Should carnival add a new tier?

[BlerkOne]

13 minutes ago, travelplus said:

  I wish Carnival would let you status match with Princess, Cunard and even Royal Caribbean.

 

 

Royal Caribbean??? On Princess you can achieve their highest level in 15 short cruises or less if you book solo or suites. You can forget Cunard.

 

I can see Carnival maybe offering a one shot deal from time to time where you can try one of the upper tier lines. Perhaps capacity controlled to throttle the influx.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

14 minutes ago, Don Kehote said:

Guess what I'm getting at was more to the point of: I didn't retire, but I spent a few years seeing the world on Uncle Sam's bill.  Would I be eligible, or does that only apply to Retirees and AD?

 

I didn't retire (full 20) with them either. I spent 6 years in the guard (and a few months in Afghanistan) - fulfilling my obligation for student loan repayment. I signed the papers (joined) in the summer of '01. 9/11 was my second day of work... all plans are meant to be changed it would seem!

 

Do you have separation papers?

 

Tom

[sailingships]

36 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I've enjoyed the military rate for perhaps 10-15 years. It's offered on most sailings. It has the benefit of being able to choose your own room, and has a refundable deposit. So many of their low dollar/deposit offers will take your deposit if your plans change.

 

Tom

Ive found that Early Saver works out cheaper. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

3 minutes ago, sailingships said:

Ive found that Early Saver works out cheaper. 

 

I would almost never go for that - I'd rather pay a few bucks more in total, than be hit with a cancellation penalty (deposit). I did once, years ago, and had to cancel.

 

Tom

[sailingships]

37 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I provided them with my 2007 DD-214. They eventually kept it on file (after dozens of military rate sailings) and now no longer ask for it.

 

Tom

Yes I only had to send it in one time too. However the regular phone people at Carnival usually dont have access to those records. 

[2Shoes2Go]

They’ve kept DH’s DD214 on file for years now. Seems they’ve treated the Military Rate much the same as an ES Rate. Price matches have been honored, so we’ve been given the price drops, when I find them.

[sailingships]

1 minute ago, 2Shoes2Go said:

They’ve kept DH’s DD214 on file for years now. Seems they’ve treated the Military Rate much the same as an ES Rate. Price matches have been honored, so we’ve been given the price drops, when I find them.

Yes they do lower the price when it goes down. 

[sailingships]

39 minutes ago, travelplus said:

I will be honest it was easy to attain Diamond on Royal for all of my Father and my Trans Atlantic Cruises plus a 21 day Cruise. My Mother gets her Royal Status due to marriage and  we can status match to Elite on Celebrity , Azamara(forget which level) and MGM M Life Gold, Hyatt Explorist and MSC Diamond.  I wish Carnival would let you status match with Princess, Cunard and even Royal Caribbean.

 

 

For the  'Status Match' Diamond on Carnival is Gold on MSC.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

6 minutes ago, sailingships said:

For the  'Status Match' Diamond on Carnival is Gold on MSC.

Is Gold on MSC of much benefit?

[chocolate melting cake]

6 minutes ago, sailingships said:

For the  'Status Match' Diamond on Carnival is Gold on MSC.

Have they changed? We sailed with them 2 years ago and they matched our Diamond with their highest, Black. We did not care for the food and would not cruise with them again---but the perks WERE much better than Carnival's!

[2Shoes2Go]

1 minute ago, chocolate melting cake said:

Have they changed? We sailed with them 2 years ago and they matched our Diamond with their highest, Black. We did not care for the food and would not cruise with them again---but the perks WERE much better than Carnival's!

Yes, they did change it. Boo

[sailingships]

Just now, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Is Gold on MSC of much benefit?

No not as much as even Platinum. No Priority boarding , no laundry, a lot depends on the category you chose and where your cabin is and how much you spent. I did book a Med cruise for this October when It looked like we might not be cruising here. A 7 day Balcony on Deck 14 on the Grandiose for $1,200  total (crazy price) I could have had a Yacht Club Interior for the same insane price just a few doors down. and had ALL the goodies but I dont usually take my tiara when i go to Europe. LOL 

 

I dont lug my upscale clothes when I travel. Usually just jeans and TShirts and a tidy top or 2. (and a long skit for Elegant nights if Im cruising) Everything cotton so I can use my lovely laundry privileges !!! On MSC you cant wear Jeans to the MDR. 

[sailingships]

11 minutes ago, chocolate melting cake said:

Have they changed? We sailed with them 2 years ago and they matched our Diamond with their highest, Black. We did not care for the food and would not cruise with them again---but the perks WERE much better than Carnival's!

Those black perks are fab but this year they told me I could only have Gold because Carnival doesnt match their passengers They werent even impressed when I pointed out that I had twice the necessary points to be their Black using their own criteria.

 

Sounds like they are going to cease the Status Match.

[SNJCruisers]

7 hours ago, SCBarker said:

 

I also doesn't hurt they are the two companies in our backyard.  We flew to Florida for a cruise once, and we are unlikely to do that again anytime soon.  That's a whole other level of stress and expense compared to just calling an Uber to drop you off at the port.

All depends upon your perspective.  You like the stress free way of catching an Uber, but then you are limited to the handful of Carnival and RCI ships that go out of Galveston.  You obviously flew into FLA the morning of your stressful cruise instead of starting your vacation a day early and flying in, staying at a hotel and getting on the ship early.  You can also get better deals from cruising from FLA because of the many embarkation ports and more than just two cruise lines like Galveston.  When all is said and done, if done right, cruising out of FLA for you could be just as stress free as taking that Uber to Galveston and you'll be able to choose from other cruise lines besides Carnival and RCI.

[SCBarker]

2 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

You obviously flew into FLA the morning of your stressful cruise instead of starting your vacation a day early and flying in, staying at a hotel and getting on the ship early.  You can also get better deals from cruising from FLA because of the many embarkation ports and more than just two cruise lines like Galveston.  When all is said and done, if done right, cruising out of FLA for you could be just as stress free as taking that Uber to Galveston and you'll be able to choose from other cruise lines besides Carnival and RCI.

I flew in the day before. My bag with all my clothes was misplaced by the airline. Waited up for it to be delivered about midnight-1am.

I'm not going to lie, it's more about the price for me. More about the stress for the GF.

Along with the CCL, RCI, and Disney out of Galveston, we also had Princess and NCL out of Houston for a while. That's when I tried Princess.

[SNJCruisers]

4 minutes ago, SCBarker said:

I flew in the day before. My bag with all my clothes was misplaced by the airline. Waited up for it to be delivered about midnight-1am.

I'm not going to lie, it's more about the price for me. More about the stress for the GF.

Along with the CCL, RCI, and Disney out of Galveston, we also had Princess and NCL out of Houston for a while. That's when I tried Princess.

Sorry about what caused the stress.  If price is a concern, then Disney is obviously out the window.  I would look at 10 day sailings out of FLA or 8 day if you can't do 10 for work.

[SCBarker]

4 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Sorry about what caused the stress.  If price is a concern, then Disney is obviously out the window.  I would look at 10 day sailings out of FLA or 8 day if you can't do 10 for work.

I'm sure we'll be back when we get burnt out here.

You should have seen the GF trying to find a store open early enough I could buy 7 days worth of clothes before we needed to be back at the airport for our 11am transfer to the port! 😆

[Tapi]

21 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

But then again, ignorance is bliss if you don't  know what the competition is offering. 

Yup. I was a bit taken aback when I realized that others cruise lines treat me better as a first timer than Carnival does as a Platinum. Loyalty programs now play ZERO role in my decision making. 
 

I still enjoy sailing on Carnival, but it’s definitely not for the past guest perks. 

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, SCBarker said:

I'm sure we'll be back when we get burnt out here.

You should have seen the GF trying to find a store open early enough I could buy 7 days worth of clothes before we needed to be back at the airport for our 11am transfer to the port! 😆

I personally love Galveston. And looking forward to terminal 3 being done so allure can dock. Always a new ship to look forward to.

 

Meanwhile next up vista and breeze. Something to be said for easy while we get past covid. 

[SNJCruisers]

3 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I personally love Galveston. And looking forward to terminal 3 being done so allure can dock. Always a new ship to look forward to.

 

Meanwhile next up vista and breeze. Something to be said for easy while we get past covid. 

And once you move to your Atlantic Oceanfront condo, Galveston will be in your rear view mirror.

[Tapi]

20 hours ago, firefly333 said:

 Maybe it's a age thing. I dislike carnivals shows now and the singers can be off key and they pipe in music.

I think that age definitely plays a role. In my 20’s, I thought that every show and form of entertainment on Carnival (or any cruise line for that matter) was great. Things couldn’t get better! Easy to please. 😂
 

Now in my 40’s, a bit more traveled, a bit more experienced, and a bit more discerning, I’m not as wowed by mediocre entertainment as I used to. I think it’s the normal progression in life, and the reason why we have cruise lines that cater to different demographics dependent on where people are in life. I just hope I don’t turn into a crotchety, grumpy man who dislikes everything as I get older and older! 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Tapi

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, sailingships said:

Those black perks are fab but this year they told me I could only have Gold because Carnival doesnt match their passengers They werent even impressed when I pointed out that I had twice the necessary points to be their Black using their own criteria.

 

Sounds like they are going to cease the Status Match.

MSC was matching to just about any program to poach customers. They got too many black level and everything was getting crowded so they cut back. MSC will also bounce you from the program if you don't cruise within 3 years of your last cruise and you get to start over.

[Tapi]

21 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

The only other cruise line that I have seen like that was my one cruise on MSC on the Seaside.  Never saw it on my 4 NCL or 3 RCI cruises. 

I’ve seen it the most on Carnival (definitely the biggest offender with the longest line on the last day). But the one that I remember the most was on Holland America. This guy ahead of me at guest relations made a huge stink, loud for everyone to hear, throwing his arms up in the air, about the “service charge” added to his account on a daily basis. He said that his travel agent NEVER told him that there would be such a charge and that he wanted it all refunded.
 

The guest relations handled it like a champ, and basically called his B S as passive aggressively as possible. She said something along the lines of “Don’t worry sir, we will remove those charges from your account. and by the way, thank you for being a loyal Holland America guest and for attaining 4 Star Mariner status”. She basically told him that she knew that he had to know about the service charge if he had that many nights sailing on them. 😂

Edited June 23, 2021 by Tapi

[WhaleTailFlCruiser]

5 hours ago, Tapi said:

I’ve seen it the most on Carnival (definitely the biggest offender with the longest line on the last day). But the one that I remember the most was on Holland America. This guy ahead of me at guest relations made a huge stink, loud for everyone to hear, throwing his arms up in the air, about the “service charge” added to his account on a daily basis. He said that his travel agent NEVER told him that there would be such a charge and that he wanted it all refunded.
 

The guest relations handled it like a champ, and basically called his B S as passive aggressively as possible. She said something along the lines of “Don’t worry sir, we will remove those charges from your account. and by the way, thank you for being a loyal Holland America guest and for attaining 4 Star Mariner status”. She basically told him that she knew that he had to know about the service charge if he had that many nights sailing on them. 😂

 

Amazing that other guests didn't call him out too lol 

[xDisconnections]

5 hours ago, Tapi said:

I’ve seen it the most on Carnival (definitely the biggest offender with the longest line on the last day). But the one that I remember the most was on Holland America. This guy ahead of me at guest relations made a huge stink, loud for everyone to hear, throwing his arms up in the air, about the “service charge” added to his account on a daily basis. He said that his travel agent NEVER told him that there would be such a charge and that he wanted it all refunded.
 

The guest relations handled it like a champ, and basically called his B S as passive aggressively as possible. She said something along the lines of “Don’t worry sir, we will remove those charges from your account. and by the way, thank you for being a loyal Holland America guest and for attaining 4 Star Mariner status”. She basically told him that she knew that he had to know about the service charge if he had that many nights sailing on them. 😂

Big yikes.

 

Dude probably didn’t even realize the GSA calling him out for that either.