For the second time in only a few days, Carnival Cruise Line has reached out to friends booked on an upcoming crusing to inform them that the most well-liked loyalty advantages for top-tier returning passengers is not going to be accessible.
The impacted crusing is the September 29, 2023 Carnival Venezia departure, and whereas it’s a longer crusing, it’s not fairly so momentous as different cruises the place these advantages can’t be accommodated.
Why does this maintain occurring aboard Carnival Cruise Line, and what could be finished to protect loyalty standing on extra sailings?
Loyalty Advantages Not Out there on Upcoming Cruise
Returning Carnival friends who’ve achieved Diamond or Platinum stage in Carnival Cruise Line’s “VIFP” (Very Vital Enjoyable Individual) loyalty program is not going to be getting all their advantages aboard the September 29, 2023 cruise on Carnival Venezia.
The 15-night Southern Caribbean itinerary is a roundtrip “Carnival Journeys” cruise scheduled to name on Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas earlier than returning to New York on October 14, 2023.
The cruise line’s most loyal friends booked on the cruise, nonetheless, have been notified that not all their advantages could be supplied on this crusing.
“Because of the excessive variety of Diamond and Platinum friends becoming a member of us on this voyage, we won’t be able to offer precedence embarkation or debarkation (together with at any of the ports of name),” the notification electronic mail learn.
Moreover, the e-mail additionally famous that “because of capability limitations” Diamond friends wouldn’t be assured most important eating room seating time requests for dinner.
“This operational change is in keeping with different Carnival Journeys cruises the place we have now a really massive variety of Diamond and Platinum friends,” the e-mail defined. “We apologize for any disappointment and thanks to your understanding.”
To be able to attain Platinum VIFP standing, a cruise traveler should have sailed with Carnival Cruise Line for at least 75 cruise nights (every evening earns one level in this system, and factors don’t expire). To succeed in Diamond standing, friends should have sailed with the cruise line for a minimum of 200 nights.
Learn Additionally: Loyalty Applications – Ought to You Keep Loyal to One Cruise Line?
The precedence embarkation and debarkation advantages are a number of the most wanted loyalty rewards in this system, however they don’t seem to be the one advantages essentially the most skilled cruisers obtain. Different advantages, together with the loyalty presents, on line casino free play, and the particular line at Visitor Providers stay intact for this crusing.
Advantages Not Out there on All Cruises
Every time crucial, Carnival Cruise Line does take away advantages from particular person sailings if these advantages can’t be accommodated in a well timed and environment friendly means.
For instance, the “Carnival Journeys” cruises – longer sailings to extra unique vacation spot that usually appeal to extra skilled cruisers – often get these advantages decreased, as a result of it merely wouldn’t be doable to successfully ship the suitable service to lots of of Diamond or Platinum friends.
The very first crusing of Carnival Venezia had these identical advantages eliminated in Might 2023, and extra not too long ago, the transatlantic crusing of Carnival Freedom – which departed Port Canaveral on September 21, 2023 – additionally had these loyalty advantages eliminated.
With increasingly more vacationers reaching the distinct higher ranges of loyalty standing, nonetheless, it’s doable that these advantages could also be rescinded increasingly more incessantly on a bigger variety of Carnival sailings. This could make the advantages should much less precious and far much less enticing to frequent cruisers.
Ought to the Loyalty Program Be Overhauled?
Earlier this yr, Carnival Cruise Line’s model ambassador John Heald hinted that adjustments to the VIFP loyalty program could also be forthcoming.
“The entire loyalty program is being checked out by very sensible folks and whereas I’ve zero information to share on what is going to or is not going to occur I do know that this system wants an enormous refresh so we will do a greater job in thanking folks for his or her loyalty and to maintain that loyalty alive,” Heald mentioned.
It’s doable the cruise line could also be contemplating adjusting the loyalty tiers or including a brand new prime tier stage, as Disney Cruise Line did in Might 2023 when it launched the Pearl tier to the Castaway Membership loyalty program.
Any changes to Carnival’s present program may very well be difficult, nonetheless, as friends who’re already Platinum or Diamond might resent if any present advantages are eliminated for a brand new, larger tier. This might trigger ripples with upcoming bookings or cancellations if friends choose to shift to different cruise traces – maybe traces like MSC Cruises, which affords a standing match for competing traces’ loyalty packages.
What new advantages do you suppose Carnival may introduce for a brand new tier of VIFP friends? Share your ideas on the Cruise Hive boards!
