Be Honest!!!!!!

[Mikel1733]

Actually your original post did feel like an attack on the community, or at least the Carnival board. I am sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise, but I can see why some might take offense to your post.

 

It was definitely offensive in my opinion. I've never read anything on this board that made my BP rise so fast. :(

[hubofhockey]

OP had a lousy time and engaged in some hyperbole. It's understandable. He or she was venting. I'm okay with that. Some here take posts critical of Carnival in some sort of personal way. I'll never understand that.

 

As for the "you get what you pay for" line, I have no problem with that. I could save $1,000 for my family by doing an Eastern Caribbean on an older ship as opposed to the Liberty. I'm sticking with the Liberty and I believe it's worth the money.

 

As for shorter cruises, my first with my family was going to be a five day cruise and I didn't want an older ship. I wound up going on RCCL Enchantment of the Seas. RCCL gave the ship a makeover and stretched it out. It's a beautiful ship and we had a great time. I really wanted to limit the risk of an older ship on the first family cruise.

[truecruiser]

Oh Please! Unless the entire ship went down the toilet when it moved to the West Coast...the OP is totally exagerating. :rolleyes:

 

Elation was the ship we did in December. I am a SNOB! I am a hotel snob! I am a suite snob! I pay $10,000 each for cruises without batting an eye and then go on to pay $700 for ONE night in a pre-cruise hotel in Miami.

 

So I am ONE PICKY CHICK!

 

And you know what...I booked Elation last minute. Paid under $1,000 TOTAL for my whole family. Went with an Ocean View on the so-called "sewer smelling" Riviera deck...and it was SUCH A WONDERFUL CRUISE!

 

We had a GREAT time! We had no problems. I went into it thinking it was so darn cheap that it couldn't be good and it turned out so great that I book Sensation for August...YES even after another $10,000 cruise this past May with RCCL.

 

Sorry the "thugs" took the cruiseship over...maybe Elation should have stayed in Port Canaveral.

 

LOL. you mean you actually have money, and decided to cruise CCL? cracks me up. oh wait a sec...i do too. :D :p

 

funny what you said about the ship staying in port canaveral. i was thinking that too, but didn't write it. (truth be told, idiots can board any ship from any port), but it was a good one.:D

 

comments are spot on. and that's why these comments irk me:

 

exactly the reasons we never sail on older ships, nor on short itineraries.

you get what you pay for. Sorry you had such a bad time. I'm sure you will totally enjoy your princess cruise

 

Mary......your comment is ringing in my ears......it's what my DH repeated to me over and over again........whilest holding his nose down the hall and ducking the flying teenagers!!!!!!

 

Lesson learned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:o

 

Many CC members in this forum have had many a great cruise on a Fantasy class vessel. the comments are inflamatory and scary to any newbie on here. it's just not the case.

[CruisnMom007]

and BTW, i have been to plenty of places where the restrooms did not have disposable seat covers for one reason or another. they were either out, didn't have them at all, whatever. i don't use them, but it's convenient for the kids. if they aren't at any given place however, i don't vow to never return.

 

here's a tip: squat. if that won't do, put down TP (the old fashioned method -- you know b/4 paper seat covers were invented); if that won't do, Go to the Cabin.:p it's what a deck (or 2 or 3) away at most?

 

I bought the travel pack of seat covers in the little travel item section at Walmart! I also use them in the ports, cause most do not have seat covers there either.

[Kurbanfan]

funny what you said about the ship staying in port canaveral. i was thinking that too, but didn't write it. (truth be told, idiots can board any ship from any port), but it was a good one.:D

 

 

Not funny girlfriend:cool:

Seriously though I am very surprised that there were so many kids on that sailing being that kids are still in school out here in Calif.

[truecruiser]

I bought the travel pack of seat covers in the little travel item section at Walmart! I also use them in the ports, cause most do not have seat covers there either.

 

you are kidding? they actually sell them retail? i should get some for my kids! i hate lining that seat w/ TP, making sure it doesn't fall in. i have not seen these. i'll have to keep an eye out!

[truecruiser]

Not funny girlfriend:cool:

Seriously though I am very surprised that there were so many kids on that sailing being that kids are still in school out here in Calif.

 

i am still gonna get on a cruise w/ you Ms. OC.:cool:

[Mikel1733]

OP had a lousy time and engaged in some hyperbole. It's understandable.

 

ELATION IS NOT WHAT YOU PEOPLE SAID.................not only had a bad time but wants to blame it not only on Carnival and the Elation crew...but also on CC board members.

[ImBossy]

Did you buy any valium while you were in Mexico?

 

LOLOLOLOLO, wheeewww. Sounds like somebody needs it.

All joking aside, I think each cruise experience is going to be different for each individual. The Elation was my 1st cruise and it was a blast despite a few set backs. I was onboard with some fun loving people. I also stayed on the Riviera deck (R90) and the room was great. I did hear some loud bongs at night but the purser's desk told me it was waves hitting the ship. :eek: I admit I thought the ship was hitting poor whales and sharks at night. :D Anyway, sorry you did not enjoy the Elation. Maybe you will enjoy another Fantasy class ship. Or whatever size she is.

I can understand you being grossed out by a poo poo smell. Yuck! Maybe the room steward could have helped with that. Did you mention it to him/her? I was once in a room that smelled like smoke when I 1st entered it, then the smell left after about a day.

[futaba951]

The OP's complaint about the sewer smell contradicts the complaint about the lousy food. Sewer smell means that the food on board is great, and everybody is just eating so much of it that the poor sewer system on board can't keep up.

[truecruiser]

The OP's complaint about the sewer smell contradicts the complaint about the lousy food. Sewer smell means that the food on board is great, and everybody is just eating so much of it that the poor sewer system on board can't keep up.

 

ROFL!:D true testament to great food ... sewage poop deposit overload.

[SandyW]

Wizard of Roz....We had a bad experience once on an RCI cruise but that hasn't made me say I'll never go on RCI. I could have understood and empathized with you more if you had said "I'll never go on the Elation again." Most of the people I've run into that have traveled on Princess just don't care for Carnival. That's ok. But why not say "I prefer Princess" instead of "I'll never go on Carnival again." You may want to watch the word "never"...it seems to have a habit of coming back to bite you down the road. That seems to be one of Life's many lessons! ;)

 

CLUTTERLADY...I don't read reviews anymore. I think too many are out of balance...either for the good or the bad. You can't help but read comments here and there if you spend any time on this board. (like this post for example) The RCI cruise I spoke of was one where everyone said it was the best, most wonderful, awesome cruise ever. The ship, too. So my expectations were very high...and was I disappointed. Not surprisingly there were others who were just as disappointed as I was afterwards - and mainly because of the rave reviews. Oh it was not completely horrible by any means but it is at the bottom of our list of favorite cruises. Plus, back when we started cruising (1997) no one could seem to say anything nice about Carnival. (Later this year we'll be taking our 14th Carnival cruise on our 14th Carnival ship.) So...I take into account the age of the ship. If I'm taking an older ship I probably don't expect it to look at spiffy as a newer one. Another thing is that some of the crew changes each week - so you really aren't guaranteed the same staff as may have been referred to in the review. We've learned that some things may not be great...table mates may be a bit strange, waiters may be new, it may be the last week for the room steward who doesn't plan on coming back, or something like that. Mostly minor stuff....which will stay minor if you don't dwell on it. Stuff happens. I'm sure you will have a good time on your Carnival cruise...it may be up to you on whether it's a great time or not!

[pugsy&porter]

I have never cruised CCL (I am in 41 days, but who is counting). However, I am sure that all the CC Members who have cruised on CCL have decided that their trip was so terrible that no only would they come back on here and "not be honest" on their review; but also decide to spend some more of their hard earned money to sail on them again.

 

Plus with Princess being owned by Carnival for almost 5 years, I am sure it is just a matter of time until their boat smells like a sewer also.

 

Enter sarcasim at any point of this post, because I am trying to lay it on pretty thick. If people are this miserable on vacation imagine living with them all year long.

[lappy22]

Wizard, It seems that that some of your points are valid but most of your points are pretty petty. With all of your cruise experience and all of your time on this board, I would think that you would expect that not everything is going to be perfect. Some dishes will stink, some carpets will be stained, there will be wear and tear, the buffet is a buffet and will never be gourmet.

 

Anybody that is booked on the Elation, go and have a good time. Your cruise will be great, unless you are stuck at a dinner table with the OP.

[AdmiralJohnson]

Hmmmmmm, have fun on Princess :)

[truecruiser]

Wizard of Roz....We had a bad experience once on an RCI cruise but that hasn't made me say I'll never go on RCI. I could have understood and empathized with you more if you had said "I'll never go on the Elation again." Most of the people I've run into that have traveled on Princess just don't care for Carnival. That's ok. But why not say "I prefer Princess" instead of "I'll never go on Carnival again." You may want to watch the word "never"...it seems to have a habit of coming back to bite you down the road. That seems to be one of Life's many lessons! ;)

 

CLUTTERLADY...I don't read reviews anymore. I think too many are out of balance...either for the good or the bad. You can't help but read comments here and there if you spend any time on this board. (like this post for example) The RCI cruise I spoke of was one where everyone said it was the best, most wonderful, awesome cruise ever. The ship, too. So my expectations were very high...and was I disappointed. Not surprisingly there were others who were just as disappointed as I was afterwards - and mainly because of the rave reviews. Oh it was not completely horrible by any means but it is at the bottom of our list of favorite cruises. Plus, back when we started cruising (1997) no one could seem to say anything nice about Carnival. (Later this year we'll be taking our 14th Carnival cruise on our 14th Carnival ship.) So...I take into account the age of the ship. If I'm taking an older ship I probably don't expect it to look at spiffy as a newer one. Another thing is that some of the crew changes each week - so you really aren't guaranteed the same staff as may have been referred to in the review. We've learned that some things may not be great...table mates may be a bit strange, waiters may be new, it may be the last week for the room steward who doesn't plan on coming back, or something like that. Mostly minor stuff....which will stay minor if you don't dwell on it. Stuff happens. I'm sure you will have a good time on your Carnival cruise...it may be up to you on whether it's a great time or not!

 

very good post. well said. and i like your comment about the hype too. it doesn't affect my cruise experience, but i cld see how it cld affect others. the hype factor gets me with a movie ... if everyone says it's the best, i have great expectations, then am often (not always, but often)disappointed. but, i can then see the same movie months later on dvd, w/o the hype being fresh in my mind, and think it is wonderful.

 

...Enter sarcasim at any point of this post, because I am trying to lay it on pretty thick. If people are this miserable on vacation imagine living with them all year long.

 

ROFL:D once...

 

...Anybody that is booked on the Elation, go and have a good time. Your cruise will be great, unless you are stuck at a dinner table with the OP.

 

ROFL:D twice.

[Kudos2Fly]

My husband and I do quite a few 4 and 5 day cruises on "older" ships.. And never had any problems... At least "MAJOR" problems like the ship going to the bottom of the sea..

 

We just came back from a trip in Italy where we sat on the ground in Rome for 4 hours waiting for the starter to be fix on the plane... Also having no "public" bathrooms around.... Or when you found a bathroom the cover and rime thing you sit on was gone :eek:

 

I pick my battles to be worried about.. Having a sewer smell and food not being up to "my" standards is not one them...

 

You have to take reviews with a grain of salt and not have high standards for 15+ year old ships. I have been on ships that I didn't care for the intertainment or the ship its selve. But still enjoy the cruise...

 

Just relax, its just a cruise....

[momofzeke]

I bought the travel pack of seat covers in the little travel item section at Walmart! I also use them in the ports, cause most do not have seat covers there either.

 

you are kidding? they actually sell them retail? i should get some for my kids! i hate lining that seat w/ TP, making sure it doesn't fall in. i have not seen these. i'll have to keep an eye out!

 

Yep! I have them too. The ones I have are Charmin brand. :cool:

 

Back on topic: I think it's unfortunate that the OP (and anyone else for that matter) may write Carnival off due to one bad cruise on an older ship. I have not been on Elation or any Fantasy class ship, so they may be just as wonderful as the newer ships. I just know that the 2 ships I have been on, Pride and Miracle were both excellent. We had wonderful cruises.

 

OP: ships are just like anything else ~ when the newer ones are built they make improvements. Perhaps if you tried one of the new, larger ships you would have a better experience. On the other hand, maybe Carnival just isn't for you. If that is the case, then Happy Cruising on Princess.

[nybumpkin]

We're on the Victory in July. Booked this cruise as a short (5 day) get-away for my DH and myself. As you can see by Roz's signature, she really likes Princess as we do, but we wanted to try Carnival, and this is a short drive to NY port for us. We like to try different cruise lines and really go with an open mind and make the best of "our vacation". ...I'm just getting bad vibes:eek: I'm sure we will have a ball, we usually do!!

Clutterlady - Victory's the oldest Carnival ship we've sailed. (All of seven years old:eek: .) And we're sailing her for the third time in August. Yeah, she's a little worn around the edges. No, she doesn't have the bells and whistles of the newer Carnival ships - no fridges in the cabins, no supper club, no sushi bar, no fish and chips. But we've had a great time both times we've sailed her - we enjoy the "seven seas" theme, the food has always been good, and we've never lacked for things to do. 68 days to go, and we can't wait!

[CARIBBEANBLUESKY]

Oh Please! Unless the entire ship went down the toilet when it moved to the West Coast...the OP is totally exagerating. :rolleyes:

 

Elation was the ship we did in December. I am a SNOB! I am a hotel snob! I am a suite snob! I pay $10,000 each for cruises without batting an eye and then go on to pay $700 for ONE night in a pre-cruise hotel in Miami.

 

So I am ONE PICKY CHICK!

 

And you know what...I booked Elation last minute. Paid under $1,000 TOTAL for my whole family. Went with an Ocean View on the so-called "sewer smelling" Riviera deck...and it was SUCH A WONDERFUL CRUISE!

 

We had a GREAT time! We had no problems. I went into it thinking it was so darn cheap that it couldn't be good and it turned out so great that I book Sensation for August...YES even after another $10,000 cruise this past May with RCCL.

 

Sorry the "thugs" took the cruiseship over...maybe Elation should have stayed in Port Canaveral. ;)

 

Number 1, it is VERY uncouth to brag about how much you pay for something. Completely inappropriate and shows a lack of home training.

 

Number 2, since you allegedly pay $10,000 for cruises, why would you book an oceanview in STEERAGE on such an old ship as the Elation?

 

Finally, the fact that you had a wonderful experience in no way invalidates the OP's opinion. Sometimes it is simply a matter of what people are accustomed to in their everyday lives. One person may think the ship is fabulous, that the food is great, et cetera. Another person may think the ship is a broken-down, raggedy piece of crap and that the food is not fit to be served to a dog. Neither would be lying or exaggerating as far as how the ship appeared to him or her. Maybe the OP's standards are higher than yours. Did you ever think of that????

[Mikel1733]

 

Maybe the OP's standards are higher than yours. Did you ever think of that????

 

Be Honest!!!!!!

ELATION IS NOT WHAT YOU PEOPLE SAID.

 

That must be it.

[ShedQueen77]

Cathy: As I said before, I don't think people are as thorough about their evaluation of a ship as they could be..........being "honest" and being thorough is truly two different things......

 

 

 

Well, I think a lot of people aren't 100% honest because they get slammed for doing so, even if they post negatives in a "nice" way. While I could care less if someone wants to flame me for posting my honest opinion, some aren't quite as apt to do so. I've only been on CC for about 4 months and I've seen this scenario happen quite often, so I'm sure you veterans have seen it as well. Even if you post the most perfectly balanced review (between good and bad) someone (or in some cases, someones!) will pick your negatives out of the whole review and bicker, argue and flame you for being so "negative" about their beloved ship/cruiseline/product whatever! :)

 

That being said, I usually do not take reviews 100% seriously, nor do I base my cruise plans off of them alone. What could totally destroy a vacation for one person may just roll off another's back. Even something as "bad" as a dysfunctional/"unsanitary" toilet can go either way for anybody. Some would be enraged about it, some would just say "Oh well, I'll use the bathroom in my cabin". It's all each individual's preferences and expectations, which makes even those most elemental things (such as cleanliness, etc..) subjective. Hope that makes sense! :)

 

To the OP: Your signature states you've been on a few other Carnival cruises. Did you ever have this type of experience before?

[Wennfred]

Is that how long it lasted? I was posting my reply when it disappeared. I said you forgot to mention Balcony vs Inside. :D

 

Linda

 

I will have to repost it and leave out the PVP vs TA, thats what did it. :D

 

 

Fred

[Calicruiser101]

Number 1, it is VERY uncouth to brag about how much you pay for something. Completely inappropriate and shows a lack of home training.

 

Number 2, since you allegedly pay $10,000 for cruises, why would you book an oceanview in STEERAGE on such an old ship as the Elation?

 

Finally, the fact that you had a wonderful experience in no way invalidates the OP's opinion. Sometimes it is simply a matter of what people are accustomed to in their everyday lives. One person may think the ship is fabulous, that the food is great, et cetera. Another person may think the ship is a broken-down, raggedy piece of crap and that the food is not fit to be served to a dog. Neither would be lying or exaggerating as far as how the ship appeared to him or her. Maybe the OP's standards are higher than yours. Did you ever think of that????

 

I couldn't agree more about your number 1. The adjective uncouth comes to mind. The book The Great Gatsby came to mind while reading her post, the premise of the book was Old money vs New money and the fact that there is a large difference. It really doesn't not matter what you pay for your room, but rather the fact that you paid any amount of money for a vacation and the service was not up to par.

[Calicruiser101]

Number 1, it is VERY uncouth to brag about how much you pay for something. Completely inappropriate and shows a lack of home training.

 

Number 2, since you allegedly pay $10,000 for cruises, why would you book an oceanview in STEERAGE on such an old ship as the Elation?

 

Finally, the fact that you had a wonderful experience in no way invalidates the OP's opinion. Sometimes it is simply a matter of what people are accustomed to in their everyday lives. One person may think the ship is fabulous, that the food is great, et cetera. Another person may think the ship is a broken-down, raggedy piece of crap and that the food is not fit to be served to a dog. Neither would be lying or exaggerating as far as how the ship appeared to him or her. Maybe the OP's standards are higher than yours. Did you ever think of that????

Duh, guess I didn't read the first time where you you used the word uncouth, refined minds think alike.:)