Just posted on Carnival's FB site

[pmcubed]

As I tell people that we are taking a cruise over our vacation break - they keep saying, "gee, I hope it isn't Carnival". We have taken 2 HA cruises and LOVED them both. This will be our first CC and so, my favorite line in the whole Facebook posting is this one:

Carnival Cruise Lines carries some 4.5 million passengers a year and operates thousands of cruises without incident.

 

So, this is my thinking. All will be well. And even if it isn't - we'll be in the Caribbean - not in snowy western NY!!!

 

Pat

[michelle1836]

thanks for posting!

[Redsfan]

I am not a Cheerleader or a critic of Carnival, but not happy with how things are going of late. We are seriously doubting wanting to Cruise with CCL if we decide to cruise later in the year...forget about the discussion about isolated events, etc, I don't care about any of that. What I have cared about is that there have been many issues over the last few years with many of the boats and it is pretty evident that little was done to correct anything. This has now come back to bite them.

 

To be honest, what did any of us expect them to say? Any Service Industry Business that goes through horrible PR like CCL has of late will at some point put out a statement swearing up and down to fix things, etc, blah blah blah.

 

Proof will be told over time now and see if they have taken stood by their statements are tried to and successfully corrected things....if so, consumer confidence will prevail.

[Katie333]

This article was informative (though I agree, more info about hat's happening with Triumph!), and not surprisingly that the media blows things out of proportion, especially because the Triumph situation was legitimately bad.

 

With that said, all these recent issues, though unrelated I suppose, do point to some serious issues with *something* in the Carnival maintenance program or somewhere else. I'm not a technical expert.

 

Normally we don't let these issues bother us, but I am starting to feel like this is a fool me once kind of scenario.

 

We were planning to book Carnival for our trip to Europe and our group (all past Carnival cruisers) is having second thoughts.

[tinyrose]

I just posted this on another thread so yes it is a copy and paste. But I want everyone to know MY PERSONAL experience with my Dream cruise that I just returned from.

 

 

 

 

We were on the Dream. And we had a blast.

 

My experience = the elevators were out 3 times for about 15 minutes while they were testing the back-up generators. Our bathroom on deck 6 was out 3 times, twice for about 15 minutes and once for about 1 hour; each time while they were testing the back-up generators.

 

Other than that, everything was FUNCTIONAL.

 

I personally saw one public restroom being used by PASSENGERS after being told over the the public announcement system AND after signs were POSTED on EVERY public restroom that they were NOT to be used. So, if there was a problem with an over-flowing toilet (and I did not witness that myself), it was because PASSENGERS did not follow what they were verbally and writtenly TOLD.

 

We were flown to Orlando by a Delta charter flight. Then bussed to Port Canaveral to retrieve our car.

 

Carnival staff provided excellent service while we were on board. We had an extra day in St. Maarten---YEA!!!!--- with free water taxi wrist bands. I was FREELY allowed to use the internet and phone lines to communicate with our families in Wisconsin and Ohio to let them know that we were ok and having a BLAST.

 

My only MINOR MINOR MINOR complaint was slow information in alerting us to our charter flight departure time. BUT the logistics of getting over 4000 passengers (both with and WITHOUT passports) back to the United States must have been a nightmare for Carnival.

 

So, I was on the Dream, had a blast, and will sail with Carnival again. My PERSONAL experience with Carnival and the Dream was GREAT!

 

Life is NOT perfect. This was ONLY a MINOR bump in the road just like all the other minor bumps in my life.

[cruisinfanatic]

If this were any other Line not owned by CCL you folks would be chewing them up. Frankly, Carnival has management, budgeting and maintenance issue that the other majors, by some divine providence have avoided. Anyway, they must improve or the financial markets will decide their fate.

Care to show anything in writing besides the opinions (including yours) on this board? Don't think there are any based on fact

[Dixieland Mom]

I just posted this on another thread so yes it is a copy and paste. But I want everyone to know MY PERSONAL experience with my Dream cruise that I just returned from.

 

 

 

 

We were on the Dream. And we had a blast.

 

My experience = the elevators were out 3 times for about 15 minutes while they were testing the back-up generators. Our bathroom on deck 6 was out 3 times, twice for about 15 minutes and once for about 1 hour; each time while they were testing the back-up generators.

 

Other than that, everything was FUNCTIONAL.

 

I personally saw one public restroom being used by PASSENGERS after being told over the the public announcement system AND after signs were POSTED on EVERY public restroom that they were NOT to be used. So, if there was a problem with an over-flowing toilet (and I did not witness that myself), it was because PASSENGERS did not follow what they were verbally and writtenly TOLD.

 

We were flown to Orlando by a Delta charter flight. Then bussed to Port Canaveral to retrieve our car.

 

Carnival staff provided excellent service while we were on board. We had an extra day in St. Maarten---YEA!!!!--- with free water taxi wrist bands. I was FREELY allowed to use the internet and phone lines to communicate with our families in Wisconsin and Ohio to let them know that we were ok and having a BLAST.

 

My only MINOR MINOR MINOR complaint was slow information in alerting us to our charter flight departure time. BUT the logistics of getting over 4000 passengers (both with and WITHOUT passports) back to the United States must have been a nightmare for Carnival.

 

So, I was on the Dream, had a blast, and will sail with Carnival again. My PERSONAL experience with Carnival and the Dream was GREAT!

 

Life is NOT perfect. This was ONLY a MINOR bump in the road just like all the other minor bumps in my life.

Thanks for the info on your cruise! Sounds like you had a blast and like any vacation, there can be a few bumps in the road. I would've loved to spend an extra day there too!

I've never sailed Carnival, but have considered it, depends on how all this works out now before I decide if I'll try them. Probably will as I'd like to sail all the lines for comparison purposes.

I agree with the one poster, WHO has CNN's phone number conveniently on their phone??

[Aplmac]

I agree with the one poster,

WHO has CNN's phone number conveniently on their phone??

I think you would be surprised at how many do!

 

Most people are small fish in a huuuge pond

and their biggest deal in life is that elusive 15 mins. of Fame!

 

This can be accomplished by being on TV, preferably visibly on TV

but a 2 min. telephone interview would suffice nicely too. ;)

 

Having CNN iReporter number on speed-dial is just too easy.

In fact I just Bing'ed it - the info is out there. Easy.

.

[MrPete]

I think you would be surprised at how many do!

 

Most people are small fish in a huuuge pond

and their biggest deal in life is that elusive 15 mins. of Fame!

 

This can be accomplished by being on TV, preferably visibly on TV

but a 2 min. telephone interview would suffice nicely too. ;)

 

Having CNN iReporter number on speed-dial is just too easy.

In fact I just Bing'ed it - the info is out there. Easy.

.

Meanwhile, isn't it CNN that is the news venue on board the ships? Think news, think CNN.

 

But I guess some missed it. On the Triumph, I hear the banner on the helicopter read "CALL CNN 1-800- XXX XXXX.

[ib4cruzn]

Hmmm. I think Carnival is pulling a "CNN". Actually "towed". No.

 

Good "spin" though...

 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-carnival-legend-stalled-20130315,0,7015757.story

[MikeM]

March 16, 2013

We would like to share an update with you regarding the status of Carnival Dream, Legend and Elation and to answer your questions and clarify many misperceptions that are being driven by confusing and, in many cases, inaccurate media coverage. We would also like to update you on the status of our ongoing internal review in the wake of the Carnival Triumph incident.

Carnival Dream

The ship’s power plant, propulsion and hotel systems are fully operational. Aside from some periodic interruptions to restroom and elevator service for a few hours Tuesday night, at no time have any of the ship’s systems and services not been functional.

Does this statement make sense? Marvelous

[tiggerlover]

If I'm looking at this correctly.... The Dream is sailing back now! :D

[jonbgd]

I think you would be surprised at how many do!

 

Most people are small fish in a huuuge pond

and their biggest deal in life is that elusive 15 mins. of Fame!

 

This can be accomplished by being on TV, preferably visibly on TV

but a 2 min. telephone interview would suffice nicely too. ;)

 

Having CNN iReporter number on speed-dial is just too easy.

In fact I just Bing'ed it - the info is out there. Easy.

.

and that is what is wrong with society

[Dixieland Mom]

and that is what is wrong with society

I agree 100%.

[ib4cruzn]

and that is what is wrong with society

 

Well, ONE of the things anyway.

 

See http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

 

;-)

[golfadj]

Understand why the media jumped on the Dream fire but the others were mostly non events.

[broberts]

CNN should report what Carnival posted on facebook but they wont. All they need is two people to call & complain & they run with it. What would make people call CNN in the first place? Do they have the number programmed in their phone just waiting for something to go wrong?

 

I don't blame CNN. They are a visual medium, reporting a press release posted on Facebook is not something they do. I expect that if Carnival had a media spokesperson available and willing, CNN would have interviewed them either on-air or for later, edited broadcast.

 

I may be quite wrong in this. But the fact that no network has shown a Carnival spokesperson except at a press conference makes me think I'm not.

 

CNN was quite irresponsible broadcasting the comments of the first caller without verifying all the facts. But again, I have to wonder why a Carnival spokesperson was not on air giving the company's perspective.

[doitallWMB]

Well, ONE of the things anyway.

 

See http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

 

;-)

 

Insults are best kept to yourself. These are not isolated incidents and the line is to blame. I may have not posted so many times, but from true seaman's experience, our friends at CCL are not at their posts and are not preventing accidents before they start. What we may be seeing is the cost cutting that was done when these vessels were constructed or in the maintenance of them. It may be the yard's problem or CCL's. Ultimately it falls on CCL.

[mj]

Thanks for sharing.

[doitallWMB]

sorry wrong quote

[Taxguy77]

Thank you for posting. I'm glad Carnival is giving us the facts!

 

Facts with a good spin!!

[lauraezzell]

Thanks you for taking the time to post the updates for us. It's nice hearing straight from Carnival rather than the news that likes to blow things out of proportion!