mz-s

21 hours ago, stobe1 said:

Of course not. But I certainly don't think it rises to the level of "disturbing". If that were the case my $$$ would be going elsewhere.

I didn't use the word disturbing but point taken.

I think it's fair to be critical of Carnival, and any other cruise line, especially on this website - given the name of the site.

If you want whitewashed puppy dogs and rainbows about Carnival all the time, JH's page is where you should be.

The old adage, "Any port in a storm" isn't true of cruise ships. They are too top-heavy. As has been mentioned, they will delay Elation's return to JAXPORT and shorten the next cruise.

44 minutes ago, stobe1 said:

Oh. Right. Complain and still spend money while complaining.

 

If i get crappy service from my preferred restaurant and I still go there and give them my money after years of going downhill and declining service that I am unhappy with that's on me. 

Are we supposed to love everything about Carnival or something?

8 minutes ago, DanJ said:

I think, aside from the priority people, and those with luggage tag numbers, I don't think they really care so much when people leave. The gangway staff I mean. They know the ship has to get empty and they need X amount of people per minute to leave, they don't really care who it is. 

Yeah once the priority guests leave they have very little time to get everyone off so it is a bit of a free-for-all at most ports. Charleston for example they are much more strict because that port does not have room to hold all of the luggage for all of the zones, so they have to enforce debarkation zones there a little more strictly. 

2 hours ago, Itried4498 said:

C’mon, cruise ships today offer way more activities than they did in years past.  While it’s disappointing to lose any activity, Carnival Kitchen may not have been as popular as it seemed.  I just skimmed several reports from when the Panorama debuted and they indicated there would be 18 classes per 7-day sailing to start, with more classes added based upon the activity’s popularity.  And it seems like the activity had transitioned into sea day only with 1/2 that number of classes offered per cruise.

 

The production shows on Carnival were never good - just mediocre.  I thought the purpose of switching to the screens was to regularly freshen up the shows but that hasn’t happened yet and some of these shows are going on 10yo.

 

Would be nice if the cruise industry upped its live entertainment, but I suspect cost will prevent that from happening.  Even in theme parks, live entertainment has been slowly disappearing.

What more included entertainment is included on the Panorama, for example, than say the Freedom? Ropes course? I think that's about it, unless I'm missing something.

41 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

On our last cruise....DH loved the brunch.  That's probably the #1 reason for scheduling our upcoming cruise.  If they mess that up....there's no going back...especially if the entertainment is reduced to passenger game shows.

If you still love the brunch then you're probably okay, they've seriously cut back that menu and hours of operation so it is a shadow of its former self, like everything else onboard.

17 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I guess...one can say....as I've said about "people needing menus in leather binders".....if this is what you need (professional entertainment, me included)....Carnival may not be the right line for you.

 

 

Where does it end? The standards for Carnival's product in all aspects keep going one direction - down. Where is the bottom?

Why is Carnival seemingly the only company in the world that is unable to add money to a gift card, except when it is first activated? It makes no sense to me why they have to create new gift cards when they could just put the money back on the old one.

Everything on the modern mass market lines that do not directly drive revenue are endangered.

The shows that cost big money (training and paying a crew of performers) even though they're basically just karaoke in front of a screensaver - as good as gone. Replaced by a campy "game show" emceed by the cruise director (that Carnival already pays) and the fun squad (ditto). As mentioned other lines are doing the same.

I don't know how much Carnival spends on their comedy program but I am sure it pales in comparison to the alcohol sales.

How much further can they cut - daily housekeeping next? It's a game of chicken, who will move first.

Just now, i_love_long_islands said:

I WISH they would swap out the seafood shack for Shaqs Chicken. Would make Pano even better.

I agree, the Seafood Shack does not seem to be particularly popular on my cruises. Like everything it has its fans I'm sure, but with such limited deck space why not devote it to something that more guests will enjoy?

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

 

i already see that on another cruise line that replace almost all theater shows with game shows like wheel of fortune, press your luck and other shows. its very sad entertainment these days is horrible compare to bad in the day 

The product that the mainline cruise lines are offering today is really nothing like it was 10, 15, years ago. The only thing that's the same is you are on a ship.

Eventually, Carnival ships will be staterooms, buffets, and a casino. We are inching ever closer to that goal with every drydock. The "shows" are already just karaoke in front of a screen saver - not much more they could cut there without getting rid of the theater altogether.

Yes, but they are disabled.

They do everything they can to make it difficult but it is possible if you know what you're doing. It's not as simple as plugging a Roku into the TV and watching TV until your ears bleed though.

On 8/31/2024 at 12:49 PM, staceyglow said:

Here's an idea: They should match your digital debark time to when they scan your Sail and Sign for the last time as you leave.

 

Imagine getting in line early, getting all the way to the scan, and the machine beeps in a weird way and the security officer says., "I'm sorry, you aren't scheduled to get off for another hour.  Come back then."

 

That would stop the cheating pretty quickly.  😁

They do that during priority debarkation. If your card doesn't designate priority, you are turned away. I've seen it.

16 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Got it, was just adding a little more humor….I thought,

Humor doesn't always come across over text, especially to me - I can be a little slow on the uptake sometimes.

16 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Just like every other cruise line.  

Why is that always the retort? Does that somehow excuse the behavior, or make it unworthy of discussion? Two wrongs don't make a right.

52 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

"the John"?

commode

Coming to this thread late. Carnival is sailing full by and large. My last minute free cruise offers are nowhere near as plentiful as they were. That said it's really crappy they offered priority to suite guests but not VIFP. If there are too many people to have priority using their rubric (suites, VIFP diamond and platinum), then the only fair way to do it is nobody gets it. But Carnival doesn't ask us what is fair, they write the rules.

Everyone thinks they’re a special snowflake don’t they.

On 9/9/2024 at 3:53 PM, PattiPB said:

I know it's blasphemous...but what other sites are more active???

Ask uncle google, any posts referring folks to other websites here will get deleted.

Disney’s formal nights are “dress up optional”. Unlike pretty much every other cruise line, the buffets close during dinner service. Your options are dining rooms, specialty dining (at an extra charge and with an enforced dress code that you can read about on DCL’s site), or room service.

7 minutes ago, Captain Zippyjet said:

Compete and totally a miss. I was hoping it would be more in line like a midnight buffet. It’s like chicken fingers, fries, the usual chocolate chip Cookies and Super dried out old pizza.

 

As I mentioned, why use frozen yuck pizza when you have fresh baked pizza? In my thread I pondered the idea that Carnival was using the late-night barf cuisine as a test bed to see if they could get away with downgrading the overall food quality across the board. Bean counters can be lethal and toxic to the operation!

It's dollar tree food, absolutely disgusting stuff.

They don't need to use the late night snack buffet as a test bed, they've been cutting the food and service quality shipwide for years now.

1 hour ago, V_V said:

Has anyone had any luck requesting a different room during check-in?

Our room is at the front of the ship. While it is not a deal breaker, I am curious if anyone has had any luck requesting a mid-ship room while checking in at the terminal?

The ships sail full, by the time you get to the pier there will be no room to switch you to. If you want to switch rooms, call Carnival or your TA and ask about switching now.

Just now, Knights on the Beach said:

 

They did have High Noon on Vista in April. Mio is great in vodka/soda - blueberry lemonade is my favorite.

Oh good, the last time I was on Carnival I didn't notice High Noon - just the Thirsty Frog seltzer and I think Truly. I like High Noon.