not so thanksgiving cruise

Drove to Long Beach because my handicapped wife always has difficulty in LAX. We live in Las Vegas. The Inspiration was loaded with more unruly kids than expected. We did not know California schools closed all week, our fault. Security did nothing to control them. We also had our group of loud mouth drunken adults. The food was horrible except for Guy's and the pizza. However we had great weather a wonderful steward and dining room staff. To those of you that do not kike my comments that is your problem. I have sailed on Carnival since 1996 and my wife and I were platinum when it was 10 cruises, A LONG TIME AGO. I do not want responses from those of you who have been on 2 or 3 cruises and have nothing to compare the present Carnival with. Uncle Bob would never let this happen. BOBBYFREDDY

I'm very sorry you had less-than-stellar cruise. We sailed during Thanksgiving on the Dream, and there were a lot of kids running around (we brought 2 of them). I will say that I have never seen kids so young running around the ship without an adult. Our kids are 8 and 7, and the only time they were not with me or my wife was when they were in Camp Ocean.

Hopefully, your next cruise will be better.

I saw your post. When we first started we had kids that age and could only afford an inside cabin. We made sure that they were well behaved. However this is a different time on Carnival and you will never know what it was. I even wore a tuxedo to dinner. I chose this cruise just so we could get away. My wife for the first time could get off at Catalina because they had a tender with a large enough ramp for wheel chair. You should go on many more lines and their cruises as a family enjoy. them all. BOBBYFREDDY

Appreciate the feedback, and sorry for the poor experience. Unfortunately, this seems to be getting more common.

So sorry that the cruise had these issues.

Keith

Sorry you didn't enjoy yourself. However, with your cruising experience, you should have known that there would be a lot of families with children, on a short cruise over a holiday. I personally never take cruises over holidays or during summer break. And I don't really care for short cruises either. There is a completely different group of fellow cruisers on longer, non holiday cruises. But I'm sure you already know that....or should anyway.

Unfortunately, mostly on carnival, parents seem to feel the kids can't go anywhere so they run loose. The crew won't do anything to stop them for fear of alienating the parents and getting a scolding or worse from Carnival.

This is why now as an empty nester I only cruise when school is in session. It seems like there is always some school systems on break. I last cruised in October thinking school just started so there should be few children. Found out on the ship when I saw more kids than I expected that there were kids on fall break. I never heard of fall break before. There weren't enough kids to take over the pools and most were well behaved.

I'm now looking at the first week in May. All spring breaks should be over and the college kids won't be out yet. Hopefully parents won't take their kids out of school so close to the end of the year. I love kids but I prefer to cruise without 1000 of them!😉

This is why now as an empty nester I only cruise when school is in session. It seems like there is always some school systems on break. I last cruised in October thinking school just started so there should be few children. Found out on the ship when I saw more kids than I expected that there were kids on fall break. I never heard of fall break before. There weren't enough kids to take over the pools and most were well behaved.

 

I'm now looking at the first week in May. All spring breaks should be over and the college kids won't be out yet. Hopefully parents won't take their kids out of school so close to the end of the year. I love kids but I prefer to cruise without 1000 of them!😉

January, once school Is back in session. Plus good to get out of ohio in the dead of winter.

The Little Woman and I were on the Sunshine last year over thanksgiving - fortunately it turned out just great; they cooked 102 turkeys with the trimmings. We’d do it again! So sorry your holiday was less than hoped for - hopefully you’ll keep on cruising and enjoy the next! God bless.

Yes, several school systems in all states now have the full week off at Thanksgiving.

We've found that our best cruise opportunities without a lot of kids being on board are either the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas or the last 2 or 3 weeks of May. Most people won't take their kids out between the holiday vacations, and most people won't take them out so close to end of the year. Maybe right after labor day also (though school here starts August 1 and we actually have a week off in September).

" The food was horrible except for Guy's"

Sorry Bobby Freddy if Guys was the best, I would be in big trouble since i think guy's burgers are awful. How was the Steakhouse of Chef's Table?

We always cruise january and February just so there we wont be so many kids. But no matter, the hot tubs are always full of kids with no parent anywhere in sight.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Forums mobile app

Thanks for the review.

Uncle Bob has been gone a long time..... for the record things change and not just on Carnival. Short school break week cruise and not expecting kids....hmmmm. Kids on Carnival are the same that they have been since we started cruising in 96, Uncle Bob would not have helped there. Hope your future cruises go better, look at the Calendar in advance for avoiding school breaks.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

There's no steakhouse on the Inspiration. I was just on that ship and I concur with Bobby Freddy. The food was dismal in the MDR. The Lido was a bit better. I happen to be a fan of Guy's burgers, though I limit myself to one per cruise.

 

 

 

As for the Chef's Table, it's quite a bit of money for many. I really enjoyed it on the Breeze with the new menu. I wouldn't eat at the Chef's Table more than once a year just to keep it fresh. Probably more like once every other year.

I have done 5 CT's 4 on Carnival and one on Oasis. It has been a while and might try again on the Horizon for the venue and trying the new menu. Great evening but it is pricey.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

All them kids on board suck, but it is what it is, and you have to make the most of it. Our next cruise is Aug 18' two week Alaskan aboard the Splendor. I hear that the longer the cruise = less drunks and kids:D, I hope that is true.

I am certainly no cruise line loyalist and have no issue with people sharing negative experiences, but to say that the food was horrible does not really help anyone. What was horrible about it? The choices? Served too hot/cold? Poor quality of meats?

Also, this is a message board and we do not get to dictate who does or does not get to comment. From my perspective, Carnival is actually better overall now than they used to be. Ship designs are better (hate the tacky Farcus designs). They have done a fairly good job of keeping food quality where it was 14 years ago when we first stepped on one of their ships. They are not our "go-to" cruise line but will sail with them under the right circumstances.

I'm now looking at the first week in May. All spring breaks should be over and the college kids won't be out yet. Hopefully parents won't take their kids out of school so close to the end of the year. I love kids but I prefer to cruise without 1000 of them!😉

We often cruise in April and May when school is in and children are few and far between. Last time we cruised in May we walked by the teen club after dinner one evening and it was dead. The friends with us actually made note of that as they had a teenage son and realized that he most likely would be a bit bored if they cruised during that time of year with him.

I am certainly no cruise line loyalist and have no issue with people sharing negative experiences, but to say that the food was horrible does not really help anyone. What was horrible about it? The choices? Served too hot/cold? Poor quality of meats?

 

 

 

Also, this is a message board and we do not get to dictate who does or does not get to comment. From my perspective, Carnival is actually better overall now than they used to be. Ship designs are better (hate the tacky Farcus designs). They have done a fairly good job of keeping food quality where it was 14 years ago when we first stepped on one of their ships. They are not our "go-to" cruise line but will sail with them under the right circumstances.

I always finding it interesting seeing all the different views, sometimes on the same ship and even the same sailing. Part of what makes this site work. I agree that when people say things like horrible or totally inedible it does them more of a disservice.....

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Kids running around without any supervision is a problem on all lines we have cruised. It is not unique to Carnival. I do think time of year and length of stay has a huge impact. But it can be difficult to know what are good weeks as every school system is different from spring break to some that have a Fall break week and Winter break week, etc. Hope your next cruise goes better.

Our Inspiration food was lukewarm from every venue except Guy's Burgers. It was very discouraging. I want to like Carnival, I really do! When the food quality is going down the tubes, when the entertainment is laughable, when the ships fall into disrepair, it's easy to cruise another line and become completely enamored of the differences. Our RCCL cruise had two different sea days when they handed out champagne and mimosas. This was in the atrium and on the lido deck. Nothing special, just tray after tray of drinks being handed out.

 

 

 

Who does that on Carnival?

Different strokes for different folks. I sail Carnival a lot, and am a fan (some might have other names but that is a story for a different day). Can't explain the free drinks, the only times I experienced that was on both of our NYE cruises when they handed out champagne boarding and again on NYE.

We tried Royal several times including Oasis 3 or 4 years ago. I was def not enamored, the ship was a marvel, but for us it went down hill fairly rapidly after that.

Entertainment is totally subjective (like the food), the entertainment on our Vista cruises was top notch, different than Royal's but def not laughable (except in the comedy club). I actually thought the food in the MDR on Carnival was better than on the Oasis, but again that is my perspective.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I'm very sorry you had less-than-stellar cruise. We sailed during Thanksgiving on the Dream, and there were a lot of kids running around (we brought 2 of them). I will say that I have never seen kids so young running around the ship without an adult. Our kids are 8 and 7, and the only time they were not with me or my wife was when they were in Camp Ocean.

 

Hopefully, your next cruise will be better.

One of my friends was on that cruise and they had the same. We all went Easter week this year while Louisiana schools were out and nothing like issues they had on your cruise!

WOW seems like you did not have fun... OH well better luck next time. Glad you got your status back in the day, I am not sure why people have to throw that in.

Our Inspiration food was lukewarm from every venue except Guy's Burgers. It was very discouraging. I want to like Carnival, I really do!

LOL...its OK, you dont HAVE to like CCL or any other line for that matter, if it is not for you then it is not for you! Why force it??? Obviously if you are not comfortable or have issue with EVERY cruise then time to move on completely...if you were dating someone that you could only find fault with every time you saw them, would you stay in the relationship??? No one is forcing you to keep trying with CCL but perhaps time to accept that it is what it is and it is not for you!!! It truly is OK...;p