Just off the Pride: VERY disappointed

[griz400]

Guess i will just cancel our cruise on the Pride next week .....

 

NOT ..... lol

We are new to cruising, but what we found out is the 5.00 handshake to the person who cleans our room every day, we usually do this like every other day, and a 5.00 handshake to your waiter (before your meals) works real good ...

Granted , we dont eat in MDR every night, but tip these people first, and you will see a difference ... Maybe we are doing things wrong, I'm sure you experienced people will tell us ..but, 2 cruises down, and we never had an issue like you are saying ...:)

[IGGY63]

Guess i will just cancel our cruise on the Pride next week .....

 

I don't think anyone will fault you on not knowing Carnival's standards, and expectations with your limited cruise experience...if your signature is correct.....

[cruizinisthebest]

Guess i will just cancel our cruise on the Pride next week .....

 

I was hoping you were just joking.

 

Don't take anybody's word enough to cancel. Go and see for yourself. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

[apdchief]

Everyone has a right to their opinion and I respect that!

 

But I guess different strokes for different folks, none of those thing mentioned would have bothered me to the point of labeling my cruise as "disappointing". I think anytime you go on vacation not everything will always go as you plan or would like and sometimes you need to just roll with it!

 

Thanks for posting, we are on the Pride in April.

[griz400]

Was kidding for sure ... we been playing this song around the house all week long

 

we substitute Cruisin in the place of Groovin ...:)

[Bobby_Mac]

Thank you for your review.

 

One point - FTTF is for people who don't have Platinum status. Platinums AND FTTF get priority luggage delivery, the special line at guest services and priority tendering.

 

No Platinum should pay for FTTF because you already have the perks associated with it.

 

Exactly!

 

Was the luugage fairy supposed to magically get the luggage to the room before the other priority guests.

 

Hard to believe the OP is an experienced cruiser.

[Havingfun2010]

2 hours for dinner is way too long but there are other dining options on board. Did you ever consider the buffet? You can go at off times and probably get through the line very quickly and eat and be on your way.

 

Wow, that's not the point. Food should be served once a plate is finished the next should be on the way. Buffet eating is a much larger step down.

I don't know why you would ever expect someone to know the EXACT time they would pass under a bridge. That is ridiculous. Then you knew the answer was wrong but you went with it and still you are angry with the person for their answer. You asked a question that really couldn't be answered, knew it was wrong and you take no blame in this?

 

The exact time was not asked. It was about what time. The answer received was way off, and they should have at least a window of opportunity for this question.

 

Also note, FTTF is nothing more than a scam to get money for services that are free. It's pure profit. Most people who get scammed seldom, will admit that it was not worth it. Thanks for pointing out that it's not worth the money wasted. The poster is one in the few that will state that.

[IGGY63]

Exactly!

 

Was the luugage fairy supposed to magically get the luggage to the room before the other priority guests.

 

Hard to believe the OP is an experienced cruiser.

 

The prior 6 cruises while platinum the luggage was in the room when I got there....so... my OPINION is that the service on the Pride is not as good as past cruises. Do I have that right to be disappointed? Yep....

 

One situation would be 'isolated' as I have experienced in past cruises....not enough to complain about; however this cruise fell short in many different areas.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

I have to agree on the MDR service getting slower and slower every cruise we take. As far as FTTF goes I have always thought it was a total ripoff.

[love my grandkids]

NOT ..... lol

We are new to cruising, but what we found out is the 5.00 handshake to the person who cleans our room every day, we usually do this like every other day, and a 5.00 handshake to your waiter (before your meals) works real good ...

Granted , we dont eat in MDR every night, but tip these people first, and you will see a difference ... Maybe we are doing things wrong, I'm sure you experienced people will tell us ..but, 2 cruises down, and we never had an issue like you are saying ...:)

 

25 cruises and never thought it was necessary to bribe the crew to do their job. And vast majority of the time service was good to excellent.

Edited February 21, 2015 by love my grandkids

[love my grandkids]

I have to agree on the MDR service getting slower and slower every cruise we take. As far as FTTF goes I have always thought it was a total ripoff.

 

After downgrading loyalty program instituting FTTF was a slap in the face to those of us who have done many cruises on Carnival.

 

Even worse is when the crew allows FTTF people to go ahead of diamond and platinum. After several years of this that should never happen.

[AngAndBoys]

The prior 6 cruises while platinum the luggage was in the room when I got there....so... my OPINION is that the service on the Pride is not as good as past cruises. Do I have that right to be disappointed? Yep....

 

One situation would be 'isolated' as I have experienced in past cruises....not enough to complain about; however this cruise fell short in many different areas.

 

Ah! This may be the disconnect with people understanding your complaint. I've been Platinum for about 6 cruises and I have NEVER gotten my luggage before I got to my cabin, or even within an hour. I would not have expected to see my luggage much before muster drill.

 

That being said, I would find the slow dining to be extremely annoying, so I feel you there.

 

The comedy manager who did not follow through with clearing the room, I probably would have spoken to her about it if I was bothered. Not rude or anything, just, "hey, I thought you were doing something about this?"

[CJinFLA00]

Sorry your cruise was not up to par. I was on the same cruise and thought it was great. This was number 15 on Carnival and ranked toward the top. We ate in the MDR every night (late seating) and we're done at by 9:30 every night. Saw all three shows, ate in the steak house and bonsai sushi. All was good. Went to the lobby for tendered ports and got right on.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jimmy Geegitz]

After downgrading loyalty program instituting FTTF was a slap in the face to those of us who have done many cruises on Carnival.

 

Even worse is when the crew allows FTTF people to go ahead of diamond and platinum. After several years of this that should never happen.

 

I have to agree with you. FTTF shouldn't even be offered.

[opshannon]

It continues to amaze me that people complain about the cruise they just finished. Don't you realize that you are in NO position to judge your own experience?! Please learn not to sweat the small stuff, like feeling you didn't get what you paid for. Please learn that a cruise is what you make of it; if the service is poor, accept it and realize that poor service isn't what makes a bad experience, it's your expectation that you should have good service. And above all, you presumptuous cruise reviewers who feel entitled to have an opinion about the experience you just had, realize that I who was not on your cruise, did not experience what you did, and simply read about it on a message board, know better than you and think you whine too much.

[AngAndBoys]

It continues to amaze me that people complain about the cruise they just finished. Don't you realize that you are in NO position to judge your own experience?! Please learn not to sweat the small stuff, like feeling you didn't get what you paid for. Please learn that a cruise is what you make of it; if the service is poor, accept it and realize that poor service isn't what makes a bad experience, it's your expectation that you should have good service. And above all, you presumptuous cruise reviewers who feel entitled to have an opinion about the experience you just had, realize that I who was not on your cruise, did not experience what you did, and simply read about it on a message board, know better than you and think you whine too much.

 

Every. Single. Time. Though in the defense of the people who do this bash the messenger thing, I think it is a phase of grief for them. Like if they deny there has ever been a bad cruise, none of their cruises can be bad. Ever. The thought of a bad cruise experience just hurts them too profoundly. Or something.

[JohnSpo]

Some petty points. Loosen up and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

I think you missed my point. Carnival is still a great experience, BUT their motto is always (at least it used to be) to 'exceed' our expectations.

I've been on 10 Carnival cruises and knowing what great deals I have gotten, Carnival has always exceeded my expectations. Sorry to hear they did not meet your expectations. It always amazes me how great a cruise can be with 3,000 people on board and Carnival has to please everyone.:cool:

I have found that if you have a good attitude with the waiter and ask politely when you want something, you will control the pace of your dining and get out sooner. This should work for you with 2 people dining. The wait staff is very busy but will conform to your eating patterns.

 

We were at a table of 6, right by the Maitre D' when he ought to figure out the obvious.

I always get YTD and eat either as soon as they open or at 9:00pm. I try to avoid the peak times. At YTD, you can choose a table for two and dinner will take about an hour or less. You have more control of the timing of dinner if you do YTD at a two top.

 

As far as the bridge question, this can vary greatly on each cruise. That is an unreasonable question to ask but the guest service person gave you the best answer they could. Best bet is to get out of bed early and check.

 

He could have made an effort to find out, as the Captain would have this information./quote]

I would hope Guest Services is trained not to bother the bridge with these kinds of questions. They have much more important responsibilities to be concerned with than these types of questions.

A lot of your disappointment could have been avoided by taking more control of the situations and not to rely too heavily on Carnival. I would think as seasoned Carnival cruisers you would know more about the ins and outs of cruising to avoid these disappointments. I hope you enjoy your cruises more in the future. Happy sailing.

[legion3]

All this FTTF hate...

 

Makes me think if the Platinum crowd is annoyed perhaps I should get it each cruise as I don't sweat $50 and its not a rip off it annoys the "beautiful" people around me. ;)

[love my grandkids]

All this FTTF hate...

 

Makes me think if the Platinum crowd is annoyed perhaps I should get it each cruise as I don't sweat $50 and its not a rip off it annoys the "beautiful" people around me. ;)

 

Dont you think HATE is kind of a strong word here? Dislike is more accurate but ok lets fan the flames.

[NCTribeFan]

And may opshannon needs to lighten up on the sarcasm a bit. You, too, legion3. Not going to turn this into a FTTF thread. It's been beaten to death. But I've also had an unpleasant tendering experience (on Pride at HMC) because the FTTF blue-cards were just out-of-control. I actually had to turn and yell at some people to STOP PUSHING because they were about to stampede to make sure they got on the tender (which then sat there for about another 10 minutes as it filled). If people can't comprehend the difference between earning a perk and buying it, I'm afraid I can't help you.

 

I sailed Pride last May. I absolutely love the Spirit-class ships. Makes me sad that Carnival seems to want to rid the US market of them as quickly as possible so they can replace them with bigger floating-shoe-boxes with more people crammed in.

 

Anyway, my past two cruises (after Pride), I felt the service in the MDR was poor (Splendor 11/1 and Freedom 11/29). On Splendor, it was two of us; on Freedom, I was solo. It felt as though the servers were totally monopolized by the larger tables and we were just an afterthought.

 

But the food was very good, especially on Freedom.

 

I've been Platinum for over 10 cruises now. My luggage has never, ever been at the cabin before me. The past three cruises (including Pride), the luggage didn't arrive until the "usual" time (prior to sailaway). No big deal. As long as it arrives in time to change for dinner, I'm good.

 

I'd happily sail Pride again!

[love my grandkids]

And may opshannon needs to lighten up on the sarcasm a bit. You, too, legion3. Not going to turn this into a FTTF thread. It's been beaten to death. But I've also had an unpleasant tendering experience (on Pride at HMC) because the FTTF blue-cards were just out-of-control. I actually had to turn and yell at some people to STOP PUSHING because they were about to stampede to make sure they got on the tender (which then sat there for about another 10 minutes as it filled). If people can't comprehend the difference between earning a perk and buying it, I'm afraid I can't help you.

 

I sailed Pride last May. I absolutely love the Spirit-class ships. Makes me sad that Carnival seems to want to rid the US market of them as quickly as possible so they can replace them with bigger floating-shoe-boxes with more people crammed in.

 

Anyway, my past two cruises (after Pride), I felt the service in the MDR was poor (Splendor 11/1 and Freedom 11/29). On Splendor, it was two of us; on Freedom, I was solo. It felt as though the servers were totally monopolized by the larger tables and we were just an afterthought.

 

But the food was very good, especially on Freedom.

 

I've been Platinum for over 10 cruises now. My luggage has never, ever been at the cabin before me. The past three cruises (including Pride), the luggage didn't arrive until the "usual" time (prior to sailaway). No big deal. As long as it arrives in time to change for dinner, I'm good.

 

I'd happily sail Pride again!

 

like. We have been platinum for over 15 cruises and about 6 since the FTTF get luggage faster and luggage has never come before we got into cabin and typically have not seem much if any improvement in receiving it.

[legion3]

Dont you think HATE is kind of a strong word here? Dislike is more accurate but ok lets fan the flames.

 

Hey I did end with a wink. :cool:

[Artemus]

I have sailed on the Carnival Pride 5 times and getting ready to sail on her a 6th time. I have experienced some slow service in the DR but mostly timely excellent service.

I love the MD, Ken Byrne. He is the best, most friendly and personable MD I've ever had the pleasure of cruising with. I love his nightly singing and look forward to it each evening. He is a really good singer.

I am now Platinum, but have bought FTTF several times in the past and consider it the best $50 I've ever spent.