TPFKAH

Regarding the tip issue, can someone clarify the Carnival policy for me? I understand that whenever you give additional tips, the money has to go into a pot and is then further distributed. How does this help your room steward? If you doesn't report it, his job is in jeopardy. If he does turn it in, he did not receive what you intended him to get for his good service. Is this really how the tip program works or am I misled?

Carnival does NOT pool tips, regardless whether it's pre paid, on you card account, or cash.

The 2 ships are identicle in layout; the only difference is the decor.

Deck 5 Vistas are one room on all 4 ships.

We are heading out on 10/4 on the Sunshine. I have read the reviews, and now I am very nervous about the cruise. It seems like 9 out of 10 reviews are extremely negative. Did I make a mistake? This is my third cruise on Carnival. I prefer making my own opinion on something; however, the cruise reviews are pretty troubling.

I made my decision eons ago not to sail on Sunshine. There are too many other ships to choose from. If I want a stockpile of things added to a ship, I will wait till a ship can handle it. I hope that turns out to be the Vista.

Don't have pix, but it has it's own pool, hot tub, and there's a bar back there as well, on an open fantail.

I've always stuck with tried and true good ole Piña Colada.

On the Carnival Triump deck plans, there are steam and sauna rooms by the men's and women's locker rooms. Are the steam rooms and saunas co-ed or segregated by gender?

Segregated.

That's because Carnival invented a way to gouge us for the privilege.

Ah, the days when it was a platinum perk with a private tour. Before that, a published activity. Sad to see it's now a charged "privilege".

Not to be glib, but ask the Navy how well that works.

 

It doesn't. The ship still needs to be maintained. And now when you are ready to take it out of mothballs years later, it is woefully in need of upgrades and repairs to match the current fleet.

 

A much better solution is to sell excess ships. You old beater is another cruise line's sweet new ride.

 

Personally, I think that is what they should have done with the Destiny. Sell her off and let another cruise line put millions into her in repairs and refurbishments. It would be a brand new ship to them and their passengers versus a retread to Carnival's existing passengers. Just from reading on here, I don't get the feeling Sunshine is going as well as they had hoped. I definitely have not heard of plans to do it to any other ship from the Destiny class.

Something tells me they probably wished they did that after all the stumbling blocks, including the sabotage.

If they don't sail, they definitely won't spend. It is hard to spend money onboard the ship if you aren't onboard yourself.

 

).

I didn't think this was rocket science. This thread seems to be more of wishful thinking than anything, and normally by a business, not a customer.

Because you PAY for them! Don't you understand that part of your cruise fare is supposed to pay for decent entertainment?

I found that odd as well. It's like going to dinner theatre, saying you didn't like the show, and then be asked why did you go?

You may be right. The Rock Performers that they are bringing to the ships are an up charge. I will never pay.

I think that is backfiring anyway. All I keep reading is that they are giving out tickets, in luring the VIP passes.

Just back from our 25th Carnival cruise first one on conquest.

 

Had an awesome roll call and made some good new friends we hope to cruise with again.

 

Got to rent our first villa at HMC (thanks Kenny and Debbi) and now understand why people want to dothis.

 

Thought food and service was good as usual but entertainment has gone even further downhill.

 

For the first time ever there were no flyons for our 7 day cruise. What we had was two evenings of Hasbro and Hasbro only in the main lounge.

 

Seriously? And one of these evenings no comedy club and no piano bar going on.

 

Didnt care for playlist the first time we saw it and think that 8 mediocre singers do not equal the quality of the old style production shows with two decent singers.

 

How can a company that put on Ticket to Ride and Dancing in the Street think they are putting out quality production when they put out this crap?

 

On a more positive note will say that Epic Rock was a good one the other three hopefully will never have to sit thru again.

 

Michael in the pb was very good (apparently he replaced a woman who suddenly left the ship). The four comedians put on some very good shows.

 

Did we get our money's worth? Yes we did. But we used to love the main lounge entertainment and now it is gone.

 

Perhaps they will tell us that attendance in the main lounge is dwindling so they will have the excuse to Sunshine it and make them half the size in the future.

 

Personally think the attendance is shrinking as guests realize what they are giving us is not worth attending.

I seriously fear they are making it so bad in purpose, so they can eventually turn around and say, "Want real entertainment? You can now pay for it, and it will be <here>

If we know it's bad, they certainly know it's bad.

No they haven't. Once they start putting 4,000 people the Ecstasy, then your "claim" would be accurate. Nothing like a little grandstanding though, eh? :D

When that class came out, my first cruise on them was $299 and included airfare. 5 day with an IS. Not sure what they go for now, without airfare.

Ive always liked the look of the Conquest class ships but I have to give the nod to the Splendor, not only do I like her lines but she is also a one of a kind for Carnival fleet.

The only one left that look like ships are the 8 Fantasy class ships.

....but I can get 4 starters and four desserts!!

Touché

So basically you can get 2 steakhouse meals for $40 instead of 1 for $35,

I know the ambiances is not the same but you can still get app's salads and desserts from the MDR

You're just not tipping twice. And you don't get the special starters or desserts.

This would have been my second time with carnival and I didn't book insurance and they allowed me to push back 3 weeks without penalty and different itinerary to eastern Caribbean Cruise and I'm a very happy customer because they wasn't obligated at all to help me out, I even ended up with more onboard credit than before

Posts like this have everyone running to Carnival when they have issues and are accommodated. It's best to keep these things quiet, cause then all that assistance dries up cause everyone expects it.

they did try it before a few years ago, and did take it away. but it has started to resurface. see a recent thread about the same:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2095321

 

the verbiage i've found is:

M

 

 

it's already reported to have been on glory, liberty, imagination, ecstasy, paradise on CC, and per that statement, it should be rolling out fleetwide as of the week of august 28 - so within about the last week.

 

so in short, yes, you should be able to get a steakhouse steak in the MDR. :)

I stand corrected. Thanks for the update. I missed this.

I would say try the bright side first; RCCL. Then try the Blue side.

You may find you might not come back to CCL.

when I did allure in May I could order steak from speciality steakhouse, while I was in main dining room can u do this on magic. Thank you Janet rae

They trees this on four of ther ships that had no steakhouse about 3 years ago, but it crashed and burned, and hasn't resurfaced since.

I'm curious where some of you get your information on how Carnival pools the auto tips? I can't imagine that the auto tips would be equally divided among the cabin stewards and the dishwashers.

Before when tips were delivered in envelopes, I never had an envelope that was designated for "the behind the scenes people". I believe this is a guilt tactic that Carnival tells it's passengers so they won't drop their auto tips.

TIPS means.. "To Insure Prompt Service" .. As stated many times, we should tip people who have personally given us service.

When at a restaurant, we don't leave an extra tip for the cook, dishwasher etc... do we?

Carnival's auto tips is a wonderful thing to me compared to handing out those envelopes.

You were doing good util that acronym sent you off the rails. And no, no one but service personel get tips. Everyone else gets an agreed upon set salary that never changes until a new contract. That includes the oft thrown in kitchen help and laundry cleaners.

For all the people that hate the cutbacks and complain about them every time they cruise Carnival, why are y'all still cruising with Carnival? When a product I like changes in a way I don't care for, I don't buy it anymore.

Same reason some take a limo, a cab, or the subway. All get you there.

Some of us would prefer to get the product that we expect and enjoyed and pay what is necessary to get it. It is understandable that the price has to go up sometimes. What really bothers me is the product constantly being degraded so I never know how much worse it's going to be than the last cruise.

 

Carnival is giving us a 5-oz can of tuna at the price of the old 6-oz can. And just like those new, stupid 5-oz cans of tuna on the grocery store shelves, the new, lesser product looks deceptively similar to the old. But we know it isn't the same.

 

OK, I realize I may have lost you on that tuna metaphor. No, I'm not drunk or crazy.:p Explanation: tuna used to be sold in 6-oz cans, now it's sold (all brands) in 5-oz cans that look alllllmost the same, so some people won't even notice this cutback. But the price of these 5-oz cans is actually higher than the old 6-oz cans. Recipes in my cookbooks are for 6-oz cans. I have been miffed about this and similar deceptive grocery cutbacks for a while now. Sorry to turn this post into a double rant.:o But I just think 5 Ounce Can of Tuna every time I think of Carnival, now.:(

Actually, tuna used to be 7.5oz, with one exception. Del Monte, when they made it, was an 8 oz can.

Bumble Bee must have just started making a 7oz can again, cause I saw one within the past couple of months. I was so shocked I took a picture of it.

I have been cruising with Carnival since 1985, and I can see your points. But consider this. The cost of cruising now is LESS than it was in 1985. I paid $1400 dollars for an inside cabin on a 7 day cruise on the Holiday back then. Fuel, labor, and supply costs have gone way up since then. So you have to expect cutbacks if you want the prices to remain low. All the major mass market cruise lines are cutting back where ever they can. If you want a more upscale experience now, then you will have to pay more money to sail on a more upscale line.

 

You are right that they are not giving you a receipt at the bars anymore, but if you ask for one, they will give one to you.

Having sailed since the 80's as well, I don't agree with the logic. Since then, they have crammed twice as many people onto the ships, so automatically the fares should be halved.

Then take a look at a brochure from the 80's. Take a look at the what's included column, and what's not. And what you got was premium quality with premium service.

You don't already tip them?

Only as I pass them in an aft direction.