicity Carnival was getting this year, I think I just got the shock of my life reading the last three topics of:

 

FASTER TO THE FUN

PLATINUM GIFT CHANGE TO A HAT

NEW PLAYLIST SHOWS

 

I guess at a time where I thought Carnival should be enhancing the on board experience, they seem to be making changes that are not in sync with the expectations of the passengers, specifically, those fans.

 

Do I have this right? Or did I just pick the wrong morning to catch up.

Carnival had been out of sync and it's getting worse ;) You have it right .

[momsdumplin]

You can make some of the people happy some of the time but you'll never make all of the people happy all of the time.

[RRLLAL]

Carnival had been out of sync and it's getting worse ;) You have it right .

 

I don't know. I just did a cruise a few weeks ago and it was great. So I guess you are wrong. Most people have a great time.

 

Sent using my Commodore 64

[Rudyard]

I purchased FTTF for my next cruise and I'm not impatient. I know when to get to the port to be able to walk aboard with very little wait. Last cruise was twenty five minutes from the parking lot to the Lido deck. I bought it because we don't want to lug our carry-ons and any drinks we bring until 1:30. Also, since I'm usually an early riser, I'll have already been awake for about six or seven hours by the time we board. This gives me the opportunity to relax for a while before muster if I want.

 

As for the gifts, I'll probably never be D/P (too many options for cruising from Houston and Galveston right now), but I understand getting a gift that you might never use. I think it would be a good idea to offers options like the cap, or a tote, or a towel, or the tumbler, etc. A lot of people had posted on John Heald's FB page about this and I just saw a little while ago that there will be an announcement regarding the gifts early next week.

[Cruizinman]

I don't know. I just did a cruise a few weeks ago and it was great. So I guess you are wrong. Most people have a great time.

 

Sent using my Commodore 64

 

Trust me , I'm happy that you had a great time ;)

[repo-cruiser]

Can people not enjoy free gifts anymore?

Not if there cheap and a piece of junk and they were hardly free reaching platinum.:mad:

[vols_159]

Not if there cheap and a piece of junk and they were hardly free reaching platinum.:mad:

 

Anything they give you is free.. You paid for a cruise and ccl gave u a cruise anything else cap glass whatever is a free perk

[bluedevil72]

Couldn't agree more.