Back from Dream 11/12 Western. Last Carnival Cruise

[azpilot]

Hmm one cruise that had some sucky things out of it in what 7-8 cruises. If that is enough to never sail again then don't really know what to say. We had a bad time on one Carnival cruise, odds say that is going to happen on any cruise line at some point in time if you cruise enough. We still cruise on Carnival and some of the later cruises have been the best.

 

Sorry you had a bad time on this one, if that is all it takes as I said to ruin it for you then your bound at some point to try every cruise line

[brianroberts2526]

Hmm one cruise that had some sucky things out of it in what 7-8 cruises. If that is enough to never sail again then don't really know what to say. We had a bad time on one Carnival cruise, odds say that is going to happen on any cruise line at some point in time if you cruise enough. We still cruise on Carnival and some of the later cruises have been the best.

 

Sorry you had a bad time on this one, if that is all it takes as I said to ruin it for you then your bound at some point to try every cruise line

 

 

9th cruise.

3rd with Carnival.

4 with RCI

2 with Princess

[JL&Fam]

If only Carnival would have provided you with the 2 bottles, you could of had a few drinks in your cabin and slept like a baby and missed the action next door. But im also thinking that maybe your bottles got delivered to that cabin and thus the action in the bed & the bathroom....

Who knows...

 

Cheers,

Jeff

[steph7021]

Hmm one cruise that had some sucky things out of it in what 7-8 cruises. If that is enough to never sail again then don't really know what to say. We had a bad time on one Carnival cruise, odds say that is going to happen on any cruise line at some point in time if you cruise enough. We still cruise on Carnival and some of the later cruises have been the best.

 

Sorry you had a bad time on this one, if that is all it takes as I said to ruin it for you then your bound at some point to try every cruise line

 

Seriously, read the OP. And what's wrong with trying multiple lines???:eek:

[sonicbuffalo]

To the OP....just think if you had sailed another line, you wouldn't have had these hilarious stories to tell....and they were good ones....we enjoyed reading them...

 

....hoping your next and every cruise goes better for you both...

[Yvonne]

The things you complained about could happen on any cruise line.

 

I don't get the TV thing, we rarely turn ours on as we can do that at home. We prefer enjoying the ship and what it has to offer. The TV will be waiting for us when we return home.

 

And the noisy neighbors? Earplugs. Problem solved.

[ib4cruzn]

It's interesting that I was on the exact same cruise and my thread was completely different. Not sure how much was really Carnival's fault, minus the Bon Voyage mixup. I had a great time, great, food, great people, great ship. :D

 

I would definitely sail her again.

 

I've found that when dealing with Carnival the frustration doesn't start with the initial problem but stems from their inability or unwillingness to correct their mistake.

 

At least they are consisitent.

 

Let's face it, their customer service sucks.

[nycruise]

9th cruise.

3rd with Carnival.

4 with RCI

2 with Princess

 

I can understand how lots of small things add up to a poor cruise experience. Thanks for the honest review, as you probably know many on this board are Carnival cheerleaders. I feel if a cruise warrants cheerleading, great! But I wouldn't cheerlead only to justify my choice of ship, line or destination.

 

If you have a basis of comparision, that is, previous cruises and other lines, once you sail the likes of Princess, Celebrity or HAL, there's no going back to Carnival. We sailed Princess and Celebrity right before our last Carnival cruise and the differences are monumental.

[vantec]

I agree with your comments about the Bon Voyage Department and also the TV - since Carnival enforces their wine policy, we ordered from the Bon Voyage department before our last cruise, when we got to our cabin there was a partial order with no note of explanation. We had to go to the pursers desk, they said they were out of most of the wine we ordered and we'd have to talk to the hostess in the dining room. It took several days to get sorted out and we felt they handled it poorly. I was also disappointed in the TV programming - I enjoy watching TV as we get ready for bed in the evening or just resting at times during the day, choices were awful, I did not check out the for pay programs.

[eroller]

Sounds reasonable to me. Of course, others have different experiences which lead them to staying with Carnival. I am EXHAUSTED with people on these boards constantly contradicting folks when they talk about their experiences!!! Isn't that why we all post? That Bon Voyage thing would have irritated me to the core!! (although I laughed all the way through your post as I read it!!)

 

 

I'm with you 100% Steph!

 

The protectionism that many have for "their" cruise line is borderline ridiculous. You would think you were bad mouthing their mother or son, and not some giant corporation! I'm also tired of people trying to turn the situation around, and make it look like the reviewer was somehow in the wrong instead of the cruise line. Granted it's true in some cases, but most of the time it's just the "cheerleaders" trying to protect "their" cruise line.

 

Personally I feel the OP had all valid concerns. The entire bottle debacle was petty and shows exactly what Carnival's main concern is, and boy would I have been pissed about the goings-on next door. True that can happen on any line, but lets face it, its more likely to happen on Carnival. I sailed on CARNIVAL MIRACLE a few weeks ago with my mom and brother, and overall it was a great cruise but I certainly don't discount that some things could have been better. Revenue generation seemed to be the primary focus on Carnival, more so compared to many other lines I have sailed.

 

I'm always surprised by how loyal people are to one brand. For me variety is the spice of life and I like to sail on all the different lines. Some lines give you more incentive to sail with them multiple times, but not Carnival. Their past passenger program is pretty nonexistent. It doesn't even have a name! I also don't like the fact if I sail for 8-days in a suite I'm provided the same credit as a person sailing for 3-days in an inside cabin. Doesn't seem quite right and other lines do it so much better.

 

Some people (aka the cheerleaders) also seem to "forgive" Carnival for any wrong doing because they are inexpensive. I don't really get that mentality either. Regardless of what I'm paying, I expect certain levels of service, food, quality, accommodations, etc. I admit Carnival offers a great value for the price, but I don't let them off the hook just because of what I'm paying. I do put my expectations in check though.

 

Anyway I thank the OP for sharing his experience ... both the good and bad. I've sailed on over 90 cruises on all major cruise lines, and I have yet to have a bad cruise ... just some that are better than others. According to the OP they had a great time, but there was room for improvement obviously. Nothing wrong with that, and perhaps another line would be more suitable. Again sharing experiences is a good thing and it would be nice if people actually took away knowledge from these reviews, instead of focusing on discrediting the reviewer!

 

Ernie

[kwbound]

I'm sorry you had such a bad cruise but bad neighbors can happen on any cruise line. How was the shp itself, the food, the service? These are the things a cruise line can control, not obnoxious neighbors.

Pat

 

He tried to call guest services without success. Carnival can control that.

[happy cruzer]

Well that's the thing, other posts saying you can come across that kind of experience on any ship.

To an extent that's true.

But, I think, with Carnivals clientele; the chances are much, much higher

 

So if that is what you think, you need to definitely move on to another line. Hopefully you will find a good match in your budget. I always tend to give Carnival an extra break or two because of the convenience of driving to ports and the prices but if I think their clientele is very similar to mass market lines like NCL and RCCL, JMHO.

[ib4cruzn]

Bravo, Ernie!

 

“By changing nothing, nothing changes.” -Tony Robbins

[ib4cruzn]

So if that is what you think, you need to definitely move on to another line. Hopefully you will find a good match in your budget. I always tend to give Carnival an extra break or two because of the convenience of driving to ports and the prices but if I think their clientele is very similar to mass market lines like NCL and RCCL, JMHO.

 

I disagree. Carnival draws a certain demographic because of their pricing. I don't think anybody can argue that. But they will...

[eroller]

I disagree. Carnival draws a certain demographic because of their pricing. I don't think anybody can argue that. But they will...

 

 

 

This is absolutely true. Some may perceive it as politically incorrect, but as the saying goes, the truth hurts.

 

An analogy is Walmart to Target. Both are discount stores, but I find the clientele much different in Target compared to Walmart.

 

Some have called Carnival the "Walmart of the high seas" and perhaps that is an exaggeration, but I do see a difference overall in the pax on Carnival compared to other mass-market lines such as Princess and Royal Caribbean. I see little things on Carnival that I don't see on other lines, like tons of room service trays in the corridors and empty drink glasses on the stairways etc. Nothing that is going to ruin my cruise but a little less refinement.

 

Ernie

[Warm Breezes]

This is absolutely true. Some may perceive it as politically incorrect, but as the saying goes, the truth hurts.

 

An analogy is Walmart to Target. Both are discount stores, but I find the clientele much different in Target compared to Walmart.

 

Some have called Carnival the "Walmart of the high seas" and perhaps that is an exaggeration, but I do see a difference overall in the pax on Carnival compared to other mass-market lines such as Princess and Royal Caribbean. I see little things on Carnival that I don't see on other lines, like tons of room service trays in the corridors and empty drink glasses on the stairways etc. Nothing that is going to ruin my cruise but a little less refinement.

 

Ernie

 

We have a Walmart within 2 miles of our local Target and Meijers. Quite honestly, I don't see any difference in the clientele of these 3 stores. Many people I know shop at all 3 depending on what they are shopping for and who has it on sale. We have sailed 3 different cruise lines...DCL, CCL, and NCL. Quite honestly, I didn't see much difference in their clientele either (except for a few Princesses running around on DCL :D).

 

I personally think the lines are more alike than different and if the OP looked at reviews, they could find similar issues as the ones they had on any of them. I agree that people should try different lines. Especially if they are really not happy with what one has to offer. I wouldn't though, exclude a line from my decision making process for the reasons OP is. Just not enough for me to say "no more cruising on that line". But it's their choice to limit their options any way they want to.:) Good luck OP finding a cruiseline that meets your needs and thanks for afternoon laugh:D.

[eroller]

 

I personally think the lines are more alike than different and if the OP looked at reviews, they could find similar issues as the ones they had on any of them. I agree that people should try different lines. Especially if they are really not happy with what one has to offer. I wouldn't though, exclude a line from my decision making process for the reasons OP is. Just not enough for me to say "no more cruising on that line". But it's their choice to limit their options any way they want to.:) Good luck OP finding a cruiseline that meets your needs and thanks for afternoon laugh:D.

 

 

I do agree that many aspects of the mass-market lines are more alike than different, but there are subtle differences, including the clientele. Finding the line that best suits you in terms of style, service, food, entertainment, and fellow passengers can be a challenge, but a FUN challenge!

 

I also have a Target and Walmart fairly close to each other in my neighborhood in Miami. Big difference in clientele, and the same was the case when I lived in Atlanta and LA. Perhaps in bigger cities is where you see more of a difference? I actually no longer shop at Walmart as the experience is pretty dismal. I would rather enjoy my experience at Target even if I have to pay a little more. To an extent I feel the same way about Carnival and other lines. I think if you take a 7-day or longer cruise on Carnival the clientele is very similar to other lines like Princess and Royal Caribbean. On shorter cruises though, I think Carnival attracts a different demographic. I sailed a 3-day cruise out of Miami one Summer on Carnival. It was pretty horrific. Out of control kids, plenty of drunk and obnoxious people, security everywhere, banging on doors, fights in the corridor, etc. Later in the Summer I sailed a 3-day cruise on Royal Caribbean, also out of Miami. A totally different crowd and experience. Yes there was some party element, but nothing compared to what I experienced on Carnival. Had this been my only experience on Carnival I would probably never sail them again. Thankfully I've sailed with them on longer cruises and knew it could be much different.

 

Anyway now I'm much more selective when I sail on Carnival. I only sail during the off-season (when kids are in school), and only on 7-day or longer cruises, and I prefer the Spirit Class. I don't have to be nearly as selective on other cruise lines.

 

Ernie

[brianroberts2526]

The things you complained about could happen on any cruise line.

 

I don't get the TV thing, we rarely turn ours on as we can do that at home. We prefer enjoying the ship and what it has to offer. The TV will be waiting for us when we return home.

 

And the noisy neighbors? Earplugs. Problem solved.

 

By that logic, you should be fine with horrendous food. You have food waiting for you at home.

 

Yes, earplugs would have worked...

How is that problem solved though?

[brianroberts2526]

So if that is what you think, you need to definitely move on to another line. Hopefully you will find a good match in your budget. I always tend to give Carnival an extra break or two because of the convenience of driving to ports and the prices but if I think their clientele is very similar to mass market lines like NCL and RCCL, JMHO.

 

 

Budget has nothing to do with it.

Of my 9 cruises; the cheapest was an RCI cruise. The most expensive was a Carnival cruise, and the most fun was a Princess cruise.

 

I think if cruising were regulated and all lines were the same price; Carnival would still have a specific clientele, based on their ships and what they offer.

[brianroberts2526]

Oh I nearly forgot about my gym/locker room experience.

 

2 of our more recent cruises were on Princess. My wife and I are both pretty active people. We like to run (not on a treadmill) and work out in the gym a bit.

Princess definitely does not cater to that area.

We definitely felt they lacked there, though their gym was fairly adequate, they didn't have much as locker facilities and basketball/jogging track.

 

So for this Dream cruise, we were really looking forward to this aspect.

 

My fondest memories of our 2 weeks on the Glory involved the gym/lockerroom.

Their gym was nice. They had a nice jacuzzi and heated current pool.

 

Before getting ready for dinner, Id let my wife have the room. Id go to the sauna or steamroom. Both were very large and had ocean views. Then Id go into the very nice lockerroom/bathroom. They had multiple showers, with showerheads about 5 times the size of the rooms showers.

It was relaxing, and let my wife have the room to get ready. We did that almost every night.

 

 

Now to the Dream.

The Dream gym was adequate. Slightly smaller than the Glory's. Makes sense right?

No jacuzzi. There was a pool for a small (haha) fee.

The basketball court was pretty good, Ill say that.

The jogging track?? I'd of had just as much luck trying to jog through the buffet.

 

It took 3 days but I finally realized the door to the sauna was between the doors entering the men and womens lockerrooms. Marked "coed sauna". The actual sauna was about the size of what I remember the mens sauna being on the Glory.

 

The mens lockerroom was very tiny. You could turn in a circle and use the urinal, oipen the door, and put your things in the locker.

 

The steamroom was very, very small.

The sauna, to enter through the locker room (makes sense right) was through a door marked "exit". Ships registry was Panama. Guess exit means sauna there.

 

There were 2 showers.

They had clearish doors. No curtains. And the doors had no latches, just swing freely.

Me, being the patient person I am, waited ten minutes before giving up on the hot water which never showed. (Same showerheads as room).

 

In that 10 minutes, I had, not one...

...not two....

...not three...

...yes four...FOUR men walk into my shower; to both our surprises, to say "Oh, sorry, thought this was the sauna."

[micro yaya]

i can really appreaciate your frustration. we did the dream for the first time this past march and april b2b, on the first leg we realized there were mostly people from ohio. 1300 kids, NO PARENTS, on the second leg of the cruise 1700 kids NO PARENTS, mostly from michigan.

now don't flame me i have 15 grandchildren, but on both of these legs i saw parents drinking all day, kids running around with little or no supervision. the hot tubs were packed with kids NO PARENTS. we have 32 cruises under our belts, hal,princess, rcl,norwegian,premier,and regal, and we swore never again, but like most people every ship is entitled to another chance, and we did the dream this past october, and WE HAD THE BEST TIME, and the passengers were terrific, so give the ship another chance, you never know sometimes you meet the nicest people onboard.:)

[brianroberts2526]

More to add, got credit card bill today.

 

Was charged 45 dollars more than what the sign and sail receipt showed.

Hmm

[old sole]

Uh Oh, you drank the Jim Beam!!!!

[astropilot]

Dream is probably one of the worst ships we've been on. However, it did not stop us from sailing Carnival again, just chose a better class of ship - Spirit Class. As with all cruise lines, each ship is a different experience.

 

Having had two cruises on the Dream, i have to disagree. IMHO the Dream is one of the better ships in the fleet...

[jstcruizin]

Having had two cruises on the Dream, i have to disagree. IMHO the Dream is one of the better ships in the fleet...

 

 

I agree,,,,, we just came off her for the second time as well and everyone in our group with the exception of one first time Carnival couple enjoyed it.