Sunday, March 31, 2024

Carnival Cruise Line VIFP Club loyalty program: The complete guide

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So even if you are only an occasional cruiser or only sail Carnival sometimes, there’s still a reason to be a member and rack up those rewards. If you achieve a higher tier status during a cruise, you will enjoy the benefits of that tier for the whole trip. I have further questions about the casino, who can I contact? Visit Carnival World Mastercard to learn all the details and apply today. Shorter Australia voyages might include a stop at just one of the above destinations or even no stops at all — a so-called "cruise to nowhere."

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Carnival Cruise Line tips, tricks and hacks to enhance your vacation at sea

However, if you think you might want a glass or two with dinner on several nights, go ahead and order that bottle. If you don't finish it, Carnival's wait staff will save it for you, and you can request it on another night. Carnival ships have many overlooked breakfast spots that can make dining a pleasure when the buffet is packed. Once per cruise, Carnival transforms a section of one of its main dining rooms into a Dr. Seuss-themed wonderland and invites families to dine on whimsical morning fare. However, if you left your phone in the cabin or your eyes can't take the small print, ask for a traditional paper menu. You can find them on the HUB app or by scanning the QR codes set on every table.

Don't miss the sea day brunch

Note that, as is usually the case with cruise line loyalty programs, Carnival customers do not have to requalify for status each year. VIFP Club members keep their points at the end of each year and continue to accrue points indefinitely. That means that someone who hits Diamond status will remain at that top tier level forever (or until Carnival makes a change to the program). Unlike rival Royal Caribbean, Carnival's VIFP Club loyalty program doesn't offer its members a free cruise after reaching the top tier. There are no 20% discounts on some sailings, as Windstar Cruises offers to its loyalty program members. The benefits are just about negligible all the way up to Platinum status, which you hit once you reach 75 cruise nights.

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Being loyal to MSC Cruises starts paying off in a noticeable way once you reach the Gold level of the MSC Voyagers Club program. Note that every person in your cabin will earn points for the cruise based on the chart above. For starters, you earn points based on the length of the cruise you take and which MSC Cruises "experience" you book for the cruise. As regular MSC Cruises customers know, there are five experiences available when cruising with the line, each with different inclusions and at different price points. Bella is the most basic and least expensive experience available. Experiences called Fantastica, Wellness and Aurea fall in between.

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When staying in a top suite, you can earn as many as 18 to 24 points per day. For more details on Carnival's VIFP Club, including a full list of benefits at every tier, see TPG's ultimate guide to the Carnival Cruise Line VIFP Club. That said, given it’s free to join, there’s no real reason not to sign up. At the very least you can get a few freebies, while passengers that sail Carnival regularly can see some even bigger perks. Perks and rewards range from a free bottle of water in your room to priority check-in/boarding, Carnival souvenir gifts, collectible pins, priority debarkation, and priority reservations. As you would expect, different membership levels provide different benefits.

Pick fun designs to readily identify your chair in the sea of sunbathers. If you can, make restaurant reservations online as soon as you can after booking your cruise. If not, get on the ship as early as possible and reserve your table as soon as you get on board. If you're in the market for a new card, apply for one before you book your vacation at sea and apply the cost of your cruise toward your minimum spend to earn the signup bonus. If the cruise fare drops within 48 hours of your booking, you can take advantage of Carnival's best price guarantee to receive 110% of the difference back in onboard credit. Carnival Cruise Line rewards servicemen and women with a military appreciation gathering on every sailing, a Heroes Tribute Lounge on select ships and military discounts on every cruise.

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Still, you might have questions regarding the program, how it works, and the benefits for members. Each tier has a color represented as the background of your Sail & Sign card.

How much are Carnival FunPoints worth?

A nice thing about the VIFP Club is that it’s very simple and straightforward. You don’t have to keep track of points based on the stateroom category you book or the type of cruise you’re taking. But if you’re looking to get really good, usable perks as quickly as possible through a cruise line loyalty program, the VIFP Club probably isn’t your best bet. If a cruise is cut short for reasons beyond the control of guests, they will still earn the amount of points that they would have earned with the original itinerary. If a cruise is extended for reasons outside of guests’ control, they’ll receive points for the additional cruise days in addition to the originally scheduled days.

Hotel redemptions: 0.9 cents per FunPoint.

On my sailing, I stayed in a balcony cabin, which was elegantly decorated in neutrals with blue accents. I appreciated touches like ample vanity mirror lighting, adjustable shelving in the closets and a surplus of USB outlets throughout the room, including near the vanity and beside the bed. It was completely different — different color, different taste and different presentation — from what I received when I ordered the same drink on a sailing two months prior. However, the old ingredients were listed on the menu, meaning passengers weren't getting what they thought they ordered.

Most nights are designated "cruise casual," which means just that — khakis or jeans, polo shirts, sundresses, etc. Super casual items such as cutoff jeans, men's sleeveless shirts, T-shirts and gym shorts aren't permitted. During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually.

Earning status in Disney Cruise Line's Castaway Club loyalty program is about as simple as can be — even after a recent upgrade that brought an all-new tier. You get a credit for every cruise you take, whether it's three nights long or 10 nights long. Your status, as we'll explain below, depends entirely on how many cruises you take. We definitely appreciate the free cabin upgrade (or third-and-fourth-passengers-sail-free offer) that comes when you first reach Diamond status; however, we're disappointed this is a one-time-only benefit. Another good but one-time-only perk of Diamond status is a complimentary meal for two at a specialty restaurant of your choice.

The space is simply packed with tables — so much so that there were only about two inches between my table and the one next to me, even though I was dining alone. It then took nearly 10 minutes for a waiter to bring me water and another 10 before someone came to take my order. Unless you specifically request your cabin steward to come at night for turndown service instead of earlier in the day, your room will be made up in the morning.

This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points on dining. Platinums also get complimentary wash-and-fold laundry service (with a limit of two to five bags, depending on the length of the cruise). Book your Carnival sailing with a credit card that earns points, miles or cash back.

Unlike other cruise line loyalty programs, Carnival Cruise Line doesn’t provide a free cruise to the highest tier members. It’s a bit disheartening, but the Diamond level perks are still worth the wait. Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card points when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases.

Bolt is Carnival's new roller coaster attraction found on Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration. The thrill ride is tons of fun, but a maximum of four people can ride it at any one time. Reserve a spot as early as you can to make sure you get to try the attraction. The Carnival HUB app is essential for planning your cruise both before and after you're on board. It allows you to make reservations for dinner and purchase tours, spa treatments and onboard Wi-Fi. If you want to make a reservation for an extra-fee eatery, you will want to reserve your spot as early as possible.

With calming seafoam green and yellow decor alongside extras like Elemis toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, these are some of the most relaxing cabins on any ship. These guests also receive priority spa appointments and free access to fitness classes and the onboard thermal suite. The benefits are generous once you reach the Diamond level (200 cruise days or more). One of the most unique perks is a $100 donation made in your name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Once you’ve sailed on Carnival for at least 25 days, you’ll receive Carnival Gold status and be eligible for a complimentary appreciation drink on cruises of 5 nights or longer.

VIFP Club Carnival's Recognition Program Carnival Cruise Line

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When I received it, the bun was soggy, and no garnishes or sauces were offered until I went back to the counter to ask for coleslaw and tartar sauce, neither of which helped the flavor. No Carnival sailing would be complete for a carnivore without a visit to Fahrenheit 555, the onboard steakhouse. On Carnival Jubilee, it's adorned in neutral tans, dark browns and red tones. Carnival Jubilee has so many places to eat that I ran out of time to try them all on my weeklong sailing. Shaq's Big Chicken, a restaurant backed by basketball great Shaquille O'Neal (who is also Carnival's CFO, chief fun officer), is perfect if you have a hankering for some fried chicken.

How do I check my Carnival VIFP status?

Sail a few longer voyages, like a transatlantic sailing, and you could reach it even sooner. All vessels operate on a "cashless system," with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a Sail & Sign card that you can use to make charges. On most ships, smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas and in casinos and nightclubs.

Carnival Jubilee ship review: A guide to Carnival's third Excel Class cruise ship

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If you like pop songs by piano, the piano bar always attracts an enthusiastic crowd. Country, classical and covers — you can make your way through the musical gamut as you bar hop at night. Many fun drinks come in souvenir glasses, especially at Carnival's poolside bars. What you're going to do with a container that's shaped like Carnival's iconic split funnel once you're back home is anyone's guess. They'll even pass the bottles from one restaurant to the next, so you can order something special in the steakhouse and finish it in the main dining room the next night.

Request tables early for open-seating dining

One of the great perks of Elite status is gaining access to the Captain's Club Coffee Lounge, where you can enjoy a coffeehouse-style breakfast each morning. This is a particularly big deal on shore excursion days, as it means you have a relatively quiet and uncrowded place to grab a quick breakfast before heading out for a tour. The good news here is that you'll qualify for the program's first tier (Preview) before you even take a single cruise.

Every Carnival ship has one big theater where you'll often find flashy, fast-paced production shows that string together a medley of loosely related tunes. Designed to be quick and digestible, they typically last around 30 minutes and have relatively small casts (just eight on some ships). Note that the Carnival fleet is scheduled to grow over the next year with two more new vessels. As noted above, the line has ordered another sister vessel to Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration that will be ready to sail in late 2023. However, with two exceptions, they're not giants by today's standards.

You have one year to take advantage of your free cruise after becoming an Ambassador elite member. In addition to all the above, the big add-on for 2-Star Mariners is discounts on Holland America-branded items. Loyal Holland America cruisers at the 2-Star level will get a 10% discount on select Holland America clothing sold on ships.

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The Gold level bumps up the discounts on photos and spa treatments to 25% and 20%, respectively. It also brings valuable perks such as a 50% discount on a bag of laundry, priority tender tickets (for applicable ports) and priority disembarkation (for U.S. citizens only). You'll also get early access to new product information and exclusive offers, a signature pin and a few other minor things. In addition to the above, you can earn points when spending money on MSC Cruises ships for extras or when booking extras before sailing. You'll earn 100 points for every $150 spent on prepaid and onboard expenses.

Carnival Cruise Lines VIP Club Tiers and Benefits

There was a time when Carnival operated some of the biggest cruise ships in the world. One of Carnival's best-included meals is the sea day brunch, offered all morning long on days with no port stops. It allows you to view the daily schedule of activities and create a personal schedule of your favorites, peruse menus for onboard restaurants, check your onboard bill and look up deck plans of your ship. You can also order food delivered to your poolside lounge chair and text your friends for a nominal fee. Lanyards are ideal, especially for little kids, to keep your cruise card close when your clothes don't have pockets. Pack towel clips to keep your pool towel from blowing off your lounge chair.

Carnival Cruise Line VIFP Club loyalty program: The complete guide - The Points Guy

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No annual fee1

Some are very robust with lots of great perks even at low-tier levels. The VIFP Club is the loyalty program for Carnival Cruise Line. (VIFP stands for Very Important Fun Person.) As a member of the program, passengers earn points for each day that they cruise with Carnival. The more a person cruises, the more points they earn, which leads to a higher status level in the VIFP Club. Unlike some loyalty programs, your VIFP Club Points never expire. So, if you earn 36 points with the program and achieve gold tier status, you’ll still have 36 points when you take your next cruise, even if it’s several years later.

So if you earn 25 points within the program but then don’t sail for a few years, you’ll still have the same point level and status as before. This is different than loyalty programs like with airlines where the points you earn often “drop off” after a length of time. If you’ve earned Gold status, then you don’t have to worry about being dropped back to Red status just because you don’t sail for a while.

Carnival also offers dedicated tween and teen programs on ships for children aged 12 to 17. The younger children in this age range (12-14) are grouped into what's known as Circle C and have their own dedicated lounge on ships. It's a place to get together to talk, watch movies, play video games and take part in other activities.

It's so common for JavaBlue to be backed up throughout the day that an easy-to-miss sign directs passengers to other locations where they can grab a cup of coffee. Meanwhile, lines at the onboard deli and pizzeria counters frequently snake so far down Deck 8 that they block the entrance to seafood restaurant Rudi's Seagrill. One night, as I was dining at Rudi's with some of my travel companions, we joked that the lines were dangerously close to melding with the line for the nearby guest services desk.

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