CCL needs to step up to the plate....

[CruisingAmazona]

OP....Thank You for your post, as your observations are valid. Regardless of what cruise line you choose, that is just fine. It is so very unnecessary when comments are made regarding if you are not happy with CCL........ What a childish thing to say, because you clearly state that you cruise different lines. Hello?????

 

Anyway, after I have stopped shaking my head, I wanted to also agree about having 2 old ships in Miami. I would think Several newer ships would be better. The only thing I can think of is the need to keep more shorter cruises there, in order to pull more new cruisers.

 

Thank you.

 

Taking the Breeze away makes absolutely no sense. It's a fantastic ship. Why not have the Breeze sailing on Saturday and the Vista on Sunday? That's how Port Everglades does it with Allure/Oasis of the Seas

[mediccruzin]

Yep! I sailed the Getaway in February and am booked for the Escape in 12/16. Frankly I'm happy on any ship, and for many years was, in fact, loyal to CCL, but I was just trying to figure out WHY they weren't competing with the other lines in promotional offers. Unfortunately, I see that nothing's changed here. Can't ask a simple question without the loyals getting all bent out of shape and offended. Ugh!

 

I've enjoyed my four cruises with carnival, ok product for a fair price. But with all the recent changes we are looking else where. I've never understood the cheerleaders of any brand of product. I'm going with who ever offers me what I want at a price I am willing to pay.

[trvlgirlmq]

I completely understand what the OP is saying. We just began cruising in 2012 and in 3 years I have done 5 cruise all on Carnival. In those 3 years I have already seen a deterioration in the food quality (American Table I'm talking to you), show styles and the lack of direction it seems when making their schedules.

 

As the customer who spends thousands of dollars and many hours of planning on a yearly family vacation I would be livid with the change that downgraded me from a newer Dream-class ship (the only class I would sail on after 2 unfortunate Fantasy ships). We have Vista booked next summer for Europe and can't change those plans. With today's unfortunate announcement (even though it doesn't affect us) my mom and I have been talking about trying another cruise line for 2017. I will even venture further to say that I would like to go back to land-based vacations where changes of this magnitude will not happen.

 

Carnival may be the cheapest out there usually but sometimes it's not just about the money. There is principal and integrity and when deciding who I spend my money with I do consider those things.

[mediccruzin]

The deal that NCL is offering right now with their freestyle choice is pretty hard to beat. It must be working for them because they keep extending it. I just booked a ten day balcony with them for 1300 and I got the drink package free. That's a $500 value. I'm also going solo and they had no solo supplement. I still like the Carnival Pride because it sails from Baltimore, and that's convenient for me. I also appreciate that Carnival invested in scrubbers for the Pride so they could continue to sail out of Baltimore. That saved a lot of jobs in my hometown, so I will try to sail on the Pride once a year if I can. I really don't know if I would invest in flying and hotel to go on a Carnival cruise though. The Vista looks great, but honestly, the NCL Escape looks better. NCL also really does up the entertainment better than Carnival IMHO. As long as I'm on the water, I'm happy.

 

There will come a time when all the cruise lines will have to put scrubbers on all their ships.

[CruisingAmazona]

If we could afford it, we would choose Disney every time, but we can't so I have to shop around and compare lines and prices. I booked our family of 4 in a balcony on NCL Getaway with free beverage package for almost exactly $1000 less than last summer's nearly equivalent cruise on CCL Liberty. I get OP's post. CCL may still have the reputation as being the most affordable for families, but there are often better deals out there if you watch for sales.

 

Never sailed Disney, and yes it is very expensive, but I love the casino at night so that's a deal-breaker for me, regardless of price!

[mediccruzin]

Thank you.

 

Taking the Breeze away makes absolutely no sense. It's a fantastic ship. Why not have the Breeze sailing on Saturday and the Vista on Sunday? That's how Port Everglades does it with Allure/Oasis of the Seas

 

All those families with kids getting sent over to the Splendor :eek: no where near the amount of activities for families on the Splendor versus the Breeze. Magic will fill fast for 2016.

[CruisingAmazona]

Why do they need to step up to the plate/ They sale full on almost every sailing now. So why?

 

Because eventually, people like me, who ONLY cruised on Carnival, will realize that other lines have just as much to offer AND MORE for basically the same prices. With the exception of Disney and lines like Oceania, Regent, etc., on NCL, CCL, RCCL & X, the prices are comparative to each other. I am an experienced and seasoned cruiser and I don't just book a cruise and that's that! I shop around, I look at prices, cabins, itineraries, years of ship in service, and yes what promotional offers are being offered.

[CruisingAmazona]

To keep people coming back to the them. With the announcement today of sending the Breeze to Texas early and turfing people over to Splendor they are not making their customer happy.

 

And the Splendor, by far, is their worst ship ever! The oddest ship I have sailed.

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

There will come a time when all the cruise lines will have to put scrubbers on all their ships.

 

 

I'm sure that day is coming, but Carnival invested now solely so they could continue to sail the Chesapeake Bay and cruise from Baltimore, year round. I know it's a good port for them, and I'm sure they were offered some tax incentives to stay, but it's still appreciated. The Pride is also a great ship that has the 2.0 upgrades. RCI does partial sailings from Baltimore, but it's a crummy old ship and they charge more for it than their new ships.

[bruadhin]

All those families with kids getting sent over to the Splendor :eek: no where near the amount of activities for families on the Splendor versus the Breeze. Magic will fill fast for 2016.

 

I would be livid if I got rebooked onto the Splendor after having booked the Breeze.

[mediccruzin]

And the Splendor, by far, is their worst ship ever! The oddest ship I have sailed.

 

Conquest x 3 and Triumph X1 was going to book a b2b on the Breeze for late July of 2016. Not now:(

[mediccruzin]

I'm sure that day is coming, but Carnival invested now solely so they could continue to sail the Chesapeake Bay and cruise from Baltimore, year round. I know it's a good port for them, and I'm sure they were offered some tax incentives to stay, but it's still appreciated. The Pride is also a great ship that has the 2.0 upgrades. RCI does partial sailings from Baltimore, but it's a crummy old ship and they charge more for it than their new ships.

 

There is thread here about it. The cost is 1 to 1.5 million per ship. New emission guidelines coming down the pike soon. I can't ever get over RCCL prices. They are pretty much the same here in Texas but we tried of the ports out of here.

[mediccruzin]

I would be livid if I got rebooked onto the Splendor after having booked the Breeze.

 

Even the diehards on Carnivals web forum are shocked they did this.

[bruadhin]

Even the diehards on Carnivals web forum are shocked they did this.

 

I know they reserve the right to change ships, but it would be like booking a room at the nice, new Hampton Inn in town and being told that no, we're putting you up at the Motel 6 that never bothers to renovate.

[CruisingAmazona]

Even the diehards on Carnivals web forum are shocked they did this.

 

There's just something very odd and deficient in Carnival's new management. I can't pin-point it, but they just don't seem to make sense in much of what they do, or the changes they are making. And, the last thing I'm referring to is the new policy on carry-on beverage, I thought that was a big deal of nothing.

[Warm Breezes]

I figured the loyal cheerleaders would get upset. I was just posting some random thoughts and hoping we could have a conversation based on differing opinions. BTW, I do price cabins and give or take a few bucks, a balcony is a balcony and an inside is an inside. I have been on 42 cruises, and have 5 booked, and I do my homework before I book...on any line.

 

And yet when someone posts a different opinion you call them a cheerleader :rolleyes:.

[mediccruzin]

And yet when someone posts a different opinion you call them a cheerleader :rolleyes:.

 

And others get called haters and bashers. Two way street.;)

[mediccruzin]

There's just something very odd and deficient in Carnival's new management. I can't pin-point it, but they just don't seem to make sense in much of what they do, or the changes they are making. And, the last thing I'm referring to is the new policy on carry-on beverage, I thought that was a big deal of nothing.

 

The Magic will now have premium pricing at least in the summer.

[CruisingAmazona]

And yet when someone posts a different opinion you call them a cheerleader :rolleyes:.

 

My reference of "loyal cheerleader" has nothing to do with a difference of opinion and is based exclusively on the fact that no one can say a single word that would remotely venture into a negative statement about CCL without busting a brain cell!

[Hoosierpop]

Although I'm 7 or 8 cruises short of becoming Diamond on CCL, I am not completely loyal to one particular line. I love to cruise, period and whoever gets me on a ship with the best deal possible, gets my money. Having said that, and probably opening a can of worms on a CCL forum, I'm not really getting Carnival's lack of promotions or competition with the other main lines. They are changing policies left and right, some good, some benefit the cruisers, most benefit the cruise line and I get they are a business and need to make profits like any other business. So they're making it tougher for people to smuggle booze, and I get that, while you can book a Concierge Class Balcony on a Celebrity ship and get drink package, free tips and OBC, or a regular OV or Balcony cabin and pick one of those, and NCL gets you free drinks, free dining, internet and OBC for a suite, or one of those for a regular balcony. Why would I bother sailing with CCL where I have to pay the $50 pp/pd for the drink package, while those other, just as good, or sometimes better cruise lines are giving them to me for free. The cabin rates are all fairly equal in cost, so it's not that I am paying higher rates for cabins in those other lines than I would on CCL. Don't get it. They are switching ships here and there which really make no sense at all. Moving the Breeze from Miami to make way for the Vista, but then they're bringing the Sensation to Miami, essentially having two older ships (Ecstasy and Sensation) in one of the most important ports in the country. Not getting this new management or marketing techniques.... at all. I really want to get to my Diamond status, but I just don't see why they deserve my hard earned money when I am getting so much more offered by other lines.

 

 

If you can get more value with another cruise line, why would you go on Carnival? Seems pretty simple. Maybe I'm missing something.

[CruisingAmazona]

And others get called haters and bashers. Two way street.;)

 

Well, for the record, I didn't use those terms. Not yet anyway. I leave those for my political forums! LOL

[CruisingAmazona]

If you can get more value with another cruise line, why would you go on Carnival? Seems pretty simple. Maybe I'm missing something.

 

You're not missing anything - it was a simple post. Hoping perhaps people could have more inside knowledge as to why they're making all these senseless changes and decisions and why they are clearly not "stepping up to the plate" and competing with what others are offering. When Burger King offers "buy a Whopper, get one free," McDonald's follows suit with their Big Macs!

[Hoosierpop]

You're not missing anything - it was a simple post. Hoping perhaps people could have more inside knowledge as to why they're making all these senseless changes and decisions and why they are clearly not "stepping up to the plate" and competing with what others are offering. When Burger King offers "buy a Whopper, get one free," McDonald's follows suit with their Big Macs!

 

 

I like the changes. Don't affect things I like, and hopefully brings Carnival profits. I'd like some other changes like no smoking in the casino, and enforcing rules on chair hogging. But overall, the changes are fine.

[elliair]

Inside might be fine for you, for many others it isn't. We will only sail with a balcony as that is what we like. Because you like one type of room doesn't mean others don't. Opinions vary from person to person believe it or not.

 

I agree with you. If I can't get a balcony in a decent spot, I won't book. To be honest, I haven't looked at any other cruise lines besides Carnival and Princess so I'm not priivy to the pricing. Price isn't my first "must". Location, where are we going, from what port, how many days, and price. Perks don't even enter into to decision. I give away the chocolate strawberries, I give away the gift, I don't need any pins, and I don't need any cocktail parties with sugary watered down drinks. Just give me the priority boarding perk and I'm fine with that.

[elliair]

You're not missing anything - it was a simple post. Hoping perhaps people could have more inside knowledge as to why they're making all these senseless changes and decisions and why they are clearly not "stepping up to the plate" and competing with what others are offering. When Burger King offers "buy a Whopper, get one free," McDonald's follows suit with their Big Macs!

 

Well, I'd like to see Carnival do what Princess does. Happy hour at 3:00 in one of their lounges, buy 1 get one free. Carnival seems to hide the happy hour and holds it at some obscure lounge/bar. I don't even think it's buy 1 get one free IIRC. Have they changed the Happy Hour prices?