munchkin4

Thanks!!!

Help! I have searched these forums for at least an hour and looked everywhere I can think of on the Carnival site. Do all, part or none of the cabins on the Liberty have refrigerators????

I think there is just a glitch in the system right now. When I look at my details page, it still shows 10:00 - 10:30 Check in but the actual boarding pass now says 12:00 - 3:00. It has also removed my Gold status and changed it to an N. Another thread said they had talked to IT and Carnival is working on it. Check again in a few days.

We had a fun cruise on the Breeze over Thanksgiving week. My wife plans everything and did a great job. I had heard her mention the American Table and that is was coming out on the Breeze. I didn't think much about it. Now, having experienced it and had time to think about it, I am going to say that the American Table it is NOT A STEP FORWARD. I apologize in advance for the length and the poor grammar and bad writing in general, but here is the draft of the letter I will be sending to Carnival.

 

Let's discuss.....

________________________________________________________

 

Dear Carnival Guest Services:

 

This is kind of long and I apologize. As a fan of Carnival, I wanted to make sure I covered all my points.

 

We just got back from a great 8 day cruise on the Breeze for Thanksgiving week. We've cruised with Carnival now 7 times. We fly in from Chicago to Florida and have cruised from Port Canaveral and Miami. Our family is 4. Two 50 year olds, mom and dad, and 2 boys, 14 and almost 16. We really love the cruise line. We even have bought stock in it and continue to do so. We like CCL!

 

After getting home from our 8 day and getting back to "normal life", we all sat down and talked about the best parts of the cruise. There were many. The shows, our snorkeling excursion in Grand Turk, our room location in the Spa area. Good live music with a horn trio and a violin trio. The humorous Matt and his staff and the generally fantastic service.

 

But, there was one topic that we all agreed upon that was less than wonderful. Not terrible. It won't cause us to quit Carnival. We are booked on the Vista for December of 2016. The subject is the American Table experience.

 

We talked about our highs of the trip and food was a topic. However, the more we talked the more the topic of the dining room came up. We had Your Time dining and generally were in the first 30 people to the restaurant. We asked for the same wait staff as they were nice and friendly. We even got the same table right by the starboard windows. Our main waiter was Raj...short for Rajesh I believe. He was nice.

 

So, what could be wrong? Good food, nice staff...good table location...all good right? Well, not exactly. If I had to sum it up our main dining room experience on this cruise in one word I would say "awkward".

 

Awkward because the long time tradition and practices in the dining room have changed for the worse. I believe that the changes made to incorporate the American Table experience have damaged the Carnival brand and made it less than excellent. We came in with open minds. We tried to like it. It didn’t “wow” us though. Let's break it down...

 

Ambiance: In the former dining room, the tablecloths on the tables made the very elegant and classy Sapphire Dining Room into a spectacular venue. No tablecloths and there is something missing. It's like we wearing a tuxedo without a tie. Not fully dressed. It feels like I traded a fancy restaurant for dinner at the Olive Garden. Food might be good, but something is lacking in the presentation. In short, the lack of tablecloths contributes to the feeling that the dining room is not "special". It's not going to be memorable. It's just going to be good, not great.

 

I would go so far as to submit that there is a subconscious awareness of the tablecloths and the connotation of the experience being something "special". Something not ordinary. Something great. No tablecloths and it's just another table. Let's use this comparison: Morton's Steakhouse vs. Olive Garden. Both meals are good. Only one is great.

 

Waitstaff Confusion: It seems like the waitstaff is confused in their roles. For instance, there is a water carafe on the table. Nice. But, once empty, who comes to fill it? Our experience was spotty. Sometimes the 2nd waiter brought a full one, sometimes he filled glasses from his own and left the empty bottle alone.

 

With the prior dining room experiences, there was always an attentive waiter with a water pitcher happy to refill your glass. I miss that. It made me feel special. Like I was dining somewhere really great. My family agrees. And the old way gave us more opportunity to bond with our waitstaff. It made us want to tip them more at the end of the cruise. We got to know them. We liked them. We tipped them generously.

 

The American Table plan takes away much of that interaction. It is less personal. Less special. Are tips down for the waitstaff? I would not be surprised.

 

Place Setting: with the former dining room, there was a charger plate and a bread plate along with water and wine glasses and silverware. The napkin was on the charger. Your napkin was placed for you by the hostess. All of this meant "classy". You were being treated special. You were about to experience something special.

 

The new setting has a square bread plate, silverware and the water/wine glasses. A folded napkin is on the table. The bread plate being square is awkward in that everything else is round. It is larger than the old bread plate and take up more space. The tables are cozy and table space is limited. So, the bread plates are not an upgrade. Small point, but an important one as we shall see below.

 

With the place settings in the the former dining room plan, the wait staff removed used knives and forks between courses. It’s like they knew what you needed, anticipated your needs and were taking great care of you.

 

In the new set up, it's not clear what to do with the used knives and forks. In our experience, the staff didn’t always take your knife and fork. If you had them on the bread plate, they left them. If they were on the plate they were clearing, they took them. Then you didn’t have utensils. Sometimes they would bring new ones, sometimes not. If they did not notice, you were without. So, the guest had to ask for one. Awkward.

 

Cleanliness: with respect to germs, how can a guest be certain that the table is really clean? Maybe someone missed a spot when wiping it down. If I place my utensils on the table, I am subject to whatever germs may be there. If I place them on my bread plate, I'm safer...if the bread plate is truly clean.

 

I'm not a germaphobe, but people do think about these things. The table being covered in a white cloth gives one the impression that everything is spotlessly clean. As it should be.

 

The condition of the table at the end of our meal was sad. With the water condensing on the ice cold glasses and dripping on the table there was always a wet table. Combine that with some breadcrumbs, spills, drips, whatnot and you have a "hot mess" of a table. Something less than classy. Something you might expect elsewhere, but not in the MDR.

 

Dessert time used to be relaxing. I might even order coffee and linger a bit. But, with the table in such sad shape, it’s not enticing. Time to get up and go. It leaves a poor impression at a point where Carnival should want the impression to be stellar.

 

Bread Basket: The Bread Basket seems to be less than ideal. It has a variety of 3, possibly 4 breads or rolls. But, if the kids will only eat "plain" rolls, they are gone quickly, leaving the more exotic ones begging. No more is there a kind waiter to bring a nice selection of breads and rolls and place them on your bread plate. That always made me feel special. Now they just drop the basket and keep on moving. Again, interaction is lost with the staff, the guest has less choices, and the experience is lessened.

 

Also, the bread basket stays on the table. As said above, the table is small and space is at a premium. Our four person table often seemed too crowded with the square bread plate, the square bread basket and the other plates (all round btw). Odd combination really. And not classy. Again, are we aiming for Olive Garden or Morton's?

 

The Menu: I didn't mind that there were less choices. I still found the menu had enough choices for me. My wife mentioned that the Sides changed daily. Only slightly though. For instance, one day I asked for a baked potato. The waiter seemed stunned. It was on the menu a side the night before, so I assumed it was again. But, it was not. He got me one anyhow. Nice.

 

The 555 selections are a nice touch, but ultimately a flawed concept. We did not order them. We've been to 555 on every cruise since it was offered. We did not this time. But, we did not order from the MDR either.

 

It's a tough sell. A $20 charge in the MDR versus $35 for a full dinner in the 555 with the wonderful ambiance and personal attention to detail from the wait staff. It's a well intentioned idea, but not an upgrade in my mind.

 

Sauces: There were sauces on the menu under the main entree section. It seemed odd to me. Why would I want to second guess the chef? Do I need sauce? Is there something bland about my dinner? Are sauces the new "in thing"? Who knows? I just know that I looked at them and wondered why they were listed. And if you list sauces at all, why stop there? List lots of things a guest might want. Pickles? Olives? Sriracha? Spicy brown mustard? I just found the whole thing confusing. Why confuse me, I'm on vacation!!!

 

Conclusion: I believe that the former set up was better for the above reasons. Carnival tried, but missed. I think they tried to fix something that wasn’t really broken. It’s not too late though. Changes could be made. The tablecloths could come back. A better place setting could be implemented. Get rid of the bread basket. Give the waitstaff a chance to show their stuff and interact with the guests. It makes for a memorable experience not just an ordinary one.

 

And please don't get me wrong, our family loves Carnival. WE LOVE CCL! It's just that the new dining experience left a void for us. Our special time at dinner was just ordinary.

 

In our prior cruises, we would run around all day, doing things together or separate, but we’d always come together at dinner for something special. Something great. Something purely Carnival. The American Table experience does not meet our expectations. It's too ordinary.

 

Lastly, the current set up does the wonderful chefs an injustice to have their creations served in such a plain and ordinary atmosphere. And I am sure the waitstaff had more fun and did better with tips in the "old" setting.

_________________________________________________________

 

That's just my opinion. And truth be told, after the Vista, I am actually looking at RCCL and NCL as options. I think it's because of the dining downer of the MDR on Breeze.

I think you should also post this on John Heald's facebook page. You did a very nice job and I think he would appreciate this input.

Does anyone know if the water and/or beer is the same price if you order now or after you get on board??? I have OBC I'd like to use if possible but don't think I can do that if I order now.

They now have 10-10:30 option on mine.

Thanks so much for sharing this. I just went back to my booking (Originally earliest time was 10:30) and saw they had added the 10:00 slot. Change very quickly and reprinted boarding pass. The quicker I get on the ship....the quicker I start have fun!!

Tax Rates per TABC website:

 

(rates include $ 3.00 administrative fees)

 

Distilled Spirits

Miniatures (2 oz. or less) (50 ml or less) $ 3.25

Half Pint (200 ml) 3.25

Pint (500 ml) 3.50

Fifth (750 ml) 3.50

Quart (1 ltr) 3.75

1/2 Gallon (1.75 ltr) 4.25

1 Gallon (3.5 ltr) 5.50

 

Beer

6 12-ounce containers $ 3.25

24 12-ounce containers 3.50

Malt Liquor

24 12-ounce containers $ 3.50

 

Wine

Fifth (750 ml) $ 3.25

 

I believe the limit on liquor is one gallon per person.

That still makes my bottle of Amarula cheaper than what I can buy if for in the states. Will probably still purchase on board.

The more I read the statement, I'm thinking that organizers you hang on the hook in the bathroom would be fine. Mine is made of cloth and hangs on a regular clothes hanger. It would be no different than hanging a dress in the bathroom. And I can understand those that go over the door and then you try to shut the door.....possible doing some damage. I agree with whoever posted that stewards probably won't be able to tell the difference. You cannot tell the difference in fire retardant fabric and non. I'm really thinking this was aimed at those who hang on the stateroom door whether inside or outside and am betting it has a lot to do with door decorations. I've seen some really extravagant ones.

I can only reply for Cozumel but a taxi is really the easiest and best and safest way. They will have them waiting at the port and they are very organized telling you which one to get in per where you are going. For me they aren't very expensive.......probably $12-15.....that was a couple of years ago.

Personally, I bring them from home. Mainly because if we lose the blue ones in your stateroom.....I don't want to have to pay for them!! For packing, I usually use them to wrap around my bottles of wine for added protection.

I started using an organizer when we sailed on the Ecstasy and later on Sensation. There is very little storage in the bathrooms on this class of ship....or there wasn't in 2007. We were surprised when we sailed on the Triumph for the first time at the large vanity and shelves.

We did the same thing in 2006 (Christmas Gift). I made a scrapbook for them. That was in the day when they sent plane tickets in the mail. Made a color copy. Printed pictures of ship and deck plans and stuff for each port. Had both my kids open at same time. Also left a few blank pages for them to put pics in. Something they will keep for a while.

We sail in February on the Freedom for a 5 day and I would like to get a peek at the new menus. Can anyone post a link?? I've been in touch with zydocruiser and he doesn't have them yet. And I looked on John Heald's page and couldn't find them. Help, please!

All I can tell you is that we started receiving the Casino offers after my husband hit 1000 points on his card. He only plays slots and it will keep a total of your points. So much for $$ played.

Do you have to get the package for the week or can you get it by the day? I will need to check my work email but not everyday.

I'm so glad someone mentioned that it was Mardis Gras. I hadn't even thought about that. We are sailing because it worked for DH's vacation and we received a Player's Club offer. This is just the icing on the cake for me. Very excited to see any special activities Carnival might have planned. I booked our hotel for Sunday night only on the same day I booked the cruise. I looked at Saturday night just now in case we wanted to go a day early and it doubled for that night! I think we'll just stick with Sunday night!!

According to Carnival website, there is a mini fridge in all staterooms on the Freedom. Is it big enough to chill my bottle of wine? I have a small soft sided cooler I usually bring to ice down my wine. Wondering if I can leave this at home.

I trim off the sides and just use the middle portion with my cabin number on it. I write my name on both ends then fold in half and laminate. I punch a hole in the end and attach with zip ties. You can use clear tape or contact paper if you don't have access to a laminator. Not only does it last any rough handling but it stays nice for your scrap/memory book. Enjoy your first cruise!

BEWARE!! You will be spoiled and will never want to sail unless you have a balcony. You'll become a balcony snob:p.

 

That is what we are looking forward to also and this time we have an aft wrap balcony:D.

We have an aft wrap also! As long as DH gets hooked also....it won't be a problem next time!:)

Warmth will be very nice! Especially after all this snow... :rolleyes:

 

 

 

 

You will love it! Are you going to do meals or drinks on the balcony or just relax with a good book to read and watch the views?

Probably all of that!!! We are one deck below Lido and breakfast buffet so I told DH the other day that it wouldn't be a bad trip at all when he went to get me breakfast in bed!

First time for a balcony for us so we are looking forward to spending time there.

One of these deals is why we are going on our cruise on January 13. They are very select cruises and ours had to be booked by January 9. An inside was free (you pay taxes and port charges) and a balcony was $50 p/p. We chose an aft wrap balcony on Verandah for a total of $200 (including taxes) which would be $1600 if we booked just on past guest discount. Thanks Players Club!! All I care about is that I'm going cruizin' !!!!

You need to go to Casey's. Food is fantastic. Inside or outside dining. I hope we will get there early enough on Sunday to eat there!! Go on line to see menu and pricing. If it is a little high....we also like Bennos. More casual....you do order at the counter but they bring it to you. It is also very good....but Casey's is our favorite!

I guess I'm the odd one out. We like to park at Lighthouse Parking. They are far enough away that you don't have to fight traffic but close enough that the shuttle ride is not bad. They have covered parking with 24 hour security. And we've never had to wait to get to the port or for them to pick us up. Just what we prefer.

We don't use the hotel option because the cars are not watched. You park at your own risk and if the car is stolen, more than likely no one will know until you get home.

We used Budget in 2010 and had a great experience. I just did a fake booking on there and they didn't show a one-way drop off charge. You might call and ask.