Should carnival add a new tier?

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

21 hours ago, robc1972 said:

Given the price difference between Cunard, Seabourn and Carnival its not likely that the stuffy rich people will encounter Carnival types on their cruises.

Also take into account the different brands service different areas of the world, they are less likely to cross over.

 

But it would be nice to take advantage of Carnival status when on Costa or Aida in Europe.

I must continue on Carnival. I have a problem raising my pinkie when drinking tea.

[pe4all]

8 minutes ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

I must continue on Carnival. I have a problem raising my pinkie when drinking tea.

Just spit my soda on my computer screen.  Thanks for the laugh of the day!

[CJHAN]

On 6/22/2021 at 10:29 AM, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

I have been Diamond for a lot of years now. That Tier is getting very crowded. On many cruises they have two different times for the party. I think Carnival should add another tier with added incentives. Maybe, Specialty Dining on every cruise not just the first one after reaching Diamond. Drinks included for two. Wash and PRESS included. What else should they include? Suggestion. Call it EBONY requiring 500 points, maybe higher. MSC calls theirs BLACK. Lots of perks from them. Discount percentages on cruises no matter what your price is another percentage off. That would be nice.

I think that's an outstanding Idea. Moreover I really love your idea for the tier name. Should  comes with a sick Black and platinum card.

[sailorx2]

Definitely need another tier!  NCL GIVES 2 STEAKHOUSE w/wine & 2 OTHER PREMIUM DINNERS FOR PLATINUM LEVEL (SECOND HIGHEST) GUESTS.  Huge perk being able to specialty dine 2 evenings on a 7 day cruise a try no be extra charge. That said, the casino perks (free rooms, On board Cash) really keep me coming back to Carnival.  As a diamond, I would love to see a diamond plus category added.  Time for Carnival to step up to the plate.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

4 minutes ago, sailorx2 said:

Definitely need another tier!  NCL GIVES 2 STEAKHOUSE w/wine & 2 OTHER PREMIUM DINNERS FOR PLATINUM LEVEL (SECOND HIGHEST) GUESTS.  Huge perk being able to specialty dine 2 evenings on a 7 day cruise a try no be extra charge. That said, the casino perks (free rooms, On board Cash) really keep me coming back to Carnival.  As a diamond, I would love to see a diamond plus category added.  Time for Carnival to step up to the plate.

 

Carnival needs to implement Double Diamond, and Triple Diamond, right up to Penta Diamond (we have one of those here on CC). They could put stripes on the card to denote each additional Diamond level - sort of like stripes to denote rank on a uniform.

 

Then, here's the biggie, Carnival could award an additional free Steakhouse night each time they reach that new level. Yep, that's about the extent of perks I'd expect.

 

Now, what I'd like to see (Double Diamond and above) is some sort of wifi and drink package.

 

Not... holding... my... breath...

 

Tom

[pe4all]

On my last cruise Diamond had a totally separate VIFP appreciation party than Platinum. It was held in the piano bar, and it was very pleasant.  Nicer munchies, also.  

Edited January 23, 2023 by pe4all

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

39 minutes ago, pe4all said:

On my last cruise Diamond had a totally separate VIFP appreciation party than Platinum. It was held in the piano bar, and it was very pleasant.  Nicer munchies, also.  

 

The last two we've attended were in the Piano Bar as well - though it was at 5:00, and our Steakhouse reservations are always at 5:30. One of my main goals when dining in the Steakhouse (or really any time I'm going to dinner) is to be hungry. If I sample all those great treats which are brought around - that impacts my ability to enjoy (without discomfort!) all that awaits !

 

Tom

[Eli_6]

4 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Carnival needs to implement Double Diamond, and Triple Diamond, right up to Penta Diamond (we have one of those here on CC). They could put stripes on the card to denote each additional Diamond level - sort of like stripes to denote rank on a uniform.

 

Then, here's the biggie, Carnival could award an additional free Steakhouse night each time they reach that new level. Yep, that's about the extent of perks I'd expect.

 

Now, what I'd like to see (Double Diamond and above) is some sort of wifi and drink package.

 

Not... holding... my... breath...

 

Tom

If someone makes penta-Diamond (1000 cruise days?), they deserve free drinks and wifi.  At that point, they have spent nearly three years of their life on a Carnival ship. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

7 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

If someone makes penta-Diamond (1000 cruise days?), they deserve free drinks and wifi.  At that point, they have spent nearly three years of their life on a Carnival ship. 

 

Indeed !

 

That said...  with Carnival, unfortunately, it makes no difference if those 1,000 days were in a interior, balcony, or suite. Therein lies a glaring problem with their past guest program (IMO).

 

Tom

[ledges1]

I was on the Magic this

 past week and there were over 800 platinum guest on the ship and about 150 diamond. They had two platinum/diamond parties to accommodate the volume. There is no doubt Carnival will have to reduce the number of guest reaching the platinum perk level to control the cost. There are many ways to do it but it is not decision. When the decision is made, it will make entertaining reading on this site. I will add that we order our complimentary chocolate covered strawberries. When we received the plate, it had one strawberry, 2 red wafer cookies (uck) and 2 chocolate mystery balls. This perk went in the trash. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by ledges1
Complete sentence.

[n6uqqq]

Carnival is in a survival mode right now, I hardly think expanding loyalty benefits is on the agenda right now. New blood probably outspends us regulars by a lot overall.

[pc_load_letter]

13 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

Carnival is in a survival mode right now, I hardly think expanding loyalty benefits is on the agenda right now. New blood probably outspends us regulars by a lot overall.

 

Right, as a stockholder, I say cancel all perks and tiers.

[audcc77]

59 minutes ago, ledges1 said:

When we received the plate, it had one strawberry, 2 red wafer cookies (uck) and 2 chocolate mystery balls. This perk went in the trash. 

Yikes!   😳

Mystery balls. 😂

 

What about saying you’re allergic to strawberries?  
 

Maybe they’ll send a single cookie?   I’d rather have a cookie than the one strawberry and I would think it would be less of $$ for Carnival. 
 

I’ve not asked for the strawberry plate in years.  

[UpstateCruizer]

As a Diamond I see how many people have also reached this level. When we first started cruising there were usually a dozen Platinum cruisers. I was so excited to reach that level. Diamonds were rare with one or two at the parties. Now the Diamond level parties have been held in the main dining room as a luncheon for the past several cruises I’ve been on. I do agree that there should be something extra for those that have reached double Diamond etc. A complimentary meal in one of the specialty restaurants would be a nice gesture. However many of the seasoned cruisers are already receiving casino comps and perks so they may not be interested in that. 

[UpstateCruizer]

3 minutes ago, audcc77 said:

Yikes!   😳

Mystery balls. 😂

 

What about saying you’re allergic to strawberries?  
 

Maybe they’ll send a single cookie?   I’d rather have a cookie than the one strawberry and I would think it would be less of $$ for Carnival. 
 

I’ve not asked for the strawberry plate in years.  

They will gladly send cookies instead of strawberries. The cookies are much better! 

[audcc77]

1 minute ago, UpstateCruizer said:

They will gladly send cookies instead of strawberries

Really?!!   I’d be happy with 1 cookie.  Thanks for the tip.  I’ll give it a try next week.  

[ninjacat123]

18 minutes ago, audcc77 said:

Yikes!   😳

Mystery balls. 😂

 

What about saying you’re allergic to strawberries?  
 

Maybe they’ll send a single cookie?   I’d rather have a cookie than the one strawberry and I would think it would be less of $$ for Carnival. 
 

I’ve not asked for the strawberry plate in years.  

We got the same 'chocolate delight' plate on Magic last week.  Two red macaroons (the cookies), a caramel square that my DH ate without offering me a bite, a chocolate strawberry, a white chocolate candy/cookie (it was okay) and two chocolate truffles (mystery balls) which were tasty.  I actually preferred this selection over the plate of all chocolate dipped strawberries.

[EngIceDave]

Get a box of Little Debbie with Double Diamond

 

[ninjacat123]

6 minutes ago, EngIceDave said:

Get a box of Little Debbie with Double Diamond

 

Now that is tempting!!  Chocolate and Peanut Butter!!  🥰

[UpstateCruizer]

29 minutes ago, audcc77 said:

Really?!!   I’d be happy with 1 cookie.  Thanks for the tip.  I’ll give it a try next week.  

Yes, call room service and ask them if they can send cookies instead of the platinum strawberries. They usually say yes but they will be delivered that evening. Chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies have been sent each time we’ve asked. 

[txcruiser1234]

1 hour ago, n6uqqq said:

Carnival is in a survival mode right now, I hardly think expanding loyalty benefits is on the agenda right now. New blood probably outspends us regulars by a lot overall.

Agreed. Acquiring "new blood", though, does come at a significant cost to Carnival. Those national (or at least multi mega market) ad campaigns do not come cheap.

 

A couple advantages they have with regulars is that they can market to us directly (i.e cheaply) and we are better known quantitie$ meaning the offers they extend to us should more reliably align with current revenue plans (whatever those may be).

[EngIceDave]

IMO, I think CCL's plan was for cruisers to eventually "graduate" to upper tier brands at higher prices as they become accustomed to and tire of their entry level product, Carnival.

 

Seems to me, from a marketing standpoint, CCL should target those Diamond+ folks to move up to the premier brands.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

2 hours ago, ledges1 said:

... I will add that we order our complimentary chocolate covered strawberries. When we received the plate, it had one strawberry, 2 red wafer cookies (uck) and 2 chocolate mystery balls. This perk went in the trash. 

 

Yes, I think it used to be "strawberries". I just checked and it's worded as:

 

“Chocolate Delight” on 5+ day cruises

 

It does not sound very delightful. I always forget to order that stuff. The only thing we regularly get are the two bottles of water and the cash from the casino cage.

 

Tom

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, EngIceDave said:

Get a box of Little Debbie with Double Diamond

 

Just like Drake's Funny Bones.

[gkbiiii]

On 6/23/2021 at 12:16 PM, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

We sailed Celebrity prior to Royal. We had made it to Elite with Celebrity (easily, with the points awarded based on cabin category, and the "conversion" which occurred in their program early on), thus our first sailing with Royal had us at Diamond.

 

Not sure if it's still an active arrangement, but being Elite with Celebrity also got me in at the Platinum tier of the MGM rewards program. That was nice for line passes and special taxi lines in Vegas. That had to be renewed each year... October as I recall. I like program reciprocity like that!

 

EDIT: here's what MGM offers for their guests with Royal and Celebrity. I remember now... back in the day, I actually got a free cruise on Royal as a result of my (earned with) MGM Platinum card. Hard to beat that - with the exception of that old adage... free ain't free !

 

 

 

Edit (take TWO!):  Just saw that going the other way (Celebrity to MGM) now only earns a GOLD MGM card - which is hardly worth the effort.. oh well!!

Tom

Tom your wrong here: Gold gets Resort Fees Comped!