MDR inconsistancy & dress

[TKDgirl2456]

I just got off of my 5th Carnival Cruise & I was actually pretty surprised by the MDR. and not good surprised either. My boyfriend & I were originally placed in the Washington dining room on the Valor & our waitress was awful. From the time we sat down at 8:15, we must have waited at least 10 minutes for her to come over and give us bread & water and she never introduced herself. The service got worse from there, it took us forever to get her attention, my boyfriend ordered a coke when the bartender came around halfway through our appetizers & he didn't receive his coke until our entree came almost 25 min later. Our food was mediocre, not very hot and not up to the standard I remember Carnival being at. To top it all off, I was absolutely shocked at the attire. We saw people in flip-flops (don't really feel like looking at hairy feet during dinner), ratty old t-shirts and the women sitting at the table next to us was wearing a SEE-THROUGH BLOUSE with a bright blue bra on. Hardly appropriate. The dining staff didn't stop anyone or say anything at the attire.

 

Either way, we switched to the Lincoln dining room. The food varied from :D to :( to just plain :confused:. Some nights, our chocolate melting cake was perfect, others, it was like chocolate syrup. The attire of the guests didn't improve much, with people wearing flip-flops, t-shirts and even shorts on formal nights! I don't remember Carnival being like this... what is happening?

 

What has been your experience with the MDR (food quality, dress & wait staff) recently?

[Cruzface]

That sounds about right... Still better than cooking and cleaning up at home...

[Redsfan]

wait staff for us fine last cruise on Inspiration...attire in the MDR..well LOL. For the most part appropriate for what the policy is but as long as you are awake they seem to let you in and feed you..

[elcuchio24]

Nothing new in the MDR, these same issues have been the same issues for the best decade.

[Martini Mom]

Wish it was better, but....

That sounds about right... Still better than cooking and cleaning up at home...

[halos]

I just got off of my 5th Carnival Cruise & I was actually pretty surprised by the MDR. and not good surprised either. My boyfriend & I were originally placed in the Washington dining room on the Valor & our waitress was awful. From the time we sat down at 8:15, we must have waited at least 10 minutes for her to come over and give us bread & water and she never introduced herself. The service got worse from there, it took us forever to get her attention, my boyfriend ordered a coke when the bartender came around halfway through our appetizers & he didn't receive his coke until our entree came almost 25 min later. Our food was mediocre, not very hot and not up to the standard I remember Carnival being at. To top it all off, I was absolutely shocked at the attire. We saw people in flip-flops (don't really feel like looking at hairy feet during dinner), ratty old t-shirts and the women sitting at the table next to us was wearing a SEE-THROUGH BLOUSE with a bright blue bra on. Hardly appropriate. The dining staff didn't stop anyone or say anything at the attire.

 

Either way, we switched to the Lincoln dining room. The food varied from :D to :( to just plain :confused:. Some nights, our chocolate melting cake was perfect, others, it was like chocolate syrup. The attire of the guests didn't improve much, with people wearing flip-flops, t-shirts and even shorts on formal nights! I don't remember Carnival being like this... what is happening?

 

What has been your experience with the MDR (food quality, dress & wait staff) recently?

 

It is what it is. Options are, acceptance of mediocrity because it may be better than having to cook or clean up at home (me...I'm not completely sold on this but I must admit being waited on is far nicer than doing work myself) and you get what you pay for.

OR, trying other lines that may cost more, but you may get more in the process.

 

I will disagree with elcuchio. I don't believe these issues were prevelent 10 years ago...not in my experience anyway. I have seen the most decline in the past 3 or 4 years...a sharp decline since oil prices went up. That's when CCL really started to change imo.

[Cruzaholic41]

I will disagree with elcuchio. I don't believe these issues were prevelent 10 years ago...not in my experience anyway. I have seen the most decline in the past 3 or 4 years...a sharp decline since oil prices went up. That's when CCL really started to change imo.

 

Agreed! While some people here and there may have done it, it was not nearly as prevelent as it is today. And in my experience, it has been the most prevelent on Carnival - even moreso than "free to whatever" NCL.

[Sargent_Schultz]

I think the MDR is more consistent than in years gone by and the food is fine.

 

Carnival is a mass market cruise line and does it very well.

 

It is the passengers and not the cruise line that have changed the most. For some reason, they expect everyone and everything to look like the people in the brochures. :p It never has been like that on mass market cruise lines.

[Martini Mom]

I think the MDR is more consistent than in years gone by and the food is fine.

 

Carnival is a mass market cruise line and does it very well.

 

It is the passengers and not the cruise line that have changed the most. For some reason, they expect everyone and everything to look like the people in the brochures. :p It never has been like that on mass market cruise lines.

 

Carnival gives me so much bang for my buck, that I don't sweat it. There are SO many dining options on a cruise. I can always find something I like.:D

[cdamion]

The service part is what has me most concerned about this post.

 

I understand that Carnival is not going to offer Caviar, which is fine for me. I don't need 5-star food. However, if the service on Carnival starts to slip because they are understaffed, that over anything else would push me to another line.

 

Carnival is not my first (or second choice) when cruising because there are certain things that I prefer on other lines. One of my favorite things on Carnival has been the level of service and genuine friendliness of the crew. I general I have enjoyed the service in Carnival's dining rooms the most of all cruise lines. They have done the best at remembering my name and preferences after only 1-2 nights. I hope that is not disappearing.

 

As far as what others wear in the MDR - doesn't really matter to me. As long as the other passengers aren't doing anything to interrupt my meal or being ridiculously loud, I could care less what they are wearing.

[macandlucy]

I'll be surprised if anyone can top this dining room dress story!...

 

Christmas morning, the Splendor, a large family showed up to the MDR for breakfast wearing PJs and in their bare feet. I'm sure it felt cute to them, and God bless them, but I am not so sure everyone else enjoyed it. It felt a little bit disrespectful to me.

 

Am I too stuffy to be taken aback by bare feet and pajamas on Christmas morning in the MDR?

[Cruzface]

I'll be surprised if anyone can top this dining room dress story!...

 

Christmas morning, the Splendor, a large family showed up to the MDR for breakfast wearing PJs and in their bare feet. I'm sure it felt cute to them, and God bless them, but I am not so sure everyone else enjoyed it. It felt a little bit disrespectful to me.

 

Am I too stuffy to be taken aback by bare feet and pajamas on Christmas morning in the MDR?

 

Were they turned away?

[kimmimom]

We have been on 2 in 2006, 1 in 2007, 2 in 2009, all Carnival. The MDR was awesome ALL times except 2007 and it was horrible! We had to get up and serve ourself tea and water! We did reduce the tips for dining that cruise, something I have never done before or after. That is the only female waiter(ress) we have had so I don't know if women are not as good (I am a woman so don't flame me), but I have never had issues on the other cruises and always had male wait staff.

 

As far as clothes, I have seen all/... overdressed to way underdressed. Like others, it does not bother me.

[macandlucy]

No, the bare footed PJ wearers were seated just a few tables away from us.

[tef43]

The food varied from :D to :( to just plain :confused:. Some nights, our chocolate melting cake was perfect, others, it was like chocolate syrup. The attire of the guests didn't improve much, with people wearing flip-flops, t-shirts and even shorts on formal nights! I don't remember Carnival being like this... what is happening?

 

Old news.

[GaNavy]

I think the MDR is more consistent than in years gone by and the food is fine.

 

Carnival is a mass market cruise line and does it very well.

 

It is the passengers and not the cruise line that have changed the most. For some reason, they expect everyone and everything to look like the people in the brochures. :p It never has been like that on mass market cruise lines.

 

Well said, Sarge. I agree with you.

 

American life generally has become a lot less formal over the last couple of decades. Remember when shirt-and-tie was required office wear every day of the week? I sure do. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I agree, but folks shouldn't be surprised when such increasing informality carries over onto vacation and hence onto cruise ships.

[overeasy]

I like the informality just fine, but I do feel sorry for the folks who wanted their cruise to be the once-in-a-lifetime fairy tale experience that they imagined. They will be disappointed in the MDR no question.

[Bikkek]

I like the informality just fine, but I do feel sorry for the folks who wanted their cruise to be the once-in-a-lifetime fairy tale experience that they imagined. They will be disappointed in the MDR no question.

 

Anyone who expects a once-in-a-lifetime fairytale cruise experience for $45 - $60 per day had better give their head a shake!

[cdamion]

Well said, Sarge. I agree with you.

 

American life generally has become a lot less formal over the last couple of decades. Remember when shirt-and-tie was required office wear every day of the week? I sure do. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I agree, but folks shouldn't be surprised when such increasing informality carries over onto vacation and hence onto cruise ships.

 

I am not that old, but do remember when I was young that we had to dress up to get onto a plane. Back when the upstairs on 747's were actually lounges and not more seating - and you were fed meals.

 

Travel has changed a lot over the years.

[Uniballer]

Honestly, I've never been one to dwell on the dress of others.... Personally, if we cruise, it is with a group, and I don't let others ruin or damper my experience with my friends and family....

 

As far as service goes, I have never had anything but wonderful service.... The food is what it is, I personally enjoy it and have never had a complaint about our food....

 

Relax, it's Carnival.... Carnival is great at what it does, and EVERYONE knows what to expect from Carnival by now....

[halos]

The service part is what has me most concerned about this post.

 

.

 

In my experience, the crew on CCL bend over backwards to try to give you the best possible service. My feeling is that they have to work twice as hard because there are less of them to do the same jobs that more of them did previously.

If and when you experience bad service, it is not a reflection of the crew, but to how overburdened they are.

[cdamion]

In my experience, the crew on CCL bend over backwards to try to give you the best possible service. My feeling is that they have to work twice as hard because there are less of them to do the same jobs that more of them did previously.

If and when you experience bad service, it is not a reflection of the crew, but to how overburdened they are.

 

Agreed. Sadly the way of the world these days.

 

I have not been on Carnival for a couple of years. I just hope that I get the same level of outgoing, friendly service I did back then. While other lines' crews have been more proper and formal, I have missed Carnival's crew members' level of friendly outgoing service across the board. Things that stand out are things like the drink server in the dining room seeing me on the Lido when she's working up there and remembering my name and what drink I like after only a couple of nights.

[SE NC]

I think the MDR is more consistent than in years gone by and the food is fine.

 

Carnival is a mass market cruise line and does it very well.

 

It is the passengers and not the cruise line that have changed the most. For some reason, they expect everyone and everything to look like the people in the brochures. :p It never has been like that on mass market cruise lines.

 

Very well said!

[relic937]

This is an age old topic. If you want to dress to the nine's there are a couple of lines that will insist on it . Problem is that most of the people that dress for formal night are in ill fitting suits or dresses that look like they were bought at Wally World .Take a chill pill and dress in a way that makes you happy . Don't worry about your neighbor unless they are your children.

[ccruisequeen]

My dad had back surgery recently & wears velour running suits for comfort (very stylish). He's afraid he won't be welcome in MDR with them (especially for EN). I told him anything goes any more, but he says he'll stick to Lido,