Breeze Review & and why i will never sail carnival again

[jp12687]

Sometimes something negative happens that sets the tone for the whole cruise and you just can't get past it. Happened to us once on a Carnival cruise and we did not sail them again for ten years. Look at it this way- the next one has to be better. :D

 

agreed.

 

We may be back at carnival one day. But we will cruise around with others and if carnival offers an itinerary we really really like we will consider it. But only time will tell. Carnival tried to make it right the best way they could-- but that does not "fix" the underlying issues.

[Vanessa L]

Going to have to agree with you, OP. We sailed the Breeze in September and it was the worst we have experienced in 48 cruises. I'd heard that this was "fleet-wide" so went into our Pride cruise kinda nervous. I am happy to report that the Pride was a complete 180 from the Breeze and the service was top notch from the entire crew. After 48 cruises, it is #2 on our list of amazingness!

 

I'm not sure if it's the size of the Breeze, or that they were due to change crews soon when we sailed, but it just seemed like the entire crew was miserable. Our room steward was the worst we have ever had, our dining staff was atrocious (lengthy delays, wrong orders, and mismatched orders as you described) and the entire "feel" of the ship just seemed to have a lot of negative energy. If I had not just sailed this ship I might wonder what you were referring to (you typically see these remarks from people who haven't sailed the ship since its inception, if at all, but want to judge your comments), but having just done so, I know exactly of which you speak.

 

I'm not a Carnival cheerleader by any means, and have also sailed Norwegian and RCL, all of which I've had issues with, ranging from minuscule to significant. If you decide to try Carnival again, I'd recommend the Pride out of Tampa (winter) or Baltimore (rest of the year) and see the difference for yourself. This issue is definitely NOT fleet-wide, and appears to be localized to the larger ships.

 

Just my 2 cents. Thank you for your review.

[Cushing985]

I'm a fan of Carnival as I have never had a bad cruise with them. In fact, on most of my cruises the staff have always gone beyond what was expected. But, and there is always a but, I thought this review was fair and balanced. He reported the good and the not so good. I could share his feelings if I had to go to John and complain. That's the job of Guest Services...to try to rectify the problems a guest reports (if they're valid).

[KPfromCT]

Oh and kudos to your girlfriend.. Seems she spent a lot of her vacation at guest services while you sulked in the casino. She's a keeper!

 

Like!!! I got the same impression too!

[spyingeyes]

I appreciate you sharing your experience. I understand how things tend to compound after one thing goes wrong. Sometimes I think it's because we have high expectations, are let down early on and then we become hyper critical of everything else for the rest of the experience.

 

It does seem like there were folks that tried to help you out and make things right though. Hopefully you have a better trip next time, regardless of who you choose to spend your hard earned money with.

 

 

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Edited February 1, 2015 by spyingeyes

[RuthlessBoss]

I appreciate you sharing your experience. I understand how things tend to compound after one thing goes wrong. Sometimes I think it's because we have high expectations, are let down early on and then we become hyper critical of everything else for the rest of the experience.

 

It does seem like there were folks that tried to help you out and make things right though. Hopefully you have a better trip next time, regardless of who you choose to spend your hard earned money with.

;)

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I had that happen on one cruise with Carnival, it happened shortly after boarding and I just couldn't shake it off. It seemed like something was wrong with most everything. Heck I even became irritated because my walk to the elevator was too long!

[trvlqueen]

Spirit class isn't the smallest either - Fantasy class (Imagination, Inspiration, Fantasy, Paradise, Fascination) is the smallest class.

 

All of the Carnival ships have their positives and negatives. While I'd still love to try Breeze, and look forward to trying the Vista, I've found that if I'm just going to relax, I like the Fantasy class ships the best (wish they did longer itineraries) - and if I'm going with the family, I like Conquest class. Have not sailed Sunshine since the change-over, but just didn't love the Dream ... there was nothing particularly wrong with it - it just wasn't for me.

 

That said, your constructive criticism was well thought out and presented. I agree with your responses at the steakhouse - when you're paying an upcharge, you should expect to receive excellent service - and the maitre'd is part of that service. It sounds like that venue on the ship needs a little help understanding what guests expect. (The salad issue, though, seems to be your fault - I'm guessing you ordered the iceberg wedge salad - which comes exactly as you described - you might have loved the spinach salad)

 

Thanks for your review - I'll probably still try the Breeze at some point when it fits into my schedule - and will definitely try the Italian restaurant after your kudos to it - wishing you calmer seas and better sailing on your next cruise - and if you want a Carnival ship with a truly excellent staff, I recommend Liberty, Elation, and Imagination -- all 3 have far exceeded our expectations on multiple occasions.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

If any service industry doesn't meet expectations the customer has every right to move on...in reality that is the only recourse that holds any water. We all expect different levels of service and we all react to conditions through our own set of acceptable variables. Many of the incidents that were complainable by the original OP wouldn't have raised their heads because others approach the same circumstances differently.

 

Personally I like "slow" dining, wouldn't leave any kind of card in the light control when I left my stateroom, wouldn't book a Carnival excursion, would empty my own fridge if I needed the space, am glad "if" my luggage arrives the first day, just go to the nearest bar when on the Lido deck (my feet aren't glued on) so don't have to "wait" for wait staff, have a gazillion appetizers if the main courses in the dining room don't appeal to me, don't do anytime dining 'cause I want to get to know my wait staff (after day one they know I am the only one in my family who drinks after dinner coffee and they keep it coming with lots of cream). Don't buffet for breakfast so no lines, eat lunch at 11am so I am always the first in line. I've learned that a cruise, like any other experience just means to be patient and to plan accordingly. And since I'm so proactive I rarely have to be reactive on any vacation.

[dave_k58]

Don't expect a Rolex at Timex prices. Service can be inconsistent.. You get what you pay for. Go upscale if you want attention to details. Sorry if I sound unsympathetic, but it's the reality of the situation. Didn't sound like your vacation was really that bad, and they did attempt to reconcile the problems.

 

EVen Walmart strives to give good service. Are you saying that if you sail Carnival, you get what you deserve? I don't buy that. I like Carnival and I expect good service - and have been very satisfied.

[dave_k58]

In reading your lengthy review, sounds like there were as many or more good things about your cruise than bad.

In regards to the fridge, simply empty it yourself to put your wine in it.

The excursion in Cozumel was not really Carnivals fault. (bad service at a resort is out of their control) Good that you brought it to their attention so they can hopefully look into it.

As for not cleaning your room due to the 'snoozin' sign; maybe you did not flip it as you thought, therefore your room was not entered.

The things you are unhappy with seem minor and the things you mention as great seem more significant, IMO.

 

If you bought your excursion through Carnival they are definitely responsible. How long have we been hearing that if you book privately, you could get left behind. THe implications are that the private companies are unreliable. WE have booked almost all of our excursions privately, with excellent, responsible service.

[funfamilyfun]

I understand everyone has different expectations. Overall i would not say it was a horrible trip and we actually for the most part had a great time. Dealing with the the small annoyances were just that-- annoyances that took away from our vacation. I have cruised carnival before and loved the experience.

 

When spending any amount of money you expect consistent service and form complaints i've both read here and what i heard on the ship itself that expectations are not crazy.

 

You are right maybe Carnival is not for me. But the reasons i had issues with this cruise others might have as well and should be aware of before booking. Sorry i am not a 100% carnival defender/lover.

 

 

I agree with you! A cruise is a decent amount of money. When you compare it to other vacations, such as all-inclusive vacations, you should be treated properly. If the cabin steward did not think emptying the mini bar was part of his service he should have told you. I don't understand the speciality restaurants. I have gone on both Carnival and RCI and the service was as you described. In addition, you were staying in a suite and your cabin steward should have been attentive. We typically enjoy Carnival, however, we are aware we have other choices.

[riffatsea]

I strongly agree that the service you receive seems to vary distinctly with each ship! We have had wonderful service on the 2 Spirit class ships we have sailed, the Spirit itself(before it moved to Australia) and the Miracle.

The one time we did not like the staff in the MDR we walked out, went straight to management and was moved to a wonderful new set of servers.

It is up to the hotel manager officer on each ship to set the tone for their staff!

We hope that our cruise on the Conquest in the fall will have the same feel as our west coast cruises!

We do not deal well with bad service and we don't think paying reasonable prices on Carnival means we have to endure it! I am sorry that you did on your Breeze cruise!

[golfb4cruzing]

OP just try another line. I think Carnival is the entry cruising line and they sometimes miss the mark. Two sailings can be totally different because of staff turnover and/or maybe new chefs. We've never been fans of the MDRs and think the whole experience is over rated. We are happy with the buffets and the pizza. But then again we left Carnival in 2012 after the Destiny and have found something better, we believe. To each his own. Try another line and go in better equipped to ask questions. Excursions are tough calls. We;ve had some great ones we picked up outside the gate and some clunkers from the cruiselines. However the Tulum excursion through Carnival is the best one so far. If you are paying, your expectations should be met to the best of their abilities.

[PathfinderEss]

OP, sorry your cruise did not work out for you.

[amberxob]

I have been on 14 cruises and never had a bad experince and we've had fires, missed ports, total port changes, no ports at all, really really rough water, horrible servers, theft out of our luggage, gas leaks in our rooms that made it unbearable to even step foot in and probably worse. I have also traveled everything from celebrity to carnival.

 

The problems you are talking about happen on the nicest ships to the worse.

 

I have been on celebrity were dinner has taken 2 and a half hours to get through sometimes 20 minutes between courses. But my family never dwells on it. We sit relax, hang out, talk and enjoy our selfs because at the end of the day were not cooking so who cares.

 

As servers walking around on the desk there are only 1 or 2 that walk up and down the whole top deck getting drinks for the thousands of people aboard and they are usually only out during peak ours. So its hard to cater to one couple or even one area of the boat. There a bars all over the boats its very easy to get your own drink. A lot of cruises these day are a lot of self serving.

 

As for the singer not showing up maybe he or she was sick some times thing happen something that minor should not effect a vaction.

 

For your steward not clearing out your fridge. They are human with a lot of rooms with multiple guest and co workers telling them things throughout the day sometimes they forget things just like you would. Tip for next cruise just write a little note and put it on the bed. Thats what my family does and while they are in there cleaning they will see it and do what you have asked.

 

My luggage has arived at 10 oclock at night thats how all cruises are. Tip for next time You should pack Everything youll need for the day in your carry on. This tip is listed on every cruise website...

 

Cruise ships want you to buy everything and every anything you should of done your research on the pictire program before purchasing. Asked what price and size pictures were included ect. Thats not their fault you didnt ask or know what was included. Pictures are also expense they are on every cruise.

 

All the problems you have stated mostly aren't problems to begin with are just the way most cruises work. Maybe you should just a different vaction next time.

 

Yes some things aren't ideal but you make the best out of every situation. I guess my family being a waitress, my mom a lunch lady and my dad a police officer were just happy to be on a vacation.

 

Do your research before your cruise so you no what its like and your not upset with the ending result.

Edited February 2, 2015 by amberxob

[babsee101]

Sorry that you had so many things go wrong on your recent cruise.

 

I just wanted to chime in and say that it is very possible that kids turned your door hanger over to snooze. For some reason, the little pranksters think this is funny.

 

Hope your next cruise goes smoothly no matter which line you choose.

[ajm0401]

The only thing I have to add here is I get very annoyed when I see people expecting perfection in any kind of dining facility, even on a cruise ship. I waited tables to put myself through school for 6 years. I was a damn good server and I had many regulars. That being said, I had my bad days and our restaurant had its bad days as well. There were days where half of the staff called in sick leaving the rest of us to take care of food prep on top of taking care of tables. There were also days (like at the beginning of my pregnancy) where I had I spent 8 hours at school then came to work an 8 hour shift and the mere smell of chicken sent me running for the bathroom. It would appear that I was a terrible server, but in reality I was having an off day. So, with that in mind, you don't know what the reasoning behind you bad experience was. MAybe some of the kitchen staff were sick that day. I guarantee you would rather wait 20 minutes than have norovirus all over your food. We have not always had the best service on our cruises, but, with both my husband and myself having been in the service industry, we understand that things can't always be great. And now, with my husband in the Army and having been deployed and most likely deploying again next year, we just chalk it up to the little things that do not have any kind of bearing on our lives. In our minds cruises for us are times where my girls and I get to cherish the times we have with the man in our lives and an extra 20 minutes of having to wait in a restaurant is an extra 20 minutes of undivided attention and making silly memories. Just keep it in perspective people!

[RiotAct]

I just wanted to chime in and say that it is very possible that kids turned your door hanger over to snooze. For some reason, the little pranksters think this is funny.

 

My wife and I mentioned this exact thing when we were on Liberty a few months ago!!!

 

Even worse would be Snoozin' --> Cruisin' :eek:

[Elaine5715]

Surfwrench,

 

I think you nailed it.

 

Basically he was refunded and overwhelmed by wine and various gifts yet still had issues.

 

I'd say Carnival is better off without their repeat business.

 

yep..sounds like they made a tremendous effort to make amends for any real or perceived flaws but those were rebuffed.

[Cruisegirl6]

OP, Im sorry you had not a great cruise but overall I do feel any cruise is better than being at home, no cruise and working!

 

If I were in your shoes most of those things wouldn't be an issue because:

 

Not getting your luggage fast- Carnival states in documents that it could take awhile to receive the luggage, what I do is take a carry on bag with a change of clothes and items that I don't want in my regular luggage, maybe something to think about doing in the future?

 

Dinner slow- I dine at many 4/5 star restaurants, average time dining is 2 1/2-3 hours long so its no big deal for me, I don't want to be rushed when I eat. BUT I do admit Carnival cut back on its staff and I realize the servers are having to work harder by taking care of more tables and more people. But if I wanted something you be sure I flat him/her down.

 

Sitting at table with two young kids- Don't blame how you felt, but after dinner I would of spoken to the maitre'd and ask to have my table changed and mention that I wouldn't want to sit with children but I only would do this is the children misbehaved.

 

Service in Serenity- If I want something I would try to flag someone down or if I see a staff member walking by I would ask if they can get a server for me. If I didn't see anybody I just simply get myself off that chair and get what I need. No problem.....people used to complain that servers were constantly hounding people to get drinks now they are more laid back, like it this way.

 

Steakhouse- Its normal for dinner to be a minimum of two hours there, I would be disappointed if it were rushed...if I wanted something I simply flag my server down and if I could not locate him/her, I would simply flag another server down and ask for them if they can find my server for me and tell him/her what I wanted. This issue was your fault as you didn't speak up or try to find somebody to help you. If you say nobody was around which I couldn't believe because there are more than two servers in the steakhouse, then I would get up to the hostess.

 

The refrigerator issue- All you had to do is take out everything yourself, I don't believe the cabin stewards are allowed to do this, but if I am wrong, OP why just not take the few items that are in there out yourself and put them somewhere else? This was a very simple fix.

 

Menu not appealing- Have to agree with you here, out of the cruise lines I been on Carnivals menu for me is the most disliked. When I went on the Dream two years ago I dined at the steakhouse for six evenings because I didn't care for the menu, now booked on the Valor in May I am booked 5 nights at the steakhouse to avoid the nights menu that we don't care for.

 

Blue Iguana not having enough food out- I would of found a worker and asked if they can bring more food!

 

Photos- I NEVER purchase those photos, its a rip off for sure, why not have somebody passing by you take a photo for you? When you get home, you can get it blown up to whatever size you want. ;)

 

You complained to Carnival about some issues they handled it perfectly, offered you another evening in steakhouse and gotten gifts to the room, what else do you want them to do when in fact, most of the issues was just a matter of speaking up and fixing it rather than sitting back and huffing and complaining about it, sorry but this is how I see it.

Edited February 2, 2015 by lyndamr

[loubetti]

JP,

 

I do not know your age / demographic, but it appears you like water slides. If you can do without the "gimmicks", this last cruise (especially since you booked it in a GS) indicates to me that you might be ready to move up the "ladder", which Carnival would like you to do, to make room for the new cruisers on board.

 

Thus, if you want to stay with Carnival, try Princess, or just go for it and switch over and try Celebrity; it's in a different league, but will cost more $$$, but you get what you pay for. Frankly, I never experienced a cruise even close to being as unfortunate as you described.

 

Food for thought. :)

[Rinderoo]

Its funny how one little hiccup is tolerable, but when you put a bunch of snafus together its just not a good trip.

 

I had a great trip on the Breeze in mid January. So great that I booked the Magic for March. Oh there were some dumb things that happened which was Carnival's fault--like only having pizza and tacos open on the Grand Cayman day with an early back on board time. They really needed to have more food options on those early port days but I could wait 3 hours and go to dinner, or stand in that pizza line. We didn't do the steakhouse (last time on the Valor was 'eh') nor Cucina (didn't want to pay for pasta) but I did find the food in the MDR to be pretty good, even the 'Indian Vegetarian' selections which I ordered just for fun on two nights. We had anytime dining and got there at 6:15pm and never waited more than 5 minutes, and always had a table to ourselves. Even had the same server each night as I requested to be in her section. I like having the same service team each night and have been rather fortunate on all of my cruises to be able to do this on anytime dining.

 

It may be time for you to branch out and try other lines or even do a different sort of vacation like an all inclusive land resort. Things will never be perfect no matter what we do or where we go. On my last cruise (Breeze in January) there was an incredibly difficult table next to us one night, and I felt bad for the service team. The man at that table didn't want water and was very rude about it. So what's the server going to do? She just picked up the glass and removed it. Was the oddest thing I've ever seen. I mean its just a glass of water and he just railed on her about it. Didn't think he was aquaphobic or he wouldn't be on a cruise. But since she was tied up with them we had to wait on some of our stuff, which is fine. I wasn't going to starve and its not like she was goofing off. So when things go awry for me I tend to try to look at the big picture as to what else is going on.

 

Hope you find a good vacation destination for your next trip.

[mosiegirl]

Then why did they enter my room to put champagne and a ship on a stick? Either way they would have been wrong.

 

Yes minor things. But minor things taint the entire experience

 

Your berries and bubbles would have come from John Heald.. it what he "does" to appease the pax.. As such, the person delivering these would have knocked.. as a courtesy.. and then entered once they got no response.. Stewards don't.. they respect the signage as-is. So if it says snoozing they don't knock.

[Tapi]

Jp:

 

I'm going to reiterate what others have said. It seems to me like you may be ready to step up to a more upscale cruise line. If you can afford a Grand Suite (along with all the extras like alternative dining and spa treatments), you can afford to sail on another cruise line geared towards a more discerning clientele, and one who expects impeccable service. We've been bouncing around other cruise lines during the last few years (like Princess and Holland America) and have been very satisfied with the decision. More personal service and attention to the smallest details are some of the key differences that we've found. Celebrity's Concierge Class may be worth looking into.

 

Carnival is a great budget cruise line which offers a good product at bargain prices, but the product doesn't seem as good when you're paying luxury cruise line prices. It's harder to overlook the small things, specially when they start stacking up like in your case.

 

 

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Edited February 3, 2015 by Tapi

[Boozebabe]

I was on this cruise with you. Also had issues with cabin steward. My one and ONLY request of him was to keep my insulated bag full of ice. Fill it in the morning when servicing the room and at night during turn down. I have a bad knee that needs icing down several times per day. I purposely left the emty bag in the sink 2x per day. Several times the bag was on the bathroom counter or on the cabin desk with NO ICE. WTH. Just give me ice. Too much too expect?? I don't think so. We had NO OTHER REQUESTS.

 

Bar service everywhere was horrible. My husband got the free drinks card in the casino early on and we spent LOTS of time in the casino. He couldn't get the attention of a waiter. It seemed as if they were avoiding him. He always tips for those free drinks but when you finally get a waiters attention and order a drink, I think 35 minutes is a LONG time to wait for your drink. I had a hard time getting a drink too and I was paying for mine. There seemed to be very few waiters on Lido deck after day one sail away. We heard several complaints about waiters at the Rum & Tequila bars on Lido.

 

Dining room service was slow and very inconsistant. One night ridiculously slow the next night good. Coffee served WITH dinner must be a foreign concept to them but its what my husband likes. After asking for it twice he just gave up. This was our 18th cruise and we know that multiple entres are ordered. When asking for another lobster tail/glorified shrimp we got a look of "what"?? Yes we would like another lobster tail. It happens all the time. It took half an hour to get that accomplished. Food was pretty good though.

 

I answered the on-line questionaire I had waiting for me when I got home. It wasn't a great revue to say the least. At this point we aren't so sure we will be cruising Carnival again either. It was our 10th Carnival cruise and 3rd time on the Breeze. We have seen all levels of service decline on the Breeze since our first cruise on her a year and a half ago. Thats too bad.