Stick93

One will never know the positivity rate on the ship. For many reasons but the biggest is most people will not test in the ship because they know what could happen. A small cold and cough - ehh! Not worth being in quarantine and removal in a 3rd world country. Maybe people take their own tests on board but reporting is a different level. The only people I believe tested are staff that need to and people deathly sick that need help. Second most people test positive after they leave which means damage already done and they are gone. This conversation is interesting but the topic unanswerable.

Statistics are a funny thing. A good statistician can make you believe in anything. Most of this country has no money for food. A good number will never take a cruise. What’s left?? Who knows. But statistically if 25% of ships are blue cards - majority are return customers. So Carnival has no excuse for not doing cheap things to retain all those people. So…Majority of ships according to your information from JH are full with return customers - so hard to believe they would not want to service those people.

I get calls from new cruisers all the time asking me which cruise line to take their first cruise - I have to say that for the last 3 years I have been pushing other lines. Most new cruisers ask their friends who have gone on a cruise before. Word of mouth is free as well. The logic of not caring about your current passengers is just not a business model the largest cruise company can afford. Everyone learns about perks and loyalty programs because they work and are the gimmick that brings people back - like your 10th over priced coffee or as royal has 4 free drinks a day for diamond members and above. You hear people talking about it - they book suits for double points just so that in their next cruise they have a freebie that they use. Carnival is no different. We can debate the stupidity of a luggage tag or a can insulator as a ridiculous gimmick which should insult people - but it’s a perk and people want it. Priority boarding is free and a good gimmick. It allows people to enjoy their vacation right away hassle free. Taking it away for no reason is yet another example of Carnivals brain trust having a stroke at the table.

You are simplifying this too much. They need every customer. They need increased demand to increase the cost of each sailing. I agree to disagree. Accepting 90 % retention would be successful, less than 75% is a losing model. That would mean 1/4 customers goes elsewhere after sailing them. The need all of us and they spend great amounts to to try and keep us.

You are correct. But they need us the passengers to make them relevant. There is a cost vs benefit to every decision. They can do as they please but so can we. They don’t spend millions in marketing to not deliver to their loyal customers.

Well then your stating a point that carnivals clientele is beyond what people want to sail with. We have earned status with sailing and spending. We should get this perk - no excuses.

“Haters” - or cruisers. Its okay you love carnival no matter what. Carnival tries the least. Their ships overall look more tired and are not kept up to standard we all think they should be. Their product is fun but not in tune to specifics or details. You can love them for that - but they are cheap and cost cutters at passengers expense 100% of the time. Their issues are more transparent than the other cruise lines. What does it cost to have P/D priority check in line??? I can assure this it’s close to zero! You want to give your loyal passengers a gift - you stick it in their room. You don’t have them go on a scavenger hunt to get them. The other cruise lines get this and these are two easy examples that cost nothing. There are probability many more examples.

I can guarantee this - if this is the issues celebrity is having, carnivals issues are greater. It’s really not a contest. They can all do better - but the general consensus is that carnival is always farther behind the curve and cutting more corners.

Give them your cabin always if you are in the picture. You can also surcharge for the pictures if you keep track of what you are looking for.

I saw sunshine last week in Nassau- she had the new look. She looked tired even with the new paint. Maybe it’s just me!

You may be waiting a awhile. Good news is there are plenty of good options at a similar price point. Even a bit more is worth more to pay if the product is that much better and the truth is - the product is better. Those cruise lines all live on the same world as carnival - so stop the excuses.

I don’t see why it’s difficult to have a speed line for P/D and suites. I feel like Carnival will milk the Covid train as long as they can. I have been on Celebrity and Royal and have seen them handle the passengers just fine with all the same “staffing issues”. I even had my room serviced twice a day without asking! If the staffing issues are so bad for carnival they should limit the passenger counts - I would think it’s safer for all to do that.

Just got off Royal again and I am amazed at their product - Oasis is a real game changer! But I have to say these stupid speakers everyone brings to blast what they believe is amzaing music are the worst - they have made their way to royal and nobody stopped them even in the adult only areas My next cruise is on carnival... We shall see!