Sometimes, what attracts travelers to a certain cruise line is the way they do things a little differently than others.
Just because an offering is popular with Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line passengers doesn’t necessarily mean it’s desirable to those who choose to sail on Carnival Cruise Line ships. That’s easy to see from a recent discussion about onboard entertainment that took place on Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald’s Facebook page.
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A passenger wrote to Heald to ask why Carnival doesn’t give passengers the opportunity to make reservations for stage shows like some other cruise lines do.
“Why is it that Carnival does not require any reservations for shows or comedy like what you need on other cruise lines [that do not] charge money to watch shows but give first choice to their elite members?” an unidentified passenger asked.
The cruiser wanted to know why Carnival doesn’t offer priority access to show reservations to those who reach the highest tiers in its loyalty program. The suggestion is similar to what Norwegian Cruise Line does by allowing those with Platinum status and above in its loyalty program to pre-book entertainment a few days earlier than others.
“This is what Carnival should be doing for the big shows and comedy shows but Carnival, you are not. Why? It is not fair that Platinum people cannot get guaranteed seating for shows,” the passenger insisted.
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Carnival’s Punchliner Comedy Club shows are very popular.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival brand ambassador discusses show reservations
Carnival’s Brand Ambassador John Heald shared the passenger’s message in a post on his Facebook page in order to explain how Carnival currently handles the high demand for shows and the challenges that come with implementing a ticketing/reservation system.
“I do understand that on some ships the shows do get very full, which is why we have increased the number of performances. However, tickets may be something that would help?”
“It is very challenging to operate this and manage this,” Heald pointed out. “We tried this back on the Carnival Dream when the ship first started sailing. The main problem was that people would line up for tickets and then not show up for the um, show.”
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Although Heald wondered whether the cruise line’s HUB app could incorporate show reservations like it does dinner reservations, he wanted to make it clear that he does not know if it’s something the cruise line will ever offer.
“Perhaps, the App could be used? I do not know,” he continued. “Let me say that this is just for discussion and I do not know if we will ever do this.”
As he often does with passenger suggestions, Heald asked his followers to share their opinions on the matter in comments on the post.
Carnival passengers don’t want a ticket system for cruise ship shows
A scroll through the 5,000 comments on the post offers a clear indication of how most Carnival cruise passengers feel about onboard entertainment tickets/reservations.
“I don’t want to have to plan in advance like that. I am a planner by nature, but what I love about cruising is that I don’t have to,” Gina DeAngelis DiSano wrote in a comment that received more than 100 likes. “Keep things exactly as they are.”
Even some passengers who have high status in the cruise line’s loyalty club agree.
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“No tickets. One of the reasons we enjoy sailing Carnival is because we do not have to pre-plan everything and we could decide what to do in the moment. We don’t have to have reservations and know two days in advance where we want to go,” Michele Kreidler commented. “I am a Platinum [member] and I don’t feel like I should have any special treatment when it comes to the shows, first come first serve is just fine.”
Most Carnival passengers are okay with the fact that they may actually have to do a little planning in order to arrive early to secure a seat for popular shows.
“Honestly, I like things the way they are,” Tamar Robbins wrote. “I understand that if I show up to a show late there’s a chance I won’t get a seat and I’ll just try to come a little earlier for the next one.”
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