Carnival Cutbacks - Experience - Freedom

[DTL321]

Hello Everyone:

 

We just got off a 5 night Carnival Freedom Cruise, albeit we are not big Carnival cruisers we noticed a few cutbacks on food from our Carnival Magic Cruise back in September 2021. Some of these may have already happened on our Magic cruise and I did not notice. Are any of these a big issue in the grand scheme of things? Probably not, but thought I'd share my experiences. 

 

Buffet

• Mongolian Wok - only available for lunch
• No Chocolate Extravaganza on final sea day
• Limited options (around 5 mains, salad, a few sides and dessert station (dinner only 3 desserts))
• Menu for dinner was the same as MDR - just not as many options
• Am I wrong in thinking there used to be multiple stations with different "themes?" - maybe this was cut a long while back?

Main Dining Room

• About the same for both cruises
• Food was consistently decent - just stay clear of the striploin steak!
• Dinner was limited to MDR, Buffet, Pizza or Seafood Shack

Sea Day Brunch

• No more fillet in the steak & eggs - striploin steak was full of fat/hard to chew
• Hours now end at 12pm - used to be 1:30pm
• So no main dining room lunch option

Blue Iguana

• Limited hours - used to be similar hours to Guy's Burgers - ends at 2:30pm or 3:30pm
• No more tortilla bowls

Guy's Burgers

• Fries no longer the same as before - noticed same fries throughout the ship with different seasonings
• Closes at 6pm - which is typical for both

Afternoon Tea

• Was still served on our 5 night! We had two seas days and had two afternoon teas

Room Service

• Price of pizza gone up from $5 to $6

[klfrodo]

OMG!

The end of the world as we know it.

 

Just got off the Carnival Freedom on an 8-day cruise. While some of the things you say "may" be true.

I didn't notice a one. Had an excellent time and did not go away hungry.

[EngIceDave]

I don't believe it unreasonable to think that all things considered, staffing and supplies would still have limitations, even if some of those are due to costs.

 

I like Carnival, so don't misunderstand, but its a bargain cruiseline, everything is on a shoestring margin as it is, and it's being squeezed more daily.

 

I'm just happy getting out and making the best of what there is, even locally.

 

What was ain't no more and won't be again

[mz-s]

I think several of these were pre-COVID.

 

I liked Guy's original, pre-COVID fries. When I sailed the Freedom last year they were using some rather nasty fries. Just off the Sunshine last week and they were using the Deli's fries but with Guy's seasoning - a great compromise to me.

 

The reduction in Seaday Brunch is the biggest bad change to me although several are disappointing. I hope it's just a staffing issue and they will go back to the old hours as soon as they can.

[1025cruise]

I thought Blue Iguana always closed early, seeing that they are open early?

[oh2bonh20]

We sailed on Sunshine in February and again last week.  We did notice changes, and talking with a couple of the crew it sounded like they are dealing with a bit of a crew shortage.  Adding to that the costs of stocking the ship has increased dramatically.  So I do agree with you and saw a lot of the same changes.  I think it is good to share these changes so folks are not surprised.  Sure hated to get that tough leather instead of the filet during our sea day brunch, but again we understand and adjusted and still had a great time.

[EngIceDave]

When we went on Horizon last Sept, it seemed like if I wanted a taco, burgers was open.

 

If I wanted a burger, tacos was open

 

LOL

[BlerkOne]

52 minutes ago, DTL321 said:

Hello Everyone:

 

We just got off a 5 night Carnival Freedom Cruise, albeit we are not big Carnival cruisers we noticed a few cutbacks on food from our Carnival Magic Cruise back in September 2021. Some of these may have already happened on our Magic cruise and I did not notice. Are any of these a big issue in the grand scheme of things? Probably not, but thought I'd share my experiences. 

 

Buffet

• Mongolian Wok - only available for lunch

I've never known to be available other than lunch.

• No Chocolate Extravaganza on final sea day

Dunno, don't care.

• Limited options (around 5 mains, salad, a few sides and dessert station (dinner only 3 desserts))

I think maybe mostly true.

• Menu for dinner was the same as MDR - just not as many options

It has bee like that for a while - even pre-covid

• Am I wrong in thinking there used to be multiple stations with different "themes?" - maybe this was cut a long while back?

You have to check all the areas of Lido.

 

Main Dining Room

• About the same for both cruises
• Food was consistently decent - just stay clear of the striploin steak!

I thought that it was terrible

• Dinner was limited to MDR, Buffet, Pizza or Seafood Shack

Room service, Steakhouse, Deli, Sushi

 

Sea Day Brunch

• No more fillet in the steak & eggs - striploin steak was full of fat/hard to chew
• Hours now end at 12pm - used to be 1:30pm
• So no main dining room lunch option

on sea days

Blue Iguana

• Limited hours - used to be similar hours to Guy's Burgers - ends at 2:30pm or 3:30pm

Don't think they were ever the same. Blue is open for Breakfast and closes after lunch. Guy's opens at lunch and closes around 6

• No more tortilla bowls

This may be temporary

Guy's Burgers

• Fries no longer the same as before - noticed same fries throughout the ship with different seasonings
• Closes at 6pm - which is typical for both

Afternoon Tea

• Was still served on our 5 night! We had two seas days and had two afternoon teas

Room Service

• Price of pizza gone up from $5 to $6

 

[mondello]

Seaday Brunch was 8:15-1:00 on Vista 3/26. Surprised they would cut it to noon. 

[audcc77]

2 hours ago, DTL321 said:

Sea Day Brunch

• No more fillet in the steak & eggs - striploin steak was full of fat/hard to chew

I experienced this on the Sunshine on 2 different sailings.  The steak was inedible.   I didn’t realize they switched from filet.  Now it makes sense.  
 

On the Mardi Gras in January I think it was a filet. It was good. 
I’m not a meat eater really because I was raised on good farm beef.  Therefore nothing compares to it.  

[PatnJudy]

I personally do not care about the late night chocolate orgies.

I went the first couple cruises back in the day and indulged almost to excess. Yes, they were impressive. But then I noticed the number of people attending was not that great. I can understand that would be one of the first places to see a cutback.

Main dining room limitations will be  more  problematic for me. I personally do NOT like to eat at the buffet. I eat virtually every meal in the main dining room with the exception of port days when it might be closed for lunch. I like to sit and have my food brought to me. I do NOT like a hundred hands messing with the ladle that serves my food despite prior washing.

[audcc77]

1 hour ago, oh2bonh20 said:

Sure hated to get that tough leather instead of the filet during our sea day brunch, but again we understand and adjusted and still had a great time.

If, in place of a steak, all they can offer is fatty shoe leather, they need to take it off the menu.  It was NASTY. 

[cruisingguy007]

The cutbacks are noticeable but most can be mitigated with other options. The one downside that can't is late dining options. Not having the late night buffet puts too much pressure on the pizzeria and creates an overcrowded condition, due to single option availability with regards to food. Once the deli closes, there is only pizza. The late night buffet was a great option to have and helped spread crowds out. It is frustrating having such limited options late at night. The late buffet wasn't the best food but it was a nice option to grab something quick, grub and head out. Hope that comes back when staffing picks back up.     

[slavigne5577]

We use the room service for late night snacks. They are really good and not expensive at $5 or $6. Plus once back in the room and fed, we usually can go to bed sooner than waiting on pizza at 1 or 2 in the morning.

[momin05]

I am most disappointed in no more filet on steak and eggs sea day brunch. I never missed this meal on a cruise. It was just that one little luxury that still made it feel like you were special and pampered. Silly, I know. I will definitely miss it. Oh, well. I guess I can now experience more Guys or other choices since I won’t feel the need to go to brunch every sea day. 

[Joe817]

2 minutes ago, momin05 said:

I am most disappointed in no more filet on steak and eggs sea day brunch. I never missed this meal on a cruise. It was just that one little luxury that still made it feel like you were special and pampered. Silly, I know. I will definitely miss it. Oh, well. I guess I can now experience more Guys or other choices since I won’t feel the need to go to brunch every sea day. 

I am as well. The BEST sea day brunch I've ever had was on the Vista last August. I ordered the steak & eggs, but substituted the eggs for a cheese omelet. Heaven on earth. Our next trip is on the Dream, and I'll order the same....if no filet, I'll bite the bullet and have what ever steak they have. But it will sure be with an omelet!. 

[gsb]

On th Panorama April 9-16.

Couldn't believe they had bacon in the morning buffet only every other day!

How cheap!

Went only because of our young grandaughters

[Joe817]

2 minutes ago, gsb said:

On th Panorama April 9-16.

Couldn't believe they had bacon in the morning buffet only every other day!

How cheap!

Went only because of our young grandaughters

Haven't you heard? There a supply shortages, around the globe from any kind of meat, to any kind of vegetables, to any kind of auto supply parts, to gasoline for your car, to the price of new and used cars, etc, etc, etc an nauseum. And it will continue for the foreseeable future. You just have to get used to it. 

[gsb]

We were on the Celebrity Apex in Feb. No shortage there.

Lame excuse

Not going for it.

[nycruise1]

We were just on a 6 day for the first time ever, so not sure if this is new, but there was no free lobster on the first elegant night.  Though they did instead have an amazing shrimp dish with the larger shrimps.  They also cut out the pizza from 3 - 8am though we have never had it at that hour anyway.  No tea time, we usually would have gone to it once per cruise.

[Joebucks]

I agree on the steak. The new steak is god awful. The old one was so tasty. If you gotta give us a flat iron or sirloin, that's fine. Whatever that thing is now, is awful.

[wesorbeth]

12 hours ago, mondello said:

Seaday Brunch was 8:15-1:00 on Vista 3/26. Surprised they would cut it to noon. 

We were on the Glory last week, Seaday brunch ended at noon.  This could very from ship to ship.  It wasn't a big deal to us.

[mondello]

1 hour ago, wesorbeth said:

We were on the Glory last week, Seaday brunch ended at noon.  This could very from ship to ship.  It wasn't a big deal to us.

They may as well call it Seaday Breakfast now. I would have shaved the time off the front end; 9:30-1:00 is closer to traditional Brunch hours.

[sanmarcosman]

14 hours ago, audcc77 said:

If, in place of a steak, all they can offer is fatty shoe leather, they need to take it off the menu.  It was NASTY. 

I couldn't agree more, inedible and just plain nasty. It was full of sinew and large chunks of gristle.

[DTL321]

17 hours ago, klfrodo said:

OMG!

The end of the world as we know it.

 

Just got off the Carnival Freedom on an 8-day cruise. While some of the things you say "may" be true.

I didn't notice a one. Had an excellent time and did not go away hungry.

Did I say it was the end of the world? No, I even said that in my post that these are not big problems lol! These was experiences and helping to temper expectations. Funny you "just got off the Carnival Freedom on an 8-day cruise." That was at least a month ago as the ship has now moved from Miami to Port Canaveral doing 4 and 5 night cruises.

 

We still had a great time and by no means were we hungry. Just hoping to help others going on a cruise soon and letting them know what food options are available or different.

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by DTL321