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The loyalty club offers exclusive perks for Carnival passengers, including coveted Diamond level benefits like priority water shuttle boarding and a complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant. Once you reach the first tier of the program (Silver), you will be entitled to exactly six perks. Perhaps the most notable is the ability to make advance bookings for onboard cruise activities such as ticket-only character greetings and specialty restaurant dinners up to 90 days before sailings. This is a big deal in the world of Disney cruises, where some of the hottest activities on ships sell out quickly. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.
Royal Caribbean: Crown & Anchor Society
Passengers come prepared with rehearsed songs and sometimes even their own guitars. Note that Carnival's two oldest ships — those that are part of the 1990s-built Fantasy Class — have relatively few balcony cabins by today's standards. (After retrofitting, several have around 150 balcony cabins, out of a total of more than 1,000 cabins in all.) In part because of this, Carnival has been phasing these ships out of its fleet in recent years. The arrival of Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration over the past two years has marked a major turning point for the line. At around 180,000 tons, they rank at No. 15 and No. 13, respectively, among the world's largest cruise ships — the only Carnival ships to crack the Top 20. They are roughly 35% bigger than the line's next-biggest ship.
The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line ships and itineraries
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By far, the most alluring benefit at this level is the 5% discount that members get when booking future sailings (but this discount is not valid on Tandem and MSC Grand Tours). If you cruise with family or friends, we think the best perk in Holland America's program is the complimentary cruise fare for kids and extra guests staying in your cabin on select sailings. As noted above, this is a 4-Star Mariner perk that also carries over to 5-Star Mariners. As with several other cruise line loyalty programs mentioned above, the first tier of the Mariner Society loyalty program (Star Mariner) doesn't come with too many valuable perks. The third tier of the program, the Platinum level, extends the pre-booking windows even further. Platinum members can make advance bookings for onboard cruise activities up to 120 days before sailings.
Book shore excursions in advance
Add it to your reservation before you cruise, and you can save 10% on the package price. Do you own 100 shares of stock or more in the Carnival Corporation? Cruise line stockholders are entitled to receive an onboard credit of $50 to $250, depending on the length of your cruise.
You earn one point every day you cruise on a Carnival cruise ship. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cozy 5-day Caribbean adventure or an epic 7-day Alaskan exploration, each day you’re aboard adds to your point tally. So, it’s no surprise that Carnival Cruise Line’s VIFP loyalty program is one of the most popular in the industry. We offer Slot, Blackjack and Poker tournaments on nearly all itineraries.
If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to Carnival.com to book directly. As you might expect, pricing for ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September, October and parts of November. The exceptions are any Carnival ship based in Australia, where pricing is listed in Australian dollars. While the free programming ends at 10 p.m., you can pay extra to leave your kids at Camp Ocean until 1 a.m. During those hours, Camp Ocean transforms into a supervised slumber party-type environment with games, movies, crafts and snacks, along with late-night parties called Night Owls.
As you move higher in the program’s ranks, your benefits and privileges will improve. The color of your Sail & Sign card will reflect the tier that you’re on. For more details on the Viking Explorer Society loyalty program, see TPG's ultimate guide to the Viking Explorer Society loyalty program. Viking also offers a referral program that can get you additional travel credits. For more details on Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society, including a full list of benefits at every tier, see TPG's ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society. In our view, the Diamond Plus level is where the Royal Caribbean loyalty program hits its stride.
The Select tier adds bigger discounts on internet and photo packages (25% and 30% off, respectively). Welcome to High Seas Cruising, your resource for exploring the exciting world of cruise ship travel. We provide expert advice, insightful reviews, and comprehensive guides to help seasoned and novice cruisers create their ideal sea journeys. Whether you desire adventure, luxury, or exploration, High Seas Cruising is your compass to unforgettable cruise vacations.
Carry-on drinks policy
However, you can buy your way into a better cruise experience with Carnival's Faster to the Fun program. As is typical with cruise line loyalty programs, lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. Suite guests and high-level members of Carnival's VIFP Club loyalty program receive extra perks and priority that average cruisers do not.
They're still packed with a variety of attractions, including multiple entertainment venues, casinos, spas and lots of deck-top fun zones such as water parks and ropes courses. The quality of the food (and drink) on Carnival ships always surprises us, given the budget pricing of the brand. Despite being one of the industry's lowest-cost operators, Carnival manages to pull off one of the best steakhouses at sea in Fahrenheit 555, and even the no-extra-charge main restaurants get the basics right. However, Carnival does allow each guest to bring 12 cans or cartons of nonalcoholic drinks (like soda, juice or seltzer), as well as one bottle of wine. You will be charged a $15 corkage fee if you wish to drink your own wine in an onboard restaurant or bar. Like many cruise lines these days, Carnival attempts to make the boarding process less chaotic and crowded by assigning cruisers boarding time slots – usually half-hour windows.
It bumps the discounts for laundry service, Wi-Fi, shore excursions and Windstar merchandise to 10%. If you're the kind of cruiser who does a shore excursion in every port and regularly uses onboard services, such as laundry and Wi-Fi, this could save you $100 or more on a typical seven-night cruise. We're just a little surprised that Princess doesn't offer this perk until the third tier of its loyalty program. So, if you sail in a suite on a seven-night cruise, you will earn two cruise credits and seven cruise days. Additionally, there is an unusual bonus way to earn Mariner Society cruise day credits. In our eyes, the best elite perk of the VIFP Club program is the unlimited wash-and-fold laundry service that comes with Diamond status.
If you're sure Carnival is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who understands all the little quirks that are unique to Carnival's cabin categories and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see the cabins firsthand. A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They can also help you if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage.
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