Carnival Cruisers What Would Make you leave Carnival?

[bar1068]

Hmmmmm....what would cause me to stop cruising with Carnival....I'm gonna go with...if Carnival went out of business, that would probably give me reason not to cruise with them any longer.

[Giffer]

Goes with being concerned about the lack of tablecloths I'd imagine.

 

Nope totally wrong there. The tableclothes are about the mess that condensation from the ice tea and water glasses make. The tablecloths absorb some of the moisture from the bottom of the glass, thus keeping it from dripping on to the person as they are drinking. It also keeps the glasses from floating around the table when the ship is rocking. But yes, we do have a tablecloth on our table at home every night unless we are dining on the back veranda.

[Nightrythm]

When I stop enjoying myself. Essentially when all things combine together and I no longer feel like I'm getting something of value that I enjoy.

[tigresslea]

Stopped smoking on balcony's.... really. They tell you you cannot smoke but they do. We could not use our suite balcony on our last trip in November. The guests in the cabin next to us smoked like a chimney. They may say it isn't done but they continue to allow this behavior. We have another cruise of the Valor in April and if this happens again I will really have a hard time booking them again. Celebrity smoking policy is adhered to by their guests and the Casino is smoke free (wonderful). We have not been on Princess as of yet but are booked this fall in Europe. We paid about $200 less per person than a suite on Carnival. I believe you book the cheapest inside cabin you will not find any other cruise line as inexpensive as Carnival but in almost any other class you will find comparable fares. Do the research and you will find them. Also Carnival fares ARE INCREASING. (example 8 day Southern Ocean Suite in 2014 $1034 PP, 7 day Eastern Ocean Suite in 2016 $1449 PP)

 

I didn't run into any balcony smokers on my last cruise, I'm sorry you did. I know there will be people who ignore the rules, there always are. Did you let guest services know and they didn't look into it?

[tigresslea]

Possibly so but my parents saw the bigger picture which is people got what they wanted and now they will want more which is they won't be happy until smoking is off the ship entirely, so they decided to make their own decision before that happens.

 

But still, that is what your parents did. You can't blame non smokers or carnival for that. I can't speak for other non smokers but I am happy with how it is now. I wouldn't expect a totally smoke free ship. I understand the casino is going to be very smoky and it doesn't bother me because I don't gamble. I live in Vegas and casinos here are smoky and I avoid them as well. I don't think ships will be completely smoke free in our lifetimes if ever. Maybe certain ships or sailings...

[tigresslea]

I agree, but that is exactly what happened. Their favorite thing to do on cruises was to get up in the morning, watch the sunrise and enjoy their coffee and smoke on their balcony. If someone else was out there they would not smoke. They figured it was only a matter of time before people got them kicked off the ship entirely, and were tired of being made to feel bad. I have seen folks cough dramatically and my mom doesn't even have the cigarette lit. People were very rude. I wish they didn't smoke but at 65 they are set in their ways and like it and don't want to stop.

 

Well, your parents need to get a thicker skin. It's not just on cruise ships, there is disdain for smokers everywhere. Smoking used to be cool. Now we know better.

[Bunkie103]

Last week we cruised on the Carnival Sunshine and for the first time in 13 years we agreed we would NEVER book the Sunshine again, and maybe it was time to look around for another cruise line. The ship itself is lovely, our steward was a gem, they tried to keep it clean in spite of the kids throwing food and running amuck, the food was fairly good, Guy's Burgers was a nice treat, the Burrito Bar was tasty, we loved Cucina del Capitano and went twice. That being said, the layout of the Lido is terrible, one beautiful day it was impossible to get a chair, not a lounge by the pool or the Serenity Deck, just a chair ANYWHERE outside.....we wound up sitting in the LOBBY! The next day we found ourselves in the smoking area just to get a chair and we don't smoke. The ice cream machines worked about half the cruise and the smoke in the casino is the worst ever.

 

Me thinks we'll check out Celebrity for our next cruise.

[TaDaaa!]

Well, your parents need to get a thicker skin. It's not just on cruise ships, there is disdain for smokers everywhere. Smoking used to be cool. Now we know better.

 

What a knee jerk reaction. :mad:

 

BTW, there are plenty of countries where smoking is still fully accepted and not looked down upon. Or is it that you just think everything should revolve around how things are done in the US?

Edited February 25, 2016 by TaDaaa!

[tigresslea]

What a knee jerk reaction. :mad:

 

BTW, there are plenty of countries where smoking is still fully accepted and not looked down upon. Or is it that you just think everything should revolve around how things are done in the US?

 

I wasn't trying to be mean. Sorry if it came across that way. I'm only saying that if you are a smoker, and in a designated smoking area, you shouldn't be concerned about how non smokers look at you. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, maybe it's time to quit.

 

Also, what do other countries have to do with it? We're talking about cruises out of America, doesn't really matter how other countries feel about smoking...

[MargieWY]

Also, what do other countries have to do with it? We're talking about cruises out of America, doesn't really matter how other countries feel about smoking...

 

Last time I checked, there are 35 different countries in America, so it better matter. Of course we can always forget that the USA is part of, not only a bigger continent, but also a bigger world. :rolleyes:

[hbrote]

I didn't run into any balcony smokers on my last cruise, I'm sorry you did. I know there will be people who ignore the rules, there always are. Did you let guest services know and they didn't look into it?

 

They didn't seem very interested and if they did contact the people it did nothing to stop them..... As I said no one smokes on balconies on Celebrity and the casino is also smoke free. I won't gamble on Carnival because of this along with a bunch of other people. We'll see how it works out in April.

[runawaysoul]

My last cruise with Carnival was in 2001. I didn't leave as much as I found something immensely better. Doesn't mean Carnival wasn't fun, just means I found a different cruise that is more my style. Unfortunately for Carnival, I won't be going back any time soon.

[richstowe]

They didn't seem very interested and if they did contact the people it did nothing to stop them..... As I said no one smokes on balconies on Celebrity and the casino is also smoke free. I won't gamble on Carnival because of this along with a bunch of other people. We'll see how it works out in April.

That really stinks that nothing was done about this ! This does unfortunately happens on all lines . We experienced balcony smoke on our first Celebrity cruise . I wasn't sure where it came from and the smoke did not last but it was still there . There are jerks everywhere . This idea that "I only smoke when there are no non-smokers out" is just so much smoke . Edited February 25, 2016 by richstowe

[runawaysoul]

Smokers will justify their position. It's a documented, scientific fact that second hand smoking is quite harmful. Smokers are either ignorant of this fact, downplay the significance of it, or too selfish to care about the harm it causes others. I'm as anti-smoking as it gets. To be fair, I'm a former smoker - 2 to 3 packs a day, so smokers can't hold a lighter to any argument with me.

 

That really stinks that nothing was done about this ! This does unfortunately happens on all lines . There experienced balcony smoke on our first Celebrity cruise . I wasn't sure where it came from and the smoke did not last but it was still there . There are jerks everywhere . This idea that "I only smoke when there are no non-smokers out" is just so much smoke .

[ShakyBeef]

Stopped smoking on balcony's.... really. They tell you you cannot smoke but they do. We could not use our suite balcony on our last trip in November. The guests in the cabin next to us smoked like a chimney. They may say it isn't done but they continue to allow this behavior. We have another cruise of the Valor in April and if this happens again I will really have a hard time booking them again. Celebrity smoking policy is adhered to by their guests and the Casino is smoke free (wonderful)...

 

They didn't seem very interested and if they did contact the people it did nothing to stop them..... As I said no one smokes on balconies on Celebrity and the casino is also smoke free. I won't gamble on Carnival because of this along with a bunch of other people. We'll see how it works out in April.

 

I was going to let the first time you said this go, but...

 

I don't think you should make such a blanket statement about all guests on a cruiseline.

 

I loved my Celebrity cruise. So far, Celebrity is my favourite cruiseline. But the worst incident I had with smoke affecting the enjoyment of my cruise was on my Celebrity Mercury sailing in 2010. The night after our stop in Key West, someone in a neighbouring cabin was smoking a cigar. And it was coming through our ventilation duct. We didn't have a Balcony - we had one of the 2 highly-coveted forward cabins with the huge wall of picture windows, directly under the bridge. I LOVED my cabin and cried when I had to move out of it for the night when Security couldn't track down from which cabin the smoke was coming. The cigar smoke was making both my DH and me physically ill.:(

 

So either things have changed on X, and now everyone who sails with them now obeys the smoking rules at all times, or maybe you just can't accurately paint everyone on any one cruiseline with the same brush.;)

[Heirloom]

Only cause for termination:

 

Death.

 

 

(Which is inevitable).

[cruzinlisa]

Well, I already have in some way. It used to be Carnival was the only line I checked. Now I check many. I have cruise Celebrity and Disney. Celebrity is my favorite overall. With my kid at her current age range, Disney is my favorite. Carnival is my favorite when... NEVER. But its usually cheaper.

 

I take Carnival for what it is worth. Its a decent value most of the time, cheap, budget and fun. But as they keep cutting and cutting and cutting things and the price is staying the same (or even going up sometimes), its becoming less of a value.

 

Right now, if I want luxury, Carnival is off the table. If I want a trip that is dirt cheap, then I go Carnival. When I planned my 40th birthday/10th Anniversary trip, Carnival was not even in the discussion. It was either going to be Oasis of the Seas or Disney Fantasy or a trip to Disney World. Nothing that Carnival could offer was going to come close. But a couple of years ago when DH and I had a week off work in October and found a cruise that was almost as cheap as a week at home (well maybe not that cheap but you get the point), we went. And it was on Carnival. I pick Carnival knowing that is what I am getting.

 

So I guess the better question for me is "what will make me finally quit considering carnival at all". They are getting close to that point. They demoted people from gold to red. Then we finally got back to gold and they quit the party for gold members. They got rid of any of the free drink parties, quit giving the free drink coupon (so I hear). And I even heard no lobster or 5 day cruises. Just about everything cut is small, de minimus. But adding them together, its just not the same.

Rant over.

[tigresslea]

Last time I checked, there are 35 different countries in America, so it better matter. Of course we can always forget that the USA is part of, not only a bigger continent, but also a bigger world. :rolleyes:

 

Sorry, meant to say the US. Being that the cruises I'm referring to are from US ports, I don't really think it matters how many people smoke in other countries when I'm referring to the US specifically.

[AFuncruiser]

another cruise line based out of Jacksonville, Fl

 

Dennis

Jacksonville, Fl

[tkportersat]

Alrighty, I don't see how taking matters in their own hands equates to them needing a thicker skin. They were tired of their area getting smaller and smaller so they moved on.

 

Well, your parents need to get a thicker skin. It's not just on cruise ships, there is disdain for smokers everywhere. Smoking used to be cool. Now we know better.

[HectorAchilleus]

Last week we cruised on the Carnival Sunshine and for the first time in 13 years we agreed we would NEVER book the Sunshine again, and maybe it was time to look around for another cruise line. The ship itself is lovely, our steward was a gem, they tried to keep it clean in spite of the kids throwing food and running amuck, the food was fairly good, Guy's Burgers was a nice treat, the Burrito Bar was tasty, we loved Cucina del Capitano and went twice. That being said, the layout of the Lido is terrible, one beautiful day it was impossible to get a chair, not a lounge by the pool or the Serenity Deck, just a chair ANYWHERE outside.....we wound up sitting in the LOBBY! The next day we found ourselves in the smoking area just to get a chair and we don't smoke. The ice cream machines worked about half the cruise and the smoke in the casino is the worst ever.

Me thinks we'll check out Celebrity for our next cruise.

I would think that you would just try another ship rather than another line. I agree that the Destiny/Sunshine is a deplorably crowded ship - due to Carnival removing common space areas and adding more staterooms. The comedy club was always over-filled, the Serenity area is loud and right near the noise from the DJ & pool events, and chair hogs are in abundance. I will NEVER sail the Destiny again, but I still prefer Carnival.

[halos]

Sorry, but this is what I'm talking about. You know you'd be happier on Princess, you know the Carnival product doesn't fit you. Yet you keep spending thousands on Carnival and complaining about the product, all over loyalty status.

 

Jump to Princess and be happy. If you'd done it years ago wen you started to realize you wanted something else, then you'd already have a high loyalty status with Princess.

 

I drove a Nissan until I found a Ford that I liked better. Nissan tried to give me a special deal as a previous owner, but I liked the Ford better so I bought it. I didn't buy the Nissan and then complain it wasn't the Ford.

 

I will treat Carnival the same.

 

I must agree with you. We had just reached platinum on CCL when we left. No perk is worth sticking with a line. I have always thought line monogamy was odd, but I guess that's just me and to do it for a perk or two???? CCL's perks aren't even good!

 

One thing I noticed on Royal...BOY are those people anal about their status. They can not only tell you the number of cruises they have had with Royal but the number of DAYS they have spent on Royal ships. :eek: They are pretty insane about it!! Some of them have never even tried a different line...I don't get that. I like to jump around for variety. It may take me longer to reach a 'status', but hey, one day I'll have status on a few lines. :)

 

Haven't tried Princess yet but for sure we will. I want to cruise Princess to Alaska.

[tigresslea]

Alrighty, I don't see how taking matters in their own hands equates to them needing a thicker skin. They were tired of their area getting smaller and smaller so they moved on.

 

I was referring to what you said about people being rude and coughing. If they're in a smoking section, they shouldn't be bothered by what people who walk through the section do. I know I often cough, make faces or hold my breath if I have to walk through a smoking section. I can't help it, I'm super sensitive to smoke. Even if no one is smoking at that moment, the lingering smell makes me cough.

[tkportersat]

Either way, they shouldn't have to deal with rude people when they are in their own area.

 

I was referring to what you said about people being rude and coughing. If they're in a smoking section, they shouldn't be bothered by what people who walk through the section do. I know I often cough, make faces or hold my breath if I have to walk through a smoking section. I can't help it, I'm super sensitive to smoke. Even if no one is smoking at that moment, the lingering smell makes me cough.

[tigresslea]

Either way, they shouldn't have to deal with rude people when they are in their own area.

 

Ok, what do you mean "rude people"?