Maybe you should not cruise in this current environment

[Top_of_the_Cube]

With some of the complaints I have been reading recently, should everyone be booking with Carnival at this time?

 

I do have sympathy for those whose whole vacation experience, or even just a few situations or circumstances, is not up to their expectations, and I know that Carnival has the capacity to fail to bring its B-game.  Many of these are legitimate complaints.  And others would be legitimate, in a normal environment.

 

Things do happen that just can't be ignored and can't be overlooked, such as sewage backing up into your cabin.  But, many issues are just a temporary inconvenience reflecting a temporary state of affairs.  And for some, this should signal a temporary pause in personally booking a cruise.

 

Right now, some folks are very inflamed with their opinions of COVID protocols.  If you are one to get vocal and confrontational if someone wears a mask, or does not wear a mask (whether ship required, enforced, unenforced, or just contrary to "good common sense" in your opinion)   - and let's not get started on vaccinations and testing -    maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there are real supply chain challenges.  If it just wouldn't be worth cruising with the potential of rationed or no bacon, or if YOUR brand of liquor or soft drink should become out of stock, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there are critical staff shortages.  If you can't afford to wait an hour or more for dining service, or have a fear of dysentery if room cleaning is occasionally not thorough, or you won't survive if you can't get pizza at 4:00 a.m., maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there is a greater chance than normal that you might be prevented from boarding a ship just days or even hours before sailing.  If the anxiety of getting tested or waiting for results causes you physical or mental damage, or an actual positive test or onset of symptoms would produce a critical financial or logistic nightmare, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment. 

 

Right now, cruise lines have to make tough decisions regarding ports of call due to each location's sometimes-changing restrictions and accessibility.  I think it is reasonable to let Carnival know of your displeasure of replacing a Bermuda stop with a Bahama port (and Carnival did listen and gave some compensation/options).  But, if you are prone to lead an uprising if the captain does not give in to your demands for OBC, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, cruise lines are navigating so many shifting regulations and authoritative opinions that what Carnival says today may not be true tomorrow, or even the reality once on board.  If a late-breaking policy change would completely wreck your vacation, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

I would guess the cruise lines cringe at not being able to provide their "normal" cruising experience, but couldn't afford to wait much longer before getting some cash flow to avoid bankruptcy.  Their crew were in desperate need of getting back to work.  And there were enough of us anxious to get our feet back on board in spite of the abnormal conditions.  For me and my house, it was worth every hurdle to regain my sea legs.

 

Some of us are more willing than others to pay the ticket price for "as-is" adventure.  I imagine we can keep things afloat until conditions normalize enough for others to join us.  Our affinity for Carnival (and cruising) shouldn't keep any of us from sharing both positive and negative reviews and observations that might help others determine when it is right for them to jump back in the water.  Just thinking it might be premature to banish Carnival to the scrap yard at this time.  Because, you know, the current environment and all.

 

Unless, of course, they don't take care of that backed-up sewer.

[Matco]

VERY well said, Bravo! 👍

[MistyRo76]

Agree 100% - And most of those "issues" are things being dealt with at home as well as on the high seas (i.e. supply chain issues. service staff shortages, mask/don't mask debates, etc.). So I'd much rather deal with them with a tropical drink in my hand, sitting on the Lido deck of a cruise ship than here in cold, rainy, Kentucky! 🙂

 

Though I will say - John H. did address the sewer issues on his page today and mentioned this most likely happens because people are bringing thinker ply TP or wet wipes onboard and disposing of them down the toilet - their systems are not meant to handle things other than what is provided by the cruiseline. And because the drainage systems in certain areas of a ship are connected, it can affect cabins other than the "offending" cabin. Wouldn't be ideal - but wouldn't ruin my cruise! Plenty of other places to potty on the ship! 🙂

[sc4125]

That has to be the most rational assessment of the situation that I have ever heard.  Well done!!!

[cruisehappyinJune]

So well-said! Love this! 

[Yankeegirl49]

This is perfection, well done!

[csm5986142]

Well said, great explanations! 

And if I could just add, airlines are not back to normal yet either.  If delayed/changed/cancelled flights would ruin your vacation, you might not want to travel yet. 

Although it has gotten better, we have flown to 7 cruise ports since July and we have experienced all of the following:  flights delayed up to 5 hours, flight cancelled, at least 50% of the time we were notified of changes to our flight a couple weeks before our trip, luggage was lost (we were out 11 pm the night before embarkation buying everything from clothes to toiletries, then had to go back and return everything when our luggage was located at 6:30 am the morning of embarkation).

Honestly, I'm not complaining - we are just happy to travel again and are willing to deal with these inconveniences, but I know a lot of people who'd rather not travel yet if they'd have to deal with things like this.

[Megan_Strick]

1 hour ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

With some of the complaints I have been reading recently, should everyone be booking with Carnival at this time?

 

I do have sympathy for those whose whole vacation experience, or even just a few situations or circumstances, is not up to their expectations, and I know that Carnival has the capacity to fail to bring its B-game.  Many of these are legitimate complaints.  And others would be legitimate, in a normal environment.

 

Things do happen that just can't be ignored and can't be overlooked, such as sewage backing up into your cabin.  But, many issues are just a temporary inconvenience reflecting a temporary state of affairs.  And for some, this should signal a temporary pause in personally booking a cruise.

 

Right now, some folks are very inflamed with their opinions of COVID protocols.  If you are one to get vocal and confrontational if someone wears a mask, or does not wear a mask (whether ship required, enforced, unenforced, or just contrary to "good common sense" in your opinion)   - and let's not get started on vaccinations and testing -    maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there are real supply chain challenges.  If it just wouldn't be worth cruising with the potential of rationed or no bacon, or if YOUR brand of liquor or soft drink should become out of stock, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there are critical staff shortages.  If you can't afford to wait an hour or more for dining service, or have a fear of dysentery if room cleaning is occasionally not thorough, or you won't survive if you can't get pizza at 4:00 a.m., maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there is a greater chance than normal that you might be prevented from boarding a ship just days or even hours before sailing.  If the anxiety of getting tested or waiting for results causes you physical or mental damage, or an actual positive test or onset of symptoms would produce a critical financial or logistic nightmare, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment. 

 

Right now, cruise lines have to make tough decisions regarding ports of call due to each location's sometimes-changing restrictions and accessibility.  I think it is reasonable to let Carnival know of your displeasure of replacing a Bermuda stop with a Bahama port (and Carnival did listen and gave some compensation/options).  But, if you are prone to lead an uprising if the captain does not give in to your demands for OBC, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, cruise lines are navigating so many shifting regulations and authoritative opinions that what Carnival says today may not be true tomorrow, or even the reality once on board.  If a late-breaking policy change would completely wreck your vacation, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

I would guess the cruise lines cringe at not being able to provide their "normal" cruising experience, but couldn't afford to wait much longer before getting some cash flow to avoid bankruptcy.  Their crew were in desperate need of getting back to work.  And there were enough of us anxious to get our feet back on board in spite of the abnormal conditions.  For me and my house, it was worth every hurdle to regain my sea legs.

 

Some of us are more willing than others to pay the ticket price for "as-is" adventure.  I imagine we can keep things afloat until conditions normalize enough for others to join us.  Our affinity for Carnival (and cruising) shouldn't keep any of us from sharing both positive and negative reviews and observations that might help others determine when it is right for them to jump back in the water.  Just thinking it might be premature to banish Carnival to the scrap yard at this time.  Because, you know, the current environment and all.

 

Unless, of course, they don't take care of that backed-up sewer.

Well said. I am not hard to please. Things like seeing people drunk, no straws, etc don't ruin a vacation for me. I feel blessed and thankful that I am even able to cruise. If you let something like dirty dishes on an empty table bother you then maybe you should re-think this cruising thing. I think people just look for the bad rather than looking for the good

 

[Hoosierpop]

Good points. But some folks aren’t happy unless they complain. You ask them how their vacation went, and they say it was good, but……and then list things they think went wrong.

 

Some people are wired that way. But I think cruise critic has a higher proportion of them than cruisers at large. I live in a 55+ community with a ton of cruisers. When we talk about cruising, we don’t spend time talking about the people wearing shorts in the MDR, the kids running around being…..kids, etc.

Edited May 6, 2022 by Hoosierpop

[pc_load_letter]

Interesting post but the problem is, it's not consistent across the brand.

 

As can be said with any bad reviews, the ones who had a bad time write about it. The ones who had a great time, generally don't.

 

I had none of the issues you wrote about on my small old Miracle back in March.

 

I was initially worried, not about testing postive, but about getting results back in time and Kaiser came through like a champ with getting my results in under 24 hours.

 

But yeah, cruises really are "buyer beware"

[cruizergal70]

This is the Carnival forum.  You're needlessly preaching to the choir and the faithful. 

[Eli_6]

I agree with you except that I believe if there are protocols in place for the health and safety of everyone, they should be followed by both the guests and the cruise lines. 

[MogeyMan]

Excellent!

[EngIceDave]

I agree!

 

I am the most high strung lets-go-lets-go-move-it-move-it kind of person. I hope or expect there to be some plan for every situation.

 

But since Covid, or maybe it's age, I realize and understand it just ain't that way anymore. Even in top flight companies, everyone is new or training. So many people have changed careers, everyone is new at something else.

 

You just got to roll with shtuff now...you just do. People will snap, freak out, start screaming, maybe more....

[TNcruising02]

I agree that people should only take a cruise if they can accept the limitations and restrictions.  It really goes beyond the cruise industry.  Even when we go out to eat, sometimes the service will take longer because they are short staffed.

We went on a cruise earlier this year.  Other than wearing the required masks for part of the cruise, everything else was wonderful.  The service at the deli was sometimes slow because they had one employee working very hard to get the sandwiches out.  He was amazing.  Our cabin was always clean, although the cabin steward said he would clean at some point each day.  Fine with us.   Anyway, we just rolled with everything and had a great time.  

The crew members worked very hard.  We never pay much attention to what other cruisers do.

[JoeMo]

Since our first cruise on the Mardi Gras in 1986 we have considered every cruise an adventure, almost to the point of disappointment if everything went by the book. One of the most fun events occurred on the Jubilee when our Room Dude got hurt and they failed to assign another to our cabin. The fourth day of the cruise we went to the Pursers desk with an armload of towels and ask if we could exchange them for fresh ones. Twenty minutes later we had the hotel manager, a new Room Dude, and everyone in between cleaning our cabin. NEVER have we EVER requested OBC or freebies due to an issue onboard. It's all part of the Great Adventure. 

[EngIceDave]

I like room dude, I am keeping it

Thanks

[mz-s]

What is the next thing we should not cruise for right now, Top of the Cube? 

 

The problem is it's a surprise. We never know what Carnival is going to stop doing next. They might close the Deli point blank, "labor shortages" or "bread supply chain issues" or whatever - and they'd do it with zero warning. They might stop cabin service altogether like a lot of hotels have done, just changing out towels by request. The only way we would know is somebody reporting it here.

 

I get that we shouldn't expect a "normal" (pre-pandemic) cruise, probably will never experience that again as long as any of us live. But I do think we deserve to know what will be different before we board. I didn't know my cruise last week wasn't going to have a late night snacks buffet until I boarded, for example.

[JandPB]

I agree with everything you said. One thing I will say as a semi-rebuttal. Don’t sail at capacity if you are only staffed at 75%. Our Glory sailing at reduced capacity in October was wonderful. We sailed at an appropriate ratio of passengers to crew. Just got off the Magic Sunday which was sailing at very close to capacity. We enjoyed the cruise but there were obvious staffing shortages and I feel for the staff trying to compensate. Some aspects were minimally affected, some venues were very noticeably affected. We will probably take a pause to let everything shake out. We have other things that life has presented that will take precedence anyway.  I think the Carnival needs to assess capacity vs crew. Your opinion may vary. 

[CoolOne56]

Well said!

[Badfinger]

Why does it seem, actually why is it, that every forum dedicated to a particular topic or subject (such as this board, an investing forum or even a golf forum) has those that just feel the need to publish their personal manifesto as THEE definitive manifesto of all time for others to read, applaud and endorse?  I did not read beyond the first couple sentences as I know the where it was going.  SMH....

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, EngIceDave said:

I like room dude, I am keeping it

Thanks

Definitely better than "Stewart".

[silversneakers]

16 hours ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

With some of the complaints I have been reading recently, should everyone be booking with Carnival at this time?

 

I do have sympathy for those whose whole vacation experience, or even just a few situations or circumstances, is not up to their expectations, and I know that Carnival has the capacity to fail to bring its B-game.  Many of these are legitimate complaints.  And others would be legitimate, in a normal environment.

 

Things do happen that just can't be ignored and can't be overlooked, such as sewage backing up into your cabin.  But, many issues are just a temporary inconvenience reflecting a temporary state of affairs.  And for some, this should signal a temporary pause in personally booking a cruise.

 

Right now, some folks are very inflamed with their opinions of COVID protocols.  If you are one to get vocal and confrontational if someone wears a mask, or does not wear a mask (whether ship required, enforced, unenforced, or just contrary to "good common sense" in your opinion)   - and let's not get started on vaccinations and testing -    maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there are real supply chain challenges.  If it just wouldn't be worth cruising with the potential of rationed or no bacon, or if YOUR brand of liquor or soft drink should become out of stock, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there are critical staff shortages.  If you can't afford to wait an hour or more for dining service, or have a fear of dysentery if room cleaning is occasionally not thorough, or you won't survive if you can't get pizza at 4:00 a.m., maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, there is a greater chance than normal that you might be prevented from boarding a ship just days or even hours before sailing.  If the anxiety of getting tested or waiting for results causes you physical or mental damage, or an actual positive test or onset of symptoms would produce a critical financial or logistic nightmare, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment. 

 

Right now, cruise lines have to make tough decisions regarding ports of call due to each location's sometimes-changing restrictions and accessibility.  I think it is reasonable to let Carnival know of your displeasure of replacing a Bermuda stop with a Bahama port (and Carnival did listen and gave some compensation/options).  But, if you are prone to lead an uprising if the captain does not give in to your demands for OBC, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

Right now, cruise lines are navigating so many shifting regulations and authoritative opinions that what Carnival says today may not be true tomorrow, or even the reality once on board.  If a late-breaking policy change would completely wreck your vacation, maybe you should not cruise in this current environment.

 

I would guess the cruise lines cringe at not being able to provide their "normal" cruising experience, but couldn't afford to wait much longer before getting some cash flow to avoid bankruptcy.  Their crew were in desperate need of getting back to work.  And there were enough of us anxious to get our feet back on board in spite of the abnormal conditions.  For me and my house, it was worth every hurdle to regain my sea legs.

 

Some of us are more willing than others to pay the ticket price for "as-is" adventure.  I imagine we can keep things afloat until conditions normalize enough for others to join us.  Our affinity for Carnival (and cruising) shouldn't keep any of us from sharing both positive and negative reviews and observations that might help others determine when it is right for them to jump back in the water.  Just thinking it might be premature to banish Carnival to the scrap yard at this time.  Because, you know, the current environment and all.

 

Unless, of course, they don't take care of that backed-up sewer.

There is no "back to normal" right now and may not be ever "normal" again.  It's all about setting your expectations. I, for one, was just very happy to be out on the sea sailing again, enjoying the sun and fresh air.  Your words were well said.

[Purvis1231]

Very good points, I don't think that many people understand how close the cruise line are to going belly-up.  Although, they are back to sailing most of their ships I am quite sure their revenues are baring making their expenses. I know because I have four cruises booked for this year and next. All of them sustainably cheaper than any cruises I took in the years before Covid.  I am certainly happy about the price but with all the price increases across the board, I do not see how the cruise lines can make-up for all the lost revenue at these rates. 

[Colorado Cruzer]

If Carnival knows the experience is not going to be up to par with pre 2020 cruises in terms of supply and staffing, they shouldn't be charging full fare.