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If you take mostly seven-night cruises, you’ll reach Platinum at around your 11th cruise. If you take lots of shorter sailings, it’ll take much longer to reach that level. Like many cruise brands, Carnival Cruise Line has its own loyalty program that rewards repeat guests with perks that increase the higher they move up the ranks. This program, called the VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) Club, operates on a points system with five tiers to move through. While Viking has a cruise loyalty program, the Viking Explorer Society, it isn't a loyalty program in the traditional sense. Passengers don't earn points every time they travel with the brand and progress through multiple tiers that bring an ever-expanding array of perks.
The elite level that makes a difference
Please note - the number of table games and slot machines varies by ship. Put your skills and a little luck to the test in Carnival's casinos! Guests must be 18 years of age or older to play the tables and the slot machines; guests under 18 years of age are not permitted in the casino at any time. Carnival's Australia trips, notably, aren't really aimed at Americans. A few years ago, Carnival discovered that Australians love the sort of fun-focused, affordable cruises it offers just as much as Americans, and it set out to build a business in Australia catering to them.
Hotel redemptions: 0.9 cents per FunPoint.
Funds in excess of $25 USD will automatically be mailed to guests. The outstanding balance check takes anywhere from 8-10 weeks after the day of debarkation to arrive at your mailing address on file. If the check is not received after the 10 weeks, please submit a new request to oceanplayersclub.com/contact/balance-request/. Ocean Players Club will review your case regarding the check.
You can sit down for lunch at specialty restaurants
Carnival ships embark passengers from more U.S. ports than any other major cruise line. You can only book these fares on cruises departing more than two or three months from the booking date. However, make sure you read the fine print before committing.
This gives you the flexibility to use your points how you want to. Redeeming your FunPoints on these nine cruise lines will always give you a value of 1 cents per FunPoint no matter the cost. This means every 5,000 FunPoints redeemed with World's Leading Cruise Lines is equal to $50 in value. Carnival Funpoints will have the best value when redeemed as a statement credit towards Carnival purchases.
FunPoints Needed For Free Cruise
At the end of the cruise, you’ll have 27 points, enough to be granted Gold status. So if you sailed a seven-day cruise last summer and have a five-day cruise booked for next year, then you will only have seven points as a member, not 12. With higher status, a passenger earns perks and rewards, including everything from special fares to freebies on the ship to expedited boarding and much more.
On one occasion, the app said Seafood Shack opened half an hour earlier than it did, while the paper version of the daily schedule had the correct information. Another time, the printed daily had the wrong theater show listed for that night; the correct one was posted in the HUB. On another day, the printed schedule was missing part four of a four-part show, which did show up on the agenda in the app. Oddly, there were some discrepancies on board that I was surprised to see on a ship that's been sailing for several months. Of course, the highlight of this zone is the Bolt roller coaster.
In addition to the VIFP Club newsletter and special offers, you’ll receive a complimentary 1-liter bottle of water that you can pick up from any bar on the ship. While Carnival Corporation owns and operates other cruise lines, VIFP Club points and benefits are not reciprocal to Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, or any other cruise brand in the portfolio. No, VIFP points apply only to Carnival Cruise Line and can only be earned by sailing Carnival Cruise Line.
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Cabins on recently unveiled or overhauled vessels have a soothing palette of creams and blues. Cabinetry in these rooms is a crisp and clean faux wood, and cabin bathrooms are neutral. Carnival vessels based on the East Coast and along the Gulf of Mexico mostly sail to the Caribbean and Bahamas. Some East Coast ships also head to Bermuda, New England and Canada. On the West Coast, sailings to Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska are the norm. This is a notable change for the brand from just a couple of decades ago.
No matter where you live in the U.S., you're probably within a few hours of a Carnival ship. You'll know you're getting close to a secret deck when you find a door with a porthole window at the end of a cabin corridor, instead of another hallway with doors leading to forward-facing cabins. The doors are sometimes locked at night or in high winds, so try again later if you can't get through. Once per cruise, often on the last sea day, Carnival's room stewards really work their magic by "taking over" the pool deck with their towel animal creations.
Carnival Jubilee passengers will automatically have $16 per person per day added to their onboard bills. (Children younger than 2 are exempt from gratuities.) An 18% gratuity is also added to bar and cafe bills, spa treatments and the cover charge of the Chef's Table. The second new show is the "Lone Star Tailgate." Drawing on Texas' love for all things football, Carnival has created four indoor/outdoor "quarters" of fun to mimic the four quarters of a football game. When I sailed, the first quarter, which is all about pool deck games for kids, was held on one sea day, and the other three were held on another sea day. My favorite onboard dining experience of the whole sailing was at Emeril's Bistro 717 in the Currents zone on Deck 6. A version of this chef Emeril Lagasse-affiliated spot is on each of Carnival's Excel Class ships, bearing the hull number of the original vessel for which the new one is named.
Note that the Wi-Fi discount only applies to Wi-Fi purchased individually and not as part of the line's All-Inclusive Fares. For more details on Princess's Captain's Circle, including a full list of benefits at every tier, see TPG's ultimate guide to Princess Cruises' Captain's Circle program. For more details on Norwegian's Latitudes Rewards program, including a full list of benefits at every tier, see TPG's ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line's Latitudes Rewards program. We should note that all Mariner Society members get discounts of some sort for the third and fourth passengers staying in their cabins. During the booking process, type in your Mariner ID to view your discount for this. Note that you will also get cruise day credits for the days you spend touring on land with Holland America cruisetours in Alaska.
While some perks may be delivered to your cabin (such as souvenir gifts and special event invites), others you may need to seek out. Read up on which perks you're eligible for and be sure to take advantage of the money-saving offers. Carnival cruise ships provide the bare minimum of toiletries — bar soap to wash your hands, dispensers of generic shampoo and body wash in the shower. Most cruisers hand their larger suitcases over to the porters at the cruise terminal, and the suitcases are delivered to their cabins later in the afternoon. Be smart about what goes in the bag you'll carry on board, so you can make the most of your first day on the ship. When you fly or even drive to your cruise port on the day of your sailing, you're taking a risk that flight delays or traffic will cause you to miss your ship's departure.
One more ship in the series — Carnival Jubilee — will arrive in December 2023. However, for many years it chose not to follow rivals such as Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises in building ever-bigger ships. Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration are now the only Carnival ship on the list of the 50 biggest cruise ships. Seven of the line's 25 vessels measure less than 100,000 tons, which makes them almost midsize by today's cruise ship standards. Entertainment, at times, is as lowbrow as the line is low-cost. This is, after all, the brand that for many years held a Hairy Chest Contest around the pool deck on every voyage, to a standing-room-only, hooting and hollering crowd.
