On our recent cruise, I had learned of something that Carnival Cruise Lines does. They have something called the Concierge Club. Members of the Concierge Club our called Platinum Guests, and get a platinum colored Sail & Sign card. You become a Platinum Guest after you take 10 cruises. Apparently, Platinum Guests are VIPs and can shortcut the check in lines. They can also disembark before the other people.
Here are some of the perks that Platinum Guests supposedly receive:
- A special Carnival Logo Item
- Canapes and petits fours in stateroom one evening.
- Personalized stationary
Concierge Club member may also request these cruise benefits:
- Complimentary laundry service
- Guaranteed dining assignments & Supper-Club reservations
- Escorted tours of the ship
- Priority spa reservations
- Priority shore excursions reservations
- Priority tender tickets
- Priority debarkation
We just completed our 4th cruise, so we have a while to go. They may have other perks as well, I don’t know. Maybe dinner at the captain’s table or something? I have no idea. But we have already very briefly discussed taking our next cruise in maybe 2008. Maybe in the next 10 or 15 (or 20) years, we might make Platinum Guest status. Who knows, we might take some shorter cruises, or a couple 7 days cruises back to back. Actually, that is something I thought might be cool. Where the ships that do eastern/western caribbean itineraries, get on one ship, and do both. So a 14 day cruise made up of two 7 day cruises.
MY WIFE AND I RECEIVED OUR FIRST PLATINUM CARD IN JULY 0F 2005. WHEN WE CHECKED IN FOR THE CRUISE THE YOUNG MAN BEHIND THE COUNTER INFORMED US WE HAD A PLATINUM CARD AND IT WAS THE FIRST ONE HE HAD SEEN. HE FINISHED THE PAPERWORK, PUT ON HIS COAT AND ESCORTED US ON TO THE SHIP.
SINCE THEN WE HAVE BEEN ON EIGHT MORE CRUISES WITH CARNIVAL AND NOW WE GO FOR VIP CHECK IN, ANOTHER BENEFIT.
ANOTHER BENEFIT IS THE EARLY/OFF WHEN IT’S TIME TO LEAVE THE SHIP.
EVERYTHING IN THE ARTICLE IS TRUE AND CORRECT, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IT, SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY CONTINUE TO IMPROVE IT AND ADD BENEFITS. OUR LAST CRUISE WE WERE GIVEN FREE ENTRY IN THE SLOT MACHINE TOURNAMENT.
WE ARE WELL PLEASED WITH THE PLATINUM CARD AND CONCIERGE CLUB. TO US IT SAYS, WELCOME BACK-HERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU.
Comment by RON ROBINSON — May 2, 2006 @ 5:23 pm
Thanks Ron! I am really excited about one day becoming a platinum guest. Have you done the escorted tour of the ship? How much of the ship do they show you?
Comment by RJ — May 2, 2006 @ 10:36 pm
I just arrived home yesterday from my 11th Carnival cruise. I too have been made a platinum member. We got all the little perks that were mentioned above, delivered to our room. I hadn’t been given a list of things we “could get or do” like the special tours or anything like that though. Had we known of some of them we might have taken advanage of them. The only issue we did encounter was debarkation. We were given the priority tags and told where to meet in the morning. The problem arose when the cruise STAFF didn’t know we existed. They had also told a group from Germany to meet there. When it was time to start letting people off they let at least 15 minutes worth of “general” debarkation people off first. When I finally got to ask someone why that was he just looked at me and said… I didn’t know there was a priority group. I think Carnival needs to bring the staff more up to date on their Platinum Club member benifits.
Comment by Donna — May 7, 2006 @ 4:13 pm
I believe I have been on ten or more Carnival cruises. How do I find out if I am a member of the concierge club?
Comment by Phyllis Scheraldi — July 1, 2006 @ 9:16 am
Try calling them at 1-888-CARNIVAL. They keep track of all the cruise you have been on. Thats why they always ask for a past guest number.
Comment by RJ — July 2, 2006 @ 8:00 am
We became Platinum on our 10th Carnival cruise. I believe each embarkation port handles things somewhat differently. We did get to wait in a “special area” along with a couple of other groups and were among the first to board the ship(avoiding the usual photographers). We did not use all of the perks, did get the stationery, “logo merchandise” and the petit fours which we could have easily done without.
We did not receive our priority disembarkation baggage tags. Curious about how the VIP priority disembarkation would be handled, we went to the purser’s facility and inquired. Someone had dropped the ball, and the situation was rectified.
On the Sensation we reported to the Card Room at 7:30am along with the Carnival Vaction Club people. I believe our group was the first to leave the ship, and we were driving out of the parking lot at 7:55am.
The time necessary to disembark the ship varies because the number of non-U.S. citizen passengers varies. I believe they must be processed aboard the ship before anyone can disembark.
All in all, we are very satisfied with Carnival and they do reward customer loyalty with upgrades etc.
Bottom line: ask questions and confirm, confirm, confirm the answers.
We have cruised on Holland-America, MSC, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, The Delta Queen and the Murray Princess (Australia). Carnival is right up there with the best.
Comment by Roly D — September 19, 2007 @ 2:37 pm
Never knew that platinum card can be so useful like that. It’s kind of privilege as a king on a cruise.
Comment by Disney orlando — December 11, 2009 @ 2:22 am
i became a platinum cruiser 2010 and all this iam reading i didn’t know abt them, the infro need to be made better put out
Comment by alice smith — January 13, 2011 @ 12:17 pm
Am now a platinum cruiser and looking forward to our next Carnival cruise. Didn’t know of the advantages entitled to but will certainly use them next time. Never a bad cruise
Comment by James Minerd — January 14, 2011 @ 3:38 pm
WE HAVE BEEN ON TEN OR MORE CRUISES ON CARNIVAL , I HAVE YET TO SEE , OR HEAR ABOUT ANY VIP CARD? DOSE ONE HAVE TO KNOW SOMEONE SPECIAL TO GET THAT CARD?
Comment by CLINT GOPLIN — June 8, 2011 @ 12:46 pm
Contact Carnival, and ask them about the Concierge Club.
Comment by RJ — June 8, 2011 @ 1:20 pm
We will be cruising on the
elation on 8 Oct 11. This is our 10th cruise with carnival and will be platunum members, what perks can we expect to receive as a platinum member.
Comment by Joe Molina — September 30, 2011 @ 8:40 am
how can i find out the number of cruises taken.
Comment by lucille bradley — November 7, 2011 @ 7:15 pm
If you do back to back 3-4 days cruises will they count towards the magic number of 10 cruises needed for platinum status. I have 5 now and was thinking of doing two 3-4 day cruises back to back next year. I was wandering if they count as two or one?
Comment by Diandy — November 21, 2011 @ 7:51 pm
I don’t see why they wouldn’t count as individual cruise.
Comment by RJ — November 21, 2011 @ 8:40 pm