The "I'm Sorry" Owners Suite PH1 Ecstacy Review

[crazycatlady82]

I’ve sailed the ecstasy twice (2011 & 2012). On one of them, I was told that the ecstasy serves as a training ship for new(er) crew. It does sound like your experience would reflect that....

 

although...part of me wants join your girls cruise! 

[scubamommy!]

The formal dinners are the best part of the cruise in my opinion! You get to get dressed up, meet for cocktails beforehand, sit at a nice table and enjoy conversations about what every did that day and get the excitement going for the new night. Even if the food isn't extraordinary ( and it certainly is not on Carnival) the service and presentation can make up for it.  The buffet is the worst IMO. No one gets to sit together at the same time because everyone has to keep getting up to get thier drinks or next plates. If Carnival is trying to get more people to do that, and from the sounds of it many ARE doing that, they are going in the wrong direction. The older crowd ( like me) enjoy this service more than they know (obviously) and the Millenials are so used to be being catered to and waited on in every aspect of life, they will loose them in a NY minute! 

[xDisconnections]

2 minutes ago, scubamommy! said:

The formal dinners are the best part of the cruise in my opinion! You get to get dressed up, meet for cocktails beforehand, sit at a nice table and enjoy conversations about what every did that day and get the excitement going for the new night. Even if the food isn't extraordinary ( and it certainly is not on Carnival) the service and presentation can make up for it.  The buffet is the worst IMO. No one gets to sit together at the same time because everyone has to keep getting up to get thier drinks or next plates. If Carnival is trying to get more people to do that, and from the sounds of it many ARE doing that, they are going in the wrong direction. The older crowd ( like me) enjoy this service more than they know (obviously) and the Millenials are so used to be being catered to and waited on in every aspect of life, they will loose them in a NY minute! 

Formal dinners? On Carnival? You're lucky if people show up to the dining room wearing a shirt.

[scubamommy!]

I don't mean formal night, I just mean the dining room dinners. I could care less what others do or wear. We like to get dressed up every night in a nice dress of some kind( not nessesarily formal)  and be waited on. The rest of the world vanishes around us if we don't have to keep looking around wondering where our drinks are or where that dish that is missing is, or the worst, wait for one dinner entre to arrive before we start eating our own hot ( or lukewarm one) entre. LOL

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2 minutes ago, scubamommy! said:

I don't mean formal night, I just mean the dining room dinners. I could care less what others do or wear. We like to get dressed up every night in a nice dress of some kind( not nessesarily formal)  and be waited on. The rest of the world vanishes around us if we don't have to keep looking around wondering where our drinks are or where that dish that is missing is, or the worst, wait for one dinner entre to arrive before we start eating our own hot ( or lukewarm one) entre. LOL

Are you positive we're thinking of the same cruise line?

[sanmarcosman]

10 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

 they have to polish all of the silverware on top of doing their two additional Lido shifts each week.

The food and beverage teams do work extremely hard but how do they polish stainless steel flatware? It's not sterling 😉

[scubamommy!]

LOL, no we are NOT talking about the same cruise line. I am talking about what happens on CELEBRITY ( each and EVERY cruise I have done with them) and you are talking about what does NOT happen on Carnival. I gave them another try after 20 years, but will not be back. 

 

As for polishing the flat ware, if you have ever worked a restaurant you know that water spots turn up everywhere and the silverware still needs to be "polished" and roll ups need to be done. There is so much side work in the restaurant biz that has to get done that guests have no idea about. Both my husband , who is still a restaurant GM and myself have worked the service industry our whole lives, we are very understanding of the hard work it is. We know what bad service looks like and we appreciate what good or great service can do for a guest. We don't like to complain unless it is absolutely necessary. In Carnivals case , sadly, it was necessary.  

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28 minutes ago, sanmarcosman said:

The food and beverage teams do work extremely hard but how do they polish stainless steel flatware? It's not sterling 😉

Guess it's been that long since I've been on Carnival then as they still do it on Princess 😉

 

 

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

In relation to this topic, perhaps it the guest mix that has changed and have become more demanding. I have sailed on multiple cruise lines and have seen the guests act much different and obnoxious that in years past. To one person the service is slipping and to the other it is not, very subjective. 

[kristinp36]

I've sailed 5 different cruise lines and it seems to be more crew/ship specific then cruise line specific.  We just returned from a 15 night Panama Canal with Celebrity.  Probably the slowest and least efficient dining service we have ever had.  Took over 2 hours EVERY night....long pauses between courses.  By night 8,  four of the six in our group stopped coming to the MDR.

 

[grandmarnnurse]

On 12/18/2018 at 2:28 PM, sanmarcosman said:

I'm sorry, too that you had to endure the deep labor cuts that Carnival implemented 3 years ago in the MDR. Bar service  in the MDR has been non-existent for us since 2011 and now we stop by a lounge to take a drink into dinner with us.  Better luck in your future travels.

Thanks for the heads up! I will be sailing the Breeze in March, so I will stop and grab a drink before entering the dining room. 👍

[LuckyStar]

On 12/19/2018 at 8:39 AM, scubamommy! said:

I don't mean formal night, I just mean the dining room dinners. I could care less what others do or wear. We like to get dressed up every night in a nice dress of some kind( not nessesarily formal)  and be waited on. The rest of the world vanishes around us if we don't have to keep looking around wondering where our drinks are or where that dish that is missing is, or the worst, wait for one dinner entre to arrive before we start eating our own hot ( or lukewarm one) entre. LOL

I have always enjoyed the MDR every night.  It's a special night out for hubs and I on the cruise and a great chance for the girls to dress up on my sister cruises.  I guess I just don't pay attention to what others are wearing but I do notice the fancy restaurant feel.  I always come home and wonder when someone is going to bring me the dessert menu after dinner. 😉

[Homosassa]

Just remember when booking a cruise, as in any thing else one purchases, one gets what one pays for.

 

If one is going to book Carnival, one can't expect the service of a higher tier cruise line.

[Cruiser_1977]

Geez, she was providing her viewpoint. The OP actually never "complained" and said each issue was handled and there was an apology given. To order food or drink and expect it to be delivered is not an unreasonable expectation. To expect drinks to be refilled is not an unreasonable expectation. Nor is either one of these things a "high brow" ask. If something is promised, paid for, etc. it is not unreasonable to expect it to be delivered.

 

[Lottacruises]

Sounds about right

[Ten9T6]

It does sound like you had a rough start. My wife and I just got back from 7 days in PH1 on the Fascination, and we couldn't be happier. It sounds like they dropped the ball. From the time we walked into the port area to the time we were escorted to our room was less than 15 minutes, and our bags were already there. As far as perks, we were Platinum all week, and we actually joked because it seemed like every time we came back to the room there was a new gift. (sparkling wine, chocolate covered strawberries..) I believe the only night we didn't have something waiting for us was the last night. Our wait staff was outstanding, but then again there were only two of us, so that probably made a difference. 

 

I'm sorry that they did not deliver on what was expected. hope that your experience is not the norm, because we actually discussed getting this type of room on another ship.

 

-Kenny