Still Disappointed

[johnjen]

I was onboard until I read this...(highlighted in red)

 

Coming from Carnival, that's rich!

 

Carnival is the cruise line that made me retire my tux. Had my tux on and here we are in the dining room with people wearing jeans, with their butt cracks hanging out.

 

But it is what it is. I still cruise CCL, not a lot anymore but when I do I dress down for the dining room.:)

 

Bill

 

Well said! On our one (and LAST) cruise with Carnival, attended the formal night dressed to the nines and there's a guy and his family looking like they were on a saturday night sojourn to walmart, resplendent in flippie floppies, cutoff shorts and t shirts.

 

Speaking of walmart.....I think is why we called Carnival "the walmart of cruise lines."

[nelblu]

I'm not a foodie but my husband is and we sailed with Holland this summer in Alaska. He felt the food was no better than Carnival (the line we usually sail). I don't know if this was because we were in Alaska but he was expecting better. We are sailing Anthem in April because he wants to try a ship as opposed to an itinerary. Looking forward to it despite OP opinion. Maybe I'm just used to the butt cracks....

 

And, if your husband, like the Op, likes to drink his coffee looking at the serenity of the sea, grab a cup of coffee at the café and sit in one of the comfy chairs in 2X70.

[Paulxyz2004]

Is posting here make you feel good? I just don't get the psychology behind posting on a web forum for a product you'll never use and which is very unlikely to dissuade any of the regular users of that forum.:rolleyes:

 

I fully agree with you, I never understood how People think they can stop People from buying a product with negative rants on the Internet. But then, if they feel better lets have them throw their tantrum and be done with it.

 

 

That is why there is more than one cruise line. It allows you the freedom to pick the one you like best and to avoid the ones you don't like. I too have cruised on lines I like and avoided the ones I don't like.

 

I fully agree with you. I´ve never had a really bad cruise, but I´ve sailed on lines that didn´t really fit my Needs and then there´s Points I like better on some lines than on others. It´s important to know what you want and what you will get.

 

To the OP I say happy cruising whatever line you Chose. It´s obviously not a matter of right or wrong, as otherwise the ships of the various lines wouldn´t sail full week after week.

[vacationlover_mn]

I'm in my early 40s, and definitely prefer RCI to Carnival and NCL, but my friend in her 50's HATES RCI and loves Carnival :). To each their own :). She says every Carnival cruise she's been on is "classy" and that RCI is all "party ships". I have agreed to disagree....

 

 

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[ravenjls]

Well said! On our one (and LAST) cruise with Carnival, attended the formal night dressed to the nines and there's a guy and his family looking like they were on a saturday night sojourn to walmart, resplendent in flippie floppies, cutoff shorts and t shirts.

 

Speaking of walmart.....I think is why we called Carnival "the walmart of cruise lines."

 

Sorry but it is NOT exclusive to Carnival. Just got off HOTS yesterday, and on the 2nd formal night, a family of 12 were seated right by us. There were 6 adults and 6 teens. The adults were very casual (shorts and polos) but the teens were awful. Jean short shorts cut offs, one had a steelers jersey, others with rude writing, another was still wearing his bathing suit with a white T-shirt, all wearing flip flops.

 

This was not the norm tho but there were others seated at different tables wearing shorts and polos.

 

On the flip side I also found there were many more dressed up people (lots of women in gowns) than I have ever seen on Carnival. On carnival's formal nights most people wear nice dresses and men wear button down shirts and long pants.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I'm in my early 40s, and definitely prefer RCI to Carnival and NCL, but my friend in her 50's HATES RCI and loves Carnival :). To each their own :). She says every Carnival cruise she's been on is "classy" and that RCI is all "party ships". I have agreed to disagree....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Wow. :eek: That's all I have to say.

[bogofman]

Yes they do have a band playing by the stairs I think on a plinth, they did on our recent navigator cruis. Only occasionally

 

We were on Celebrity Reflection last Sumner and the cafe Al bacio had loud music coming from the atrium most nights,

 

Could see the sea though:)

[goldgirl2]

We always dress up for formal nights. I never notice what any else is wearing. I'm to busy looking at how handsome my hubby looks in his tux. I really don't concern myself with how others are dressed.

[Desert Cruizers]

We enjoy dressing up for dinner since we are casual at home so for us it makes the evening dinner enjoyable. I do wonder if on our July Liberty cruise of 7 days if my husband will really need his suit coat from the Latest reports I have read on how casual people are dressing.

[time4u2go]

Well said! On our one (and LAST) cruise with Carnival, attended the formal night dressed to the nines and there's a guy and his family looking like they were on a saturday night sojourn to walmart, resplendent in flippie floppies, cutoff shorts and t shirts.

 

Speaking of walmart.....I think is why we called Carnival "the walmart of cruise lines."

 

I've seen this on several occasions on our RC cruises as well.

[schlimazel_traveler]

Yes, it is useful.

 

I will concede that it was.. very negative and perhaps was a bit over the top in its dramatic tone, but - yes, reviews like these ARE useful.

 

I for one am grateful for all the negative reviews of the RCCL MDR food as of late, because I have tempered my expectations as a direct result of reading them. I am still looking forward to my upcoming RCCL cruise, but the bar was set extremely high after we cruised on the Celebrity Silhouette in 2013 and had phenomenal food both in the MDR and two of the specialty restaurants, and the hubs & I are foodies. We picked RCCL this time cuz we have a toddler now and Celebrity's child programming was.. um.. seriously lacking. :D

 

Reviews that report on disappointing experiences are VERY helpful to me. I read a lot of reviews and comments before booking on a different ship or cruise line, and I have decided against specific options based on information I have read on Cruise Critic. I would rather know what to expect.

 

I notice that sometimes cruisers who report a disappointing experience on this board are berated for having unrealistic expectations. Sometimes negative comments are the very way people develop realistic expectations. They shouldn't be shouted down.

[ccotting]

I think it's important to note that your experience will vary not just by cruise line but by ship and by destination which affects the passengers in your specific cruise.

 

We have done many many cruises on RCI and each one is different. Even with the same ship doing back to back, a cruise can change completely with the turnover of passengers. We have had unhappy and happy experiences but overall we keep coming back.

 

Some ships are 'happy' ships and everyone does a great job. Others show their struggles. Certain destinations or times attract certain crowds which may or may not please you. I was struck by the poster in another thread talking about their Christmas cruise on one of the large RCI shops and that there were 700 teenagers on board. Yeep!

 

So if someone has had a negative experience it's good to know. Sometimes it means that the ship itself is having challenges. Sometimes it's just a specific staff member. But difficult things do colour your feeling about the whole cruise.

 

We have learned things: The cruise just before a refit may not have the best staff (lots of them pick that cruise to end their cruise company relationship). Staff who are on a cruise doing multiple 7 day cruises of the same itinerary in one area can be a bit 'fried' by the end period of that routine. Caribbean cruisers don't use the 7 am fitness class so the cabin under the spa deck is OK but once the ship repositions to a panama, those Brits and Aussies who join the ship are very fit! Early morning wake up time!

 

Most RCI ships are plating 700 or more main entrees within 20 minutes in the main dining room for each seating. You are not going to get the same service support as a gourmet restaurant. Generally they do an amazing job. If your waiter is not good, we have always had wonderful support from the head waiter or maitre. Talk to them, maybe gently.... is this a first contract for this waiter? seems a little lost... He/she will visit you every night after that and your table staff will smarten up sharply.

 

I'm glad to hear all the feedback from folks and I always try to read up about the upcoming ship before I go.

[sailawaybellaluna]

I feel bad for the OP to have had such a negative experience. It certainly must be frustrating to spend money on a trip, and feel your time and investment were wasted.

 

And while I do find "negative" reviews helpful, I struggle to find the value in painting a trip with such a broad stroke. As in, the entire thing was horrific. It's like someone taking a vacation to Europe and just "hating it". Like, how is that truly possible? :confused:

 

My family and I have even jumped on some of the cheapo cruises on the old Carnival ships from Southern California...and while some of the people were obnoxiously drunk or dressed absolutely horrific, there were still some wonderful things about the cruise. Relaxing in bed with my family, eating room service, watching the waves go by...I find it difficult to discount an entire vacation, despite the flaws.

 

I find it helpful to read about the negative experiences passengers have had, in order to try and avoid the same pitfalls, or simply adjust my expectations.

 

But this thread strikes a slightly different tone for me...

[Biker19]

Reviews that report on disappointing experiences are VERY helpful to me. I read a lot of reviews and comments before booking on a different ship or cruise line, and I have decided against specific options based on information I have read on Cruise Critic. I would rather know what to expect.

So you think the OP's specific rant was useful? Just to recap the observations:

 

- terrible food (very subjective)

- worn drapes (subjective and I would surmise fairly low on most peoples importance list)

- people who can't dress (comparing it to apparently the OP's usual line Carnival:eek:) - you also have to put this into context given it was a short cruise

- loud music (a potentially useful comment)

- threaten to never sail RCI again (apparently the OP's convictions were not strong enough the first time they swore off RCI).

 

The comment that said the most to me is how anyone could like the RCI product so much. The OP simply hates the RCI product and again, not sure any comment from such a poster is useful.

[dcgrumpy]

I know it's my personal issue, but when I see a review full of exclamation points I take it all with a grain of salt.

[time4u2go]

Reviews that report on disappointing experiences are VERY helpful to me. I read a lot of reviews and comments before booking on a different ship or cruise line, and I have decided against specific options based on information I have read on Cruise Critic. I would rather know what to expect.

 

I notice that sometimes cruisers who report a disappointing experience on this board are berated for having unrealistic expectations. Sometimes negative comments are the very way people develop realistic expectations. They shouldn't be shouted down.

 

Agreed. I like to read both positive and negative reviews about many things before I purchase, including cruises.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I know it's my personal issue, but when I see a review full of exclamation points I take it all with a grain of salt.

 

Or caps lock.

[dcgrumpy]

Or caps lock.

 

Yep.

[Fouremco]

I know it's my personal issue, but when I see a review full of exclamation points I take it all with a grain of salt.

 

Or caps lock.

dON'T BE SO PICKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[DirtyDawg]

dON'T BE SO PICKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

 

LOL !!!!!

 

sorry, meant to say....

LOL!!!!

[bucky0926]

You missed your chance to fully experience Anthem's dining with the elimination of Dynamic Dining.

 

The ship IS the destination though.

 

When I first booked (labor day weekend) they still had the Dynamic Dining and a friend of ours keep saying to go on line and book our dinners. When I did this after the Oct change over I didn't understand what he was talking about until I found out the DD was over. I don't mind but I think DH is a little disappointed. I'm sure he will make up for it on the first formal night with his usual 7 or 8 lobsters. LOL

 

I want to surprise him with a massage (he would never book it himself) but the special pricing is for sail away 1st day or dinner time 1st day. Will they run specials on board or should I just bite the bullet and do it now?

 

Already booked our shows but no comedy? Or are those in smaller venues and its first come first served?

[ChinaShrek]

So you think the OP's specific rant was useful? Just to recap the observations:

 

- terrible food (very subjective)

- worn drapes (subjective and I would surmise fairly low on most peoples importance list)

- people who can't dress (comparing it to apparently the OP's usual line Carnival:eek:) - you also have to put this into context given it was a short cruise

- loud music (a potentially useful comment)

- threaten to never sail RCI again (apparently the OP's convictions were not strong enough the first time they swore off RCI).

 

The comment that said the most to me is how anyone could like the RCI product so much. The OP simply hates the RCI product and again, not sure any comment from such a poster is useful.

 

It is useful if the OP's comments are correlated with other posters who report the same thing. Several posters in different threads have mentioned loud music on RCI cruises. This is starting to worry me. Loud music is annoying and I will look for it on our first RCI cruise in July.

 

Furthermore, many of the people who post in each forum are so positive about their preferred cruise line that one has to question their objectivity. Some of the posts on CC read like shills for the cruise industry. These posts are essentially no better than the negative rants you despise (except positive ones). It healthy to reads all points of view reading cruising.

Edited January 23, 2017 by ChinaShrek

[goodycruising]

It is useful if the OP's comments are correlated with other posters who report the same thing. Several posters in different threads have mentioned loud music on RCI cruises. This is starting to worry me. Loud music is annoying and I will look for it on our first RCI cruise in July.

 

Furthermore, many of the people who post in each forum are so positive about their preferred cruise line that one has to question their objectivity. Some of the posts on CC read like shills for the cruise industry. These posts are essentially no better than the negative rants you despise (except positive ones). It healthy to reads all points of view reading cruising.

 

Sometimes loud music may happen in an area, but you can take your coffee and cake to another location surely. There are so many bars, nooks and other areas on every ship. To be honest this is why we book a balcony. If the Windjammer is full we take our plate to our balcony, or we come back an hour later, because really, we don't all need to eat immediately. They bring more food out all the time at every meal time.

 

I agree sometimes people are overly protective of RCI at times, but I think this comment needs to be put into perspective. Some of us like a bit of entertainment. Sometimes some nice music is know as entertainment. Live music can sometimes be a little loud. Really, plenty of places where you can find a quite reading area, and my feedback is that we love a quite read with a coffee and we have always been able to find a place somewhere.

[Ocean Dancer]

When I first booked (labor day weekend) they still had the Dynamic Dining and a friend of ours keep saying to go on line and book our dinners. When I did this after the Oct change over I didn't understand what he was talking about until I found out the DD was over. I don't mind but I think DH is a little disappointed. I'm sure he will make up for it on the first formal night with his usual 7 or 8 lobsters. LOL

 

I want to surprise him with a massage (he would never book it himself) but the special pricing is for sail away 1st day or dinner time 1st day. Will they run specials on board or should I just bite the bullet and do it now?

 

Already booked our shows but no comedy? Or are those in smaller venues and its first come first served?

 

 

On our 12 day cruise we only had one comedy act. It was just the nightly show for all ages, then we had an adult one in the theater late night, It was first come, no reservations.

 

Don't forget to book the Puzzle Room.

 

 

There will be many spa discounts, usually on port days or odd times.

[Biker19]

These posts are essentially no better than the negative rants you despise (except positive ones).

I'm very much post agnostic - I simply question their usefulness. I don't despise the OP's post, I simply questioned the psychology behind it (what does it accomplish). And I don't mean to say all negative rants are useless - some have objective information and are helpful, but I don't put the OP's post in that category.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Biker19