Carnival Years of Changes

[JohnSpo]

The Taste Bar is a very good positive change but getting rid of the Sushi Bar is a negative change. I like them both.

[lukeduke07]

Adding Anytime Dining is a great positive change.:cool:

 

I agree! I hate set eating times.

[Sh1035]

Geeze I remember when lunch was only the buffet!!!! Keep bringing on the changes!

[Aplmac]

.

Added a little class by providing their Serenity areas up hi, forward..

 

 

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[Aplmac]

One of the best recent changes is the "past guests reception".

They have limited it to Gold, Platinum and Diamond guests.

That was such a great choice!

Yes agreed!

And even though they're repetitive now, we still show up! :D

 

.

[cantwait2cruise]

The biggest we noticed this year (after not cruising for few years) is the poor service in the MDR. Servers have too many tables.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Relayer]

Leaving for our 11th Carnival cruise in 3 days. Our first sailing was in 2006.

 

Now...all of our experiences have been simply awesome. Solid food and entertainment. IMHO additions far outweigh any decline. There are few things that would "break" a cruise for us. Give us plenty of sun, lounge chairs and deck space and we're happy campers.

 

Price is an issue with our choice. My name is not Tom, Dick or Harry and frankly looking at the other lines pricing for like cabins and itineraries is mind boggling.

 

Of course I could pay an extra 1000 for a DCL 4 day cruise and have them "announce" us when boarding!

[Tutankhamen]

How are we looking at this? Carnival Corp. or Carnival the cruise line?

 

For me, I look at the entire package under Carnival Corporation.

A lot of posters are talking about how Carnival needs to stop going after every Tom, Dick and Harry. They need to be more of a cruise rather then a boat trip. Carnival cruise line is the bottom of the cruise lines owned by Carnival Corp. Tom, Dick and Harry are the people they want to target.

 

If you want a upscale cruise, like what we experienced back in the 80's, they have the Seabourn brand.

 

Princess and Holland for more of the middle of the road. Holland geared towards the older customers.

 

Carnival, the cruise line is after the first timers lower income cruisers. Looking at Carnivals portfolio of brands, it seems they are missing one major segment of cruisers. Those who are not independently wealthy, but do have substantial discretionary funds for vacations. They want a fun product, are not looking for 5 star refined atmosphere, but also not looking for the cheapest product available. They want a lot of entertainment and gimmicks. They are middle aged with kids. Basically something that is more like Royal Caribbean. This seems to be what Carnival Corp. has missed since they have lowered Carnival cruise lines to be the bottom of cruise lines.

 

In fairness, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, has missed the bottom tier Tom Dick and Harry customers.

 

I will take it one step further, the bottom cruisers probably spend more money on drinks, and purchases on board. It seems the less you have, the more willing you are to depart with the cash you have on hand.

 

Just my opinion.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Tutankhamen

[k2excursion]

People say that prices have dropped significantly, even when not counting inflation. I'm wondering if we are comparing a 1990 summer sailing in a suite to a 2013 early November sailing in an interior. Sure, if the prices rose with inflation, our prices today would be much higher. I just find it hard to believe that apples-to-apples comparisons across the board were 4 to 8 times higher 20 years ago as some will say. Maybe there are some rare examples of that which probably have some reason behind them, but many more people have stated that they paid about the same amounts back then as they do now. (No need to repeat the inflation thing here; most of us get that.) No doubt that prices have slightly increased in the 11 years that I've been cruising.

 

The bad changes for me are the cuts in entertainment, especially the showroom. The tiny Celebration had more stage performers & more live music in different venues throughout the ship than the largest ships of today, which service more than triple the number of guests. A good change for me has been the continuous upgrades to the waterslides & the ropes course. Daytimes have become so much more fun on the ships, while nighttimes have been getting a little boring.

Edited January 1, 2014 by k2excursion

[golfadj]

How are we looking at this? Carnival Corp. or Carnival the cruise line?

 

For me, I look at the entire package under Carnival Corporation.

A lot of posters are talking about how Carnival needs to stop going after every Tom, Dick and Harry. They need to be more of a cruise rather then a boat trip. Carnival cruise line is the bottom of the cruise lines owned by Carnival Corp. Tom, Dick and Harry are the people they want to target.

 

If you want a upscale cruise, like what we experienced back in the 80's, they have the Seabourn brand.

 

Princess and Holland for more of the middle of the road. Holland geared towards the older customers.

 

Carnival, the cruise line is after the first timers lower income cruisers. Looking at Carnivals portfolio of brands, it seems they are missing one major segment of cruisers. Those who are not independently wealthy, but do have substantial discretionary funds for vacations. They want a fun product, are not looking for 5 star refined atmosphere, but also not looking for the cheapest product available. They want a lot of entertainment and gimmicks. They are middle aged with kids. Basically something that is more like Royal Caribbean. This seems to be what Carnival Corp. has missed since they have lowered Carnival cruise lines to be the bottom of cruise lines.

 

In fairness, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, has missed the bottom tier Tom Dick and Harry customers.

 

I will take it one step further, the bottom cruisers probably spend more money on drinks, and purchases on board. It seems the less you have, the more willing you are to depart with the cash you have on hand.

 

Just my opinion.

 

I am amazed at how many younger couples will put more on their sign and sail card than we paid for the cruise itself. One reason Carnival is more interested in the new cruisers than us repeaters.

[golfadj]

Geeze I remember when lunch was only the buffet!!!! Keep bringing on the changes!

 

We started 20 years ago dining room was open for all meals and you sat at your assigned table.

 

Service was much better than but the prices were higher.

[Aplmac]

A good change for me

has been the continuous upgrades to the waterslides & the ropes course.

 

Daytimes have become so much more fun on the ships,

while night-times have been getting a little boring.

An interesting observation! I agree with the night-time activities comment.

.

[Tapi]

People say that prices have dropped significantly, even when not counting inflation. I'm wondering if we are comparing a 1990 summer sailing in a suite to a 2013 early November sailing in an interior. Sure, if the prices rose with inflation, our prices today would be much higher. I just find it hard to believe that apples-to-apples comparisons across the board were 4 to 8 times higher 20 years ago. Maybe there are some rare examples of that which probably have some reason behind them, but many more people have stated that they paid about the same amounts back then as they do now. (No need to repeat the inflation thing here; most of us get that.) No doubt that prices have slightly increased in the 11 years that I've been cruising.

 

Here are two examples from cruises I took in the 90's for which I still have invoices:

 

One was for a June 1993 7 night Caribbean cruise on Monarch of the Seas. Inside cabin for $1,013 (or $1,699 in 2013 dollars).

 

The other one was for a June 1994 7 night Caribbean cruise on Tropicale. Oceanview cabin (6A) for $699 (or $1,100 in 2013 dollars).

 

Comparing those cruises to what these two cruise lines are charging for a summer 7 night cruise this year, it seems that prices used to definitely be considerably higher for similar staterooms.

 

And I don't care what people say about how wonderful things used to be, I will GLADLY take a cruise today on the Carnival Breeze or the Allure of the Seas, even with all the cutbacks, over a cruise on the 32,000 ton Tropicale ANY DAY!

 

People have NO clue how nice cruising is today (even on Carnival) compared to 20 years ago. Want to see boring? Sail on a ship where the main entertainment during the day consists of wooden horse races and napkin folding classes! Then at night, you can cram into a single story main lounge where the ceiling is so low and the stage so small that the dancer's feathers keep rubbing against the ceiling and slapping the passengers on the 1st row. But hey! There's live music! :rolleyes:

 

Yes there was a midnight buffet, but guess what? You were eating all of your meals at the MDR or the single line buffet. No deli, tandoori grill, or Mongolian wok. No specialty cafés, Steakhouse, Cucina del Capitano, Guy's Burgers, or Iguana Cantina. I scratch my head when people say that they'll stop cruising on Carnival because they are taking tablecloths away. :confused:

 

Wanted a balcony stateroom? Good luck. The ship only had 10 TOTAL and they came with a very hefty price tag. A picture window was considered a luxury back then. Walking into the cabin and seeing that big window was worthy of oooohs and aaaahs.

 

People really have NO clue how nice they have it these days.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Tapi

[Tutankhamen]

People like to focus on the negative, not the positive.

 

They forget the bad of the past and remember the good. Then they gripe about the bad now and don't look at the positive.

[Aplmac]

And so.

New Year's Resolution.

 

Be grateful for what we now have, and all its improvements!

God rest ye merry, Gentlemen.

 

.

[nbsjcruiser]

Customer service. They use to care about what we thought and wanted repeat customers.

 

This is very true. The local TA who we used to deal with has said on multiple occasions that Carnival wants to appeal to the first time cruiser. They're not so worried about the repeaters.

[jimbo5544]

And so.

New Year's Resolution.

 

Be grateful for what we now have, and all its improvements!

God rest ye merry, Gentlemen.

 

.

 

We'll said. It is what it is. Enjoy!

[mzloolue]

I am amazed at how many younger couples will put more on their sign and sail card than we paid for the cruise itself. One reason Carnival is more interested in the new cruisers than us repeaters.

 

This is true.

 

We used to go to WDW a lot.

This was starting in the years after 9-11.

I knew all the ins and outs and how to book for the most bang for the buck.

And WDW catered a bit to the repeat customer and Annual Pass Holders.

Then things changed.

They started liking their new friends better than their old friends.

WDW started closing up all the little ways to get a bit more for less.

The little perks for insiders disappeared.

They started charging more and giving less.

I know that they were seeking to maximize the amount of money they bring in.

Their advertising changed.

And they priced themselves out of my economic reality.

But a lot of people will tell you that it is still a good value, but not for me.

And every year they get a whole new crop of people who dream of taking their kids to see the mouse and spend way more money than I ever would or could.

 

I bring this up because I see the same things happening with Carnival.

I would not be surprised if the same people who changed things at Disney are working for Carnival now.

The advertising is similar and they seem to be adding more things that require extra payment.

The new customers spend more and they accept things as they find them.

 

I know that eventually Carnival too will price itself out of my economic reality.

But I am trying to enjoy it while I can.

Edited January 1, 2014 by mzloolue

[JMAE]

Here are two examples from cruises I took in the 90's for which I still have invoices:

 

One was for a June 1993 7 night Caribbean cruise on Monarch of the Seas. Inside cabin for $1,013 (or $1,699 in 2013 dollars).

 

The other one was for a June 1994 7 night Caribbean cruise on Tropicale. Oceanview cabin (6A) for $699 (or $1,100 in 2013 dollars).

 

Comparing those cruises to what these two cruise lines are charging for a summer 7 night cruise this year, it seems that prices used to definitely be considerably higher for similar staterooms.

nd I don't care what people say about how wonderful things used to be, I will GLADLY take a cruise today on the Carnival Breeze or the Allure of the Seas, even with all the cutbacks, over a cruise on the 32,000 ton Tropicale ANY DAY!

 

People have NO clue how nice cruising is today (even on Carnival) compared to 20 years ago. Want to see boring? Sail on a ship where the main entertainment during the day consists of wooden horse races and napkin folding classes! Then at night, you can cram into a single story main lounge where the ceiling is so low and the stage so small that the dancer's feathers keep rubbing against the ceiling and slapping the passengers on the 1st row. But hey! There's live music! :rolleyes:

 

Yes there was a midnight buffet, but guess what? You were eating all of your meals at the MDR or the single line buffet. No deli, tandoori grill, or Mongolian wok. No specialty cafés, Steakhouse, Cucina del Capitano, Guy's Burgers, or Iguana Cantina. I scratch my head when people say that they'll stop cruising on Carnival because they are taking tablecloths away. :confused:

 

Wanted a balcony stateroom? Good luck. The ship only had 10 TOTAL and they came with a very hefty price tag. A picture window was considered a luxury back then. Walking into the cabin and seeing that big window was worthy of oooohs and aaaahs.

 

People really have NO clue how nice they have it these days.

 

 

I agree. With newer ships and larger fleets across all cruise lines the increased stateroom inventory has kept the price point for a cruise reasonable low. Our first cruise was in 2001 and our last cruise was in Oct 2013. Yes there were differences but we loved both.

 

The only two things that I wish would return is the lower ratio of wait staff to customer in the MDR and live music on the Lido deck. These two wishes won't change my mind about cruising with Carnival, as we love our cruise experience with Carnival and can accept change.

 

The quote above indicates 20 years ago activities included folding napkins vs all the things to do on today's ships. Do we really want to keep the standards 20 years ago or move forward?

 

I say move forward and enjoy the new cruising experience, it's vacation after all. Well, at least we will. :)

[Blk_Amish]

I don't know about crusing 20 years ago but 19 years on RCL. I guess that year makes a huge different, since everyone keeps going back to 20. It was on Serenity of the Seas, 4 nights, for about $800 per person. I can recall every thing about the cruise, especially how lucky I felt to be able to go it while I was younger. At the end I cried, because I knew it would be a very long time before I would have such a wonderful experience. My last cruise on RCL was approximately 5 years ago. I booked a hump balcony but never got a chance to use it. I was too busy doing things at sea the things I usually do on land. First or last, I would not trade either.

 

Now with kids and Carnival seems like the perfect choice. Again not 20 years ago but 6. I think it was Elation or Paradise, again recall the detail, especially the bedding and the food. I woke up one morning and my eyes were aching. I realized the beds were so comfortable I had slept in until 10 am. I thought Lord when they will be done, please let it be in a Carnival bed. Also, I never had to pull the hot sauce out of my purse. The food tasted as someone took the time to season it. As much as I loved RCL, partly because of the Caribbean staff, Carnival became my fun stop. The next 2 lived up to my expectation then this year the Carnival Magic. I loved the softer tone but the nice comfi bed was gone and the food, some I did not bother to eat.

 

Princess again not 20 years ago but 5 or so. The ship delivered twice on The Love Boat feel as I hope the Royal Princess will for my 20th anniversary. I would not trade 19 years on Serenity of the Sea for Mariner of the Seas or vise versa. I would definitely choose Elation and Paradise of 5 to 6 years ago over Carnival Magic. In the last few years Carnival is still one of the most expensive cruise I have ever booked with little change between the 2007 and 2013 rate.

 

Today cruises will make sure my kids enjoy something I waited a lifetime for. Is it a good thing, not sure. Sometimes its nice to have something to grow up looking forward to. They would have shared in the time when crusing was something special. Yep tablecloth, good food, and comfi beds:D Carnival I don't need 20 years back, 5 or the comfi beds.

 

Happy New Year.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Blk_Amish

[Georgiagolfer]

They have cemented their position as the budget price leader in the cruise industry. Depending on who you ask, it's a positive or a negative thing.

 

So true:(

[Blk_Amish]

I am amazed at how many younger couples will put more on their sign and sail card than we paid for the cruise itself. One reason Carnival is more interested in the new cruisers than us repeaters.

 

Also the amount of kids who have dozens of cruise under their belt. When my son said, mom, I prefer Princess over Carnival, I had to bite my tongue. I actually thought you spoil SOB. Then I realize I am the mama, he is the son, that makes me the B, not good, can't think that, bad mama:eek:. So I smiled and said, son glad you have the privilege to experience both.

I am really glad I was able to experience the good ole days of cruising when getting there was half the fun or Carnival 5-6 years ago. My next, next, will be on Carnival with friends.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Blk_Amish

[JMAE]

Also the amount of kids who have dozens of cruise under their belt. When my son said, mom, I prefer Princess over Carnival, I had to bite my tongue. I actually thought you spoil SOB. Then I realize I am the mama, he is the son, that makes me the B, not good, can't think that, bad mama:eek:. So I smiled and said, son glad you have the privilege to experience both.

I am really glad I was able to experience the good ole days of cruising when getting there was half the fun.

 

 

Yep, my kids (starting at ages 10 and 9) have cruised 8 times and been in 14 different countries. One experience we had was our Panama Canal trip, they cried about going because it was an educational trip during the school year, but today they still say it was one of the best cruises.

[golfadj]

This is true.

 

We used to go to WDW a lot.

This was starting in the years after 9-11.

I knew all the ins and outs and how to book for the most bang for the buck.

And WDW catered a bit to the repeat customer and Annual Pass Holders.

Then things changed.

They started liking their new friends better than their old friends.

WDW started closing up all the little ways to get a bit more for less.

The little perks for insiders disappeared.

They started charging more and giving less.

I know that they were seeking to maximize the amount of money they bring in.

Their advertising changed.

And they priced themselves out of my economic reality.

But a lot of people will tell you that it is still a good value, but not for me.

And every year they get a whole new crop of people who dream of taking their kids to see the mouse and spend way more money than I ever would or could.

 

I bring this up because I see the same things happening with Carnival.

I would not be surprised if the same people who changed things at Disney are working for Carnival now.

The advertising is similar and they seem to be adding more things that require extra payment.

The new customers spend more and they accept things as they find them.

 

I know that eventually Carnival too will price itself out of my economic reality.

But I am trying to enjoy it while I can.

 

When our kids were younger we made several trips of 3-4 days and while expensive thought it was ok for nice family trip.

 

Amazing what it now costs to enter the park. Never got any perks there so nothing for us to lose.

[Zeta3]

This is true.

 

We used to go to WDW a lot.

This was starting in the years after 9-11.

I knew all the ins and outs and how to book for the most bang for the buck.

And WDW catered a bit to the repeat customer and Annual Pass Holders.

Then things changed.

They started liking their new friends better than their old friends.

WDW started closing up all the little ways to get a bit more for less.

The little perks for insiders disappeared.

They started charging more and giving less.

I know that they were seeking to maximize the amount of money they bring in.

Their advertising changed.

And they priced themselves out of my economic reality.

But a lot of people will tell you that it is still a good value, but not for me.

And every year they get a whole new crop of people who dream of taking their kids to see the mouse and spend way more money than I ever would or could.

 

I bring this up because I see the same things happening with Carnival.

I would not be surprised if the same people who changed things at Disney are working for Carnival now.

The advertising is similar and they seem to be adding more things that require extra payment.

The new customers spend more and they accept things as they find them.

 

I know that eventually Carnival too will price itself out of my economic reality.

But I am trying to enjoy it while I can.

 

Great comparison. I totally agree. Our last WDW APs just expired and won't be renewed. We used to turn to Carnival for an inexpensive getaway but more and more this is no longer the case.