Dear Uncle Bob.....

[Gypsywych]

Do you have any advice or requests for Bob Dickinson now that he's helping "fix" Carnival? Here's mine.

 

 

 

Dear Uncle Bob,

 

We love cruising and in the past Carnival was our go to cruise line. Over the past few years changes have been made that have made us start looking at other lines. So a few suggestions on where to look to start repairing the fabulous cruise experience we used to receive from Carnival:

 

Would you please take a look at the dining room wait teams? Service used to be excellent and now the waiters are rushed, overburdened and cold food is unacceptable. While you're at it, add more drink service, please.

 

I don't mind meatloaf or Mac & Cheese on the menu, but it would be really nice if you would add back a decent steak and edible lobster. What the Chefs did to my lobster on our last cruise should be a crime.

 

Would you please turn down the decibels on the Lido Deck. Just a couple or ten would be fine. Thanks.

 

Would you reorganize the room steward staff so they no longer have 20-25 rooms to clean? Like the dining room staff, overburdened, they can no longer give the excellent service they used to give.

 

Finally, would you please explain to your Brand Ambassador that publically ridiculing paying guests is unacceptable behavior from a grown man. His social media page used to be a place to get good information and fun stuff about Carnival. Now it's a meeting place for Internet bullies.

 

Wishing you the best of luck!

[4hunters]

You do realize that your cruise fare would increase if they listened to most of your suggestions.

[Gypsywych]

To receive good service and edible food? I'm fine with paying a little more.

 

Or, taken another way, I'm already supposedly paying for good service and edible food. I'd like to receive it.

[donsuej]

Increasing the cruise fare somewhat to implement improvements wouldn't be so horrible. Let's hope they do something to bring Carnival back to what it used to be. We too are looking elsewhere.

[4hunters]

To receive good service and edible food? I'm fine with paying a little more.

 

Or, taken another way, I'm already supposedly paying for good service and edible food. I'd like to receive it.

 

The food I get on board seems edible to me. But to each their own... Good luck. ;)

[H82seaUgo]

You do realize that your cruise fare would increase if they listened to most of your suggestions.

 

yes, and that would be a good thing.

[Lovefuninthesun]

Do you have any advice or requests for Bob Dickinson now that he's helping "fix" Carnival? Here's mine.

 

 

 

Dear Uncle Bob,

 

We love cruising and in the past Carnival was our go to cruise line. Over the past few years changes have been made that have made us start looking at other lines. So a few suggestions on where to look to start repairing the fabulous cruise experience we used to receive from Carnival:

 

Would you please take a look at the dining room wait teams? Service used to be excellent and now the waiters are rushed, overburdened and cold food is unacceptable. While you're at it, add more drink service, please.

 

I don't mind meatloaf or Mac & Cheese on the menu, but it would be really nice if you would add back a decent steak and edible lobster. What the Chefs did to my lobster on our last cruise should be a crime.

 

Would you please turn down the decibels on the Lido Deck. Just a couple or ten would be fine. Thanks.

 

Would you reorganize the room steward staff so they no longer have 20-25 rooms to clean? Like the dining room staff, overburdened, they can no longer give the excellent service they used to give.

 

Finally, would you please explain to your Brand Ambassador that publically ridiculing paying guests is unacceptable behavior from a grown man. His social media page used to be a place to get good information and fun stuff about Carnival. Now it's a meeting place for Internet bullies.

 

Wishing you the best of luck!

 

My two cents:

1. Food is fine

2. Our service in MDR was excellent -- thank you!

3. Our room steward service -- also excellent!

4. Agree 100% with the volume of the "music" on lido deck -- please crank it down!

5. Please do something about the smoking -- we can't even play in the casino because the thick smoke is overwhelming

6. I miss the more varied itineraries! We had planned for an anniversay cruise in the Mediterranean in 2014 -- no longer possible with Carnival. Would appreciate a little variation in the Caribbean routes.

[Lovefuninthesun]

Forgot to add -- I appreciate the humor and insights of the "Brand Ambassador"!!

[Gypsywych]

My two cents:

1. Food is fine

2. Our service in MDR was excellent -- thank you!

3. Our room steward service -- also excellent!

4. Agree 100% with the volume of the "music" on lido deck -- please crank it down!

5. Please do something about the smoking -- we can't even play in the casino because the thick smoke is overwhelming

6. I miss the more varied itineraries! We had planned for an anniversay cruise in the Mediterranean in 2014 -- no longer possible with Carnival. Would appreciate a little variation in the Caribbean routes.

 

I should have added #6 to my list. Thanks!

[donsuej]

Number 7.......Uncle Bob please hire some decent entertainers that can sing in key.

[kat2009]

Dear Uncle Bob,

 

I have no complaints! Just always happy to be crusing! The food is fine as are the staff. Well, maybe one thing - why are rates out of Miami ridiculously low and those out of New Orleans 3x as much?

[Seago2]

Yes, OP, to each and everything you say. Perfect.

 

 

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[bitemyfly]

my wish list are much different than my expectations..

wish list..

Food.. u can keep the fascination with comfort foods ie burgers, hot dogs , meatloaf

How about a real steak?/ not a piece of shoulder … bring back the duck ( not as an appy , the ribs – not on the elegant nite)

Upgrade the menu.. from the low cost stuff you are serving

Music- real band that can to cater to the vide on the ship at that particular time, not prerecorded tracs that get played no matter what the customer set is into at that time.

More waiters/ personnel service in the mdr

Charge more … upgrade to where u were 4 or 5 years ago

[Gypsywych]

my wish list are much different than my expectations..

wish list..

Food.. u can keep the fascination with comfort foods ie burgers, hot dogs , meatloaf

How about a real steak?/ not a piece of shoulder … bring back the duck ( not as an appy , the ribs – not on the elegant nite)

Upgrade the menu.. from the low cost stuff you are serving

Music- real band that can to cater to the vide on the ship at that particular time, not prerecorded tracs that get played no matter what the customer set is into at that time.

More waiters/ personnel service in the mdr

Charge more … upgrade to where u were 4 or 5 years ago

 

excellent wish list!

[jsfromsc]

I agree about increasing the crew so that they are able to service the guestrooms and serve meals in a more timely manner.

 

More realistic dry dock schedules so that so many cruises don't have to be canceled at the last minute or having ships sailing without the work being completed. The crew have enough work to do without working around construction and the guests shouldn't have to sail with ongoing construction, either.

[cruise_pirate]

Dear Uncle Bob,

 

Please bring back the Future Cruise Certificates! That always ensured that my next cruise was going to be with Carnival. Now my next one is with RCCL:cool:

[kybluecruiser]

sorry, but not many dislike the farcus design, enjoy the 2.0 downgrades, or are easily amused by bathroom humor used to put down their own guests.

 

and ive yet to understand what gettng something delivered to ones cabin does for anybody. which body part lights up?

 

That was just my two cents. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

[BenjiRodney]

Dear Uncle Bob, both cruises this year were excellent, they staff and crew were great, no complaints on the food or their service. I can always find something to eat that I like. Also I like John's humor on Facebook and his blog, he has to call some people out because the level of stupidity displayed by some is amazing. I'm sure cruise number three this year will be great as well.

[Cruising Rules]

Do you have any advice or requests for Bob Dickinson now that he's helping "fix" Carnival? Here's mine.

 

 

 

Dear Uncle Bob,

 

We love cruising and in the past Carnival was our go to cruise line. Over the past few years changes have been made that have made us start looking at other lines. So a few suggestions on where to look to start repairing the fabulous cruise experience we used to receive from Carnival:

 

Would you please take a look at the dining room wait teams? Service used to be excellent and now the waiters are rushed, overburdened and cold food is unacceptable. While you're at it, add more drink service, please.

 

I don't mind meatloaf or Mac & Cheese on the menu, but it would be really nice if you would add back a decent steak and edible lobster. What the Chefs did to my lobster on our last cruise should be a crime.

 

Would you please turn down the decibels on the Lido Deck. Just a couple or ten would be fine. Thanks.

 

Would you reorganize the room steward staff so they no longer have 20-25 rooms to clean? Like the dining room staff, overburdened, they can no longer give the excellent service they used to give.

 

Finally, would you please explain to your Brand Ambassador that publically ridiculing paying guests is unacceptable behavior from a grown man. His social media page used to be a place to get good information and fun stuff about Carnival. Now it's a meeting place for Internet bullies.

 

Wishing you the best of luck!

 

It's all very simple. Your best brand ambassadors are satisfied customers. Meet the needs and expectations of the majority of your customers and they will tell others. The issue is within the last couple of years Carnival has taken a position of cost reduction without seriously considering the impact to its customers. The service business is not rocket science. Give your clients what they want (within reason) while finding cost effective ways of doing so. What a service business does not want to do is take services or product quality away and expect no one to notice. Then when those same customers ask what happened you insult them by telling them it's a new and improved service product. If its needed take incremental price increases. Your clients will accept that more readily then making the Carnival value exponent irrelevant. Your clients are now beginning to note that while another carrier may be more expensive then can justify that cost by believing that they will get the service quality and offerings that Carnival "used to provide". Meet the needs of all customers and return your best supporters to a perception their long term support is truly appreciated.

Yes I am a strong Carnival supporter with 25 cruises on their ships. I have also supported four other competitors and do have a frame of reference.

[DEBnGAB]

Dear Uncle Bob,

 

Please bring back the Future Cruise Certificates! That always ensured that my next cruise was going to be with Carnival. Now my next one is with RCCL:cool:

 

Bingo! I wanted to book another cruise last week while on the Inspiration to at least get the OBC, nope...no booking desk and nobody on board who could do it for me.

 

I have been on 19 Carnival cruises and have seen things go from great to not so great in many different categories...entertainment, food, service. Things have changed whether or not you choose to believe it.

 

This! ^^

[SeeTheSeaAgain]

People are commenting that the fares will increase if we want a product of the quality it used to be....

 

I have seen no one complaining about the fares - only the quality of service and entertainment.

 

And why would fares increase anyway? The room stewards, for example, are paid mostly by tips so why does it help to shrink the staff?

[wanderingjew]

People are commenting that the fares will increase if we want a product of the quality it used to be....

 

I have seen no one complaining about the fares - only the quality of service and entertainment.

 

And why would fares increase anyway? The room stewards, for example, are paid mostly by tips so why does it help to shrink the staff?

They have to feed them and i have eaten in the crew cafeteria on Princess the food there was good

[gailjen]

From a British point of view, totally loved The Breeze last year & fingers very crossed for 28th July on The Sunshine. I'm sad you've pulled out of Europe I think if you would have offered a more varied itinerary you would have got more European/British on board as the last 3 years has been the same ports, also offering the same Early Saver price match deals would make it a level paying! field.

Carnivals prices are excellent compared with RCCI/NCL etc.

If you plan to build more ships I think you need larger pools like your competitors as on the sunshine you have a over sized bath tub for 3 thousand guests.(in July & Aug there won't be many onboard without an under 21 year old with them)

need to have drinking waiver for 18 year olds in Europe.

 

Finally love John Heald, I made a comment last year when I had Internet connection ashore that I was missing his Blog, that evening I received a wonderful gift in my stateroom, Thanks again John

[dclark]

How about actually making the ships fun? Cutbacks in entertainment are not 'fun".

I think that any cruise line that has to connect the word 'fun' in everything (funpass, funtimes, funship, funship drink, Very Important Fun Person, Faster to the Fun, etc) is a line that lacks it.

[MEOWSMURPHY]

Dear Uncle Bob,

 

Please bring back the Future Cruise Certificates! That always ensured that my next cruise was going to be with Carnival. Now my next one is with RCCL:cool:

I second this..I always had a couple of FCC's in the drawer so when I found the time to cruise it was a no brainer on which ship I'd be. I don't like the "book on board" thing going on now. Most people do not know the exacts date that they will cruise next...depends on family dynamics and schedules and work...so PLEASSSSSE bring back the FCC's..