How Can Carnival Improve?

[winddawn]

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?

Cool cabins with thermostats that actually work. Seventy-five to 80 degrees in the cabin with the thermostat turned all the way down is unacceptable.

 

I agree the buffet food could improve. And no smoking in indoor spaces.

Edited May 25, 2015 by winddawn

[eponym]

Cool cabins with thermostats that actually work. Seventy-five to 80 degrees in the cabin with the thermostat turned all the way down is unacceptable.

 

It's been a consistent issue for us too, and we have booked all kinds of cabins and locations on Carnival. We are adding to our list too.

[cruzn buckeye]

Bring back FCC

Bring back the DOD souvenir glasses

Bring back the steel drums on the lido

Enforcement of the smoking and chair hog rules

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

like!!

[SkyMaster]

Dump "Playlist Production" shows, and bring back the real singers/dancers.

 

Bring back the Live Musicians and show band.

 

Bring back the steel drum groups on Lido.

 

TURN DOWN the volume of "music" both in the atrium, and the casino stage.

 

Update the "Legends Show", with real legends.

 

Bring back "Future Cruise Certificates".

 

Bring back enough of a wait staff in the Main Dining Room, to serve an entire meal in less than TWO HOURS!

[love my grandkids]

Get rid of canned music in serenity.

[cruzn buckeye]

Dump "Playlist Production" shows, and bring back the real singers/dancers.

 

Bring back the Live Musicians and show band.

 

Bring back the steel drum groups on Lido.

 

TURN DOWN the volume of "music" both in the atrium, and the casino stage.

 

Update the "Legends Show", with real legends.

 

Bring back "Future Cruise Certificates".

 

Bring back enough of a wait staff in the Main Dining Room, to serve an entire meal in less than TWO HOURS!

totally agree with the two hour thing in the mdr. I hate spending 2 hours of my evening just to get dinner in the mdr... I know i can eat at the buffet but shouldn't be forced to do that so i can enjoy the rest of the things going on around the ship...

[Texasl8dy]

Bring back FCC

Bring back the DOD souvenir glasses

Bring back the steel drums on the lido

Have a daily Happy Hour with 2-for-1 drinks

No smoking inside except in a designated lounge (NOT the casino)

Go back to live music and Production Shows in showroom

 

 

.

[katiel53]

I'd like to see better ventilation in the casino and the nearby lounges so that the smoke from the casino bars and in the casino wouldn't spill out into the hallways or into the non-smoking areas of the casino.

 

I'd like to hear steel band music for sail away and have real music instead of the Playlist type shows.

 

I'd like to see shows, not having the cruisers be the show. Some nights there aren't things to do besides karaoke, and that is something that is held too often as far as I am concerned. I know there are many who love it, but the few times I have gone, the later at night I have gone, the more drunk and worse the singers are. Maybe I just hit bad times, but I have no desire to repeat the visions.

 

Enforce the rules. I don't care if the rules are for the dining room, pool chairs etc. If there are going to be rules, enforce them or have it be a free for all as it is almost now.

 

I'd like cooking demos other than just the steakhouse one. I don't necessarily feel there should be a charge as I feel I am already paying for things I don't use, ie the kids clubs, the slides etc.

 

I'd like the bars at night to be kids free. I know that won't happen, but to see young kids in a bar at midnight or later, as I have seen on some cruises, seems unfair to the kids. That also brings me to the part where parents need to take responsibility for their kids, not just spend hours in a bar or doing what they want and letting their kids take care of themselves. I know it's the vacation for the parents as well as kids, but it's also a vacation for everyone else on the ship.

 

I'd also like better service for ATD. It appears the wait staff tries hard, but they have too many people to serve at once. I know Carnival has cut back on crew so that prices can be kept low. I have had ATD on other lines and know it can work with the right number of employees.

 

I do have to say even though I have listed changes I would like, I still enjoy cruising Carnival even with it's "faults" as I have them myself.

[love my grandkids]

totally agree with the two hour thing in the mdr. I hate spending 2 hours of my evening just to get dinner in the mdr... I know i can eat at the buffet but shouldn't be forced to do that so i can enjoy the rest of the things going on around the ship...

 

A two hour dinner doesnt bother us. Usually have interesting table mates so we do enjoy talking with them.

 

Would be better if they did away with wait staff stopping service and entertaining us.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Interesting replies....I'll try some

 

Remove any dress suggestions, I'm on vacation and don't want to pack fru-fru clothes.

 

Get rid of loyalty programs altogether and reward returning passengers by giving them a discount on all future cruises....increasing the amount of discount based on monies spent both for past cruises and onboard expenses.

 

Have sit down seating for all 3 meals in the dining room, plus an afternoon seating on sea days.

 

Cut down the buffet area and have more "free meals" at various locations. Utilize bar areas for boxed lunches (salad and sandwich), or offer european style breakfast the same way along with hot drinks and juices.

 

Get rid of the stage productions and offer more intimate entertainment in the smaller venues.

 

No priority boarding other than wedding parties and handicapped individuals with only one person accompanying them. Start serving lunch at stated boarding times (a minimum menu) and serve until the life boat drill begins. Board when all rooms are ready so everyone can drop off their belongings before heading to lunch.

 

Sell a "extras" package that allows fru-fru coffee, ice cream treats, large bottles of water, drinks of the day, soda, wine with lunch and dinner...limit the amount of items (say 15 per day).

[carol louise]

I love Carnival and hope they can make some of the following small improvements!

 

1. Rethink the canned music in Lido buffet, adults-only pool area, Serenity, and other public areas. For example, while eating breakfast early on a sea day in the Lido buffet it is most intrusive to have to hear some glitzy pop singer or rap or jazz. The soft music one hears in the lobby of the spa would be more appropriate in that situation. Or none at all. And another example: in Serenity one would assume people are trying to get away from noise altogether, no? Better to turn it off there.

 

2. Bring back steel bands or other island-type music (preferable live) to the pool area on Caribbean cruises. These so enhance the fun of a cruise.

 

3. Turn down the performers' amplification volume in the atrium and casino bar. It's too much. Same request regarding volume for the pool deck d.j. & movies (these so deafening on a recent cruise we had to leave when we would have enjoyed the entertainment otherwise).

 

4. Bring back the sushi bar.

[FlaParrotHead]

Wow ... It's amazing when I'm away from CC for awhile and come back to some of the same trolling, but since you casted out.

 

Fantasy Class: love them, great smaller ships with some of the best crews in the fleet.

Enforcing the current rules on MDR dress codes, kids in hot tubs, seat saving, chair hogs -- absolutely should be done and done consistently across the fleet.

Steel Drums on the lido: yes

MDR faster service: NO, we and many others enjoy a relaxed 1 1/2 to 2 hour dinner, meeting table mates, wait staff, learning something new from others.

Serenity: we've never really noticed a problem with kids there.

Smoke in the casino: not a problem. Anti-Smoking ****s pushed for the policy changes, now suck it up buttercups.

[gupebreedr]

Go after the chair hogs, and enforce the MDR dress codes. Folks will get mad, but they'll get over it.

 

I agree with you 110%. Also, please get better coffee.....:eek:

[keene state mom]

my biggest complaint ....I would like them to enforce the rules with the chair hogs !!!

[Guest]

Yes improve the food. I would accept them charging a little more for this option. Also keep the fitness area open 24 hrs.

[CARNIVALCRUISE3]

Definitely I agree but I don't think it's going to happen. I chose my last cruise for the absence of playlist productions and found out that they were going to add playlist productions to that ship also and indeed to all of the ships.

 

I know! I have also been choosing my cruises based on the ships that still have the old shows.

[mediccruzin]

Dr Pepper from all ports not just Galveston and NOLA.

Edited May 25, 2015 by mediccruzin

[T. Advisor King]

I don’t agree with most of the “add this” and “bring back that” comments. Those things all come with a price tag – both in terms of the cost of the free item, plus the labor to hand it out. Carnival’s prices are the baseline from which I judge other options. Carnival usually wins, not because of loyalty, but because they have the most competitive price. I could actually do with fewer little extras for an even lower price, but that’s just me. I’m the first to say that the only two things I really care about is spending the day in the warm sun on a sea day and exploring a new island or city on a port day.

 

I do agree that it would be nice to see Carnival enforce their rules. I’m not a big fan of dressing up, but if that is the policy, then everyone should have to do it. Same thing with kids in adult areas. I love kids, but if an area is reserved for adults, then they should enforce it. Same thing with “reserving” deck chairs.

 

I also agree that they should improve their YTD service. If there is one area where I would pay more for better service, it would be there. I don’t want my dinner meal to take two hours (one waiting and one eating). There’s too much to do to spend it consuming food (or waiting to consume food).

 

Another thing I’d pay more for would be better access to live sports on TV. I appreciate that some people go on vacation to disconnect, and that’s fine for them. But in a week’s vacation, if my team is playing, especially in the playoffs, what better thing is there to do with your limited vacation time than to sit back, relax and watch the game?

 

I suppose if I could design the ship to meet my personal needs, I would change the entire ambiance of the MDR. I’d get rid of the faux formal (with uniformed waiters and assistant bread basket carriers) and shift it more to a casual steakhouse atmosphere – the type of place you’d go out to have a fun meal (i.e., the type of place I go to when I go out for dinner on a regular vacation). That would also solve most of the dress code issues.

 

I really like the idea of educational lectures. I no longer go to the “port briefing” because it is ridiculous and a waste of time. They try to sell you on their own thing and really tell you nothing about the port, island, city, country, etc. There are many less mainstream cruise lines, particularly operating in Europe, that include educational talks as part of their program.

 

A more reliable internet would be nice. I appreciate that in early days of the technology that they had limited bandwidth. But the current internet speed is pathetic and I suspect that it is carefully managed because they would rather charge you 5 minutes of usage time for something that should take less than 1.

 

Bring in some logistics people to help with the buffet lines. I’ve seen some pretty stupid things (e.g., omelet station at the end of a buffet line, meaning everyone who doesn’t want an omelet still has to wait for the omelet makers in order for the line to move).

 

Designate one gangway an express exit. If you want your picture taken, use the regular exit. If you just want to get off the ship and get on with your day, take the express exit. It is very frustrating to see hundreds of passengers backed up for three flights of stairs only because Carnival staff are trying to stop every passenger from leaving until they’ll have their picture taken.

[HectorAchilleus]

Bring back the OLD Shows. I don't like the Playlist Productions.

 

I don't mind the playlist productions all that much, but I really miss not seeing a Hypnotist, magician, juggler, special singers, etc.

[cocacola86]

We're going on Anthem next May, because my DW was tired of the same food, with not enough restaurants, entertainment is lacking on the 2.0 ships, Royal you get double points for booking suites, have different ports out of San Juan like Royal has it with the Jewel and AOS, better benefits as you move up.

[CeleBrat]

A few suggestions:

 

1. Digitize the onboard photos so that the photo gallery space can be used for something else. Make the photos available via your TV for ordering. This is also much greener for the environment.

 

2. Offer photos available from the shore excursions onboard the ship by sending a photog along on the excursion.

 

3. STOP the horrible dining room singing/dancing! Don't need to hear "Apple Bottom Jeans" while eating prime rib.

 

4. Bring back the midnight buffet--just once during 7 day-cruises or longer.

 

CeleBrat

[rhodester]

Please, please, please turn down the volume on the Lido deck after lunch. It won't cost Carnival a penny. More volume does not equal more fun.

[jcool]

What carnival can do to make things better is to open more then one enters for when you board when you are in port so the line can go faster like Royal does. Royal never has a big line to board when they are in port.

[meatloafsfan]

• Install automatic door openers for all public doors for wheelchair accessibility;
  
• Make all Serenity areas wheelchair accessible;
  
• Create more accessible cabins for 3 or 4 and stop putting the accessible cabins in out of the way or inconvenient areas on the new ships (why do most have to be right at the front of the ship?)
  
• Ensure that all ramps used to debark at ports are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and scooters and long enough so that the angle isn't excessively steep.
  

 

And separate from all that - make a deal with Coke to put in self serve fountains (the Freestyle machines would be awesome).

[crusinpsychRN]

Bring the Miracle to Tampa.

 

Second that!

 

Chocolates at turn down, enforce no chair hogging, improve sail away party and do it consistently, smoking on some balconies.