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

[mediccruzin]

Why not? The Breeze will be in Galveston after May of 2016. You won't have as far to go. The sail dates are not up yet, but they soon will be. I'm sorry we will miss the great ports in the original repositioning cruise in Nov of 2016, but I've already booked the Breeze for the same dates as the repo cruise...except I don't have to travel to Miami. It's right nearby in Galveston.

 

Because we do not like the itnerary it does. In the past we have done land vacations to many of the ports it goes to. Only reason we were taking it of Miami was for the itenerary.

[RuthlessBoss]

OK, how's this: $999 plus tax for a Concierge Class balcony on the 10th deck, including the unlimited beverage package, including the tips, including a $450.00 OBC.

 

Does that work for you?

 

Like I said, Carnival needs to step up to the plate or they will lose many many loyal customers.

 

Don't know about the rest of you, but I work hard for my money and I'm not about to give it away to a company who gives me nothing while others are giving me all these extras.

 

THAT was my point!

 

Why would I go on a line that offers freebies if it's not a line I'm interested in?

[Hoosierpop]

OK, how's this: $999 plus tax for a Concierge Class balcony on the 10th deck, including the unlimited beverage package, including the tips, including a $450.00 OBC.

 

Does that work for you?

 

Like I said, Carnival needs to step up to the plate or they will lose many many loyal customers.

 

Don't know about the rest of you, but I work hard for my money and I'm not about to give it away to a company who gives me nothing while others are giving me all these extras.

 

THAT was my point!

 

If you can get what you want from a cruise, at a cheaper price than Carnival, why not just take that cruise and be happy? Why be angry at Carnival? Whenever I search for cruises, Carnival is usually one of the cheapest when all costs are considered. But not always. So if I found another cruise that's what I want at the price I want, I take it. But I don't get mad at Carnival.

 

I get that the recent changes may affect people to the point where they decide to go elsewhere. My advice is: go elsewhere.

[Out to sea!]

OK, how's this: $999 plus tax for a Concierge Class balcony on the 10th deck, including the unlimited beverage package, including the tips, including a $450.00 OBC.

 

Does that work for you?

 

Like I said, Carnival needs to step up to the plate or they will lose many many loyal customers.

 

Don't know about the rest of you, but I work hard for my money and I'm not about to give it away to a company who gives me nothing while others are giving me all these extras.

 

THAT was my point!

 

So go enjoy Celebrity and stop messing around with Carnival. Have a great time on your new cruise line. :p

[Out to sea!]

Why would I go on a line that offers freebies if it's not a line I'm interested in?

 

Or if you're not interested in the freebies? I drink maybe a beer a day on a cruise so unlimited beverage package would be useless for me.

[Warm Breezes]

Many of us have been telling the OP the same thing. If you find a better value elsewhere then go elsewhere. OP seems to think that those of us offering that advice are cheerleaders just telling them to go away and sail another line and leave Carnival to those who want it. OP is missing our point....in fact I think OP is a bigger Carnival cheerleader than those of us giving them that advice. I think the OP really doesn't want to leave Carnival and wants Carnival to step up and meet their requirements so they don't feel like that have to leave due to what the competition is offering. Most of us offering OP the advice to go elsewhere are not doing so to because we are Carnival Cheerleaders though. Most of us sail other lines and have no problem doing so, like the OP apparently does. Most of the times we get a better value on Carnival. Sometimes it is a different line and sometimes value is not necessarily what we are looking for. But the point is we can choose another line to sail without wishing it was Carnival we were choosing and wanting Carnival to give us the deal to entice us to choose them....which is what I think the OP is doing. Why else would they be complaining about getting such great deals on other lines and wanting Carnival to match them? I sure wouldn't be complaining...I'd be grabbing the other deal when I saw it and be happy with the trip I booked. So its not Carnival you are going on. Go have fun on your vacation no matter where you got the best deal.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Warm Breezes

[legion3]

This is my point exactly. If you paid for the extra dining and drinks on CCL....it would come to the same price as NCL. People aren't getting anything for free....just think they are, thanks to marketing.

 

Carnival would likely be cheaper no doubt, last time we did NCL we ate at a specialty every night, the MDR menu's never seemed to wow us. So getting the promo dining plan that covers these meals, while maybe not free, is not something I have to budget for as it will be paid in full. So it works for us and the cruise cost is an acceptable quasi-equal to a Carnival trip during the same period.

 

On Carnival that is not the case, we like the MDR quite a bit and would only likely do the Steakhouse and Italian once during the cruise. And those would all be add on costs. Oh and the chef's table :cool: very nice!

[CruisingAmazona]

Man you really need a thick skin on this forum, people just bitch instead of adding useful information.

 

Indeed they do! I had been gone for a while and I see nothing's change, especially so on Carnival boards. Everyone just takes things so incredibly personal.

[Out to sea!]

Many of us have been telling the OP the same thing. If you find a better value elsewhere then go elsewhere. OP seems to think that those of us offering that advice are cheerleaders just telling them to go away and sail another line and leave Carnival to those who want it. OP is missing our point....in fact I think OP is a bigger Carnival cheerleader than those of us giving them that advice. I think the OP really doesn't want to leave Carnival and wants Carnival to step up and meet their requirements so they don't feel like that have to leave due to what the competition is offering. Most of us offering OP the advice to go elsewhere are not doing so to because we are Carnival Cheerleaders though. Most of us sail other lines and have no problem doing so, like the OP apparently does. Most of the times we get a better value on Carnival. Sometimes it is a different line and sometimes value is not necessarily what we are looking for. But the point is we can choose another line to sail without wishing it was Carnival we were choosing and wanting Carnival to give us the deal to entice us to choose them....which is what I think the OP is doing. Why else would they be complaining about getting such great deals on other lines and wanting Carnival to match them? I sure wouldn't be complaining...I'd be grabbing the other deal when I saw it and be happy with the trip I booked. So its not Carnival you are going on. Go have fun on your vacation no matter where you got the best deal.

 

Hallelujah and Amen! :)

 

To me it seems most of the people thinking Carnival should be more like Celebrity or some other more expensive line are the ones who are at a higher loyalty level with Carnival and don't want to start at the bottom again with some other cruise line.

[Out to sea!]

Indeed they do! I had been gone for a while and I see nothing's change, especially so on Carnival boards. Everyone just takes things so incredibly personal.

 

Maybe the posters are nicer on the Celebrity boards? Go check it out. :D

[CruisingAmazona]

Why would I go on a line that offers freebies if it's not a line I'm interested in?

 

I guess I'm just not that picky. Like I said, I love to cruise. It can be on any of the main lines as far as I am concerned. All them have good things and some not-so-good things, none of them are bad. Heck, I've done 3 cruises with MSC, one of which was 16 nights, and while they are a little different than Americans expect, they too were fantastic. Different doesn't make it bad, just different. I adapt to all lines, but in the end, for me, it's all about the best deal I can get for my money. Itinerary? Only if it's Europe or Canada or elsewhere. In the Caribbean, as far as I'm concerned, once you seen one island, they are basically all the same! It's all about the blue waters for me.

[Out to sea!]

I guess I'm just not that picky. Like I said, I love to cruise. It can be on any of the main lines as far as I am concerned. All them have good things and some not-so-good things, none of them are bad. Heck, I've done 3 cruises with MSC, one of which was 16 nights, and while they are a little different than Americans expect, they too were fantastic. Different doesn't make it bad, just different. I adapt to all lines, but in the end, for me, it's all about the best deal I can get for my money. Itinerary? Only if it's Europe or Canada or elsewhere. In the Caribbean, as far as I'm concerned, once you seen one island, they are basically all the same! It's all about the blue waters for me.

 

So you're not picky about the cruise line but you are picky about the freebies they offer??? :confused: :rolleyes:

[sparks1093]

I guess I'm just not that picky. Like I said, I love to cruise. It can be on any of the main lines as far as I am concerned. All them have good things and some not-so-good things, none of them are bad. Heck, I've done 3 cruises with MSC, one of which was 16 nights, and while they are a little different than Americans expect, they too were fantastic. Different doesn't make it bad, just different. I adapt to all lines, but in the end, for me, it's all about the best deal I can get for my money. Itinerary? Only if it's Europe or Canada or elsewhere. In the Caribbean, as far as I'm concerned, once you seen one island, they are basically all the same! It's all about the blue waters for me.

 

I agree with this and I will cruise with whoever gives me the best deal with or without promotions. If it's with CCL great, if not, great.

[cruizinisthebest]

I guess I'm just not that picky. Like I said, I love to cruise. It can be on any of the main lines as far as I am concerned. All them have good things and some not-so-good things, none of them are bad. Heck, I've done 3 cruises with MSC, one of which was 16 nights, and while they are a little different than Americans expect, they too were fantastic. Different doesn't make it bad, just different. I adapt to all lines, but in the end, for me, it's all about the best deal I can get for my money. Itinerary? Only if it's Europe or Canada or elsewhere. In the Caribbean, as far as I'm concerned, once you seen one island, they are basically all the same! It's all about the blue waters for me.

 

Great. Now you've thoroughly offered your take on vacations (don't agree with it all, but hey this is your soap box) and you've shared with us the great deal you got. Anything else?

[CruisingAmazona]

I get that the recent changes may affect people to the point where they decide to go elsewhere. My advice is: go elsewhere.

 

I'm not "mad" at anyone, I'm just stating a fact that with all these changes, and other lines offering better deals, they may end up losing customers. For example, had it not been for all these other offers, at this point, with the cruises I have already done in 2014 and 2015, I would have already had my Diamond status. Would've been nice, not necessarily because Diamonds are any more special than anyone else, the difference is minimal to Platinum, but because Carnival was the line that got me hooked on cruising and they just could've tried harder at keeping the loyals happy.

[CruisingAmazona]

So you're not picky about the cruise line but you are picky about the freebies they offer??? :confused: :rolleyes:

 

Heck yeah! If you're offering me a $700 package of drinks included in my price! Ah, yep! Why would I go elsewhere and pay for it on my S&S account.

[CruisingAmazona]

Many of us have been telling the OP the same thing. If you find a better value elsewhere then go elsewhere. OP seems to think that those of us offering that advice are cheerleaders just telling them to go away and sail another line and leave Carnival to those who want it. OP is missing our point....in fact I think OP is a bigger Carnival cheerleader than those of us giving them that advice. I think the OP really doesn't want to leave Carnival and wants Carnival to step up and meet their requirements so they don't feel like that have to leave due to what the competition is offering. Most of us offering OP the advice to go elsewhere are not doing so to because we are Carnival Cheerleaders though. Most of us sail other lines and have no problem doing so, like the OP apparently does. Most of the times we get a better value on Carnival. Sometimes it is a different line and sometimes value is not necessarily what we are looking for. But the point is we can choose another line to sail without wishing it was Carnival we were choosing and wanting Carnival to give us the deal to entice us to choose them....which is what I think the OP is doing. Why else would they be complaining about getting such great deals on other lines and wanting Carnival to match them? I sure wouldn't be complaining...I'd be grabbing the other deal when I saw it and be happy with the trip I booked. So its not Carnival you are going on. Go have fun on your vacation no matter where you got the best deal.

 

BINGO! Right on the MONEY! You must be a psychiatrist or something! Exactly my point, I don't WANT to leave Carnival, I wish truly all 42 of my cruises plus the 5 I have booked were on Carnival, but they have really pushed me away. That's how "I" feel anyway. And the other lines reeled me "in" with these great offers. Seems to me that was their plan and it worked....

Edited June 17, 2015 by CruisingAmazona

[CruisingAmazona]

Maybe the posters are nicer on the Celebrity boards? Go check it out. :D

 

LOL, they are! Not necessarily "nicer" just "friendlier" and less sensitive.

[CruisingAmazona]

Hallelujah and Amen! :)

 

To me it seems most of the people thinking Carnival should be more like Celebrity or some other more expensive line are the ones who are at a higher loyalty level with Carnival and don't want to start at the bottom again with some other cruise line.

 

Wrong! Actually, I'm pretty high up in CCL, NCL, RCCL, X and even MSC, all pretty much even. I only have done three with MSC but they were all lengthy cruises so that pushed me up quickly! Ya'll just playing guessing games.

 

Carnival still needs to step up to the plate, or else..... we will see who is right or wrong eventually.

[Out to sea!]

Heck yeah! If you're offering me a $700 package of drinks included in my price! Ah, yep! Why would I go elsewhere and pay for it on my S&S account.

 

that's the problem. You think the drink package is worth $700. To me it's worth nothing. So for someone to offer that as an incentive, that makes it a better deal to you, not everyone else. Incentives are only a better deal to some people, not all. Not to mention the reason for paying for a cruise is for the cruise, not what deals you can get with it and in that aspect, Carnival almost always wins.

[Warm Breezes]

BINGO! Right on the MONEY! You must be a psychiatrist or something! Exactly my point, I don't WANT to leave Carnival, I wish truly all 42 of my cruises plus the 5 I have booked were on Carnival, but they have really pushed me away. That's how "I" feel anyway. And the other lines reeled me "in" with these great offers. Seems to me that was their plan and it worked....

 

Not a psychiatrist but an accountant :o. But we'll keep that quiet since some people seem to have a thing against bean counters on this board :eek::p. I sail other lines but I don't feel that it is because Carnival "pushed" me away. I like Carnival. Disney was the first line we sailed on. I like them too. But we haven't sailed them since our first 2 cruises. They didn't "push" us away either. We were just looking for something else on our other cruises. I like other cruise lines too. Sometimes Carnival just isn't offering what I am looking for when I am looking for it. I don't blame Carnival for that. I just go out and find what am looking for. I really don't understand the loyalty thing when it comes to cruising. I wouldn't want to limit my options that way.

[CruisingAmazona]

that's the problem. You think the drink package is worth $700. To me it's worth nothing. So for someone to offer that as an incentive, that makes it a better deal to you, not everyone else. Incentives are only a better deal to some people, not all. Not to mention the reason for paying for a cruise is for the cruise, not what deals you can get with it and in that aspect, Carnival almost always wins.

 

Do you eat? You can chose the dining package. Do you take shore excursions? You can take the OBC. The "specific" promotion is not the point, the fact that they are offering "something" is!

 

And don't fool yourself and don't try to fool me, EVERYBODY wants a good deal or participates on a sale. Yes we cruise for the cruise, but if they throw a bone your way, you WILL catch it.

[Out to sea!]

Wrong! Actually, I'm pretty high up in CCL, NCL, RCCL, X and even MSC, all pretty much even. I only have done three with MSC but they were all lengthy cruises so that pushed me up quickly! Ya'll just playing guessing games.

 

Carnival still needs to step up to the plate, or else..... we will see who is right or wrong eventually.

 

Or else what? I have stated many times before, Carnival doesn't really care about experienced cruisers and would probably be happiest and most profitable with an all blue card cruise! So if you or all of the other cruisers who seem to think that the loyalty program is more valuable than the cruise itself decide to leave, I don't think anyone at Carnival will be heart broken. Fewer free drinks, free laundry, free gifts, free etc they have to give away.

[CruisingAmazona]

Not a psychiatrist but an accountant./QUOTE]

 

My husband is an accountant, I get the thinking process! LOL

Edited June 17, 2015 by CruisingAmazona

[Out to sea!]

Do you eat? You can chose the dining package. Do you take shore excursions? You can take the OBC. The "specific" promotion is not the point, the fact that they are offering "something" is!

 

And don't fool yourself and don't try to fool me, EVERYBODY wants a good deal or participates on a sale. Yes we cruise for the cruise, but if they throw a bone your way, you WILL catch it.

 

Eat, yes. Love the MDR on Carnival, RCCL, Princess, and HAL (not so much on NCL). Shore excursions....very rarely and if taken, usually with an independent. Yes, I want a good deal on the cruise price, not a regular cruise price with incentives to pay the extra money. You may look for bones to be thrown your way, I simply look at the price owed column and go with the lowest price I can find. I have no need for bones.