Why am I not receiving special offers?

[gigem_aggies]

We have sailed Carnival 4 times since the restart--more than a dozen times in total.  We used to have VIFP offers and players club offers all the time.  Now, neither my husband nor myself has anything other than the standard 4 offers that I think everyone gets.  I don't even have the birthday offer in my VIFP account right now.  Is there someone I can contact to figure out what I did or why this is happening???  

I do typically gamble, but not a ton--$100-200 over a week or shorter cruise.  So odd.

[pe4all]

It is kind of odd.  My dh hasn't cruised CCL in 3 years, and about a month ago started getting casino offers almost everyday!  I get them several times a week. You can always contact players club:

https://oceanplayersclub.com/contact/

They got back to me within 2 days by email, rather than spending hours on phone waiting.  Good luck!

Edited March 30, 2022 by pe4all

[nwcruiselover]

You’re not alone.  I have 20 Carnival cruises and typically visit the casino every day while on board, but I don’t bet more than about $200 during a week.  I have never gotten any offers from Carnival.  I don’t know what their criteria is, but apparently I don’t meet them either.

[ypcat]

Because you are already cruising with them without offers, it is not in their interest to give you one. Take business elsewhere and then they will probably try to lure you back with deals. Had the same thing happen with Disney when the kids were younger. Go at least once a year, and only get the general public deals. Stop going for a couple of years, and the special offers start coming in.

[groundloop]

Are you expecting to get an offer via email or are you searching for cruises on the Carnival website and checking the rates?  Some of the best deals I've had just sort of magically showed up unannounced when I was looking at cruises on the Carnival website.  AND there's no rhyme or reason to who gets the good deals, sometimes I'll get them and not my wife, sometimes the wife and not me.  It's all kind of crazy.

[JillK]

I am experiencing the same thing right now! We are a family of 6 and wanted to get two cabins side by side. My hubby has a fantastic rate that only his VIFP number can access. When I put mine in, I get the same rate as if I wasn't a past guest at all. 

 

Very strange and even our PVP I spoke to yesterday said he doesn't know why and unfortunately cannot extend hubby's price to me or a second cabin. 

[Moviela]

May I suggest you first clear the cache on your browser. Then consider using Chrome to browse the Carnival site. If you use a VPN, turn it off. 

 

When you log in make sure the first page greets you by name, and shows "logged in." Then click on the little red flag at the top of the page that says "Today's Deals" 

 

That page should greet you by name AND show your VIFP number in the box. If not type it in and press the red button under it. If the number is in the box, simply scroll down to see the deals. 

 

Show some interest by opting in to receive Emails. When you receive an Email, at least open it. They know when Email is simply deleted. Make sure Carnival is in your "good guy" list to prevent it being sent to spam.

[tallnthensome]

1 hour ago, ypcat said:

Because you are already cruising with them without offers, it is not in their interest to give you one. Take business elsewhere and then they will probably try to lure you back with deals. Had the same thing happen with Disney when the kids were younger. Go at least once a year, and only get the general public deals. Stop going for a couple of years, and the special offers start coming in.

This is what appears to be the correct observation. They don't need to give people anything of they are already sailing with them repeatedly as is. 

[Calnev1]

2 hours ago, ypcat said:

Because you are already cruising with them without offers, it is not in their interest to give you one. Take business elsewhere and then they will probably try to lure you back with deals. Had the same thing happen with Disney when the kids were younger. Go at least once a year, and only get the general public deals. Stop going for a couple of years, and the special offers start coming in.

This makes business sense to  me.   Why should a cruise line offer big discounts to people who have already booked multiple future cruises at high(er) rates?

 

My own personal experience backs this up.  We have cruised on three different Carnival Corporation cruise lines:  Princess, Carnival, and Holland America.  And when we have sailed in the past with them we have gambled about the same on all of them.

 

1.  We have spent the most $$$ booking future cruises with Princess.  Yet we get no casino offers with them all.

 

2.  We have also booked shorter, future cruises on Carnival cruise ships.  We occasionally get casino offers from Carnival, but the only good ones are for Australia, which do not overlap at all with the domestic cruises we have already booked on Carnival.

 

3. We sailed Holland America a couple of times a few years ago, and then stopped.  But wow, the casino offers we are getting from them now are awesome!  Free balcony rooms on two week cruises, can’t beat that.

 

Bottom line, if you expect they will award your “loyalty" to their cruise line with great cruise deals, think again!

[csm5986142]

1 hour ago, Moviela said:

May I suggest you first clear the cache on your browser. Then consider using Chrome to browse the Carnival site. If you use a VPN, turn it off. 

 

When you log in make sure the first page greets you by name, and shows "logged in." Then click on the little red flag at the top of the page that says "Today's Deals" 

 

That page should greet you by name AND show your VIFP number in the box. If not type it in and press the red button under it. If the number is in the box, simply scroll down to see the deals. 

 

I was going to say the same thing.  There seem to be some glitches in their system.  Depending on which device/browser I log in on, I can have as many as 8 casino offers, but other times none at all (literally in the same day).

[Lee Cruiser]

4 hours ago, ypcat said:

Because you are already cruising with them without offers, it is not in their interest to give you one. Take business elsewhere and then they will probably try to lure you back with deals. Had the same thing happen with Disney when the kids were younger. Go at least once a year, and only get the general public deals. Stop going for a couple of years, and the special offers start coming in.

Pretty sure that is not correct.  We are platinum on Carnival with over 100 days.  We cruised in Jan and back in September.  We already had other cruises (5) booked for this April, September, two for next year and the Jubilee for April 2024.  Yet we both received the birthday sale offers back in March and were able to book two cruises for half price.

[ypcat]

12 hours ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Pretty sure that is not correct.  We are platinum on Carnival with over 100 days.  We cruised in Jan and back in September.  We already had other cruises (5) booked for this April, September, two for next year and the Jubilee for April 2024.  Yet we both received the birthday sale offers back in March and were able to book two cruises for half price.

The birthday sale is for the general public.

 

This is marketing 101. Why spend money on customers you already have loyal to you, when it can be spent on getting new loyal customers? As a stock holder, I approve this tactic. As a customer, not so much.

[Lee Cruiser]

13 minutes ago, ypcat said:

The birthday sale is for the general public.

 

This is marketing 101. Why spend money on customers you already have loyal to you, when it can be spent on getting new loyal customers? As a stock holder, I approve this tactic. As a customer, not so much.

I'm not talking about the general birthday sale.  It is nowhere near half off.  I'm talking about the 72 hour invitation only birthday sale.

[surfjock27]

All of my Carnival offers are (and have been for the last 2 years) only for Australia. I do not live in Australia, I have never cruised in Australia and I do not feel like paying $5000 in airfare, to cruise in Australia. Has anyone else experienced this? It's strange. 

[DramaQueen22]

I think it's relatively random.  I have been on several cruises with no good offers following.  Then all of a sudden, I've had 2 "can't turn it down" come.  I'm not a gambler so I never get casino offers.  You just have to keep checking.

[Drazil65]

DH has received at least 2 really good offers for Australia as well (me? none), the cruise itself was a great offer but until they include some kind of discount or all of the air fare too, its a no go for us.   

 

We have several cruises booked since last fall and have continued to get amazing offers for more (including the 72 hr offer I received that enticed us to add another cruise in December this year).  DH also received a 72 hr offer but different than my offer and not as enticing by a long shot.  

Edited March 31, 2022 by Drazil65

[Lee Cruiser]

1 hour ago, surfjock27 said:

All of my Carnival offers are (and have been for the last 2 years) only for Australia. I do not live in Australia, I have never cruised in Australia and I do not feel like paying $5000 in airfare, to cruise in Australia. Has anyone else experienced this? It's strange. 

Yes.  Same here.  We are getting several offers from Australia cruises.

[bstel]

because the super secret Carnival algorithm has not deemed you special enough.

[icft]

1 hour ago, bstel said:

because the super secret Carnival algorithm has not deemed you special enough.

That is pretty much it. Just like the Chinese are using "Social Credit" scores to say who can fly or take a train, Carnival's algorithms give you a score. If you have the right score you get offers.

[jerseygirlinAZ]

I lost a ton of money in the casino last cruise and got nothing while others mentioned getting free cruise offers.  But I figure why would they offer me anything when I already have a seven day cruise booked for May and one for July?  And, if I can lose a ton of money on a three-day cruise, imagine the damage I can do on two seven-days cruises, lol!

 

 

[StolidCruiser]

17 hours ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Pretty sure that is not correct.  We are platinum on Carnival with over 100 days.  We cruised in Jan and back in September.  We already had other cruises (5) booked for this April, September, two for next year and the Jubilee for April 2024.  Yet we both received the birthday sale offers back in March and were able to book two cruises for half price.

 

Pretty sure it IS correct. While you specifically were provided with offers, I know dozens of others with status who do not get offers regularly - because they sail regularly - which was reinforced by others here.

 

Confirmed by a Carnival insider with knowledge of the sales algorithm. 

 

 

[icft]

17 hours ago, Lee Cruiser said:

Pretty sure that is not correct.  We are platinum on Carnival with over 100 days.  We cruised in Jan and back in September.  We already had other cruises (5) booked for this April, September, two for next year and the Jubilee for April 2024.  Yet we both received the birthday sale offers back in March and were able to book two cruises for half price.

Our experience is much like yours. We sailed in September 2021 using credit from a covid cancelled cruise while also receiving offers for essentially free cruises (and a number with them paying us when you take casino cash into account). Then, using the free cruise offers we keep receiving we sailed in December 2021 and January and February 2022. We have an upcoming cruise in April, again a free cruise while we have free cruises booked for September, October and December. Since that first reopening cruise we have always had at least three future cruises booked yet keep receiving free cruise offers. Right now I have a "Plan Now Pay Later" offer for a free balcony ($200 offset by $200 OBC), drinks all over the ship and $1,000 casino cash. I'll be booking that one also.

 

So we, at least, are not suffering for having future cruises booked.

[Calnev1]

On 3/31/2022 at 11:17 AM, icft said:

Our experience is much like yours. We sailed in September 2021 using credit from a covid cancelled cruise while also receiving offers for essentially free cruises (and a number with them paying us when you take casino cash into account). Then, using the free cruise offers we keep receiving we sailed in December 2021 and January and February 2022. We have an upcoming cruise in April, again a free cruise while we have free cruises booked for September, October and December. Since that first reopening cruise we have always had at least three future cruises booked yet keep receiving free cruise offers. Right now I have a "Plan Now Pay Later" offer for a free balcony ($200 offset by $200 OBC), drinks all over the ship and $1,000 casino cash. I'll be booking that one also.

 

So we, at least, are not suffering for having future cruises booked.

It seems from  your post that your booked future cruises are free or hugely discounted cruises.  If so, I don't think that is what some here folks are referring to.  It seems the algorithm will be less likely to give you a "free cruise" offer if you have already booked future cruises at or near full price.  

[audcc77]

I’m not sure but we have several booked and still had offers coming.  I lost a lot in the casino last time so maybe that’s why. 🤔

 

As I’m sitting there losing, I’m thinking to myself “Oh, I have all this extra money from paying for my cabin at such a reduced rate.”  😏

[Salem615]

I don't buy the "if you are already a cruiser then you do not get great deals." My sister uses Carnival all the time and gets tons of amazing deals. They are practically giving her a cabin for a ten day Alaska cruise with a balcony! 

My husband gets decent offers and I on occasion get okay offers. We cruise once every 2 years.