Carnival Pride Unexpected Disappointment

I must say that this my 8th cruise was the worst ever. Actually this was the first cruise I was ever disappointed in. Left Baltimore 1-10-10 arrived back from Port Canaveral and the Bahamas on 1-17-10. I wanted to share with readers my experience so as to spare other the same fate. I've never posted before but my concience would have bothered me if i didn't tell my story.

The first night on the Carnival Pride was where it all started. We had a extended balcony room #8237. We went to sleep at 12am only to be awakened at 1am,3am and 5am by extremely load noises on our ceiling. Each time we call guest services and they stated they would look in to it. After a similar second night and repeated calls to guest services they sent 2 people to the room at 2am and said they were going to check out the situation. By now we were having to take midday naps missing out on activities. By the third day i had learned we were underneath a galley on the 9th deck and that the Guest Service reps were asking them to be careful but there was really no way to stop the noise. I asked for another room ,even a inside small room just to get a good night sleep but was told the ship was full. After the 3rd night I became extremely verbal. I and my wife actually considered disebarking in Florida and driving home. Finally on the 4th day we were told there actually was a smaller balcony room and that if we wanted it we may switch. We did immediately. I went to guest services and demanded compensation. This was their compensation for 3 sleepless nights and shortened days. $128.40 total for me and my wife. Yes a whole $20 per person per day. I called them and stated i was not looking for money but compensation of maybe 20% off on a 7 or 10 day cruise to make up for the wasted time. They said sorry but there formula only allowed this amount as the maximum. Anyway this was the main issue but there were other issues that im going to list that contibuted to my worst experience on a ship ever.

1. No PPV movie worked on any day ever, When Guest Services were called they said the had a issue with audio video. They did not have an issue with billing for all the attempts to start one at $8.99 each.

2. The bed in both cabins were well worn out. they all had a sizable depression in the middle

3. The balcony roof on #8237 was literly rusting away with 12 inch pieces hanging down.

4. Something I've not noticed on other ships was that you were no longer able to take you own breakfact bacon or ham. you had to ask for it from the cook making eggs. I can only guess this is a cost saving measure.

This was my 3rd and final cruise with Carnival. I hope others head my warnings and don't get burned the way I was..

Smart travelers always carry earplugs. Now you know why.

Don't blame it on the room...or the cruise line.....any room on any ship can experience various noises. Just be smart....be prepared....carry earplugs.

First you say you would move, even to a inside cabin. When they moved you to another balcony WITH $128 you still demanded more, like a huge amount off a future cruise??

Wow, I think at least you got moved to another balcony AND got some money. I dont want to be a flamer, but I think you are being unrealistic. You should have looked at the deck plans and seen a galley or something was above you, cant blame Carnival for YOUR choice of cabin?

If you had been around CC for a while, you would have known the bacon police will give you more if you ask, they just dont want you pawing thru it apparantly. Just ask for more. Easy.

This was their compensation for 3 sleepless nights and shortened days. $128.40 total for me and my wife. Yes a whole $20 per person per day. I called them and stated i was not looking for money but compensation of maybe 20% off on a 7 or 10 day cruise to make up for the wasted time. They said sorry but there formula only allowed this amount as the maximum.

I must say that this my 8th cruise was the worst ever. Actually this was the first cruise I was ever disappointed in. Left Baltimore 1-10-10 arrived back from Port Canaveral and the Bahamas on 1-17-10. I wanted to share with readers my experience so as to spare other the same fate. I've never posted before but my concience would have bothered me if i didn't tell my story.

The first night on the Carnival Pride was where it all started. We had a extended balcony room #8237. We went to sleep at 12am only to be awakened at 1am,3am and 5am by extremely load noises on our ceiling. Each time we call guest services and they stated they would look in to it. After a similar second night and repeated calls to guest services they sent 2 people to the room at 2am and said they were going to check out the situation. By now we were having to take midday naps missing out on activities. By the third day i had learned we were underneath a galley on the 9th deck and that the Guest Service reps were asking them to be careful but there was really no way to stop the noise. I asked for another room ,even a inside small room just to get a good night sleep but was told the ship was full. After the 3rd night I became extremely verbal. I and my wife actually considered disebarking in Florida and driving home. Finally on the 4th day we were told there actually was a smaller balcony room and that if we wanted it we may switch. We did immediately. I went to guest services and demanded compensation. This was their compensation for 3 sleepless nights and shortened days. $128.40 total for me and my wife. Yes a whole $20 per person per day. I called them and stated i was not looking for money but compensation of maybe 20% off on a 7 or 10 day cruise to make up for the wasted time. They said sorry but there formula only allowed this amount as the maximum. Anyway this was the main issue but there were other issues that im going to list that contibuted to my worst experience on a ship ever.

1. No PPV movie worked on any day ever, When Guest Services were called they said the had a issue with audio video. They did not have an issue with billing for all the attempts to start one at $8.99 each.

2. The bed in both cabins were well worn out. they all had a sizable depression in the middle

3. The balcony roof on #8237 was literly rusting away with 12 inch pieces hanging down.

4. Something I've not noticed on other ships was that you were no longer able to take you own breakfact bacon or ham. you had to ask for it from the cook making eggs. I can only guess this is a cost saving measure.

 

This was my 3rd and final cruise with Carnival. I hope others head my warnings and don't get burned the way I was..

It seems you were a winner on this cruise. Not many return and post that they were able to move you to another room, but they also gave you $120 back. Chalk it as a big time win!

A good lesson -- Look what's above and below rooms before you book them.

why do you care if you have to ask for bacon? did he say no? really, how inconvenient did this make your trip because you had to say, " bacon please?":rolleyes:

i have always picked my room between floors, but this time i went with a guarantee balcony, and now i have a balcony room on level 8 for my upcoming cruise, and i am a bit concrned about deck chair noise, but the more i drink, the harder i sleep!;)

but i will consider earplugs though, thanks.

4. Something I've not noticed on other ships was that you were no longer able to take you own breakfact bacon or ham. you had to ask for it from the cook making eggs. I can only guess this is a cost saving measure.

 

Sorry you had such a bad time, we loved the Pride a couple years ago, but then we are pretty picky about cabin location so wouldn't have your same problem. As far as the 'bacon police' as we call them, we have that on a few cruises recently so it's nothing new, but it is no problem, they'll give you as much as you want, no big deal.

Hello,

I don't understand, Carnival said the ship is full and there were no room available to switch. So how is it possible they suddenly have another balcony room for you to change into? It is not like people can check in and out in the middle of the cruise?

Carnival will provide earplugs free of charge, delivered to your room, just call service.

We were on the Freedom April 2010, I could hear the lobby singers until about 3am most of the nights. After two nights I called and got ear plugs, problem solved!

It is not like people can check in and out in the middle of the cruise?

Someone else must have been having a terrible cruise as well and decided to just get off in Florida! :p

So the only place you could find bacon/ham was at the omlette station??? Pretty sure they have it at all the open breakfast lines, "bacon police" included. :rolleyes:

Cruzing71, you bring up a good point. Something smells funny. (and it wasn't me LOL)

I was just on the Spirit, which I believe is a sister of your ship. Had the same problem, but did not complain. Alcohol solves every problem.:D

DW did have problems, but she does not drink. I told her that was the problem with balcony rooms and we should go back to insides. :D

As for why rooms come open when there were none yesterday, remember, they have a morgue on every ship. A couple of rooms open up every day. :D

I am not a Carnival cheerleader, nor do I think Carnival can do no wrong, but if you use CC you will learn. I learned not to discount others reviews. I was warned that 8237 ib Spirit was bad, did not listen, and paid the price. I never thought to blame Carnival, I was just happy to be Cruizin!!!!

My next cruise will definitely be planned with a room between two room decks, not with an active deck (Lido etc) above.

Yeah I thought the bacon/ham thing was funny too.

Did Baby Bear have fun? :confused:

The people in the smaller balcony room were probably complaining too... so they just switched them..lol...

She got a quiet room and the other people got an upgrade... problems solved!!

The rest of your complaints are just because you were already mad and starting looking for things to complain about. I bet if you think really hard about your other cruises you will find things that weren't perfect (no vacation ever is) but heck YOUR ON A CRUISE... relax and have a good time.

I don't understand why you were so unhappy with your compensation and also being moved. Why would you be demanding 20% off another cruise if you hate Carnival so much?

We sailed on Pride this year and were under Lido where they were rolling carts in the morning. No big deal to us because our balcony had a great overhang and we could stand out there in the rain.

There is good and bad in any vacation, we just laugh it off and go have fun.

Why do people always want something for nothing

Original Poster -- Thank you for posting your experience. I have booked a cabin on the Carnival Pride under the the buffet and am a little worried about noise. So far I have been lucky on cruises in similar locations and have not experienced any noise problems, but I may be pushing my luck with this cruise. It would be helpful if you posted your cabin number (or the general location) so others would know what to expect or (if they haven't booked yet) what to avoid.

You were lucky to be able to change cabins. Most ships sail full these days so cabins are not usually available. My understanding is that if you had debarked at Fort Lauderdale you would have incurred a substantial fine as it is illegal to sail directly from one American port (Baltimore) to another American port (Fort Lauderdale) with no intervening foreign port on a foreign-flagged ship (like all Carnival ships) so getting off in the Bahamas would have been the only way to avoid a fine (although driving back to Baltimore from Freeport would have presented other problems).

You somewhat undermine your legitimate complaint by questioning the amount of the compensation. Too many passengers use minor complaints to demand major compensation. The cruise line is probably suspicious of the legitimacy of complaints when after granting the solution the passenger asked for--changing cabins--the passenger follows up with demands for money.

That said, I disagree with all those who said you should have brought earplugs. Some noises are beyond the control of a cruise line (or hotel) and can happen anywhere--like rowdy neighbors; but if the cabin always has late night noises because of its location and noise produced by the crew, the cruise line is responsible and should either not rent out that space or should give a substantial discount, as it does for oceanview cabins with obstructed views. (Hotels sometimes do the same thing, of course--rent out rooms next to noisy elevator shafts or under nightclubs for full price.)

Sorry to hear about your bad cruise--better luck next time and thanks again for posting.

People please, Your all telling me you would be just fine not getting any sleep for the first 3 nights of your cruise, and for compensation...$120...yeah right! Maybe the OP DIDNT choose the room and thats what Carnival gave them...I know I would have been a little frustrated if this happended to me....but then again, I am not a carnival cheerleader like most here.

Original Poster -- Thank you for posting your experience. I have booked a cabin on the Carnival Pride under the the buffet and am a little worried about noise. So far I have been lucky on cruises in similar locations and have not experienced any noise problems, but I may be pushing my luck with this cruise. It would be helpful if you posted your cabin number (or the general location) so others would know what to expect or (if they haven't booked yet) what to avoid.

.

He said it was #8237.

People please, Your all telling me you would be just fine not getting any sleep for the first 3 nights of your cruise, and for compensation...$120...yeah right! Maybe the OP DIDNT choose the room and thats what Carnival gave them...I know I would have been a little frustrated if this happended to me....but then again, I am not a carnival cheerleader like most here.

Not a cheerleader at all........seems like a good resolution to a problem the OP was having.

You somewhat undermine your legitimate complaint by questioning the amount of the compensation. .

My feelings exactly.

If you march in there, knowing you expect 20% off a future cruise, it just sounds like you're complaining in order to get 20% off a future cruise.

I wouldn't have given it to the OP either.

As for the other stuff (bacon only available at the omelet station???) I wasn't there, so I don't know, but that sounds WAY off, doesn't it? :confused:

Anyway, I am sorry the OP had a lousy time. Maybe if they change their name to Goldilocks, they'll find a cruise that's just right ;)

Did Baby Bear have fun? :confused:

Nah...no bacon for his poridge;)

We had 8219, heard rolling carts. I booked late and it was the closest thing I could get to what I wanted. Turned out to be fine. Not absolutely perfect, but not enough to ruin my cruise.

Yikes! Right under the Lido Pizza Bar. No wonder it was Grand Central all night.

Of course, you've been a member of these boards for long enough. Maybe you should have know better...