For those that left; what will it take to convince you to come back?

[arush5268d]

I guess losing your baggage is not a problem...unless it happens to you.

 

Pardon? Where did you get that information from? What I posed was accurate information. It's a lousy thing but it does happen. A 7 day cruise on a Dream class has around 9,000 individual pieces of luggage. If less than 5 are lost out of the 9,000 that is pretty darned good.

[nomadron]

Change itineraries!

[nomadron]

If they left Carnival, why would they be on a Carnival message board?

 

No sarcasm intended

 

I have not "left Carnival."

However, Carnaval is no longer my first choice. At some point I will probably cruise on a Carnival ship again. Therefor I still read and post on this thread.

[JustCruiseMe]

Why does everyone who left Carnival think they need to change just to bring you back ? If there is another cruise line that offers what you want, why not just stay with them ? I'm happy with what they offer and don't want them to change, especially of means higher prices. If they all offered the exact same things, then where's the variety ? I don't need ice rinks, or rock walls, or zip lines on the ship. Do you people not understand there are different levels of cruise lines, just like there are different levels of cars, houses, retail stores, motels. If you see CCL as the bottom of the barrel, then don't use them.

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

What she said. You don't want to go back, that's OK, we just joined cruising and have no problem with what Carnival has to offer. We could care less about music and shows.

[WetToes]

We gave Carnival another try this year after cruising on NCL for the last 4 years. We won't be back. Try going on a seven day cruise with no clothes or personal items due to a porter delivering your suitcase to the wrong room, and with the people in that room TOO DUMB to realize that the suitcase they have taken into their room for SEVEN FULL DAYS is not theirs.

 

1) The porters in the port don't work for CCL, they work for the port authority.

2) The porters don't take your baggage onto the ship

3) Baggage errors happen on all cruise lines. What happened to you could and surely does happen on RCCL, NCL and others.

4) Embarkation day is a mad house. Its a wonder more baggage errors don't happen - but every cruise there is always one or two people missing their luggage.

 

arush - The persons (porters) handling the luggage once it's on the ship is what the poster is talking about.

 

I agree with the rest of your statement "... errors happen on all lines".

I also don't think the line is at fault if a "DUMB" passenger doesn't right the wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

andling the luggage once it's on the ship is what the poster is talking about.

[JustCruiseMe]

I guess losing your baggage is not a problem...unless it happens to you.

I remember when they lost your baggage and you posted about it but I think it's unfair to condemn a whole fleet or even a whole ship because of this. There is no telling which person put your luggage in what room and what if the room it was stored the people put it in a closet or hid it so they couldn't find it. We don't want to walk in and find our steward going through our closets.

 

It was terrible what happened to you but you can't blame every crew member or every person on your ship bc you don't really KNOW what happened. Heck the people that had your baggage could have stolen it (yes there are thieves on in every walk of life unfortunately).

[arush5268d]

arush - The persons (porters) handling the luggage once it's on the ship is what the poster is talking about.

 

I agree with the rest of your statement "... errors happen on all lines".

I also don't think the line is at fault if a "DUMB" passenger doesn't right the wrong.

 

andling the luggage once it's on the ship is what the poster is talking about.

 

That may be what the OP was talking about - but still. Those aren't the porters on the ship. That is the ship's crew pulling double duty to bust their butts and get 9,000+ pieces of luggage to thousands of staterooms in a matter of a few hours.

 

It stinks that the OP didn't get theres - and I would be pretty unhappy. But let's face it - this is a rare occurance and it is a wonder it does not happen more often. This happens from time to time on all of the larger cruise ships and on all air lines.

 

I am a strong critic of CCL but in this case they don't deserve the heat they are getting from the OP.

[Ematic81]

For me cruising is about being at sea, the ports, the food, the casino, and service. All of which I think carnival does very well. I don't book a cruise to go rock climbing, I don't book a cruise to ice skate. Why do I want to ice skate in the carribean anyway?? I admit the entertainment as far as shows suck on carnival but that is a minut factor for me. Now that I discovered the greatness I having a balcony cabin I rarely leave my cabin anymore. So paying more money for RCCL or NCl doesn't make economic sense to me

[LMaxwell]

People that are willing to pay the same or more and get less, then say they could care less. Well, if you could care less then you must care some to start with. Why do you blindly accept paying the same as other lines and getting less. Takes me 10 seconds to find cheaper prices on RCI and NCL. CCL is NOT always the cheapest line. Heck, finding cheaper prices for Princess or HAL isn't much of a stretch either depending when you select.

 

Believe me, if you want nothing but the cheapest fare, which isn't a huge deal when you factor everything else in, Carnival WILL eventually make that their model and give it to you. Some have said the MDR may become a buffet; I'd never set foot on a CCL ship again if that were true. You'll start finding that everything is a for pay fee and you will see less and less open public areas as CCL tries to market them for a fee. If people don't ask for feature parity when there is price parity you're going to get less and less. Cheapest cost is not always best value.

 

Anyone who says they don't want live music and entertainment; who are you trying to kid, come on?

[cruizinisthebest]

This is a perfect example of different strokes for different folks. Making all balconies non-smoking will bring you back - but it will keep others away. I could see having maybe one side of the ship completely smoke free, but trust me, there are many people who have switched TO Carnival because they still allow smoking on balconies - so how do they please everyone, and who's to say which person should be pleased?

 

There are non smoking balconies on many Carnival ships. The spa balconies. If having smoking neighbors was a chance I wasn't willing to take, then I would book a spa balcony early and always. Smoking is restricted on most areas of the ship. I don't even smoke. Think it's a nasty habit, but I don't get to make every rule to suit MY personal choices.

 

There are plenty of options if the smoke bothers you. Just like you said, you can't please everyone. Carnival comes up with a compromise and that's still not good enough. Why should every balcony be smoke free? If they do that elsewhere then sail with them. Problem solved.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk

[detroitlions]

Not sure how I can understand someone stating that they love everything about a cruise line but because they don't have live bands playing they refuse to cruise on that line...my wife and I have been on 13 cruises...all with Carnival, and have 3 coming up...all with Princess. We could care less about live music, etc.....we cruise for the ports and to see stuff. The ship is simply a hotel...or home base for that matter. We chose to go with Princess this time because Carnival pulled out of Europe. We can easily afford to cruise an any line we choose, but have chosen Carnival over the years simply because of the value that they provide...just kind of weird that someone would choose not to cruise a particular line just because they don't have live music.

Carnival owns Princess so you are still with Carnival here is a list.

Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn in North America; P&O Cruises (UK), and Cunard in the United Kingdom; AIDA Cruises in Germany; Costa Cruises in Southern Europe; Iberocruceros in Spain; and P&O Cruises (Australia) in Australia.

Also port stops only consume 3 or 4 days on a 7 or 8 day cruise and its not all day on avererage 8 to 4pm so what do you do the rest of the day or on sea days sleep in your room? I get why people miss the entertainment. The other lines entertainment not much better a lot of repeats. I would not base my trip on it that is too one dimentional. There is always change and guess what all the other lines are changing too.

[nitro2448]

People that are willing to pay the same or more and get less, then say they could care less. Well, if you could care less then you must care some to start with. Why do you blindly accept paying the same as other lines and getting less. Takes me 10 seconds to find cheaper prices on RCI and NCL. CCL is NOT always the cheapest line. Heck, finding cheaper prices for Princess or HAL isn't much of a stretch either depending when you select.

 

Believe me, if you want nothing but the cheapest fare, which isn't a huge deal when you factor everything else in, Carnival WILL eventually make that their model and give it to you. Some have said the MDR may become a buffet; I'd never set foot on a CCL ship again if that were true. You'll start finding that everything is a for pay fee and you will see less and less open public areas as CCL tries to market them for a fee. If people don't ask for feature parity when there is price parity you're going to get less and less. Cheapest cost is not always best value.

 

Anyone who says they don't want live music and entertainment; who are you trying to kid, come on?

 

Exaggerate much ?

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

[elliair]

This is a perfect example of different strokes for different folks. Making all balconies non-smoking will bring you back - but it will keep others away. I could see having maybe one side of the ship completely smoke free, but trust me, there are many people who have switched TO Carnival because they still allow smoking on balconies - so how do they please everyone, and who's to say which person should be pleased?

 

Our cruise to Hawaii on Princess was packed. People who smoked went to the designated smoking areas. It would PLEASE me for nonsmoking balconies on Carnival. We like Carnival, we just don't like being able to enjoy our balcony due to cigarette smoking drifting into our space. More people do not smoke than do smoke. So why please a few just to p*ss off many?

[detroitlions]

I think for me it all comes down to feeling welcome on the ship. I always notice the hard working staff, smile at them, like to chat with them. On Carnival, its getting harder and harder to communicate with them. When I smile, they won't look at me. I felt like they just hated us for being on a 'rich' luxury trip while they slaved away for their families. It REALLY came through on the last cruise. I felt like a dollar sign for the poor desperate staff trying to sell the whole time. Buy drinks, buy bingo cards, here's a trivia game right next to the casino, take a photo! I know that is all optional, but no one wants to be sailing on an infomercial on their vacation. I'm over the 'sexy man' or 'hairy chest' contests with vulgar gestures in the middle of the day on the pool deck. Turns out when you cruise other lines, they offer a lot more than bean bag tosses and trivia. I wonder why they don't have karaoke computerized, even on the newer Dream they wheeled the CD books around and some didn't work. (A shout out to SuperStar Karaoke tho, that is great!) And so I feel like they have really cut back the technology compared to other ships.

 

The tablecloth debate is going. I like them, and I like the crumb cleaning tools so I dont drop crumbs all over after dinner. I like the 2 dedicated servers, not 3 paniced, overworked and disorganized new system. We used to have superb service in the MDRs on Carnival. SOme of the best on the ol' Holiday and Triumph a few years ago. The last two were bad with this last one abysmal. I don't even necessarily blame the staff, but they are seriously understaffed and overworked and they are only human. I blame Corp for cutting back the employees. For breakfast, I overheard one server say "Where are my assts? Where is everyone?" He rushed off and we didn't see anyone for a while. I got up and poured my own coffee off the server's beverage stand twice. NEver had to do that on any other cruise, CCL or otherwise before. That's substandard even for them.

 

Its just that the crew is unhappy and you can tell. While they offer some family stuff, they really want more of the drinkers and gamblers they make a lot of their income there.

 

We have enjoyed some shows (an international one on the Triumph, great, and the Dancin in the Streets on Dream, also good) but they are kinda like Americas Got Talent with black and neon and breaker dancers. Other lines feature more broadway caliber and that is what I"m used to growing up on RCCL. (and moving on now to DCL) They had good ones but they don't have them very much. A big kudos to the Legends show that they involve us in. That show is NERVE WRACKING to be in, and its a great idea, but it does need updating.

 

I always enjoy their ports, but before I moved on to Disney, I didn't think I would take a cruise again or if I did, it would be a really long time later. I just was bored and cruised out. I ended up on a DCL only 5 weeks later as life would have it! And it totally changed my view of cruising from there on out.

 

So I don't think CCL can really win me back. I prefer more family style ships that don't deliberately funnel traffic through a smokey casino to get across from dinner to shows. I prefer lines where G-strings aren't all over the dancefloor. Basically I just don't like the Vegas lines that much. (CCL isn't the only one, for sure!) I was amazed at the special effects and talent on Disney and they didn't have to use butt cheeks to get that wow effect, I guess, if that makes sense. They had fireworks and amazing sets and costumes and pitch perfect talent and Lion King caliber professional dancers. I would have felt fine paying $50 for those shows on land.

 

Also, other cruise lines offer changes in the main dining rooms, we get 3 different ones on Disney and your staff moves with you. There is something interesting going on all the time, and you don't have to rely on yourself or some pier runners for entertainment.

 

We have always enjoyed the food at CCL, but the menus were getting a bit repetitive for us. I never used to understand why people would rush off a boat of free food to buy local food, and now I definitely do! Yum! That is the highlight of port day, all that fresh seafood?! A buffet can't compare.

 

And CCL got rid of my sushi bar. That was a major plus for them. The taste bar had pork, yuck!! I can't eat pork?! When not put the two next to each other. But they cut back sushi, like the cut back a lot of other things.

 

With CCL, they police all your bags and make you check in your beverages. Well, not all lines do. Some let you bring on whatever you want. CCL makes you buy only their choices, and not all lines operate that way. Its my trip. I like what I like, and maybe I don't want pure sugar mixes in my margaritas.

 

Ok well those are my thoughts. I have another Disney planned next May so I will see it if it 2 for 2. My first 2 CCLs were wonderful and I would have told ANYONE that yes they can cruise them and they WERE just as good as the RCCLs I had been on, because at the time, it was true!

A lot of good points but I dont understand why your are on a Carnival forum if you do not sail with them anymore??? I have sailed other lines they all have something the others did not but mayby you just need variety. I also do land vacations. I would not do the same thing over and over again. For one cost is always there you have to weigh out what your doing and is it worth the money. Some great land vacations are cheaper than cruises and are all inclusive.

[LMaxwell]

Exaggerate much ?

 

Nothing I have said is an exaggeration, fabrication, made up, or untrue.

 

This is a thread for people to state the improvements or changes CCL could make that would get them to return or stay with CCL. If you're happy with CCL taking away and cutting this really isn't the thread for you because you are being argumentative and attempting to discredit me for wanting legitimate changes to be made and that is way off topic.

 

What is a bit absurd is people thinking that losing things like the lido band translated into lower fares when there is no evidence to support that that theory and only CCL knows for sure, but given their history I would not think it went to fare reduction. Don't kid yourself.

 

When Carnival wants to start offering the same entertainment as others do, given that they charge by and large the same prices, I'll give them a shot again. Otherwise I don't go on a cruise to sit in my room and watch TV or put in my headphones as my main forms of daytime entertainment.

 

I have never encountered such hostile attitudes from pax aboard a ship as I have on this website. I hope it is just a case of keyboard warrior and not an indication of the trend of the new crowds on ships.

[LMaxwell]

Also, it is my firm belief that CCL will go non-smoking on all balconies by no later than Jan 1 2016, but that is a side point.

[Phlybice]

I will ask John Heald on Facebook, he has not said anything about this

 

What's the answer?

[detroitlions]

Complaining about CCL and going on princess is stupid they are the same line. Sick of hearing that one. The music, now the lido music stinks with only DJ. But I recall hearing the same bong bong on the steel drums and same songs over and over again so I had to put my head phones on. And the people complaing should wear headphones. Mix it up which I have seen on CCL. The shows on all the lines have been there done that or just plain low budget. I do enjoy cruising CCL and a few other lines the food is good during breakfast lunch and dinner and non existant in between unless you want pizza and chicken strips yuck.Gambling ok dont seem to win much, drinks expensive but your a captive audience I dont understand why they need so much for a drink. But over all its a good value some things went away we will see new things people like and the old people will slowly fade away when there are too many changes for them to handle. Carnival owns another line for them its called HALL.

[LMaxwell]

Complaining about CCL and going on princess is stupid they are the same line. Sick of hearing that one.

 

Oh please, that's like saying a Cadillac CTS and a Chevy Cruze are the same because they have 4 wheels, a radio, and are under the General Motors umbrella. CCL and Princess are operated very differently.

[tada]

I've sailed on seven Carnival cruises. I was just about to leave them after our last cruise on the Breeze in the Mediterranean. After missing the ports of Monaco and Venice, two of the major highlights of the cruise, my wife and I had enough. On the previous cruise, we also missed the Dominican Republic. The ports are important to us. I loved the Breeze, and think it will be fantastic in the Caribbean. But Carnival's desire to miss ports and add extra sea days to cruises, just to make more money at the bars and casinos really bothers me. We are giving them one last chance. We are in our 50s with no kids. Adding Dr. Suess to the cruises does nothing for us other than drive us away. I don't need characters on board. I could get that from Disney. It may be time to move up to another cruise line.

[nitro2448]

Nothing I have said is an exaggeration, fabrication, made up, or untrue.

 

This is a thread for people to state the improvements or changes CCL could make that would get them to return or stay with CCL. If you're happy with CCL taking away and cutting this really isn't the thread for you because you are being argumentative and attempting to discredit me for wanting legitimate changes to be made and that is way off topic.

 

What is a bit absurd is people thinking that losing things like the lido band translated into lower fares when there is no evidence to support that that theory and only CCL knows for sure, but given their history I would not think it went to fare reduction. Don't kid yourself.

 

When Carnival wants to start offering the same entertainment as others do, given that they charge by and large the same prices, I'll give them a shot again. Otherwise I don't go on a cruise to sit in my room and watch TV or put in my headphones as my main forms of daytime entertainment.

 

I have never encountered such hostile attitudes from pax aboard a ship as I have on this website. I hope it is just a case of keyboard warrior and not an indication of the trend of the new crowds on ships.

 

10 seconds to find a cheaper cruise ? Turning the MDR into a Buffett ? Everybody has to like live music and want entertainment ? No, no and no. Exaggeration, This is the Carnival section CC, maybe if you or anybody else that is so displeased with CCL shouldn't be here. Do you still cruise CCL ?

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

[WetToes]

That may be what the OP was talking about - but still. Those aren't the porters on the ship. That is the ship's crew pulling double duty to bust their butts and get 9,000+ pieces of luggage to thousands of staterooms in a matter of a few hours.

 

I must have missed something ... when did the anyone say anything about the porters ... at the terminal/port?

Excuse me if I'm :confused:, isn't the first time. :)

[WetToes]

... that everything is a for pay fee ...

 

On our recent Royal cruise while looking at the daily Compass (daily)I noticed that a good portion of the things to do, or participate in were for a fee.

Someone else mentioned this in a review also, so wasn't just me.

If any of you are doing a Royal cruise in the future, check it out.

[LMaxwell]

10 seconds to find a cheaper cruise ? Turning the MDR into a Buffett ? Everybody has to like live music and want entertainment ? No, no and no. Exaggeration, This is the Carnival section CC, maybe if you or anybody else that is so displeased with CCL shouldn't be here. Do you still cruise CCL ?

 

 

GO MIZZOU!!!!!!!

 

1. Absolute truth. Go look. I even responded to someone earlier who asked me how to find those lower rates. I then posted my own personal experience

 

2. MDR into buffet is a rumor that has been circulating these boards

 

3. I never said people had to like what I like.

 

Stop trying to paint me as a "hater". You are the one not offering constructive comments to add to the conversation and instead focusing your energy into showing that somehow my comments are invalid or exaggerations when they are not.

 

My next cruises are not with CCL. Given their proximity to where I live and the multitude of choices I would like to make them a top choice again. If Carnival is going to charge what RC and NCL charge then I want similar entertainment.

 

It sounds like you only want an echo chamber where everyone is a Carnival fan and can not suggest changes or improvements. Who wants to read a website where everyone just agrees and no one has any constructive criticisms? I'm not bashing Carnival in this post, merely stating what I want. If YOU are so unhappy to participate in a post that could result in gains for everyone then don't participate, there are other threads for you to have discussions in, or not. That is your choice. Just like it's my choice to post here.

 

So, short version; nothing I stated was an exaggeration or untrue in any way, shape, or form.

[LMaxwell]

On our recent Royal cruise while looking at the daily Compass (daily)I noticed that a good portion of the things to do, or participate in were for a fee.

Someone else mentioned this in a review also, so wasn't just me.

If any of you are doing a Royal cruise in the future, check it out.

 

I'll be going in a bit less than 48 hours, will let you know.