Our Imagination Cruise - My email to Carnival & their reply - No explanation needed

 

Backfrom our cruise - some feedback - Booking XXXXXX

 

Friday, February 9, 2018 6:38 AM

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@yahoo.com>

To:

"xxxxxxxxx@carnival.com" <xxxxxxxx@carnival.com>

February9, 2018

GoodMorning Ms. xxxxxxxxxx,

Mywife XXXXXX and myself just returned from our 16th Carnival cruise yesterday.

Thiswas our 51st cruise overall with the various cruise-lines, many of which fall

underCarnival Corporation.

If wemay offer some constructive criticism from an experienced cruisers'perspective.

It isnot our intention to get anyone into any trouble because our cabin stewardreally

triedand he was helpful but some cabin issues we feel could and should have been

addressedin a more appropriate manner.

1)When we checked in to our cabin, my first order of business was to use thebathroom.

WhatI was not prepared for was a toilet bowl that had obviously not been cleaned as

therewas some evidence of "splatter" from the previous guests. Yuck, yuck,yuck!!!

2)What is going on with the lack of evening turndown service and ice in thecabin?

Youhave to ask for both when up until our last cruise these were both a given!

3) Ongoing& recurring problems with the TV and the remote although these were

eventuallyfixed by housekeeping.

4)Cabin reeked with the odor of "smoke" immediately noticed when oneenters the cabin.

Notso noticeable afterwards but like I said, VERY noticeable upon entering thecabin. To

me itsmelled like residual odor from somebody smoking in the cabin on a priorcruise.

Iknow we booked at a promotional price in a lower category cabin but I think weliterally

scrapedthe bottom of the barrel on this cabin, X-XX. Like I said, we have no intentionof getting

anyoneinto any trouble, let alone our cabin steward because he really tried.

Lastnight of the cruise, we decided to try our luck again by booking on theCarnival

Inspirationfor February 26, 2018. Booking # XXXXXXX. We've been on her before so we

saidwe will do this 4-day cruise again on her and hope for a better cabinexperience.

Weare also booked on the Splendor 7-day sailing on May 12, 2018. Booking XXXXXXX.

Imention these bookings so that you know that these are genuine concerns voicedby

twoloyal Carnival customers.

Regards,

xxxxxx& xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx

PastGuests #s xxxxxxxx & xxxxxxxxxx

XXX-xx-xx-02132018-2 CarnivalImagination 02/04/2018 XXXXxxx XX

Tuesday, February 13, 2018 11:13 AM

xxxxxxxxxx@carnival.com

To:

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@YAHOO.COM

 

Hello Mr. xxxxxx,

We would like to thank you forcontacting our executive offices and taking the time to keep usinformed.

First, I’d like to take thisopportunity to thank you for your support over the years. Without guestssuch as yourself, we recognize we would not be where we are as a company,today. For that, we say “thank you”.

You have my sincere apology forthe overall poor cruise experience you described. It was verydisheartening to hear your feedback regarding the many cabin cleanlinessissues you faced because this is definitely outside of what we hear on aday-to-day basis about our cruises and staff.

Nevertheless, we want tothank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. Rest assured all of your concerns have beenforwarded to the appropriate department managers for their information andinternal review for future improvement.

Thank you again fortaking time to provide us your feedback and allowing us the opportunity torespond.

Sincerely,

 

xxxx xxxxx

Guest Care Executive Office

Carnival Cruise Lines | 3655 NW 87th Avenue | Miami, FL 33178 |

800-Carnival Ext: xxxxx

xxxxxxxxxx@carnival.com

Um, ok. You experienced a few small things that annoyed you. Carnival apologized and your concerns have been forwarded to the appropriate departments. Is there something more that you are looking for?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Sounds like a reasonable response. Did you expect something more?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Code for "I've been on this many cruises + have been inconvenienced = I want free stuff"

Code for "I've been on this many cruises + have been inconvenienced = I want free stuff"

A rather presumptuous point of view. :rolleyes:

Code for "I've been on this many cruises + have been inconvenienced = I want free stuff"

I agree, by mentioning the other booking it's in hope to get some OBC for the next one. Smell, lack of ice, a couple turds, and a tv remote probably needing batteries hardly constitutes a letter to Carnival. It's a minor inconvenience and maybe slightly disappointing at best. Of course, everyone has a right to an opinion on his or her cruise experience and expectations. The Imagination is 23 years old ...... I'd never sail a Carnival ship that old nor have expectations that it would have that "new car smell" that the Vista would have per se'.

It has been my experience (30 cruises) that when I go on a Fantasy class ship I am getting what i pay for and am usually just happy if it makes it to its destination and returns me home safely.

Only the OP can explain the "No Explanation Needed"... but perhaps he was pointing out the fact that Carnival appropriately answers emails? Don't know what other conclusion one can draw.

I agree, by mentioning the other booking it's in hope to get some OBC for the next one. Smell, lack of ice, a couple turds, and a tv remote probably needing batteries hardly constitutes a letter to Carnival. It's a minor inconvenience and maybe slightly disappointing at best. Of course, everyone has a right to an opinion on his or her cruise experience and expectations. The Imagination is 23 years old ...... I'd never sail a Carnival ship that old nor have expectations that it would have that "new car smell" that the Vista would have per se'.

 

 

 

Wow, this is the standard you set for Carnival? Just booked my first carnival cruise and I really hope They don't match your low expectations of a turd here and a non-functional remote there. They certainly won't meet my expectations as they didn't meet the OP's either.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you 558, for sharing your experiences and the subsequent response. It is important to let companies know when they have fallen short. It gives them the opportunity to fix it and helps those of us cruising in the future to hopefully not deal with those same experiences.

Maybe I expect a bit more when I cruise, but I don’t consider turd splatter, and a cabin that smells like cigarettes “small issues”. For many, walking into their stateroom for the first time, sets the tone for the entire cruise and has the potential to turn the overall experience upside down. Poor cleanliness that’s this obvious would make me wonder what other corners have been cut, what else has been overlooked in my stateroom, as well as on the rest of the ship.

 

And the lingering cigarette smell would be enough for me (and I know for many as well) to consider the stateroom uninhabitable, and would prompt me to request a stateroom change. Not the way that I would like to spend valuable vacation time, but less inconvenient than having to deal with that for the duration of the cruise.

 

These things would not be acceptable, even on a bottom of the barrel hotel chain. Even when I’ve stayed at a Red Roof Inn, I’ve expected my room to meet some standards. Apparently others don’t care. The fact that there are people that consider these issues as minor makes me question the demographics that Carnival targets these days more than Carnival practices. We have reached a new low in cruising when the inexcusable is being excused or minimized.

 

Anybody wondering how Carnival is getting away with all their cost cutting measures only needs to read some of the replies. Carnival can get away with it because people are putting up with it and still defending them.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited February 19, 2018 by Tapi

double post

Edited February 19, 2018 by Tapi

Try a newer ship.

This is the response I expect, and I would be happy with this. We hear your concerns and we will let the Department's know who are in charge of correcting this. Just curious what more were you expecting?

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

Maybe I expect a bit more when I cruise, but I don’t consider turd splatter, and a cabin that smells like cigarettes “small issues”. For many, walking into their stateroom for the first time, sets the tone for the entire cruise and has the potential to turn the overall experience upside down. Poor cleanliness that’s this obvious would make me wonder what other corners have been cut, what else has been overlooked in my stateroom, as well as on the rest of the ship.

 

And the lingering cigarette smell would be enough for me (and I know for many as well) to consider the stateroom uninhabitable, and would prompt me to request a stateroom change. Not the way that I would like to spend valuable vacation time, but less inconvenient than having to deal with that for the duration of the cruise.

 

These things would not be acceptable, even on a bottom of the barrel hotel chain. Even when I’ve stayed at a Red Roof Inn, I’ve expected my room to meet some standards. Apparently others don’t care. The fact that there are people that consider these issues as minor makes me question the demographics that Carnival targets these days more than Carnival practices. We have reached a new low in cruising when the inexcusable is being excused or minimized.

 

Anybody wondering how Carnival is getting away with all their cost cutting measures only needs to read some of the replies. Carnival can get away with it because people are putting up with it and still defending them.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Some seriously low expectations demonstrated on this thread. Confusing to me...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Try a newer ship.

 

 

 

Fitted with self-cleaning toilets???

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

558 - Did you tell guest services or your room steward your complaints? Or did you wait to get home to notify Carnival of your displeasure.

 

We've had problems in our cabin, went to GS or the room steward and the problems were solved.

geez you wrote a letter for that? seem like such small issues to write a letter over. I would have just called housekeeping to clean the bathroom, the first day. And talked to GS. To me a letter is if things did not get fixed on board

Edited February 19, 2018 by torcruise

One would think cruisers like that would look for HIGH STANDARDS.....

I just wonder what the rest of their cruise was like.

2 more booking in the next 6 months..... One would think they are looking for some EXTRA PERKS for a bad cabin.

One would think cruisers like that would look for

 

 

Not wanting turd splatters or a stateroom that smells like cigarettes is having high standards? As mentioned above, we’ve reached a new low in cruising when these are considered “high standards”

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

The only real problem here is the no explanation needed title. While nobody wants a dirty smelly cabin, even on the oldest, cheapest ship, clearly different readers have different responses to the situation and to the communication between OP and the corporate office.

 

Like some others I would have reported the toilet immediately to the stewards or GS if I could not find them. Or maybe asked about switching to a less smelly room.

 

I would like to respectfully ask OP for their clarification of how they felt about the letter. Because just as we can't assume your motives in writing to them, we don't know whether you were satisfied or not, or what you feel would have been more appropriate.

I’ve had motels switch rooms for similar occurrences. If I wanted a cabin that smelled like smoke I would have requested the cigar lounge.

Maybe their experience was below standards they experienced on past cruises, thus setting a prescient.

Happy Cruising to Everyone.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Most ships sail full so just switching to another cabin is not possible the majority of the time.

I would have complained on the ship. This was unacceptable.

When you go to Wal-Mart, you expect Wal-Mart. Go to Super 8, and you get Super 8. You get what you pay for, and the letter sounds like they might be "shocked" because most people send them letters of praise. The response was a blow-off response, and the issue will not be fixed, because it would require spending money on more help, which will not happen with a budget cruise line.