Cutbacks you have noticed on Carnival

[cathyoo]

Is it that activities are cut back because of expense or because of a lack of participation? It's not like most activities are a terrible drain on resources to run.

 

When I cruised RCI there was definitely lack of participation. Some times my group of travelers were the only playes. But I haven't found that on Carnival at all. There have always been plenty of partcipants.

 

I think the drain is on the needed staff. Doesn't cost a lot to run those activites but they do need a body.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Some cutbacks are obvious , others...not so much. The one thing that I have not seen posted here is the size of the lobster. It seems to get smaller and smaller each time I cruise. Now they are so small that they are serving a couple of shrimp with them. No worries though, I still have a great time regardless of any cutbacks!!

 

Lobsters, in general, are smaller because they are being overfished.

[Traveler353]

What do you expect them to do. How many times do you read about a person sitting down and gulping down ten tails? Whatever happened to manners?

 

I 'll have you know that I have never eaten 10 tails. 3 is my tops. It's not like it's actualy real lobster. Real lobsters have a body and claws. And I always chew with my mouth closed.

[Sargent_Schultz]

People need to stop making excuses for Carnival or other cruise lines for that matter!!

 

Carnival just reported a 1 Billion Dollar profit this quarter! Yes, $1 Billion Dollars!! Just for three months!

 

Now are these cutbacks so necessary.

 

It all comes down to greed, and the customer is paying for it!!

 

 

Bring back the glory of cruising, and stop the greed!!

 

That is for Carnival Corporation and for all of their brands (Cunard, HAL, Princess, etc.) and not just Carnival.

[glrounds]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Don't tell me that the almightly Carnvial Cruise Lines is making cut backs? Isn't this the cruise line that everyone was just touting on how great they were when all the other cruise lines were making cuts? Well I guess Gerry received a call from Mickey to raise the profits. Now that I am reading about how bad the pizza is, that only leaves the 24 hour ice cream machines to brag about.:D;) Gotta love those Carnival cheerleaders. It's nice to see the spin job.

 

I applaud you courage and ability to withstand pain. It must really hurt to say "almighty Carnival Cruise Lines" :rolleyes:, especially when your two favorites are now owned by Carnival (Hmmmm . . . maybe they're doing something RIGHT). :confused:

Courageous post.:D

[Georgiagolfer]

What do you expect them to do. How many times do you read about a person sitting down and gulping down ten tails? Whatever happened to manners?

Actually, I haven't read of anyone "gulping down" 10 tails, or ordering them either. :confused:

[ryano]

I 'll have you know that I have never eaten 10 tails. 3 is my tops. It's not like it's actualy real lobster. Real lobsters have a body and claws. And I always chew with my mouth closed.

 

exactly, nothing but a glorified saltwater "crawdad" served up. I still enjoyed my one tail on formal errrr I mean "cruise elegant" night :D

 

Real lobster would have had to been cooked while it was still alive.

[Terre]

It's been quite a while since any of the cruise lines have had a true midnight buffet. Now that most ships have 24-hour buffets or at least 24hr. pizza stations, the midnight buffets have gone by the wayside. Even the "Gala Buffet" on Carnival's Elegant Night leaves a lot to be be desired.

 

We noticed on our last two or three cruises that the cabin's air conditioning is not at cold as it used to be. Not sure if they've cut back there or we've just been unlucky enough to get cabins that don't get cold.

[jimbo5544]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Don't tell me that the almightly Carnvial Cruise Lines is making cut backs? Isn't this the cruise line that everyone was just touting on how great they were when all the other cruise lines were making cuts? Well I guess Gerry received a call from Mickey to raise the profits. Now that I am reading about how bad the pizza is, that only leaves the 24 hour ice cream machines to brag about.:D;) Gotta love those Carnival cheerleaders. It's nice to see the spin job.

Well it's nice to know that we have your wisdom to look up to...

[lettienets]

.............

We noticed on our last two or three cruises that the cabin's air conditioning is not at cold as it used to be. Not sure if they've cut back there or we've just been unlucky enough to get cabins that don't get cold.

I consider that good news! On my one and only Carnival destiny cruise I nearly froze to death and covered up the vent in my cabin because the temp. would not go down. This time I am taking duct tape just in case! I am doing the transatlantic Dream. I find the show rooms to be cold as well.

[dotshub]

I miss the real steel drums on the lido deck. They cut back the 3 and 4 man reggae bands with steel drums to 1 or 2 guys backed up by music machines.

[Texaslandshark]

I keep hearing about "cutbacks" and I don't get it because, on the other hand, all I hear about is how Carnival ships always sail full. Which is it?:confused:

[jimd909]

I'm not too worried about the cut backs. I don't even know where most of my pins are. The Mexican buffet is far better than I remember the Grand Gala buffet ever being. I haven't noticed a decrease in activities (quite the opposite, actually).

 

The only real cutback that grinds my grits is the poor excuse they serve as "filet mignon" in the MDR now. I'm not really convinced it's a filet. It's a pithy size, it's fatty and chewy (which no true filet should be, which is why I question whether or not it's a true filet) and it's served on top of a pile of flavorless, stringy short ribs. At least I can still get a decent one at the supper clubs

 

But for a photographical comparison....

 

Filet Mignon 2008

 

Filet Mignon 2009

 

Damn....that looks like a breast of chicken...not a filet. :eek:

[jimbo5544]

I keep hearing about "cutbacks" and I don't get it because, on the other hand, all I hear about is how Carnival ships always sail full. Which is it?:confused:

Full does not mean the same profit level. There are very different ideas employed by cruise lines on this subject. Some (Carnival as an example) will significantly discount in order to maintain that level. Others will not do so as they believe that this undermines their pricing. Just a comment on your comment.

[Chill Out]

We also noticed the cutbacks. I ate lunch with a first time cruiser and she said on her second night she sat in her room and cried because she was so bored. How terrible.

 

Chocolate buffet was held at lunch time - we missed it, and I try to look over my caper really well.

 

Captain's coctail party is $1 off drinks, and this has irritated so many past cruisers - myself included - that there were very few people there. And we weren't invited to any sort of past cruiser reception - which I miss very much. Pin or no pin, I just like being welcomed as a previous guest.

[jimbo5544]

We also noticed the cutbacks. I ate lunch with a first time cruiser and she said on her second night she sat in her room and cried because she was so bored. How terrible.

 

Chocolate buffet was held at lunch time - we missed it, and I try to look over my caper really well.

 

Captain's coctail party is $1 off drinks, and this has irritated so many past cruisers - myself included - that there were very few people there. And we weren't invited to any sort of past cruiser reception - which I miss very much. Pin or no pin, I just like being welcomed as a previous guest.

 

Anybody who sots in their room and cries because they are bored on a cruise needs help IMHO. Other points I can agree on.

[Chris64]

What do you expect them to do. How many times do you read about a person sitting down and gulping down ten tails? Whatever happened to manners?

ummmmm.....

 

Never!

[cathyoo]

ummmmm.....

 

Never!

 

I'm with you, never heard, never saw it happen.

[crusinpsychRN]

And the filet has been replaced with the flat iron steak - on the optional menu. :(

 

I thought that was the worst piece of mystery meat ever!

[Traveler353]

I thought that was the worst piece of mystery meat ever!

 

The trick to flat iron steak is to have it rare to medium rare. Cooked any more than that and it becomes shoe leather.

[LemurCat]

We also noticed the cutbacks. I ate lunch with a first time cruiser and she said on her second night she sat in her room and cried because she was so bored. How terrible.

 

Well, perhaps she should have gone to the casino, or gone to the show, or gone to karaoke .... I mean, I have plenty of nights on the ship where I *choose* to do nothing rather than wallow abed and read. But that's my choice. It's a cruise ship, not summer camp. If you can't find something to do, you're not trying hard enough.

[Love the blue]

Just off the Freedom and we were given pins - what we miss is the pictures of the ships they used to give out on the last night.

[JudyHudlow]

Just got off the Legend on 9/20/09 and no pins were given to the past guests. Had 2 formal (Captains's dinners) and a past guest happy hour

and at the end was another Captains cocktail hours in the Show room.

 

Just in case, you never left from Tampa, that was great getting on and off the ship.

[Artemus]

One thing DW noticed on our recent Pride cruise was they no longer had a bread server going around to the tables. Instead they put a basket of bread on the table. Guess they eliminated one position in the dining room.

[jimbo5544]

One thing DW noticed on our recent Pride cruise was they no longer had a bread server going around to the tables. Instead they put a basket of bread on the table. Guess they eliminated one position in the dining room.

The way I always remembered it was that the asst waiter was the one who came around with the bread basket and placed on your plate.