Dear Carnival Revisited

[StolidCruiser]

My previous post was deleted for understandably being somewhat “off color” so after contemplation I revised my commentary with a more positive spin to many of the aspects of the Carnival experience often discussed with gusto.

Faster To The Fun (FTTF): Kudos for developing a program that provides guests with the possibility of an “upgraded” experience should they so choose. The benefits for those who wish to purchase FTTF don’t negatively affect your loyal Platinum and Diamond guests as you’ve designed the FTTF benefits to be secondary to those loyal guests so hat’s off for getting that right.

Staggered Check-In: This has been a long time coming and I applaud you for implementing it for the comfort and safety of your guests. With the introduction of larger ships which may be sailing from terminals with outdated or insufficient passenger capacity, staggered check-in is a way to manage and control crowds that can unnecessarily form during peak preferred arrival times (i.e. early morning). Trying to shift (or enforce) the arrival time of embarking guests a distance away from debarking guests will only help to get those leaving out and those arriving in. No one wants the frustration of long lines to tarnish their vacation enjoyment and a staggered check-in process is an effort to facilitate a great start to a great vacation.

 

Upcharge Room Service Offerings: How refreshing to see a different room service menu with the option to enjoy a wider array of items at an additional cost should one choose. Although some of the old favorites are no longer available, the new ones look quite enticing!

Main Dining Room: A+ for efforts to provide a fresh dining experience catering to today’s more casual diner. Cruising is becoming more and more causal in step with the casual every-day lifestyle your guests enjoy. More and more diners are challenged with special dietary issues and those are routinely handled with care and concern balanced against the provision to the majority of passengers without the unfortunate restrictions others face.

The Steakhouse (and similar venues): The ambiance and upgraded offerings at such non-pervasive venues are a nice change of pace should one choose the experience which carries an extra charge. It’s a refreshing change of pace from the Main Dining Room and a great option for those who enjoy the formality that the Main Dining Room no longer provides. It's not necessary to have a plethora of extra-fee dining options like you might find on other lines and I'm glad you don't.

 

Recommended dress code and “Elegant Night”: Hats off for establishing a reasonable casual dress code that allows your guests to dine as comfortably (without going to extremes) as they see fit.

 

CHEERS: The CHEERS program, a reduced-cost package, is a nice way to offer your guests a way to enjoy their adult beverages for a little less cash than buying them one at a time. Although other lines offer similar beverage packages without limit, Carnival has opted to stipulate a 15 drink-per-day limit to their program. Understandable to keep the cost of the program an amazing value while recognizing the potential hazards of over-consumption by guests with such a package. Requiring both over-21 guests in the same cabin to purchase the CHEERS package is also understandable given the propensity of vacationing couples to “share” what is intended to be a package for one guest. All in all, CHEERS is an excellent value for the money should one wish to partake knowing the terms and conditions involved.

 

Entertainment: Providing fresh and lavish live entertainment can be costly – and that can translate right into the guest fare. Some lines do it to the nines and do it well. The entertainment style of Carnival is somewhat more “low-key” but still enjoyable while being appropriate to the ship/guest demographic.

Customer Service: The service industry is tough. When problems arise on someone’s well-earned and high-priced vacation, the frustration can bubble. Dealing with such issues (which can range from trivial to severe) with a smile and consideration is appreciated and goes a long way. Equally as challenging is fostering well-educated Customer Service Representatives and Person Vacation Planners to assist guests with any problem they may encounter prior to stepping on board. Congratulations on retaining staff who do an exemplary job at providing the best customer service possible.

Stateroom Service: Thanks for providing the option to express our preference to have our cabin serviced once per day or twice. For many, once is enough which allows the stewards to focus their time on those guests who require (or, let’s admit it, might just want) a little more attention. Asking if we require anything extra at the start (such as towels, ice, sheet changes) is a great way to assess the guest’s service preferences without wasting valuable resources where not needed.

You provide a great product at a great price and many thoroughly enjoy it. But some don’t. And that’s okay. What’s the old expression? You can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but never all of the people all of the time. There’s a world of choice out there for people to find the cruise line that’s right for them.

Thanks for continued opportunity to experience what Carnival has to offer. Watch for the floodgates to open.

[Sundiego]

Watch for the floodgates to open.

 

Hmmm... I've been posting here since 2002 and have seen many changes on all the lines. I cruise different lines but am booked on Carnival next, thus hanging out in the Carnival forum. Not sure why you went to the trouble to write all this only to stir a pot and rehash tired issues. Sorry... maybe I'm missing something??