Disapointment

[Surfwench]

I have one rule when it comes to cruising, nothing less than 7 days on Carnival. But your complaints are not what I expected. Those short cruises tend to be 'booze cruises' and the passengers tend to be 'whoohoo' people. I would have thought it an inappropriate environment for a bunch of Girl Scouts and I would have worn myself out making certain they were keeping out of trouble. You didn't mention Camp Carnival at all? That's odd.

 

Try Carnival again, on a newer ship with a longer itinerary and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

ALL the staff was surly? I have to disagree there, statistically speaking that's impossible. And I have to say in all my cruises both short and longer, older boats, and brand new, the crew and staff at Carnival has been outstanding in their service, friendliness.

 

For future reference.... I took a RCCL short cruise, 4 days, and the % of woohoo people was way down to only maybe 3%.

[bigdog1958]

Got back last week from taking my girl scout troop on their first cruise. We just did the 4 night one on Inspiration to Mexico.

 

I've been on several other cruise lines and loved each one. This was my first time on Carnival Cruise Line.

 

This was by far the worst ship! The worst trip!

 

We got three cabins. Each one had the worst smell of sewage in the bathrooms. So bad that it made you sick to go in there!

 

Our rooms were all mixed up with how many people in each room. They didn't have the beds made out right in some, in others we had extra beds taking all the room and in another one we didn't have an extra bed at all.

 

But, rather then complain, we made due and moved the people around to fit the rooms.

 

The food was so bad we couldn't decide where to eat. Not because we were trying to pick the best food but rather the least of the worst.

 

Other then the hamburgers, pizza and nachos we didn't enjoy anything they had to offer. So we ended up eating only a side dish and then getting a sandwich through room service.

 

Hated how the MDR served family style. There were 8 of us but we still had three women at our table with us. They felt the same was about the food. One night they had a side of mushrooms, one night several plates of tomatoes and cheese and one night only bread.

 

We weren't much better. Eating soup and dessert.

 

The entertainment on board wasn't great but it was entertaining and gave us something to do at night. However, they had only two shows and then they showed them over and over.

 

So we were left to listen to music or swim. Both got old before the trip was over.

 

The adults did not drink as we were with girl scouts and it's not allowed. Perhaps that is what one needs to do on this ship to make it fun???

 

While we were not really even looking forward to getting off the ship as it was only going to Catalina which is 26 miles from where we live and we have been there many times and to Ensenada which I heart was a dump.

 

However, both stops ended up being the highlight of our trip. The girls went snorkeling and then we went shopping in Catalina and had some yummy ice cream.

 

In Ensenada we had a blast! We didn't book an excursion on the ship as nothing sounded like it was worth the money. However, we did take a city tour and had the best tour guide, Jesus.

 

He took us to where the rich politicians lived and we had a lovely view of the whole city and our ship from up on the hill. He also taught us a lot of the Mexican customs, history and celebrations. We made a stop at an old casino that is now a location for celebrations.

 

When we got back we enjoyed a free buffet lunch that was included with the price of our tour. Then we headed off on foot to shops and thanks to Jesus we knew the streets to stay off of.

 

Everyone in Mexico was super nice and many joked around with us. We got wonderful deals and everyone came home with treasures.

 

The sea day on the ship turned out to be a very long day as there wasn't much to do. We had already done everything offered. But the girls wanted to go swimming once it got dark out. So I took them. The other adults ended up going to the Casino. One lost money but my sister ended up winning several hundreds of dollars. That of course made the trip a bit better.

 

The ship is old and needs to be updated. Several lights were burned out in the lounges, the sound system in some of the locations were so bad you couldn't even understand what was being said. Bingo cost $20 for ONE game!!!

 

Now I can only assume that other Carnival ships are better but to be honest, I'm not sure if I want to risk my money to try out an other ships. I already know I love the cruise lines so I'm thinking it's best to stick with tried and true ships that I know are nicer.

 

I was really hoping to love Carnival and went on this trip with an open mind.

 

Even most of the staff wasn't that friendly. Not mean or bad but not very friendly like other lines where they know your name after the first night and bend over backwards to make you happy. Many didn't smile, say thank you, your welcome or anything.

 

We went to a tea and I don't like tea so I asked for a glass of ice water. Well the way the guy acted was like I asked for a glass of gold. He rolled his eyes, made such a big deal that he had to go get it from the back. Then he took so long that we were all done with the food and everyone finished their tea.

 

I could go on and on but why? I think you get the idea. It wasn't up to par.

 

However, we still had lots of laughs and made the best of what we had to deal with.

 

It was the first cruise that I and the other adults was happy to see end. That's pretty sad.

 

Wow, I am glad I was not on this cruise. I have never been on a cruise where all the food in the MDR was horrible. There is always a dish or two that is not great, but usually, the casear salad, the pasta dishes, the shrimp, the chicken, is fairly good. Normally the lobster tail is good and the steak is okay. The warm chocolate melting cake is usually good. Carnival must have received a lot of complaints from passangers from this cruise if nothing was any good in the MDR all 4 nights.

[ShakyBeef]

I think there is a difference between a day at an amusement park and a 4 day cruise! One is just a fun activity but a 4 day cruise sounds like it could have been part of a planned experience and not just a bunch of girls hanging out for 4 days. I was also a Brownie and a Girl Scout and can't imagine my leaders just planning an outing like that without including some thought to activities. I suppose it is just a case of "different strokes".

 

 

 

There certainly is - more money and more commitment and responsiblity required from the moms that chaperoned!:p And of course, GSs are older than Brownies. Seriously, though, don't you think the bonding, the fun, the travel experiences that the girls would be having on a cruise has more merit than just "hanging out"? You were a GS, didn't you benefit from some of those non-badge-orienteted gatherings with your troop? Also, what makes you think the leaders didn't "include some thought to activities"?

[SadieN]

Which ship did you sail on?

 

Imagination or the inspiration?

 

At the beginning of your post you say the inspiration but on your cruise list you have the imagination

 

 

Easy enough to figure out. Did they leave on Thursday or Friday?

Easier to answer, did the tables have clothes on them? Inspiration still has the tablecloths.

 

Our last Inspiration cruise (May) was one of our best. Even better than the one in February. Our Imagination cruise (January) had the worst food (old menu) in 30 cruises.

 

There is tons written about the menus on the ships out of Long Beach, including how it's served. If you wanted it individually, should have asked your waiter.

 

Don't know why you're upset about the alcohol restrictions as you knew that going in. If it was important than another activity (Disneyland?) should have been planned. Or maybe you didn't realize until onboard how much having a drink or two increases your enjoyment.

Edited August 26, 2014 by SadieN

[BarJen]

Yes, there's family style dining on the Inspiration. It's the American Table concept, which I kind of hope goes away.

 

Thanks for the clarification, I honestly had no idea.

 

Barry

[Winterstale]

Which ship did you sail on?

Imagination or the inspiration?

At the beginning of your post you say the inspiration but on your cruise list you have the imagination

 

I took a look back through some other threads...OP was on the IMAGINATION, not the Inspiration....

[irishnyc]

Could it be these were spoiled girls? Really, the food was that bad? They didn't like hamburgers or pizza or ice cream? I'm wondering if the activities were too structured trying to keep the group together. I can't grasp how they had a bad time.

 

I'm thinking it wasn't the girls that are spoiled...

[Cruise, J.D.]

I'm sorry, but it is hard for me to take a review seriously when people claim that they didn't enjoy anything other than pizza, hamburgers, and nachos. Even if it was true, it just means that their tastes and expectations are so different from mine that their review has no relevance to me.

[Lovefuninthesun]

I'm sorry, but it is hard for me to take a review seriously when people claim that they didn't enjoy anything other than pizza, hamburgers, and nachos. Even if it was true, it just means that their tastes and expectations are so different from mine that their review has no relevance to me.

 

Interesting insight -- have to say I agree:o

[cruizinisthebest]

I'm sorry, but it is hard for me to take a review seriously when people claim that they didn't enjoy anything other than pizza, hamburgers, and nachos. Even if it was true, it just means that their tastes and expectations are so different from mine that their review has no relevance to me.

 

Yeah a completely negative review. Give me a break. I know some cruises and ships are better than others, but to rip it from top to bottom just leaves me rolling my eyes.

 

Plus I didn't know any of the ships were doing the new menus with the family style service. Which I thought the family style serving was only for appetizers and such. Oh well.

Edited August 26, 2014 by cruizinisthebest

[irishnyc]

I'm sorry, but it is hard for me to take a review seriously when people claim that they didn't enjoy anything other than pizza, hamburgers, and nachos. Even if it was true, it just means that their tastes and expectations are so different from mine that their review has no relevance to me.

 

I completely agree with this. My first Carnival cruise was on the Splendor. I knew from CC what to expect of the decor, and boarded with eyes open, ready to enjoy the fantastic gaudiness of it all - and guess what - we LOVED it. It was like the 80s threw up everywhere. I also went in with the expectations of party party partying everywhere, and was very surprised at how easy it was to escape that party all the time atmosphere. I had previously cruised on RC, and was extremely disappointed to be given the gift of a Carnival cruise, especially since it included my 4 year old daughter, and my DH that had never been on a cruise before, but in the end it was so much fun, and we'd Carnival again in a heartbeat. I expected to make the best of the worst that Carnival could possibly be, and it was nowhere near awful.

[Lovefuninthesun]

OP -- Thanks for taking the time to post a review. Sorry that your cruise did not meet your expectations.

 

That said, I am a little skeptical when a post has an "all or nothing" vibe: nothing was good.....all of the activites were rejected....none of the crew members were helpful....etc......

[thistimeplease]

Easy enough to figure out. Did they leave on Thursday or Friday?

Easier to answer, did the tables have clothes on them? Inspiration still has the tablecloths.

 

Our last Inspiration cruise (May) was one of our best. Even better than the one in February. Our Imagination cruise (January) had the worst food (old menu) in 30 cruises.

 

There is tons written about the menus on the ships out of Long Beach, including how it's served. If you wanted it individually, should have asked your waiter.

 

Don't know why you're upset about the alcohol restrictions as you knew that going in. If it was important than another activity (Disneyland?) should have been planned. Or maybe you didn't realize until onboard how much having a drink or two increases your enjoyment.

 

 

OP didn't complain about the alcohol just mentioned that they couldn't drink and suggested that alcohol might have made the cruise better.

 

Don't know why readers take it so personally when a poster says something negative regarding a cruise. The OP stated good and negative regarding her cruise.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

I'm not surprised you didn't like the ship. but I'm shocked that Girl Scouts go on cruises! I was a GS in LA in the late 70s, our troop got a little famous because my DAD was our leader (a male GS leader was big news back then)! But we never went on a cruise!!! Pretty cool, sorry it was such a junky ship.

 

 

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[AdGuyMG]

Although I agree with what many that a short ("booze") cruise on an older ship is not representative of the best that Carnival can be; shouldn't Carnival (or any company) do the best to present themselves with each of their products? They only have one chance to make a first impression and many people will sail for the first time on one of their older ships, on a shorter (cheaper) cruise in order to 'test the waters' of cruising. I'm sure they lose a lot of potential repeat cruisers because of this particular aspect of their business model.

 

The concept of smaller 3/4 day ships being an inferior product isn't a business model. It's the reality of what an be offered on a smaller ship vs a larger ship and I think cruise lines do the best with what they have.

 

On the Royal 3/4 day Majesty, where's the flowrider, ice shows, steakhouse, concierge club, Dreamworks Experience and nightly Promenade parades? Where's the atrium WOW factor when you step aboard.

 

On the Norwegian 3/4 Sky, where's the Cirque/Illusionarium/Blueman type shows, the Haven areas, O'Sheehan's pub, Spice H2O area, Ice Bar, Grammy Experience and Headliner venues?

 

Do you think the lack of these things contribute to turning an overwhelming number of potential future repeat cruisers away? The cruise lines have all the data to see what % of 1st time cruisers return to the brand and how many don't and apparently offering shorter "test the waters' 3/4 day sailings without all the bells and whistles is a successful concept.

Edited August 26, 2014 by AdGuyMG

[ShakyBeef]

The concept of smaller 3/4 day ships being an inferior product isn't a business model. It's the reality of what an be offered on a smaller ship vs a larger ship and I think cruise lines do the best with what they have.

 

On the Royal 3/4 day Majesty, where's the flowrider, ice shows, steakhouse, concierge club, Dreamworks Experience and nightly Promenade parades? Where's the atrium WOW factor when you step aboard.

 

On the Norwegian 3/4 Sky, where's the Cirque/Illusionarium/Blueman type shows, the Haven areas, O'Sheehan's pub, Spice H2O area, Ice Bar, Grammy Experience and Headliner venues?

 

Do you think the lack of these things contribute to turning an overwhelming number of potential future repeat cruisers away? The cruise lines have all the data to see what % of 1st time cruisers return to the brand and how many don't and apparently offering shorter "test the waters' 3/4 day sailings without all the bells and whistles is a successful concept.

 

Maybe I chose the wrong term with "business model".:o However, I'm not referring to lack of bells and whistles, but rather all the little things that add up to the impression of the product (friendliness of the stff being one - and yes, I noticed a marked difference in this on our 5-day Glory cruise from our other Carnival cruises. It could be unrelated to anything, but if it had been my first Carnival cruise, I would think Carnival staff was in general unsmiling and just not very nice). Wow, that may be the longest parenthetical statement ever.:o

Edited August 26, 2014 by ShakyBeef
spelling

[SadieN]

I'm sorry, but it is hard for me to take a review seriously when people claim that they didn't enjoy anything other than pizza, hamburgers, and nachos. Even if it was true, it just means that their tastes and expectations are so different from mine that their review has no relevance to me.

 

 

I believe the OP. On our Imagination cruise even those were lousy. The food was so bad in January (old menu) we didn't look at going on her in May. Mom wouldn't even consider sailing on that ship again.

But the crew was wonderful and almost everyone was up to our expectations. Our big problems were the food and the ATD fiasco where the line wrapped to the elevator and it took 30 minutes to GET the pager.

[near the beach]

Rather than complain you made due.

That is what guest service is for. You have been on other cruises you should have known to call them.

Your cabin steward could arrange the beads any way you wanted that would be allowed in the cabin.

We have sailed on the Inspiration and the Imagination twice on both and never experienced anything as you mentioned.

For me it is hard to imagine not being able to find fun thing to do on a ship. Hope you have fun on your next cruise.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Girlscouts on a booze cruise. I bet they sold a lot of cookies!!

[bdever]

I have been on the inspiration 3 times in the last 3 years and the last 2 times were the 4 day Catalina/Ensenada cruise and my experience was the complete opposite of the OP's. The 3 day cruise was the booze cruise. When we went on the Inspiration 4 day last month it was wonderful from beginning to end!!! Yes, there seemed to be a sewage smell in the bathroom while we were in port only, yes, some lights in the lounges may need replacing. The food on Lido is not 5 star dining. These factors did not impact our trip or how much fun we had at all. Overall I have been extremely impressed by the friendliness and service of the staff, the cleanliness of the ship, our cabin V30 was absolutely spotless and amazing, no people issues whatsoever and fellow guests were great, food in MDR was amazing. Was it 100% perfect? No it wasn't, but I didn't expect it to be and enjoying a little imperfection here and there.

 

 

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[sanmarcosman]

This isn't a diss but I can't imagine girl scouts going on a cruise. Boy times have changed. My daughter was in girl scouts and we took them to a park for a picnic. She would have definitely migrated to your group.

I know, right? I suppose the troops today go on outings to nail salons for mani-pedis too :rolleyes:

[sanmarcosman]

I'm sorry, but it is hard for me to take a review seriously when people claim that they didn't enjoy anything other than pizza, hamburgers, and nachos.

I've sailed the Imagination twice and the Inspiration once this year. Where were the nachos? There were nachos and I missed them !?! :mad:

[CdrescherRBL152]

I'm sorry, but it is hard for me to take a review seriously when people claim that they didn't enjoy anything other than pizza, hamburgers, and nachos. Even if it was true, it just means that their tastes and expectations are so different from mine that their review has no relevance to me.

 

Well said. I think the truth is they smelled sewerage whrn they got to their cabins and OP decided then and there it would be a bad cruise. That being said would like to know how long the smell lasted. Had a smell on one cruise, when we first got to our cabin. They were emptying the holding tank at the time. Pnce the pump out was done the smell went away not to return.

 

 

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[Homosassa]

As a former GS leader, (Brownie through Seniors) I can relate. Besides the traditional activities such as camping, we also did trips that the girls earned the money for. This was not unusual for the GS Community in which my troop was located.

 

A cruise was one of them and Carnival was not even considered as the cruise line because of the very things you outlined in your posts. (Yes, I have, unfortunately, been on Carnival).

 

So, kudos to you for expanding the girl's horizons through travel and new experiences. And for those of you shocked that Girl Scouts would cruise or do other things besides camping: suprise!!!!

[ncovert]

Which ship did you sail on?

Imagination or the inspiration?

At the beginning of your post you say the inspiration but on your cruise list you have the imagination

Certainly an interesting observation.

 

 

 

 

OP, my apologizes for the many disappointments that this cruise was to you.