Too many Platinum / Diamond

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, Silent Penguin said:

 

I'm curious.  How does a person find out how many diamonds, platinums, etc. are onboard?

 

  

When you go to the priority area in the terminal for Diamonds and Platinums, the Carnival employee(s) in there have paperwork listing the number of D&Ps on the ship. I am sure there are also other ways to find out the numbers. 

[firefly333]

10 hours ago, evandbob said:

I'm Diamond, and I think Carnival can add another level above Diamond with perks like a free Steakhouse Dinner for 2,  priority tendering and boarding BACK to the ship (which was removed some years ago), Dinner with the Captain and Officers in the MDR, free flowers for the cabin, etc.

 

Just sailed MSC last month, and my Carnival Diamond status was matched to their highest loyalty level.  I did hear some grumblings from MSC regulars who disliked first timers on MSC like me getting the same loyalty perks as they did.

 

I think eventually they will add a level above diamond, like rcl, diamond plus? captains level, something.

 

I think when you turn diamond you get one free steak dinner right? I think one per cruise would be a terrific idea :)

 

 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Silent Penguin said:

 

I'm curious.  How does a person find out how many diamonds, platinums, etc. are onboard?

 

 

I found out from a casino employee, they had the list.

 

If you attend the party, they announce how many, (I skipped it last time, just too too many. I dont like crowds). One i got called up and had the most cruises and Im not that high up, so it varys widely.

[tallnthensome]

20 hours ago, InitialD said:

For me the familiarity is a good thing. I've been on enough Conquest and Fantasy class ships I already know where everything is.

If that works for you, more power to ya! However, I don't see how that is any fun at all. When I go on a mulit-thousand dollar vacation I don't want to know the ship like the back of my hand. I mean, exploring a new ship from top to bottom and seeing it for the first time is a big part of the fun. The last thing we want to do is board a ship and  immediately say "Well, we've already seen everything on board many times so ...... Never in a million years and not worth loyalty to any cruise line. Familiarity is the last thing we want on a vacation ......

Edited October 27, 2018 by tallnthensome

[PhillyFan33579]

31 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

If that works for you, more power to ya! However, I don't see how that is any fun at all. When I go on a mulit-thousand dollar vacation I don't want to know the ship like the back of my hand. I mean, exploring a new ship from top to bottom and seeing it for the first time is a big part of the fun. The last thing we want to do is board a ship and  immediately say "Well, we've already seen everything on board many times so ...... Never in a million years and not worth loyalty to any cruise line. Familiarity is the last thing we want on a vacation ......

 

To me familiarity is one of the things I like most about cruising only with Carnival. I like that I am familiar with the layout of every class of ship; I like that on every cruise I go on I usually know several bartenders; I like that I am familiar with the activities and entertainment Carnival has to offer, etc.  Despite this familiarity, every cruise is different and unique. Some cruises we go to the piano bar every night, while other cruises we don’t step foot in the piano bar.  Some cruises we go to multiple comedy shows every night, other cruises we don’t attend even one comedy show.  I could go on with multiple examples like this how every cruise is different. And most importantly, every cruise we go on we meet other people who we enjoy getting to know and have fun hanging out with during the cruise. 

[firemanbobswife]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

If that works for you, more power to ya! However, I don't see how that is any fun at all. When I go on a mulit-thousand dollar vacation I don't want to know the ship like the back of my hand. I mean, exploring a new ship from top to bottom and seeing it for the first time is a big part of the fun. The last thing we want to do is board a ship and  immediately say "Well, we've already seen everything on board many times so ...... Never in a million years and not worth loyalty to any cruise line. Familiarity is the last thing we want on a vacation ......

We’ve already been through this on another thread. You do what you want, we will do what we want. Just because you don’t think something is worth it doesn’t mean others feel the same. Loyalty has very little to do with why I choose to sail the same ships or itineraries. It’s all about what I want out of a cruise. That doesn’t make it wrong. Maybe for you, but NOT for me. Spend your money the way you want to. I will do the same. 

[tallnthensome]

24 minutes ago, firemanbobswife said:

We’ve already been through this on another thread. You do what you want, we will do what we want. Just because you don’t think something is worth it doesn’t mean others feel the same. Loyalty has very little to do with why I choose to sail the same ships or itineraries. It’s all about what I want out of a cruise. That doesn’t make it wrong. Maybe for you, but NOT for me. Spend your money the way you want to. I will do the same. 

Of course people will do what they want and spend their money how they want. We've both sailed the MSC Seaside. They status match Carnival and you also said it was the most beautiful ship you have ever been on. I agree with this. My point is that there are many missing out and are simply too scared or to loyal to Carnival to step out of their comfort zone and experience it by taking a chance. 

[firemanbobswife]

10 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Of course people will do what they want and spend their money how they want. We've both sailed the MSC Seaside. They status match Carnival and you also said it was the most beautiful ship you have ever been on. I agree with this. My point is that there are many missing out and are simply too scared or to loyal to Carnival to step out of their comfort zone and experience it by taking a chance. 

I’ve never been on MSC although the status match thing somewhat interests me. But having been on Celebrity and Carnival, I like to frequent the same class of ships for exactly the same reason as the previous poster - I can relax and not feel like I have to do it all in one cruise. I cruise to unwind and get away from it all. That’s why I frequently go by myself. I like to be able to do as much or as little as I want and not feel like I have to spend my vacation entertaining someone. 

 

If I’m bringing friends or family, then sure it’s nice to try something new, but it’s also nice to be able to show them around and point them in the right direction. If I’ve experienced it before, I can tell whether or not it’s what they will enjoy and choose accordingly. When the boys were smaller, going on the same class of ships made it easier for them to get around too. 

 

Just because someone chooses to repeat a ship or itinerary doesn’t mean they are afraid or too loyal to go elsewhere. A lot of times it has to do with the purpose of the cruise. Which is why I went on the ones that I have. Each one is still a different cruise and I would do them all again if I could start over. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything. 

[wannagonow123]

I got an e-mail from Carnival yesterday stating that because there are so many D/P on my Nov 3rd cruise, that we will be unable to access our stateroom until 1:30pm with everyone else.  I guess they need to change their loyalty program.

 

[Rudyard]

Depending on how they do any VIFP restructuring to fix the issue, it's going to create a lot of angry people. If they create a third tier above Diamond, then you're still going to have the same number of upper tier people as before. To bring the numbers of priority passengers on any given cruise down, they'd need a lower tier between Gold and Platinum. I can imagine being a Gold with 70 days to my credit and suddenly hearing that 75 days gets me into the new Aluminum category which gets all the Gold perks plus an extra bottle of water, and no party invite or priority boarding since it now takes 100 or 125 days to reach Plat. 

[bury me at sea]

18 minutes ago, wannagonow123 said:

I got an e-mail from Carnival yesterday stating that because there are so many D/P on my Nov 3rd cruise, that we will be unable to access our stateroom until 1:30pm with everyone else.  I guess they need to change their loyalty program.

 

 

Two quick points.  I didn't check this particular cruise, but to the best of my knowledge early access to cabins for P/D cruises is routinely not offered on Journeys cruises.

 

Second, if you check the perks offered to P and D level guests you will not see early access to cabins listed.  Though some here disagree with me, this was a perk that came in through the back door when Carnival first started offering FTTF.  To this day the only place it is mentioned on Carnival's website is in the information on FTTF, where it states P and D cruisers get the same benefits automatically.

 

Carnival has been hinting they might, or threatening to,(depending on one's point of view) revamp the loyalty program.  It wouldn't have to be changed to eliminate early access.

 

 

[firemanbobswife]

1 minute ago, bury me at sea said:

 

Two quick points.  I didn't check this particular cruise, but to the best of my knowledge early access to cabins for P/D cruises is routinely not offered on Journeys cruises.

 

Second, if you check the perks offered to P and D level guests you will not see early access to cabins listed.  Though some here disagree with me, this was a perk that came in through the back door when Carnival first started offering FTTF.  To this day the only place it is mentioned on Carnival's website is in the information on FTTF, where it states P and D cruisers get the same benefits automatically.

 

Carnival has been hinting they might, or threatening to,(depending on one's point of view) revamp the loyalty program.  It wouldn't have to be changed to eliminate early access.

 

 

It used to be listed on the FTTF page as well. Quite a few months ago they removed that one sentence and that’s when people were being told onboard that it was no longer a perk for Platinum (and maybe Diamond too I can’t remember). Then stuff hit the fan and Carival flat out denied (and still does) that there was/is any changes. I think that it was in the works and due to poor planning and rollout that it was delayed until a later date. If it isn’t their intention to change it then simply adding that one sentence back could put all the rumors to rest. I believe everything happens for a reason and it’s just a matter of time. 

[bury me at sea]

14 minutes ago, Rudyard said:

Depending on how they do any VIFP restructuring to fix the issue, it's going to create a lot of angry people. If they create a third tier above Diamond, then you're still going to have the same number of upper tier people as before. To bring the numbers of priority passengers on any given cruise down, they'd need a lower tier between Gold and Platinum. I can imagine being a Gold with 70 days to my credit and suddenly hearing that 75 days gets me into the new Aluminum category which gets all the Gold perks plus an extra bottle of water, and no party invite or priority boarding since it now takes 100 or 125 days to reach Plat. 

 

Oh yay!  I can dream of one day being Aluminum!

 

Thank goodness I don't cruise for the perks.  I enjoy sailing out of Galveston and for me Carnival offers a good value for money spent.

 

 

[bury me at sea]

4 minutes ago, firemanbobswife said:

It used to be listed on the FTTF page as well. Quite a few months ago they removed that one sentence and that’s when people were being told onboard that it was no longer a perk for Platinum (and maybe Diamond too I can’t remember). Then stuff hit the fan and Carival flat out denied (and still does) that there was/is any changes. I think that it was in the works and due to poor planning and rollout that it was delayed until a later date. If it isn’t their intention to change it then simply adding that one sentence back could put all the rumors to rest. I believe everything happens for a reason and it’s just a matter of time. 

 

I believe you are correct.  While Carnival is really good at many things, denying, then announcing, then mis-managing changes seems to happen all too often.

 

Happy sailing.

[linbobky]

18 hours ago, firefly333 said:

 

I think eventually they will add a level above diamond, like rcl, diamond plus? captains level, something.

 

I think when you turn diamond you get one free steak dinner right? I think one per cruise would be a terrific idea 🙂

 

 

on ncl, when you turn platium you get a specialty dinner every cruise.

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, firemanbobswife said:

It used to be listed on the FTTF page as well. Quite a few months ago they removed that one sentence and that’s when people were being told onboard that it was no longer a perk for Platinum (and maybe Diamond too I can’t remember). Then stuff hit the fan and Carival flat out denied (and still does) that there was/is any changes. I think that it was in the works and due to poor planning and rollout that it was delayed until a later date. If it isn’t their intention to change it then simply adding that one sentence back could put all the rumors to rest. I believe everything happens for a reason and it’s just a matter of time. 

 

Carnival’s website still states Diamonds and Platinums already get FTTF benefits on the FTTF excursions page. 

 

Personally I don’t care if they get rid of the rooms available early perk, as long as this applies to FTTF as well.  I don’t think it would be smart to offer a benefit to FTTF that isn’t available to Diamonds and Platinums. 

 

From talking to several cabin stewards and hotel directors at D&P parties over the last year or so, although no one stated it in black and white, it sounds like Carnival’s intentions were to eliminate rooms being available before 1:30 PM for all passengers.  Sounds like this was closely related to the fairly recent change where cabin stewards have told me they are now responsible for cleaning more cabins than in the past. 

 

Based on my experience on several recent cruises, where I have heard employees in the terminal telling all passengers rooms won’t be available until 1:30 PM, along with the new signs stating rooms won’t be available until 1:30 PM with no mention of exceptions, I believe Carnival planned to move to no rooms being available until 1:30 PM. However, I believe Carnival changed their mind, at least temporarily, due to too much negative feedback concerning this potential change. 

Edited October 27, 2018 by PhillyFan33579

[firemanbobswife]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Carnival’s website still states Diamonds and Platinums already get FTTF benefits on the FTTF excursions page. 

 

Personally I don’t care if they get rid of the rooms available early perk, as long as this applies to FTTF as well.  I don’t think it would be smart to offer a benefit to FTTF that isn’t available to Diamonds and Platinums. 

 

From talking to several cabin stewards and hotel directors at D&P parties over the last year or so, although no one stated it in black and white, it sounds like Carnival’s intentions were to eliminate rooms being available before 1:30 PM for all passengers.  Sounds like this was closely related to the fairly recent change where cabin stewards have told me they are now responsible for cleaning more cabins than in the past. 

 

Based on my experience on several recent cruises, where I have heard employees in the terminal telling all passengers rooms won’t be available until 1:30 PM, along with the new signs stating rooms won’t be available until 1:30 PM with no mention of exceptions, I believe Carnival planned to move to no rooms being available until 1:30 PM. However, I believe Carnival changed their mind, at least temporarily, due to too much negative feedback concerning this potential change. 

I know it says that they get the same perks and more as FTTF. What I am referring to is where on the FTTF page it used to say “This is also a perk for Diamond and Platinum members” under “First access to stateroom”. That one sentence has been gone for months and that’s when all this started. People were reporting that GS on the ships were telling people the same thing and also CSRs on the phone if I remember correctly. All they needed to do was put that once sentence back to the way it used to be if they aren’t intending for it to be eliminated. 

 

I don’t doubt that they will will continue to push back appointment arrival times as previously mentioned in another thread. They used to have the first spot at 10:00am and now it’s 11:00 or 11:30am. 

 

I can see the change coming. Some don’t want to believe it, most of us can see the writing on the wall. I too believe it was poorly executed and got a reprive. Whether or not they will still keep it for those that pay upwards of $100 per cabin is anyone’s guess. It’s a money maker for sure so that may be the only way to get your cabin ready at embarkation unless they push appointment arrival or actual

boarding times back. Oh wait, I know - Platinums (and Diamonds if they don’t nix it for them too) will get a discount on FTTF/cabin ready upon arrival. What a favor they will be doing us then lol!

[BlerkOne]

No, and I doubt they ever will. Princess hasn't and is an older cruise line.

[sanmarcosman]

2 hours ago, firemanbobswife said:

That one sentence has been gone for months and that’s when all this started.

 

 

I thought Carnival was going to correct that?

Edited October 28, 2018 by sanmarcosman

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

On 10/25/2018 at 1:14 PM, IntrepidFromDC said:

Their current strategy works on this cruiser.  I'm not at all interested in trying another line, but if I didn't have the platinum perks and the premier drinks-on-us and other benefits (the premier party is much better than the plat/diam party, better food and much more free-flowing alcohol, but I go to both), I would consider trying other lines.  It works for Carnival because I stay loyal, it works for me because I enjoy the perks, especially when combining the platinum and premier perks.

What is a premier party?

 

[IPlayWithString]

2 hours ago, firemanbobswife said:

 

I don’t doubt that they will will continue to push back appointment arrival times as previously mentioned in another thread. They used to have the first spot at 10:00am and now it’s 11:00 or 11:30am. 

 

They probably pushed it back because there are people who just don't want to leave and drag their frigging feet. 😕 The whole reason they had to go to giving arrival time slots at the terminal was because people would show up at 8 am and camp out. 

[firemanbobswife]

10 minutes ago, IPlayWithString said:

They probably pushed it back because there are people who just don't want to leave and drag their frigging feet. 😕 The whole reason they had to go to giving arrival time slots at the terminal was because people would show up at 8 am and camp out. 

I don't know, as far back as I can remember we've had to be out of cabins by 8:30AM. They can make everyone get off early if they wanted to. I think it has to do with the room stewards having more and more cabins to clean so it takes longer. And with all the Diamonds/Platinums/FTTFs having their cabins ready as promised upon arrival, it's getting harder and harder to deliver. 

 

I'm all for the arrival appointments. Really makes the lines go faster. People are still arriving before the first times of 11AM and sometimes they are let in and sometimes they aren't from what I've heard. So you have D/P/Suites/FTTF for the most part getting there first thing having to wait in the terminal until boarding starts. It gets extremely crowded. I totally see them making the first appointments around noon or so pretty much guaranteeing boarding will be started close to that time and, therefore, eliminating people waiting in the terminal. It also gives the RS a little more time to work uninterrupted before people start traipsing though the halls. But we shall see.

[firemanbobswife]

25 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

I thought Carnival was going to correct that?

Yeah, right lol. They only said that perk is still included and continue to quote the other page that says D/P get all the same perks and then some as FTTF. So I'm still wondering why if it was never meant to be taken away, what the point was in eliminating the sentence in the first place. I think most of us know .

[PhillyFan33579]

34 minutes ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

What is a premier party?

 

 

Someone can answer this better than I can because I rarely gamble on a cruise, but it is a party for people who have premier status based on how much they have gambled on Carnival cruises. 

[jkneern]

On 10/25/2018 at 8:47 PM, IntrepidFromDC said:

How is comparing cruise line to cruise line analogous to comparing grocery store food to crappy fast food?  I sense false logic, like saying "if a bear craps in the woods, is the pope really catholic"! 

 

In addition, VIP status is not what I'm after, it's all the things that are valuable to me - nothing to do with status and everything to do with value. 

 

And to be sure, it's not just "a free drink or so", I drink eight to twelve a day, always Grey Goose or other expensive ones, and they're always free.  Do the math - on a seven-day cruise, that perk alone is worth ~ $700. 

 

Pay attention!

You missed the point....