Carnival’s Faster to the Fun Program Allows Quicker Boarding

After a 3 hour wait in long lines waiting to board the cruise ship on day one, it’s great to finally board the ship and start enjoying some food at the buffet.  But now Carnival is offering a way to get on their ships right away and avoid those long lines.

The program is called “Faster to the Fun”.  This new program will allow its participants not only to get priority boarding but also express luggage delivery.  As soon as you get on board you will be able to find your luggage waiting for you in your room.  After having to wait until 4pm on boarding day before getting access to my luggage this is a huge plus.

The charge for Faster to the Fun will be $49.95 but only one person in a cabin has to order it.  VIP status will be applied to anyone else staying in that cabin.

But not only will users of this program have priority check-ins and boarding.  They will also be able to get off the ship in a separate line as well, avoiding long lines.   Priority tenders will be offered when stopping in ports and on debarkation day you will be able to get off the ship sooner as well.

Guest services will have a special dedicated phone line to Faster to the Fun members and they will be able to get their questions answered more quickly.

We are not sure on the details of the dining reservation benefits, but Carnival has stated there will be priority main dining room and specialty restaurant reservations available.

But before you think this will be offered on every Carnival ship, this program is being tested on only 2 ships right now: the Carnival Imagination and the Carnival Liberty, starting at the end of August.

Cruisers will have to book the Faster to the Fun package in advance of going on their cruise and spots will be limited to a select number.  After all, if everyone is getting on board right away you will just have to wait in line again.

For those of you thinking that an extra 50 bucks is a waste of many when you already paid thousands for your cruise, think of it this way.  The sooner you get on board the ship the sooner you can start enjoying your vacation instead of waiting in a long tedious line.  And considering that you probably need time some away from the office, a $50 charge is fairly reasonable, especially considering it pays for both you and your cruise mate.

You can find more information on this program at Carnival’s website.

This is a test program right now, but we want to hear what our readers think about it.  Do you think it will be a great program to try out, or is it a waste of money?  Please leave your comments, questions, suggestions, and snide remarks below=).