bad experience on carnival destiny

[pattyl]

My daughter and I sailed on Carnival Destiny over Labor Day weekend to Key West and Cozumel. This was my 7th cruise with Carnival so I expected a little more appreciation. No luck there.

 

Our room was right over the engine so sleep was nearly impossible. We tried to change our room but were told there were none available. We did not expect special treatment but as a longtime customer I did hope to get an upgrade or at least a decent room.

The service in the dining room was just awful. The waiter and bus boy while pleasant just had little interest in being there. They were clearly not trained well and the bus boy kept taking and putting plates down by passing in front of everyone instead of to the side. The food quality was not up to par and we felt like it was one step up from a college cafeteria.

The bulk of the crew seemed bored and disinterested. At one point I notified bar staff that there were several drunken passengers in the hot tub with glasses that could easily break. They did nothing to remedy this thus leaving everyone, including the drunken passengers at risk if a glass had broken.

The entertainment was good. There were two comedians which preformed both a PG and R show and they were pretty funny except one of them kept repeating his material so I guess he did not have a lot to say but we did get some good laughs. The singers and dancers were very good.

I have sailed many times and have always had a captain's cocktail party and past guest party to go to but not on this ship. Maybe they have cut back as it was only a 4 day cruise but the apathy was just jolting.

I wrote a complaint to customer service and got a generic response which basically told me that if I did not want to sail with them again then "too bad and good bye". They made no attempt to keep me as a customer which after 7 cruises really surprised me. Even a gesture of a credit for a future cruise would have made me consider them again for a cruise but after this I am going back to Royal Carribbean or Norweigian, two cruise lines that have always made me feel valued and welcome.

Carnival has lived on their reputation for a long time but they have really gone downhill. Their ship was badly worn and their crew acted like they just did not want to be there. Their customer service was just nonexistant and their dinng room staff was very poorly trained.

I have been on about 12 cruises so am pretty seasoned. I was really disappointed with the experience and was even more disappointed by the response from their customer service department (if one can call it that) in response to my complaint. They clearly have no interest in retaining customers so I will make sure not to sail them again. I may not get the most expensive room but I do spend money at the bar, on excursions and at the art auction and shops so they are getting additional revenue from me. From now on I will be giving my revenue to a cruise line that actually pays attention to its customers and actually wishes to retain them.

I do not think that expecting good food, a decent room and responsive staff to be an excessive demand. Take my advice , spend a a little more money and skip Carnival!

[Redsfan]

ouch, sorry to hear your bad experience...I guess some folks expect more than others as you should being a veteran cruiser. I hear that the boat is a bit worn, but I hope not too bad as we are sailing in November..hopefully this is just a bad cruise not common on Destiny.

[RRLLAL]

This was your 7th cruise with Carnival? Obviously since you had previously cruised with Carnival 6 times, they must have been good for you to keep going back. Why did you not use your very first post to give a good review of one of them? Hmmmmm.....

[pattyl]

Well I hope your experience is better than ours. The ship is really dated. you cannot even check your bill from your room as they do not have the equipment to do so. Their were a lot of college age kids on the ship so perhaps in November they will be in school but there is no excuse for the apathetic service and "kiss off" from their custmer service department. In this economy one would think they would be trying to retain customers. I am planning to cruise the Panama Canal and Europe next year but I won't be on Carnival again. Enjoy your cruise.

[pattyl]

Well I hope your experience is better than ours. The ship is really dated. you cannot even check your bill from your room as they do not have the equipment to do so. Their were a lot of college age kids on the ship so perhaps in November they will be in school but there is no excuse for the apathetic service and "kiss off" from their custmer service department. In this economy one would think they would be trying to retain customers. I am planning to cruise the Panama Canal and Europe next year but I won't be on Carnival again. Enjoy your cruise.

[Solo1959]

My daughter and I sailed on Carnival Destiny over Labor Day weekend to Key West and Cozumel. This was my 7th cruise with Carnival so I expected a little more appreciation. No luck there.

 

Our room was right over the engine so sleep was nearly impossible. We tried to change our room but were told there were none available. We did not expect special treatment but as a longtime customer I did hope to get an upgrade or at least a decent room.

The service in the dining room was just awful. The waiter and bus boy while pleasant just had little interest in being there. They were clearly not trained well and the bus boy kept taking and putting plates down by passing in front of everyone instead of to the side. The food quality was not up to par and we felt like it was one step up from a college cafeteria.

The bulk of the crew seemed bored and disinterested. At one point I notified bar staff that there were several drunken passengers in the hot tub with glasses that could easily break.

 

Thank goodness you were there to protect everyone. What ship was this again? The ships I've taken only served in plastic. I prefer glass bar drinks. Thank you for the info.

 

They did nothing to remedy this thus leaving everyone, including the drunken passengers at risk if a glass had broken.

The entertainment was good. There were two comedians which preformed both a PG and R show and they were pretty funny except one of them kept repeating his material so I guess he did not have a lot to say but we did get some good laughs. The singers and dancers were very good.

I have sailed many times and have always had a captain's cocktail party and past guest party to go to but not on this ship. Maybe they have cut back as it was only a 4 day cruise but the apathy was just jolting.

 

I wrote a complaint to customer service and got a generic response which basically told me that if I did not want to sail with them again then "too bad and good bye". They made no attempt to keep me as a customer which after 7 cruises really surprised me.

 

Wow! It is now only Friday morning. Monday was Labor Day. So you came home, composed your letter, mailed it after Monday when the Post Office was closed, they got it, responded and it came back to you through the mail by Thursday. That's pretty responsive for ANY company.

 

Even a gesture of a credit for a future cruise would have made me consider them again for a cruise but after this I am going back to Royal Carribbean or Norweigian, two cruise lines that have always made me feel valued and welcome.

Carnival has lived on their reputation for a long time but they have really gone downhill. Their ship was badly worn and their crew acted like they just did not want to be there. Their customer service was just nonexistant and their dinng room staff was very poorly trained.

I have been on about 12 cruises so am pretty seasoned. I was really disappointed with the experience and was even more disappointed by the response from their customer service department (if one can call it that) in response to my complaint. They clearly have no interest in retaining customers so I will make sure not to sail them again. I may not get the most expensive room but I do spend money at the bar, on excursions and at the art auction and shops so they are getting additional revenue from me. From now on I will be giving my revenue to a cruise line that actually pays attention to its customers and actually wishes to retain them.

I do not think that expecting good food, a decent room and responsive staff to be an excessive demand. Take my advice , spend a a little more money and skip Carnival!

Thank you for your reveiw.

[pattyl]

This was your 7th cruise with Carnival? Obviously since you had previously cruised with Carnival 6 times, they must have been good for you to keep going back. Why did you not use your very first post to give a good review of one of them? Hmmmmm.....

The point of my post was to share a disappointing experience and to alert other passengers of their poor customer service response. I have posted good reviews in the past but this cruise did not warrant a good review.

[pattyl]

Thank you for your reveiw.

Today is Thursday Sept 16, Labor Day was 10 days ago and I contacted them by email. Where do you get that it is Friday and Labor Day was 4 days ago. Do you need a calendar?

[Cruzaholic41]

The point of my post was to share a disappointing experience and to alert other passengers of their poor customer service response. I have posted good reviews in the past but this cruise did not warrant a good review.

 

Thank you for your review. Destiny does get a lot of bad reviews. Please ignore the people on this board who just can't stomach a bad Carnival review. :rolleyes:

 

On my Destiny cruise, a piece of the ceiling fell and landed on our dinner table. That is one ship I wouldn't sail again even if it was free.

 

Today is Thursday Sept 16, Labor Day was 10 days ago and I contacted them by email. Where do you get that it is Friday and Labor Day was 4 days ago. Do you need a calendar?

 

That post had me confused also. I had to double check the dates on this thread.

[firefly333]

Im guessing OP choose a cabin in the back of the ship where there is vibration. Been back there myself, but never once thought I was over the engine, thought ahhhh, CC taught it about thrusters and all that in the back.

 

OP if you hung more around CC you would pick up on lots of helpfull tidbits. Why would you, as a non platinum cruiser on Carnival with few cruises think they should upgrade you out of all the people on the ship.

 

Im still wating myself for that magical upgrade to show how much they appreciate me. .. one of these days. You sound like you really expect it happens a lot more than it does.

 

OP hang around more and maybe you can make up for Carnival not giving you that free magical upgrade. Nope, Carnival doesnt care about keeping you or any of the rest of us. Im going to be flying to cruises, probably more RCL cruises, because of $$$ and cruising SOLO. RCL has the deals, Carnival has few. If its cheaper to fly to Florida for a deal so I dont pay 200% on Carnival, so be it. I might never make that 25th cruise ..

[jks336]

sorry you had a bad experience, but honestly, just like hotels and restuarants, each are different, yes they carry the "name" but still are individual and shouldn't make the assumption that all are like that. Also, try writing a complaint to the other cruiselines what do you want to bet you'll get the same "generic" letter. hope your next on whichever line is good.

 

*on a side note* it is AMAZING how many times i hear... IF they'd GIVE me $$ I would consider it. sheesh.. between being such a sue happy world nowadays, it's also the give me.

[Tapi]

I have posted good reviews in the past but this cruise did not warrant a good review.

 

You have a total of 5 posts, all in this thread. Where are the other reviews? Or is this a new profile created specifically to bash Carnival?

 

Why would you need to create a new profile just to write about your "bad experience"? :rolleyes:

[pattyl]

My gosh are you employed by Carnival? I am only posting an experience that may be helpful for others. I do not quite get the angry responses here as I am only sharing what was a disappointing experience in comparison to many other cruises I have taken. When one writes about a disappointing experience that is usually the topic that is addressed.

I believe this site is called Cruise Critic which connotes that one can critique a ship/experience etc about a cruise experience. Good heavens get a gripe and face the fact that this particular ship is very dated and the customer service is just not what is used to be but that may be a reflection of our general customer service everywhere as most companies now really don't care very much about their customers or employees.

[trailercruiser]

Im guessing OP choose a cabin in the back of the ship where there is vibration. Been back there myself, but never once thought I was over the engine, thought ahhhh, CC taught it about thrusters and all that in the back.

 

OP if you hung more around CC you would pick up on lots of helpfull tidbits. Why would you, as a non platinum cruiser on Carnival with few cruises think they should upgrade you out of all the people on the ship.

 

Im still wating myself for that magical upgrade to show how much they appreciate me. .. one of these days. You sound like you really expect it happens a lot more than it does.

 

OP hang around more and maybe you can make up for Carnival not giving you that free magical upgrade. Nope, Carnival doesnt care about keeping you or any of the rest of us. Im going to be flying to cruises, probably more RCL cruises, because of $$$ and cruising SOLO. RCL has the deals, Carnival has few. If its cheaper to fly to Florida for a deal so I dont pay 200% on Carnival, so be it. I might never make that 25th cruise ..

 

Funny the exact samething happened to me on RCL, horrible food, horrible waitstaff, horrible customer service, so good luck.

[jetskier]

And if you have sailed with Carnival that many times then you should have KNOWN that the Captain's party was done away with over a year ago. It was replaced with the Farewell Party on the last seaday where you can still get one hour free drinks.

 

Secondly, there never has been a Past Guest party on 3 and 4 night sailings. Only on 5-night or longer sailings.

 

So no, Carnival is not cutting back in these areas.

 

Dave

[firefly333]

Funny the exact samething happened to me on RCL, horrible food, horrible waitstaff, horrible customer service, so good luck.

 

You quoted me?? I only said I will probably be doing more RCL Cruises because I cant find many less than 200% solo cruise deals. It would be cheaper to pay airfare and fly to FL for RCL who has 170% and less deals every tuesday, plus others. My problem is the 150% solo deals they took away.

 

Its about $$$ for me.

 

OP does seem to not be that experienced or knoweldgeable as a cruiser, or they wouldnt think they were over the engine. They would also know 7th cruise with Carnival means nadda.

[suzycruiser2]

Sorry about your bad experience. Did you pick your cabin or was it a guarantee? I have only been on one cruise (2nd one is in 3 weeks), but even after one cruise, I do know to check to see what is above and below a particular cabin before I select it.

[RedMar]

We sailed on Destiny Aug 19-23 and had a wonderful time. I thought the food was great! The ship is a little dated but still in good shape. I would not hesitate to sail on this ship again.

[Cruzaholic41]

My gosh are you employed by Carnival? I am only posting an experience that may be helpful for others. I do not quite get the angry responses here as I am only sharing what was a disappointing experience in comparison to many other cruises I have taken. When one writes about a disappointing experience that is usually the topic that is addressed.

I believe this site is called Cruise Critic which connotes that one can critique a ship/experience etc about a cruise experience. Good heavens get a gripe and face the fact that this particular ship is very dated and the customer service is just not what is used to be but that may be a reflection of our general customer service everywhere as most companies now really don't care very much about their customers or employees.

 

Here's my advice. Write your review on the reviews section of this website and rate the ship as you saw it honestly. Then, ask the moderators to delete this thread. The people on this board can not handle bad reviews of "their" sacred cruise line and the flaming and second-guessing will only get worse as this thread goes on.

[cullensmom]

"We tried to change our room but were told there were none available. We did not expect special treatment but as a longtime customer I did hope to get an upgrade or at least a decent room."

 

I've heard all of the ships cruise full. How could you be upgraded if the ship was at capacity? Carnival FAQ states that you can't upgrade at or after sailing.

 

I've only been on a couple of cruises. On the second one it seemed like the workers in the galley directly above us (oops, my bad booking that cabin) were having parades and banging on pots and pans all night long. I tossed and turned the last couple nights, but didn't expect Carnival to compensate me for it. I chose that cabin. Will I choose it again? No, but Carnival doesn't owe me anything. Will I take earplugs next time? Yes.

 

Good luck with whatever vacation or cruise line you choose in the future.

 

Happy Cruising all!

[Warm Breezes]

My daughter and I sailed on Carnival Destiny over Labor Day weekend to Key West and Cozumel. This was my 7th cruise with Carnival so I expected a little more appreciation. No luck there. Every guest has the potential to be a return customer...why should you be treated any differently than everyone else?

 

Our room was right over the engine so sleep was nearly impossible. You get what you pay for...If you wanted a room with absolutely no noise then you need to pick one with only rooms above/below it. If not bring ear plugs. We tried to change our room but were told there were none available. Of course there were none available...they sail at full capacity...did you expect them to kick someone out for you? We did not expect special treatment but as a longtime customer I did hope to get an upgrade or at least a decent room. That is expecting special treatment.

The service in the dining room was just awful. The waiter and bus boy while pleasant just had little interest in being there. They were clearly not trained well and the bus boy kept taking and putting plates down by passing in front of everyone instead of to the side. The food quality was not up to par and we felt like it was one step up from a college cafeteria.

The bulk of the crew seemed bored and disinterested. I find food and service to be subjective...Some people set so high expectations that no one can meet them...Others just go with the flow. Since I am a go with the flow type of person, I expect the items that bothered you would not even get any attention from me. At one point I notified bar staff that there were several drunken passengers in the hot tub with glasses that could easily break. They did nothing to remedy this thus leaving everyone, including the drunken passengers at risk if a glass had broken.

The entertainment was good. Glad you liked something. There were two comedians which preformed both a PG and R show and they were pretty funny except one of them kept repeating his material so I guess he did not have a lot to say but we did get some good laughs. The singers and dancers were very good.

I have sailed many times and have always had a captain's cocktail party and past guest party to go to but not on this ship. Wouldn't make or break my cruise if they had these parties or not. Maybe they have cut back as it was only a 4 day cruise but the apathy was just jolting.

I wrote a complaint to customer service and got a generic response which basically told me that if I did not want to sail with them again then "too bad and good bye". Again you are expecting preferential treatment when none is deserved. I don't blame them for their response. They made no attempt to keep me as a customer which after 7 cruises really surprised me. Even a gesture of a credit for a future cruise would have made me consider them again for a cruise but after this I am going back to Royal Carribbean or Norweigian, two cruise lines that have always made me feel valued and welcome.

Carnival has lived on their reputation for a long time but they have really gone downhill. Their ship was badly worn (you did pay to go on an older ship, I expect to see more wear and tear on her than I did on the Freedom last year...again you get what you pay for) and their crew acted like they just did not want to be there(subjective). Their customer service was just nonexistant and their dinng room staff was very poorly trained.

I have been on about 12 cruises so am pretty seasoned. I was really disappointed with the experience and was even more disappointed by the response from their customer service department (if one can call it that) in response to my complaint. They clearly have no interest in retaining customers so I will make sure not to sail them again. I may not get the most expensive room but I do spend money at the bar, on excursions and at the art auction and shops so they are getting additional revenue from me. From now on I will be giving my revenue to a cruise line that actually pays attention to its customers and actually wishes to retain them.

I do not think that expecting good food, a decent room and responsive staff to be an excessive demand. Take my advice , spend a a little more money and skip Carnival!

 

I will be sailing on the Destiny in November. If I don't like the food I will send it back and try something else (food is too subjective...if you don't like it try something else), I picked my room so I know what to expect (earplugs will be packed), and I tend to be more lenient with the people who serve me. I was a waitress while putting myself through college, I can sympathize with them when things don't go right and/or they are dealing with people who can't/won't be satisfied. Despite your negative review, I am looking forward to sailing on the Destiny. I am not a Carnival cheerleader. I have sailed on CCL, NCL, and Disney. If the price/itinerary were right I would sail on other lines too. I do have a hard time with people who complain about the small stuff and expect the people who serve them to cater precisely to their specific whims and wishes, reasonable or not. If you do your research and set your expectations accordingly, then you may find yourself to be a much happier person, with much less to complain about. I hope you find what you are looking for on another line.

[Chef P]

My daughter and I sailed on Carnival Destiny over Labor Day weekend to Key West and Cozumel. This was my 7th cruise with Carnival so I expected a little more appreciation. No luck there.

 

Our room was right over the engine so sleep was nearly impossible. We tried to change our room but were told there were none available. We did not expect special treatment but as a longtime customer I did hope to get an upgrade or at least a decent room.

 

Did you choose this rooom ? Or did yor TA or PVP?

The service in the dining room was just awful. The waiter and bus boy while pleasant just had little interest in being there. They were clearly not trained well and the bus boy kept taking and putting plates down by passing in front of everyone instead of to the side.

He is called an assistant waiter

 

The food quality was not up to par and we felt like it was one step up from a college cafeteria.

 

OMG... Are you kidding me ? It was the best we had on a Carnival Ship in 12 cruises...

The bulk of the crew seemed bored and disinterested. At one point I notified bar staff that there were several drunken passengers in the hot tub with glasses that could easily break. They did nothing to remedy this thus leaving everyone, including the drunken passengers at risk if a glass had broken.

 

I agree with you on this one.... shouldn't have been allowed...

The entertainment was good. There were two comedians which preformed both a PG and R show and they were pretty funny except one of them kept repeating his material so I guess he did not have a lot to say but we did get some good laughs. The singers and dancers were very good.

I have sailed many times and have always had a captain's cocktail party and past guest party to go to but not on this ship. Maybe they have cut back as it was only a 4 day cruise but the apathy was just jolting.

 

I wrote a complaint to customer service and got a generic response which basically told me that if I did not want to sail with them again then "too bad and good bye". They made no attempt to keep me as a customer which after 7 cruises really surprised me. Even a gesture of a credit for a future cruise would have made me consider them again for a cruise but after this I am going back to Royal Carribbean or Norweigian, two cruise lines that have always made me feel valued and welcome.

 

Good Luck with NCL, if you thought the food was horrible on the Destiny, bring your own snacks to survive on what NCL serves...

Carnival has lived on their reputation for a long time but they have really gone downhill. Their ship was badly worn and their crew acted like they just did not want to be there. Their customer service was just nonexistant and their dinng room staff was very poorly trained.

The ship did show some wear in certain areas, but far from badly worn...

My husband and I found the staff t be VERY friendly...

I have been on about 12 cruises so am pretty seasoned. I was really disappointed with the experience and was even more disappointed by the response from their customer service department (if one can call it that) in response to my complaint. They clearly have no interest in retaining customers so I will make sure not to sail them again. I may not get the most expensive room but I do spend money at the bar, on excursions and at the art auction and shops so they are getting additional revenue from me. From now on I will be giving my revenue to a cruise line that actually pays attention to its customers and actually wishes to retain them.

 

I do not think that expecting good food, a decent room and responsive staff to be an excessive demand. Take my advice , spend a a little more money and skip Carnival!

 

 

my only complaint on this cruise was I was chagred TAX on my bucket of beer 40 mins after leaving Key west and charged tax on the gratuity as well... Other than that I found the staff fantastic, the food superb and the weather marvelous... What more could I ask for?

Very sorry you felt your cruise did not live upto your expectations..

[LHP]

I do find it interesting that someone who has cruised with Carnival so many times and is such a loyal customer doesn't know that 3 and 4 day cruises have never had a Repeater's Party.......

 

The bottom line is that a cruiser can hit an "off cruise" on any ship on any cruise line. Happened to us on the Holiday....that's life.

[Tapi]

I believe this site is called Cruise Critic which connotes that one can critique a ship/experience etc about a cruise experience. Good heavens get a gripe and face the fact...

 

pattyl:

 

The reason why I've been coming to Cruise Critic for about 5 years now is because I enjoy reading about other cruiser's experiences, even if it's a bad one. Many of my cruise choices have been made after reading reviews here (good and bad).

 

However, in your specific case, you chose to create a new profile (based on the fact that you mentioned how you've written many reviews before) just so that you could write about your bad experience on Carnival and how you will now cruise on other cruise lines.

 

That's not informative, that's bashing. I find it dirispectful, not only to me but to every single person that comes to Cruise Critic looking for objective information. I would have much more respect for your review if I could compare it with other experiences that you've had (as you mentioned with your "other multiple reviews").

 

I won't be surprised if after this post, we never ever see you post on Cruise Critic ever again. By the way, the practice of creating a profile, making one post to bash and ruffle some feathers and then dissapearing is called "trolling", and you're not the first one to do so. That's why it's easy to spot....

[RRLLAL]

My gosh are you employed by Carnival? I am only posting an experience that may be helpful for others. I do not quite get the angry responses here as I am only sharing what was a disappointing experience in comparison to many other cruises I have taken. When one writes about a disappointing experience that is usually the topic that is addressed.

I believe this site is called Cruise Critic which connotes that one can critique a ship/experience etc about a cruise experience. Good heavens get a gripe and face the fact that this particular ship is very dated and the customer service is just not what is used to be but that may be a reflection of our general customer service everywhere as most companies now really don't care very much about their customers or employees.

 

 

Come on already. You're the one that has cruised Carnival 7 times now, you said it yourself. You are the one that said you have done many reviews when asked about good Carnival cruises. Yet you make a new profile to be critical? And you just said "Take my advice , spend a a little more money and skip Carnival!" You base that on 1 supposed bad cruise yet the previous 6 must have been good since you went on #7. It would have been one thing to say don't cruise on Destiny, but because that 1 may have been bad, you now discount the other 6 all together and say don't cruise Carnival? Makes no sense at all and reduces the believability all together. Sorry, but that's the way I read it.