Another 'never cruise Carnival again' thread

[wdw_dave]

First a couple of things .....

 

** This is my first post so I know I will already be discounted by many. (I have been lurking for months)

 

** I have been on 7+ cruises so I am not a newbie.

 

** This is my 3nd Carnival criuse ... my last was on the Destiny in 2001. It was the worst cruise I had ever taken and I vowed never to take another Carnival Cruise again. But I thought I would give them a second chance.

 

** This trip was the Facination 3day out of Miami on 3/23. I have been on the Majesty and Sov of the Seas on 3 and 4 day cruises. So I think I have a good short cruise on older ship comparision. And this was actually my 2nd on the Facination the first being a 7day in 1996.

 

** Lastly, for all the 'Carnival can do no wrong folks' ... please do not tell me I should have done this or that to compensate for bad service. I should not have to work at getting good service.

 

I will be mostly comparing this to RCCL which is now my favored line for reasons below. I have also been on Celebrity, Disney, and Princess.

 

-> Service ... the staff is not friendly. They do not say hello to you in the halls or offer any type of conversation. My cabin stewart was horrible. Never saw him and they did not turn down our stateroom on the last night .. did not receive my luggage tags for the last day. I have NEVER had my cabin not turned down while I was in the dining room. (Please do not tell me I should have called him ... I should not have to .. that is the point)

 

-> Tipping ... I do not like the way they do not give you any preprinted slips for pre paid tips to give to the staff.

 

-> Dining room service was excelent. Tony our waiter was outstanding the only good service we received. I noted on the comment card that he should be promoted to a 7day on a newer ship. His assistant was just as good.

 

-> FOOD - Buffet food was good - better than RCCL. Desserts were slightly better on Carnival. Dining room food is much better on RCCL.

 

-> To my surprise the 'extras' seemed to cost more on Carnival. The internet charged you a $3.95 set up fee !!! and .50 to print. Cost me $10 to check into my flight online. Casino charges you 3% to use your SS card. Don't they make enough in the casino?? RCCL does not have this charge. They always seemed to upsell you on the drinks without asking ... ie premium Martini instead of the house ... souviener cups ... RCCL does this occasionally but it was EVERY time on Carnival. I usually let it pass but a couple of times I had to return it.

 

-> Casino - Did not like the 3% charge and the dealers were not very friendly. Craps table was hardly open.

 

-> I thought the cleanliness of the ship was bad. Not a lot of staff cleaning during the day so trash was all about the ship. They did not have enough staff in the buffet to clear tables in a timely manner. Ship is very worn and not well kept.

 

-> Bed was AWESOME .... I am glad RCCL is catching up here. Samples were nice but overblown on this board as a true 'amenity'.

 

-> Bingo seems to be a better deal on Carnival - If you like Bingo.

 

-> Entertainment was good - equal to RCCL and the other lines I have been on.

 

-> I thought the mini golf and sushi bar were great additions since 1996.

 

Overall for me, service and a more upscale enviornment is a big deal for my vacations. So there will be no more Carnival cruises for me. If you do not care about the little things that make up good service (as I see it) then Carnival is an OK product. But if you want a little more upscale cruise than Carnival is probably not for you (remember I have given them 3 tries!!)

 

I hope this helps some people make a decision based on what is important to them in a vacation.

 

One final off topic note ... someone should tell the cab drivers not to try and rip people off ... they lose money in the long run. My driver made me pay the toll at thie pier to MIA even though it is clearly stated that it is included in the fare. I would have given a $6 tip but instead he squeezed the extra $2 bucks from me and that is all he got.

 

Dave

[MERVYN BREMMER]

Let's see deck chair, popcorn, and drinks.....yep I'm ready let her rip;) :D

[Wennfred]

Dave, it seemed to me like you have a great cruise, Great Review :) I hate those Cabbys too, they work for Carnival LOL

 

Thanks

 

Fred

[wdw_dave]

Thank You - I did have a good time but I would now choose RCCL over Carnival in almost every case due to the differences I noted above. Just my personal choice on what is important to me.

 

Dave

[Wennfred]

Thank You - I did have a good time but I would now choose RCCL over Carnival in almost every case due to the differences I noted above. Just my personal choice on what is important to me.

 

Dave

 

Thats cool, I also like RCCL, but due to the savings I get from Carnival I mainly sail with them, I really dont have a preference, as long as Im on vacation and having some foo foo drinks and chowing down, Im happy.

 

One last thing, Maybe if you sailed on one of Carnivals newer ships like the Valor your experience could of been different. I never sailed a Fantasy class because Im sure they are in need of repairs.

 

Fred

[pppiglet]

I think you gave a valid review. You told the good and bad. You just didn't complain about everything like some do. No one should flame you.

 

I agree...the bedding was Awesome! Sooooo comfy.

 

I agree...there was trash left on deck in the same spots for 3 days on our cruise that would never have been there for even an hour on DCL.

 

We did have excellent service though (on the Pride). We didn't use the casino except for slots and wasn't paying off so didn't go back.

 

I got the internet pkg and didn't have to print anything so no problems for us there.

 

And I agree with most all your statements.

 

Overall for me, service and a more upscale enviornment is a big deal for my vacations. So there will be no more Carnival cruises for me. If you do not care about the little things that make up good service (as I see it) then Carnival is an OK product. But if you want a little more upscale cruise than Carnival is probably not for you (remember I have given them 3 tries!!)

 

I hope this helps some people make a decision based on what is important to them in a vacation.

 

I think you said that best...you did give them three tries and it isn't for you. I have only been on Carnival once, had a good time, so I will go again. I really enjoyed your views and I thank you for posting.

 

Debbie

[JerseyGirl97]

\

\-> Service ... the staff is not friendly. They do not say hello to you in the halls or offer any type of conversation. My cabin stewart was horrible. Never saw him and they did not turn down our stateroom on the last night .. did not receive my luggage tags for the last day. I have NEVER had my cabin not turned down while I was in the dining room. (Please do not tell me I should have called him ... I should not have to .. that is the point)

 

 

Hey Dave,

Did you ever let anyone know that your room was not turned down on your last night? Not that you should call to get it done, just wondering if you commented about it so they could tell your steward to step it up for the next people? If you did - how did they respond to you? I know a lot of the complaints on here are about the customer service people on the ship not being very friendly. :(

[GoinCruisin]

Thanks for your review... you were honest!!!

 

Now, I was just on the SOS last month... and I will say I had a different experience. My review was just posted here a few days ago, and my chief complaint were the hawking of drinks, bordering on harassment... and I've never seen so many souvenir glasses. I came home with 20... different ones. While we were eating, they were there every minute... it really was bothersome... I've never seen anything like this on any cruise. And they had no drink specials... I like drink specials :D LOL!!! I've always just studied the drink menu, and they have the prices for their premium drinks... once you order one, they will usually remember it.

 

I also got charged a pretty good chunk to use the internet on the SOS...

 

I definitely didn't think the SOS was a more "upscale" experience... actually, the opposite... could have just been that particular cruise... who knows. I've also cruised the newer, bigger ships with Carnival, so I could be a little partial... sometimes it is hard to go from something new, with all the bells and whistles, back to something without... that could be the difference for me. So, I have vowed to try RCL again someday, on one of their bigger, newer ships for a fair comparison...

 

I understand you not wanting to try again... but if you ever do, you really should try one of the newer ships rather than the older ones... it's really like night and day. But I can understand your reservations...

 

Thanks for your honest review... I don't think anyone could flame you for that!!

[GoinCruisin]

Hey Dave,

 

Did you ever let anyone know that your room was not turned down on your last night? Not that you should call to get it done, just wondering if you commented about it so they could tell your steward to step it up for the next people? If you did - how did they respond to you? I know a lot of the complaints on here are about the customer service people on the ship not being very friendly. :(

 

I agree.. saying something to the Purser may have helped for the next group of people... wouldn't have done much for him unless he said something in the beginning. I've been so lucky to have had the best stewards... I would be devastated if I ever got a bad one!!! I'd probably throw him on the floor and tickle him until he cried uncle and promised me good service :D Hey, it works for my nephew when I want him to smile :D

[JerseyGirl97]

 

Now, I was just on the SOS last month... and I will say I had a different experience. My review was just posted here a few days ago, and my chief complaint were the hawking of drinks, bordering on harassment... and I've never seen so many souvenir glasses. I came home with 20... different ones.

 

 

3 day cruise....20 souvenir glasses? Someone had a good time! :D I think I want to cruise with you!!!!

I agree about the heads up on the room steward. I am not one to complain myself. I always feel bad for some reason! But sometimes I will if I think perhaps the "complaint" will trickle down and then the service will improve from there.

And if that fails, I think the tickle thing could work! Who knows, could be fun as long as he doesn't pee on you! :)

[GoinCruisin]

3 day cruise....20 souvenir glasses? Someone had a good time! :D I think I want to cruise with you!!!!

 

 

I agree about the heads up on the room steward. I am not one to complain myself. I always feel bad for some reason! But sometimes I will if I think perhaps the "complaint" will trickle down and then the service will improve from there.

And if that fails, I think the tickle thing could work! Who knows, could be fun as long as he doesn't pee on you! :)

 

Oh I left about 100 behind... they really get you good there, that is for sure!!!!! Come on and cruise with us, you'd have a blast!!!!!

 

And don't feel bad... I would first talk to your steward, and if it isn't resolved, do not even hesitate to call the Pursers Desk... It's YOUR vacation... don't feel bad for wanting it to be as close to perfect as possible. I always meet with my stewards the first day... I sit down and tell them about me, my needs (which are very few), just details about me, and what I want done and don't want done. I then give them $20, and tell them how much I appreciate that they are going to make my vacation special, and I look forward to getting to know them. And I do... I've actually had a steward show up at carlos n charlies to come party with us... I leave there with them as a pal... but if they were to slack off, I wouldn't hesitate to tell them, point being, I create that relationship upfront so I feel more comfortable confronting them... I've only had one time where I had to ask for something and the poor guy nearly cried he felt so bad! LOL!!!!

[Wennfred]

My steward on the Valor did a great job, he got things fixed in a timely matter, when I tipped him 20.00 in the middle of the cruise he almost cried, he is a wonderful guy.

 

Fred

[JerseyGirl97]

Oh I left about 100 behind... they really get you good there, that is for sure!!!!! Come on and cruise with us, you'd have a blast!!!!!

 

And don't feel bad... I would first talk to your steward, and if it isn't resolved, do not even hesitate to call the Pursers Desk... It's YOUR vacation... don't feel bad for wanting it to be as close to perfect as possible. I always meet with my stewards the first day... I sit down and tell them about me, my needs (which are very few), just details about me, and what I want done and don't want done. I then give them $20, and tell them how much I appreciate that they are going to make my vacation special, and I look forward to getting to know them. And I do... I've actually had a steward show up at carlos n charlies to come party with us... I leave there with them as a pal... but if they were to slack off, I wouldn't hesitate to tell them, point being, I create that relationship upfront so I feel more comfortable confronting them... I've only had one time where I had to ask for something and the poor guy nearly cried he felt so bad! LOL!!!!

 

I hope I get a good steward as well. I think I will be so giddy to actually get on a cruise ship I will love everyone!!! :rolleyes:

I will cruise more often once I get some money saved up. I am going to keep my eyes open for a CC group cruise to the Mexican Riviera. That is where I want to go next! :) I wonder about the Saints & Sinners cruises. What are they? I think I know what side of the ship I would be on if you get broken down into groups!!!:p

[GoinCruisin]

I hope I get a good steward as well. I think I will be so giddy to actually get on a cruise ship I will love everyone!!! :rolleyes:

 

I will cruise more often once I get some money saved up. I am going to keep my eyes open for a CC group cruise to the Mexican Riviera. That is where I want to go next! :) I wonder about the Saints & Sinners cruises. What are they? I think I know what side of the ship I would be on if you get broken down into groups!!!:p

 

Just a great group of people that love to cruise! It all started on the Sensation cruise in 10.04... someone dubbed it the Sinsation, and hence, our name was born!! Many from the first group became fast friends, and have traveled together in other CC group cruises, as well as get together throughout the year, in NOLA, Dallas, Myrtle Beach, here in Raleigh, etc. New people are always joining in... and it's just one big party. We have over 160 booked on our October cruise. And our one in January is growing quick! We'll be doing S&S part three probably Oct 2007... stop by on our thread and say hi anytime. Truly the greatest people you will ever meet!!!!

 

To the OP!! I am so sorry for the hijack!!!! Back to your regularly scheduled programming :D

[finoky]

Some like pepsi and some like coke. Some even like both. I lose no sleep either way. We once cruised a ship that a friend of ours said was the worst ever and would never sail on it again. Had we listened we would have missed one of the best cruises ever. Enjoy your future cruises on RCL.

[MeLuvDaSea]

Couple of things....

 

I also stated in my Elation review that I would not sail (probably) sail on a Carnival ship again. My reaction was nothing negative on Carnival's part. They offer a great experience for those toward whom it is intended. I don't think I am one of those.

 

The staff on the Elation was very friendly- even the East Europeans!! :p I had a few surly East European staff members on the Esctacy which is why I mention it. (Ok, Vladmir in the $10 gift shop was a little bit surly... but not contemptuous.)

 

After the first day our cabin was kept very clean and we had turn down service every night, with chocolates.

 

Rather than do a point by point comparison let's just say we had none of the problems that the OP mentioned. I think each cruise has its own share of problems. The group that sailed after Dave probably had a different list of likes and dislikes. I agree with Dave that it shouldn't be necessary to fight for good service. It should just be there.

 

After 3 cruises on CCL, I am anxious to compare the service on the QM2. You would expect excellent service in the 'old style'. Here's hoping! One more thing, I have sailed on two Fantasy-class ships and neither of them seemed to be in need of repair or renovations. I saw the crew constantly cleaning, and even painting while on this last trip. I think they take very good care of those ships.

 

I think there are enough different cruise lines that everyone should be able to find the type of experience they are looking for.

 

Sincerely,

Don

[JoFromFL]

WDW DAVE,

Thanks for a balanced review. I agree with some of your observations, and interestingly, had some of the exact opposite experiences on my two short cruises on RCCL. My comparisons are noted beneath your comments.

 

First a couple of things .....

 

** This is my first post so I know I will already be discounted by many. (I have been lurking for months)

 

** I have been on 7+ cruises so I am not a newbie.

 

** This is my 3nd Carnival criuse ... my last was on the Destiny in 2001. It was the worst cruise I had ever taken and I vowed never to take another Carnival Cruise again. But I thought I would give them a second chance.

 

** This trip was the Facination 3day out of Miami on 3/23. I have been on the Majesty and Sov of the Seas on 3 and 4 day cruises. So I think I have a good short cruise on older ship comparision. And this was actually my 2nd on the Facination the first being a 7day in 1996.

 

** Lastly, for all the 'Carnival can do no wrong folks' ... please do not tell me I should have done this or that to compensate for bad service. I should not have to work at getting good service.

 

I will be mostly comparing this to RCCL which is now my favored line for reasons below. I have also been on Celebrity, Disney, and Princess.

 

-> Service ... the staff is not friendly. They do not say hello to you in the halls or offer any type of conversation. My cabin stewart was horrible. Never saw him and they did not turn down our stateroom on the last night .. did not receive my luggage tags for the last day. I have NEVER had my cabin not turned down while I was in the dining room. (Please do not tell me I should have called him ... I should not have to .. that is the point)

 

We had good service on both, but found friendlier staff on Carnival.

 

-> Tipping ... I do not like the way they do not give you any preprinted slips for pre paid tips to give to the staff.

 

Wholeheartedly agree here. We always leave the suggested tips on the S&S card and give extra in cash the last night. When I hand the service providers the extra, I always feel like they wonder if this is the entire tip.

 

-> Dining room service was excelent. Tony our waiter was outstanding the only good service we received. I noted on the comment card that he should be promoted to a 7day on a newer ship. His assistant was just as good.

 

Our dining room service was great on both lines.

 

-> FOOD - Buffet food was good - better than RCCL. Desserts were slightly better on Carnival. Dining room food is much better on RCCL.

 

Agree on the buffet being better on Carnival, but RCCL offers better and more choices for sugar free desserts.

 

-> To my surprise the 'extras' seemed to cost more on Carnival. The internet charged you a $3.95 set up fee !!! and .50 to print. Cost me $10 to check into my flight online. Casino charges you 3% to use your SS card. Don't they make enough in the casino?? RCCL does not have this charge. They always seemed to upsell you on the drinks without asking ... ie premium Martini instead of the house ... souviener cups ... RCCL does this occasionally but it was EVERY time on Carnival. I usually let it pass but a couple of times I had to return it.

 

Not many comments here, but the souvenier glasses from RCCI are definitely better glasses. We LOVED the ones from Coco Cay and use them daily. Thought about doing another SOS cruise just to load up on those nice cups.

 

-> Casino - Did not like the 3% charge and the dealers were not very friendly. Craps table was hardly open.

 

-> I thought the cleanliness of the ship was bad. Not a lot of staff cleaning during the day so trash was all about the ship. They did not have enough staff in the buffet to clear tables in a timely manner. Ship is very worn and not well kept.

 

Since we have not done a short Carnival trip, I cannot comment. The Glory and Legend were spotless on our trips and we always saw staff cleaning and polishing.

 

-> Bed was AWESOME .... I am glad RCCL is catching up here. Samples were nice but overblown on this board as a true 'amenity'.

 

Our bed on Legend last week was okay, but hardly what I would call awesome.

 

-> Bingo seems to be a better deal on Carnival - If you like Bingo.

 

I played bingo once on SOS and felt so ripped off, I have never played bingo again on any ship.

 

-> Entertainment was good - equal to RCCL and the other lines I have been on.

 

Agreed.

 

-> I thought the mini golf and sushi bar were great additions since 1996.

 

Agreed.

 

Overall for me, service and a more upscale enviornment is a big deal for my vacations. So there will be no more Carnival cruises for me. If you do not care about the little things that make up good service (as I see it) then Carnival is an OK product. But if you want a little more upscale cruise than Carnival is probably not for you (remember I have given them 3 tries!!)

 

I hope this helps some people make a decision based on what is important to them in a vacation.

 

One final off topic note ... someone should tell the cab drivers not to try and rip people off ... they lose money in the long run. My driver made me pay the toll at thie pier to MIA even though it is clearly stated that it is included in the fare. I would have given a $6 tip but instead he squeezed the extra $2 bucks from me and that is all he got.

 

Dave

 

We still like both lines. RCCL's loyalty program seems better. On our second cruise with them we got a nice gift and a coupon book for drinks and casino chips. We would sail either line, but Carnival gives us a nice military discount that RCCL does not offer. The discount means we can cruise twice for what it would cost us once on RCCL. Given we don't see much difference in the service, food, and overall quality, we will stick with Carnival. Still, if I found a great deal on Costa, NCL, or any other, I would give them a try.

 

Thanks again for a nice review!

[rxralph]

Some like pepsi and some like coke. Some even like both. I lose no sleep either way. We once cruised a ship that a friend of ours said was the worst ever and would never sail on it again. Had we listened we would have missed one of the best cruises ever. Enjoy your future cruises on RCL.

 

I have been lurking for 4 months. This is the best response to someone's comments that I have read in that time.

[deadbug]

As I stated in a previous review and assorted comments, my last cruise (on the Victory in Feb--6th Carnival) was really a HUGE drop in what I have come to expect from Carnival, mostly due to unfriendly staff and broken equipment. (Cabin steward and dinner servers wonderful as always) I think Carnival will continue to "dumb down" their services due to the facts that A) At their price point they will always be able to fill their ships, and, B) those looking for an improved quality of cruising will simply step up to one of the other lines by Carnival. I will continue with Carnival (although I do really want to try RCCL sometime soon), because I do like the pricepoint, and, in my humble opinion, Carnival still is the Fun Ship line with the best passengers in the whole world.

[zqvol]

Dave

 

Nothing wrong with your review, you posted your opinions and supported them with facts. Not everyone enjoys the same things. It is OK to feel that someone else offers a product that better suits your needs.

[tess2cruz]

I agree your review is fair, and I can understand how you feel. I am just the opposite, probably will never sail RCCL again. We were on the Granduer of the sea and even before sailing, a bartendeer yelled at my SI, YES yelled. We were floored, and when we complained we got an apology from the purser. However, the entire crew seemed to be in a bad mood, to the point we wondered if something horrible had happened with the crew. We paid a lot for a suite on that crews, but didn't even get offered any extra services. The food was horrible as I recall, but the prior cruise was Princess and that food was incredible. Also our suite was right under the Buffet, and we had a lot of noise. We still made an effort to enjoy ourselves, (great hot stone massage!), but like you said, it shouldn't be an effort on a vacation. On Carnival, I have always had great room stewards, dining staff, and a great time. Maybe the food is only average most of the time, but I can't afford Princess LOL It only goes to show how important good customer service is, for any business. Happy sailing.

[mrdood]

Thanks for the review! But a couple of notes since you have 7+ cruises, you need to finally know, it is a cabin steward, his name might be Stewart, but not his profession:eek: .

 

Also, this was your third post, not your first:confused:

 

Did you not know about the tipping policy in advance?

 

Anyway that is my review of your review, I know you will discount it, but my accountant, Stewart will handle all that:p

[GoinCruisin]

Thanks for the review! But a couple of notes since you have 7+ cruises, you need to finally know, it is a cabin steward, his name might be Stewart, but not his profession:eek: .

 

Also, this was your third post, not your first:confused:

 

Did you not know about the tipping policy in advance?

 

Anyway that is my review of your review, I know you will discount it, but my accountant, Stewart will handle all that:p

 

Dood, I think he meant first post on the Carnival board??

[MeLuvDaSea]

I have to comment on the bartender yelling issue. We had a very enjoyable cruise on the Elation and the staff was very friendly. No bad experiences there. Infact we probably had the best service on a cruise to date, BUT-

 

In the Terminal, afterward, we found our luggage and were trying to figure out where to go next. It was very chaotic there. I asked Charlene, a Carnival staffer (short, about 60-ish years old) where we should go next. She simply said to go to the end of the 'line'. It was a mass of people.

 

Well, we went to what we honestly thought was the end of the line. We are not the sort to 'cut' in lines. We try to play fair. The woman came rushing over to us and yelled, "Get to the back of the line! You can't just BUTT in!!" She shouted at me and my family. It was humiliating for us, as we were truely doing our best to comply. Rather than shouting at us in front of the others, maybe she could have shown us where to go.

 

I do not plan to cut her any slack in this. It is her job to be helpful and maintain order. Perhaps if she had been the least bit helpful, and done her job, we would not have ended up in the wrong place.

 

This is my only complaint and I do plan to send Carnival a letter about her, specifically by name. And no, I don't want or need any compensation for 'pain and suffering'.

[gymbrat33]

Dave,

 

Don't give up on Carnival. Service can vary a lot from one ship to another. Try their newest Mega ships, The Valor and The Liberty.