Poll: Table cloth or NO table cloth ?

[janewe]

Not sure of your definition of "cheap". Perhaps I don't have your kind of money. When one adds a significant Air Fare, Hotel prior to Cruise, taxis and spending money, I would not call it a "cheap" trip. As I stated, I have plenty of options for the same "cheap" cost.

[arush5268d]

There is certainly a clear majority of people that want table cloths. Fancy that.

[srlafleur]

There is certainly a clear majority of people that want table cloths. Fancy that.

 

 

Actually, there isn't, if you put together the other two options, which both pretty much indicate "don't care".

[babyher]

There is certainly a clear majority of people that want table cloths. Fancy that.

 

 

We are only hearing from people on CC. As we have seen in the past sometimes a hot button issue on here is not even a passing though on board an actual ship.

[Buck64]

To me neither Carnival or Royal Caribbean's MDR should be classified as exquisite. Maybe on formal nights you might be able to argue that it is but on other nights I'd say no. To me the attire, food and atmosphere dictate whether a place is exquisite. On casual nights, even if you have a table cloth and fancy food, the attire (no jacket required) doesn't seem elegant.

[janewe]

The other two questions are about the same. The fact is that almost half want table cloths in the MDR. I am sure Carnival will listen to their customers and rescind this terrible idea.

[DGP1111]

There is certainly a clear majority of people that want table cloths. Fancy that.

 

Actually, there isn't, if you put together the other two options, which both pretty much indicate "don't care".

 

Yes and No in both instances.

The word "If" in the second option means the person opting for that survey response is still withholding judgement until personally viewed.

 

.

[cruizinisthebest]

The other two questions are about the same. The fact is that almost half want table cloths in the MDR. I am sure Carnival will listen to their customers and rescind this terrible idea.

 

I'm sure they won't. There is no way to respond to every complaint on this board since that's all people do on here. Me included sometimes. I doubt most will notice and even less care. Even with this tiny sample here on CC, there's not an overwhelming response to the negative. Not everyone thinks it's a terrible idea. And apparently there was some research behind this decision. It wasn't just a random idea.

 

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[Mysticks1]

The other two questions are about the same. The fact is that almost half want table cloths in the MDR. I am sure Carnival will listen to their customers and rescind this terrible idea.

 

The percentage of those on this board compared to the total number that cruise on Carnival is very small. I personally doubt that they are going to get enough feedback from the general cruising population to change this. I would guess that the average cruiser doesn't care that much about it.

[iconoclast]

One of the more common complaints on this board when I first joined it is that Carnival had not altered its menus in years. So Carnival introduces a new menu, and immediately dozens of people start complaining about the selections.

 

I know that 99% of the people whining the loudest about this change haven't experienced it or seen anything other than a few grainy photos of what Carnival freely admits is a work in progress. It's sad how many people find fault just to be finding fault.

 

I frequent fine dining establishments, and honestly don't see many tablecloths anymore. They are going the way of petticoats and shirtwaists. Deal with it. :cool:

[babyher]

One of the more common complaints on this board when I first joined it is that Carnival had not altered its menus in years. So Carnival introduces a new menu, and immediately dozens of people start complaining about the selections.

 

I know that 99% of the people whining the loudest about this change haven't experienced it or seen anything other than a few grainy photos of what Carnival freely admits is a work in progress. It's sad how many people find fault just to be finding fault.

 

I frequent fine dining establishments, and honestly don't see many tablecloths anymore. They are going the way of petticoats and shirtwaists. Deal with it. :cool:

 

 

 

So true..

 

 

Yes Carnival needs to create new dishes , the old ones are getting boring .......oh but no dont get rid of the ones I like

[cruizinisthebest]

One of the more common complaints on this board when I first joined it is that Carnival had not altered its menus in years. So Carnival introduces a new menu, and immediately dozens of people start complaining about the selections.

 

I know that 99% of the people whining the loudest about this change haven't experienced it or seen anything other than a few grainy photos of what Carnival freely admits is a work in progress. It's sad how many people find fault just to be finding fault.

 

I frequent fine dining establishments, and honestly don't see many tablecloths anymore. They are going the way of petticoats and shirtwaists. Deal with it. :cool:

 

Yes. Like!

 

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[Blk_Amish]

The other two questions are about the same. The fact is that almost half want table cloths in the MDR. I am sure Carnival will listen to their customers and rescind this terrible idea.

 

I really doubt it. If the choice is between cheap fares and even standing with the plate in your hand, eating with your fingers, then the decision is FINAL. Not to mention it's the model for restaurant serving great and fantastic food, so they pretend they are in that category (fantasy):D. Yes, if that kind of food was served I would be the first to stand with the plate in my hand and use my frock for napkin. After all, according to a study if you stand and eat the calories go to your feet not your butt. When this change occurs it won't be because they are too cheap to provide tables but for the sake of our butts. Less bacon means they are working with the American Heart Association.:):D For the fun factor it might be worth the cheap ride, if I can ever find it!

 

BTW, Huge supporter of the American Heart Association

Edited December 13, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[cattipillar]

Not happy. What is Carnival thinking?

 

 

Ditto for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :confused:

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Death by a thousand cuts. Make one small cut, no one really notices or complains. Keep making those tiny cuts here and there though and you change the overall experience. I am not very particular about a tablecloth in and of itself, but when you take all the small changes over the last handful of years it is easy to see that Carnival offers a VASTLY different product than even 5 years ago. New cruisers don't know what they are missing becuase they have no baseline of comparison.

 

So it's not just a tablecloth, or any other singular change, it's the overall different offering by CCL compared to what they were. For some people the change to the dining EXPERIENCE is what finally is driving them away. I was driven away BEFORE this change. I keep hoping and looking for a reason to return but it really seems like Carnival only wants new cruisers who probably have a very high onboard spending rate.

 

Yeah, you hit the nail on the head here. They dont want repeat customers apparently. All they want is people who are all wide eyed to be on their first cruise and will spend hundreds on pictures that they could take themselves and spend a thousand dollars on a bar bill. It is not that they have cut this. It is that they have cut a lot in the last few years and seem to want to continue to cut. Yes, it is cheap to cruise Carnival. But there comes a point that even though it is cheap, the experience is cheap as well and no longer worth the time and money you spend. Gordon Bethune, wizard of the turnaround of Continental in the 90s I believe, said that there is such a thing as making a pizza so cheaply that nobody will want to eat it. Carnival is going that way. Apparently they want to just be a floating fast food joint going into the future. Will they pay for it with their best customers leaving? Only time will tell. I myself will probably try it out and if I hate it, well....

[iconoclast]

I would rather the exceptionally whiny people find a new cruise line anyway. You'd be a bummer to sit with at dinner.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

I really doubt it. If the choice is between cheap fares and even standing with the plate in your hand, eating with your fingers, then the decision is FINAL. Not to mention it's the model for restaurant serving great and fantastic food, so they pretend they are in that category (fantasy):D. Yes, if that kind of food was served I would be the first to stand with the plate in my hand and use my frock for napkin. After all, according to a study if you stand and eat the calories go to your feet not your butt. When this change occurs it won't be because they are too cheap to provide tables but for the sake of our butts. Less bacon means they are working with the American Heart Association.:):D For the fun factor it might be worth the cheap ride, if I can ever find it!

 

BTW, Huge supporter of the American Heart Association

 

Oh, they have people at the breakfast buffet metering out everything now, not just bacon. Sausages, potatoes, ham, etc. Seriously? I guess it is not as messy and they do give you a decent amount of stuff when you ask but come on. Very tacky. Never saw THAT before on any of my previous 9 Carnival trips. But yea, I expect the mdr to resemble a very cheap sports bar in the next few years. And I mean, not even as good as a Buffalo Wild Wings either, :mad:.

 

I hope I am all wrong about my assumptions here but I am afraid I will not be.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

The experience is more than the food served but the setting, presentation, and company. There is eating, and one can eat good food anywhere, then there is dining experience, a combination of elements. Yes, sometimes it's worth getting dressing up for and therefore the table should be dressed. If not, ti cheapens the looks and therefore affect the ambiance and the level of enjoyment. Maybe I will pack a white gown that can double as covering for the table. It's not about elegant dining but hey, we are not in the buffet anymore feeling.

 

What's next, simple throw the food on the plate and say, hey it tastes good (that would be nice) so looks doesn't matter?

 

 

by ,

 

This. The food will probably be decent still but the idea of it being a floating Denny's just doesnt sit well. The idea of giving the table a bowl of something and passing it around to share? Huh? OK.

 

As I said before, I can get most of the stuff offered in the dining room on lido at the buffet but I want the experience of a nice dining room with decent to good food and attentive wait staff. I am not a fine diner and never have been, but cheapening the mdr atmosphere is just a bad idea. I guess people won''t complain when they go to plastic cutlery and "heavy duty" paper plates in the mdr in the future either.

 

And it's not about the environment. Please. Nothing they do is with anything like that in mind. Laundering a couple hundred tablecloths is a drop in the bucket in the total amount of laundry done on a cruise ship.

[JustCruiseMe]

What a load of meshuga. The above comment is indicative of reverse snobbery at its best (or worst, depending on how you look at it). I assure you: dressing up, or dressing down, is no indication of class; humility, kindness, tact and understanding are what gives someone class – qualities you seem to fall short of having.

 

Is it too difficult to get that some people simply like to dress up for dinner? If you don't, fine – that's your choice – but to sit there and imply that people who like to wear a tie or gown haven't a modicum of class is a very low-class thing to say.

I have to agree with this statement. My parents had lots of class and dressing up was fun to them and they were also of the generation that when you went anywhere you dressed nicely. Me? I have class and prefer not to dress up because it's not important to me and I don't enjoy it any longer. People like different things and are different. Doesn't affect me one way or another. I've seen people in tuxedos and gowns that smacked and I could see every bite of food in their mouths. I've seen people in formal wear who carried themselves with grace. I've seen simple people with both bad manners and bad attitudes and with respectful, kind manners wearing jeans and t-shirt AND flip flops! Remember clothes don't make the man (or woman).

 

Having class isn't how you treat those you serve, but how you treat those that serve you. (unknown)

[Blk_Amish]

This. The food will probably be decent still but the idea of it being a floating Denny's just doesnt sit well. The idea of giving the table a bowl of something and passing it around to share? Huh? OK.

 

As I said before, I can get most of the stuff offered in the dining room on lido at the buffet but I want the experience of a nice dining room with decent to good food and attentive wait staff. I am not a fine diner and never have been, but cheapening the mdr atmosphere is just a bad idea. I guess people won''t complain when they go to plastic cutlery and "heavy duty" paper plates in the mdr in the future either.

 

And it's not about the environment. Please. Nothing they do is with anything like that in mind. Laundering a couple hundred tablecloths is a drop in the bucket in the total amount of laundry done on a cruise ship.

 

Why should it matter what the food is served on? The plate doesn't affect the taste, like the missing table cloth. If the cloth doesn't matter why should be plates? Turn the lights down low to save electricity and call it a romantic evening of dining. Welcome to Carnival MDR, dimmed for romance:eek:

[Sailor_Sally]

I applaud Carnival for trying to update the dining room now if it would just dump the hairy chest contest .

[arush5268d]

Death by a thousand cuts. Make one small cut, no one really notices or complains. Keep making those tiny cuts here and there though and you change the overall experience. I am not very particular about a tablecloth in and of itself, but when you take all the small changes over the last handful of years it is easy to see that Carnival offers a VASTLY different product than even 5 years ago. New cruisers don't know what they are missing becuase they have no baseline of comparison.

 

So it's not just a tablecloth, or any other singular change, it's the overall different offering by CCL compared to what they were. For some people the change to the dining EXPERIENCE is what finally is driving them away. I was driven away BEFORE this change. I keep hoping and looking for a reason to return but it really seems like Carnival only wants new cruisers who probably have a very high onboard spending rate.

 

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a Winner!!!!!

 

"I'll stop cruising Carnival when their cut backs impact me..." Well wake up people! They have been affecting you. Lower food quality for one. Cut backs in past guest program - that affects repeat customers. Someone may not care about the island music but others do. Table cloths, past guest programs, food quality and the such affect everyone.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I never thought the food on Carnival (or the other cruise lines I've sailed with, for that matter) was amazing. Not even my first cruise, which was years back.

 

But the experience of sitting down in a nice looking restaurant, being waited on, having a menu that you order whatever you want off of without a thought as to cost - it was very nice. It's nice to feel pampered in a setting that looks elegant. The tablecloths do add a nice touch. My favorite, rather pricey restaurant in town doesn't use tablecloths & probably never has - the atmosphere is 60's rat pack dark booths / mood lighting or sitting at the counter in huge swivel leather chairs watching the cooks & chefs grilling - etc. But the food can stand on its own merit and the atmosphere is there. You aren't packed in with tables all around you elbow to elbow with strangers.

 

I agree with the death by a thousand cuts analogy.

[Tutankhamen]

Calling the dining room experience "fine dining" while watching dancing servers grooving to loud pop music, then complain about the lack of tablecloths is like driving a Chrysler with a Bentley emblem, but complaining that Sheepskin seat covers cheapens the ride.

 

Its still a Chrysler just as the dining room on a cruise is just banquet food at best.

Edited December 13, 2013 by Tutankhamen

[BeachChik]

This. The food will probably be decent still but the idea of it being a floating Denny's just doesnt sit well. The idea of giving the table a bowl of something and passing it around to share? Huh? OK.

 

As I said before, I can get most of the stuff offered in the dining room on lido at the buffet but I want the experience of a nice dining room with decent to good food and attentive wait staff. I am not a fine diner and never have been, but cheapening the mdr atmosphere is just a bad idea. I guess people won''t complain when they go to plastic cutlery and "heavy duty" paper plates in the mdr in the future either.

 

And it's not about the environment. Please. Nothing they do is with anything like that in mind. Laundering a couple hundred tablecloths is a drop in the bucket in the total amount of laundry done on a cruise ship.

 

I don't understand why people are so against family style dining. Maggiano's little Italy does family dining. They are most certainly not a Denny's.

 

Based on this thread it appears everyone only eats at 5 star restaurants. :rolleyes: