Carnival Cruise Line followers are a loyal bunch. So loyal, maybe, that the road hasn’t felt the necessity to supply up extraordinarily profitable loyalty program perks to maintain them coming again.
Not like rival Royal Caribbean, Carnival does not supply its members a free cruise after they attain the highest tier. There aren’t any 20% reductions on some sailings, as Windstar Cruises presents to its loyalty program members.
However Carnival’s VIFP Membership, as the road calls its loyalty program, does deliver some beneficial perks at its greater tiers, together with precedence entry to many onboard venues and companies.
The Carnival VIFP Membership loyalty program is also one the place it’s comparatively simple to achieve a excessive tier.
In case you are questioning, VIFP stands for “crucial enjoyable particular person” — a playful nod to Carnival’s nickname because the “enjoyable ship” line.
Methods to earn factors
The Carnival VIFP Membership point-earning system is straightforward. You earn one level for each day you cruise on a Carnival ship.
If you happen to take a three-night cruise, you may get three factors. If you happen to take a seven-night cruise, you may get seven factors. You do not have to fret about completely different incomes ranges for various cabin classes or several types of bookings, as is the case with some strains.
Word that sure constitution sailings and nonrevenue fares don’t get you any factors.
Insider tip: After crusing on certainly one of Carnival’s ships in Australia, you will not mechanically get factors for the journey deposited in your account. You will must log into your account on-line, click on on “Lacking a Cruise?” and request the VIFP factors be awarded for the times you earned on that voyage.
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Program tiers and advantages
There are 5 tiers to the VIFP Membership program:
- Blue (your first crusing)
- Pink (second crusing to 24 factors)
- Gold (25 to 74 factors)
- Platinum (75 to 199 factors)
- Diamond (200 or extra factors)
One of many good little surprises of Carnival’s loyalty program is that you just hit the primary tier, Blue, the second you stroll on board your first cruise with the model. Not like with many strains, you do not have to finish a cruise to get to the primary stage. The truth is, you will get to the Blue tier even earlier than taking a cruise. All you must do is enroll prematurely.
That stated, the Blue tier of this system brings virtually no perks. There are solely two: You might be eligible for members-only cruise presents, and you may obtain a members-only digital publication.
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The subsequent two tiers in this system are virtually as stingy relating to perks. The second tier, Pink, presents the identical two perks because the Blue tier with only one extra one: a complimentary, 1.5-liter bottle of water redeemable at any bar or restaurant or in your cabin. (Do not go ingesting it suddenly.)
The Gold tier provides a single free drink when crusing on cruises of 5 nights or longer. Gold-level members additionally get a Gold VIFP pin on each crusing.
It is not till the fourth tier of this system, Platinum, that issues begin to get fascinating (extra on that in a second).
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It’s going to take you only one cruise to achieve the Pink tier. If you happen to all the time ebook seven-night sailings, you may attain the Gold tier after three cruises. That is proper, whereas the Gold tier requires 25 factors, you possibly can attain it after crusing three seven-night cruises.
This is because of one of many quirks of the VIFP Membership program that we actually like: If you are going to hit a tier cutoff throughout a voyage, you’ll obtain the advantages of that tier from the start of that cruise. So you’d be Gold from the beginning of your fourth seven-night crusing, despite the fact that you solely had 21 factors.
The elite stage that makes a distinction
The Platinum stage of the VIFP Membership is the place your loyalty to Carnival lastly begins paying off.
Lots of the perks that kick in at this stage embody precedence entry of some type, together with:
- Precedence check-in and boarding
- Precedence spa reservations
- Precedence water shuttle boarding (ship-to-shore solely)
- Precedence line at onboard Visitor Providers desk and precedence help by telephone
- Precedence debarkation
- Precedence reservations on the Fundamental Eating Room and specialty eating places
Briefly, when you’re on the Platinum stage, you may out of the blue end up bumped to the entrance of the road from the second you arrive at a ship till the second you permit. That is no small factor. Precedence boarding implies that you may get on board the ship extra rapidly than different passengers, providing you with extra time in your first day to take pleasure in its choices. Precedence entry to restaurant reservations means you may get the most effective desk occasions.
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Different perks that include the Platinum stage embody:
- An invite to an unique Platinum and Diamond VIFP Social gathering with free drinks and appetizers on sailings of 5 days or longer
- One other free drink you can order at any venue
- A “Chocolate Delight” plate delivered to your cabin on a five-day or longer cruise
- $5 price of complimentary arcade credit (this one is just for passengers below 18)
- A Carnival emblem reward on each crusing
- Complimentary wash-and-fold laundry service (two baggage on three- to six-day cruises; three baggage on seven- to 13-day cruises; 5 baggage on a cruise 14 days or longer)
Attending to the Platinum tier takes 10 cruises, assuming you all the time sail seven-night voyages. If you happen to do shorter journeys, it’s going to take longer.
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Finest elite perk
Even on the highest Diamond stage of its VIFP Membership program, Carnival nonetheless is a little bit stingy with the perks. Not like Royal Caribbean and another strains, as an illustration, it does not give members a free cruise upon reaching this pinnacle of loyalty standing. That stated, Diamond standing does deliver a couple of good privileges.
We undoubtedly recognize the free cabin improve (or third-and-fourth-passengers-sail-free supply) that comes with first reaching Diamond standing, though we’re upset this can be a one-time-only profit. One other good however one-time-only perk of Diamond standing is a complimentary meal for 2 at a specialty restaurant of your alternative.
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However the most effective elite perk of the VIFP Membership program in our eyes is the limitless wash-and-fold laundry service that comes with Diamond standing. Not like the above two perks, you may get this each time you sail when you attain Diamond stage.
Different Diamond-level advantages embody:
- Assured seating time requested in Fundamental Eating Room, for dinner solely
- Precedence reservations at specialty eating places
- Particular occasion invitation from the captain on every crusing
- VIFP Membership baggage tag set
- Devoted toll-free quantity for gross sales and repair
Word that, as is normally the case with cruise line loyalty applications, Carnival prospects don’t have to requalify for standing every year. VIFP Membership members hold their factors on the finish of every yr and proceed to accrue factors indefinitely. That implies that somebody who hits Diamond standing will stay at that prime tier without end (or till Carnival makes a change to this system).
Such “without end standing” is among the nice allures of cruise line frequent cruiser applications. Most airline frequent flyer applications, in contrast, require loyalty members to requalify for standing every year.
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Backside line
Relating to perks, Carnival’s loyalty program is not as strong because the applications at some rival strains. At its highest tier, it does not deliver something near the free cruise that another strains supply to top-tier prospects, or onboard perks like free drinks each day in a personal lounge. It will not get you across-the-board reductions on cruises, shore excursions and beverage packages, as some strains supply higher-tier members. Nevertheless it does deliver some worthwhile perks at greater ranges, and it is comparatively simple to rise by means of the tiers of this system.
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