Back from Dream 11/12 Western. Last Carnival Cruise

[pcrum]

Well, this is our first cruise since having our baby. So we were really looking forward to some solid nights of sleep.

 

The 2 rooms next to us were occupied, each with 4; no other way to describe than frat boy Dbags.

 

The 1st night, 2:30am, one of them was banging on our door. Mistaking it for their room.

 

The 3rd night, at 3:30am, one of them brought home a girl, im sure a very nice girl, to the room.

 

They commenced to have the loudest sex of the decade.

After about 15 minutes, someone knocked on their door to ask them to keep it down.

The fine young man replied in a loud voice for the person at the door to go F themselves and mind their own GD business.

 

Back to the loud sex for 45 more minutes.

 

Then it stops.

Quiet?

No, what sounds like the girl falling to the floor then making it to the bathroom to yak a few times.

She's as subtle with her vomiting as with her love making.

 

Then he says "maybe ill see you tomorrow", and shes off.

 

Quiet now?

 

Nope, now the guys friends immediately come over and they talk in the loudest possible voices to give a play-by-play of all that went on.

 

Now, what would you have done?

Piss off 8 guys who obviously don't give a flip about other peoples vacations?

Maybe, you say, call guest services.

Tried that.

After re-figuring out at 4:00am that dialing guest services and pressing '2', like it says; isn't the way to reach guest services. I'd dial 7777. Ring, ring, ring.

 

They woke us up 3 more times that week

 

What deck were you on? We had the same experience with a group of guys traveling together on our last cruise (see 3/11 Glory review in my signature for the specifics). We had a port hole cabin on the Riveria deck and the group of guys were across the hall in an inside. I think you really take your chances on cabin neighbors when booking the Riveria deck, which is sad because we love those Port Hole rooms on Riveria as they are so convenient for disembarking the ship on port days. We will book Carnival again, as we've had many fine cruises with them, but will just choose our cabin a bit more carefully!

[brianroberts2526]

Any tips on finding out hwy there were additional charges on my sail and sign?

 

Do I email them?

[SE NC]

Any tips on finding out hwy there were additional charges on my sail and sign?

 

Do I email them?

 

With all due respect.....I'm glad I'm not you and as we say in our wonderful south....bless your heart!:p

[ib4cruzn]

Any tips on finding out hwy there were additional charges on my sail and sign?

 

Do I email them?

 

If you used a credit card then dispute them. That's the only way to get their attention.

 

Carnival customer service is non-existent.

[halos]

Wow if the worst part of our cruise is a Bon Voyage mix up (we have 2 bottles of vodka ordered) and terrible TV in the cabin, that sounds fine to me.

 

We sailed Carnival this time for the price, so I'm not going in expecting a perfect vacation :)

 

*sigh*

Did you read the aggravation he had to go through???

 

OP, Please write to CCL and explain this situation. It is something they need to be made aware of. I think what you experienced is unacceptable...a tiny issue like that should have been remedied easily and it wasn't.

I don't blame you for being annoyed....

 

I don't expect perfection either, but as it happens, when I sail other lines I get it....at least what's perfect for me.

Aggravation in any form is not acceptable. Mistakes can be made...but I expect them fixed. If they are remedied without me having to get annoyed, then the vacation is still very much considered perfect.

[Kristi Williamson]

*sigh*

Did you read the aggravation he had to go through???

 

OP, Please write to CCL and explain this situation. It is something they need to be made aware of. I think what you experienced is unacceptable...a tiny issue like that should have been remedied easily and it wasn't.

I don't blame you for being annoyed....

 

I don't expect perfection either, but as it happens, when I sail other lines I get it....at least what's perfect for me.

Aggravation in any form is not acceptable. Mistakes can be made...but I expect them fixed. If they are remedied without me having to get annoyed, then the vacation is still very much considered perfect.

 

Agree 100%! Switching out a few bon voyage items, that were pre-ordered no less, shouldn't be a hassle on ANY line, people. I don't want to spend my hard earned vacation tracking down my pre-paid bottles of liquor. That's THEIR job and what they are paid to do. Period. And the loud neighbors would really have annoyed me, as well. If it was in the afternoon, not so much. But, 3 and 4 in the morning?! Oh yeah...they'd hear it from me and so would the purser's desk.

[Kristi Williamson]

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 like different lines for different reasons, but the worst cruise we've ever had in terms of pax, food, service, etc...was RCI's Mariner of the Seas. It's the only cruise we've ever been on that we literally couldn't wait to get off of. It was really awful. Drunks everywhere...the kind that are loud, disruptive, rude and vomiting. Ewww! Never seen anything like that on a Carnival ship...even the 5 dayers! The food was inedible and we're not foodies. The service was really, really bad. It was just awful across the board. I lost 5 lbs...no kidding. However, the ship was gorgeous and the weather was lovely. We made the best of it. I think it's incorrect to say any one mass line is "better" or "worse" than another.

 

I think it's more correct to say that each ship, in each mass line, can have great, good, bad and/or ugly days. It's hit or miss and it really is what you make of it. There's not a penny's worth of difference between the good ships on RCI, Carnival, NCL or Princess, nor the passengers that sail them. Now, when you start talking Seabourne, Regent, Oceania, etc...and MAYBE even X....then you're talking about a different experience. But, the mass lines are basically all alike and it really depends on what ship, what crew, what chef and who's sailing with you to determine the small differences they do have. That's just my opinion, but it's what we've experienced in our years of cruising...

[kelleyd]

Hahahahaha, I am so sorry for laughing at your expense but the 4 guys opening your shower door killed it for me!!

 

The sail away mistake would totally have ticked me off - not having the correct items by day 3 or 4 is awful and the phone with no answer I have been there done that!!

 

Seriously these are the details that make you switch. These are the details that you shouldn't have to deal with on vacation. I completely think you should switch. Because if you don't, and you give it another chance you know this stuff will happen again and it will totally set you off!

 

There is no excuse for not giving you a bottle of gin. There is no reason someone should not pick up the phone. To many missed details = not worth it!!! I am not sure how bad people expect their cruises to be when they start posts with "If XXXXX is all that happened - give me a cruise anyday" I expect my cruise to be fun and hassle free!!

 

Good luck with your credit card!

[dldestiny]

I am sorry that these things happened and hope that you will be able to look back and laugh about it someday...after you get that credit of course!!

 

Let me just say that I agree with the person who said that this is not acceptable on ANY cruise line. I don't care how discounted a cruise is...if they provide a service, such as delivery of the alcohol to your room then they better darn well do the best job possible in doing it. And as for the people next door, again, unacceptable and YES, Carnival has a responsibility to 'control' their passengers behavior.

 

I think on all the cruise lines, service has declined somewhat, in fact, I think in just about all areas (stores, restaurants, lodging) service has taken a back seat and we all make excuses for it and act like it is okay.

 

There is good and bad in every line...hope your next cruise is your best cruise!

[thunderbaycruiser]

Just back from a great cruise on the Carnival Freedom, but your story reminded me of trying to reach Guest Services by phone. Could not do it. Called a couple times - rang a bit, sounded like it was answered, then back to dial tone. So we just went down there. And I saw one of them do it... phone was ringing, they picked it up, and hung up!! :eek:

 

I did not make an issue and we always got great service at Guest Services, but thinking back on it.... why even have a phone number for Guest Services if you cannot reach anyone?!!!

[halos]

Just back from a great cruise on the Carnival Freedom, but your story reminded me of trying to reach Guest Services by phone. Could not do it. Called a couple times - rang a bit, sounded like it was answered, then back to dial tone. So we just went down there. And I saw one of them do it... phone was ringing, they picked it up, and hung up!! :eek:

 

I did not make an issue and we always got great service at Guest Services, but thinking back on it.... why even have a phone number for Guest Services if you cannot reach anyone?!!!

 

I hate to keep bringing up NCL (but I will :))

On NCL, the hotel director is about the ship all day long during the cruise, talking with people. I have seen people present the HD with an issue and the HD picks up his walkie-talkie or phone, calls the people who can correct the problem and gets it fixed right then and there.

Cruise Critic members get the benefit of being given direct lines to all managers at the meet and greet.

The difference in CS is flabbergasting.

On NCL, there are times when my jaw drops open and I just say, "Wow"

On CCL, when my jaw drops it's usually because I am thinking "wth??"

[mjl1960]

This is too funny...but I can understand the frustration. I would not judge every cruise with Carnival by selection one that was the one from Hell though. I would try and find some humor in it, and move on. Whether that next one is with Carnival or another line, that is up to you. And I wish you happy cruising. :)

[Kristi Williamson]

I hate to keep bringing up NCL (but I will :))

On NCL, the hotel director is about the ship all day long during the cruise, talking with people. I have seen people present the HD with an issue and the HD picks up his walkie-talkie or phone, calls the people who can correct the problem and gets it fixed right then and there.

Cruise Critic members get the benefit of being given direct lines to all managers at the meet and greet.

The difference in CS is flabbergasting.

On NCL, there are times when my jaw drops open and I just say, "Wow"

On CCL, when my jaw drops it's usually because I am thinking "wth??"

 

Good to hear as we'll be taking our first cruise with them in 9 days. I'm hoping that my jaw is doing the "wow" thing! :D

[rainbowflag]

More to add, got credit card bill today.

 

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

Hmm

 

Please come back and let us now if this gets resolved and what the over charge was, it's got to be the Jim Beam! That would be a deal breaker for me.

[brianroberts2526]

Guess I could throw a positive experience in...

 

Actually, a little bit of negativity to preface it.

 

I love Princess' 'Sanctuary'.

If you want to find me on a sea day on a Princess ship... Look in the Sanctuary.

So looking into the Dream pre-sailing, I was really excited about the 'Serenity".

I thought "Hey, It's like the Sancturay. It even starts with the same letter."

I'm not going to list the thousand way that the Serenity fails to live up to the Sanctuary....

 

But, it is what led us to..... "The Lanai"

 

Basically, the Lanai is unintentionally everything that Carnival advertises the Serenity to be.

 

It was BY FAR, the quietest area on deck.

There was hardly ANYONE out there.

There were 4 very large hot tubs, and they were by far the least crowded hot tubs on the ship.

 

-quick positive. Love all the hot tubs. 4 on Lanai. 2 by main pool. 2 by aft pool. 2 in Serenity. Almost makes up for the fact that the Carnival Dream has less pool space than the Sovereign of the Seas.

 

Back to the Lanai. Since it is a public deck that is midships (brilliant) You can always find shade. One side of the ship is in the sun and one is in the shade, the Ship acts as an umbrella.

There was also easy access to drinks, towels, and food.

Also, so 'Serenity'-like couches and a couple life-size chess boards.

 

We spent, literally, 70% of the daylight hours on the ship; on the Lanai.

 

Couple pesky design issues... Say you are in the hot tub and want to run to the bathroom. Odds are you are heading through the casino or dance floor.

Also, if Im booking a balcony, I definitely don't want to book a balcony over the Lanai hot tubs. Zero privacy. The balconies on the Dream are definitely already lacking in privacy. These specific ones, very much so.

[nessz79]

The bon voyage thing would have ticked me off to no end. I've had little things like that also. We have had the obnoxious college frat party like neighbors that have caused a commotion in the halls at very late/early hours.

 

However, I continue to sail Carnival because their prices are hard to beat for a family of 4, not to mention that I always have a good time with good food and service.

 

I don't think that anyone who wants to switch lines is unreasonable. Everyone is entitled to their opinion as well.

[mosiegirl]

A lot of little things really. Don't want to come off nitpicky; but there are choices out there; and the little things are what set lines apart.

I guess I can post some as they return to my mind. Heres one....

 

Bon Voyage. I ordered 2 bottles of liquor to be put in our room. A bottle of amaretto and a bottle of gin.

When we get to the room there was a bottle of Jim Beam.

No biggie. Mistakes happen.

 

So I want to call guest services.

Pick up phone, press guest services button.

 

Option 1 is repairmen or something.

Option 2 is onboard services.

 

Press 2.

 

"Youve pressed incorrect button."

 

again

 

"youve pressed incorrect button"

 

So, I trek to the desk to get it sorted out there.

I'm told, to make sure I don't drink the Jim Beam.

Also told, though everything says otherwise, to reach them by dialing 7777.

(Throughout the week, more often than not, 7777 just rang indefinitely)

This was Saturday.

Rinse and repeat for Sunday. "Don't drink the Jim Beam".

No, not again on Monday. "Don't drink the Jim Beam."

Tuesday, yes same thing.

 

Finally Tuesday night in the dining room, someone comes to the table and says to go to our room after dinner and call room service and theyll switch it out, but I have to be in the room. Oh, and "Dont drink the Jim Beam."

 

SO we go and call room service, and the guy comes. Emptyhanded. Takes the Jim Beam and says he will return with the gin. But we have to be there.

 

We finally got it all sorted out, which in the end is fine....

 

But, instead of showing concern that they aren't getting their job done correctly, they repeatedly wanted to make sure I didn't drink their bottle of liquor they want to re-sell.

Which I wasn't ever planning on, since I don't like Jim Beam. Hence not ordering it in the first place...

Oh boy ! I hear you completely about the phones in the room and trying to call Guest Services.. we were on this ship too on Oct 1-8 2011..

 

1 - tried to call guest services, cannot get through on room phone.

2 - had steakhouse first night, found a piece of FOAM in my dinner roll..told the waitress who appologized said she would show the cooks.. she NEVER CAME BACK and suddenly some gentleman waiter hands us the bill to sign for the FULL AMOUNT .. no deduction made for the FOAM in my dinner roll.

3 - had a cookie from the cafe, found a 3 inch long hair..sticking out of the cookie..took it back to cafe cashier who PULLED THE REST OF THE HAIR OUT OF THE COOKIE with me standing there, ..they appologized and gave me new cookie.. no refund (??)

 

I agree this ship could use some more training of their crew in certain areas.. overall, the cruise was fine.

[brianroberts2526]

It looks like I am not alone.

As I said, I still had fun.

These are minor annoyances really, I guess you could let them get to you, but I don't.

 

But, when I can only afford or have the time off to- go on one cruise a year; those things do factor in....

[jagsfan]

I owe RCI an apology. I complained about the nickel and diming, and one example was

when I decided to turn on the TV just to run through the offerings, there were a dozen

or so pay per view movies. First time I've seen that on a cruise ship. I don't usually turn

the TV on, though, so maybe it isn't new. Now I find out Carnival has PPV movies, too.

Is this something all the lines have added?

I don't think anyone can argue that service has slipped all over the fleets, not just CCL. Food quality has changed, too. We're paying the price for having the price still be

affordable with the way everything else has gone up.

The difficulty in reaching Guest Services by phone, however,is inexcusable. I would hope

the OP has written a detailed letter to CCL by now.

[Kidsgoneletscruise]

Well, this is our first cruise since having our baby. So we were really looking forward to some solid nights of sleep.

 

The 2 rooms next to us were occupied, each with 4; no other way to describe than frat boy Dbags.

 

The 1st night, 2:30am, one of them was banging on our door. Mistaking it for their room.

 

The 3rd night, at 3:30am, one of them brought home a girl, im sure a very nice girl, to the room.

 

They commenced to have the loudest sex of the decade.

After about 15 minutes, someone knocked on their door to ask them to keep it down.

The fine young man replied in a loud voice for the person at the door to go F themselves and mind their own GD business.

 

Back to the loud sex for 45 more minutes.

 

Then it stops.

Quiet?

No, what sounds like the girl falling to the floor then making it to the bathroom to yak a few times.

She's as subtle with her vomiting as with her love making.

 

Then he says "maybe ill see you tomorrow", and shes off.

 

Quiet now?

 

Nope, now the guys friends immediately come over and they talk in the loudest possible voices to give a play-by-play of all that went on.

 

Now, what would you have done?

Piss off 8 guys who obviously don't give a flip about other peoples vacations?

Maybe, you say, call guest services.

Tried that.

After re-figuring out at 4:00am that dialing guest services and pressing '2', like it says; isn't the way to reach guest services. I'd dial 7777. Ring, ring, ring.

 

They woke us up 3 more times that week

 

LMAO!!! I'm sorry...but how you wrote this is absolutely hilarious. I can just imagine a young couple away from their baby for the first time and all they want to do is sleep when the frat boyz next door....well we all can read what happened. :D

[Heirloom]

One thing for sure about our one Dream cruise:

 

Had a balcony mid ship (either Empress or Verandah, can't remember!), and regarding "shared noises":

 

The walls and ceilings are "paper thin" in the sense that we've NEVER heard so much goings on in adjoining cabins vs. Legend, Pride, Destiny, Freedom, Liberty.

 

Not just intimacy, but TV, walking, normal conversations. And cracking sounds when the ship rolled as well. Must have built this thing at a bargain price !

[babyblue78]

More to add, got credit card bill today.

 

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

Hmm

 

Did you maybe buy anything after the evening before disembarking? I think that anything charged after a certain time (maybe 7-8pm?? Not sure) are not reflected on the statement. So, any drinks/pictures/etc you may have bought on the final night or early the morning of disembarkation are in addition to the charges on the statement. I think that there is a statement to that effect somewhere on the Sail N Sign receipt.

 

Sorry you got the D-bag neighbors..... I would have beat on the walls the whole time they were at it. ;)

[brianroberts2526]

Did you maybe buy anything after the evening before disembarking? I think that anything charged after a certain time (maybe 7-8pm?? Not sure) are not reflected on the statement. So, any drinks/pictures/etc you may have bought on the final night or early the morning of disembarkation are in addition to the charges on the statement. I think that there is a statement to that effect somewhere on the Sail N Sign receipt.

 

Sorry you got the D-bag neighbors..... I would have beat on the walls the whole time they were at it. ;)

 

The only things that were "bought" that were not shown on our sign and sail receipt were:

 

-can of Sprite

-can of Coke

-can of Diet Coke

-corkage fee from first night bottle of wine (never signed anything)

 

That couldnt add up to 45ish dollars

[brianroberts2526]

still no email reply from carnival

[k2excursion]

still no email reply from carnival

 

Don't go through email. Call them on their 800#. I had about $10 in extra charges on one of my cruises that showed up on my credit card. I called the 800#, and within minutes, they made the adjustment. They have been good about that. Just be sure to mention the things that you mentioned on here, mainly the 3 sodas. If they missed the corkage fee initially, I don't think it would've been added afterwards, but I've never done that before.