ANGELSwithANGLES

Would be terrible if they stopped allowing beverages including wine to be carried on. Huge uproar.

Carnival seems to have a death wish to just donate their business to the competition, in addition to having a lot of Facebook posters telling others to cruise another line.

Usually there are pretty accurate rumors that foretell what an announcement will be. There were several articles on the internet that were pretty accurate on last week's announcement about the new cruise line that would be targeted on helping people on islands.

I am just guessing, but I wonder if the announcement will be about limiting carry-on beverages.

 

My second guess would be an announcement about somehow integrating the loyalty programs on the Carnival corporation lines. At one time JH a had said "something may be coming down the pike" when someone asked; however, that has been quite a while ago.

 

Any other guesses?

Whatever it is, it's not gonna be good. JH announced he would be around to "help". That reeks cutback.

Some simply do not respond. But you will most likely find your request honored.

You didn't list what email you used. Was it BRm.......?

Have to go to airport

No you don't.

We are doing the 15 night on the Miracle in November and we wanted to rent a car in Maui and Honolulu since these are long days there. When I try to book a car it only takes me to the airports there which are far from the ports. Can anybody tell me how we rent by the ports?

Our car was either waiting for us n each port, or a courtesy car was there to take us to our car. We had everything booked before we left home. Those attempting to rent the day of port were paying about $50 more per day than we did.

Just curious - how is trivia done on Carnival ships? Do you get a blank paper, and the host asks questions that you write the answer down, then they "grade" your papers? Are you given a sheet full of questions, and the first person finished holds up their hand and have their answers checked? Would like to know before our cruise so I can be ready to go :D

Blank paper. And then you switch with the person next to you to grade. Too many cHeaters, and the questions always seem to be the same.

Q1 TV trivia is Synchpated Clock

Haven't cruised Carnival in years. Just checking out the dress code for the MDR for dinner and see that shorts are allowed. For women it says shorts are ok. For men it says "dress shorts". What is the difference? Is cargo shorts ok? My dh has both cargo and plain shorts but just curious as to the difference.

 

Also, on Elegant night for a 10 or 11 day cruise do most men wear sport coats in the MDR or do enough wear just nice pants and a collared shirt? What about a tie?

 

Thanks.

Basically dress pants, cut at the knee, made for boys below puberty.

Think Bermuda shorts.

Check out this Foodbeast guy that ordered the entire Carnival room service menu on Sunshine. It is under the "Eating Out" videos:

 

http://www.foodbeast.com/videos

 

OMG! Food for thought indeed.

Thats about as looney as taking one off every offering from every Lido dish.

This should be made a stickie. A one stop shop for accurate information. Finally a place to go to.

And neither is any other cruise line. Fact of life, things change.

I see the changes on the 2 newest competitors to constantly be improving. They actually needed to do nothing all while CCL performed their massive cutbacks and still would have ended up on top.

We are platinum and enjoy Carnival. (We enjoy other cruise lines also!)

 

What Can Carnival do to improve? I'll start:

 

The Taste Bar is usually unused. If they are going to have a "Taste Bar", I would like to see some food when I walk by, not an empty closed bar.

 

I like the "Free Drink" appreciation events and would like to see more of that. On Christmas Cruises they give out free champagne for the first couple hours upon boarding. Taking these events away takes away a little of the fun.

 

Upgrade the food in the buffet. (Take a hint from Holland America.)

 

Anyone else?

How? Simply return the business model back to the Bob D. one, erasing everything Gerry Cahill ruined.

We have always found the MDR to be hit and miss. The Steakhouse and La Cucina are excellent. We are booked on the Vista in February 2015 and I am looking forward to the Seafood Shack.

So far we have only sailed on Carnival (10 cruises sailed) so we can't compare. We do have a Hawaiian cruise with NCL booked for January 2016 and I have not heard great things about their food. I'm looking forward to being able to compare fairly.

It's too bad Carnival sacrificed their reputation for good food by taking it out of the dining room and putting into the pay venue restaurants.

They started out as mirrors of each other, so from that standpoint, they are the same. Just cNt keep track of what's been modified on those ships with each upgrade.

Carnival doesnt like CC.

That's quite apparent.

Sadly I think you're right. First Gold downgraded, and probably platinum is next. Just makes it easier to branch out to other lines, and see how they appreciate you just by coming back a second time.

Carnival just doesn't seem to be interested, and in fact, are down playing Cruise Critic meet and greets in favor of other sites meet and greets.

Discussed by people in board here:

https://m.facebook.com/cruiselawnews/photos/a.270122209702709.56121.136612489720349/847121942002730/?type=1

I saw it mentioned on some Facebook page this morning. It may have been Cruise Law News. But yes, it was the same story about a bomb scare.

Meh. Loyalty programs are always watering down benefits. It's a necessity with a growing base of beneficiaries. The past guest parties as they are now are literally at capacity or over in many cases. It physically couldn't continue to grow.

 

This change, like all the others, has stirred up the ire of the "victims", but in a few weeks it will all be forgotten. As I remarked in another similar thread, I wish the people threatening to leave would because it would drive fares down. Sadly, they won't, because Carnival still offers the best value proposition in the cruise industry.

That actually hasn't been true starting about 8 years ago. They downgrades have far exceeded the price reductions, and CCL hasn't been able to reverse, all while saying each year that they expect fares to be going up.

The outrage over the change is laughable. We're still at Gold level, and quite honestly, I could care less about the change. We're not big drinkers, so not getting a free (probably watered down) cocktail is no great loss. Free hors d'oeuvres? So what. I can get all the free food I want at the buffet. Meeting the staff? Most of them look like they'd rather be doing what they were hired to do rather than wave to a bunch of people that won't remember their names five minutes after they've left the room. And then, after everyone's had a cocktail and a snack, and cheered for the ships they've been on, the sales pitch starts. Sign up for a MasterCard (don't need it thanks. Already got one.) and get a free tote bag (or whatever is being offered). Party over. Wasn't that fun? No. Not really. That's an hour of wasted time I won't get back. Should've stayed up on the Lido deck and got some sun.

So just wave at us if you are passing by and can't come in.

The masses can't miss what they never had.

You think all these gold members never had what they are complaining about?

and the growing number of those who never attended, the Blues, and Reds. There are still more people who have never cruised than those who have.

Exactly. Why piss off the small segment when you can do it to the masses.

Many of us started cruising before there were any "loyalty" programs and still remember why it is we love to cruise. Other cruise lines have built "loyalty" programs, aka bribes, into their business model, and charge accordingly.

 

None are sustainable without modification.

Which just leaves those that remember continuing to benefit. Those that don't are the ones affected.

Just shows you Carnival is not the only one out there with those prices, and you get a better experience for those $$.

Those wings look gross

Tell me about it. The "free" stuff they used to have up on the lido deck for the old deck parties looked nothing like that. I would have sent it back and asked for a credit.