What? Carnival got rid of this too?

[Joebucks]

Wow, really? I'm no environmental freak, but bread baskets and tablecloths are just unnecessary wastes. They add no value to me, and help keep costs down.

[AR Patriot]

Carnival has been serving the American Table for 2 or 3 years now. Why all the weeping and gnashing of the teeth now? The food tastes the same whether there is a cloth under the plate or not.

 

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[zanydoc]

Are there coasters or bar napkins to absorb the condensation from cold beverages?

[scubamommy!]

Thanks everyone for the responses. A lack of a tablecloth will certainly not prohibit me from booking a cruise, although I just think it dresses up the night. Glad to hear bread baskets are available upon request. It always cracks me up how some people are so nasty on these threads. But I will continue to laugh at them and not let it bother me. I also agree with the statement that things I think about before the cruise don't really effect if I have a good time or not while I am ON the cruise. But grateful to these boards for preparing me and being able to give answers for the things I do think about beforehand.

[Shaded Lady]

One reason I like not having the tablecloths is the fact that the tables are about 12 inches apart in most places, and scooching between them is hard enough for someone 'fluffy' like me. Having my clothes catch on the tablecloth and threaten to pull everything from the table only makes it that much worse!

[Blackjack22]

The bread baskets were removed from the tables at seaday brunch as well as breakfast and lunch in MDR. They still have them in the MDR at dinner.

[Brooklyn Boy]

Are there coasters or bar napkins to absorb the condensation from cold beverages?

 

Unfortunately, no. My wife and I really did not miss the tablecloth. The problem is the very smooth finish that has been applied to the table tops. The condensation from the water carafe and glasses just pools up on the table, making it a bit of a mess.

[bobbyg11]

Random pocket post. Ignore. Stupid iPhone.

 

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[scpirate]

They still have bread baskets though I'm not sure they are baskets per se. The table clothes are only available 1-2 nights on 6-8 night sailings (formal nights). I like the formality too but most don't seem to mind. You'll probably notice there has been quite a few cutbacks since you last sailed. For instance, night time room service is no longer included and no more chocolates on the pillows. Also, they only clean cabins once per day unless you

ask for twice. The cheerleaders will say I'm being picky but it's undeniable the product is different. All that being said, it will still be a good time for you and your family.

 

 

I agree 100 percent .

[BlerkOne]

Another recent change on Carnival has been termination of a hand full of major networks. Not that I want to watch a bunch of television on vacation, but when sickish

 

Carnival was late to the party on this. You won't find them on Royal or similar cruise lines, either.

 

On the bread basket we have always had on the table, and I do like the cranberry something breads. Delish. And you can still get real butter packets.

[crusinpsychRN]

I was in London and the waiter brought a basket of rolls to the table. I moved stuff out of the way, took the basket and set it down. He looked at me rather strangely. It sure was a lot of bread for the 3 of us. Another table was seated and he took the basket to them and each took a bread and he kept the basket. I realized the mistake I'd made and felt so stupid.

[bakersdozen12]

While the bread basket on your table may be gone (I truly don't remember from our last cruise) I do recall that people still came by with bread and let you pick out the pieces that you wanted.

 

 

It’s actually the opposite. The old way was that the waiters would have a basket that they would come around with and ask you if you wanted bread. The new way is that they leave a basket of bread on your table so that you can just help yourself. Much more convenient and less work for the waiters.

 

 

 

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[Garth2]

I just booked an Ecstacy Cruise on Carnival after not having cruised with Carnival for to many years to count. I booked due to a large group and tight budgets with some of the girls. This is the closest port to us in NC, so no flights needed. I was trying to read up on Ecstacy threads. One said that the dining room didn't have tablecloths or bread baskets any more. Is this true? I asked on that thread, but it was an old thread, no one has answered yet. I REALLY hope this isn't true? 1- I am a bread lover and 2- I love the nice long dinners with the formality of it. No tablecloths just seems odd to me. Hopefully that post is wrong.

 

Ecstasy

[simplelife]

I’m really not happy about no table cloths in MDR. I haven’t sailed Carnival since 2007, but just booked the Breeze for 2019. It just seems kind of tacky to me. As for the breadbasket, on my last two RCCL ships, there was no breadbasket. They just came around offering a roll or bread. My hubby was always signaling them over, so on the last night on one sailing, he brought my hubby a basket! Lol! On my two NCL cruises, there is always a tablecloth and breadbasket, and they are supposed to be the more casual cruise line!

 

 

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How often do you see tablecloths in casual restaurants nowadays? The MDR is much more casual now than it used to be and they are following suit with the décor. The elegant night is more akin to fine dining, and they have retained the use of tablecloths for those nights.

[theboatahoy]

Why do any of you people care about tablecloths? Seriously?? How does it possibly affect the food you eat?

 

Get over it!

 

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[Retired_to_Cruise]

They still have bread baskets though I'm not sure they are baskets per se. The table clothes are only available 1-2 nights on 6-8 night sailings (formal nights). I like the formality too but most don't seem to mind. You'll probably notice there has been quite a few cutbacks since you last sailed. For instance, night time room service is no longer included and no more chocolates on the pillows. Also, they only clean cabins once per day unless you ask for twice. The cheerleaders will say I'm being picky but it's undeniable the product is different. All that being said, it will still be a good time for you and your family.

 

Have you forgotten that there have been multi-millions (maybe billions) of dollars spent on new ships and on the 2.0 retrofits of existing ships that have provided many additional food and other venues that are no additional charges? Yes, the product is different, but that does not mean changes are cutbacks. If you take the savings from all of the things you call cutbacks, it would be a drop in the bucket compared to the costs for all of the new ships and new things that have been added to the existing ships.

[lovebeagles]

I just booked an Ecstacy Cruise on Carnival after not having cruised with Carnival for to many years to count. I booked due to a large group and tight budgets with some of the girls. This is the closest port to us in NC, so no flights needed. I was trying to read up on Ecstacy threads. One said that the dining room didn't have tablecloths or bread baskets any more. Is this true? I asked on that thread, but it was an old thread, no one has answered yet. I REALLY hope this isn't true? 1- I am a bread lover and 2- I love the nice long dinners with the formality of it. No tablecloths just seems odd to me. Hopefully that post is wrong.

 

There are no longer tablecloths.

I recently sailed on the Vista and the dining room looked like a school cafeteria with no tablecloths.

I have since switched cruise lines since we like to dine verses eat. We are not new to cruising. we have cruised over 45 times. We have one last cruise booked with Carnival so my husband will be diamond.

[cruzeluver]

Even most high-end restaurants no longer do tablecloths. It creates a lot of unnecessary laundry. And if "formality" is the issue, I would be more disturbed by a basket of bread being left on the table instead of staff offering a bread selection throughout the meal.

[ray98]

If a tablecloth ruins your cruise then you should probably stay home, your expectations for a mainstream cruise line on the low end of the price scale are obviously too high.

[TEXSUN46]

There are no longer tablecloths.

I recently sailed on the Vista and the dining room looked like a school cafeteria with no tablecloths.

I have since switched cruise lines since we like to dine verses eat. We are not new to cruising. we have cruised over 45 times. We have one last cruise booked with Carnival so my husband will be diamond.

 

I guess the tablecloths help with the illusion you are experiencing fine dining, however on the budget cruise lines it is just an illusion. It is banquet quality food at best. I would have to think there would have to be a lot other reasons that you are changing cruise lines other than no longer having the illusion of a fancy dinner.

[declansdad]

There are no longer tablecloths.

I recently sailed on the Vista and the dining room looked like a school cafeteria with no tablecloths.

I have since switched cruise lines since we like to dine verses eat. We are not new to cruising. we have cruised over 45 times. We have one last cruise booked with Carnival so my husband will be diamond.

 

You must have been in some pretty fancy school cafeterias.

 

:rolleyes:

[BellaSweet]

I'm so baffled by this.. If I went to dinner and there was no tablecloth or bread, it wouldn't even register in my brain. I'd just sit down to dinner and enjoy it. If I got a dish that a roll would be nice with, I'd say "Excuse me, is it possible to get a dinner roll?" and if it wasn't available, no skin off my nose. I don't go on vacation for bread.

[moondog73]

I don't get the whiners missing the tablecloths either. Most land based restaurants have gone away from table cloths. The whiners must lead pretty boring lives when the highlight of their cruise is eating dinner. Personally I wish the dining room staff could speed up the process. 2 hours to eat is just really a waste of time. I enjoy the dining room, but I want to so many other things while on the ship than sitting in a dining room for 2 hours when an hour is sufficient.

[broberts]

...How does it possibly affect the food you eat?

...

 

We eat first with our eyes.

[Out of Iowa]

I.... Personally I wish the dining room staff could speed up the process. 2 hours to eat is just really a waste of time. I enjoy the dining room, but I want to so many other things while on the ship than sitting in a dining room for 2 hours when an hour is sufficient.

 

Well said, I heartily agree!

 

An hour would be a nice dinner length - some time to enjoy while not restricting one from other evening entertainments onboard.

 

Sadly, dining teams are shrinking and service has, in our recent experiences, been slowing. To a crawl.