Many cruise lines offer a variety of perks and benefits to their most loyal guests, travelers who set sail with them over and over. While some perks are more popular than others, one of Carnival Cruise Line’s most coveted perks is its priority debarkation process.

This benefit is provided to Platinum and Diamond level guests in the cruise line’s Very Important Fun Person (VIFP) program, and permits those guests to debark the ship first at the end of a cruise.

This can be very beneficial indeed, as travelers can get on their post-cruise way ahead of crowds and can even make earlier flights or be well on their way home before other passengers have even made it down the gangway.

The perk can be confusing when compared to self-assist luggage debarkation, however. One cruiser brought up the comparison to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, who provided clarification on the overall process.

“What is the intent of self-assist?” the guest asked. “Why are self-assisters called to depart before VIP Diamonds who are waiting for luggage to be taken to the carousel? Other cruise lines do not have self-assist.”

Self-assist debarkation is when guests carry off all their luggage by themselves, with no bags removed the night before and placed in the cruise terminal for collection. Travelers must be able to handle all bags on their own – hence, “self” assist – as there will be no assistance from crew members or porters from the ship to the cruise terminal.

Heald noted that self-assist is essential for today’s ships, as larger vessels carry thousands of passengers and it would be impossible for all bags to be handled by crew members. The original poster had claimed to have sailed twice aboard Carnival Jubilee recently, which can welcome 6,631 guests if fully booked.

“We must have self assist,” Heald confirmed. “Without it the debarkation of 6,000 guests on your ship would take many more hours which would result in a very late embarkation [for the next cruise].”

Heald also notes that US Customs and Border Protection also has a say in managing cruise ship debarkation and timing, and would have input on whether or not self-assist processes were manageable and effective.

How Self-Assist Debarkation Impacts VIFPs

While the original poster does not appear to understand what self-assist debarkation is, they certainly don’t seem to want their perks interrupted regardless of efficiency.

“If you do this then let the perk of being first off the ship happen,” they insisted. “We were not off the ship until 8:15 [a.m.].”

Heald explains the overall order of how self-assist travelers as well as Diamond and Platinum VIFP guests are managed for debarkation.

“We do take Diamond and Platinum and Faster to the Fun and Suite guests who have all their own bags with them off the ship first, before anyone else,” he confirmed.

These travelers are the VIFP and purchased benefit travelers who are also electing to use self-assist debarkation. This is the very first group of passengers who are permitted off the ship, as soon as the vessel is cleared for debarkation.

“Then once your tag 1 and tag 2 bags have been placed ashore by the port authority stevedores we will call guests ashore,” Heald explained. “While we wait for those bags to be placed ashore then yes, we do allow other guests on self-assist to leave.”

This is where the commenter’s confusion may come from. Diamond and Platinum guests who are not using self-assist debarkation are automatically assigned luggage tags in Zone 1 and Zone 2, the first bags that will be unloaded from the ship and placed in the terminal for collection.

However, it does take time for those bags to be moved to the terminal and ready for debarking guests to claim. In that short interval after the vessel is cleared for passengers to leave and before all Zone 1 and Zone 2 bags are ready for guests, other self-assist debarkation passengers are allowed to debark, even if they are not Diamond or Platinum level VIFPs.

Read Also: 6 Ways to Protect Your Cruise Ship Luggage

This ensures that debarkation is moving along as efficiently as possible, without delays or breaks waiting for luggage to be offloaded and placed in the terminal.

“I should also say that having you off the ship by 8:15 a.m. is, well, not too bad I think,” Heald concluded.

As for the original poster’s claim that “other cruise lines do not have self-assist” – this is untrue. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney Cruise Line, among others, all offer self-assist debarkation options – this writer has used it every time, on every line.

Other commenters also note that self-assist is a common option with all cruise lines, and that being off such a large cruise ship by 8:15 a.m. is indeed efficient when one does not carry their own bags.

Some cruise passengers simply prefer the convenience of having larger bags taken off by crew members so they are waiting in the terminal, while other passengers are more interested in ensuring a faster, earlier debarkation and therefore, tote their bags themselves.

What all travelers do tend to agree on, however, is that the entitlement of some guests – of any loyalty level – is far more ridiculous than any debarkation confusion.

While all of Carnival’s specialty restaurants offer a top-notch, gourmet experience, none are quite as exclusive as The Chef’s Table. 

The Chef’s Table is a multicourse, gourmet dinner for a select group of 12-16 guests – with the evening hosted by the master executive chef.

The price ($106 – $140 depending on the sailing) also includes a champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres, and a comprehensive tour of the galley. 

The recommended attire for the experience is cruise casual or elegant – which suggests that this would be a more formal affair. 

But after one cruiser had the opposite experience, she wrote to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald on his Facebook page to complain about the lack of formality. 

“Yesterday I received a negative comment about the Chef’s Table. Actually it was a two pronged complaint featuring a comment about the dress code or lack of it with the lady thinking it should be ‘a formal affair,’” Heald summarized for his followers. 

But ultimately, Heald wasn’t too worried about the possible lack of adherence to the dress code. 

“I know that I have said many times that I don’t understand why what someone else is wearing will ever affect the taste of the food or the fun that you’re having,” Head said in a follow-up post.

What the brand ambassador was more worried about is the guest claimed to have heard the crew members swearing in the kitchen – which would count as inappropriate behavior. 

“The second comment was that during the galley tour portion of this brilliant event she had overheard ‘swearing and bad language’ from the staff. Now obviously if that is correct and she did then we should apologise, so I did,” Heald said.

While it’s not confirmed that foul language was actually used, Heald reminded his followers that working in a busy cruise ship kitchen can be a very high pressure situation – and asked that guests have grace for stressed-out crew members. 

Dress Code is a Hot Button Issue

While something as simple as following a dress code sounds like it shouldn’t be controversial, dress code faux pas on Carnival ships are frequently up for debate on Heald’s Facebook page.

Regarding the woman’s experience at The Chef’s Table, Heald’s followers were largely on her side – seeing the lack of formality as a sign of disrespect. 

“The Chef’s table is lovely and fun. I would see it as disrespectful for someone to show up in shorts and flip flops. You don’t have to be formal, but a level of class and effort would be nice,” one former cruise guest replied. 

“I dress appropriately for the occasion. The Chef’s Table has always been a ‘special’ occasion, so with respect for the Chef and others who went to a lot of effort to create delicious food in an elegant setting, I dress accordingly. It seems disrespectful, to me, to dress any differently,” added another past passenger.

Read Also: How to Truly Enjoy Your Dining on 3 Major Cruise Lines

But while the Chef’s Table requires some extra effort as a unique and VIP experience, even what guests wear to the main dining room has caused controversy. 

Some recent drama started after Heald (and most of his responding followers) sympathized with a guest who was cyberbullied for wearing sandals to dinner in the main dining room – which she did for medical reasons. 

But in the comments section, Heald’s followers were quick to turn on each other after some cruisers thought it would be okay to wear Crocs to dinner – which is apparently where many draw the line. 

“On your shoe post there are people saying they wear Crocs on formal night. IMHO, crocs are just too ugly to wear unless you’re under the age of ten, or have foot problems that make wearing any other shoes extremely uncomfortable. Just saying,” one person wrote at the time.

The dress code for Carnival’s main dining room does call for cruise elegant attire – meaning men should wear nicer jeans or slacks with collared or dress shirts while women should wear pantsuits, semi-formal or sun dresses, and elegant skirts.

Being one of Carnival’s most loyal cruisers certainly comes with benefits – some of which are priority embarkation and early access to cruise cabins to drop off belongings.

These exclusive benefits are only available to elite Diamond and Platinum members of Carnival’s VIFP (Very Important Fun Person) Club or guests who purchase the Faster to the Fun (FTTF) package.

These elite loyalty members also typically get priority to leave and re-board the ship within ports of call. 

However, two upcoming sailings will not be able to accommodate these perks because there are simply too many elite loyalty guests booked on the voyages. 

“Due to the high number of Diamond and Platinum guests joining us on this voyage, we will not be able to provide priority embarkation or debarkation (including at any of the ports of call).” read a letter from Colleen Oliverio, Vice President of Guest Services.

Additionally, Diamond guests will not be guaranteed their usual main dining room seating requests for dinner due to the anticipated number of guests onboard. 

The removal of these perks is fairly common for Carnival Journeys sailings – which both of the impacted voyages are – due to a larger number of VIFP guests that choose these voyages. Even so, the change is likely still frustrating.

“These operational changes are consistent with other Carnival Journeys cruises where we have a very large number of Diamond and Platinum guests. We apologize for any disappointment and thank you for your understanding,” continued the letter.

The first impacted sailing is a cruise to Hawaii that will be operated by Carnival Radiance – which will embark from Long Beach, California, on December 1, 2024. 

The 14-night cruise calls for stops at Hilo, Hawaii; Kahului (Maui), Hawaii; Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii; Nawiliwili (Kauai), Hawaii; and Ensenada, Mexico. 

The second impacted sailing will be the December 6, 2024, embarkation for Carnival Venezia. 

The 12-day one-way sailing will embark from New York – calling on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; St. Croix, US Virgin Islands; Oranjestad, Aruba; Willemstad, Curacao; and Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos. 

The 4,090-guest ship will disembark in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, on December 18, 2024 – which will be her new homeport for the winter. 

Why are These Cruises so Busy?

Lately, many Carnival guests have noticed that their sailings have felt extra crowded – and it will likely only get worse through the holiday season. 

December is a popular month to travel, as people find their jobs slow down for the holidays and kids go on school vacation. 

Perhaps more so because of the crowds, Carnival’s most elite VIFP members will likely be displeased by the lack of perks – especially after all the money they would have given the cruise line. 

For context, Platinum guests have to be on a Carnival ship for 75-199 cruise days and Diamond guests have to sail with Carnival for 200+ cruise days to reach their status.

Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise

But while the loss of perks is annoying, what will likely be the biggest issue is the reminder that staterooms are only available for a brief visit upon boarding and won’t immediately be ready for guests to settle in.

“Staterooms will be ready after 1:30 PM. Once on board, please feel free to drop off any carry-on luggage in your stateroom before heading to lunch,” wrote Oliverio.

As is the norm, this perk is meant to add convenience by allowing guests to drop off their belongings and then clear out until the cruise cabins are officially available. However, this often isn’t good enough for many guests.

Indeed, the drop-off perk is frequently a hot button topic on Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald’s Facebook page, as many guests want immediate full access to their staterooms. 

As recently as earlier in November, a fiery Platinum guest confronted Heald virtually because they misunderstood the early access policy. 

After a 14 hour drive to the cruise port, all the passenger wanted to do was take a nap – but was furious when they realized they weren’t able to stay in their cabin just yet. 

Paired with the loss of perks, bringing up the cabin access rules may add more fuel to the fire for guests who don’t agree with the policy.

With the busy holiday travel season underway, it is a popular time for families to gather together to share the spirit of the season. When some family members need mobility assistance, however, there are extra challenges to ensure they can travel safely and efficiently, including documenting their assistive scooters.

Passengers on Carnival Cruise Line need to be aware that they must fill in the Mobility Questionnaire, which includes detailing their scooter’s dimensions and noting any other accessibility requirements they may have.

This issue was recently addressed by the cruise line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, in response to guest concerns about whether or not the form must be printed.

“I’ve been with Carnival since 2000. Mom and I take scooters with us. In the last 8 yrs I’ve never had an issue until now. I don’t have a printer or desk computer. I usually just call and let them know it’s the right size, that they come apart, that we don’t need help etc.,” the guest explained.

The commenter goes on to explain that they have now been told the form must be sent in and cannot be confirmed verbally with a phone call.

“I don’t want to spend money buying a printer,” they said. “With limited mobility getting to the library, waiting for a computer to open up and paying to print something that should be done on my phone, possibly in the app, or by call is just not a good thing.”

With so many businesses now having gone digital and paperless, it does seem unusual that Carnival Cruise Line would require a printed form.

Worth Reading: Carnival Issues Stern Reminder to Guests During Emergencies

Other travelers who use scooters were quick to chime in, however, noting that the form is a .pdf file that can be filled out on a phone, saved, and emailed back to the cruise line’s Guest Access team – no printing needed.

“I forgot we did this,” apologized Heald. “So I see the wonderful [commenter] has given you some great advice which I hope you can use.”

The original poster does express further frustration as “a technically challenged elderly person” unfamiliar with how to edit the .pdf or return it as needed. Other guests have offered assistance to help walk the poster through how to manage the document so it can be used for multiple sailings with ease.

Some commenters do wonder, however, how the original poster would print luggage tags and boarding passes if they don’t have a printer and don’t want to use the public library.

Of course, luggage tags are not necessary if travelers carry all their bags on to the ship themselves, and boarding passes can be shown to check-in personnel via the Carnival Hub app, no printing required.

It would, of course, be a good addition to the app if Carnival Cruise Line were to add the Mobility Questionnaire to its features, making it even easier for travelers to present all proper documentation in one convenient place.

Why Do Scooters Need to Be Documented?

Carnival Cruise Line has been cracking down on mobility scooters over the past year to ensure that all travelers abide by onboard requirements and policies for the assistive vehicles.

Specifically, the size requirements for scooters and where they can be stored are the most pertinent issues. All scooters must fit safely within staterooms, and oversized mobility scooters or motorized wheelchairs cannot be permitted onboard.

The exact dimensions of a scooter that can be accommodated depend on the type of stateroom a guest has booked. In a standard stateroom, the scooter must fit through the 22″ doorway, while fully accessible staterooms can accommodate scooters up to 32″ wide.

“Scooters that do not fit in the stateroom will not be allowed on board,” the cruise line’s policy reads. “Should a guest be unable to make alternate arrangements to rent a smaller scooter or travel without it, he/she will be denied boarding and no compensation will be provided.”

Furthermore, foldable or collapsible scooters are necessary so they can be stored in the stateroom. No scooters or wheelchairs may be stored in corridors or public areas except for short-term, temporary storage if a guest is attending an event – such as parking a scooter outside the theater to enjoy a production show.

By requiring travelers booked in accessible staterooms or traveling with mobility devices to fill out the questionnaire, Carnival Cruise Line is working to ensure that everyone is aware of the policies and there can be no misunderstandings before or during a cruise so everyone can enjoy their getaway safely and comfortably.

Cruise lines have made cruising much more convenient in recent years with the widespread adoption of apps that keep track of guests’ plans and let them know what is going on around the ship. 

On some cruise lines – including Carnival and its sister brands – guests can even order drinks and meals to their location with just a few clicks on the app. 

However, the apps cannot be used to find a potential love match for single cruisers – and that is not changing anytime soon for Carnival Cruise Line, likely to the dismay of a single mom looking to meet the love of her life at sea. 

The cruiser, who is a more elite member of Carnival’s loyalty program with Platinum status, reached out to Carnival Brand Ambassador John Heald to ask if a feature could be added to the HUB App to allow single cruisers onboard to meet – sort of like how dating apps work on land. 

The guest introduced herself in a message on Heald’s public Facebook page: “I am 45, an independent Californian single mom of two teens with a great job.”

“When I do cruise on my own I always think that this would make me a real catch but it seems it’s the opposite. Internet dating is time-consuming and I hardly have time to go out. My question is please can Carnival have an addition to their app that will give the opportunity for single cruisers to meet?,” she continued.

According to Heald, there are no plans in place to introduce any dating app-type features to the HUB – although he sympathized with the struggles of modern dating.

At the current time, the HUB App only allows guests to message and share plans with their immediate travel party members. 

How to Meet New People on Cruises

Although Heald couldn’t definitively say that Carnival would ever consider adding a singles chat feature to the HUB App, he was open to hearing feedback on the idea. 

“I am not sure if we would ever have a “singles meet” on the app…Seriously though I would like your opinion on this. There would be some concerns for sure but generally, what do you think about this?,” Heald wrote in reply to the single mother’s message.

In the over 1,000 comments, the majority expressed that they would rather take part in an in person meet-up during their sailing than stick to messaging potential love interests on the App.

“They have single mixers on the cruises and people do meet on cruise ships and start long term relationships. I met my wife on a Carnival Cruise back in 2009. Married and have three kids together,” one person replied, who fell in love during a mid-cruise meet-up. 

Read Also: 11 Ways You Can Be the Most Romantic During a Cruise

As Heald’s cruise community mentioned, there are usually several different meet-ups per sailing to allow like minded individuals to get to know each other and make new friends. 

According to Carnival’s website, most – if not all – sailings do feature singles mixers. They are often divided by age (over or under 40 years old) and have a meet-and-greet specifically for guests between the ages of 18 and 20. 

Most sailings also include LGBTQI mixers, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, meet-and-greets for card player aficionados, and military appreciation gatherings. 

There may also be opportunities to mingle at other events, such as themed parties, cooking classes, dance classes, ice carving demonstrations, and art auctions.