Changes to Room Service and Dr. Seuss Breakfast Returning

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

It may be hard to remember now, but there was a time when Carnival did special things like twice daily room cleaning, white glove captain's receptions that all were invited to, bacon available on the buffet every morning, etc. These were not things that people necessarily expected on vacation or were used to. But they made you feel special and made you want to book another cruise. The most special thing on a Carnival cruise today is you can sometimes get a whole baked potato instead of a half of one.

 

I don't know anyone or anything that looks the same as they did 50 years ago. The good old times were never as good as some think they were.

[BlerkOne]

22 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

They haven't released the new menu yet. But there will be no more free room service other than the "continental" breakfast, that is certain.

They could go the way of MSC and charge more for a cabin if you want included room service. But that wouldn't be smart.

[ragen]

So,...First we get rid of late night buffet service.

secound we close deli early,...

Putting more people in Pizza line,....

Third, understaff & slowdown said pizza line,...

 

Wait, What, the people started ordering more room service befor 10pm so thay could

have free late night food in their staterooms before bed instead of standing in our Pizza line till they give up?

 

Well we can't have that,....

 

"Due to current travel trends,.....Free room service is going away."

 

(I guess we'll all have to make a trip to the buffet just before it closes each day, and stash a tray of food back in our staterooms for later, from now on.)

 

 

 

[Sgwscruiser]

22 hours ago, silvercrikhix said:

Another cutback, another PIA. The way they word their cutback bs makes it sound like this is what passengers want. They obviously think we are ALL idiots.  The room service trays in the hall have food on them because, as stated above, the food was not good!  The $ breakfast items were worse than awful! 

We enjoy a BLT or other sandwich from room service for lunch, snack or dinner sometimes.  Only source of potato chips. The veggies & dip have really been missed by us.
 

The buffet the last 2 cruises was horrible. The MDR food items are now Barbie doll size servings.  Yeah, we’re moving on. What Carnival has left now is nothing like it was 12 years ago. Nothing special, nothing unique, nothing for us to entice others to join us. We’ll pay more for a better experience.  Thanks ……  

Poof ……

Bye Bye

[Sgwscruiser]

15 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

Yes, Carnival's product is SEVERELY diluted since you booked your cruise. It's just the truth of the matter. I hope you got a good deal on your cruise because Carnival's current product is absolutely not worth what cruises were selling for in 2019 or early 2020.

And if carnival charged you more for the your cruise without any cutbacks I’m pretty sure you’d be complaining that Carnival is charging me more without any better or more free services. Carnival is in business to make money. Go to the other cruise line boards and they are all full of people complaining that the service and amenities have gone down in quality with more items that used to be free are now have a charge

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, Sgwscruiser said:

And if carnival charged you more for the your cruise without any cutbacks I’m pretty sure you’d be complaining that Carnival is charging me more without any better or more free services. Carnival is in business to make money. Go to the other cruise line boards and they are all full of people complaining that the service and amenities have gone down in quality with more items that used to be free are now have a charge

 

There is no way they could charge what they used to charge for their current product. It seems that Carnival wishes to be the Frontier or Spirit airlines of the cruise industry. It's a matter of time before the buffet will no longer be included and I'm sure we will have folks on this board with comments such as, "It won't hurt me to starve for a week anyway! I'm on a CRUISE, a bad day on a ship is better than a good day at the office!"

[Colorado Beach Bum]

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

There is no way they could charge what they used to charge for their current product. It seems that Carnival wishes to be the Frontier or Spirit airlines of the cruise industry. It's a matter of time before the buffet will no longer be included and I'm sure we will have folks on this board with comments such as, "It won't hurt me to starve for a week anyway! I'm on a CRUISE, a bad day on a ship is better than a good day at the office!"

And we can decide to sail other lines just as I decided to never fly frontier again when years ago it was my preferred airline.  I’m not going to bash their business model.  I just choose other airlines now. 

[mz-s]

10 minutes ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

And we can decide to sail other lines just as I decided to never fly frontier again when years ago it was my preferred airline.  I’m not going to bash their business model.  I just choose other airlines now. 

 

Yes, it's true, Carnival's business model no longer meets what I am looking for in a cruise vacation.

[DallasGuy75219]

2 hours ago, ragen said:

So,...First we get rid of late night buffet service.

secound we close deli early,...

Putting more people in Pizza line,....

Third, understaff & slowdown said pizza line,...

 

Wait, What, the people started ordering more room service befor 10pm so thay could

have free late night food in their staterooms before bed instead of standing in our Pizza line till they give up?

 

Well we can't have that,....

 

"Due to current travel trends,.....Free room service is going away."

 

(I guess we'll all have to make a trip to the buffet just before it closes each day, and stash a tray of food back in our staterooms for later, from now on.)

When finding a late night snack began requiring you to make an extra trip to the Lido to get food to stash away or wait 30 minutes for pizza, I started ordering a cheese plate to go every night in thw MDR when I order dessert.  That's now my snack when I come back late from the casino.

 

[Laurab23]

Note to self- pack zip lock bags to get stuff from lido for late night snacks.

 

Laura

[cruisingguy007]

11 minutes ago, Laurab23 said:

Note to self- pack zip lock bags to get stuff from lido for late night snacks.

 

Laura

 

It's crazy that people have to even think of these things while on a cruise. I did try a few of the pay items from room service on my last Panorama trip and they were pretty decent and the service was very fast so that was nice. The late night food options are certainly an issue that folks are passionate about, hopefully, Carnival is paying attention.

 

Another option is eating a burger or something from the deli in the early evening and then pushing dinner back later, at the back end of dinner service. It limits your show options but is something that is an option.       

[vicky3vicky]

I don't think of a Carnival Cruise as a "dollar tree' or Motel '6' experience. But I do consider it more on par with a Quality Inn or Comfort Inn as far as quality goes. Quality Inn has way more than doubled in price  in the past 25 years, whereas Carnival costs pretty much the same. I like Quality Inn's breakfast buffet, free parking, and no "guest service fee," as you find in more expensive places.

 

Quality Inn has no room service fee, as there is no room service. Pricier hotels generally do have room service, generally at ridiculously high costs. Carnival has a low food service fee.

 

We also have a timeshare in Las Vegas, which can be a good deal if you actually use it and don't buy it from a timeshare representative. Our mainenance fee has gone up alot too. We also used to get room cleaning service twice a day, then once a day, then twice a week. Now, if you want someone to take care of your room it's $100 a day. I'm okay with that. Owners were the ones who voted to keep maintenece fees lower by eliminating housekeeping services. It's a cutback that keeps our yearly costs lower. 

 

If Carnival needs to make cuts to stay afloat and be a vacation the vast majority of people can afford with some [a little, or alot] of counting the pennies, that's okay with me. It's the only way I'll afford to continue cruising. If you want to get more, then pay more, go somewhere else. That's fine. That's awesome. I just don't get how, if you're "done with Carnival." why not just be done and stop complaining. It makes no sense to me. 

 

 

[bguppies]

On 9/9/2022 at 11:25 AM, mz-s said:

 

Agreed, I'm to the point in my life where I'd rather pay more and get an overall better experience than pay what I used to pay and get a materially worse experience.

Well said.

I'd rather sail less frequently. with the line that will give me closer to the cruise experience I want.

Than a line that offers an inferior product for the old price or slightly higher.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

I think there’s a lot to be said for the all inclusive model.  It really allows you to enjoy the experience to the full, without concern as to the cost every time you would like to do something.  It thus makes the vacation into more of a bubble.  

 

However, market research shows over and over, that though people will say they prefer all inclusive, in general, when it comes time to making a purchase, they are more apt to choose the a la carte options, which will always be less money up front (and maybe less money overall).

 

Experienced cruisers, who know their patterns, can estimate how much they would spend a la carte, and can make an informed decisions as to which is the better deal for them.  

 

With 6 cruises under my belt, I can say that I would not pay extra to have wifi, alcohol, or specialty dining included.  Though, I would pay extra to have photos, room service (assuming high quality and speedy service), an 2x/day cabin service included. 

[bguppies]

On 9/9/2022 at 1:52 PM, skywalkr2 said:

I really enjoy afternoon free room service, and have on every cruise.  This will be SORELY missed.  I, for one, will just have to go find the deli (assuming its open) to replace it.

That is the other problem with this, is how it is going to impact other dining venues that were already experiencing long waits before shuffling MORE people into lines waiting for a Guy's burger or deli sanwich, who would've happily taken a snack in their cabin after a long day of excusions, etc.

As many complaints as I have been reading about how bad the pizza has gotten, I can't imagine how this will trickle down.

[BlerkOne]

3 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

When finding a late night snack began requiring you to make an extra trip to the Lido to get food to stash away or wait 30 minutes for pizza, I started ordering a cheese plate to go every night in thw MDR when I order dessert.  That's now my snack when I come back late from the casino.

 

Hope the new room service menu includes cheese plates and the MDR puts an end to the to go foolishness.

[Colorado Beach Bum]

1 hour ago, vicky3vicky said:

I just don't get how, if you're "done with Carnival." why not just be done and stop complaining. It makes no sense to me. 

Totally agree.  I’d be spending time researching the other boards looking for a great vacation alternative. 

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, BlerkOne said:

Hope the new room service menu includes cheese plates and the MDR puts an end to the to go foolishness.

 

God forbid people expect to be able to eat food included in their cruise fare on a cruise, like Kathie Lee Gifford used to sing about.

[ShakyBeef]

1 minute ago, BlerkOne said:

Hope the new room service menu includes cheese plates and the MDR puts an end to the to go foolishness.

 

In what way is it "foolishness"? I've never gotten anything "to go" from the MDR, but if someone asks for their included dessert in this way, what's the problem?  The waiters already carry the plates up from the galley with the covers on them to make stacking possible.  They then remove the plate covers at the waiter stations before bringing them to the table.  Does it add any trouble to ask for your dessert "to go", then?  No.  Actually, it is one less step your waiter has to perform (removing the plate cover) before bringing your plate to the table.

[cruisingguy007]

9 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

God forbid people expect to be able to eat food included in their cruise fare on a cruise, like Kathie Lee Gifford used to sing about.

 

I think folks are already hip to this, when I was on Miracle, I pushed the elevator button and when the door opened there was a bunch of ladies (like five or six) in there with those plates and domed covers stacked three/four high lol. It looked like they were room service employees delivering food, accept for their pajama attire that gave them away as passengers; I've never seen such a thing on past cruises. It was crazy, I waited for the next elevator and was thinking to myself "what the heck?" 🤣.   

Edited September 10, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[BlerkOne]

Just now, ShakyBeef said:

 

In what way is it "foolishness"? I've never gotten anything "to go" from the MDR, but if someone asks for their included dessert in this way, what's the problem?  The waiters already carry the plates up from the galley with the covers on them to make stacking possible.  They then remove the plate covers at the waiter stations before bringing them to the table.  Does it add any trouble to ask for your dessert "to go", then?  No.  Actually, it is one less step your waiter has to perform (removing the plate cover) before bringing your plate to the table.

Collecting the plates and covers and returning to the proper location costs money. Not to mention all the tableware that ends up in a suitcase. FLOG, people used to steal the butter dish covers and they steal the plastic table decorations.

 

With pay room service, at least you might break even on costs.

 

 

[Colorado Beach Bum]

9 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

More, definitely more, ironically, the whining usually ends with a comparison to Carnival and how those lines are becoming "more like Carnival", the greyhound bus of cruising in many of their eyes. They should probably just book Carnival and save a few bucks if that's the case. 😁

Is greyhound supposed to be some type of insult?  It’s a 108 year old company. I’d say that’s a comparison to a highly successful company that has had to navigate through many, many difficult times and is still going strong today.  Every cruise line (and their investors) would take that type of success. 

[cruisingguy007]

9 minutes ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Is greyhound supposed to be some type of insult?  It’s a 108 year old company. I’d say that’s a comparison to a highly successful company that has had to navigate through many, many difficult times and is still going strong today.  Every cruise line (and their investors) would take that type of success. 

 

While that may be true and I'm certainly a Carnival Fan boi, a Greyhound trip is not something I would consider lol. Your positivity and ability to see the silver lining is refreshing though lol, I'll give you that. 

[BlerkOne]

21 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

I mean, if someone were a thief, and inclined to steal cheap, crappy flatware and plates from a cruiseship (which I am sure some do), wouldn't it be infinitely easier to do so from the Lido buffet supply?  In what way does "to go" from MDR create a theft risk?😕

Sail on Carnival sometime and observe the hard working staff in the MDRs. They have to make do with a fixed number of resources for each team. It is not uncommon to see them pilfer whatever is needed from other teams.

 

The amount of flatware is not unlimited. The number of plates is not unlimited. Sufficient quantities of both need to be returned to the proper locations for the universe to be in balance 

 

[DallasGuy75219]

7 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

They have to make do with a fixed number of resources for each team. It is not uncommon to see them pilfer whatever is needed from other teams.

And that's a passenger's fault/problem because???