New Cuts with Carnival

[scperk]

We just got home from the 9/5 & 9/10 sailing on the Triumph and there are more cut-backs from Carnival....Now the Past Guest party is only 45 minutes, only one person at the Pizza place making & searving pizzas..Lots of dirty tables several times at the aft pool area..They have installed 3 tables with the auto-play Blackjack (like the Texas Hold-em table) and there were no $5 mininum blackjack tables--At times they (2 tables) were $6 but if they got busy they changed them to $10..They will no longer buy you drinks in the Casino when you are playing, I'm just off the Spirit last May & the Elation twice last year and we played every night and someone in the Casino bought me & wife a drink every night...Now you get drinks with the 1500 points card only......Dennis

[firefly333]

Iv been noticing the dirty tables in the buffet problem while the workers stand around with crossed arms. They obviously dont want you to sit in their section, go on the other side.

 

I dont think thats new.

 

The past guest party was less than a hour for a while now, so it can finish and another one start when they do them back to back.

 

seemed like about 50 minutes, but ok 45 .. it has been less than a hour before, but I didnt care.

[scperk]

Iv been noticing the dirty tables in the buffet problem while the workers stand around with crossed arms. They obviously dont want you to sit in their section, go on the other side.

 

I dont think thats new.

 

The past guest party was less than a hour for a while now, so it can finish and another one start when they do them back to back.

 

seemed like about 50 minutes, but ok 45 .. it has been less than a hour before, but I didnt care.

It's listed as 45 minutes on the Fun Times now ...I see a Magic preview on your signature, can you tell me what that is...We will be there to pick up some friends off the TA and would like to see some of the ship as we are booked 1/1/12.......Dennis

[DocF]

Iv been noticing the dirty tables in the buffet problem while the workers stand around with crossed arms. They obviously dont want you to sit in their section, go on the other side.

 

I dont think thats new.

 

The past guest party was less than a hour for a while now, so it can finish and another one start when they do them back to back.

 

seemed like about 50 minutes, but ok 45 .. it has been less than a hour before, but I didnt care.

 

I rarely agree with this poster, but she has pretty much hit it on the head here.

 

I'll go a bit deeper into this subject. If you want to find cutbacks, you will find them.

 

Personally, I didn't know the casino bought losers drinks. That is what you become if you drink while playing. I don't gamble, I only play games I have a better than reasonable expectation of winning. That is why I am ahead of the house by $1.37 on cruises.

 

The past guest party has been a brief affair for several years, at least in our experience. We go, might get one drink, we leave, big deal.

 

The tables on the Lido deck are often unbussed at the busiest times. This is because people herd together and make it difficult and sometimes dangerous to adequately bus the tables. I usually eat breakfast early and have no problems, but there are few others up there then. At lunch, it can get to be a bit congested, but we always find a clean table, perhaps not where we prefer, but we find one in a reasonable time frame.

 

Doc

[Back That Aft Up]

Just got off the 9/11 Pride sailing and was also baffled by the $6 minimum at the blackjack tables. I asked the pit boss about it and he said the change is supposed to be fleetwide in an attempt to get players to play the higher casino edge "Fun Pairs" bonus. We were able to play either $6 and no fun pairs bonus, or $5 and $1 bonus.

 

As for buying players drinks while playing, although it was rare that they did it, I believe that stopped when they started the "Drinks On Us" promotion.

[okwriter]

Will you be reconsidering your two future cruises with Carnival?

[scperk]

The past guest party has been a brief affair for several years, at least in our experience. We go, might get one drink, we leave, big deal.

 

 

Doc

Most people don't know that you can order any drink that you want if you tip a buck or two...I drink Seagrams & 7 and wife drinks Malibu & pineapple juice and a couple bucks each time gets us several drinks other than the foo-foo drinks they offer...And there was almost no one at either of the 2 farewell parties we attended, maybe 200 people.....Dennis

[firefly333]

It's listed as 45 minutes on the Fun Times now ...I see a Magic preview on your signature, can you tell me what that is...We will be there to pick up some friends off the TA and would like to see some of the ship as we are booked 1/1/12.......Dennis

 

You have to get a invite. I got one thru a TA, and asked for it. He mentioned it on their message board and I was like.. hey Id like to go. I knew he would not fly in for it. He is in the UK.

 

I rarely agree with this poster,

Doc

 

lol I didnt know I said very many controversial things, mostly just answer questions about booking that are facts to me.

[crusinpsychRN]

No leather bound book with the room service menu. The menu is on a sheet of paper in one of the Fun Times. I thought that was really ridiculous. You don't get a piece of paper in a hotel room.

 

BTW, I always go by what firefly says b/c she's usually right.

[Back That Aft Up]

No leather bound book with the room service menu. The menu is on a sheet of paper in one of the Fun Times. I thought that was really ridiculous. You don't get a piece of paper in a hotel room.

 

I just experienced the same thing on the Pride. I thought it was odd, maybe even ship specific, but it looks like it may be a fleet wide thing. Good thing I can recite that room service menu by heart. :D

[dreamcruiser525]

On our August cruise, I had to call guest services to have them deliver the hard bound binder that had all the informational stuff along with the room service menu. I thought that it was odd it wasn't in the room.

 

We also had to call for batteries in the remote, there were none in it. The overhead bathroom light was out, no robes in the room and I had to ask for the breakfast room service cards. Maybe it is all part of the cutback or just a really hectic day for the cabin stewart?

 

We did still have the food trays on the lido deck. But many items trays were empty not refilled quickly. I also notice no soup or pasta made to order that used to be in the middle area of the inside buffet.

 

I would rather have the higher fare price and still have choices and options as plentiful as they used to be. I still miss the big spreads at midnight.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

No leather bound book with the room service menu. The menu is on a sheet of paper in one of the Fun Times. I thought that was really ridiculous. You don't get a piece of paper in a hotel room.

 

BTW, I always go by what firefly says b/c she's usually right.

 

just home from the Liberty yesterday. Couldn't find the room service menu in the room either.

 

Turned out it was on the TV.

 

Bill

[franncos]

In somewhat fairness to Carnival all industries are cutting back with personal. Also if you have gone food shopping lately you will see the prices of everything going up

[ncovert]

In somewhat fairness to Carnival all industries are cutting back with personal. Also if you have gone food shopping lately you will see the prices of everything going up

 

It is a bummer that it seems like more and more things that use to be are no more. Seriously though if there is a problem with the cleanliness I would talk with GS or the buffet manager and ask for it to be to be addressed. We were on the Elation in 09 about three weeks apart and saw the buffet manager all over his staff about cleanliness and such. Perhaps new staffing has allowed the service to fall through the cracks.

[wendymac]

Ok I will probably get flamed here but seriously, what difference does it make if the room service menu isn't in a hardbound book? Does it affect your cruise????

[ncovert]

Ok I will probably get flamed here but seriously, what difference does it make if the room service menu isn't in a hardbound book? Does it affect your cruise????

 

It won't effecet mine. But then that is just me :D

[soccersharon]

Ok I will probably get flamed here but seriously, what difference does it make if the room service menu isn't in a hardbound book? Does it affect your cruise????

 

Hi Wendy! I agree :) I would not let this small details get me (not even sure I would notice them!).

[megmno]

Ok I will probably get flamed here but seriously, what difference does it make if the room service menu isn't in a hardbound book? Does it affect your cruise????

 

It doesn't make a difference if you are a past cruiser and know that there is 24/7 room service and pretty much what is served.

 

However, I would guess that first time cruisers might not be aware of the option and might tend to not order from room service at all. That would save Carnival money.

[Tbay-eh]

I like menus on the TV - I especially like that I can check out MDR and semi decide what I am going to have for meals. I never sweat the small stuff - life is too short

[Back That Aft Up]

Ok I will probably get flamed here but seriously, what difference does it make if the room service menu isn't in a hardbound book? Does it affect your cruise????

 

Makes no difference. Just that previous cruisers knew to look for the book for the menus and ship information. With the information no longer there, they did not know where to look. Information is now on one sheet of paper added to the Fun Times on the first day. I have no problem with this, just was an unexpected change.

[matj2000]

In somewhat fairness to Carnival all industries are cutting back with personal. Also if you have gone food shopping lately you will see the prices of everything going up

 

They really don't pay the personal hardly anything to begin with.

I doubt labor is a huge issue..

[5waldos]

Ok I will probably get flamed here but seriously, what difference does it make if the room service menu isn't in a hardbound book? Does it affect your cruise????

 

Yes. A little bit of this and a little bit of that- finally it all begins to feel like you are really cruising on the cheap. No, one thing doesn't make any difference, but these small things do add up and affect the ambiance of the cruise.

[rellersi]

Makes no difference. Just that previous cruisers knew to look for the book for the menus and ship information. With the information no longer there, they did not know where to look. Information is now on one sheet of paper added to the Fun Times on the first day. I have no problem with this, just was an unexpected change.

 

No big deal. Actually good for the environment if they probably do away with the fun times also and show that on the TV. Look at all the trees that would be saved. A simple announcement and maybe a placard on the dresser stating that this stuff can be found on the TV

[5waldos]

No big deal. Actually good for the environment if they probably do away with the fun times also and show that on the TV. Look at all the trees that would be saved. A simple announcement and maybe a placard on the dresser stating that this stuff can be found on the TV

 

A bit difficult to put your tv in your pocket to carry around with you to find a variety of things you want to do.

[scperk]

I like menus on the TV - I especially like that I can check out MDR and semi decide what I am going to have for meals. I never sweat the small stuff - life is too short

The Triumph does not have the interactive TV or a web-cam....Maybe they will put in new TV's and web-cam when it goes into drydock this week...It will be in the Bahamas for 14 days before it is moved to Galveston...It does need work , there is a lot of rust on the aft balconies that you can see from deck 10.....Dennis