First Access to Stateroom no Longer for Diamond or Platinum Guests?

[glrounds]

13 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Early cabin access was not a perk for D&Ps. It became an issue when it was a perk under FTTF when it was introduced and lots of D&Ps voiced their concern about this not being a D&P perk. 
 

 

I would disagree as I can remember the "cabins ready for Platinums" perk on cruises long before FTTF was ever initiated. 🙂

 

[xDisconnections]

1 hour ago, jetsfan58 said:

I actually stopped one day and though to myself: You know how Blessed I am to be able to Cruise and/or just take a vacation? 

 

Anyone can cruise. I’d even argue that if booked carefully, it can be the cheapest way to travel. Doesn’t Carnival even offer a financing option? 
 

I wouldn’t feel blessed to be able to take a vacation if that’s what I chose to spend the money on.

Edited September 2, 2020 by xDisconnections

[skrufy]

16 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

 

You still have to go through security and check in. On cruises popular with VIPs (like when most of the ship is Platinum/Diamond), everybody might have to wait. The stewards can only clean so many cabins per hour.

You are allowed to drop your luggage off at your cabin even though your cabin is not ready for you to occupy it. 

[bury me at sea]

29 minutes ago, glrounds said:

 

I would disagree as I can remember the "cabins ready for Platinums" perk on cruises long before FTTF was ever initiated. 🙂

 

 

I would respectfully disagree with your memory.  Early boarding, yes.  However Philly Fan is correct.  Early access to cabins for FTTF was a great bone of contention among Platinum cruisers when FTTF was introduced.

 

Carnival granted it to Platinums but has never to this day included it in the published list of Platinum perks.

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by bury me at sea

[Nvr2old2cruise]

 
Early access to cabins for FTTF was a great bone of contention among Platinum cruisers when FTTF was introduced.
 
Carnival granted it to Platinums but has never to this day included it in the published list of Platinum perks.
 

Thank you bmas. I didn’t pay too much attention to the P/D benefit list before as I was so far away from attaining it. Now that I am getting closer I looked and didn’t see early stateroom access listed. Now I understand.

[bury me at sea]

2 hours ago, Nvr2old2cruise said:

 

Thank you bmas. I didn’t pay too much attention to the P/D benefit list before as I was so far away from attaining it. Now that I am getting closer I looked and didn’t see early stateroom access listed. Now I understand.

 

 

There was a long thread about this maybe 18-24 months ago.  Some Platinum cruisers were reporting that they were denied early access on some ships and it created quite a stir.

 

 

 

 

[BlerkOne]

5 hours ago, glrounds said:

 

I would disagree as I can remember the "cabins ready for Platinums" perk on cruises long before FTTF was ever initiated. 🙂

 

 

You are correct. Before FTTF and even long before Diamond status, it was an undocumented but not unknown perk for Platinums. You simply went to your cabin and it was ready.

[glrounds]

2 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

 

You are correct. Before FTTF and even long before Diamond status, it was an undocumented but not unknown perk for Platinums. You simply went to your cabin and it was ready.

 

Yes, as I recall we were even instructed to disregard the sign saying "Don't enter until 1:30" or something like that.

[RWolver672]

17 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

I’d probably stop by Guest Services in that case as you’re actually paying for the stateroom to be ready upon boarding.

 

It wasn't that big of a deal.  As I said, one of the reasons we bought it was to get rid of our carry-ons and that was allowed.  Life's too short to worry about something that minor.  

[evandbob]

18 hours ago, skrufy said:

You are allowed to drop your luggage off at your cabin even though your cabin is not ready for you to occupy it. 

 

Just to be clear, it's only allowed if you have priority access.  Gold, red & blue cards are not supposed to do this. That's one of the reasons why Carnival starting using elevator operators to take boarding pax directly to Lido deck and not have them wandering the cabin deck hallways.

 

In the past 11 or 12 years since I've been platinum (now diamond), my cabin was not ready twice over perhaps 25 cruises.  I'm usually told at check in that I can go straight to my cabin.

 

One group not mentioned in the priority cabin access are the casino fare players.  They get priority boarding on ULTRA and Premium cruises.

[jetsfan58]

Rules are only as good as the enforcing body that doing the engaging. I have seen so many rules regarding this issue broken. In the end. we all got onboard and none of us left the dock before anyone else. It never mattered when we got to our cabins as long as we had one for each family member.

 

Life is to precious to mull over the small things; just enjoy the Adventure.  

[rolloman]

23 hours ago, bury me at sea said:

 

I would respectfully disagree with your memory.  Early boarding, yes.  However Philly Fan is correct.  Early access to cabins for FTTF was a great bone of contention among Platinum cruisers when FTTF was introduced.

 

Carnival granted it to Platinums but has never to this day included it in the published list of Platinum perks.

 

Well if you want to get technical....you are incorrect....up until the early 2000's all those boarding could go directly to their cabin. 

[bury me at sea]

33 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Well if you want to get technical....you are incorrect....up until the early 2000's all those boarding could go directly to their cabin. 

 

Thus, if available to all, it was not a perk.

 

My only point to the OP is that although early access has routinely been granted to Platinum cruisers, it has never been included in the list of benefits given because of Platinum status.

 

 

 

[rolloman]

Just now, bury me at sea said:

 

Thus, if available to all, it was not a perk.

 

My only point to the OP is that although early access has routinely been granted to Platinum cruisers, it has never been included in the list of benefits given because of Platinum status.

 

 

 

It was a perk....priority boarding thus you got to the room quicker.

[bury me at sea]

Just now, rolloman said:

It was a perk....priority boarding thus you got to the room quicker.

I am not sure why this has turned into a debate.  The OP questioned if not being listed as a Platinum perk was new.  I answered that question by saying it had never been listed as a Platinum perk.

[rolloman]

Just now, bury me at sea said:

I am not sure why this has turned into a debate.  The OP questioned if not being listed as a Platinum perk was new.  I answered that question by saying it had never been listed as a Platinum perk.

Because you said GLgrounds was incorrect....which technically is not true....so as much fun as you had trying to prove someone incorrect...I am now proving you incorrect. 

[bury me at sea]

2 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Because you said GLgrounds was incorrect....which technically is not true....so as much fun as you had trying to prove someone incorrect...I am now proving you incorrect. 

 

OK.

[xDisconnections]

10 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

 

It wasn't that big of a deal.  As I said, one of the reasons we bought it was to get rid of our carry-ons and that was allowed.  Life's too short to worry about something that minor.  

Maybe so but I’m not a fan of paying for a list of specific items and not receiving them and would express my disappointment when necessary.

[RWolver672]

1 hour ago, xDisconnections said:

Maybe so but I’m not a fan of paying for a list of specific items and not receiving them and would express my disappointment when necessary.

 

That's your prerogative.  We had better things to do than stand in line complaining.  We dropped off our luggage, grabbed something to eat, had a drink and went back to our cabin that was now ready for us.  We also got priority boarding for the tenders or whatever they call them now.  We never used that either but that doesn't mean that we should have gotten our money back for FTTF.  We cruise to have fun, not to stand in line complaining.

Edited September 3, 2020 by RWolver672

[xDisconnections]

21 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

 

That's your prerogative.  We had better things to do than stand in line complaining.  We dropped off our luggage, grabbed something to eat, had a drink and went back to our cabin that was now ready for us.  We also got priority boarding for the tenders or whatever they call them now.  We never used that either but that doesn't mean that we should have gotten our money back for FTTF.  We cruise to have fun, not to stand in line complaining.

Why would you stand in lime complaining? One of your benefits is to skip the line at Guest Services 😄

[RWolver672]

39 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

Why would you stand in lime complaining? One of your benefits is to skip the line at Guest Services 😄

 

For starters, you don't "skip" the line.  There is a separate line for Priority and when you first board, that line is long too.  Why is it so important to someone else what didn't bother me?  Had it bothered me, I would have went to Guest Services and told them about it.  It didn't so I didn't.  

[xDisconnections]

11 minutes ago, RWolver672 said:

 

For starters, you don't "skip" the line.  There is a separate line for Priority and when you first board, that line is long too.  Why is it so important to someone else what didn't bother me?  Had it bothered me, I would have went to Guest Services and told them about it.  It didn't so I didn't.  

Glad it didn't bother you!

[PhillyFan33579]

8 hours ago, jetsfan58 said:

Rules are only as good as the enforcing body that doing the engaging. I have seen so many rules regarding this issue broken.  

Just another in a long list of rules that Carnival crew members rarely enforce. I know Carnival is big on their “fun” theme, and their crew members are trained to look the other way in most situations. Most of the rules that are commonly broken don’t bother me since I couldn’t care less what other people wear in the MDR, my wife and I are usually up fairly early and have never had trouble finding lounge chairs, etc. But I think new COVID-19 related rules will need to be enforced to keep the ship as safe as possible. I personally have serious concerns if Carnival crew members are going to be able to suddenly start enforcing rules when cruising resumes, hopefully sooner than later.  

[glrounds]

To be clear: (Presidents and candidates always love to say that) 😊

 

I don't recall early cabin access ever being a LISTED perk. I just remember doing it many years ahead of the FTTF program, however. I remember guests standing in front of the DO NOT ENTER UNTIL 1:30 sign on the doors blocking the hallways (companion ways in sailor talk 😏). I just snaked my way through them and went through the doors and my cabin was ready. Sometimes the stewards had even put my luggage on the bed for me.😊

Edited September 4, 2020 by glrounds

[Eli_6]

For the question about who needs laundry done:  I am going on a B2B Europe so my family of 4 will be on board for 21 days straight. We will be in Europe a total of about 30 days. I will definitely not be brining clothes for four people and flying across an ocean with enough clothes for 30 days.