Has Carnival Given Up on Adults?

[Kathy Loves Cats]

The thing about cruises, is that they are resorts, and not just a hotel. Resorts will cater to many different types of people where a hotel, is just that, a hotel. There are 3 main groups of people on a cruise. The young and wild crowd, the families, and the mature crowd. A ship, can cater to all three, thus, filling it with those groups. However, Carnival is eliminating the last group, the mature group, with the big money, and leaving it to the young wild group and families. Now, the families, don't want to be around drunken young people (Please don't say this isn't so, because Carnival actually needs to "limit" the amount of drinks, and they force everyone in staterooms to buy the drink package thus helping with the drunken crowd). And the drunken young crowd does not want to be bothered with the families.

 

So Carnival now has a direction. They have given up on the middle aged, older crowd, and want to create the party boats, and cheap family vacation. Good for them. It's just part of the downward spiral they embarked on years ago, and will continue.

 

 

How will they survive without you ?

[ewenix]

As a recently platinum Carnival fan, I'm starting to get concerned... What used to be a cruise line targeted mostly to young(ish) couples (like my wife and I), singles, and groups looking for good old Adult fun (sunning, soaking, socializing, drinking, gambling, exploring, you know - cruising!) seems to have been hijacked by young families with children turning the ships into daycare-at-sea.

No more adult pools, no enforcement of age limits on hot tubs, waterparks where additional pools used to be, Dr. Seuss taking over everything, My Little Pony, Transformers, IMAX theaters instead of Grand Atriums, ...etc, etc, etc.

What attention have Adults gotten lately? A very, very limited number of Havana cabins (awesome, but good luck booking one). What's happened to our favorite cruise line? Will they open up their rewards to other brands that haven't gone so kid-centric?

Carnival has not been "hijacked by young families with children." Carnival is trying to attract "young families with children" by adding the Dr. Seuss, waterparks, etc. If the product they're offering is no longer to your liking you should express that to Carnival, both on ship and to corporate. I also think you should explore other cruise lines since Carnival is trying to attract a certain demographic, which apparently doesn't include you. Moving on to another line may provide you with the exact experience that you want. It also demonstrates to Carnival that you're not going to continue to sail on a line that isn't catering to you.

[bjm123]

Hubby and I are in our early 70's and we love Carnival. We do not use the serenity areas. Going on our 18th cruise in May and have never been bothered with rowdy kids or drunken guests.

[jocko4279]

I have a 9 & a 6 year old. My kids stay with us the whole time, in areas that are meant for them (and us). They are well behaved on the ship (though not at home , ha!). If it says adults only, it's a no-go zone for us. There should be adults only areas. We cruise mostly on the Pride now, and it has a fantastic serenity area for adults, which seems to be enforce / respected well.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I find it quite sad that there is so much "consternation" with regards to children on these threads. They (and their parents) seem to get a lot of blame for just being kids and acting like kids....as though they should be tiny adults minding their ps and qs 24/7 and that they shouldn't be able to express themselves or have fun or be active. Have people forgotten, so easily, what it means to be a child and how "hard" it is to be a parent of said children. Neither of these sub-groups are robots, they are living breathing humans who are trying their best.

 

Thankfully I have been blessed with a nice long memory that includes both of these stages in my life...and I guess that has given me some insight that seems to be sadly lacking in many who actually tag themselves as adults. Some people, obviously, hated their own childhoods and tend to be "jealous" of kids who actually have one. Others must have hated being parents who had to put their lives on the back burner while they raised children who they presumably wanted at one point.

 

Is it so hard to share space with people who aren't exactly like one's self. To show a modicum of tolerance....to "put yourselves" in someone else's shoes for a moment. To understand how both children and their parents actually love the fact that they get to spend vacations together, that they get to be families enjoying fun and the sun as a unit.

 

Sure children can be difficult but I wouldn't pass up the opportunities to see their faces full of smiles and their bodies shaking with excitement and their joy as they get to actually "play". As a society we complain all the time about the "younger generation" being tied to their cerebral activities...phones and computer games. But then the older generation don't want to give up one square inch to provide them with active pursuits...because, darn, kids are a nuisance. Funny how that works.

[cruizinisthebest]

Actually, kids only pay the full fare if they are the first or second person in the room. They discount third , fourth and fifth passengers in a room. Typically they are the additional passengers in a room.

 

 

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That's the case with any 3rd or 4th passenger. For us it's usually 2 cabins booked with one adult in each unless other family is going. So my kid's fare is just as much as their parents.

 

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[Sweet Dutch Girl]

That's the case with any 3rd or 4th passenger. For us it's usually 2 cabins booked with one adult in each unless other family is going. So my kid's fare is just as much as their parents.

 

And many adults book rooms for 3 or 4 adults and the 3rd and 4th person rates apply to those adults. Should we restrict access to places on the ships because those "adults" don't pay full fare? Seems like some people think that should be the case, or am I reading wrong?

[cruizinisthebest]

And many adults book rooms for 3 or 4 adults and the 3rd and 4th person rates apply to those adults. Should we restrict access to places on the ships because those "adults" don't pay full fare? Seems like some people think that should be the case, or am I reading wrong?

Exactly. I know people who cram 3 and 4 adults in an interior. So how much you pay one way or the other really has nothing to do with it.

 

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[Florings]

If you look at the time frame of when the adult aft pools were changed to family friendly, you will see it was the height of the spring break period. My guess, and it is just a guess, is that the main pools were so jam-packed with kids that they made a corporate decision to open additional spaces for families with children.

 

I certainly don't hate kids - but I do hate the behavior of some of them. I will never understand how parents just "cut them loose" to run wild all over the ship with no supervision. They end up in "packs" running amok with nary an adult in sight. They love to push all the elevator buttons, they have no idea what walking means when they can run or no idea how to talk when they can yell, they enjoy grabbing and touching the food on the buffet just to be left on their plates or tables uneaten, serving themselves ice cream then letting it sit and melt wherever they decide to set it down....it's not just jumping and splashing and laughing for joy in the pools - it's the general behavior of some of the kids, and their parents for letting them behave in this way.

 

Yes, we generally sail in the off-season of September for this reason - and yes, we are looking at moving to another cruise line where there are less children. In the meantime, I have two booked on Carnival and will just enjoy my vacations anyway!

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

[quote name='Florings;52883282

I certainly don't hate kids - but I do hate the behavior of some of them. I will never understand how parents just "cut them loose" to run wild all over the ship with no supervision. They end up in "packs" running amok with nary an adult in sight. They love to push all the elevator buttons' date=' they have no idea what walking means when they can run or no idea how to talk when they can yell, they enjoy grabbing and touching the food on the buffet just to be left on their plates or tables uneaten, serving themselves ice cream then letting it sit and melt wherever they decide to set it down....it's not just jumping and splashing and laughing for joy in the pools - it's the general behavior of [b']some[/b] of the kids, and their parents for letting them behave in this way.

 

And what about the general behavior of some adults. Hogging slot machines, sitting around the pool and dangling their feet and throwing eye daggers at other adults who actually want to swim and splash in a pool, who talk inappropriately at the dinner table, who generally act inappropriately when they have had a few drinks. What about adults, who are perfectly capable of walking up and down stairs flooding the elevators and making it difficult for individuals with handicaps to use the only vertical transport available to them. Or what about adults who feel it is their right to berate staff, who save space in lines for all of their traveling companions, who sit for hours on the serenity deck "hogging" the clams and large comfy lounge chairs with no thoughts about others? Just wondering....

[Tyme2Cruise]

I have no problem with Family's cruising with their children. We are, as one poster stated, from the "older generation"and know that kids will be kids. We learned our lesson on a Carnival Dream Easter cruise 3 years ago, when there were 1200 kids onboard and they did what kids do, in abundance. So we decided to never book our Carnival cruises over spring break or holidays. So far that plan has worked great for us.

[FruitStandaficionado]

If we are going to knit pick, actually no child pays for any fare. Their parents pay their fare. While a parent may feel because they are paying a full fare price for their child to be on the cruise, in no way does that entitle that child to the same amenities that an adult is entitled to. My point was simply clarifying that not all children are paying full fare. I made no mention that not all adults are paying full fare but that is accurate as well.

 

I guess it is human nature to be self centered in our demands. If you want an adults only pool, you will make statements to validate your point of view. If you don't want adults only pools, you will make statements to validate your point of view. Very little in life is black or white, but most everything is shades of gray. Carnival is a corporation. Corporations are soulless and are predominantly driven by the almighty dollar. They aren't making changes for any other reason than it is perceived to benefit their bottom line. We are a society that allows corporations to make contracts that are only beneficial to them and changeable without prior notice that every customer is viewed to agree to when making a transaction. Whether you are for it or against it doesn't matter. All that matters is the bottom line and whether your willing to vote with your feet.

 

 

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[kierra]

One thing - Carnival does not try to market to Solo or Single travelers at all and this push on a focus on families with Children focuses on that. Many lines are starting to have solo groups or solo cabins, Carnival still has such a high single supplement that it deters single/solo cruisers away from carnival even tho most of those have more disposable income to spend while vacationing. So maybe Carnival hasn't given up on adults but they have clearly done that for one group.

 

 

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[jimbo5544]

One thing - Carnival does not try to market to Solo or Single travelers at all and this push on a focus on families with Children focuses on that. Many lines are starting to have solo groups or solo cabins, Carnival still has such a high single supplement that it deters single/solo cruisers away from carnival even tho most of those have more disposable income to spend while vacationing. So maybe Carnival hasn't given up on adults but they have clearly done that for one group.

 

 

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I don't think anyone could argue your point.

[Tyme2Cruise]

One thing - Carnival does not try to market to Solo or Single travelers at all and this push on a focus on families with Children focuses on that. Many lines are starting to have solo groups or solo cabins, Carnival still has such a high single supplement that it deters single/solo cruisers away from carnival even tho most of those have more disposable income to spend while vacationing. So maybe Carnival hasn't given up on adults but they have clearly done that for one group.

 

 

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Carnival is still better than Princess. On Princess a single cruiser pays the full fare for 2 cruisers, minus the port fees for one. :(

[beerman2]

If we are going to knit pick, actually no child pays for any fare. Their parents pay their fare. While a parent may feel because they are paying a full fare price for their child to be on the cruise, in no way does that entitle that child to the same amenities that an adult is entitled to. My point was simply clarifying that not all children are paying full fare. I made no mention that not all adults are paying full fare but that is accurate as well.

 

I guess it is human nature to be self centered in our demands. If you want an adults only pool, you will make statements to validate your point of view. If you don't want adults only pools, you will make statements to validate your point of view. Very little in life is black or white, but most everything is shades of gray. Carnival is a corporation. Corporations are soulless and are predominantly driven by the almighty dollar. They aren't making changes for any other reason than it is perceived to benefit their bottom line. We are a society that allows corporations to make contracts that are only beneficial to them and changeable without prior notice that every customer is viewed to agree to when making a transaction. Whether you are for it or against it doesn't matter. All that matters is the bottom line and whether your willing to vote with your feet

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Bravo , very well said!

[AdGuyMG]

It's just part of the downward spiral they embarked on years ago, and will continue.

 

Future bookings are up, pricing and booking revenue are up, load factors and yield are up, average per person onboard spending is up, net income is up, stock price is up, they have the largest fleet of ships in the industry and expanding with 5 more ships on order thru 2022.

 

This is a downward spiral?

 

I take it you don't earn a living as a professional business analyst.

[Organized Chaos]

I didn't say it makes you a bad person. I just said it doesn't bother me. I expect to be splash if near a pool. Children in general don't bother me. I guess I have a higher tolerance for them. And I didn't say everyone who does like to be splashed is hateful. I said 1 persons post was hateful, I do feel like some people are hating on kid for just being kids. Just because you don't like to be splash or loud noises does not mean the children are doing something wrong.

Actually, in another thread you most certainly called people "hateful" just because they said kids scream, yell, and splash. Pointing that out about some of the kids on board is not hateful. You've said similar things in other threads as well. Even in this thread you say, "A lot of people on this board start their posts of with "I have children but..." or " I don't hate children but..." and then they pepper their post with negative words about children like "to loud, splashing, running wild, misbehaving Ect" You're implying that we do hate children just because we say they misbehave. That's a ridiculous judgement of someone's character. And yes, the kids are doing something wrong if they're splashing other people who don't want to be splashed.

 

If only there was a part of the ship where adults who don't want to be around "kids being kids" could go. If only...

This argument is tired and worn out. We're talking about changing the former adults-only aft pools to family friendly. We're not saying there isn't a place in general for adults to go where children aren't allowed, we're saying (for the most part) there's no longer a place to go with a pool that children aren't allowed in. Since there are only 2 or 3 ships with pools in the serenity area, telling people to just go to serenity isn't a comparable option.

[Cyber Kat]

WHHHHAAAATTT? Surely you jest.

 

 

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In all fairness the poster that Thorncroft was responding to said this

We're booked next week on Glory, but I do believe that'll be our last cruise. We'll transition to all inclusive adult only resorts. Cruising is such a unique vacation, but without adequate places to escape to adult exclusive areas, it's just not something we'll continue to spend time and money on. If Carnival doesn't believe they'll suffer revenue losses from the many who are similar to us...best of luck to them.

 

So apparently they did NOT know this ;p I was going to respond the same way - no need to stop cruising because you are not happy with Carnival. I don't know why people seem to think that all inclusive is the only option - and I've seen this response more than once. We do a lot of traveling and have never stayed at an AI - and probably never will! There's whole world waiting out there!

[Florings]

And what about the general behavior of some adults. Just wondering....

 

Though I've never witnessed any of this, I certainly give credence to your observations....

[Thorncroft]

Future bookings are up, pricing and booking revenue are up, load factors and yield are up, average per person onboard spending is up, net income is up, stock price is up, they have the largest fleet of ships in the industry and expanding with 5 more ships on order thru 2022.

 

This is a downward spiral?

 

I take it you don't earn a living as a professional business analyst.

 

Ever heard of a bubble? All of those things can change in an instant. Probably not a case of if, but when.

[bury me at sea]

Future bookings are up, pricing and booking revenue are up, load factors and yield are up, average per person onboard spending is up, net income is up, stock price is up, they have the largest fleet of ships in the industry and expanding with 5 more ships on order thru 2022.

 

This is a downward spiral?

 

 

I take it you don't earn a living as a professional business analyst.

 

I took the downward spiral comment to be from the viewpoint of the consumer regarding changes and cutbacks rather than an analysis of Carnival's bottom line.

[Crusin5252]

I think Part of it is that they don't want the hassle of adults complaining when children were in those pools and hot tubs. The crew did not want to tell parents to remove them.

In addition to the "helicopter parents" someone else referred to, we also have parents that just decide not to supervise their kids. A few years ago, a little girl (around 3-4) told her brother (looked about 6-7)she had to go to the bathroom. They were in the pool. The girl had water wings. He said, "You have to wait until mommy gets back". I asked where mommy was. I think he said eating. When she started crying, I offered to the little girl to the bathroom. The scary thing is she did not hesitate to come with me - a person she did not know. (I stood outside the stall and she took care of her bathroom needs herself.)Those water wings could have slipped off. Her brother was much too young to watch her. I alerted a crew member of the situation and he said they could do nothing about it. About 45 minutes later, the obviously tipsy parents returned.

[Cyber Kat]

There are 3 main groups of people on a cruise. The young and wild crowd, the families, and the mature crowd. A ship, can cater to all three, thus, filling it with those groups.

 

Not necessarily - for Carnival perhaps, but not all cruise lines. Lots of cruise lines to choose from and they each have their own demographic.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If the argument is so weak then why are you agreeing? I don't get your beef with what I said. My point was that journeys cruises were in fact introduced to appeal to a more adult crowd. Same for the concert series. So to the OPs point, there are changes and things that evolve that appeal to both adults and families.

 

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Your giving CCL an attaboy for having options for adults when in fact they are doing it because they have no other choice and it's only when families can't cruise.

 

How about they do it all year long? Like somebody else posted it's all about the bottom line.

 

Bill