3/23 Sensation Cruise NOT Sensational

[surfklutz]

I'll probably get flamed for this but oh well... It always amazes me that there are many posters on this board that defend the cruise company no matter what...... Ship has broken engine or propulsion system that can't get the ship to a port as advertised and when the passenger are upset, the passengers get comments about how ungreatful they are.... And I'm not talking about major castrophes, where nothing can be done... But the cruiseline saying they'll go to a certain port for weeks/months on end when there's no intention due to mechanical problems.... That's not right......Or the Sensation gets hung up in a terminal, the passengers without food/water (yet to hear for sure but that's what the poster said) and they want compensation, they get comments again... I love cruising (I'm pretty much happy just being on the boat, at sea and being fed) and agree that alot of complaining is just that ... Whining and complaining.... Passengers need to learn to be flexible and have fun.. But the cruise companies aren't perfect, they make mistakes.... And they should rectify those mistakes and make it right to the passengers.... The cruise lines should be responsible when bad things happen..... And Princess cruise lines needs to make it right for the passengers of the Star Princess too....... Reminds me of the parent that thinks their child can do no wrong.....:rolleyes:

 

I agree with you completely. It amazes me that many people lower their expectations and make poor excuses for bad planning, service and execution of a promise. Taking these things as the norm just breeds worse service and performance. Stand up for wanting what you are expecting and the cruise lines will have to conform.

 

This situation sounds like a mess of Carnival's own making.

[cathyoo]

WOW... Although I am new to cruising I've read enough on this board to know that some people do not allow ANY criticsim of their beloved Carnival. But this really takes the cake. Nine hours in a terminal, no seats,no food. Come on... no matter how you look at it this is Carnival's fault. Their ship wasn't ready. Are all you Carnival fans as easy going about everything else? If you paid to go to the zoo and the animals were all in quaratine that would be fine with you?

 

I agree with the poster who said the cruise was NOT a gift from Carnival. I work hard for my money and have limited vacation time. I am not a whiner or a complainer but I don't want to give away my hard earned cash and end up wishing I was back at WORK. I'm not in love with my job but it sure beats sitting on a terminal floor with no food or drink and crying children.

 

I hope other cruisers from this sailing haven't been scared away.

[GoinCruisin]

 

I hope other cruisers from this sailing haven't been scared away.

 

I was thinking the same thing... had I been on this cruise and see how this person was treated, no way would I throw myself into the Lion's den :eek: I've read enough news stories, and seen enough footage to know that the OP was not alone in her complaint... I wish others would come forward and tell us about it, then again, many of the members here haven't exactly offered a welcoming environment.

[Cruising89143]

Am taking my first cruise in June on the Sensation, would you say that she is substandard as far as crusie ships go? I know she is not new, would she be on the bottom of the pecking order?:(

 

You'll be just fine on the Sensation. She is no where near substandard. A lot of people love this ship and that is why she is moving back to New Orleans as she is a favorite for many to sail out of that port.

[GoinCruisin]

Am taking my first cruise in June on the Sensation, would you say that she is substandard as far as crusie ships go? I know she is not new, would she be on the bottom of the pecking order?:(

 

I've been on the Sensation twice, and will be on her for a 3rd time in January... she is my favorite ship!!! This is an isolated situation, she probably should have stayed in dry dock an additional week... don't worry, she will be back to normal by June!! I love this ship, and it breaks my heart that this cruise has left a bad taste in people's mouths... she really is a good ship, just bad timing :(

[cruisecastle]

This post is to our fellow Sensation hostages (if you were there, you know what I'm talking about). Hope you were able to find a way to feed your entire family with a quarter of a sandwich on Thursday! Nine hours with no food, water, clean diapers, updates made for a very long day. The answer from Carnival staff to our inquiries was that we were free to leave - with no luggage or refund. So we stayed and hoped things would get better.

 

Unfortunately, things didn't get any better for most of us. And we were afraid to complain, lest we be left stranded in the Bahamas.

 

This was for most of us, the worst vacation of our lives. The list is too long to print, but once again, if you were there, you know what I'm talking about.

 

Please share on this post how your complaints are being handled by Carnival, as we're sure you'll agree, 50.00 ain't cutt'n it! So far we've been directed to the Carnival Guest Relations office. The number is 1-800-929-6400. The hours are 8am-6pm EST. We are calling in the morning and will post an update with our results.

 

I have many photos of our nine hour visit to the terminal as well as photos of the ship's condition. I will post them as soon as I have recovered enough to look at them.

 

 

Strange but you didn't list a single complaint about your cruise after your wait to board. Must not have been to bad if you can't list one single thing.

[futaba951]

Alot of 1 post rants are just that. But I think we all know that this cruise really had some serious issues and the OP is not just blowing smoke up our a.. Besides the OP now has 2 posts so all the 1 post haters can now relax. :)

[DqALEX]

When some people think of crusing they think of 1st class service all the way. Maybe they watched the love boat on TV to many times. If I had to wait 9 hours to board the ship I would not be a happy cruiser. Now I get on a ship that is still under repair. Forget it. They have every right to be upset. If it is a safety issue, CARNIVAL IS NOT DOING ITS JOB. I don't want to get on a carnival ship right out of dry dock. A lesson learned.

[Cruising89143]

No use of cell phones is standard practice - they were doing this in Miami recently. Anyone taking a picture was also asked to stop, but they did not do anything else. Must be for security. Anyway, who ya gonna call... ghostbusters?

 

If they already checked you in and took your ticket, then I could see them saying no to leaving... how could they know you had a ticket upon return? They were not equipped for such a situation. I do think they could have brought in food sooner but, job one was to get the ship ready. Would anyone have traded a full tummy for another couple of hours in the holding pen?

 

Rust in the pipes is unfortunate, but temporary. That is quite harmless iron oxide and should disappear once the water runs for a while.

 

I would think someone with so many cruises would know that unforeseen events do happen. I agree with the poster who said that the delay was better than a cancelled cruise.

 

As far as tips for the first day - that's being petty. You missed 1/3 of a day, sure, but the staff still did the same amount of work - probably a lot more given the unusual circumstance. But if it makes you feel better, I am sure the purser would be happy to remove 1/3 of one day's tips (about $3.33 a person.) On top of the $25 pp credit, you now have $28.33 in your pocket. Happy now?

 

Sounds like you're making excuses for the cruise line. Yes things happen in life but Carnival screwed up big time. The ship was not ready to sail and that is the bottom line. They tried to rush this ship back into service about a week or two too soon. They are going to lose more money in bad publicity and refunds than they would have by just taking their time and making sure that the ship was finished and ready to go.

 

None of us were there so I will take the word of the passengers that just came off of the ship on how they were treated and what went wrong while on board. Each one of us looks forward to our vacations and when things do go wrong, yes it is hard sometimes to overlook. Especially when it could have been avoided. In this case these passengers are not whiners. Put yourself in their shoes and I doubt many of us would have returned happy cruisers.

[LHP]

First, I have learned to wait and get a collection of "opinions" about a cruise before making a determination. I do have one question for the OP. Was the Carnival Vacation Guarantee an option on this cruise? If so, why didn't you use it?

 

The complaints you listed about the cruise itself was evident on the very first day.

 

"4) Once on board at 11:00pm we were charged gratuity for the whole day. They were out of food on the pool deck already, there was no toilet paper in the bathrooms, there was no shampoo or soap in the rooms (it was not delivered until two days later), The carpet in our cabin was wet, and many areas of the ship were under construction (Golf, Pool bar, Water-slide, bar stools were broken, rusty water coming out of sink, etc.)"

 

So why stay?

[MichelleP]

More news articles:

 

http://www.wftv.com/news/8293146/detail.html

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/southwest/orl-stranded2806mar28,0,7760051.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

[Lady Hop]

I agree with you!! No flames from me! It is not like a cruise (or any vacation for that matter) is a gift. You work for it, you pay for it, and anxiously wait for it to come with excitement. If things go wrong you have every right to be upset or disappointed! Carnival is not letting me on as a favor - they are paid for a service and just like every other business out there they have to complete their end of the bargain. Are all complaints on here valid? Maybe not - but that doesn't mean everyone who comes on here to give us a less than thrilling review is a whiner or miserable in life. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

WELL SAID!

That is Exactly right! They are paid to provide a service....and to think... some people actually want what they paid for....How dare they!:eek:

[bs_kc]

Another issue is the length of this cruise. On a 7 night cruise, this may not have been perceived as "that bad". On a 3 or 4 night cruise, any loss of time on the ship is BAD!

[Top-Cat]

Are you asking me a serious question or just making comments about my post?

I hope you are not questioning my explanation about why Rust comes out of pipes as I am A general building Contractor and know how plumbing works.

 

Lakeman, No actually I agree with you about the rust and sitting with no water. Just curious that with all those people on the ship in NO, strange that no water was going through the pipes. That's all. Just a comment. But let me ask this. I would have thought that in the drydock time they would have scrubbed the rooms and bathrooms down, thus using water. So how did they clean them and how much water needs to run through to clear the pipes of rust?

 

So all you cruiseres who just got off, did the rooms appear to be clean?

 

Actually, as long as that ship sat in the river, I'm not suprised that there are more problems. I imagine they did try to maintain it best they could. But just sitting in the river for an extended period of time would not be good for a ship, would it?

[dznymom]

Do we know how many people were housed in New Orleans? Is it possible that many cabins were not used, which could maybe account for rust in some of the staterooms?? Just thinking out loud .... But certainly it raises questions about what was done to clean the staterooms :(

[LHP]

Of course they had water during the FEMA usage. The rust was probably from some work they did during the drydock that they did not get flushed out properly.

 

I know that when they flush out the fire hydrants twice a year in our town, we get some tinted looking water for a day. They always send out a letter to let us know why our water is briefly "tan".

[LHP]

Unfortunately, things didn't get any better for most of us. And we were afraid to complain, lest we be left stranded in the Bahamas.

 

This was for most of us, the worst vacation of our lives. The list is too long to print, but once again, if you were there, you know what I'm talking about.

 

 

No one will defend Carnival when they are wrong. What posters have not learned is that generalizations and exaggerations don't cut it on this board.

"We were afraid to complain, lest we be left stranded in the Bahamas." Sorry, that is an exaggeration that is irresponsibile. Carnival isn't going to leave anyone anywhere without just cause.

 

"The worst vacation of our lives". Again, a generalization that leaves everyone with the question does this poster really have legit complaints or do they just have a starfish up their fanny?

 

I can assure the OP that if they word their complaint in an unrealistic manner, they will get brushed off by Carnival.

 

However, if they maturely list the legit complaints in a responsible way, Carnival will deal with them. Will it be fairly? That is hard to say, because no one knows if the expectations of the OP are realistic. You aren't going to get a free cruise.

 

Just from what I have read and assuming they everything the Op said is legit...

 

then my post to this board would have started by saying how disappointed I was in Carnival for obviously rushing a ship back into service and not handling the delay at the terminal properly.

 

Food and water should have been provided immediately once the documented time of embarkation 1pm had passed. Diapers?? sorry, I am a Mom and not having enough diapers is being irresponsible on your part. Packing them in luggage is like packing your meds in checked luggage. You just don't do it. I would have had enough diapers on hand to get me to the next port, not just on board the ship.

 

If the rest of the ship was not acceptable, once you started your cruise, then exercise the Carnival Vacation guarantee and get off the ship at the first port. Any complaints, because you choose not to do that, after that port are not valid.

 

As with all travel, not just cruiselines and certainly not just Carnival, people must remember that nothing is going to go perfectly. After 22 cruises with Carnival, there hasn't been a perfect cruise yet. We have had some legit complaints that we have addressed with Carnival in a respectful manner and they have always handled those complaints with equal respect.

 

But go off with that starfish up your fanny and Carnival will leave that starfish right there...as they should.

[Bazoo]

Well said LHP.

[cruisomatic]

My wife and I were on the last cruise for Monarch of the Seas prior to drydock in 2003. They began the construction prior to this cruise. Many parts of the ship were closed down. Each day they closed more of the ship. This was our first cruise. Everyone had told us about all the food that was available, on a cruise, however we never saw any food except at the dining rooms. This must have been due to the construction. This said it was still the best vacation we had ever taken to that point. Been to Hawaii since. We go on the Sensation on 4/10 and cant wait to go on a cruise that has everything open. Also looking forward to the new ports, especially G.T.

[Dawniepoo]

My dh and I were married on the Sensation back in 2000, and it was a wonderful cruise that holds alot of great memories, so it saddens me to hear all the negatives. I can't wait to cruise on her again!

[Brenda Bell]

I have to said that 9 hours is along time to wait and there are no place to eat at that is close to the terminal. I would be upset if i had to wait 9 hours but life goes on and so does the ship. How was Bahamas?

[JerseyGirl97]

WOW... Although I am new to cruising I've read enough on this board to know that some people do not allow ANY criticsim of their beloved Carnival. But this really takes the cake. Nine hours in a terminal, no seats,no food. Come on... no matter how you look at it this is Carnival's fault. Their ship wasn't ready. Are all you Carnival fans as easy going about everything else? If you paid to go to the zoo and the animals were all in quaratine that would be fine with you?

 

 

I am surprised at how many people on here are defending Carnival no matter what the issue. First the OP is at fault for not leaving. Once she explains why she couldn't leave - guess what - it is still her fault! And after the first port? Yeap - still her fault for not getting off. And if she had gotten off? Would have been her fault for not giving Carnival a chance to fix the problem.

The amazing thing is people will start to complain that she has not returned. Can you blame her? Was her first post written with a little anger and disappointment? Yes. Can people be civil enough to allow someone to cool down and return to give the rest of the review. I for one want to hear it.

And don't worry about us first time cruisers - you are not doing us any favors by "calling out" this poster! Trust me!!!

[FMDAIL]

I am sure it was a bad experience, and I am sorry for all the Sensation passengers that the cruise got off with such a bad start.

 

But, I still have a question. How was the rest of the cruise?

[salty dingo]

I think the OP is more interested in getting some more $$ from Carnival than in giving us a fair review of the entire cruise.

 

News organizations don't help either. When was the last time you saw a news report of a great cruise? Only bad news is news.

 

I don't defend everything Carnival did. They certainly should have, and could have, ordered food and brought in canned or bottled drinks (although I imagine there were water fountains there). They did offer compensation for minor problems like the water and the renovations. After all I have heard, I am not convinced it warranted cancelling the cruise. And they did not know in advance that the ship would be delayed.

 

Lastly, let everyone be warned who books right after drydock - if you paid a very low price, there was a reason!

[martyfan]

I have not read through this entire thread so this may have already been addressed: (I was there and went through the experience)

 

1) We were told by the PORT AUTHORITY that once we had gotten INSIDE the port terminal, we WOULD NOT be allowed to leave. Our cars were valet parked (no choice in the matter) so it wasn't just a matter of leaving and going to a nearby restaurant. Security would NOT allow us to leave the terminal.

 

2) Carnival hosted a private party for travel agents on Wednesday. Some of the agents were allowed to spend the night on the ship, leave the ship and board for the cruise the next day. So the question was, why wasn't the ship inspected bythe CG on WEDNESDAY rather than THURSDAY? (Which was what made people even MORE angry about the wait.)

 

My only other complaint was the food...it just really wasn't all that great. Some hits, but a lot of misses. Just did not meet my expectation this time. (This was my 12th cruise, but only the second with Carnival.)

 

Didn't do any shore excursions so I can't complain about that. The shows were great, casino was ehhh (but I don't gamble), cabin was fine, wait staff and cabin steward were nice.

 

Ship was still being tinkered with during the cruise (painting, bar remodeling, etc.) Water slide and kiddie pool was closed.