As more and more passengers use cruise line apps to plan their daily activities and stay updated with everything onboard their ships, digital notifications and updates are very helpful for not missing out on anything.
Now, Carnival Cruise Line will be offer an exclusive invite as a digital reminder for top tier guests in the Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) loyalty program.
The invite will be to the popular Diamond and Platinum Party, an event offered for these top level guests on all cruises of five nights or longer.
Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, announced the new digital reminder via his most recent live video stream, a regular feature he offers to connect with his more than 585,000 Facebook followers.
First of all, Heald does note that the paper invitation to the special event is not being discontinued and will still be delivered to guests’ staterooms.
“Currently you get a paper invitation that comes on your bed the night before, and that will continue,” Heald confirmed.
“But, as we do more and more with the App, which we are certainly going to be doing in the coming weeks and months, … you will receive an electronic reminder, a thing that goes in your planner on the App, you’ll get an e-reminder.”
Heald noted that the new e-reminders are beginning across the Carnival fleet as of this weekend, September 20, 2024. It is possible, however, that the rollout of the new feature will not be glitch-free, as few technology upgrades ever go off without a hitch.
Again, however, the paper invitations will still be delivered to Platinum and Diamond guests’ staterooms with the time and location of the event. At this time, there is no plan to discontinue the paper invitations, though that may happen in the future as the app update is refined.
The party is a “reunion” that brings together past Carnival guests who have enjoyed many cruises over the years. Free drinks, music, and a popular video of all the ships that have ever sailed for Carnival Cruise Line are part of the event.
Different recognition of the most loyal guests is often included in the party as well, such as which traveler has accrued the most cruise points, which guest is the youngest to reach the Diamond loyalty level, or which guests are celebrating milestone sailings.
Exactly how each party is organized varies for every sailing according to what the Cruise Director chooses to include in the event.
New Loyalty Gift Coming Soon
Heald also discussed the loyalty gift, which is currently a small tote bag in navy blue with red canvas handles and the VIFP Club logo on the side. The gift was first introduced in April, and is the third item in a matching set the cruise line first introduced in February 2023.
Supplies of the tote bag are winding down, and a new gift will be introduced in the coming weeks.
“We are running this down and there will be a new gift probably at the end of October across the whole fleet, if not before on some ships,” Heald announced. “I will tell you more about that as soon as the team let me know that it’s all in stock and ready to go.”
Exactly when the new gift is introduced will depend on when supplies are available on different ships and when the tote bag supplies are exhausted. This depends not only on how many Platinum and Diamond cruisers are on each sailing, but also on how many of those loyal guests claim their gift from the Pixels photo gallery.
Read Also: Loyalty Programs – Should You Stay Loyal to One Cruise Line?
While Heald gives no hint about what the new gift might be, Carnival Cruise Line’s loyalty gifts have varied widely over the years. Items such as journals, visors, drink koozies, beach bags, blankets, chess sets, hats, luggage tags, insulated tumblers, and more have all been offered as recognition to loyal guests.
Some gifts are naturally more popular than others, and how gifts change depends on manufacturing cost, overall supply chain concerns, and guest feedback.
Carnival cruise guests receive these gifts, as well as their invitation to the party, when they reach Platinum or Diamond loyalty status. Travelers earn one point in the VIFP program for every day they sail, and reach the Platinum level once they have accumulated 75 cruise points. To reach the Diamond level, travelers need a minimum of 200 cruise points.
