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What a fish tale! Why would anyone with any common sense leave $1,000 out in their cabin? It sounds like this woman either has some kind of mental illness or she's trying to extort money from Carnival through a meritless lawsuit.

 

Thanks for sharing this story. Sounds like Carnival did the right thing by letting the authorities take care of her.

I agree...a real drama queen...wanting her time on the news...and maybe a "payoff"

It simply makes no sense. Leave $1000 laying about ho hum and let "a man" who you have not seen before in the cabin. Right.

There is no proof she even had the $1000 to begin with.

Saw articles about this tragedy and it got me thinking

there is a "middle ground" solution that would probably be effective and still not open the cruise line to the liability of lawsuits due to lifeguard "responsibility" and/or hamper the pool (like short hours, clear the deck for lifeguard etc)

In fact - it is already on Princess - which is why you do not see all that many families wild about Princess LOL - they have a "youth security" staff and curfews and they actually enforce the adult only etc rules.

NCL ...and oh yes Carnival....both encourage the family fun , parents get lax, no one hauls the kids out of hot tubs where they don't belong. Kids are running around day and night, messing in the elevators etc

IMHO a good "youth security" staff would solve many problems.

They won't worry about tips - they can also ban a family from the pools if they continue to allow their kids there unsupervised.

I am sure the kids don't love Princess as much LOL>> a friend of mine went with her daughters/grandkids and they hated the "rules" and being told to get out of areas...etc ..oh well too bad. On carnival and ncl they could run wild wild wild...not so on Princess

This recent Breakaway is a tragedy but 4 years old?? OMG so sad

I really feel for the OP and there is NO need to make him feel worse

In fact, I hope he goes out and has a good lobster dinner or whatever to make up for this a little bit :)

This is a good lesson to all of us to check our needed docs, passport etc before we leave the house...and check it again

Also - it is a good lesson to those who blithely tell others to "meet the ship at next port" as it seems this is not an option anymore

NOT really cause of law - it is possible - but because the way they are interpreting it

Norwegian Dawn is getting horrible reviews and complaints - they schedule some boarding in Cozumel along with regular boarding in Tampa...

the customs and immigration who now enforce that all US Citizens must undergo a customs/border check IF one boards at a different port

so -this means long checks and long lines and hours and short tempers

Used to be - they allowed one or two exceptions, now no exception

if someone boards during the cruise then all must go through that..so the cruiselines are not permitting it. I hear NCL will stop this on next year schedule

it is a sad fact - and something we should remember - recently I saw people in snowy states saying they would "catch up to the cruise at next port if we miss embarkation">>> well sadly that seems to NO longer be possible...

sorry that the OP had to be the one to let us all know this fact

Hang in there buddy :)

Ouch I was on Destiny when she had air cond and plumbing problems

hope this gets fixed - they spend all that $$ for redo- why not fix the basics?

I think the later departure will be welcomed by those who want to stay in Nassau longer. They can catch a real act at Atlantis.

 

It should really help out Senior Frogs and other local bars and clubs, and I'm sure Carnival has calculated in the extra revenue from their shops in Cozumel and else-where.

 

This, I think, is wonderful news for Carnival's shareholders. I would think, however, that performing for the buffet crowd would be kind of a downer for the stars.

Have you been in the islands at night??

I did a land trip to St Thomas and night felt spooky in "downtown"....cab overcharge but who is going to argue with them?

Jamaica - stay at the all inclusive don't dare to leave

Better be careful wandering around at night JMO

My friend called today to get a refund for the gifts she ordered and were never delivered. She was told that they were delivered to us. They absolutely were not. They told her that they would have to research it and if they determined that the gifts were not delivered, they would issue her a check, but it may take 3-4 weeks. That is beyond ridiculous! If they can charge her credit card, they can also issue a refund. They also told her that she would need to keep calling back to check on the status of the case, instead of Carnival calling her. I am so angry. I called Carnival and the rep I spoke with pulled up the case. They had my friend's info and added my statement that we did not receive the items but there is still a process they have to go through. Really, if someone kept the items for themselves instead of delivering them, what are the chances they are going to admit to it. I politely expressed my displeasure with situation and told them that we expected a quick and satisfactory resolution, for all the good that will do. She will probably wind up having to dispute the purchase with her credit card.

 

I truly believe that Carnival does not care about repeat customers. They can fill their ships with newbies and once they have your money it doesn't matter if you are happy with the product or not. I am mad at myself for giving them this last chance.

 

I wonder if contacting John Heald would help resolve this matter.

 

Thanks again for all the kind responses to my review and the suggestions and birthday wishes.

Oh ouch - that is really not cool

Yes, I would contact JH on that..and keep after them

it is really ridiculous

I do think they could have delivered it to the wrong cabin - and someone kept it

You also said you upgraded - I can see a possible slip up there - maybe went to the lido cabin you had booked in the first place?

Screw ups can and do happen....first day on Conquest in Dec all the VIFP "letters" and drink coupons and pins etc were delivered to the wrong cabins on my floor - had others names on them - many had to stand in long line to get it resolved, I was able to go in VIP line for me and my cabinmate but what a cluster that was

At least you had the Big Easy show - I think it is my all time favorite Carnival show....soon all the ships will have the awful new Playlist shows sigh

I noticed you took the suite - that is shame cause IMHO the so called suites are not worth it at all on Carnival

A Carnival cruise in lower priced cabin (inside - no smoky noisy neighbors) can be a value, especially for those of us who live near a port IMHO

With the food cut backs, entertainment cut backs and today's silly announcement it is kind of hard to get excited about a Carnival cruise unless it is a real bargain or has some outstanding ports

I won't say never ever but I agree the experience is pretty lackluster anymore

You do realize that other cruise lines are already doing this don't you?

Rena...please list what cruise lines and what concerts they offer at ticket price?

Some - Royal , NCL, have some shows that you must prebook - Blue Man, Hairspray, Ice show or whatever - no cost but need to reserve a time/seat or else show up and go standby hope for a seat

NCL has cirque dreams, which comes with dinner for an upcharge

So = you made the statement, please back it up with facts -? I get sick of seeing so much misinformation around here

Just FYI Adkins had accused that TA of stalking him before and had run in with him.

Just an FYI - the very publically sober Adkins fell off the wagon on the cruise, left the ship and the concert goers high and dry...and went to rehab

he is a grown man - he could have called security or his own team of bodyguards

Hope they have some good "AA" handlers and bodyguards on hand when the big guy is on board LOL

note to the wise : don't sing his songs at Karaoke LOL

http://www.tmz.com/2014/01/15/trace-adkins-in-rehab-ship-impersonator-alcohol-fight/

fans are mad - http://www.tmz.com/2014/01/21/trace-adkins-free-drinks-show-tickets-cruise-ship-rehab-impersonator-fight/

I think it is really weird that Carnival would keep him on as an entertainer after that fiasco LOL

I've read your posts for MONTHS about more live bands and entertainment. They give it to you both for a fee and more house bands and you are still upset? What could they do to please you?

 

FYI: I have said all along I could care less if they have a band on the ship anywhere..live entertainment isn't something we long for.

Not the one you addressed...but let me ask you...if you don't like or appreciate live entertainment, why do you even ask??

I tell you what they could do for me....at very least, bring back a 2 piece steel/reggae group....fire a dj and a guitar player and bring back a Filipino cover band

put the late night comedy shows in the theater to stop the insanity

)))))))))))) that is the bare minimum

I really wish they would do what they seemed to be doing when they put the innovative and well appreciated show on Dream - Dancing in the Streets

I wish they would bring back production shows, good dancers and singers and costumes and sets

Ideally they would do something more innovative like shortened broadway shows like Royal and NCL are doing

a dueling piano would be nice too

What are the 9 ships that supposedly have this "enhancement"?

thanks

How did you pick these artists?

 

We conducted a number of in-depth surveys of our guests to gauge their feedback about musical genres that appeal to them. Based on these surveys, we selected a group of highly talented artists who represent the most popular genres according to our guests.

 

And here I thought that in the past Carnival had always geared towards the younger crowds. These are mostly groups from the 80's. A much older crowd than what Carnival stated wanted the DJ on the Lido deck instead of steel band when 2.0 came out:rolleyes:

LOL>>> whole lotta country music too - no thanks to that

I didn't even know Olivia Newton John was still singing??

I do agree about the country fair aspect of this...the American Idol runner ups maybe the biggest draws? REO Speedwagon - what version of that group is this? Chicago - what version is this? I saw them years ago - I think this is a group that has the "name" but few if any of the originals LOL

And Hopefully they are doing it without having you being there judging them! I don't understand why the negativity? If you don't like, don't go. They are trying something different and not every change makes everyone happy. Ease up!

Why ease up?? Is Carnival some poor little creature to be coddled?

Is this Cruise Critic or Cruise Cheerleader?

To me this silly move is a way to get more $$ - charge for these so called entertainers and then jack up the price of the cruise

what are people who do not wish to see them going to do? No show for them . As someone pointed out - arrival in port is later that day...

and price of cruise just went up - you pay for ticket on top of that

Bleech...

so what ships have the "enhanced" house band on them?? Why not just hire back the fantastic Filipino cover band - most have Music in their stage name...?>

the concert tickets?? no thanks....would not be that interested in those groups

I think it is totally funny to have Trace Adkins there - he just headlined - and left- an NCL Country cruise - left all the fans high and dry

he got drunk and punched a TA "tribute artist" who was singing Karaoke and imitating him LOL

he went back to rehab

how about just doing what other lines do and have decent production shows...you know like the ones Carnival took off when they put on Playlist? How about naming, shaming and firing the idiot who dreamed up playlist>? LOL

Listed in another thread too- Freedom has great shows...Big Easy and Let it Ride - until the May 2.0 "up/downgrade"...

Paradise still has the old shows they say.....Dream has what many say is the best show on Carnival - Dancin in the streets

I remember when Dream came out - speculation that other ships would get this show or similar, a whole new upgrade to shows...but....Oh my...what we got was a horrid downgrade with playlist

Here is how bad it was...flame away...> this is MY playlist review

For those who cruise a fair amount, how can they expect us to re-watch such totally bad shows?? and they are bad...

you have mediocre singers who can't dance - and dancers who can't sing...

there is no set, just "levels" and stairs sometimes - and a glaring backdrop of led lights and cartoons...yes cartoons....and then big whoop they put in the video that makes it look like there are 100 people up there....a screen of dancers dressed like the ones on stage - repeated on the video to make it look like more people...they do this on each of the shows...

The funny part is that the "video" of dancers are much more attractive and in shape than the real ones on the stage haha

Flame away - I am not young,not a singer, not a dancer....not in wonderful shape...but OMG....the ones I saw would never ever make the cut on any other cruiseline.... I don't think they would be hired for local condo shows in South Florida

The "upgrade fairy" left the building a long time ago on Carnival corp cruises

I was truly (*for free) upgraded once on Princess and once on Imagination...both some years ago...from inside to oceanview

Carnvial (corp) has the "upsell" telemarketers that some like to call the "upsell fairy" ....key word - sell LOL>> as in $$

They have a good computerized system to see what possible upgrades they can offer and it seems they do play "make a deal"

Now...on my Nov cruise 3 night on Divina, we had true upgrades...over 50 people ...and every inside upgraded to outside...every outside upgraded to balcony - and balcony upgraded to "extended" deluxe balcony - all for...FREE because computers/website/etc is not the strong suit of the Italian based line MSC...I hope they don't get their act together regarding upsell cause I was upgraded before for free haha

The lines are longer at the VIP side of the customer service desk with many (newbie?) FTTF people there

It did not help that Conquest totally screwed up the "VIFP" drink ticket/welcome letter in many of the cabins at least on my floor - all had different/wrong names on them LOL...really silly

VIP lounge was crowded in Miami - I think the FTTF people were upstairs?

I think they are strictly limiting the amount of extra family members that Platinums can bring on - I can't stand the threads where Platinum cruisers want to bring the whole group on - it is just stupid and unfair....if the family wants to let them pay for FTTF

They are also limiting the idea that disabled will get on ahead of others from what I saw....good or bad? I don't know - there are some who really need this but also some who request a wheelchair for an easy ride/ quick boarding

To OP - I am so sorry this happened....hope you all can have a nice post B-day meal and some fun with your family

I have seen people do this, fortunately for us most of my gang lives close enough to port - I have had people drive like a bat out of u know where back home to get passport etc....had a gal take a $150 cab ride to get her docs...sigh

I personally have a larger lanyard....my passport, driv lic, credit cards, cash go there along with boarding pass etc...right around my neck LOL> I lay it out on dining room table the night before and check..and recheck

It's a sad lesson but you hang in there -next cruise we all KNOW you will have your stuff - check and rechecked :) Hang in there !;)

Ouch....I hope this works out for you

Customer service is not MSC strong point but this is really ridiculous

Let us know - hope this works out

:(

Jennifer Hudson started out as singer on Disney ship before American Idol

(I sure do not think any of the so called singers I saw on Playlist would make the audition cut haha)

Paid concerts?? what a cluster that would be

they already have charter/semi charter cruises for fans of certain groups/genres

MSC, NCL and HAL do a lot of these

The Edge - progressive music, Celtic Thunder cruise....Moody Blues Cruise...

Malt Shop Memories (I would like that but not the price no thanks I will see the Temptations and Four Tops every year when they come in concert on land, I won't pay double triple for a cruise)

They just had a country cruise - Trace Atkins got drunk and beat up a TA TRIBUTE guy at Karaoke, left the ship and went to rehab LOL

The logistics of such a cruise would be impossible...I would be totally bummed out

So many "stars", genres...no way would one 'star" appeal to the diverse makeup of a regular cruise

those charter cruises are all people who are (devout) fans of a genre or group....heck I was on a 1/2 ship charter with Donny Marie Osmond and fans haha (did not affect us, we had regular wonderful shows on MSC)

I think that would just be stupid...I do hope they announce they will scrap playlist and Hasbro

and put the late night comedy in the theater

(and they can pay me my consultant fee for that haha...I have started various threads with these simple suggestions LOL)

Regarding Playlist - for those that cruise a lot - how many times could you stand seeing those lame shows ?? Once was more than enough for me

Just think of seeing the same shows over and over

yuck

Great review so far - I was on Conquest on the Dec 15 sailing and agree with so much of what you are saying :)

BUT -= when I boarded I tried to order a Mocha Getaway at the Rum Bar (while enjoying a Guys burger)...and the curt bartender told me "we are out of the ingredients"...ouch so I had ice tea - later that afternoon I tried at the lobby bar and they made me a yummy Getaway - the nice gal told me that the bartender at Rum bar MAY have been out of the ingredients but the whole ship surely was not(whew haha)....

I thought I might miss the "serenity" area but I really did not, I liked the aft adult pool area. We had warmer weather - and it was nice in the islands

so pool was good

I thought I might miss the sushi bar but found I enjoyed the taste bar even more :)

Entertainment was my major problem - tho I did enjoy the duo a lot. Govt Shutdown was pretty good - when they played - they used them for the superstar karaoke and some of the singers were better than the "Playlist" people

If you thought Divas was bad - you ain't seen nuttin yet - watching them butcher the Latin show was painful to watch -

Good for you to stick out Hasbro - I left it - I think those who enjoyed it might have had a friend or relative as contestants?

I too found the line up for comedy to be too daunting and ended up seeing only one performance of the last 2 comedians on board

I loved the seaday brunch (not so much the service)...thought the food was really good - especially the salmon benedict and yup tomato soup

I enjoyed the strawberry bisque and will miss it

I have real reservations about future Carnival cruises when I think of seeing those same awful shows and Hasbro again <sigh>

On our cruise the passengers were more talented than the entertainers LOL

I thought the food on Conquest was for most part really really good

Saturday - casual. Very relax dress code.

Sunday formally- not enforced, mostly dressed up, I wore shirt tie, slacks. No jacket.

Monday- Italian night theme. Some people did dress up to the theme. I did not.

Tuesday tonight is white theme casual dress.

 

The workers do all dressed to the theme. We were not notified prior to the cruise.

Oh thanks....do let us know if they do the :flower power: night that would be fun

I do wish MSC would use their heads and put this info up on the website on the Divina Caribbean page...many people love this stuff. It is really "old school"....years ago ships like Emerald did a "50's night" ..bobby sox and poodle skirts....Costa did/does?toga night...Princess used to do a 50's night and a country western night back in the 90's...they put this info on your cruise docs and "welcome" letter that they sent /and/or the travel agents (before internet) told you...

now..it would be so easy if MSC would put it on the site <sigh> well I will be ready - even if I have to bug the Ft Lauderdale people and/or drive down there LOL ("we are waiting to hear back from Genoa")

Thanks a bunch....can't wait to read more:D

My wife and I are doing a back to back on the Divina in May, got a really good balcony price of $529. per person, lower then Carnival ocean views!

 

Bosjoe Could you check out a couple things in the casino this week for me, like do they pay in coins or receipts on slots? Do they allow you to take money off your room card, or do you need cash?

Also we would like to know what theme nights MSC is offering you on your cruise, and what nights are? I've seen in other blogs there is a red, white and green night, a white night, and a hippie 60's, 70's, and 80's night!

Thanks Bosjoe We'll look forward this week to any comments you make! Have fun!

 

MSC wrote me saying dinner was 5:30 and 8:00, and the shows were 7:00 and 10:00 pm.

Uh oh....sorry but those times do NOT sound right...unless you are on a charter cruise with it's own entertainment?? I just pulled out some old Daily Sheets from my past MSC cruises

Last April 7 night Poesia - no special group /charter - seemingly the "normal" times .....

early dinner seating was at 5:30 and early showtime was 8:30

late seating was 8 PM and late show time was 6:30 before the dinner

MSC always has the early people see show after dinner, late seating sees show before dinner

Our 3 night us inaugural cruise - oh americans cried LOL....

we had euro time...late seating at 9 pm (waaa waa) with show at 7 pm (before dinner)....early seating was 6:30 and their showtime was 9:30 pm

it is always that way on MSC as far as I have seen...

now...I will say that each cruise our "daily" papers look better and better...last cruise in 2 color, looks like they actually have graphics and software to lay out a newsletter/paper LOL

(my first "euro" cruise was badly "copied" black and white,looked worse than a small town junior high paper haha...bad spelling, grammar, and ...they never had enough "English" papers LOL)

Now....here is the truth...the Fort Lauderdale office will often tell you stuff off the top of their head I think...and if you press them they promise to "contact Genoa" and get the info but don't hold your breath

I do NOT think the showtime is 10 pm for the early diners - anyone else on board, or recent cruiser have the facts? thanks

Not at all...it is NOT a charter or 1/2 charter or even a theme cruise really

MSC has a group of (aging) former baseball stars on board....

they host some meet/greets/autograph signings, a question /answer session

and stuff...

I don't like baseball and don't recognize them but a couple guys in my group were happy to see them and participated in the meet/greet and a trivia contest with them - and they won - baseballcaps and autographed goodies

there were about 4 or 5 "stars" in fact their table was right next to our tables in the dining room haha - if you are not into baseball you won't even know they are there - if you like this, look in the daily paper for the times and places where they have their get togethers

Wow....I can't wait till May

How are/were the "theme" nights?

Did people dress up...did you?

Did MSC tell people ahead of time, email them about the themes?

what night /s were they? thanks a bunch- have fun!

PS - the "Island" bartenders are mostly new hires from....Royal Caribbean and they are greeeat :)