I will never cruise with Carnival again, and here's why...

[pe4all]

A properly cooked steak should not need Salt and Pepper.

I have seen people salt and pepper their steaks in the best restaurants - Ruth Chris's, Peter Luger's, Morton's, etc. To each their own. (and I won't even mention the fact that dh dunks his in - OMG - ketchup at these places!!) I would rather season steaks to my taste than have them be over-seasoned, as I like "bland" food. But we digress...:p:D

[rlkubi]

We always have several couples that cruise together so we are rarely in the room. We only turn tv on to see the weather -- other than that I am on vacation and don't want to see all the news, etc. We are up playing cards, dominoes, or reading on Serenity deck

[Tapi]

I called and asked him about the anytime dining (for our upcoming cruise) and he said that he would not recommend it. Your service will suffer a bit, you wont get the personalized attention (different table/different wait staff every time), and they are usually reserve the "suckiest" tables (near the kitchen etc) for the anytime seating.

 

I beg to differ. We've been doing Anytime Dining since its inception, and LOVED every minute of it. In fact, we cringe at the thought of assigned dining now!

 

If a table right on the balcony with an open view of the MDR is a "sucky" table, then your PVP may be right, but I personally consider these tables to be "prime location" tables, and that's what we normally request (and get) when doing Anytime Dining! :)

[SadieN]

Carnival, IMHO, has never done Mexican or even TexMex well.

 

Refreshing to read a bad review with some positive comments.

[Cruzface]

Trying to downplay/trivialize peoples concerns is the exact reason why it is ok for Carnival to keep cutting back.

 

No, Carnival will keep cutting back so long as the company remains profitable. People have to stop cruising as the OP intends to do. But people disagreeing as to the high and unrealistic expectations from Carnival has nothing to do with it.

 

I don't go on Carnival for gourmet food, Broadway quality entertainment (I live in NY and don't go to Broadway anyway), flat screen TV's in cabin, top notch service, and elegantly dressed fellow passengers.

 

I cruise on Carnival because it is cheap, gets me where I want to go, has abundant good food, a casino, many bars, variety of decent entertainment.

 

Lower your expectations and you will not be as disappointed.

[Lisl123]

Oh for crying out loud! I bet the fat girl wearing a bikini ruined the Lido deck for you too ... I have never had the color of a room decor or a single appetizer turn me off of an entire FLEET of ships.

 

I understand that you use the TV, but why are the auxillary ports necessary if you just want to relax and watch tv? I always bring my laptop so my kid can watch movies and tv shows he likes once in awhile to mellow out. Do you pack a DVD player or???

 

Most of these seem like minor complaints - the food is easily rectified by ordering something else. Not even the next night - I mean order something else immediately - send it back if it isn't to your liking. They really don't mind.

 

I have done the anytime seating on Carnival two or three times now ... and I have requested it again for our cruise in February. I like the slower pace and being able to finish each course at our leisure. We felt rushed at set seating times - like we had only so many minutes to finish each course. I will say that sometimes the service is slow and less polished in anytime seating (part of this is that you do not typically get the same waitstaff every night), but they always did seem to be doing their best to keep glasses full and food on the table. We were never not offered dessert or coffee, which happened to me several times on an NCL cruise I took on 11/10 (which, guess what, when they failed to OFFER, I ASKED for it ... and I had coffee and dessert.)

 

I have never had the food not be better than what I get at a moderately priced restaurant at home, so I can't see complaining. But glad you know what you want and think you will find it on another cruiseline. NCL might be a good choice - the two cruises I took with them, the whole ship was full of people whining about everything and bored out of their minds because there was no "silly" entertainment to be found. :D

[SE NC]

:(

Sorry that your cruise was that bad...you sound severly disappointed (to say the least).

Although I am curious as to the details, I kinda dread the onslaught from the loyalists that is sure to follow.

 

 

 

Have you ever tried NCL?? They do freestyle better than any of the other lines do anytime....

 

also, I can't vouch for the salsa on NCL, but the guacamole is made right there. In their Mexican eatery, you see the avacados all piled up and the big wooden bowl they make it in.

 

It's probably the best guac I have ever eaten.

 

At least the Carnival cheerleaders are cheering on the CARNIVAL site. I've noticed, with all due respect, you seem to troll the Carnival site trying to discourage people from sailing Carnival as you truly are the number 1 CHEERLEADER FOR NCL!!!:eek:

[Lisl123]

No, Carnival will keep cutting back so long as the company remains profitable. People have to stop cruising as the OP intends to do. But people disagreeing as to the high and unrealistic expectations from Carnival has nothing to do with it.

 

I don't go on Carnival for gourmet food, Broadway quality entertainment (I live in NY and don't go to Broadway anyway), flat screen TV's in cabin, top notch service, and elegantly dressed fellow passengers.

 

I cruise on Carnival because it is cheap, gets me where I want to go, has abundant good food, a casino, many bars, variety of decent entertainment.

 

Lower your expectations and you will not be as disappointed.

 

 

So true! Wish I would have read this before posting the same thing in a quite less eloquent fashion (see above :rolleyes:)

[halos]

No, Carnival will keep cutting back so long as the company remains profitable. People have to stop cruising as the OP intends to do. But people disagreeing as to the high and unrealistic expectations from Carnival has nothing to do with it.

 

I don't go on Carnival for gourmet food, Broadway quality entertainment (I live in NY and don't go to Broadway anyway), flat screen TV's in cabin, top notch service, and elegantly dressed fellow passengers.

 

I cruise on Carnival because it is cheap, gets me where I want to go, has abundant good food, a casino, many bars, variety of decent entertainment.

 

Lower your expectations and you will not be as disappointed.

 

I agree!!!!

I just did a price comparison.

I cruised (my best CCL cruise EVER) back in 2004 on the Miracle. We paid $850 pp for a 7 night sailing in June (out of NY) in an interior

I just went and looked at what an interior for that same week on that same ship costs now for this coming June

The price is $929 for an interior...BUT this is now an 8 day sailing.

 

You get what you pay for on CCL. You are not being ripped off.

For me personally, I'd have prefered to have the same food/service as I did previously even if it meant a higher cruise fare but CCL needs to do what is right for their business and they think that is keeping prices low to fill their ships.

However....I do resent the people that act like they are getting the same or better than they did years ago, when the math proves that this is impossible. And I totally resent that saying CCL is not the same as it once was gets me labeled a complainer (or made fun of by the brand ambassador)

 

CCL fills their ships. People love to cruise with them because it is affordable. People like me (and the OP) have to go elsewhere.

It's simple.

 

 

At least the Carnival cheerleaders are cheering on the CARNIVAL site. I've noticed, with all due respect, you seem to troll the Carnival site trying to discourage people from sailing Carnival as you truly are the number 1 CHEERLEADER FOR NCL!!!

 

case in point

:rolleyes:

 

Troll the CCL site???

I have a 15 day CCL cruise approaching, fwiw, I hardly consider myself a troll.

[tootsiescurly]

Just curious, you know it is ok for people who have sailed Carnival in the past to be disappointed, as well as preferring to try other cruise lines, don't you?:confused:

[Dave994]

OP. sorry you had such a poor experience. I agree it's time you try another line. I know I would. Sometimes it's good to pay a little more.

 

To all others who are once again jumping down the poor guys throat, give it a rest. I thought this was called cruise critic and yet every time

Someone complains they get attacked.

 

This is why people complain and mock this site. It's become a joke.

[ManyMore]

I hate to see people say they will never sail a cruise line again because of cutback. Just so you are aware... all the cruiselines are doing this. Rememeber, they are out to make money but people complain if the cruise price is too high or about an added fuel surcharge. There will never be a perfect balance given the economy we live in and our expectations. The entire cruise industry has taken a hit as far as quality and wait times. So they have to make a choice... cut back off on some things and piss some people off or.... jack the price up and lose a lot of cruisers that can't afford the higher price, never will everyone be happy. :rolleyes:

[travelplanner4thefamily]

First, lets remember this is the OP opinions and feels and in America we have the right to our own opinions and what makes us happy or not so happy. Some smoking on a blacony can set someone off when another doesn't care. I know that is a big one for some but for me thats just the way it is and no biggy but TVs not working is a big deal for me helps getting the kids to take a rest and maybe not be so whiny in the MDR.

 

But anyway, ATD has worked great for us and on Carnival Fantasy and RCCL LOS we had the same servers every night. Not that this is the norm but it did work for us.

[Cruzface]

Just curious, you know it is ok for people who have sailed Carnival in the past to be disappointed, as well as preferring to try other cruise lines, don't you?:confused:

 

Not sure if you are referring to me or not, but of course people have a right to be disappointed and everyone should try other lines in order to make a valid comparison. I have and I think Carnival is better overall. Others disagree. That's why there are 3 budget cruise lines (CCL, RCI and NCL).

 

But if someone is going to the trouble of stating their complaints, they shouldn't be offended when people question them or disagree on this site.

[maldenmusic]

OMG-some people love to complain I guess. I have cruised out of NOLA several times and never had much of a problem. CCL isn't perfect but then, who is?

[genegri]

I beg to differ. We've been doing Anytime Dining since its inception, and LOVED every minute of it. In fact, we cringe at the thought of assigned dining now!

 

If a table right on the balcony with an open view of the MDR is a "sucky" table, then your PVP may be right, but I personally consider these tables to be "prime location" tables, and that's what we normally request (and get) when doing Anytime Dining! :)

 

You can request tables with ATD? How do you do it? Does it mean you will likely wait longer? I always seemed to get a table by a busy aisle where people walking by brushed against my seat on Carnival. I kept hoping next time it would be my turn to get a good table but that never came.

 

On RCI most tables for 2 are by the balcony and have great views while larger tables are along the walls. I think it's a good design because larger tables tend to focus on company so views and privacy are not as important.

[kingpinJK]

OP. sorry you had such a poor experience. I agree it's time you try another line. I know I would. Sometimes it's good to pay a little more.

 

To all others who are once again jumping down the poor guys throat, give it a rest. I thought this was called cruise critic and yet every time

Someone complains they get attacked.

 

This is why people complain and mock this site. It's become a joke.

I'll make my point like this:

 

we want to try NCL, and almost did. The only reason we did carnival again is because we had a FCC. The NCL sailing on the same date as ours was a mere $50pp more, but the FCC's expire and we wanted to use it while we could.

 

Anyway, here's another bit of my review as i'm typing it while at work. I'll update more tonight when I get home and can dedicate more time to it, but i'll try to upload and post up some pictures here in a few.

 

Also, I should note, I don't really care if people criticize my review. It's a free country and just like i'm posting my opinion, others are more than welcome to voice theirs.

 

 

 

When we were on Conquest a year ago, we made it a point to see the comedians, the shows, and go to as many “events” as possible. Now, a year has passed since our last voyage, and I hate to say it but all the shows are EXACTLY THE SAME, just different people in them. I was shocked that everything was identical. Not a single different show. Even one of the comedians was the same comedian that was on the ship last time. I know that is very coincidental, but still… Because of this we probably spent more time in our stateroom than we would have otherwise. Again, I get that we’re in a bad economy and it costs money to refresh shows, So I’ll chalk this up as part of the mediocrity of the cruise. It seems that Carnival just doesn’t care about entertainment as much as they lead you to believe. That leads me to talk about missed ports of call. I get it, we can’t dock for safety reasons. Unfortunately it leads to a day of SERIOUS boredom aboard the ship. Refunding port fees and an apology, in my opinon, is not enough. I’ve sailed on conquest twice and both times I’ve missed a port of call. I understand the captain tried to make it up to the passengers by spending an extra few hours in Nassau, but after dark Nassau shuts down completely short of Senor Frogs. So, unless you’re a frat guy moron like the idiot who held up the ship in Nassau while stumbling drunkenly up the dock, it does one no good to spend extra time there.

 

I’m starting to write up a bitchfest, so while it’s fresh on my mind, I’ll touch on some of the positive parts of the cruise. The new beer, Thirsty Frog I think it’s called, is wonderful. It’s a heavily malty beer, and goes great with something salty. I was highly impressed. It reminded me of when I visited the Spoetzl brewery in Texas and tried a fresh Shiner Bock. One thing I noted last year on the ship was the pizza was very, very bland. Disappointingly bland. I’m glad to say that Carnival stepped up their game in the pizzeria. The “rustica” and “pan” pizzas were my favorite, and I have no problem waiting a few minutes for the cook to fire up a calzone for me, they’re greasy and wonderful. I’m also glad to say that the sushi was also very, very good and they’re serving it in the lido buffet at night. Since we gave up on the MDR after the second night, the sushi on the lido deck became a staple in my diet over the week, and I loved it! I was even happier when fried rice was offered on the buffet. Call me a asian food addict, and I’ll plead guilty every time. Additionally, the extra-cost café is worth EVERY PENNY. The carrot cake is wonderful, the cheesecake is massive, the milkshakes are ambrosia. The girl who was working there was friendly and helpful as well. It’s unfortunate the cheesecake was frozen solid the first few days of the cruise, but once we got a slice, it was heaven!

[jonbgd]

I think the TV is a big issue also. We have much down time and spend plenty of it in our cabin. The TV is on quite often.

 

 

Well I actuaally agree with you on something:eek:

We also have alot of cabin/balcony time on sea days. Im on a cruise to relax

[frito58]

I knew I was going to like this thread only wish I had some popcorn:p

[kingpinJK]

Well I actuaally agree with you on something:eek:

We also have alot of cabin/balcony time on sea days. Im on a cruise to relax

i actually brought my WDTV live and a harddrive filled with dexter season 3 and a ton of movies to pass the time, it would have been wonderful to have taken advantage of it. I guess they want to get you to rent the $9 movies...

[elcuchio24]

I beg to differ. We've been doing Anytime Dining since its inception, and LOVED every minute of it. In fact, we cringe at the thought of assigned dining now!

 

If a table right on the balcony with an open view of the MDR is a "sucky" table, then your PVP may be right, but I personally consider these tables to be "prime location" tables, and that's what we normally request (and get) when doing Anytime Dining! :)

 

I never understand that either. The last couple ships we haven't even been on the top floor, but right down in the main floor. :)

[WeBeCruisin']

i actually brought my WDTV live and a harddrive filled with dexter season 3 and a ton of movies to pass the time, it would have been wonderful to have taken advantage of it. I guess they want to get you to rent the $9 movies...

 

I can honestly say that in 25 cruises I have never once felt bored or needed something to "pass the time". I do a lot of cruises as a single and on those I never turn on the tv at all and I've never ever used the internet services on a cruise. If I want to watch "Dexter", I'll do it at home when I'm not planning my next cruise. :)

 

If someone is "bored" and thinks that there's nothing to do on a cruise, then cruising (in my opinion) is obviously the wrong type of vacation for them.

[imapris]

Perhaps this is a dumb question, but why would you cruise the same exact ship and expect entertainment to be different to begin with? Surely you understand it would be expensive to change the shows, right?

 

I'm no expert, but just from common sense I would only expect the shows on any given ship to change every couple of years. Or perhaps they have a couple of shows that are on rotation. However, if you're taking a weeklong cruise, I think it's only logical to expect the shows to be the same as that is the duration of most cruises.

 

If your primary goal when cruising is to have a different experience than your previous cruises, then I would recommend choosing a different ship. You know what they say, if you do what you've always done, you will get what you've always got.

 

As for your actual complaints - they seem to be valid based on your expectations, and each of us are entitled to our own. Like others have said though, Carnival is not marketed as a gourmet cruise line. Match your cruiseline to your expectations and you'll have a better experience next time.

 

Just my two cents.

[BeccaBecca1713]

We always have several couples that cruise together so we are rarely in the room. We only turn tv on to see the weather -- other than that I am on vacation and don't want to see all the news, etc. We are up playing cards, dominoes, or reading on Serenity deck

 

 

Your cards, dominoes and reading is someone else's "watching TV." What if they closed the Serenity deck, threw all the cards overboard and torched all reading materials? Would you like someone saying to you "Pssh, we never do that stuff anyways, we like to watch TV while we're on vacation so your complaints are trivial."

[kingpinJK]

I can honestly say that in 25 cruises I have never once felt bored or needed something to "pass the time". I do a lot of cruises as a single and on those I never turn on the tv at all and I've never ever used the internet services on a cruise. If I want to watch "Dexter"' date=' I'll do it at home when I'm not planning my next cruise. :)

 

If someone is "bored" and thinks that there's nothing to do on a cruise, then cruising (in my opinion) is obviously the wrong type of vacation for them.[/quote']

 

Oh, well next time i'll consult you as to what i can do and not do on my next vacation, oh great king of the world.