When is 'Enough is Enough'?

[Thebosn1]

I'm not considering jumping ship any time soon.(I don't think) but I was just talking with a friend and we were reminiscing about our cruises. We talked of things that are no more. Some of the things we miss but can live without are 3 visits per day to the cabin by the cabin steward to tidy up and re-fill ice bucket etc. Another missed feature is flowers on the tables in the dining room. We realize there are fewer courses at dinner and nightly midnight buffets are a thing of the past. Not that we need more food but its one of those 'used to be' things. And what about fewer waiter teams? Poor waiters are now worked to death. Reduction in live music. They've even gotten stingy with pepper mills. I know its trivial but I like ground pepper on certain foods and they always have to go hunt one down while my meal is getting cold. I will probably remember more things after I post this.

 

My point is when will you say "enough is enough" and stop cruising with Carnival---or any other cruise line for that matter? They are all reducing onboard features. For me I'm not sure, but I have thought about other lines just to compare them by todays standards. I've cruised others but its been a while so it would be unfair to compare standards from 10 or more years ago. So whats your limit?

 

 

I can understand you longing for the days, not that long ago when service and pampering the traveler were more evident. Unfortunately the same small cuts to service that are happening on the ships seems to be happening everywhere else as well. Remember when you used to get meals and pillows on any flight over a couple hours? Now you get like three peanuts and a warm soda, if you are lucky.

 

Someone else said earlier that when your cruise ends and you look back and realize you didn't enjoy it, or it was not worth the price, then maybe it is time to go.

 

I used to do one cruise and one "all inclusive" vacation every year. The price of the all inclusive shot up and they provide a little better product now BUT I can take TWO cruises a year for less. So I cruise.

 

Like you I miss being pampered as much as maybe we used to be on the ships, but not very much. I still have an absolute blast on every cruise and honestly I think the staffs have been amazing in the way they take care of us. So until I look back at a cruise (or a couple cruises) and realize I didn't have fun, I will stay.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

If your room steward visited three times a day they would never get a break. Sheeesh.

 

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[Kentucky816]

Like others have said it is not just the Cruise industry. They are very aware

of price points and know that people will walk if something goes up in cost so

the value or in some cases amount received goes down. Take for example airline travel, some of us that can remember what it was like in the old days and what you got. You got a meal, sometimes free alcoholic drinks, pillows, blankets and no charge for any bags. Or case in point the Iams dog food I by for the dogs, gone from 18 lb. bag to 12.5 lbs same price of $19.99 in 4 years….grrr!!

It is a slow steady drip of water the erodes the stone so to speak.

 

Some day mark my words you will only get the room on the boat food will all cost extra. Thankfully not yet!!

 

All that being said for now I love Cruising and Carnival is a great company. We have done Holland and Royal, and going to try Celebrity. So for now we will cruise. :cool:

[gamma5]

I think what I would miss the most about Carnival would be the price. They are the reason we can cruise a couple times per year. And not to cheapen them but the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for". I'm sure there are lines that have flowers on dinner tables and all the other things not now provided by Carnival. But am I willing to pay for that? Probably not. At least not now. I'm not willing to cruise every other year. For now I like the budget prices and am willing to accept what comes with them.

 

I totally agree. Don't get me wrong, if I could afford to cruise in the lap of luxury I certainly would, but I can't. However, I do enjoy completely what I can afford and that is, having my meals cooked and served by an attentive, pleasant staff, (not to mention cleaned up after!), having my room tidied and bed made, fresh linens and towels daily, waking up in a new exotic local each day, shall I go on? Is Carnival perfect, no, but it is what I can comfortably afford a few times a year and I will complain only when I feel something is just totally unacceptable by any standards. I just don't understand those that expect premium for budget prices. There are certain acceptable cleanliness, courtesy and competency standards that should be met whatever price point your are paying. After that, you are paying for luxury and the more you pay the more you should be able to expect. Great for those that can afford those extras, just don't expect all those on budget prices.

[nybumpkin]

I love traveling on Amtrak aka Land Cruise *almost* as much as I love cruising Carnival and they are cutting back big time too, effective April 1.

 

No decrease in prices and it's not cheap either for what you get - more per night than a cruise, that's for sure.

 

I travel in sleeper accommodations and these cuts definitely affect me.

 

The following amenities, from a short list as it is, are being eliminated from all routes, some were only available on select routes.

 

Flowers and vases in the dining car

Amenity kits for the shower

Wine and Cheese receptions

Welcome aboard champagne/cider

Cranberry juice

Newspapers

Turn down chocolates

 

Basically, we get (really mediocre) meals, coffee, apple & orange juice, water, towels, and a bar of soap included in our way too high, imo, sleeper fares.

 

Service is inconsistent at best and don't even expect 'smiles'.

 

I still enjoy it though - crazy. :eek:

I travel Amtrak between Albany and NYC frequently. They eliminated food and beverage altogether, unless your train goes beyond Albany. If you want coffee, better buy it in the station before leaving.:eek:

 

We've sailed on Carnival for 10 years now. We've seen a lot of changes - some good, some not so good - but Carnival still suits us. Right now I'm reserving judgment until we sail on Carnival Glory in August. That will be the first time we've sailed on a 2.0 ship. I will try at least one of the Playlist Productions shows just so I can say I'm not relying on hearsay evidence.

[AMisplacedCNuck]

I don't even think that would do it for me. Sort of sounds like fun. Now if they brought out whips, that might do it.

 

I'm pretty sure you'd have to pay considerably more for that specialty cruise.

[Boozebabe]

If your room steward visited three times a day they would never get a break. Sheeesh.

 

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I agree and I'm not saying I need them 3 times per day. Heck I don't REALLY need them at all as long as they drop off clean towels every day. I can make my own bed. And they have NEVER had to pick up any of my stuff around the room. But when we started cruising in 1993 the cabin steward came in 3 times per day, morning, late afternoon and evening turn down. I understand about cut backs etc. My original post asked what will make YOU say 'enough is enough'? With the exception of hn7609 ( the oars comment was funny and I agree) no one said what will make them leave Carnival OR any other line.

 

With fuel costs at the levels they are it is inevitable that prices will eventually go up to cover increased costs.

 

To me this has all been a very civilized discussion. It wasn't meant as Carnival bashing in any way. In fact I'll probably book another Carnival cruise very soon. I guess I am just trying to figure out for myself my limits.

[beachbum53]

I agree and I'm not saying I need them 3 times per day. Heck I don't REALLY need them at all as long as they drop off clean towels every day. I can make my own bed. And they have NEVER had to pick up any of my stuff around the room. But when we started cruising in 1993 the cabin steward came in 3 times per day, morning, late afternoon and evening turn down. I understand about cut backs etc. My original post asked what will make YOU say 'enough is enough'? With the exception of hn7609 ( the oars comment was funny and I agree) no one said what will make them leave Carnival OR any other line.

 

With fuel costs at the levels they are it is inevitable that prices will eventually go up to cover increased costs.

 

To me this has all been a very civilized discussion. It wasn't meant as Carnival bashing in any way. In fact I'll probably book another Carnival cruise very soon. I guess I am just trying to figure out for myself my limits.

 

You had a legitimate question. As someone else said, you get what you pay for. If you know up front what you're getting (or not getting) when you book a Carnival cruise, you then have to ask yourself "Am I okay with this?" If you want more than what Carnival has to offer, you then have to decide how much more you're willing to spend to get those various little amenities that Carnival doesn't have. It's really no different than any other kind of vacation. How deep are your pockets, and how much are you willing to spend to get what you want?

[lola61]

Never, everything everywhere is down sizing, going on the Ecstasy in 30 days whoo hoo. I truly appreciate Carnival and have always been happy with service. The only thing I did not like was YTD it sucked.:eek:

 

I'm not considering jumping ship any time soon.(I don't think) but I was just talking with a friend and we were reminiscing about our cruises. We talked of things that are no more. Some of the things we miss but can live without are 3 visits per day to the cabin by the cabin steward to tidy up and re-fill ice bucket etc. Another missed feature is flowers on the tables in the dining room. We realize there are fewer courses at dinner and nightly midnight buffets are a thing of the past. Not that we need more food but its one of those 'used to be' things. And what about fewer waiter teams? Poor waiters are now worked to death. Reduction in live music. They've even gotten stingy with pepper mills. I know its trivial but I like ground pepper on certain foods and they always have to go hunt one down while my meal is getting cold. I will probably remember more things after I post this.

 

My point is when will you say "enough is enough" and stop cruising with Carnival---or any other cruise line for that matter? They are all reducing onboard features. For me I'm not sure, but I have thought about other lines just to compare them by todays standards. I've cruised others but its been a while so it would be unfair to compare standards from 10 or more years ago. So whats your limit?

Edited March 8, 2014 by lola61
spelling

[deborahjo]

I have noticed changes since 1978 and my husband has noticed changes since he started cruising in 2003. But you know what? For what we get for 7 days I will take it any day.

 

Where else can you check in and not have to do a darn thing for a week. Get fed and have entertainment all day long. Wake up some place new every day and meet some pretty great people.

 

Cruising is a good value for us no matter what line. I just happen to enjoy my cruise line of choice because it gives me the most bang for my buck. Each to his own I say.

[A2Mich]

Well, we haven't been on a cruise since 2006, so I don't have a recent experience to use as a baseline. Our last cruise was on Carnival Legend, and our next cruise is on RCI Freedom OTS. I have had nothing but good experiences on Carnival, and have nothing bad to say about them. We're trying RCI on the recommendation of our TA and her comments regarding the lack of maintenance and repair of Carnival ships, among other things. But since we haven't been on any cruise for a number of years, I probably won't be able to make a fair comparison. But we're going out on a limb and trying something different. No matter what, I'm sure we'll have a good time, but Carnival still holds a place in my heart, all of my cruises other than one, have been on Carnival. I did notice that the 4 day cruise was a lot more party-oriented than the 7 and 8 day.

[fourkittys]

On our first meeting with our cabin steward we tell him/her that they only need to service our cabin in the morning and not come in in the evening. I don't need my bed covers turned down, we don't use any ice, and our towels need to be replaced in the morning. Makes it easy on the stewards and easy on us. We don't care about flowers, table cloths, or towel animals, they just get in the way.

 

 

I can live with that. I don't expect "broadway" comparable performers, just be enjoyable and comedians who can be funny without being nasty.

I don't expect 5-star meals but want the food to taste good as in not overy seasoned or under seasoned. There IS a middle ground that most of us will accept.

I like the outdoor movie screen-music but don't blast me to the next planet or break my eardrums ....again THERE IS difference!

I don't think my expectatuins are out of line with the majority.

[swanlady2000]

Some day mark my words you will only get the room on the boat food will all cost extra. Thankfully not yet!

 

 

It has already been done... It was called easycruise and cabins had a mattress on the floor with any other service costing extra (including towels, cleaning etc) thankfully it didn't last!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EasyCruise

Edited March 8, 2014 by swanlady2000

[gamma5]

To answer your original question OP, when would be "enough is enough" for me? That would be when I felt the general cleanliness standards and overall friendliness of the crew was lacking. A few scattered litter items in the hallways, sure I have seen them. A few tables not cleared immediately, sure, but most are cleared within a few minutes. But I have never seen any sign of nastiness or filth on a Carnival ship. (If you are up and around early enough it is fascinating to watch dozens of crew members cleaning and shining parts of the ship you would never think of cleaning.) Not like I have seen in some hotels!! Seriously, I have seen things that made me cringe in some pricey hotels. Hotels that I would never have believed would have condoned such. But, I have never met a rude crew member on a Carnival ship. Less than friendly or just not acknowledging, yes, but I can deal with that. It is RUDE and/or dismissive that I do not like. For the most part I have found the crew go above and beyond to be friendly and helpful. If and when such time comes when I feel that my safety, health, or general well-being is compromised, or I am just NOT having a good time due to unfriendly, rude, or unaccommodating staff, then I will consider other cruise lines and paying more. Because, evidently at that point, Carnival will have lowered itself below my standards, which is all that matters to me. Each person has to balance their own standards against what they can afford and cruise accordingly.

[rick&james]

we recently switched to RCL as our Main cruise option it was night and day difference

 

I recently cruised Royal loved it had flowers room cleaned twice per day ground pepper great food and real entertainment. Give Royal a try I think you will be Royally surprised. :)

[GottaLuvCruising]

Entertainment is most important to me. When Carnival replaced real shows & showband with the pathetic "Playlist Productions" they lost me. We will be Platinum on Princess with our cruise next month. Will gladly return to Carnival when the product / experience is improved, but not holding my breath.

[gregg204]

we recently switched to RCL as our Main cruise option it was night and day difference

 

 

I couldn't agree more. Nothing bad to say about RCL but Carnival was so much better for us. Night and day.

[OCruisers]

While Carnival is not our favorite cruise line, we love the convenience of having Fantasy out of Charleston for an extra cruise (especially when they offer a 7 Day).

Things are what they are and we always Have Our Own Fun Anyway! :D

LuLu

~~~

[mzloolue]

 

Some day mark my words you will only get the room on the boat food will all cost extra. Thankfully not yet!!

 

All that being said for now I love Cruising and Carnival is a great company. We have done Holland and Royal, and going to try Celebrity. So for now we will cruise. :cool:

 

Exactly.

 

At some point cruises will be priced out of my economic reality.

It will be sad, but I see it coming with more and more extra payment required venues.

 

It is amazing that we can get a cruise for less than we could thirty years ago.

[Kfoot]

when they hand me an oar and tell me that i've got to paddle back to port......i think that that would be enough.

 

rotl lmao

Edited March 9, 2014 by Kfoot

[Midwestgal]

First cruise was in 1998 and I don't remember flowers on our table.

Just cruised 4 months ago and our ice bucket was filled twice a day so....

[halos]

Everyone's 'enough ' is different. Our 'enough' came when we sailed other lines and when we returned to Carnival in between, we found that we missed the other line(s).

I have never had a bad Carnival cruise but other cruise lines have been better (for us), so we go with other lines. The things that we loved about Carnival are things we feel they no longer offer, especially compared to other lines that we now sail.

Our vacation time is precious and our money too hard worked for to spend on a vacation that we feel is lacking....even if only slightly. If you feel a lack, try another line. You may even wind up going back to CCL, you never know until you try.

[Georgiagolfer]

Everyone's 'enough ' is different. Our 'enough' came when we sailed other lines and when we returned to Carnival in between, we found that we missed the other line(s).

I have never had a bad Carnival cruise but other cruise lines have been better (for us), so we go with other lines. The things that we loved about Carnival are things we feel they no longer offer, especially compared to other lines that we now sail.

Our vacation time is precious and our money too hard worked for to spend on a vacation that we feel is lacking....even if only slightly. If you feel a lack, try another line. You may even wind up going back to CCL, you never know until you try.

 

So agree. There are way too many ships available of all sizes and price points to just select 1 cruise line.

[shanet60]

Yeah but lets be reasonable here...I just got back off liberty yesterday this is 3rd CCL and 1 NCL for us... to be honest the staff was great the ship was nice..service was good but that's it for me..besides guys burgers and blue iguanas cantina the food was not that good.the entertainment , parties, activities on board were so lame and unorganized it was almost funny..you go to port when you get back theres no food but guys burgers..and pizza..buffett closed ..food in main dining room not worth sitting there going through the motions..I'm not a NCL loyal or nothing but the way their shows where put on and parties were like a Hollywood red carpet event . Food everywhere all times of the day.my point is you can cut back on things but I thought carnival was this lively fun party ship and everything just seemed to be done half way ..did my family have fun yes but more in ports than on ship ..I just think it could have been better without a lot of expense to the ship..JMO

[PAPERBKWRITER]

The cruise industry is not the only one cutting back these days, though.

 

My husband travels for a living, and hotel rooms are being turned over later and later as hotels cut down on cleaning staff and they have more rooms to clean.

 

We have also noticed in some restaurants that service has deteriorated as they have fewer staff working at any given time.

 

When you call for customer service to any given company, sometimes it takes 10 minutes to get past the automation and to a real live person.

 

I agree that a lot has changed on cruise ships over the last 10 years, but a lot has changed in general over the last 10 years. The one thing that hasn't changed a whole lot, though, is the price of cruising. Do I want my cruise price to go up (think at the same rate as groceries :eek: ) so that I can return to the service of 10 years ago? I don't think I do.

 

For the most part I agree with you but 10 years ago the cruise price included tax and port charges, now their hidden.