Carnival Cruise Line is bringing back the popular “Faster to the Fun” additional priority program for sailings beginning December 1, 2022.
The program’s return has been confirmed by Brand Ambassador John Heald and will be available for purchase through Carnival’s shore excursion listings.
The sooner the fun is back!
According to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador, Faster to the Fun will return to all ships from December 1 and will be available for purchase in the coming days.
“Faster to the Fun will return this weekend for trips beginning December 1,” Heald said. “Please keep checking the excursions page.”
It’s unclear what time or day the popular add-on package will be available for purchase, but interested guests should continue to monitor the cruise line‘s website for their cruise booking to secure a spot. they want it.
As the package is slightly different for different voyages, it is likely to go live at different times for different crossings, but should be fully listed for all cruises in the coming days.
Passengers should note, however, that the limited program is not available for purchase until approximately 90 days before each cruise, so that the cruise line can assess the number of priority passengers who will sail.
Faster to the Fun prices vary by ship, cruise length and itinerary. The starting price listed on the Carnival website is $49.95 (USD) per stateroom.
The one-time purchase per cabin will provide priority services to all passengers booked in that cabin.
Why the program was suspended
Faster to the Fun was initially suspended when the cruise industry shutdown began in March 2020.
Due to increased health and safety protocols and the need for better crowd control at boarding, the the program was not reinstated when the cruise slowly began to resume in July 2021.
As health and safety protocols began to ease, staffing shortages continued to impact Faster to the Fun and kept the program on hiatus as it was too difficult to provide all of the benefits sought. with appropriate quality.
Now that operations have returned to pre-pandemic normal, it’s now possible to bring Faster to the Fun back with all the options customers have been looking forward to.
About Faster to the Fun
Faster for fun (FTTF) is a priority access add-on for a cruise booking.
Once purchased, the program provides guests with exclusive benefits, including some very popular priority options available to cruisers at the top tiers of Carnival Cruise Lines “Very Important Fun Person” (VIFP) Loyalty program.
While the exact features of Faster to the Fun vary based on availability at different ports of embarkation and ports of call, as well as amenities available on different ships, program benefits include:
- Priority check-in and boarding to start the cruise right away, without long lines
- Immediate access to the cabin whatever the boarding time
- Early luggage delivery to get settled right away
- Dedicated customer service line to resolve issues faster
- Priority meal time reservations, including specialty restaurants
- Priority access to tenders in ports that use river shuttles rather than quays
- Priority disembarkation at the end of the cruise
First introduced on board the now gone Fantasy Carnival in 2012, Faster to the Fun was an immediate popular hit and was gradually rolled out to all Fun Ships through 2012 and 2013.
The program is limited based on the capacity of each individual ship as well as the number of VIFP Guests sailing on each cruise with similar benefits, to ensure that each VIFP Guest as well as each FTTF Guest can enjoy their benefits.
Is the bundle worth it?
Upon its introduction, Faster to the Fun generated great controversy, especially among loyal Carnival cruisers who had obtained similar perks such as priority boarding and a dedicated guest service line over years of cruising.
Initially, it was thought to be unfair that other customers could simply purchase the same desirable perks.
Because the cruise line limits the number of passengers who can purchase the program, FTTF is not as disruptive to VIFP benefits as initially feared, and the two programs have worked well together over the years. It should also be noted that FTTF does not give customers all the benefits earned through the VIFP program.
Today, the program may be of interest to cruise passengers who want to take advantage of valuable benefits that can help them have a smoother cruise and spend less time waiting in line or missing out on dining preferences.
This can be particularly useful for groups where different cruise lines may not all have earned the same level of loyalty, or for cruise lines who simply want to speed up their vacation and enjoy their cruise to the fullest, including immediate access to their cabin .
While each cruise line must decide which programs are best suited to their vacation needs, Faster to the Fun is a great option for getting the most out of every Carnival cruise.
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