What would you change first?

[winddawn]

If you were in charge of turning things back around for Carnival in terms of starting to lose even their cheerleaders to other cruiselines what would you change first? I would add more waiters/waitresses to the dining rooms. Then i would add the Steel Drum Bands back to the Lido deck. A few more thing but i feel these are the main problems

More live music (island music), improve the loyalty program, and reduce the single supplement.

[cruzn buckeye]

There is no comparison between service received in MDR in 2002, versus service in MDR in 2013. There are fewer waitstaff who are so busy, they have little time for personal service. Food arrives cold and sometimes never arrives at all. I still feel like I'm getting my money's worth, since the prices of cruises are less now, but I have to admit service in the MDR is lacking.

And it never should take two hours for your meal, that was usually only if you booked the specialty steak house and they always reminded you to allow two hours for your meal.

[cruzn buckeye]

4, 5 or 6 Band Members have to be paid

-and housed(taking up crew cabins) --AND fed!

 

 

Musicians are probably among their most expensive crew/staff to facilitate

even if they do other duties, which I doubt.

 

.

they managed before, I am sure they can do it again to make their cruises more enjoyable.

[cruzn buckeye]

:confused::confused::confused: We cruised in February and again in May and ALWAYS had trays. That is one of my favorite things about CCL is that they still have trays. I swear to you, if they discontinue trays I will bring my own! REALLY!!! :eek::p;) The only "big" thing I would change is to bring back the FCC. I still can't believe they took that away. And they used to come to the casino around 11-midnight every night with trays of goodies for the gamblers. Sometimes little pizzas, bite size sandwiches, desserts...it was fun and just something "extra" that they did that I miss.

on the Liberty last Sept... no trays... this is a big thing for me... I have nobody to help me carry my stuff, and I don't want to get my drink, leave it or my food on the table, to go get the other.

[Can'tWait2SetSail]

I just came back from my 3rd Carnival cruise and had wonderful waiters in the MDR. We had anytime dining and asked for the same waitstaff each night. One night we could not get in that section without a wait and had an even better waiter. The only issue we had was slow or no service from the bar staff in the MDR (except for the guy with the shots, HE always seemed to be able to find me, LOL).

 

Regarding TA, personally I have no use for them. I got screwed by a crook in the past who was playing games with customers money. Things worked out in the end, but I will NEVER go through that again. Part of my enjoyment of vacation is researching and planning things myself. It is a different world with the internet. For me TA's are no longer needed.

 

I enjoyed the hunt of watching for lower rates and never had a problem with my Carnival PVP when I called her for adjustments (I did not booked ES).

 

Will I try other cruise lines? Sure, but when I am looking to book and I see how much more affordable Carnival is, it makes it hard to make that jump.

[richstowe]

on the Liberty last Sept... no trays... this is a big thing for me... I have nobody to help me carry my stuff, and I don't want to get my drink, leave it or my food on the table, to go get the other.

I like the huge plate/trays they are now using.

I asked one of the buffet managers about this and he said it was done for sanitary and safety reasons.

He said there were less spills now then when people stacked multiple plates and glasses on to a single tray.

 

I wouldn't count on the trays coming back

[Can'tWait2SetSail]

Oh and none of our MDR meals took two hours. From reading these boards I knew ahead of time of the slow drink service, so I brought my own cocktail or glass of wine from my room stock to start.

 

I don't get the issue with the trays? How much food are you carrying? LOL. I had no problem carrying my plate of food, roll-up of silver and beverage to my table. If I needed more food after that I went back.

 

I think there is so much waste of food on cruises that not having trays is a good thing. Often our eyes are bigger than our stomachs.

[Webecruzen]

1. Fix the MDR issues

a. Carnival needs to answer the question, "Is the dining room a Denny's or is it a dining room?", and make decisions to follow the model. For example, if you want it to be Denny's filled with comfort food, and lack of wait staff, or poor and inefficient wait staff, than do so, and announce the change and include a new realistic dress code to go with it. If they want it to be a restaurant, with appropriate table service, than change the dress code, enforce it, and turn people away at the door. They need to decide.

 

2. Fix the entertainment issues. They only have some poorly directed stage shows, and rely on passenger doing the entertainment, instead of professionals.

 

3. Bring in live bands, and get rid of DJ's.

 

4. Fix the aweful food in the buffet and increase the staff in the buffet to clean better.

 

5. Open the dining room doors to get people off the stairs and jamming the elevators. You can't fix a poorly designed ship, but you can better manage road blocks.

 

6. Reduce the obnoxious photo people blocking the entry ways, and choke points. If someone wants a picture, they can step aside and get it.

 

7. Increase the prices to cover better service.

 

8. Remove smoking from ALL indoor places and staterooms, including balconies.

 

 

I agree with all your points. Cruising has certainly changed since the 1990's when I first sailed. The prices are less now and so is the level of quality. I would love to see stricter smoking policies and an area of balconies that were non smoking even if it was at a premium price.

[A2Mich]

What would I do first? Show Gerry Cahill where the exit sign is on corporate HQ. Bring back the amenities that experienced cruisers are used to and cut the corporate penny pinching - CCL's profitability is at the expense of customer's enjoyment. While cruise lines have always tried to upsell to an extent, cruise lines have gotten absolutely out of control. It used to be where you could get a great, nearly gourmet meal in the MDR, and pretty darn good in the buffet. Cruise lines are cutting back and pushing their specialty eateries in the name of higher profits. Same with bingo, art auctions, etc. I also have to say that I feel many items are seriously overpriced as well - like nearly $2 for a 12oz can of soda? Seriously? I don't mind paying for things, but don't like being bent over for it!

 

I personally have a great TA that I have used for years and will continue to use until she retires - what CCL is doing to TA's is wrong. I understand that TA's are working for their commissions. That's the same reason ANY of us go to work - to make a living. For so many years, CCL depended heavily on TA's for bookings, including the huge online TA's. CCL simply wanted to increase profitability by having their own PVP's and alienating independent TA's.

 

As far as media, I think that Carnival has gotten a bad rap. The Costa Concordia incident was/is a big scar for Carnival to heal. The real problem is that Carnival Cruise Line does not own Costa Crociere. Most of the news reports I had seen and heard did not distinguish the owner as Carnival Corporation and PLC, it was simply referred to as Carnival. I think that the public's perception may be that Carnival Cruise Line and Costa are one in the same, when this is not the case.

 

All in all, I still think that cruising is a great way to vacation, but the constant cutbacks and increased upselling is a turn off. Enough to turn me off of cruising? Probably not entirely, but it does make me consider other options.

[Maxiecat3]

Here are all of the engine issues since 3/17/13

 

First on the list is Celebrity with propulsion issue. Pullmantur (RC line) fire and stranded 17 miles off Venice. HAL propulsion problems. RC fire cruise cancelled. Celebrity propulsion problems. P&o propulsion problems.

 

It happens all the time.

 

You have to be related to the head cheerleader here. Using double talk to hide the real facts.

 

#1- You asserted, as fact, that CCL is no worse percentage wise than any other mass market cruise line. So let's stick to individual cruise lines, not corporations, since this is the Carnival Cruise Line forum.

 

#2- I have to admit I was wrong when I said it was Carnival 9 Royal 2. I went back and wrote the issues down and it is really Carnival 13 Royal 2.

 

#3- I love how you cherry pick the date of 3/17/13 instead of starting at the first of the year. On 3/16/13 the Legend became the 9th Carnival ship this year that had some type of propulsion problem. If you would like I can list all the problems for you. Royal's 2 problems since the first of the year were both related to the Grandeur fire.

 

#4- I will agree that all lines have their problems and between now and the end of this year it could reverse itself and Royal could have a rash of issues.

 

I didn't compare the figures to other cruise lines, but as you clearly stated, to check the facts; you might want to take you own advice. Clearly the facts prove that this year, so far, they trail at least RCI by a large margin.

 

Gregg

[misstopgun]

Our last cruise we had a 3 person team and they were awesome.Service has always been good that I can remember even with just a server and assistant.

 

What I would change is make everything consistent on every ship!!!

 

Check the website today and maybe your BV prices will change tomorrow :) Really no email to those booked ,maybe a notice of price increases.Pretty big company to have such a poor IT team ;)

 

The casino players club really is bad.We love to gamble and spend a lot of money onboard in the casino and this cruise coming up we get $75 each and nothing else!! We don't even qualify for the fruit basket that I can buy for $50 from BV what a joke.The little things make people happy(and spending money).This makes me save money on Carnival which I will never understand why someone hasn't figured this out at corporate

 

 

Another change I would love is for the lines to track and reward people who spend money.for instance...

 

We gamble,pick our balcony cabin,buy pictures,buy bottles from BV,do chefs tables and some people cruise for $499 for the week and don't spend another penny onboard

 

I understand not everyone who travels has a lot of money(and I don't either) but we all save and plan our trip and activities so why not reward people who spend money

 

I am a cheerleader though

Your post is the closest so far as to how we feel. We are long term Carnival and have not embraced all the changes.

 

Sure, some say they have taken away this but they have added this, but we remember when the food in the MDR was a better quality. Prime rib was 3/4 inch or better thick instead of 1/3 inch and much less fat.

 

Flat iron steak is ridicules. That isn't a steak I would serve at home.

 

The shows have deteriorated from what was offered in the past. We seldom go anymore.

 

The DJ's instead of bands on the Lido are far too loud. There isn't as much interaction with the entertainment staff. I could go on and on.

 

Bottom line is we still enjoy our cruises, we just spend more to do so by spending more time in the casino since we don't watch the shows and upgrading our dining experience by paying for steakhouse, Chef's table and wine packages.

 

Do we still enjoy our cruises? You better believe it!

 

Are we loyal to Carnival? Well, it's our first preference, but we are no longer limited. For instance, the only ship going to Costa Maya is the Dream. We have sailed her twice and she is far from our favorite ship. If we want to go back to Costa Maya we will probably sail Norwegian.

 

I sailed RCL this spring because my Triumph cruise was canceled. It was a great cruise. I would sail them again as well.

 

We still love Carnival. We love the crews on their ships. We are disappointed that it now seems they are over worked in the MDR and room stewards seem to have more rooms than when we first started sailing and it does have an impact on the service, though we try not to hold it against them.

 

The difference is, when booking our 2-3 cruises each year, we no longer look at Carnival exclusively. There is really nothing there holding our loyalty any longer. Service is not as good. Quality has decreased. If I was just beginning to cruise I probably wouldn't know the difference, but I do, so now though it is the favorite, it is no longer exclusive. We will try others depending on what our desire is for our vacation.

[Mulege]

No more dancing/singing waiters in the MDR. Stick to providing service and bringing hot food.

[CdrescherRBL152]

agree my travel agent said its the only cruiseline that not only doesn't supply brochures anymore but is difficult to deal with

 

TA's have been coming up with reasons they don't like to or won't work with Carinval for a few years. And it all goes back to Carinval deciding to stop over listing the price of a Cruise. A retired TA I know has told me. That when she was running her own agency she would get letters from the cruise lines. That would list the price a cabin would be listed for and the price ussally between 10% and 15% less that it was acutually selling for. When Carinval.com started to take off, Carinval was getting asked why can't I get the same price online as I get from my TA. Now Carinval requires TA's to sell at the same price they do. So TA's can no longer show a cabin listed at $1500/ person sell it for $1350/ person while paying $1275/ person, then tell you they got you a huge savings. Keep in mind their comminsion is based on $1275 sor the extra $75 they charge you goes stright in their pocket.

[richstowe]

TA's have been coming up with reasons they don't like to or won't work with Carinval for a few years. And it all goes back to Carinval deciding to stop over listing the price of a Cruise. A retired TA I know has told me. That when she was running her own agency she would get letters from the cruise lines. That would list the price a cabin would be listed for and the price ussally between 10% and 15% less that it was acutually selling for. When Carinval.com started to take off, Carinval was getting asked why can't I get the same price online as I get from my TA. Now Carinval requires TA's to sell at the same price they do. So TA's can no longer show a cabin listed at $1500/ person sell it for $1350/ person while paying $1275/ person, then tell you they got you a huge savings. Keep in mind their comminsion is based on $1275 sor the extra $75 they charge you goes stright in their pocket.

Do you mean to tell me that TA's may have ulterior motives for not recommending Carnival ?

That they do not necessarily act in the the interests of their Clients ? For shame! :rolleyes:

[Beachdude]

You're last comment kills your argument. The facts are, they don't have a safety, maintenance, or any other issue that is more prevalent then any other line. The facts are on those websites I posted.

 

As far as the CCL image. Spend 5 mins and do your research and you will see that CCL percent is fewer then any other main cruise line. Stop listening to slanted media.

 

Hmmm,

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130417-706830.html

 

First three sentances:

 

--Carnival to improve fire, operating and power systems across namesake line's fleet

 

--Company will also enhance guest services in case of power outage

 

--Follows glut of ship snafus

 

Burt

[Crusin Karen]

Something else I want brought back: SHIP LOGO T SHIRTS! Why did they stop making them? :confused::mad::( You know, the ones that have the picture of the ship and all the "statistics" on it. I LOVE those t shirts and bought one on every single cruise we were on previously. It is so much fun to wear them while you are on a different ship. For example, if I am on the Splendor, I wear a Carnival Triumph t shirt. Great conversation starters, too! ;) John Heald, please tell your merchandise people to make these available before I sail on Splendor again on 2/21/14! :rolleyes:

[Golfing Dan]

Nice thread. Now my two cents worth:

 

I have seen the changes. First Carnival cruise was on the Mardi Gras in 1982. Next is in Magic on 9/22/13.

 

1. Food - the food has certainly gone downhill in quality. The steaks are much thinner and lower quality. However, the dining options and variety has sky rocketed.

 

2. Price - everyone has to agree that the pricing has dramatically decreased over the years.

 

3. Travel agent issues - carnival has effectively brought this in house and has done a great job of it. Between the online booking and PVP assistance, what more hand holding do you really need?

 

4. Unsupervised Children (aka Hellions). This was NOT a problem in the 80s or even the 90s. The children were basically well behaved. However, many parents now treat the ship as a mom's day out and as a baby sitter. This drove me to NCL and Princess. However, I now find that I can easily avoid the Hellions by cruising while the little darlings are supposed to be in school.

 

5. Staterooms - these have dramatically increased on size and amenities. Yeah.

 

6. Internet and cell pricing. For the love of God, please allow yourself to have a vacation. Unplug for one week. It really won't kill you. If there is a true family emergency, they can get ahold of you.

 

Overall IMO Carnival offers a great vacation experience for a reasonable amount of money. I see the cost cutting measures being taken, but I also enjoy paying less money. Seems like a good business model to me.

[RuthlessBoss]

Get rid of the 200% single supplement.:mad:

I can't help but wonder if this will be changed after the first of the year. I'm sure the booking rate will take a dive then, because right now many bookings are being done just to get the platinum status under the grandfathering clause. I just booked my 10th for that reason, going solo in a cheap 1A.

[Crusin Karen]

4. Unsupervised Children (aka Hellions). This was NOT a problem in the 80s or even the 90s. The children were basically well behaved. However, many parents now treat the ship as a mom's day out and as a baby sitter. This drove me to NCL and Princess. However, I now find that I can easily avoid the Hellions by cruising while the little darlings are supposed to be in school.

We were on the Dream on one of her 2 inaugural cruises from Manhattan before she left for FL way back. We were in an aft wrap balcony cabin. There were 4 families in side by side cabins next to us down the hallway who had a bunch of kids I would estimate between 12 and 3 yo. They were TERRIBLE. Ran up and down the halls, knocked on doors and the parents actually BROUGHT FOOD ON TRAYS down and they were sitting in the HALLWAYS eating! Spilled food and milk/juice all over....I have never in my life seen ANYTHING like this. Whenever anyone after that complained of "that smell" on the Dream I always assumed it was from sour milk spilled on that rug. :mad::mad:

 

6. Internet and cell pricing. For the love of God, please allow yourself to have a vacation. Unplug for one week. It really won't kill you. If there is a true family emergency, they can get ahold of you. LIKE!!! Agree totally! ;)

[dclark]

No more dancing/singing waiters in the MDR. Stick to providing service and bringing hot food.

 

For all the cheerleaders that say the CCL has changed, not cutback, to meet changing cruiser tastes, do you really think there is marketing data that says that cruisers are happy that CCL got rid of cocktail parties of first formal night and the one for all returnees, live bands, guest entertainers, but whatever they do, make sure the waiters get to leave their stations to sing and dance?

How many more decades will cruisers see their dining time extended by an additional 30 minutes just for the privilage of hearing "It's Amore!" sung out of tune?

[awhcruiser]

Totally agree with the children issue. Even worse when the parents deny their little darling hellions can do no wrong.

Nice thread. Now my two cents worth:

 

 

 

4. Unsupervised Children (aka Hellions). This was NOT a problem in the 80s or even the 90s. The children were basically well behaved. However, many parents now treat the ship as a mom's day out and as a baby sitter. This drove me to NCL and Princess. However, I now find that I can easily avoid the Hellions by cruising while the little darlings are supposed to be in school.

 

[CdrescherRBL152]

There is no comparison between service received in MDR in 2002, versus service in MDR in 2013. There are fewer waitstaff who are so busy, they have little time for personal service. Food arrives cold and sometimes never arrives at all. I still feel like I'm getting my money's worth, since the prices of cruises are less now, but I have to admit service in the MDR is lacking.

 

The only problem we have had with the MDR staff was our last cruise. And I can't say it was becuse of a short staff as much as a head waiter who only cared about his tip. Their was the head wait two asst. waiters asgined for 4 tables. Our table for 4 and tables for 8. The 24 people at three tables for 8 were in one group, the head waiter totally ingored our table in order to keep them happy. The next to last night one of the asst. waiters set our plates down was about to serve them. THe head waiter told her don't wory about that these people have a special cake down stairs go and get it first. I got up walked ove to the ast. Matrie-de she served our plates the rest of the night stood there watching as while as the final night. Both nights when our tab came for our drinks she took it the charges never appeared. And the last night the ast. waiter was told to only worry about our table. We were not happy with the service, sent a letter to CCL when we got home. About a month latter got e-mail from the asst. metrie-de thanking us. As I had said in the letter to CCL how she along with the asst. waiter tried to help. She stated they both had reciveed promations and the head waiter had been let go. Bad service yes, however CCL does attempt to correct those problems when they occur.

[CdrescherRBL152]

Totally agree with the children issue. Even worse when the parents deny their little darling hellions can do no wrong.

 

But just keep in mind it was also somewhere in the late 80's early 90's that differnce between punishment and abuse got lost.

[CdrescherRBL152]

Do you mean to tell me that TA's may have ulterior motives for not recommending Carnival ?

That they do not necessarily act in the the interests of their Clients ? For shame! :rolleyes:

Yes I do and it amazes me the number of people on here who will say. No Carinval is only looking to make a buck my TA's only intrest is helping me get the best deal.

[Shipbound]

If you were in charge of turning things back around for Carnival in terms of starting to lose even their cheerleaders to other cruiselines what would you change first? I would add more waiters/waitresses to the dining rooms. Then i would add the Steel Drum Bands back to the Lido deck. A few more thing but i feel these are the main problems

 

Yes the steel drum bands for sure, plus more live bands through out the ship. I do not know about the waiters/waitresses because on my last two or three cruises I was not happy with my table so I did not eat in the MDR. I would add less salt to the food on the lido deck it is very salty. Everything else I have no problem with on the ships