RoperDK

I really don't have a preference anymore. We used to book port side to see the dock area, but now you can't really predict which way you will dock. Now we just book whichever side is closer to the best elevator location.

I totally agree. We love CK, too. The food is better than the MDR. They include the old everyday classics menu so I can have escargot and my DH can have French onion soup every evening if we wish. The entrees are also upgraded to include a filet mignon and rack of lamb evening. Perhaps the food isn't quite the same level as specialty dining, but we really enjoy the better service, view, and more intimate experience.

This made me chuckle. They say that they are trying to curb waste by limiting options and portions for a pay restaurant, but you can go to the buffet and load your plate with those same mashed potatoes and vegetables for free as much as you want. To be truthful, we haven't eaten at the steakhouse in years because of declining beef quality. If I remember correctly, the recent level of sides weren't overly fancy and expensive to begin with and I don't remember them serving large portions either. I do hope that you could order an additional carrot without having to pay extra. Oh my, LOL. 🤣 I'll take Jiji's any day!

We were on Adventure the cruise before yours and I almost went to see The Two Tenors. I thought it might be good, but we decided to do something else. I've been bit by going to the featured entertainer shows before and with so many things to do, I chickened out. Wish I had given it a go now.

Good question. We've cruised on Carnival for 20+ years and have spent some time in the casino for most of those years. I might spend more time in the casino now than I used to, but that is because we don't spend as much time on the pool deck anymore. I've done my time in the sun and am tired of getting cut on by the dermatologist. I don't remember getting casino offers until maybe 10 or so years ago. We did get a nice military discount back in the day, which seems to have disappeared for the most part. We never get a free room because our offers are for inside cabins and we always upgrade to at least a balcony. It does seem that there are more people that cruise very often on casino offers. I also see how high their point counts are. I can only imagine what they are spending. It is way more than I can afford.

I can only speak to Royal, but they have returned to a more traditional dining format. There was a time during the restart where they encouraged using the app and I can't actually remember if I used a QR code. It is standard to present a menu now along with tablecloth and full silverware. They use a 2-person team and we have had improving service along with better food quality in the past year or so. They still haven't added back all of the everyday menu items (unless we eat at Coastal Kitchen), but most are available multiple times in a weeklong cruise. They still substitute lesser cuts of meat (lamb loin instead of rack of lamb) so it's not all puppies and rainbows. Carnival service for me hasn't plummeted and I don't really care about the tablecloth and extra silverware. I am bothered by the harried staff and not getting drink refills. That could be remedied by hiring some more waitstaff and is a large part of my post cruise survey remarks.

Hoping for a speedy recovery for your kitty. My Sweet Tater had stomatitis and we struggled to make him comfortable in the beginning. He was just 6 months old when the symptoms started. It is such a cruel disease. He crossed the rainbow bridge last year at 16 years old. We learned to manage it fairly well over the years and he had a happy and long life.

We skip dinner when we do specialty lunch. We might do the salad bar or have a small snack, but there is no way we could do a big lunch followed by a large dinner. When we were younger, we could eat 3 big meals a day and not bat an eye, but now we dearly pay for that decision. 😄 I find that if we go walking around after our lunch, then we do just fine. We do love specialty lunch because of the reduced pricing and we have started doing embarkation lunches so that we can escape the chaos.

I would hope that we can all agree that there is a staffing shortage. It is stressful for me to see the staff running around like they do. I can only imagine what they go through day after day. It must be exhausting. We are past COVID, gratuities and cabin prices have increased, and ships are sailing full. I would like to see Carnival increase staffing and by default that would increase service. I know it's just wishful thinking, but it sure would be nice.

I sure do! I know how important their reviews are. I always acknowledge the crew that have gone out of their way to give good service by name on the survey. If I didn't get good service in another area, I generalize my responses on the survey without including names. You never know what is happening in someone's world and poor service might be a reflection of personal issues. I know that I have bad days and I expect that the crew has them, too. My negative issues mostly deal with the changes to Carnival surrounding overloading the crew and loss of food options.

Me stating my recent experiences is just a fact. I am not always negative towards Carnival, but I am not afraid to report on things both good and bad. I doubt you can find a totally negative response that I have posted. It is true than I am disappointed in the direction that Carnival is heading and hope that the couple of upcoming cruises I am taking will prove me wrong.

I'm sure that I will get slammed for this, but I have also received this attitude from the crew. Cabin stewards that looked devastated to have to bring ice daily and looked disappointed to have to bring a paper copy of the Fun Times. We request morning cabin service and have been told that they will do the cabin when they can. Dining room waitstaff that seemed put out to bring anything extra. This includes a refill of iced tea or heaven forbid a cup of coffee with desert. This is a fairly new experience for me that just started within the last year or so. Now, I have still received great service from many crew members, especially those that I have more interaction with like my favorite bartenders. I'm not implying that everything is bad, but I have never had any issues before and it took me by surprise.

Just like many other threads on this (and other) forums, some people will firmly stand on a pro or con view of a post that criticizes a policy on their chosen cruise line. I prefer the paper Fun Times and to be handed a real menu to look at. I cruised right after the start up and hated trying to find events on the online Fun Times. I scanned the QR codes for the menus and didn't care much for that either. Carnival reversed course on those 2 things because of negative feedback from cruisers and I'm glad that they did. On the other hand, I love checking in for my table for meal service. It gives me an idea of my wait time and I can plan accordingly. I think that the new procedure for the muster drill is amazing. However, I'm not a fan of the many cutbacks I've seen on Carnival along with not finding the bargain pricing now that I used to see. BTW....I am 67 and a retired computer programmer. My phone goes everywhere with me and I feel lost if I'm not connected to wifi onboard.

Yes, wheelchair assistance cuts down on the never-ending boarding ramps. It is so easy to rent a scooter now. I don't understand why this option isn't used more often. It isn't that expensive and really helps those with mobility issues handle long distances and you can park it out of the way and walk short distances to explore every nook and cranny of the ship. It is great to use in ports, too.

I agree. I had one just prior to my hip replacement. I would use it if I had a long distance to travel, other than that I would use a cane. May be hard to tote crutches on a scooter though. If they are required because of non-weight bearing, then consider renting a wheelchair and have someone push for long distances. I could go long distances on my crutches, but a lot of that does wear you down. Perhaps a knee scooter would work. I don't know what your situation is, but good luck!

I gather you are referring to my post, but not quoting it. I didn't announce my departure but said that I was looking for value elsewhere. I assume that opinions are still considered valid on this board. Sometimes I wonder.

Well, did Vista sail? I came back from Adventure yesterday and she was at the dock just like she was when we left on Sep. 7th.

Seems that we've been down this road before. You either like Carnival or you don't. Their benefits are not great. Never have been. What Carnival did excel at was giving a good cruise at a good price. Unfortunately, the prices are increasing and the food and service is decreasing and the value is not there for me anymore. I have a couple of Carnival cruises booked and I still look for good itineraries, but most of my cruises are now booked on another line. This is just my opinion. Everyone has one and I'm sure that we will go back and forth on this like we always do.

I don't think that is normal behavior for the Suite Concierge. In all of my cruises in a suite, I've only had one Concierge that was either overwhelmed or didn't want to bother. I prefer to set things up myself if I can, but sometimes it is nice to have them work their magic for you. That is what they are there for.

I would just reply to the welcome email and ask for assistance. I've never had the UDP but I have had the concierge modify Chops times for me before boarding the ship. It won't hurt to ask.

Just trying to be nice.

The relief area is not a typical material that dogs relieve themselves on. Make sure your dog is trained to relieve himself on command, at uncommon places, and on artificial surfaces. I feel that there should be a better, more natural space for this. There was a trip report not too long ago that talked about the problems their service dog had relieving himself in the mulch box. It was highly stressful for them (and the dog, I'm sure). Full disclosure...I do not have a service dog but have had to travel with my obedience/agility dogs to shows and have stayed in many hotels. I had one that was extremely difficult to train to use locations other than his yard. I cried many times worrying about his comfort. I had to really work with him to "go" on command. Eventually, he would do both #1 and #2 wherever I asked. Hope this is not TMI. I can't find the link to the trip report at the moment. Maybe someone else will help out.

Carnival Triumph Mar 2000. We were booked on Carnival Celebration and it had a fire that cancelled cruises. We got a full refund with 50% off any other cruise and upgraded to a suite for next to nothing. Spoiled us for sure.

Sorry that happened to you.

Well, I missed being able to edit the post. 😔 I see that your upgrade was not really an upgrade. Some of the 4Ks have better views than others. I hope you were notified in time to try and move to a better cabin.