RoperDK

10 hours ago, shof515 said:

electric toothbrush, electric shaver all need to be charged. it would nice if they replace that strange layout in the bathroom with a standard AC plug so you can plug in these devices

Hopefully, this will change with newer build ships.  Royal's new ship does have a regular plug in the bathroom.     

I really don't have a preference anymore.  We used to book port side to see the dock area, but now you can't really predict which way you will dock.  Now we just book whichever side is closer to the best elevator location.   

On 9/24/2024 at 9:12 AM, island lady said:

Another one here that agrees food is better than the MDR...but IMHO...I don't think it is superior to the specialty restaurants, unless those happen to have not so great chefs.  Ship to ship varies.  

 

However, we adore CK mostly for the atmosphere and having the same waiters.  They get to know our tastes, usually usher us to a favorite table, and is much quieter than the other dining options...usually anyway.  

I totally agree. We love CK, too.  The food is better than the MDR.  They include the old everyday classics menu so I can have escargot and my DH can have French onion soup every evening if we wish. The entrees are also upgraded to include a filet mignon and rack of lamb evening. Perhaps the food isn't quite the same level as specialty dining, but we really enjoy the better service, view, and more intimate experience.      

32 minutes ago, Iluvmykindle said:

We were on the Glory last weekend.  On Friday night we went to the steakhouse.  We were told that this was the first day for the new menu.  No sides are now listed on the menu.  I ordered the roasted chicken and it came with a dollop of mashed potatoes and one single carrot.  Both our waiter and the chef we spoke to told us that this was to curb waste.  Some people would order all the sides and just take one bite of each.  This was a common occurence according to them both.

 

This made me chuckle. They say that they are trying to curb waste by limiting options and portions for a pay restaurant, but you can go to the buffet and load your plate with those same mashed potatoes and vegetables for free as much as you want.  To be truthful, we haven't eaten at the steakhouse in years because of declining beef quality.  If I remember correctly, the recent level of sides weren't overly fancy and expensive to begin with and I don't remember them serving large portions either. I do hope that you could order an additional carrot without having to pay extra.  Oh my, LOL. 🤣  I'll take Jiji's any day!  

7 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I just got off baby sized adventure of the seas to Bermuda. I wanted to overnight in Bermuda so booked it. Not for the ship. The Two Tenors was a hit.

 

We were on Adventure the cruise before yours and I almost went to see The Two Tenors.  I thought it might be good, but we decided to do something else.  I've been bit by going to the featured entertainer shows before and with so many things to do, I chickened out.  Wish I had given it a go now.  

14 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Would you have dropped cash in the casino regardless of casino offers?

Good question.  We've cruised on Carnival for 20+ years and have spent some time in the casino for most of those years. I might spend more time in the casino now than I used to, but that is because we don't spend as much time on the pool deck anymore.  I've done my time in the sun and am tired of getting cut on by the dermatologist.  I don't remember getting casino offers until maybe 10 or so years ago. We did get a nice military discount back in the day, which seems to have disappeared for the most part. We never get a free room because our offers are for inside cabins and we always upgrade to at least a balcony.  It does seem that there are more people that cruise very often on casino offers.  I also see how high their point counts are.  I can only imagine what they are spending.  It is way more than I can afford.  

9 hours ago, mfs2k said:

Where can I find a summary of MDR service processes for the major midlevel cruise lines serving the US market as it relates to this topic of seating and electronic vs paper menus and guest ordering?

im curious which lines are staying traditional in the main dining rooms and which lines are leaning into apps and electronics for dining.

 

 

I can only speak to Royal, but they have returned to a more traditional dining format.  There was a time during the restart where they encouraged using the app and I can't actually remember if I used a QR code.  It is standard to present a menu now along with tablecloth and full silverware.  They use a 2-person team and we have had  improving service along with better food quality in the past year or so.  They still haven't added back all of the everyday menu items (unless we eat at Coastal Kitchen), but most are available multiple times in a weeklong cruise. They still substitute lesser cuts of meat (lamb loin instead of rack of lamb) so it's not all puppies and rainbows.  Carnival service for me hasn't plummeted and I don't really care about the tablecloth and extra silverware.  I am bothered by the harried staff and not getting drink refills.  That could be remedied by hiring some more waitstaff and is a large part of my post cruise survey remarks.     

15 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

I intended to post pictures of any cats seen, but with rain and cold, the odds were and are against that. While we have dozens of cats, I only claim one, or rather he claimed me when someone dumped him off near our house. He has various issues, including diabetes which developed this year. After resisting for a while, I finally accepted that his teeth had to come out (left canines for now), which isn't that traumatic for cats. The surgery went well and so far so good. Hopefully that will reduce or even eliminate the stomatitis. As for the diabetes, he has been doing well on Senvelgo and we hope that continues.  So I'm please with all that.

 

The vet sent a picture post surgery...

 

 

Hoping for a speedy recovery for your kitty.  My Sweet Tater had stomatitis and we struggled to make him comfortable in the beginning. He was just 6 months old when the symptoms started. It is such a cruel disease. He crossed the rainbow bridge last year at 16 years old.  We learned to manage it fairly well over the years and he had a happy and long life.   

2 hours ago, KLMB said:

For me it's a big no, the ONLY reason being if I ate that much at lunch I would go in a food coma and be tired the rest of the day.  I wish I could eat all the yummy food at lunch and agree it's a good plan, but man I would have no appetite for anything later.  Anyone else with the same problem?

We skip dinner when we do specialty lunch. We might do the salad bar or have a small snack, but there is no way we could do a big lunch followed by a large dinner.  When we were younger, we could eat 3 big meals a day and not bat an eye, but now we dearly pay for that decision. 😄 I find that if we go walking around after our lunch, then we do just fine.  We do love specialty lunch because of the reduced pricing and we have started doing embarkation lunches so that we can escape the chaos.   

58 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

I wonder if the servers' apparent annoyance at having to go find a paper menu and if the failure to deliver coffee has any correlation to the time of the event -- when you want a paper menu (or coffee) at 6:00 p.m., the waiters might be more overworked  and stressed than at 8:30 (for Your Time Dining).  

 

If the server needs to take orders, send the orders to the kitchen, deliver appetizers, to 8 tables all at once (and more), the coffee might be forgotten.

I would hope that we can all agree that there is a staffing shortage.  It is stressful for me to see the staff running around like they do.  I can only imagine what they go through day after day.  It must be exhausting.  We are past COVID, gratuities and cabin prices have increased, and ships are sailing full.  I would like to see Carnival increase staffing and by default that would increase service.  I know it's just wishful thinking, but it sure would be nice. 

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I hope you give positive feedback to Carnival for those on the crew who still give great service. This helps them with things like promotions.

I sure do!  I know how important their reviews are. I always acknowledge the crew that have gone out of their way to give good service by name on the survey.  If I didn't get good service in another area, I generalize my responses on the survey without including names.  You never know what is happening in someone's world and poor service might be a reflection of personal issues.  I know that I have bad days and I expect that the crew has them, too.  My negative issues mostly deal with the changes to Carnival surrounding overloading the crew and loss of food options.       

2 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I am shocked, you are ALWAYS so positive on Carnival.  Go figure….

Me stating my recent experiences is just a fact. I am not always negative towards Carnival, but I am not afraid to report on things both good and bad.  I doubt you can find a totally negative response that I have posted. It is true than I am disappointed in the direction that Carnival is heading and hope that the couple of upcoming cruises I am taking will prove me wrong.       

4 minutes ago, Stick93 said:

Always funny when people say go somewhere else. Great business model - come sail with us and if you don’t like it go somewhere else. Very little effort to have menus on demand. I needed a menu a few nights on my last cruise and you would have thought I asked for a free steak dinner they way they looked at me. I guess they were really saying was  “hey you stupid paying customer…go somewhere else”! 

I'm sure that I will get slammed for this, but I have also received this attitude from the crew.  Cabin stewards that looked devastated to have to bring ice daily and looked disappointed to have to bring a paper copy of the Fun Times.  We request morning cabin service and have been told that they will do the cabin when they can.  Dining room waitstaff that seemed put out to bring anything extra.  This includes a refill of iced tea or heaven forbid a cup of coffee with desert. This is a fairly new experience for me that just started within the last year or so.  Now, I have still received great service from many crew members, especially those that I have more interaction with like my favorite bartenders. I'm not implying that everything is bad, but I have never had any issues before and it took me by surprise.        

Just like many other threads on this (and other) forums, some people will firmly stand on a pro or con view of a post that criticizes a policy on their chosen cruise line.  I prefer the paper Fun Times and to be handed a real menu to look at.  I cruised right after the start up and hated trying to find events on the online Fun Times.  I scanned the QR codes for the menus and didn't care much for that either.  Carnival reversed course on those 2 things because of negative feedback from cruisers and I'm glad that they did.  On the other hand, I love checking in for my table for meal service.  It gives me an idea of my wait time and I can plan accordingly.  I think that the new procedure for the muster drill is amazing.  However, I'm not a fan of the many cutbacks I've seen on Carnival along with not finding the bargain pricing now that I used to see.  BTW....I am 67 and a retired computer programmer.  My phone goes everywhere with me and I feel lost if I'm not connected to wifi onboard.           

On 9/14/2024 at 12:58 AM, brillohead said:

You know, you could have requested wheelchair assistance onto the ship to cut out a huge amount of the walking... you didn't have to make it so difficult on yourself if it was such an ordeal.

It's also very simple to request wheelchair assistance at any domestic airport.  

I regularly cruise with mobility impaired friends.  It's not that difficult.

Yes, wheelchair assistance cuts down on the never-ending boarding ramps. It is so easy to rent a scooter now. I don't understand why this option isn't used more often.  It isn't that expensive and really helps those with mobility issues handle long distances and you can park it out of the way and walk short distances to explore every nook and cranny of the ship. It is great to use in ports, too.   

1 hour ago, Womack21499 said:

Get a scooter. 

I agree.  I had one just prior to my hip replacement.  I would use it if I had a long distance to travel, other than that I would use a cane.  May be hard to tote crutches on a scooter though.  If they are required because of non-weight bearing, then consider renting a wheelchair and have someone push for long distances.  I could go long distances on my crutches, but a lot of that does wear you down.  Perhaps a knee scooter would work.  I don't know what your situation is, but good luck! 

17 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

And it isn't an airport. No need to announce your departure 

I gather you are referring to my post, but not quoting it.  I didn't announce my departure but said that I was looking for value elsewhere. I assume that opinions are still considered valid on this board.  Sometimes I wonder.   

Well, did Vista sail?   I came back from Adventure yesterday and she was at the dock just like she was when we left on Sep. 7th.  

Seems that we've been down this road before.  You either like Carnival or you don't.  Their benefits are not great. Never have been.  What Carnival did excel at was giving a good cruise at a good price.  Unfortunately, the prices are increasing and the food and service is decreasing and the value is not there for me anymore. I have a couple of Carnival cruises booked and I still look for good itineraries, but most of my cruises are now booked on another line.  This is just my opinion. Everyone has one and I'm sure that we will go back and forth on this like we always do.  

1 hour ago, MichaelCMTX said:

The last sailing we went on, when we did this the Suite Concierge let us know how to use the app and website to make our own reservation.  I don't know if that's becoming the practice or we just got a concierge looking to 'phone it in'.  We are not demanding guests but I figured if I was the one making our reservations, I was the one who deserved the tip.

 

I don't think that is normal behavior for the Suite Concierge.  In all of my cruises in a suite, I've only had one Concierge that was either overwhelmed or didn't want to bother.  I prefer to set things up myself if I can, but sometimes it is nice to have them work their magic for you.  That is what they are there for.       

I would just reply to the welcome email and ask for assistance.  I've never had the UDP but I have had the concierge modify Chops times for me before boarding the ship.  It won't hurt to ask. 

On 8/19/2024 at 8:14 PM, Elaine5715 said:

Why? Ship happens.  

Just trying to be nice.

The relief area is not a typical material that dogs relieve themselves on.  Make sure your dog is trained to relieve himself on command, at uncommon places, and on artificial surfaces.  I feel that there should be a better, more natural space for this. There was a trip report not too long ago that talked about the problems their service dog had relieving himself in the mulch box. It was highly stressful for them (and the dog, I'm sure). Full disclosure...I do not have a service dog but have had to travel with my obedience/agility dogs to shows and have stayed in many hotels.  I had one that was extremely difficult to train to use locations other than his yard.  I cried many times worrying about his comfort. I had to really work with him to "go" on command. Eventually, he would do both #1 and #2 wherever I asked.  Hope this is not TMI. I can't find the link to the trip report at the moment.  Maybe someone else will help out.        

Carnival Triumph Mar 2000.  We were booked on Carnival Celebration and it had a fire that cancelled cruises.  We got a full refund with 50% off any other cruise and upgraded to a suite for next to nothing. Spoiled us for sure. 

22 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

It was an upgrade according to Carnival.  Bs are better than As, Ks are better than Js.  There was no option of moving unless I wanted to pay for a different category.  The ships were changed thus the types of available cabins were not equal.   

Sorry that happened to you.