Feeling nickled and dimed - Carnival Inspiration

[tkportersat]

* Charging $20 extra to get steak or pork chops in the main dining room? Since when is that a normal practice on a cruise line? I'm fine with paying $25 for a special dining room like Palo on Disney, but to charge me extra for certain food items just feels like a surcharge to make "profit." This is optional and not required, they have plenty of other options in the Dining Room that aren't extra. I think this is a great option for folks who maybe don't want to take a bunch of folks to the Steakhouse and pay the surcharge, especially those with children.

 

 

* Also charging a 3% fee to get casino chips at the table or cashier. Another thing that Princess didn't do on my cruise two weeks ago. You can avoid the fee by going to a slot machine and having the money put on your sail and sign card (like you are going to play), then cash out of the machine and collect your money at the cashier

 

* Not an extra cost thing, but when did the food in the buffet get so bad??? I have experienced many cruise ship buffets and I've got to say this was the worst. Bland food, very little variety -- looked almost as bad as a buffet at Circus Circus in Las Vegas about 15 years ago. A buffet is a buffet in my opinion, I don't feel it has gotten worse. About the only buffet I have ever loved in my life is at Paris in Vegas.

 

Overall these felt like very negative changes. And as long as the competition isn't doing the same, my business will be with them (and yes, I know Carnival owns Princess). And chances are you will pay way more then you would on Carnival and that of course is your prerogative.

Robert

Edited November 7, 2014 by tkportersat

[RaiderCruiser]

Probably thought you meant mandatory since you implied it was mandatory to apply an additional tip for the bottomless bubbles receipt, which we all know is not mandatory.

Changes can get the best of all of us.

[CrzRani]

This cruise is the best bang for your buck for a Fri-Mon weekend getaway out of LA, which there is only Carnival or Princess. hence why I do at least one a year, $275/per person? Sign me up!

 

I can't even go to Vegas for $275 for the weekend! I'm so glad to see they offer the Cheers program now on this cruise, which is always the only thing to show up on my Sail & Sign card on Monday morning; booze. Vegas doesn't look as enticing anymore.

 

Options! I love it. And if I want it then I suppose an up charge is fair. I can say that I never leave a cruise hungry....:p rather with a new notch in my belt.

Edited November 7, 2014 by CrzRani

[elliair]

J

* Not an extra cost thing, but when did the food in the buffet get so bad??? I have experienced many cruise ship buffets and I've got to say this was the worst. Bland food, very little variety -- looked almost as bad as a buffet at Circus Circus in Las Vegas about 15 years ago.

 

Overall these felt like very negative changes. And as long as the competition isn't doing the same, my business will be with them (and yes, I know Carnival owns Princess).

 

Robert

 

Rest assured, the competition is doing the same. Just got off the Princess Star and the Lido buffet was the worse I ever had. They seem to have a sausage fetish. Every single day on a 10-day cruise there were at least 5 dishes breakfast and lunch of different kinds of sausages. Most looked shriveled up and unappetizing. I swear what people didn't eat at lunch it showed up the next morning disguised as something different.

 

No nuts were offered with the cottage cheese in the morning - a cut back. Only syrupy canned fruit was offered. The bacon was as usual - greasy with no flavor. The food was boring.

 

My problem now? 15 days of it on the Hawaiian cruise in January. I'm really am not looking forward to that cruise. :eek:

[Disconnections]

Rest assured, the competition is doing the same. Just got off the Princess Star and the Lido buffet was the worse I ever had. They seem to have a sausage fetish. Every single day on a 10-day cruise there were at least 5 dishes breakfast and lunch of different kinds of sausages. Most looked shriveled up and unappetizing. I swear what people didn't eat at lunch it showed up the next morning disguised as something different.

 

No nuts were offered with the cottage cheese in the morning - a cut back. Only syrupy canned fruit was offered. The bacon was as usual - greasy with no flavor. The food was boring.

 

My problem now? 15 days of it on the Hawaiian cruise in January. I'm really am not looking forward to that cruise. :eek:

 

Odd. I've been on eight Princess cruises this year with a ninth in a couple of days. I've only seen the sausage options one night per cruise, if at all, and like yourself, I just got off the Caribbean Princess yesterday. Granted, I haven't eaten breakfast on a Princess ship yet so I can't comment on the early morning options.

[andy.capitan]

Odd. I've been on eight Princess cruises this year with a ninth in a couple of days. I've only seen the sausage options one night per cruise, if at all, and like yourself, I just got off the Caribbean Princess yesterday. Granted, I haven't eaten breakfast on a Princess ship yet so I can't comment on the early morning options.

 

Aren't your Princess cruises mostly short cruises? Perhaps that is the difference. Some of those $40/day cruises are approaching Carnival fares.

[Disconnections]

Aren't your Princess cruises mostly short cruises? Perhaps that is the difference. Some of those $40/day cruises are approaching Carnival fares.

 

I wasn't aware sailing double occupancy in an interior netted you two cruise credits. ;)

 

Aren't most of your cruises this year short cruises out of LA on Carnival for $109 per person?

Edited November 8, 2014 by Disconnections

[andy.capitan]

Rest assured, the competition is doing the same. Just got off the Princess Star and the Lido buffet was the worse I ever had. They seem to have a sausage fetish. Every single day on a 10-day cruise there were at least 5 dishes breakfast and lunch of different kinds of sausages. Most looked shriveled up and unappetizing. I swear what people didn't eat at lunch it showed up the next morning disguised as something different.

 

No nuts were offered with the cottage cheese in the morning - a cut back. Only syrupy canned fruit was offered. The bacon was as usual - greasy with no flavor. The food was boring.

 

My problem now? 15 days of it on the Hawaiian cruise in January. I'm really am not looking forward to that cruise. :eek:

 

Odd. I've been on eight Princess cruises this year with a ninth in a couple of days. I've only seen the sausage options one night per cruise, if at all, and like yourself, I just got off the Caribbean Princess yesterday. Granted, I haven't eaten breakfast on a Princess ship yet so I can't comment on the early morning options.

 

That's a lot of sausages. I think someone is taking breakfast and lunch and the other is talking dinner.

 

Princess does offer different food on short versus long cruises.

[andy.capitan]

I wasn't aware sailing double occupancy in an interior netted you two cruise credits. ;)

 

Aren't most of your cruises this year short cruises out of LA on Carnival for $109 per person?

 

Not sure what this has to do with sausages. :rolleyes:

[Disconnections]

That's a lot of sausages. I think someone is taking breakfast and lunch and the other is talking dinner.

 

Princess does offer different food on short versus long cruises.

 

Such as no lobster in the dining room? Other than that, there's a thing called consistency in mass market, brands and chains. Even the Magic TA had all food elements of a seven day cruise for seven of the 16 days. If you look back, you'll see where I stated "I've only seen..." meaning I haven't seen it at lunch in Horizon Court.

[Disconnections]

Not sure what this has to do with sausages. :rolleyes:

 

Not sure what your previous post quoted above (post 81) has to do with sausages?

Edited November 8, 2014 by Disconnections

[elliair]

Odd. I've been on eight Princess cruises this year with a ninth in a couple of days. I've only seen the sausage options one night per cruise, if at all, and like yourself, I just got off the Caribbean Princess yesterday. Granted, I haven't eaten breakfast on a Princess ship yet so I can't comment on the early morning options.

 

I've been on a few Princess cruises, but Star Princess was the only one I have been on where so many sausage dishes offered. I don't like eating too much of processed foods. Another thing they had every morning was the canned corned beef and hash. That was so salty one could hardly eat it. Carnival has Princess beat hands down for omelets. Carnival makes it right there in front of you. Princess, you have to place an order and return to get your omelet. I guess they don't want you to see them making your omelet with a powdered egg concoction, because that's what Princess omelets tastes like (one was enough for me). I'm a cook, I know what tastes good and what is of good quality. All cruise lines are cutting back. I don't care if they cut back on chocolates in the evening on my pillow. I don't care if they only come into my cabin once a day to straighten up and leave fresh towels--hotels do it. But don't cut back on quality foods.

Edited November 8, 2014 by elliair

[andy.capitan]

Not sure what your previous post quoted above (post 81) has to do with sausages?

 

I thought it might have been too big of a step for some so I clarified it in post 83.

[elliair]

Not sure what your previous post quoted above (post 81) has to do with sausages?

 

I posted what the OP said about the food. Maybe look back and see what I posted to the OP about cutbacks. It has everything to do with sausages and cut backs. They suck!

[Disconnections]

I've been on a few Princess cruises, but Star Princess was the only one I have been on where so many sausage dishes offered. I don't like eating too much of processed foods. Another thing they had every morning was the canned corned beef and hash. That was so salty one could hardly eat it. Carnival has Princess beat hands down for omelets. Carnival makes it right there in front of you. Princess, you have to place an order and return to get your omelet. I guess they don't want you to see them making your omelet with a powdered egg concoction, because that's what Princess omelets tastes like (one was enough for me). I'm a cook, I know what tastes good and what is of good quality. All cruise lines are cutting back. I don't care if they cut back on chocolates in the evening on my pillow. I don't care if they only come into my cabin once a day to straighten up and leave fresh towels--hotels do it. But don't cut back on quality foods.

 

Although I haven't had breakfast in nearly half of my life, I can tell you that a waiter or waitress will get your omelette for you if you give them the ticket. If you also tell them you want a real/cracked egg, they write an F on the ticket. Hope this helps you when you sail on the Star again!

[Disconnections]

I thought it might have been too big of a step for some so I clarified it in post 83.

 

And I clarified in post 85. Consistency is key, Sarge.

[andy.capitan]

At least 2 different sausages at breakfast on Golden Princess with some really poor bacon and square biscuits??? Those surely weren't made by anyone from the South.

 

 

 

There's that hash and more sausages

 

 

[EZ4]

Three words. Depth of field. Use it.

[elliair]

Although I haven't had breakfast in nearly half of my life, I can tell you that a waiter or waitress will get your omelette for you if you give them the ticket. If you also tell them you want a real/cracked egg, they write an F on the ticket. Hope this helps you when you sail on the Star again!

 

I know what they offer. Finding a place to sit on the Star is a job in itself. They tell you to come back in 10 minutes to get your omelet. Even getting refills on your beverages takes a long time to get. We end up getting it ourselves. There's already fried eggs on the buffet line, some are hard and some are soft take your pick. On the Star they won't fry an egg for you, they tell you to get it from the buffet line. The bacon in the pic is typical of greasy limp tasteless bacon. I've been on the Inspiration twice and on the Imagination. The food was much better than on Princess. The Star is going to move on here soon and the Crown will be in San Francisco. We'll book the Crown for May to Alaska and see how that goes. If there's too many sausage dishes we'll go back to Carnival for cruising.

Edited November 8, 2014 by elliair

[Brad1185]

I don't ever want to see $$$ on a menu in the Mdr

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

I agree with your observations about the buffet now, that it sucks with a few exceptions. But while that has gone downhill in quality, they offer other lido food options to suit anyone's tastes. I have only done lido dinner once in recent years but it was atrocious. Lunch is slightly better as I like the caribbean food and the roast beef and fried chicken they sometimes offer. I would think even an old fantasy class ship would have a Mongolian wok onboard but I've never gone hungry on a carnival ship.

 

I would never pay the upcharge for the steakhouse selections in the mdr either. The $35 for the whole experience in the actual steakhouse is borderline worth it though and I agree that the cucina del Capitano is well worth the $15 but that's only on the Breeze. The fantasy class ships don't have these specialty options. Having only sailed princess once, years ago, I can't say how "superior" their food service experience is to Carnival but since I generally enjoy the folksy, not over the top style carnival servers have, I'm not going to see that negatively.

 

On the soda situation, they charge the tax only on sodas bought while in USA but not while in a foreign port or while at sea. At the end, you save money by not paying the entire tax they used to tack onto the price when you buy it. I like this and carnival is just trying to comply with usa laws.

 

In the end, honestly I think carnival still offers an amazing product for what we pay to sail on them. The bargain basement prices we pay barely cover fuel and food and we get so much else with the experience. They still make plenty of profit from alcohol sales, casino and things like pictures. People just can't expect celebrity level cruising for carnival level prices. I complain loudly about their recent cutbacks and they are significant but what they still offer for such a low price is the best overall value in cruising.

Edited November 8, 2014 by FlyingCruiserNJ

[Topo Gigio]

I have said it a long time ago that the buffet on Carnival sucks big time!

 

You usually pay less too for a Carnival cruise, so you have to see things in their perspective. However I came to the point, that I just prefer to pay a little more to get a better cruise experience overall. So no more Carnival for me..for now. I will definitely cruise in the future, but with prices so low at the moment, it's the time to try the other cruise lines again. Holland America & Princess next.

[andy.capitan]

and I agree that the cucina del Capitano is well worth the $15 but that's only on the Breeze.

 

On the soda situation, they charge the tax only on sodas bought while in USA but not while in a foreign port or while at sea. At the end, you save money by not paying the entire tax they used to tack onto the price when you buy it. I like this and carnival is just trying to comply with usa laws.

 

 

Cucina is also on Magic and Sunshine.

 

Carnival doesn't make the laws but yes, they have to obey them. Depending on the itinerary, in Europe you might have to pay VAT the entire cruise. Again, that is just Carnival obeying the law.

[FlyingCruiserNJ]

Cucina is also on Magic and Sunshine.

 

Carnival doesn't make the laws but yes, they have to obey them. Depending on the itinerary, in Europe you might have to pay VAT the entire cruise. Again, that is just Carnival obeying the law.

 

I wasn't aware that it was on other ships but that's cool. I still think the cucina is the best pay restaurant on Carnival though, although the steakhouse isn't bad by any means. I like the fish and chips on Glory and it's free but it's upstairs and a lot of people don't know it's even there. I've never cruised in Europe so I don't know the tax laws for cruise ships there however it might totally vary even from country to country. The receipt printing and signing the 0.00 price is probably to keep track of inventory yes, and to prove the person using the card is really the person who bought the package. It doesn't bother me and as I said, it saves me money in the long run by not paying tax on the entire plan when I first buy it. This is new though and a lot of people might not grasp the concept yet.

[ccruisequeen]

No, not on all ships.

 

Only on ships without a steakhouse for the Steakhouse experience