Is Carnival really declining?

[nytraveller53]

Still beats that piece of cowhide that Royal Crapibbean used to dish up, the infamous "ranch steak."

Yes! I remember that from the Freedom. It reminded me of the leather they make those touristy cowboy boots in Cozumel out of.:eek:

[nytraveller53]

Is the flat iron steak good, if you order it medium rare? I usually order mine medium (as I'm not much of a 'rare' steak fan) but that sounds as if it might be the secret!:)

It may sound crazy - and maybe I was lucky - but I've been to some of the best steakhouses in the US, and this steak was up there. And the sauce was fantastic.

[steveNcindy]

It may sound crazy - and maybe I was lucky - but I've been to some of the best steakhouses in the US, and this steak was up there. And the sauce was fantastic.

 

you must have much better steakhouses down there than we do up here.

 

or a jaw that could cut steel.

 

(I can buy a bag of 12 Ledbetters Flat Iron Steaks up here for $23 - I am not that excited to spend the money it takes to go on a cruise and see this on the menu)

[firefly333]

I don't agree - our vacation this winter exceeded any customer service we have received in the past. Service was impeccable, food was top notch, drinks were top shelf.

 

Cruiselines may be cutting back in competition with each other but 5* resorts are upping their game.

 

My first carnival cruises had 7 courses in the $10 dining room with white glove service .. and service people acted like they cared. I had the greatest cabin steward ever this last time on elation and the time before loved the waiter to death.

 

... but I find service spotty at best .. iv also had not so good service. Customer Service used to be about the customer more to me.. showing my age I think.

 

I said no in the survey because I dont see the decline just lately, though I miss having a show ever night in the theater.

[Name Of The Game]

Bigger band? Fruit punch? And a few other minor things? No it's not worth an extra $200 each!

[steveNcindy]

My first carnival cruises had 7 courses in the $10 dining room with white glove service .. and service people acted like they cared. I had the greatest cabin steward ever this last time on elation and the time before loved the waiter to death.

 

... but I find service spotty at best .. iv also had not so good service. Customer Service used to be about the customer more to me.. showing my age I think.

 

I said no in the survey because I dont see the decline just lately, though I miss having a show ever night in the theater.

 

I am thinking that the price point you are willing to spend on vacation defines whether you feel you are getting a good value or not.

 

When we factor everything in such as airfare, pre cruise hotels, cruise, onboard account, etc, it is no longer the best bang for our buck.

 

When this occurs, the cutbacks / decline in service / decline in food / excessive drink charges / etc get amplified.

 

If we could drive to the port, didn't enjoy a few drinks a day, didn't care about cabin (balcony), etc, maybe the cutbacks / decline in service wouldn't be noticed.

[Warm Breezes]

now, here's a twist:

would you rather pay $500 pp for a 7-nighter with this new "cutback carnival" service, or, say, $700 pp for a 7-nighter with all of the old carnival amenities?

$500

[Alwaysundecided]

I went on my first cruise in 1996 and my most recent one was in November 2010, with many years in between. While there may be some differences, overall I still think cruising is the best value out there. I don't know of any hotel where you get room and board, three meals a day, snacks, and an ocean view balcony for around $100.00 a day. Do I miss the midnight buffets, sure, was the band on my last cruise smaller and not as good, yeah, but we have always had wonderfully attentive staff, which has made our vacations special. A vacation is what you make of it. You can always find something to complain about, but why?

[DGP1111]

Now, here's a twist:

Would you rather pay $500 pp for a 7-nighter with this new "cutback Carnival" service, or, say, $700 pp for a 7-nighter with all of the old Carnival amenities?

 

$700

 

 

That's what I would pick as well if the changes are as drastic as some report.

 

 

I'd always choose to pay more and get more.

 

Although no longer an issue for me, if I were still booking future CCL sailings, I'd go for the $700 package.

.

.

[skylock]

Not declining so much, just not offering the things they did in the past. Changing, yes. As far as a nice affordable vacation, no.

 

I can get a cruise today for almost what it cost me for my first cruise so you don't have to be very smart to realize things have had to change. Every single thing I buy is more expensive than it was even say 2 years ago EXCEPT a cruise.

 

The loaf of bread that I am paying way more for has not improved or even stayed the same. it is slightly smaller now. I can tell because of my toaster. Anyone bought a candy bar recently? Price is up, size is down.

 

The thing that puzzles me the most is the cut in staff. That has to be one of their cheapest resources. How much are they saving, a penny a passenger. the cutting of the staff is my biggest complaint. That cuts everyones enjoyment because there are more waits. Less individual care. Clean up is not done as fast as it should be.

 

As for platimun status, cut out the crap petifores and other junk and hire another service person. They could offer perks that would not cost them a dime. Such as a few minutes on the internet. I say it would not cost them anything because i will never buy minutes on the ship, but for those that do, a few minutes free would not stp them from buying anyway. A small separate coffee/juice/snack area. something to make the person feel like they have been thought about. I have enough of the junk they give out, but if i do not take it, I feel like I have missed out on my perk and I have earned it.

[Jabee]

To me there has been more of a cutback in services than a general decline.

1. Combined the Appetizer and Salad course at dinner in the main dinning room.
   
2. Duo instead of a Quartet on the Lido deck.
   
3. No more past guest pins.
   
4. Shorter Lunch hours on sea days.
   
5. No more red punch.
   

There have been new things added too

1. The Future Cruise program that gets you $100 OBC.
   

Of course, you pay $100 to get this OBC and Carnival has your money to invest and use....and it is $50 for a 5 day cruise and $100 for seven. A good deal but it also guarantees future business....which is a good investment by CCL.

 

1. Ship wide WIFI.
   

This is great too, but so expensive many of us do not use it, or use it sparingly. Again, glad they improved something you have to pay extra for.

 

1. The Serenity deck.
   

I agree, this is an improvement, but the EOF improvements have slowed down. No water parks or balconies on many ships. Was originally on a fast track to be done on all Fantasy class ships, but now years later many are still waiting.

 

1. The Water park with more slides.
   

Only on some ships...

 

1. The new terminal in Miami
   

Not sure how much CCL has to do with this, and certainly not a bonus to the majority of cruisers who do not go to Miami.

For a while the food actually did decline but it has been getting better again. I also like the fact that some items like the flat iron steak, chicken breast, and chocolate melting cake are available every day in case you don't find anything appealing on the menu.

 

I still find it to be a great value for a vacation unlike anything else you can do.

 

Now a few more examples...

1) No more designated Karaoke hosts on 5 night cruises. I am sure some will shout hooray, but fur us who love Karaoke it means a guess at who will be the KH.

 

2) Dark nights on cruises...a five night cruise only has TWO shows and a Welcome Aboard show....so talent show one night and the other night is dark. Come on...cruising is about entertainment!

 

3) Less staff in the Dining Room, so servers have to serve more tables, which means poorer service.

 

We have only been cruising for six years (14 cruises) but I can easily tell how things have deteriorated.

[alexieb]

A steak offered nightly in the dining room that you don't have to be a wildebeest to chew for starters.

 

 

I second that. I was disappointed to see that Carnival's Chateaubriand is made from beef shoulder. What's up with that! I was all set to order it the other night when I saw that it was a beef shoulder cut. I opted for something else.

 

"The beef clod or shoulder is one of the cheapest cuts of beef and is taken from the shoulder region of the cattle. This is why it is sometimes called chuck or shoulder clod. Beef clod consists of a large muscle system and some fat that covers the muscles. Beef clod can be prepared in a variety of methods both dry and moist, but the most recommended method to cook beef clod is to cook it with moist heat or braising. Long slow smoking also provides acceptable results. It is often served in institutional cafeterias due to its low price and the fact that it is easily mass cooked in dishes such as soups, lasagna, and gruel."

 

 

Yucky.

 

 

 

 

[Bandman]

$700

 

I want

 

show every night

 

Real Band on Lido

 

More Real musicians in show band instead of pre-recorded tracks

 

Soup course, Appetizer course, Salad course, Main course, Cheese course, Dessert course like the old days

 

the entire silver service set out pre-meal so I get a clean utensil for each course

 

Butter dish

 

Beef Wellington

 

Fewer tables for my waiter to cover

 

Fewer cabins for my steward to clean

 

Formal Nights

 

Chocolates on my pillow

 

Midnight buffet - The big one and the smaller ones they had EVERY night

 

Food choices open longer

 

 

:)

[halos]

Now, here's a twist:

Would you rather pay $500 pp for a 7-nighter with this new "cutback Carnival" service, or, say, $700 pp for a 7-nighter with all of the old Carnival amenities?

 

I'd rather pay the $700.

 

I said no. that being said I think customer service all over is declining, not particularly for Carnival. I think its the newer generation and how they view the world.

 

I don't agree - .

 

 

 

I don't agree as well...Customer service is not declining all over.

 

(I didn't vote in the poll. I'm giving the line one more shot before declaring a total decline)

[RRLLAL]

To me there has been more of a cutback in services than a general decline.

1. Combined the Appetizer and Salad course at dinner in the main dinning room.
   
2. Duo instead of a Quartet on the Lido deck.
   
3. No more past guest pins.
   
4. Shorter Lunch hours on sea days.
   
5. No more red punch.
   

There have been new things added too

1. The Future Cruise program that gets you $100 OBC.
   
2. Ship wide WIFI.
   
3. The Serenity deck.
   
4. The Water park with more slides.
   
5. The new terminal in Miami
   

For a while the food actually did decline but it has been getting better again. I also like the fact that some items like the flat iron steak, chicken breast, and chocolate melting cake are available every day in case you don't find anything appealing on the menu.

 

I still find it to be a great value for a vacation unlike anything else you can do.

 

You get it, others don't. Some people only see some things they have eliminated or changed and scream decline, while in reality there has also been additions or upgrades. One you missed is the added food choices like the Mongolian Wok, or the Burrito Bar, etc. Another is added balconies on some ships. We have cruised Carnival since 1995 and while we have seen things taken away we have seen things added. Overall, we have seen no change in the overall package.

[westview1900]

I want to see a show every night. If it costs $700, $600, or $500, or any other number, this is one of the things on a cruise which I look forward to. I'm not a big fan of the talent show either. I perceive this as a way to save money by using paying customers as entertainers. It's possible that I'm not seeing this from the correct perspective. Maybe it's a way to get talented passengers an opportunity to perform in front of others. Larger bands without prerecorded music would be nice as well. I feel as if an attempt is being made to make me feel that the band I'm watching is playing the entire portion of music that I'm listening to at a show.

That being said, I love cruises and feel that Carnival provides the best value by far for a cruise.

[Warm Breezes]

You get it, others don't. Some people only see some things they have eliminated or changed and scream decline, while in reality there has also been additions or upgrades. One you missed is the added food choices like the Mongolian Wok, or the Burrito Bar, etc. Another is added balconies on some ships. We have cruised Carnival since 1995 and while we have seen things taken away we have seen things added. Overall, we have seen no change in the overall package.

 

I agree with you.

 

I disagree with those who say there is an overall decline in service. I did not have any decline in service on my Destiny cruise and in fact had the best room stewardess we have ever had on any of our cruises. Service is always a hit or miss on any cruise line, on any ship, and can vary from table to table, room to room....IMHO it is subjective and it is dependant on the people serving you and what is happening with them that week. If they have multiple tables of extra demanding passengers your service is going to suffer.... If you are an extra picky person your never going to be happy with your service...saw that happen at one of my tables with an excellant server...she just had a passenger who found something (real or imagined...mostly imagined) to complain about with every meal.

 

I have seen more reviews of people pleased with their service than I have seen of people complaining. People will come on complain more vocally than those who come on and commend good service. They want as many people to know as possible how unhappy they were with the service they received. Many of the things people complain about, a lot of people see as trivial and not even worth a second thought. Some things are not.

 

Some people will experience poor service. People have experienced poor service 10 years ago and people will experience poor service 10 years from now. That is a fact. Some people will experience excellant service. People have experienced excellant service 10 years ago and people will experience excellant service 10 years from now. That is a fact. Whether the poor service is fleetwide and is increasing is a matter of opinion.

[BigTexan]

I voted NO, not declining.

I've had a great time on the three Carnival cruises I've been on.

Some of the best times are in the main dining room with the waitstaff. Service is always excellent for me, but also entertaining. When I leave that ship, it feels like I'm leaving good friends behind. I've had great cabin stewards who seemed to know when I walked out to clean the room. The shows are entertaining, not the quality of Vegas revues, but they are a lot of fun. There is so much to do most of the time, that just relaxing and letting the world go by is worth adding to the list.

The surprising thing to me is that I see reviews from people on the same cruises I have been on, who state it was the "cruise from hell."

I think a huge part of really having a great time on a cruise is how easy a person can just not sweat the small stuff.

[Complextlt]

A steak offered nightly in the dining room that you don't have to be a wildebeest to chew for starters.

 

OMG you had me SO laughing my head off!!!!:D

[firefly333]

To me there has been more of a cutback in services than a general decline.

1. Combined the Appetizer and Salad course at dinner in the main dinning room.
   
2. Duo instead of a Quartet on the Lido deck.
   
3. No more past guest pins.
   
4. Shorter Lunch hours on sea days.
   
5. No more red punch.
   

There have been new things added too

1. The Future Cruise program that gets you $100 OBC.
   
2. Ship wide WIFI.
   
3. The Serenity deck.
   
4. The Water park with more slides.
   
5. The new terminal in Miami
   

For a while the food actually did decline but it has been getting better again. I also like the fact that some items like the flat iron steak, chicken breast, and chocolate melting cake are available every day in case you don't find anything appealing on the menu.

 

I still find it to be a great value for a vacation unlike anything else you can do.

 

Iv found on seadays that they start lunch an hour later, but they extend it for an extra hour .. no cutback.

 

I would add one thing they added I love is the extra venues to eat. I love Mongolian BBQ and the chicken rotissie especially.

 

I order as many salads and appetizers as I want .. so no dif to me??

 

Im platinum so I still get my ship pins, no cut back again in my case.

 

Another good thing, is you can combine FCC and stock credit. In the past Iv been denied combining promo booking credit with stock as a for instance.. so I get more OBC than the past .. always a good thing.

[BlueJacketsFan1]

My wife and I still love Carnival and plan to always cruise with them. The only thing we would say has gone down would be the way they let people enter the main dining rooms. We would like to see them have a dress code and then also enforce it. Jean and short in the main dining room are a little much. That is why there are so many different places to eat. If you don't want to clean up a little don't go to the main dining room. It wouldn't hurt anyone to clean up a little to go to diner at night.

[shwabob]

A lot of very good points by many people. I've only sailed Carnival in the past, so I don't have other lines to compare it to. However, I thought the cutbacks were very noticeable on our Victory cruise last week.

 

Things that stood out to me:

At the Port of San Juan, it seems like they're contracting out services like airport transfer and luggage handling (porters) to the lowest possible bidder. The guys handling my luggage smelled like they had spent the better part of their day at football practice, and of course they destroyed my GF's luggage. The company apparently didn't bring the damaged bags onto the ship, so had we not hounded guest services and had someone get off the ship to look for our stuff it would have been left in port. We weren't the only ones either, there was a cart full of damaged bags. That's just unacceptable, IMO.

 

Portion size in MDR has decreased a bit, but the fact that I can just order multiple items for that particular course compensates for this. It seems like they're using a different cut of beef for the flat iron now, but I found it to be a great steak when ordered medium rare. No complaints there, I ate plenty.

 

It seems like the bar staff has become a bit more tight with those that use unlimited soda. About half of the time instead of just looking at the sticker, the bartender would actually swipe the card and verify my picture. Several times I went to get a drink for myself and the GF (both cards in hand) and I was told that they wouldn't give me the drink unless she was present. Seemed a bit ridiculous over a soda.

 

But what drove both myself and my girlfriend nuts was what seemed like never ending sales pitches.

After embarking and on the sea day, it felt like the Lido Deck drink servers were taxi drivers in Nassau or St. Thomas! Literally was asked by 4 different people if we wanted a DoD within 2 minutes of hitting the Lido deck, and they were unyielding. On sea day, we were getting asked every few minutes and it was like they were pushing it on us regularly. Definite difference from previous cruises that was really unnecessary.

This might have been the CD, but Karl's announcements over the PA on an hourly basis were beyond annoying. Like clockwork, every hour on the hour we would hear the PA come on and he'd be telling us about this spa service that we couldn't go to dinner without, what shore excursions we absolutely must take, and how we just couldn't live without buying this or that from the gift shops. It would have been one thing had he actually had some useful information to offer, but it was just flat out sales pitches on the hour.

 

Something I wanted to also point out was that we've felt the service from ALL the staff on the ship was incredible! Our dining room staff, guest services, room stewards, and just about everyone on the boat was extremely friendly, energetic, and responsive. We always saw people cleaning up when they weren't busy helping out guests. Carnival may be cutting in some areas, but fortunately they have what are without a doubt some of the best crew out there!

 

Overall, we've had a great experience with Carnival and will definitely cruise with them again because of the great value that they offer. However, for longer vacations where I'm taking a week off of work and spending a significant chunk of my annual disposable income, I'd rather pay a bit more and get more out of the experience. I also know Carnival can do better, and it disappoints me to see the direction that things have been headed.

[bonnys]

We noticed a decline in things on our last cruise. We are still cruising CCL and even booked one after we returned but there was a noticable difference.

[skylock]

My wife and I still love Carnival and plan to always cruise with them. The only thing we would say has gone down would be the way they let people enter the main dining rooms. We would like to see them have a dress code and then also enforce it. Jean and short in the main dining room are a little much. That is why there are so many different places to eat. If you don't want to clean up a little don't go to the main dining room. It wouldn't hurt anyone to clean up a little to go to diner at night.

 

Where have you been? They do have a dress code and jeans AND shorts are on it.

 

I agree with you.

 

I disagree with those who say there is an overall decline in service. I did not have any decline in service on my Destiny cruise and in fact had the best room stewardess we have ever had on any of our cruises. Service is always a hit or miss on any cruise line, on any ship, and can vary from table to table, room to room....IMHO it is subjective and it is dependant on the people serving you and what is happening with them that week. If they have multiple tables of extra demanding passengers your service is going to suffer.... If you are an extra picky person your never going to be happy with your service...saw that happen at one of my tables with an excellant server...she just had a passenger who found something (real or imagined...mostly imagined) to complain about with every meal.

 

I have seen more reviews of people pleased with their service than I have seen of people complaining. People will come on complain more vocally than those who come on and commend good service. They want as many people to know as possible how unhappy they were with the service they received. Many of the things people complain about, a lot of people see as trivial and not even worth a second thought. Some things are not.

 

Some people will experience poor service. People have experienced poor service 10 years ago and people will experience poor service 10 years from now. That is a fact. Some people will experience excellant service. People have experienced excellant service 10 years ago and people will experience excellant service 10 years from now. That is a fact. Whether the poor service is fleetwide and is increasing is a matter of opinion.

 

The fact you noticed no decrease in service just shows how well your crew was able to take up the slack. But they will never be able to keep it up.

 

It is like when we had to work short at work at times because a co worker got sick. No one noticed at first because we were able to pick up the slack, but when she did not return and they did away with her position, I guarantee people started noticing after a while because we were strung out on our own jobs as it was and short term we were able to make things go smooth, but long term no way.

 

I have been on enough cruises to know the service crew has been cut. I wonder when the breaking point comes.

 

They should have service people running out the butt. Their pay is min. No excuse. Food just keeps getting more expensive, but the service people cost nothing else.

[ElizaB1775]

I can't vote because it's been a while since I've cruised. But I'm sailing in December for the first time in over five years and am very concerned about the changes I've heard about. If I had heard people talking about the decline in service, entertainment and food quality before I booked, I would have gone with another cruise line. I wish I had checked out the boards sooner so I wouldn't be feeling like I'm going to be cruising with K-Mart. I hope I will be pleasantly surprised in December and that things end up being much better than what I'm hearing.

 

Hoping for the best,

E.