How bad is the hawking on Carnival

[evandbob]

6 hours ago, MT_Sea_Cruisers said:

Aside from the picture taking, which I just consider part of the cruise experience, the only sales pressure I have ever gotten was in the spa.  Which, is a bummer since you for there to relax.  I learned many cruises ago  that if I tell them at the beginning of my service that I will not be purchasing products, they let me be.

I would write "No Sales Talk" on any pre appt. paperwork at the spa.  Usually worked.

[Lil2Angelic]

We've sailed on a few of the longer Carnival 14 and 15 day itineraries and never felt that way.

[Mary229]

6 minutes ago, Lil2Angelic said:

We've sailed on a few of the longer Carnival 14 and 15 day itineraries and never felt that way.

I haven't sailed Carnival in years but I don't recall problems either.  The problem I had was on Princess and I was hoping I would not have that problem on Carnival.  It sounds like mixed experiences on Carnival.  Thank you for letting me know your experience as I also am only looking at longer cruises

[Lil2Angelic]

51 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I haven't sailed Carnival in years but I don't recall problems either.  The problem I had was on Princess and I was hoping I would not have that problem on Carnival.  It sounds like mixed experiences on Carnival.  Thank you for letting me know your experience as I also am only looking at longer cruises

We love the longer itinerary sailings! 

[bluesman0711]

Nothing a simple "No thanks" won't solve.

[ontheweb]

On 3/20/2021 at 2:44 PM, fair-winds39 said:

Been on many, many cruises, 9 of which were with Carnival and we've never been hawked by anyone, except photographers in the DR. After the first or second night, they got the hint. Occasionally, a waiter may stop by if we are at the pool and ask if we wanted a drink, but that's about it. If we didn't want anything we would just say "no thanks" and he/she wouldn't ask again.

 

Funny, I usually waive off the photographers and do not buy the pictures except one time. I was walking down the hallway proudly waving my ship on a stick that I had just won at trivia when a photographer spotted me and asked if I wanted a picture. Sure I replied, and fully intended to buy the picture. But it never showed up in the picture gallery.😒

[Don Kehote]

7 hours ago, Aplmac said:

 

I'm so happy for you...

No need, lil' pardner, I am happy for myself!  It's great to remember how to have fun still.  I recommend everyone try it.

[jetsfan58]

First we have to understand that everyone on the Cruise Ship involved in a crew assignment has a job and tasks to perform. They are no more bothersome than those dreaded "Robo" calls that we receive. We shouldn't have to find word associations to keep them away from us. Just try to be very cordial and politely refuse their offerings. 

 

Now was that so difficult?  By the way, I have never been "Hawked" on any Carnival Cruise ship.

[Mary229]

It is fine that some are ok with the marketing techniques.  I prefer not to be bothered with even the confrontation.  It is not hard, if I have to pay more for a more relaxed environment, I will.  I simply want to know.  To give you an example of the Princess cruise which bothered me - there was a pushy photographer every single night in the dining room.  As it was open seating and a large ship there was no way the various photographers were going to remember that I had said no photos.   I don't think photographers belong in the dining room.  The last 5 or 6 cruises I have been one, except that Princess, formal night photos were taken in the lobby not the dining room.

[IntrepidFromDC]

On 3/20/2021 at 8:31 AM, hockeyluver said:

Aside from the photographers  🤔  and the spa area  we haven't had any problems in 21 cruises.  We just say no thank you and keep on walking. 

Agreed, photographers and spa only... other hawkers stay at their stations - oh wait, the perfume sprayers leave that nasty mist in the air when you're walking by, trying to squirt ladies... but only one day if I recall.  I agree with hockeyluver (LET'S GO CAPS!) in that a smile, a relaxed "no thank you", and above all never lose stride.

[IntrepidFromDC]

33 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

It is fine that some are ok with the marketing techniques.  I prefer not to be bothered with even the confrontation.  It is not hard, if I have to pay more for a more relaxed environment, I will.  I simply want to know.  To give you an example of the Princess cruise which bothered me - there was a pushy photographer every single night in the dining room.  As it was open seating and a large ship there was no way the various photographers were going to remember that I had said no photos.   I don't think photographers belong in the dining room.  The last 5 or 6 cruises I have been one, except that Princess, formal night photos were taken in the lobby not the dining room.

There is a pirate and photographer on every Carnival cruise I've been on, and yes they do take your picture with you, with a plastic sword "cut-throat"... I've always thought that was fun, and never felt pressured to even go look at the photos.

[Jasonsterling]

There's a lot of stuff for sale around the lobby area, where the shops are, often but I've never been accosted by the crew staffing the tables- like say can happen at Kiosks at the mall. In general it can get crowded but otherwise it's just tables with stuff for sale. Usually they don't have to hawk stuff as there's more than enough people lined up to buy willingly, lol. 

[Don Kehote]

On 3/31/2021 at 9:58 AM, Mary229 said:

I simply want to know.

The worst part is when they come around door to door asking you to participate in the art auction.  Doesn't matter if it's the middle of the night, or the ship is inverted due to heavy waves, they'll be there.  One time, I had to ask the salesperson to leave the restroom, as I prefer to have that time to myself.  He did hand me some tissue on his way out at least.

 

Speaking of the art, in the MDR, they have eschewed picture taking in favor of "MDR Paint-tastic Palate Adventures".  Instead of a photographer, there's a roving artist who will mercilessly hound you until you agree to let them paint a picture of you and your meal.  For an extra $20, you get to eat it.  The painting, I mean, as it's all food-safe pigments.  If you pass on the meal, your portrait is hung in the gallery for people to bid on.  I now own a nice older couple from Tallahassee.  They are above the mantle, making my family room a more festive environment.  Confusing, but festive.  (Oh, Burt and Toni.  I wonder where you are now.)

 

Now, if you turn down the artist enough times, the Captain of the ship comes over the intercom and calls you to a special guest session in the lower decks.  In that session, you will be brainwashed and turned into a bar runner.  Don't know the price of a Miami VIce?  That means a shift in the rowing room, where you get exercise helping the rest of the crew keep the ship moving through choppy seas.

 

Once an hour, you are required to sign a waiver saying that you don't want to be spoken to by staff.  Every 30 minutes, that waiver is ceremoniously lost.  Every 15 minutes thereafter, a crewmember will ask you if you want to buy a replacement waiver.  Guests without a waiver  risk penalty of keelhauling.

 

All of this is of course nonsense.  You will definitely be marketed to, and frequently.  If it's something that bothers you, you would probably be better suited into looking at a marquee line instead of mass-market.  Goodness sale, market is part of the term, even.

[gtaylor]

Ha ha, and you like John Heald, too?

 

gary

[Mary229]

@Don Kehote Are you serious, you know April Fool's was a few days ago.  That is over the top.  

[Don Kehote]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

That is over the top.  

Keelhauling is actually under the bottom.

[JRL81]

Other than the photographers and spa, I don’t recall my last cruise feeling any pressure.  I never was accosted by the art gallery sales pitch or the gold by the inch people lol.. how ever nightly I vaguely remember hearing repeatedly “SHOT, SHOT, SHOT!!!” I say vaguely as I had noooooo problem with this sales pitch in the diningroom, on lido, etc.. I was like a kid in candy store “oooh look more booze 👀👀” 😂🤣😂 i cruise time relax and have fun and if they want wonder around sell me shots in collectible ***** glasses I’m not gonna turn that down!! 

[Cherries Jubilee]

I didn’t experience anything that I considered hawking at all. It wasn’t like going to the straw market in Nassau or anything lol. There was no pressure or repeated asking.
 

If you have a different waiter/waitress at dinner every night they might ask you once if anyone wants to order drinks.

 

When you first walk into the atrium on boarding day there may or may not be a person standing there casually saying “drink packages.”

 

At dinner the photographer might walk through or you might pass them and they might ask if you want to take a photo.

 

[Mary229]

@Cherries Jubilee That is fine and my experience on many cruise lines.  Thank you

[sunonfire]

My husband has a tee shirt that says “No Photos Please”. He just points to his shirt. The photographers usually smile or laugh. One cruise director thought the shirt was hilarious. He said jokingly that he could make a fortune selling them on the ship. 

 

As far as hawking, I think Royal Caribbean is the worst. They did not stop the entire cruise. We would tell one person no and we would be approached by another person 10 feet away. 

[Mary229]

4 minutes ago, sunonfire said:

My husband has a tee shirt that says “No Photos Please”. He just points to his shirt. The photographers usually smile or laugh. One cruise director thought the shirt was hilarious. He said jokingly that he could make a fortune selling them on the ship. 

I think your husband could make a fortune.  Maybe you should get him one of this stalls outside of the cruise port😁   Thanks for your report.  I have only sailed RCCL on travel agent sailings so it is good to know your experience.

[sgttami]

Never a major problem on any cruise line although the photographers seem to be everywhere.

 

I cannot stand when they take photos while you are eating and  when they come to my table, it's a "No thank you."   When they do the photos at boarding and in ports, I just keep walking and don't stop.  

 

I've never felt pressured .

[Mary229]

1 minute ago, sgttami said:

cannot stand when they take photos while you are eating and  when they come to my table

That is the one that really bothers me.   We are table for two types, tucked back in a dark corner.   Evening meal is my unwind, quiet time, regardless of what we might do later.   Thanks for responding.