Cruise reviews vs expectations

[Jobeth66]

I apologize for quoting out of order...

 

My expectation for a cruise - a balcony overlooking the ocean, a bed, and a promise that I won't starve. That's it. Anything above that is just icing on the cake.

 

So...you spend $1500 on a cruise, and feel that anything you get above '3 hots and a cot' is exemplary? If you spent $1500 on a land-based vacation, would you feel the same way? If you spent $200 a night with a travel agent for a vacation and ended up at a Motel 6 with a Sizzler gift card for your meals, that'd be acceptable to you? Just trying to get a feel for if your expectations are the same no matter what the vacation.

 

People should lighten up and lower their expectations. Then, they will always be presently surprised.

 

I was on the Glory last week - I had a few expectations.

 

#1 - that the crew & staff would appreciate that I was there. With a few exceptions, that did not happen.

 

#2 - that if a timetable was posted, it would be adhered to. With a VERY few exceptions, that did not happen. We never docked on time. I expect that a cruise line that sails from Port Canaveral to Key West will KNOW how long it takes to get there, and that if we leave Port Canaveral at 4pm doing X knots, then it will take us Y hours to arrive. Not Y + 2. I was in the first dinner seating (5:45) and the entire week, I think the dining room was open at 5:45 *once*. Most nights, it opened right before 6. All well and good at the beginning of the meal, but by the end of the meal, you're feeling like they're rushing you out to accomodate the next seating. And it's not only the passengers to whom things weren't communicated, but the STAFF. We were a fixture at every trivia except the sports trivia. So much so, that on Thursday (our 2nd day at sea) Joe (Cruise Director staff) saw us leaving bingo and said 'I'll see you at 3:30 for trivia'. We laughed it off as a joke - trivia was at 4. When he saw us later in front of Creams, he said 'I gave you a wrong time, trivia is at 2:30' - we said 'no, trivia is at 4, it's right here in the Capers -and we showed him. and he said 'that's not possible, I have Water Wars at 4 and I can't be two places at once, and we don't have staff to cover both at that time'. So he raced off to do whatever HE had to do - but if we hadn't pointed it out to him, he may have been in trouble with one or another group of people that expected him to be somewhere he wasn't. Shows and events rarely started on time, and one thing would run into another. Selling bingo cards at the stage instead of at the door resulted in bingo starting 20-25 minutes post-stated time, consistently. Art auctions *never* came close to starting on time. This left you with having to abandon events midway if there was something else you wanted to participate in more - only to find out that you COULD have finished what you were doing, because the event you rushed away for wasn't starting on time, either.

 

#3 - that a crew and staff that deals with people getting on and off ships 365 days a year would have a published or announced procedure for such. Not that they pull into a port, make no announcements, tell people to leave the gangway area and wait for further announcements, and then never make them, leaving people to figure it out for themselves when they finally DO open the gangways (the same ones they told you 45 minutes ago when the ship docked that they would NOT be using).

 

#4 - that the cruise director would be visible, available, and circulate through the ship - not only appear at a few introductions before production shows, the captain's cocktail party, and at the end-of-cruise debarkation talk, crying about how we need to fill out the comment cards that our expectations were 'exceeded in every area' and please tip all these people.

 

#5 - that when a true problem is communicated to the steward, the steward's supervisor, and the purser's office, that it will be acknowledged, rectified, confirmed that it was rectified, and dealt with if it wasn't. I don't expect that they make promises that they don't keep, and then call at midnight on the last night of the cruise to see 'how your cruise experience' was.

 

#6 - I expect that entertainment will be entertaining. I realize that different people have different standards of what they find worthwhile, but a magician doing the SAME TRICK 5 different ways in a half hour, with production dance numbers in between? And bad dance at that? Forget it. Comedians that half the audience walked out on? No thanks. The *passengers* in karaoke and such provied much better entertainment - both in quality and quantity.

 

#7 - that when there are groups of children and teenagers that are where they are not supposed to be, or are rude, obnoxious to other passengers, and/or destructive - or worse yet, HURT or in medical distress, that security or any other crew member will deal with it - not just walk on by unless prompted by a passenger.

 

Are these unreasonable expectations? I don't think so. And all of these things happened on my Carnival Glory cruise last week. I spent close to $5k for a family vacation for 4 once all was said and done, and yes, I have certain expectations. I spent half that for a vacation at a small resort in Aruba and was *constantly* treated as though I were a valued guest - staff and owners alike were solicitous and helpful. I spent much less on a cruise with Princess a few years ago - and felt as though I were a valued guest. I did NOT feel like a valued guest last week. I felt like a number, a body, a tic on a balance sheet. Well below my expectations.

 

Did I have a good time? You bet. But as I said in my response in the Carnival Glory 8/25-9/1 thread started by Gunnyman ( http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=620165 ) - that was many times in spite of Carnival, not because of them. Will I cruise again? You bet. Will Carnival get my hard-earned money? Doubtful. Not because they don't have the ability to provide a worthwhile product, because I fully believe they do - they just didn't seem to care, and they failed miserably with regard to my group.

 

Do I look for things to complain about? Not at all. As someone else said - I didn't spend that much money to go away for a week just so I could come back here and complain about it - but my expectations exceed 3 hots & a cot. Maybe if I was on a $249 PP party cruise, yeah. But a $750 PP vacation? No. Does that make me unreasonable? I guess to some of you, it does. But I refuse to be a pumper - I'll be honest. When things are done right, I will absolutey speak up (and again - Farah at Creams, Elzbieta and Michael with the dining staff, the Emerald Supper Club, all outstanding. Club 02, definitely exceeded my expectations. The counselors there were *fantastic*, and my 2 teens came away from their first cruise wanting more- including my 15 year old who, when we left for the cruise, insisted that he was going to spend the entire week in his cabin "being bored". For those of you on the sailing who heard many of us out & about teasing him 'Hi Sean, how ya doing, Sean? Having fun Sean? Bye Sean!' - THAT was why we were doing it. He had an amazing time.)

 

So, there's my .02. Pointing out a negative experience does not mean that we're only looking for negatives. Telling us that we should have a 'lower expectation' is insulting, quite honestly. I don't expect Intercontinental or Four Seasons at $1500 per week - but I do expect the crew to care. And those of us who do mention negatives shouldn't be harassed or harangued for doing so.

[Rocknsoul]

I feel your pain, I posted a thread last week and within 18 hrs 50, 000 had read it over 600 had posted and I was called everything from a liar to a racist to whatever the final insult was before it was pulled. You are correct most do not want to hear the negatives .

 

Nancy, that thread was...eye-opening. Did you ever get a response from Carnival? Sorry if it was written somewhere & I missed it.

 

GettingoutofIndy, I enjoyed your review. It seemed fair to me. Whatever other people think, it's your opinion & your experience.

 

OP, I agree that expectations have a lot to do with it, but I also think perception depends on a person's flexibility. By no means were my RCI cruises a luxury experience, but we were just looking for a good time & we had one. I've tried very hard to keep an open mind for our upcoming cruise on Fantasy...& not compare it to the cruises I've been on, but hopefully I'll come back with info that is useful to someone. I'll have a good time, because I'll be alone with my DH for 5 days...but if I don't think the experience is worth the money, then I won't go back. And that's okay!

 

You know, negative reviews can be helpful in the sense that they can lower someone's expectations, so the reader might actually enjoy the cruise more! A bit like when you've heard bad things about a movie & go to see it anyway, and you end up liking it...

[SheriNtexas]

Your avatar makes me laugh every time I see it!:D

 

 

ROFL!!! I hadn't noticed his avatar but HAD to scroll back up and look after YOUR post!! :D

[Gunnyman]

I'd hardly call my pals Skittles and Jobeth's complaints a sign of expectations being too high.

I've been on 3 Carnival cruises, and everything they mentioned happened, and shouldn't have.

 

 

Broken AC, inexcusable, either find the guy a new cabin, or issue some ship board credits.

Kids running all over unabated, also inexcusable, but heck 10 years ago I had a CCL employee tell me they have been instructed NOT to control the kids, because someone's mommy raised a major stink about a waiter telling a kid not to run on a wet slippery deck. I imagine that policy is still in place, because not once did I see a carnival employee say or do anything about the unruly kids raising cain.

 

Carnival is a Value cruise line no doubt, but even the cheap hotel room I stayed in in Canaveral made me feel like a valued customer.

 

Carnival didn't have that feel to me.

I still had fun, but if I had it to do again, I'd probably choose another cruise line too.

[trock]

I would like to say, i love to read reviews both positive and negative. I get something from both types. What I dont understand is where some peoples expectations come from. I read about the rooms and not sure where people are coming from. On the whole I have noticed the people with higher category rooms are usually happier than those with lower cat rooms. Now in my opinion this is probably due to 2 things. First the people with the higher cat rooms figured what type of room they would be happy with and spent the required amount to get it! Second they had more realistic expectations of that room. I have stayed in suites in expensive hotels and I have stayed in cheap rooms in a no name hotel, I would never dream of comparing them, but been happy with both for what they are and what i want or need.

 

Now for the food, When you go to a banquet you do not expect gourmet food but you can still enjoy it. A ship serves probably upwards of 9,000 meals a day from a limited size kithen with little access to fresh ingredients. How can you expect your food to be as good as the best restaurants in your hometown? Maybe on a luxury line with much less passenger counts this could be the case, but not likely on a mega liner.

 

As many have said your cruise is what you make of it. On the whole this is true. I realize there are times no matter how good your attitude is things will happen. But these lines dont serve so many people without the vast majority being pleased and repeat travellers. If we were all one and done never repeating the ships would be half empty.

 

So for those travelling soon, one peice of advise. Make sure you have realistic expectations and go have fun.

 

I understand I will be critcized for this post, but if someone reads this and then changes their expectation or reevaluates it and realize they are realistic and enjoys thier vacation more I will be happy!

 

 

Thank you

That was very well said!

I have had inside/outside and for once a balcony

I will take whatever room i can get.. I dont plan on spending that much time in it.. Naturally the balcony is the preference but we are picking the room so we know what we are getting

 

It amazes me how the cruiselines can pull off 10,000 plus meals a day at the quality they do serve.. even the mediocre food is usually well presented and good...

[trock]

I feel your pain, I posted a thread last week and within 18 hrs 50, 000 had read it over 600 had posted and I was called everything from a liar to a racist to whatever the final insult was before it was pulled. You are correct most do not want to hear the negatives .

 

 

Hi Nancy!

Hope you are well.. Have you heard anything? Keep calling.. you will get somewhere...just be patient..

[trock]

Three words:

 

THE LOVE BOAT

 

My sister sailed on the Love Boat, and well, she loved it LOL

[LeftatGator]

 

 

So...you spend $1500 on a cruise, and feel that anything you get above '3 hots and a cot' is exemplary? If you spent $1500 on a land-based vacation, would you feel the same way? If you spent $200 a night with a travel agent for a vacation and ended up at a Motel 6 with a Sizzler gift card for your meals, that'd be acceptable to you? Just trying to get a feel for if your expectations are the same no matter what the vacation.

 

.

 

Wow - I clearly must not have communicated well. I didn't say complaints were bad. My tongue-in-cheek expectations were just an attempt to illustrate what's really important (mostly, me being able to spend a week away with my wife).

In my reviews I have listed the good and the bad. But I've seen people's cruises "ruined" because their shower curtain stuck to them, or because the shipped moved, or because the internet cost too much. All I was saying is (if you read my comment) that it's amazing what it takes to run a cruise, and it wouldn't hurt for people to be a little more flexible. I'm not saying I wouldn't (and haven't) complained about legitimate issues. But to have the whole trip ruined because kids were in the elevators - is sad. I guess it just takes a lot to "ruin" something for me. I usually find more positive than negatives.

 

On the conquest a few years ago, we were in some rough water (not too rough, but it caused a lot of movement). During one of the dance shows, the curtains were swaying wildly and the dancers could barely stay upright. I was worried about one of them hurting themselves or falling off the stage. The lady behind me was pissed and kept talking about how it was ruined for her.

 

I felt sorry for her. What a sad way to live. For me it was a great story and memory.

[DavidandPaula]

This was our first cruise together and Paulas first since the 1980s.

 

I think she had visions of every night a formal night, with dining on the Captains table a possible, the riff raff down on their own deck in steerage,......

 

I had been searching this site for 6+ months to assist in planning and avoiding any pitfalls.

 

The postives and negatives on this site all help to plan your trip and set your expectations. I could not even begin to calculate the negatives I read and many of them helped me to plan how to avoid problems. All sorts of things like powerpoint adaptors, embarkation time, transport in ports, where to eat, clothes to pack.

 

At the end of the cruise I wrote a review and identified a few areas where I thought Carnival could improve. Over all I believe the cruise met my expectations, not exceeded them because this site had helped me prepare and set realistic expectations about so many aspects.

 

Keep up the good work CC's, your feedback is invaluable to new and old cruisers alike. You have me hooked and we are planning for a B2B cruise next year for Alaska/Hawaii taking advantage of the Spirits repositioning cruise and catching up with our Canadian friends we met on the cruise in July.

 

David

[hubofhockey]

I don't care that every cruise is a "great cruise because you're not at work". I want to know which cruises and ships are better than others. I want to know what foods to get and what to avoid. I want to know if a ship is overcrowded and service is bad. I do find the most informative pages on this site to be the ports of call section. People are honest and don't get flamed for telling others to avoid certain excursions and when to do excursions on your own. Yes, sometimes that makes more sense than overpaying for crowded Carnival excursions I guess nobody is a "cheerleader" for an excursion. In any case, to me, it's not about expectations. It's about comparisons and advice. I hope reviewers can be critical (without getting flamed :mad: ).

[w99flash]

"You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, You can not please All of the people All of the time." I also work in a service industry and it is my goal to please as many people as possible. What upsets me is if someone has a complaint but doesn't communicate it to me,thus at least, giving me the opportunity to correct the issue on the spot. Then writes a letter of complaint after the fact. As frequently stated in this thread we all have our own expectations and those who service us cannot know what they are unless we communicate them. Sometimes all it takes is a simple request.

[CruisingAgain]

Great thread .... I agree with the OP. NO - I don't think everything is always great and I enjoy reading about real problems so I know what to avoid. But there are just some complaints that are so silly that you know the person is focusing on the negative. Otherwise why bother mentioning the absolutely ridiculous things. Some of my favorites:

 

1. It was hot on every island ... UM - you cruised to the Caribbean in August, I think your expectations were a little off.

 

2. The voice announcing the floors in the elevator was annoying

 

3. All the crew spoke with an accent.

 

YUP ... those are very constructive and will help to educate everyone.

[*Mach*]

I think when reading reviews, you can read between the lines and tell whether the reviewer has had legitimate problems or was just looking for something to be wrong. It's all about expectations, if you go knowing you are going to have a good time 99% if the time, you will. It's kind of the cup half full/empty theory. It's up to each person to decide which outlook they want to grab hold of.

 

That, in particular, is the crux of the matter. Some folks have their noses stuck so far up in the air it's amazing there's enough oxygen for them to breath. Nothing is good enough for them. This doesn't apply to just snooty folks with more money than sense but it also applies to the wanna-be's.

 

It's the 'give me more' and the 'life owes me' mentality that has generated so many of the social ills we have today. Translate that to a cruise ship from which there is no escape and the trolls come out from under the bridges.

 

Certainly, it's a very small percentage of people that cruise who feel that they deserve more than anyone else. However, consider that it's always the exception that makes news. If murders were an everyday occurrence they wouldn't make news. If wars broke out every day they wouldn't make news. The same is true of dissatisfied cruisers. They look for an avenue to vent and, sadly, this is an excellent avenue.

 

One might consider the old 'grain of salt' when reading reviews that are filled with vitriol.

 

Remember, some folks wouldn't be happy if you hung them with a new rope!!!

 

;)

[dst]

And here is what I don't understand..

I wrote one of those Triumph reviews, and I added both positive and negative aspects...the very ones that you say you enjoy reading. And yet, all anyone seems to pick up on is that I'm a negative person who went expecting a bad time...I'm a "curmudgeon" and unhappy, etc. Give me a freaking break!

 

As I said in my other post, I spent my hard earned cash on my trip. I could've chosen other cruise lines, but went with Carnival because I'd read some nice reviews. No, not everything was postitive, but I figured life is what it is...not perfect. Not every vacation will go off without a hitch.

 

Everyone on here wants a review of others' cruises, but the second a semi-negative review comes up, people are waiting with their torches.

When Roger Ebert reviews a person's favorite movie, but he gives it a thumbs down, do they really get so upset over it? Man, if they do, they really need to add something else to their lives.

 

I try to travel often, so I don't spend $1500 on a trip hoping things will go wrong simply so I can come back and write a negative review.

 

I had realistic expectations going into this cruise, and, I really wanted to come home with a favorable review. In the end, there was some positive, some negative. Regardless, it was my experience.

 

If by me mentioning the negative aspects of my cruise means I have unrealistic expectations, then, I guess, so be it. But I won't sugar coat my review to appease those who are Carnival loyalists. There are still people out there who want balanced reviews.

 

 

Indy: I read your review over the weekend; I think your review was fair and was not too critical. I think you are entitled to have expectations no matter what you are doing....without expectations non of us would do anything worth while. I have expecations from my employees, I have expectations for my banker, I have expectations of myself so of course I am going to have expectations of my vacations. Who is anyone to say that someone elses expectations were not valid!

 

Regardless of if I agree with your review (I believe I stated I have taken the Triumph and I am taking it again) or not you are entitled to post not only your review but your expectations.

 

If someone takes the time out to post a review, we should all appreciate the time that person took. Read the review and take away from it what you will. Don't flame someone for not having the expectations that you have.

 

Indy - again I appreciate your review and every other review that people post, good bad or indifferent; I am educated enough to take what applies to my own expectations and make my own decisions about the cruise I should/should not take.

[AZaTaz]

I agree with the OP. I do believe it is all about expectations. I had been on one cruise prior to this year, on Celebrity Mercury to Alaska, had a great time. My SO decided to schedule a cruise on Carnival Paradise. My expectations, after reading these boards, were extremely low. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience, so much so we booked Carnival Elation three months later and again was pleasantly surprised.

I have a princess cruise coming up in a month my expectations for that cruise are different but I am sure I will have a good time.

[funcpl30]

great input everyone, my expectations were to either get flamed or the thread to die a harsh death and it has not! EVERYONE has EXCEEDED my expectations!

[keishashadow]

While I agree that having an enjoyable cruise is somewhat dependent on your cabin category, more importantly your mindset is crucial (r u a cup 1/2 empty/full person or a compulsive planner who wants all to run according to schedule).

 

Of course, certain expectations as stated in prior posts must be met. The most important element in the service industry is how the staff deals with an unfortunate occurence; whether they resolve it or not. Things can happen anywhere to throw a wrench into best-laid plans.

 

I expect to be treated with dignity and compassion (real or feigned;) ). This is what helps to promote company/brand loyalty. The goal is to get the customer to identify with "their" vacation providers (whether a cruise line, Disney, etc.). If successful, any negative comments (real or construed) are taken as personal attacks.

 

Just as on any other travel site, it is realatively easy to pick out the cheerleader and negative nellie reviews and head for the middle ground.

 

I haven't cruised Carnival before (looking forward to it though). I'm getting a double-take from friends when I tell them we're trying Carnival:eek: , followed by horror stories/personal reviews galore. Usually involving an family member who had a bad experience when it was a "party boat" years ago...again, it's the perception issue. Even when I tell them the great ports we are sailing to and the even greater military rate we were offered, their opinion is dead-set.:confused:

[sydneyb]

In my reviews I have listed the good and the bad. But I've seen people's cruises "ruined" because their shower curtain stuck to them, or because the shipped moved, or because the internet cost too much. All I was saying is (if you read my comment) that it's amazing what it takes to run a cruise, and it wouldn't hurt for people to be a little more flexible. I'm not saying I wouldn't (and haven't) complained about legitimate issues. But to have the whole trip ruined because kids were in the elevators - is sad. I guess it just takes a lot to "ruin" something for me. I usually find more positive than negatives.

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

I think people spend too much time being unhappy about the small stuff -- basically nothing would make them happy...when someone complains about petty things like the shower curtain, it really doesn't help me decide on my cruise or help me set my expectations. It makes me roll my eyes and say "give me a break". If someone complains about brown nasty water -- then that is legitimate and I would maybe choose a different ship.

 

But I suppose if you list every little thing that bothers you then you're helping someone who has similar tastes.

[GettingOutOfIndy]

I apologize for quoting out of order...

 

 

 

So...you spend $1500 on a cruise, and feel that anything you get above '3 hots and a cot' is exemplary? If you spent $1500 on a land-based vacation, would you feel the same way? If you spent $200 a night with a travel agent for a vacation and ended up at a Motel 6 with a Sizzler gift card for your meals, that'd be acceptable to you? Just trying to get a feel for if your expectations are the same no matter what the vacation.

 

 

 

I was on the Glory last week - I had a few expectations.

 

#1 - that the crew & staff would appreciate that I was there. With a few exceptions, that did not happen.

 

#2 - that if a timetable was posted, it would be adhered to. With a VERY few exceptions, that did not happen. We never docked on time. I expect that a cruise line that sails from Port Canaveral to Key West will KNOW how long it takes to get there, and that if we leave Port Canaveral at 4pm doing X knots, then it will take us Y hours to arrive. Not Y + 2. I was in the first dinner seating (5:45) and the entire week, I think the dining room was open at 5:45 *once*. Most nights, it opened right before 6. All well and good at the beginning of the meal, but by the end of the meal, you're feeling like they're rushing you out to accomodate the next seating. And it's not only the passengers to whom things weren't communicated, but the STAFF. We were a fixture at every trivia except the sports trivia. So much so, that on Thursday (our 2nd day at sea) Joe (Cruise Director staff) saw us leaving bingo and said 'I'll see you at 3:30 for trivia'. We laughed it off as a joke - trivia was at 4. When he saw us later in front of Creams, he said 'I gave you a wrong time, trivia is at 2:30' - we said 'no, trivia is at 4, it's right here in the Capers -and we showed him. and he said 'that's not possible, I have Water Wars at 4 and I can't be two places at once, and we don't have staff to cover both at that time'. So he raced off to do whatever HE had to do - but if we hadn't pointed it out to him, he may have been in trouble with one or another group of people that expected him to be somewhere he wasn't. Shows and events rarely started on time, and one thing would run into another. Selling bingo cards at the stage instead of at the door resulted in bingo starting 20-25 minutes post-stated time, consistently. Art auctions *never* came close to starting on time. This left you with having to abandon events midway if there was something else you wanted to participate in more - only to find out that you COULD have finished what you were doing, because the event you rushed away for wasn't starting on time, either.

 

#3 - that a crew and staff that deals with people getting on and off ships 365 days a year would have a published or announced procedure for such. Not that they pull into a port, make no announcements, tell people to leave the gangway area and wait for further announcements, and then never make them, leaving people to figure it out for themselves when they finally DO open the gangways (the same ones they told you 45 minutes ago when the ship docked that they would NOT be using).

 

#4 - that the cruise director would be visible, available, and circulate through the ship - not only appear at a few introductions before production shows, the captain's cocktail party, and at the end-of-cruise debarkation talk, crying about how we need to fill out the comment cards that our expectations were 'exceeded in every area' and please tip all these people.

 

#5 - that when a true problem is communicated to the steward, the steward's supervisor, and the purser's office, that it will be acknowledged, rectified, confirmed that it was rectified, and dealt with if it wasn't. I don't expect that they make promises that they don't keep, and then call at midnight on the last night of the cruise to see 'how your cruise experience' was.

 

#6 - I expect that entertainment will be entertaining. I realize that different people have different standards of what they find worthwhile, but a magician doing the SAME TRICK 5 different ways in a half hour, with production dance numbers in between? And bad dance at that? Forget it. Comedians that half the audience walked out on? No thanks. The *passengers* in karaoke and such provied much better entertainment - both in quality and quantity.

 

#7 - that when there are groups of children and teenagers that are where they are not supposed to be, or are rude, obnoxious to other passengers, and/or destructive - or worse yet, HURT or in medical distress, that security or any other crew member will deal with it - not just walk on by unless prompted by a passenger.

 

Are these unreasonable expectations? I don't think so. And all of these things happened on my Carnival Glory cruise last week. I spent close to $5k for a family vacation for 4 once all was said and done, and yes, I have certain expectations. I spent half that for a vacation at a small resort in Aruba and was *constantly* treated as though I were a valued guest - staff and owners alike were solicitous and helpful. I spent much less on a cruise with Princess a few years ago - and felt as though I were a valued guest. I did NOT feel like a valued guest last week. I felt like a number, a body, a tic on a balance sheet. Well below my expectations.

 

Did I have a good time? You bet. But as I said in my response in the Carnival Glory 8/25-9/1 thread started by Gunnyman ( http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=620165 ) - that was many times in spite of Carnival, not because of them. Will I cruise again? You bet. Will Carnival get my hard-earned money? Doubtful. Not because they don't have the ability to provide a worthwhile product, because I fully believe they do - they just didn't seem to care, and they failed miserably with regard to my group.

 

Do I look for things to complain about? Not at all. As someone else said - I didn't spend that much money to go away for a week just so I could come back here and complain about it - but my expectations exceed 3 hots & a cot. Maybe if I was on a $249 PP party cruise, yeah. But a $750 PP vacation? No. Does that make me unreasonable? I guess to some of you, it does. But I refuse to be a pumper - I'll be honest. When things are done right, I will absolutey speak up (and again - Farah at Creams, Elzbieta and Michael with the dining staff, the Emerald Supper Club, all outstanding. Club 02, definitely exceeded my expectations. The counselors there were *fantastic*, and my 2 teens came away from their first cruise wanting more- including my 15 year old who, when we left for the cruise, insisted that he was going to spend the entire week in his cabin "being bored". For those of you on the sailing who heard many of us out & about teasing him 'Hi Sean, how ya doing, Sean? Having fun Sean? Bye Sean!' - THAT was why we were doing it. He had an amazing time.)

 

So, there's my .02. Pointing out a negative experience does not mean that we're only looking for negatives. Telling us that we should have a 'lower expectation' is insulting, quite honestly. I don't expect Intercontinental or Four Seasons at $1500 per week - but I do expect the crew to care. And those of us who do mention negatives shouldn't be harassed or harangued for doing so.

 

Very well said. Thank you!

[sydneyb]

 

I was on the Glory last week - I had a few expectations.

 

 

...these expectations aren't "the shower curtain waved around too much". I too have a certain level of expectations similar to Jobeth66. I think what that LeftGator dude is saying is that some people set the bar too high. You have no where to go from there except disappointment.

[UpstateCruizer]

And here is what I don't understand..

I wrote one of those Triumph reviews, and I added both positive and negative aspects...the very ones that you say you enjoy reading. And yet, all anyone seems to pick up on is that I'm a negative person who went expecting a bad time...I'm a "curmudgeon" and unhappy, etc. Give me a freaking break!

 

As I said in my other post, I spent my hard earned cash on my trip. I could've chosen other cruise lines, but went with Carnival because I'd read some nice reviews. No, not everything was postitive, but I figured life is what it is...not perfect. Not every vacation will go off without a hitch.

 

Everyone on here wants a review of others' cruises, but the second a semi-negative review comes up, people are waiting with their torches.

When Roger Ebert reviews a person's favorite movie, but he gives it a thumbs down, do they really get so upset over it? Man, if they do, they really need to add something else to their lives.

 

I try to travel often, so I don't spend $1500 on a trip hoping things will go wrong simply so I can come back and write a negative review.

 

I had realistic expectations going into this cruise, and, I really wanted to come home with a favorable review. In the end, there was some positive, some negative. Regardless, it was my experience.

 

If by me mentioning the negative aspects of my cruise means I have unrealistic expectations, then, I guess, so be it. But I won't sugar coat my review to appease those who are Carnival loyalists. There are still people out there who want balanced reviews.

 

Balanced reviews? I read your review and while you are entitled to share your opinion if you truly were looking to add a balanced review it did not appear to be the case based on what you wrote. In one part saying the food was mediocre to poor and the best was the frozen yougurt is anything but balanced. Anyone who has sailed on Carnival or this ship is going to know that is not a balanced review of the food offered. Perhaps if you had said "Out of all the food options I chose to try I found the frozen yougurt to be the best" you may have had more credibility. Breakfast is a perfect example of where the review gets negative responses. There are endless food options for breakfast and to focus on one and only one doesn't provide a balanced review. After the first day of finding the buffet not to my liking I'd have been in the dining room, omlete station or ordering room service. The breakfast in the dining room was excellent with freshly prepared foods. Nothing watery nothing cold and excellent service. When I go to a resturant offering a buffet or the option to order from the menu 99% of the time I chose the menu option. I am not a buffet person so I would more than likely not be happy with a buffet. When a company provides as many food choices to it's guests as Carnival does it is highly unlikely that there was nothing positive but more likely a case of nothing positive from the options you chose.

[GettingOutOfIndy]

Balanced reviews? I read your review and while you are entitled to share your opinion if you truly were looking to add a balanced review it did not appear to be the case based on what you wrote. In one part saying the food was mediocre to poor and the best was the frozen yougurt is anything but balanced. Anyone who has sailed on Carnival or this ship is going to know that is not a balanced review of the food offered. Perhaps if you had said "Out of all the food options I chose to try I found the frozen yougurt to be the best" you may have had more credibility. Breakfast is a perfect example of where the review gets negative responses. There are endless food options for breakfast and to focus on one and only one doesn't provide a balanced review. After the first day of finding the buffet not to my liking I'd have been in the dining room, omlete station or ordering room service. The breakfast in the dining room was excellent with freshly prepared foods. Nothing watery nothing cold and excellent service. When I go to a resturant offering a buffet or the option to order from the menu 99% of the time I chose the menu option. I am not a buffet person so I would more than likely not be happy with a buffet. When a company provides as many food choices to it's guests as Carnival does it is highly unlikely that there was nothing positive but more likely a case of nothing positive from the options you chose.

 

OK, first off...It was probably 1am when I wrote this review, as I stated right off the bat...I was very tired, but couldn't actually sleep...forgive if I left a thing or two out.

I mentioned the eggs, and why I didn't eat them. Perhaps not in my original review, but I mentioned it later when someone else asked. I tried the scrambled eggs for breakfast, and the first day, they were good...the 2nd day, they looked a little watery...after that, I found out that my friend had a thing about eggs. Since I'm the same way about bananas (I HATE THEM!), I didn't want to eat eggs around her...this also included the omelets.

As far as the dining room goes, the hours were at a time that didn't work for me, so I never made it up there. I can't review something I didn't have. But, for the record, I had friends that ate in the DR almost every morning and said it was OK...not excellent, but OK.

Again, I didn't eat there, so I can't attest to it.

 

As far as the frozen yogurt goes, I'll have to go back and re-read, but I don't believe I compared the frozen yogurt to the food, but rather the dessert option on the Lido deck. I said that, some days, the dessert options were awesome, and some days, I couldn't find something I wanted...I just wished that the options would've been a little more mixed, meaning that I could find something each day, if that makes sense. I'm a choco-holic, and that wasn't an option everyday. But on the days where I couldn't find anything I liked from that assortment, the FY was the best choice.

 

But, for the millionth time, this was ONLY MY OPINION(s). For crying out loud, if it didn't align with yours, and you're strictly looking for a rah-rah, everything was hearts and roses, look elsewhere...because for me, I'm going to tell you as I saw it-not how YOU want me to see it.

This site is about giving feedback, and not just from one person's perspective.

[Winglover1]

I was amused by all the flaming on this thread from Indy's review. For shame! :-) I have to say up front that it didn't sound like any of the Carnival Cruises I have been on. But in fairness, they are her opinions and if I felt that way about a cruise I just plunked down money on, I would be writing that in a letter to Customer Service at Carnival! After reading several flame jobs and you defending yourself, I had to find the original review, and it did sound quite negative....

 

But that is OK! Those are your opinions and you shouldn't be blasted for them.

 

My experiences on Carnival have been quite different. Five Carnival cruises, one this November, another next July (Alaska) and November (Caribbean) coming up. I have always found the food, service, staff, and general ships appearances to all be quite good. It is sad that her experience wasn't the same. If I were you Indy, I would copy that letter and send it to Carnival. They want to know how their ships and staff perform. Who knows, you might get a discount coupon towards a future cruise.

 

Having been in the US Navy, and experiencing a completly different type of cruise.... I was not sure what to expect from Carnival my first time out. I wish the Navy took lessons from them! I probably would have stayed in... But I digress.

 

I now run an annual cruise with our Ski Club, usually in November. The Fagowee Ski Club! Crazies all! We have always had a great party on Carnival. Being a drinking Club with a skiing problem, it's a perfect match! They have always been great at upgrading our group. This year we paid for 8A Balconies and got bumped up to 8E I think. We are on the Panorama Deck! They have been good to us, and we return. If I had 38 people with an experience like yours, I would never hear the end of it. I have 24 of the 26 from last years cruise sign up for this years! One can't get the time off, and the other is getting married and is spending his money on her! The nerve!

 

I think it boils down to expectations. Once a few things didn't measure up to your standards, it's easy to find fault everywhere. Personally if my sheets weren't changed often enough, I would call my Steward and get new sheets. If my food was cold, I'd send it back, raise hell and get a free glass of wine. If they didn't have chocolate on the menu, I'd ask for it. Like magic, it would appear. I have even ordered stuff not on the menu and had it delivered hot at the same time everyone else got their dinners. Chicken Fettuccine.. Yummmm They really do aim to please, at least, that is what my experience has been. Kunal ordered 6 orders of Stuffed Mushrooms one night for his dinner, no problem. I had three Lobster tails on Lobster night. One gal ordered all five desserts!

 

I'm sorry you didn't have the best time of your life on-board, maybe you should cruise with our group next time! :D

 

Any cruise, Anywhere, Anytime...

 

Mr. Bill :eek: The Cruise Director....

 

www.dcfagowees.com

 

If you haven't tried these things, you should

These things are fun, and fun is good.

- Dr. Seuss -