If Carnival drastically reduced fares but...

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

I wouldn't cruise any more because like others here have said, part of the awesomeness of cruising is the included food and activities. If they charge me to go to the mdr and buffet, etc., all I am paying for is a tiny hotel room that visits a few ports and a salt water pool and hot tub. Lol. So yes, carnival is usually cheaper than everyone else and they do give you less than the other full service lines. The ultimate ULCC of cruising. Keep it the way it is now, they seem to have their niche but if they go any further, they will probably lose much of their business.

[bingo3]

As far as I can see, this is the route the ships are taking, they are just doing it slowly. Far more is extra now than it used to be. ;)

[MsTee]

Nope

[xeroxme]

Nope. It's the one advantage of cruising. I would stick to land based vacations only. On a ship you are hostage once your on board to their pricing itinerary. Etc. on a land vacation you can go to different restaurants etc depending on mood and what you want to eat. Your not leaving the ship at sea and they are not letting you bring it on board. Can you imagine if they let us bring on food and everyone was on lido grilling. Lol

[lettienets]

Sure was glad Easycruise failed. Might as well go camping. Eat at McD's. Surprised it hasn't appeared on a cruise ship yet. *roll eyes* Let's have holiday with special things.

[xeroxme]

Sure was glad Easycruise failed. Might as well go camping. Eat at McD's. Surprised it hasn't appeared on a cruise ship yet. *roll eyes* Let's have holiday with special things.

 

 

Agreed!!!

[makeda]

No, no, no

[simplelife]

I have to make a lot of decisions at my job, so a major draw of cruising for me is not having to make decisions (about what restaurant to do etc).If the suggested changes were made, cruising would be far less attractive to me.

[EdmundXXIII]

No. I'd cruise with another line. Part of the pleasure of cruising is not worrying about anything, including money.

[Tapi]

Might as well...eat McD's. Surprised it hasn't appeared on a cruise ship yet. *roll eyes*

 

 

Certain brand have already been creeping onboard cruise ships (most notably Starbuck's, Ben and Jerry's, and Johnny Rocket's on Royal) and they've been well received. I don't think it's far fetched to envision a "food court" on ships of the future.

[lido deck larry]

I have to make a lot of decisions at my job, so a major draw of cruising for me is not having to make decisions (about what restaurant to do etc).If the suggested changes were made, cruising would be far less attractive to me.

 

Certain brand have already been creeping onboard cruise ships (most notably Starbuck's, Ben and Jerry's, and Johnny Rocket's on Royal) and they've been well received. I don't think it's far fetched to envision a "food court" on ships of the future.

Agree.. Considering other aspects of the ship are outsourced and run by outside companies.. (Art auctions, spa)

[txgranny]

You should look at cheap Caribbean dot com i have bpooked all inclusive w alcohol and air for $625 pp way cheaper than cruise and no rushing back to ship

[sjn911]

To be fair, my base rate on my current cruise is only $57/night on carnival. That's not really all that cheap of a fare when you figure in food and anything else on board that has to be paid for.

 

 

We vacation more than once per year. We typically will go to the Florida Keys in August. This year we will be paying $800/week for a 3 bedroom condo that we will be splitting with 2 other couples. That comes out to $19/night per person. We spend on average $75 in groceries for the week, per person, so $10pp/pd(this includes junk food, soda etc and MOST meals which we cook ourselves). Then we have whatever activities we choose to do(which we don't consider the cost into, because it would be equivalent of an excursion on carnival. We may eat out once or twice in that week for an average of $50pp. There is a total $150 cleaning fee on the condo. There is boat parking fees, but there are parking fees at the departure port so won't count those either. So, that comes out to about $283 per person for the week. It works out for us(I know this isn't typical), but my point is that cruising isn't always the most affordable vacation option. I cruise for the experience, and if that experience were to change to the point where it was no different than going to the Keys, I would just go there for two weeks instead.

Great info and wonderful plan with the right friends..thank you. A dream place and vacation of mine!

 

And if price was low enough and decor/bedding/rooms like Breeze or better....on said cruise and food options with some open 24 hrs and good real entertainment /music options , and service options kept a solo at 1000 in an outside with housekeeping and room service...land tours and spa service could be additional with free pools and hot tubs and saunas...sure I would try it.

Edited April 4, 2015 by sjn911

[xeroxme]

I have to make a lot of decisions at my job, so a major draw of cruising for me is not having to make decisions (about what restaurant to do etc).If the suggested changes were made, cruising would be far less attractive to me.

 

 

Great point. For families vacationing together all of the pay items could severely hurt them financially with unexpected costs. Currently we have many great and wanted amenities already included but who doesn't still check their stateroom charges to make sure things haven't gotten out of control. Drinks, store purchases, etc. add up quickly on a cruise. We want to be able to get on board, relax and know we are not going to get clobbered by a bunch of unexpected items at the end.

Edited April 4, 2015 by xeroxme

[Velvetwater]

You can camp and cruise. Set up a tent on deck of an Alaskan State Ferry.

 

Sounds good, I wonder if my 4 season sleeping bag will hold up ;)

 

As much as I love all things cruising and it makes a relaxing holiday the only reasons I started cruising were for the open ocean and visiting different ports. I eat a heck of lot in port anyway so I would be bringing munches back from there (in packets) and having picnics on the open decks.

 

If Carnival only ever did the Carribean forevermore that would stop me sailing with them and I imagine because of their market in this area I will move to other lines eventually when I have done most of the areas they offer.

[browneyedwoman]

I think that would be a very bad idea. Cruises should include food.

[Lenliner]

No! Fortunately, money spent on vacations is very fluid, and will flow to where it is most attractive to the traveler. The proposal is unattractive to us for the same reasons we won't even look at NCL. When the cruise lines start putting the shareholders interests ahead of customers, it will ultimately be the shareholders that will suffer.

[Rhubarbed]

From a first timers point of view, we've booked a cruise because we don't want to have to think about anything all week and that includes watching what / where we eat and drink because of the price. After comparing all inclusive prices at resorts and on Cruises, cruises came out much better with the variety of things to do, places to eat and places to visit. I wouldn't have even considered cruising if it wasn't as inclusive as it is. And we're taking the Cheers programme so don't have to think about that either.

 

Just in case Carnival are reading this and trying to find ideas!

[emcelh]

Well, I might be wrong too, but I think they have O'Sheehans that is 24 hours? And there is another coffee shop type restaurants on some ships...forget what it's called.

 

To answer the original question, no I wouldn't want everything to be pay as you go. It would take away the uniqueness of the cruise vacation...or some of it. And it would make it more difficult to plan for spending. I'm not saying I'd never cruise again, but I'd do other vacations a lot more.

 

You're correct. O'Sheehan is open 24 hours. Not sure about another coffee shop-maybe on the new mega ship's.

[portocaller]

No way. It would shrink the ship. You wouldn't be welcome in the lido deck buffet area with out paying and I enjoy chilling out.

 

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[PEB]

If they dropped the free dining rooms NO I would not be cruising because I doubt they would drop the price of the cruise enough. I am sure they would increase the price of the pay restaurants so much that it would cost me a lot more to cruise even with a drop in stateroom price. I am willing to pay some more for a stateroom and keep free dining that way I know what to budget for the cruise and not have to watch each day what I have added to my cost from paying for dining in different priced dining rooms.

[jenne252]

I would simply go to an All Inclusive Resort instead and eat the additional cost, if there even was an additional cost. I don't dislike cruising by any means, but I am just as happy or happier with going to a beach AI. With the cost of the cruise $1637 for two of us, plus the cost of Cheers at $900 ish (which would have to be factored in to compare to AI) plus the cost of the Steakhouse ($70, again would have to be factored in to compare) plus gratuities (what is it, like $11/day or so?), we are at just as much or more than say a nice AI in Riviera Maya, with a much smaller room, and a bunch of pay-for activities in port and a no real pool to compare to. Plus, we could come and go at our leisure. It wouldn't make sense for me, at all, if I were to have to than choose between a "silver" or "gold" food package like at Disney World or pay as I go. It's too much work for vacation. In all honesty, had I known that NCL (or whatever line it was) was giving away free drinks or meal packages, I would have gone that route, just bc it's easier to not have to "think" about these things.

Edited April 5, 2015 by jenne252

[txgranny]

My son and i did an AI at riveria maya we each had our own suite overlooking the ocean w jacuzzi on balcony and in the room, 13 restaurant 13 bars 5 pools plus adult only area and beach w butler service w air for 5 nights all for LESS than an overcrowded cruise. I hate having to rush back to a ship that's so freaking overcrowded plus the costs of cabs and such AI is the best vacation value

[jimbo5544]

My son and i did an AI at riveria maya we each had our own suite overlooking the ocean w jacuzzi on balcony and in the room, 13 restaurant 13 bars 5 pools plus adult only area and beach w butler service w air for 5 nights all for LESS than an overcrowded cruise. I hate having to rush back to a ship that's so freaking overcrowded plus the costs of cabs and such AI is the best vacation value

 

 

Where was that?

[cruzecontrol]

Eliminated all free food, no more MDR, but just a new assortment of pay as-you- go buffets and restaurants, would you still cruise?

 

No.