What is one thing you wish Carnival did differently?

[jimbo5544]

10 hours ago, brilliantseas said:

I've been thinking about the topic and a few things came to mind:

 

-Solo rooms/rates

-Better quality theater shows

-Stop the slippage in food quality in the MDR

 

The one that stands out the most to me when comparing Carnival to other cruise lines is: 

 

Take better care of the ships over their lifespan. 

 

One thing that I've noted with Carnival is that the experience is not the same across the fleet. The new ships are beautiful, modern, and well-kept, but the older ships don't seem to get the same level of love and care during their regular drydocks. I'm not looking for a complete re-theme of the ship as was done with the Destiny/Triumph class, I'm just talking about basic hotel maintenance items like fixing broken balcony lights, replacing worn wallpaper, repairing tile in the pools and hot tubs, and keeping up with paint and corrosion control. It seems like the only things that happen in a Carnival drydock are hull paint, fresh carpet in the public areas, and maybe a new arcade, bar re-theme, or new food concept on the Lido Deck. They seem to miss the extra layer of care when it comes to refreshing the public areas and amenities, and replacing worn fixtures in the cabins. 

 

A new Carnival ship is a very nice experience, but I compare the old Carnival ships to a stay at the Holiday Inn. It'll hopefully be clean and you'll probably enjoy yourself, so long as you are okay with the hotel/ship being just a little past its prime and you don't set your expectations too high. 

 

I still love the Fantasy and Spirit class ships, and I'd be happy to sail on them for another 20 years if Carnival would just give them a little TLC.

 

Just my two cents...

 

Not interested into getting into a debate, but I totally disagree on the experience of an older ship vs a newer ship on Carnival.  Over the last 3 months, have done the Mardi Gras, the Horizon and the Pride.  Obviously the ships have different amenities, but we found the level of service and the overall product exactly the same.

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, brilliantseas said:

 

I'd be curious to know what Carnival (the brand, not the whole corporation) earns in onboard revenue vs. cruise fares? I'd suspect their onboard earnings from some of the ships are nearly as high, if not higher, than the cruise fare itself. This allows them to play the game of discounting the older ships to fill the berths while continuing to collect the onboard spend from a paid for and nearly fully depreciated asset. 

Cruise fare has been way down the list on earnings and profit for a long, long time…..on all cruise lines.

[jimbo5544]

9 hours ago, Trueblueky said:

Do away with diamond and platinum so it doesn't keep coming up in the complaints Heald gets every day.

My bet is you are not a diamond or plat…just a wild guess.

[mz-s]

8 hours ago, brilliantseas said:

 

I'd be curious to know what Carnival (the brand, not the whole corporation) earns in onboard revenue vs. cruise fares? I'd suspect their onboard earnings from some of the ships are nearly as high, if not higher, than the cruise fare itself. This allows them to play the game of discounting the older ships to fill the berths while continuing to collect the onboard spend from a paid for and nearly fully depreciated asset. 

 

There are a lot of people that spend much more than their cruise fare onboard. Drinks, gambling, cruise shore excursions, photos, bingo, specialty dining, movie theaters, roller coasters - every new generation of ship has more opportunities for guests to spend their money onboard.

[sunonfire]

3 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

There are a lot of people that spend much more than their cruise fare onboard. Drinks, gambling, cruise shore excursions, photos, bingo, specialty dining, movie theaters, roller coasters - every new generation of ship has more opportunities for guests to spend their money onboard.

Holland America used to include onboard spending when calculating their loyalty points.

[Trueblueky]

5 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

My bet is you are not a diamond or plat…just a wild guess.

I'm not a seagull either, but I reserve the right to comment on the squawking.

[vacruisin]

On 11/18/2021 at 5:24 PM, Cherries Jubilee said:

 Better tasting popcorn even if I have to pay for it lol.

 

 

 

YES, YES, YES!  Wish I could give this 100 likes! 😀

[SNJCruisers]

10 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Yes, but they do not allow it, and it would be taken off the boards quickly.🤦‍♂️

 

And I might even get sent to the naughty room.😢

Fully aware of the rules.  I responded to Jimbo with a wink emoji since I know what he does for a living.

[vamartha]

On a corporate level, I would like to see them allow you to sail on the other Carnival Corporation owned lines and still obtain your loyalty level. I can assure you that I would try this one feature on at least two other lines in a heartbeat.

 

On a cruise line level, I'd like to see little things. Robes in the cabins again without having to ask. A freaking Andes Mint on my pillow. Actual ice buckets as opposed to the plastic bucket we just had. Just the little things that they took away slowly over the years. 

[cruiseracer]

Add Incentives For Sensible Mask-Wearing

 

Effective Date: April 1, 2020

 

$25 OBC per-person/per-day for those wearing masks in your cabin (must always be worn).

 

An additional $25 pp/pd for each of the following:

• Mask worn on your balcony at all times (no exception)
• In your bathroom (wipe & cover, careful not to confuse with TP)
• While showering (lather & cover)
• When intimate, balcony not included (bite & cover)
• While eating anywhere on the ship (also bite & cover).

Additional $10 OBC per mask worn at the same time, up to 12 masks per person maximum.

 

The OBC's becomes effective each successive day after accepted video footage is submitted, analyzed and approved. Video's must be submitted (while masked) to guest services by no later than 6am each day.

[ontheweb]

I knew you were aware of the rules. I was also having some fun.

 

I don't think cruisecritic actually has a naughty room where all deleted posts end up.😉