Passengers Pushing Back

[cruisinqt]

If Carnival takes away the 24 hour free pizza or the daily towel animals in my cabin I would be very upset.

[ontheweb]

Has anyone mentioned the passenger pushback against Princess trying to take away the option to pre-book excursions and not have to pay for them until they are listed on your cruise card?

[bury me at sea]

Interesting, bury me at sea. Any idea how Carnival is testing for these things (is there anything on the Carnival forum or is it John Heald's Facebook?).

 

Carolyn

 

They are testing the once a day cabin on a couple of ships. I don't recall which ones.

 

They have changed the future cruise terms on the Vista and at least one other ship.

 

I have never had an account on the site you mentioned. These two issues have been discussed at length on the Carnival board here at Cruise Critic.

[pghsteelerfan]

This leads me to a last question for the story I'm writing (will post it here when it's launched), and thanks, pghsteelerfan for inspiring it. Beyond this particular example, is there anything offered by your favorite cruise line that would really upset you if they take it away? Anything goes, let me know. Thanks for the great conversation....

 

Carolyn

 

Thank you! :) Since we mainly sail Carnival and follow the social media page of Carnival's spokesperson, I get the impression by the questions posted (to get our responses) that when these questions come up, it's a cutback or change that Carnival is considering. There are always differing opinions in the answers. I mentioned the soft-serve ice cream machines because I'm noticing a lot of questions posted about those and whether we use them and also "when" people tend to use them.

 

Last year there were several questions posted (not all at once, they were over a several month period) on that same social media page about the Sail & Sign cards, which are Carnival's cabin keys that are also used for onboard spending. We were asked whether we wanted holes pre-punched in the cards or if we preferred them as is, with no hole. The responses were varied and it was even suggested, by several people, to have hole punchers available at check-in counters so those who wanted their cards hole punched could do so while those who didn't could keep them as they were. Carnival's Sail & Sign cards ALL come with a hole pre-punched in them now and of course, some are happy while others are not. So when certain questions come up frequently on that social media site, it's a sign that they are in relation to a cutback or change that Carnival may be considering.

 

I'm not sure if other cruise lines have similar social media pages where Q & A's are posted, so I don't know how they get a feel from passengers on potential cutbacks/changes will be popular or not with the majority of passengers.

 

Thank you for bringing up these questions. :)

Edited February 8, 2017 by pghsteelerfan

[OzKiwiJJ]

Hi. Heard somewhere that Princess' classic fettucine Alfredo was being taken off the list, anyone know about that?

 

And thanks, OzKiwiJJ!

 

Carolyn

 

There has been a thread running in the Princess forum about the Fettucine Alfredo no longer being served in the parmesan basket but I haven't seen anything about the Fettucine Alfredo being taken off the menu completely. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2418013

 

Judging by the comments I've read in the past there would be riots in the MDR if it wasn't available. :D

[OzKiwiJJ]

Krazy Kruizers

 

If you do bring more than 1 bottle per adult person onto the ship, you will be charged the corkage fee for those extra bottles and a special tag will be placed on the bottle so that wherever you take the bottle on the ship will not be charge again.

 

I thought that if you brought more than one bottle per person that the extras would be placed in storage until the end of the cruise? Is this for some specific cruise line?

 

Princess allows you to bring as many bottles of wine as you like onboard but charges corkage for any over the 1 bottle per adult person allowance.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Interesting, bury me at sea. Any idea how Carnival is testing for these things (is there anything on the Carnival forum or is it John Heald's Facebook?).

 

Carolyn

 

The stewards have a checklist for all cabins and ask you whether you want morning or afternoon service. We politely told our steward that we wanted both, and we got that. The cabin wasn't serviced on embarkation night though.

[OzKiwiJJ]

This leads me to a last question for the story I'm writing (will post it here when it's launched), and thanks, pghsteelerfan for inspiring it. Beyond this particular example, is there anything offered by your favorite cruise line that would really upset you if they take it away? Anything goes, let me know. Thanks for the great conversation....

 

Carolyn

 

We love to have lunch in the MDR on embarkation day on Princess, and I would be seriously upset if they stopped doing this. It's so nice to start the cruise having a relaxed meal in quiet surroundings. We had one cruise which started in Melbourne but with many passengers (like us) boarding in Sydney. They didn't have the MDR lunch for those boarding in Sydney and it just wasn't the same having to fight for a table in the buffet. Too noisy and too crowded, and no alternative either. At least Celebrity had the Bistro on Five (now Sushi on Five) open for lunch at extra cost.

[SadieN]

Hi. Heard somewhere that Princess' classic fettucine Alfredo was being taken off the list, anyone know about that?

 

And thanks, OzKiwiJJ!

 

Carolyn

 

 

The fettuccine is still being served, Princess got rid of the Parmesan Bowl it was served in.

[CGinMTL]

I have one more.

We were on A zamora Quest in September 2016.

 

HEADOFFICE had decided not more clothes lines in the shower.

They had so many complaints.

They reversed the decision.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

[CGinMTL]

Another change.

 

Cc was a big part of Bermuda reversing transportation pricing prior to 2016 SEASON

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

[editor@cruisecritic]

I'd join the riot queue :)

 

Carolyn

 

There has been a thread running in the Princess forum about the Fettucine Alfredo no longer being served in the parmesan basket but I haven't seen anything about the Fettucine Alfredo being taken off the menu completely. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2418013

 

Judging by the comments I've read in the past there would be riots in the MDR if it wasn't available. :D

[YoHoHo]

Just read of this one on a (funny) celebrity thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2455080&page=2

 

See post 31 (sorry don't know how to form the URL for a post)

 

"They tried this on the Quantum of The Seas. Suite quests had a chip in their card. When they wanted an elevator they inserted their card in a slot by the elevator banks. The low lifes on board the elevator got a recorded message. the elevator stopped at the next floor and the low lifes were to exit the elevator.

 

The problem was that kids residing in the suites thought this was funny and so they made a game of it. Needless to say, the low lifes started complaining. I believe that system was subsequently discontinued. There were threads about this on the Royal boards a few years ago when Q was in NJ."

[editor@cruisecritic]

Oh, my YoHoHo that's really quite horrible. There's an art to the class system and gosh, that doesn't seem like art. Yikes. Thanks for sharing.

 

Carolyn

 

 

 

Just read of this one on a (funny) celebrity thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2455080&page=2

 

See post 31 (sorry don't know how to form the URL for a post)

 

"They tried this on the Quantum of The Seas. Suite quests had a chip in their card. When they wanted an elevator they inserted their card in a slot by the elevator banks. The low lifes on board the elevator got a recorded message. the elevator stopped at the next floor and the low lifes were to exit the elevator.

 

The problem was that kids residing in the suites thought this was funny and so they made a game of it. Needless to say, the low lifes started complaining. I believe that system was subsequently discontinued. There were threads about this on the Royal boards a few years ago when Q was in NJ."

[FunforGin]

I've lost something before I even got to try it!

 

My first cruise is in less than a month's time (four nights); I booked quite a few months ago in a suite, and my friends and I were really excited about speciality dining included for first night.

 

Recently I read posts here that it has been removed by Princess and is now only available for cruises six nights or more.

 

How does a company get away with selling a 'product' that promises certain things, and then when you go to use that product you find that some of the promises have been taken away?

 

In any other business they wouldn't get away with this.

 

Why don't they set a date whereby all new bookings after a certain date no longer receive that benefit?

 

I feel cheated, and I haven't even had the cruise yet!

[sparks1093]

I haven't read through the thread and apologize if this has been covered already, but in reading a thread on CCL it reminded me of a change in policy caused by passengers. Not sure when they changed it but Carnival stopped delivering duty free alcohol to the cabin the night before the cruise and required such purchases to be picked up the morning of disembarkation. Recently Carnival reversed the policy for 6 night or longer cruises and the duty free alcohol is now delivered the last night of the cruise. I am sure there was negative feedback from passengers but it appears that Carnival responded to the most negative feedback of all- passenger purchases of duty free alcohol plummeted. Of course I'm not an insider and don't know that for sure, but it appears that is where the smart money is for why the change was made.

[cheeseclan]

Princess did try for awhile to make you pay before hand for your shore excursion. They caught so much flak from customers that they decided to stop that policy. The only ones you have to pay for in advance are ones on a land tour portion.

As far as free specialty night dining on the first night in a suite, it has been for 7 nights or more as long as i can remember. Some here on CC have said that they did receive it even on shorter cruises.

 

I would be upset if Princess tries to implant more changes without telling their customers. I think they should put out a survey and ask what we think! Although they would probably know the answer....

[SadieN]

Princess dropped the free Pub Lunch on the Ruby. It was offered as a $12 upcharge. Just read the free Pub Lunch has been reinstated.

Free Pub lunch gone

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2440948

[biker@sea]

Hot thread on NCL Boards.

 

NCL lowered the price of Water.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2457675

.

[editor@cruisecritic]

A huge thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread -- it's inspiring to see how passionate Cruise Critic's community is about cruising and also how it's affected the way we cruise is so many ways. It was really hard to figure out which examples to use and not but all of 'em were great.

 

The story's here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7545

 

Kudos to Larry Pimentel of Azamara and Frank del Rio of Regent/Norwegian/Oceania for being so candid with us about the influence that our community has had on their lines....

 

Carolyn

[pghsteelerfan]

Thank you for posting the link to the article, I somehow missed it when you first posted.

 

I thought of this thread, "Passengers Pushing Back" again yesterday afternoon with a recent change that Carnival is implementing that WILL have an affect on a lot of their adult cruisers. John Heald, Carnival's spokesperson, announced on his social media page yesterday that several of the ships that had adult only pools in the aft (back of the ship) will no longer be "adult only" and are now "family friendly". Many adults, including my husband and I, really enjoyed these pools on our sea days and port days when getting back to the ship early. This is a change that has caused an uproar, both on John Heald's social media page but here on CC on the Carnival boards as well. Carnival has the Serenity area that's adult only, but on the cruises we've been on, the Serenity area is usually too full most of the time and we've never gotten to use it.

 

Earlier in this thread, I remember you posted the question "Is there anything offered by your favorite cruise line that would really upset you if they take it away?". I will admit that this is a change that really upsets me, and from other comments, others as well. We realize it's a "business decision" on Carnival's part to cater to families. They have been a "family friendly" cruise line for quite some time now and have many places/activities on their ships for children to enjoy. Carnival is adding the waterworks to many of their ships and that's a big draw for children. Through many of our comments, we aren't asking Carnival to take something away, we're just asking that they keep something they've always had. So, this is a change that Carnival has implemented that WILL definitely affect my overall cruise experience and also a change that may have me looking into some of the other cruise lines.

 

Attached link is about this announcement by Carnival: https://cruiseradio.net/carnival-cruise-line-makes-aft-pools-kid-friendly/#disqus_thread

[jocap]

We were away when this was posted, so I've only just seen it, but there was another time when CC helped to change things:

RCI and Celebrity had started using Southampton in the UK. Many tried, but were unhappy with the tipping on drinks, so they were removed; then many were used to having a kettle in their cabin- kettles were added.

The problem with adults of 18 not being allowed to drink alcohol was next, and RCI wondered whether to allow this with a signature of a guardian.

A CC administrator from the UK page told them that 18 yr olds are adults, so cannot have a guardian.

RCI/Celebrity changed their rules, so now all adults of 18 yrs can drink alcohol.

[SantaFeFan]

...RCI and Celebrity had started using Southampton in the UK. Many tried, but were unhappy with the tipping on drinks, so they were removed;....

 

They weren't removed. The price of drinks were increased to include the tip amount. You still ended paying that tip, only now it was in part of the cost of a more expensive drink. You saved nothing in the end.

[Floridiana]

This leads me to a last question for the story I'm writing (will post it here when it's launched), and thanks, pghsteelerfan for inspiring it. Beyond this particular example, is there anything offered by your favorite cruise line that would really upset you if they take it away? Anything goes, let me know. Thanks for the great conversation....

 

Carolyn

 

On our last cruise with HAL, we were told that Tai Chi would be eliminated. At the same time, there was something wrong with the payment that needed to be cleared up with headquarters. We haven't booked a HAL ship since that cruise in 2013 and no plans to do so in the future. It may sound like a little thing, but there are other choices out there with itineraries that interest us.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Hot thread on NCL Boards.

 

NCL lowered the price of Water.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2457675

.

 

I saw that. NCL doesn't allow any water to be brought on board and then were charging really high prices for bottled water. They have lowered their water prices, but not enough.