Will Carnival , copy Disney cruise lines, loyalty program change?

[FTLCruiseGal]

I would like to see a tier between platinum and diamond, as well as maybe one after diamond .  Also, how about double points for cruising solo or booking a suite.  Royal does both of these, which are awesome.  I also think that kids under 18 getting grandfathered into their parents tier should change once they hit 18.

[nancy1031]

love the idea of getting extra points for traveling solo- i'd be way past diamond if i got double points for my previous solo cruises on carnival...

[Honolulu Blue]

32 minutes ago, FTLCruiseGal said:

how about double points for cruising solo

 

24 minutes ago, nancy1031 said:

love the idea of getting extra points for traveling solo- i'd be way past diamond if i got double points for my previous solo cruises on carnival...

All my cruises on Carnival have been solo, so I'd be Diamond too if they did this retroactively. It would be nice, but I don't see it solving their VIFP problems.

[raynvic]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

Carnival gave a year notice and I put together two cruises 3/4 days B2Bs and got to Platinum with 57 days but then took me 9 nine years to reach Diamond.  It did leave me with a love of B2Bs!

Same here we got to Plat with the 10 cruises, but as a result it took 10 years to get to Diamond and that was with cruising every year on minimum of 7 days each cruise!

[Oceansaway17]

20 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

The only good part about it would be dropping all the people who got lifetime diamond as kids because their parents paid a 3rd or 4th guest rate.

 

 

that I could get behind.  

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

All my cruises on Carnival have been solo, so I'd be Diamond too if they did this retroactively. It would be nice, but I don't see it solving their VIFP problems.

I have also been solo on 30 out of 34 cruises but my bet is they would be more likely to credit the big ticket suite bookings than solos

[Elaine5715]

7 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

that I could get behind.  

Me, too.  One of my minor peeves is when they recognize kids as anything at the P/D...a Diamond toddler?  just annoying..

[Oceansaway17]

Just now, Elaine5715 said:

Me, too.  One of my minor peeves is when they recognize kids as anything at the P/D...a Diamond toddler?  just annoying..

I agree because points should only go to adults who actually pay. 

But over on another forum this was a hot topic and I got flamed at bit for my opinion.  All the little darlings deserved same as mommy and daddy.   okey dokey then...ha ha

[ninjacat123]

2 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Carnival gave a year notice and I put together two cruises 3/4 days B2Bs and got to Platinum with 57 days but then took me 9 nine years to reach Diamond.  It did leave me with a love of B2Bs!

Do you remember how many cruises were required to make Diamond at that time? 15?

[jimbo5544]

8 hours ago, pe4all said:

For those interested, JH just put up a new survey 40 minutes ago, giving some choices.  Guess someone was keeping an eye on this thread - lol!

"For the beards as we move to a new loyalty program next year."

"The Diamond and Platinum party."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Huh go figure

[Jamman54]

1 hour ago, ninjacat123 said:

Do you remember how many cruises were required to make Diamond at that time? 15?

There was no Diamond level at that time. That came when the program was changed to days sailed.

[FTLCruiseGal]

10 hours ago, pe4all said:

For those interested, JH just put up a new survey 40 minutes ago, giving some choices.  Guess someone was keeping an eye on this thread - lol!

"For the beards as we move to a new loyalty program next year."

"The Diamond and Platinum party."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The poll is gone.  Unless I missed it, which is possible.

[firefly333]

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Me, too.  One of my minor peeves is when they recognize kids as anything at the P/D...a Diamond toddler?  just annoying..

I dont have a problem if the kid actually sailed and earned the points. I dont like inheriting from the parents. If someone sailed and earned the points why would it matter who paid?

 

That's kinda crazy to me that it should matter who paid. So if the wife paid, the husband shouldn't get the points? That seems like a fine line I wouldn't want to tread if i was carnival.. whomever paid gets the points. 

 

I certainly love rcl gives me a extra loyalty pt as a solo. Otherwise no hope I'd ever reach pinnacle. I want that free wifi. Also i get DP340 solo discount. 50% off 2nd pax, ..same as 25% overall. Takes 340 loyalty pts. Sure makes those prices better. 

[mz-s]

4 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

I agree because points should only go to adults who actually pay. 

But over on another forum this was a hot topic and I got flamed at bit for my opinion.  All the little darlings deserved same as mommy and daddy.   okey dokey then...ha ha

 

If they cruised then they should get the points shouldn't they? Why does it matter who paid? And what's it to you anyway.

[Elaine5715]

5 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

Do you remember how many cruises were required to make Diamond at that time? 15?

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by Elaine5715

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

If they cruised then they should get the points shouldn't they? Why does it matter who paid? And what's it to you anyway.

Because there is something disingenuous about a two year old tot (or a dog) being honored as the youngest Diamond onboard.  

Edited December 30, 2023 by Elaine5715

[glrounds]

11 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

 

All my cruises on Carnival have been solo, so I'd be Diamond too if they did this retroactively. It would be nice, but I don't see it solving their VIFP problems.

me too

[mz-s]

7 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Because there is something disingenuous about a two year old tot (or a dog) being honored as the youngest Diamond onboard.  

again I ask - what’s it to you?

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Because there is something disingenuous about a two year old tot (or a dog) being honored as the youngest Diamond onboard.  

No, not really. The only requirement is the number of days sailed. Every loyalty program I'm aware of awards points to the traveler, not the person who pays. If that were the case I'd be Diamond and DW would be Blue.

[firefly333]

50 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

No, not really. The only requirement is the number of days sailed. Every loyalty program I'm aware of awards points to the traveler, not the person who pays. If that were the case I'd be Diamond and DW would be Blue.

I've taken women with me on cruises I paid for, just asked them if they would pay their own extra expenses. .. so can I get a extra point for paying for them? I agree it's going too far to worry about others and who paid their fare if they should get pts for days they actually cruised. I've taken at least 4 other women since the cabin is paid for anyway. Im solo and paid double. I should have been diamond a while ago on carnival too.

[sparks1093]

If I'm Carnival I have to ask myself- is having so many loyal customers really a bad thing? 

[rolloman]

On 12/28/2023 at 9:19 PM, firefly333 said:

That would be my guess too. Add a level above diamond with more perks. Something worth attaining.

 

Rcl top level is 700 pts but even at that level there are extras. A free cruise every so many additional pts for one. 

Royal top level is 700 but there are several ways you can double up points per voyage when sailing them. However, Carnival is based on nights sailed only (no matter what cabin you are in) BIG difference. 

[jimbo5544]

54 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Royal top level is 700 but there are several ways you can double up points per voyage when sailing them. However, Carnival is based on nights sailed only (no matter what cabin you are in) BIG difference. 

My view is simpler is always better…..

[Joebucks]

 

On 12/29/2023 at 12:02 AM, firefly333 said:

I still dont get why people here think the tiers need thinning out. If someone doesnt return then why are you even worried about them? I think carnival has no perks that keep me loyal. Sorry I dont cruise to get my laundry done.

 

As a for instance the perk at pinnacle on royal I will push to get is free wifi the whole cruise. Right now I get 2 days, I want the whole cruise. It doesnt cost the line that much as most probably dont purchase it so few lost sales and isnt labor intensive for them. 

 

 

It is pretty much an unwritten law that the more elite members you have anywhere, the less special that tier actually becomes. We can all imagine certain scenarios that fit whatever narrative we want to push. At the end of the day, expiring loyalty memberships DOES thin the herd. 

 

12 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I dont have a problem if the kid actually sailed and earned the points. I dont like inheriting from the parents. If someone sailed and earned the points why would it matter who paid?

 

That's kinda crazy to me that it should matter who paid. So if the wife paid, the husband shouldn't get the points? That seems like a fine line I wouldn't want to tread if i was carnival.. whomever paid gets the points. 

 

I certainly love rcl gives me a extra loyalty pt as a solo. Otherwise no hope I'd ever reach pinnacle. I want that free wifi. Also i get DP340 solo discount. 50% off 2nd pax, ..same as 25% overall. Takes 340 loyalty pts. Sure makes those prices better. 

 

There are lots of industries that give "loyalty credit" only to the purchaser. I just got back from a hotel stay. I can assure you they didn't give points to everyone in the room. Just who purchased it. They do it because it's more about stimulating the one who makes the purchasing decisions vs entitlements for everyone they bring along. One is far more important than the other, regardless of everyone's feelings on the internet.

 

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

If I'm Carnival I have to ask myself- is having so many loyal customers really a bad thing? 

 

Society as a whole thinks the world revolves around them. Whatever is here and now with VIFP is law, and that baseline must not change. When in reality, these loyalty programs exist to increase engagement, and therefore profitability. It is undeniable that the world is a different place since the last time VIFP changed. It also seems from rumblings that changes have at least been examined, but nothing rolled out. Just because a "loyalty" system is in place, does not mean in is an effective ROI or even the best that that it can be

 

Personally, I am in the camp of perks should improve, but become harder to obtain. I believe Royal has the best loyalty plan in the industry at the moment. It is a far better value proposition than what Carnival has at the moment. The question though, is how such perks may translate into profitable growth for Carnival. 

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

 

It is pretty much an unwritten law that the more elite members you have anywhere, the less special that tier actually becomes. We can all imagine certain scenarios that fit whatever narrative we want to push. At the end of the day, expiring loyalty memberships DOES thin the herd. 

 

 

There are lots of industries that give "loyalty credit" only to the purchaser. I just got back from a hotel stay. I can assure you they didn't give points to everyone in the room. Just who purchased it. They do it because it's more about stimulating the one who makes the purchasing decisions vs entitlements for everyone they bring along. One is far more important than the other, regardless of everyone's feelings on the internet.

 

 

Society as a whole thinks the world revolves around them. Whatever is here and now with VIFP is law, and that baseline must not change. When in reality, these loyalty programs exist to increase engagement, and therefore profitability. It is undeniable that the world is a different place since the last time VIFP changed. It also seems from rumblings that changes have at least been examined, but nothing rolled out. Just because a "loyalty" system is in place, does not mean in is an effective ROI or even the best that that it can be

 

Personally, I am in the camp of perks should improve, but become harder to obtain. I believe Royal has the best loyalty plan in the industry at the moment. It is a far better value proposition than what Carnival has at the moment. The question though, is how such perks may translate into profitable growth for Carnival. 

Nice post.