Does Anyone Else Not Stress Over Carnival's New Changes ?

[A&Jfamily]

I cruise for the ports, period. In the past year and a half since I started cruising I have visited 21 different ports (if I'm counting correctly), including ones in 10 different countries outside of the US. This would not have been possibly for me had I done only land vacations. To me, the ship that gets me there is just a vessel. I look for the best itinerary for the best price during the time I want to travel. So far, it has always been Carnival.

 

Personally, I couldn't care less about any changes they make as long as they continue to give me a decent product for a good price. If their prices start going up and out of my price range, then I will look elsewhere. So if they want to continue to look for ways to save money, I say good, it will probably increase their chance of keeping me as a customer.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

My thoughts exactly.

[bUU]

When I notice a decline in food quality and service than maybe I will take notice.

Can you post the article from CCL that the food has been downgraded

No article needed.

Apparently an article is needed since people disagree. Subjective judgement of quality is subjective judgment of quality.

 

What makes it more complicated is that the article would have to indicate how much more the cruise fare would be were the food quality higher, because only an idiot would insist on getting higher quality without asking how much extra would that cost. If Carnival is the lowest of the major brands, then that's probably correct, because, again going back to the numbers posted somewhere a couple of days ago, Carnival spends less per passenger for food. It makes no sense to assume that that's not reflected in the fact that Carnival was, for our upcoming cruise, significantly less expensive than the alternatives.

 

Perhaps I'm just a wild adventurer type. If my [XXX] gets rusty, I'll switch to a [ZZZ].

Even if the reason for your switching away from XXX is happening on ZZZ? That's self-defeating.

 

Your choice though.

[sparks1093]

Apparently an article is needed since people disagree. Subjective judgement of quality is subjective judgment of quality.

 

Even if the reason for your switching away from XXX is happening on ZZZ? That's self-defeating.

 

Your choice though.

 

If it's subjective (and it is) then an article won't help since I might very well disagree with the author, regardless of his or her credentials because they are my taste buds, no one else's.

[bUU]

If it's subjective (and it is) then an article won't help since I might very well disagree with the author, regardless of his or her credentials because they are my taste buds, no one else's.

Well, the article Jdfireman requested was one "from CCL". I would expect that if CCL said that they're downgrading food quality, we would all accept that as a definitive, not subjective, source.

[sparks1093]

Well, the article Jdfireman requested was one "from CCL". I would expect that if CCL said that they're downgrading food quality, we would all accept that as a definitive, not subjective, source.

 

True, but at the end of the day I could still be satisfied with what they offer and not see a downgrade. (But if that article were written I would think that marketing guru would be in need of a new job:D.)

[5ten]

Nope doesn't bother me.

*I could careless about tablecloths. Yes they are nice, but not make or break for me.

 

*The pools could careless. My 3 kids never used the pool/hot tub nor did hubby and I, we have one in our backyard. Don't like swimming with a bunch of strangers. Sorry. :D

 

*Dinner dress: this does kind of irk me but I'm on vacation and I try not to worry about what others are doing as long as it poses no physical harm to myself or family. We have something/one to talk about during dinner this way. ;p

 

*Food quality: well I have never gone hungry while on a cruise! I thought most of it was fantastic and I didn't have to cook one single meal for the family or worry about it and that is what keeps me wanting to go on cruises!! With 3 kids they are always bugging me about food! I get to actually enjoy my time on a cruise.

 

*Room service: we prefer the evening service since we like to sleep in. To me it's a waste to have them twice a day. Our guy still came twice a day even though we told him evening. He seemed to know when we left for day and would come and re-make beds and clean.

[mrsfuzzmo]

Do people stress about changes? Some do. We do not. We started cruising in 1989. Our first ship (NCL Skyward) had 700 passengers and 300 crew. It offered horse racing, trap shooting, a deck top olympics and some pretty sweet "staff only" shows. No balcony cabins on that ship. Things change, ships get bigger, menus grow and change, some things leave and some get added on. Casinos, multiple bars and restaurants, waterparks, ropes courses, Imax theatres, promenades, drink packages ,etc. etc.

 

Evolution of the cruise industry is evident and ever changing. People should not stress out, but embrace what's new. We are not loyal to any line. We cruise for the ports, the ship (not the line) and finally the price. Each and every cruise we've done has been different, offered different amenities, ship features, perks, etc. Embrace each cruise for what it is. If every ship were exactly the same with the same offerings......it would become a very boring cruise experience.

[tef43]

Do people stress about changes? Some do. We do not. We started cruising in 1989. Our first ship (NCL Skyward) had 700 passengers and 300 crew. It offered horse racing, trap shooting, a deck top olympics and some pretty sweet "staff only" shows. No balcony cabins on that ship. Things change, ships get bigger, menus grow and change, some things leave and some get added on. Casinos, multiple bars and restaurants, waterparks, ropes courses, Imax theatres, promenades, drink packages ,etc. etc.

 

Evolution of the cruise industry is evident and ever changing. People should not stress out, but embrace what's new. We are not loyal to any line. We cruise for the ports, the ship (not the line) and finally the price. Each and every cruise we've done has been different, offered different amenities, ship features, perks, etc. Embrace each cruise for what it is. If every ship were exactly the same with the same offerings......it would become a very boring cruise experience.

LOVED the m/s Skyward back in the day. My all time favorite ship.

[DirtyDawg]

Even if the reason for your switching away from XXX is happening on ZZZ? That's self-defeating.

 

Your choice though.

 

What is self-defeating is assuming that what is happening at XXX is also happening at ZZZ. Have you seen all the rusty XXX's on the roads? They had a major problem for several years. ZZZ did not.

 

We can agree on one thing. It's your choice.

[bUU]

What is self-defeating is assuming that what is happening at XXX is also happening at ZZZ.

Why do you need to assume? You have access to the very best resource right here, right now.

[sparks1093]

What is self-defeating is assuming that what is happening at XXX is also happening at ZZZ. Have you seen all the rusty XXX's on the roads? They had a major problem for several years. ZZZ did not.

 

We can agree on one thing. It's your choice.

 

Yep, I've heard that on other lines dinner takes 90 minutes but on CCL it takes a whole hour and a half;). One need only read the other cruise line's forums to know that they have made just as many changes as CCL has and those changes were not well received either.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

CHANGE....the nastiest word in the Cruise Critic lexicon. As far as most of the posters on Cruise Critic are concerned CHANGE is always a negative.

 

Examples: Even though we now have a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner available people still complain because the "midnight" buffet has been eliminated.

 

Chocolates on the pillow were pretty nasty tasting but people still mourn their demise even though most ended up in the garbage.

 

Carnival cruises has become more family friendly, insuring a large passenger base that helps keep costs down as ships sail full but some are belligerent that the "adult" experience has gone missing.

 

The current trend of no tablecloths for many upscale restaurants is ignored by complainers as they want the ambiance without paying the price on a cruise line.

 

Open deck spaces now have water slides, water works, miniature golf, basketball, running tracks, rope courses and other "activities" but people are not happy 'cause they don't have yards and yards of space to sit and veg for hours.

 

Ships now have fitness rooms, saunas, hot tubs, balcony rooms around the entire perimeter so people can enjoy themselves 24/7, there are activities and venues for children that give them something to do onboard but people are concerned about the fact that room stewards aren't their personal butlers all day long.

 

No longer are people assigned set dining times, now they have choices and multiple venues but people are forever complaining that the food they consume isn't "Top Chef" quality and up to their "standards" (whatever the heck that is).

 

For so many it is all about the losses and never the gains. What is up with that?

[summersigh]

Anyone who's concerned that Carnival is changing and that they might be missing out on a cruise line that isn't changing in the same way need only read another three or four forums for different cruise lines. You'll soon get quite comfortable in the knowledge that all the cruise lines in the same price range are changing in the same way.

My thoughts exactly. Passengers demand low prices and otherwise, with inflation, there's only one way to keep 'em low - economize. :eek:

 

Over on the HAL boards the laments are essentially the same.

[JawjaFatBoy]

I'm certainly not stressing about the changes. I honestly haven't paid them much attention. I've been busy having a great time with my family! As far as food quality, I haven't noticed a real difference.

 

I also don't go out of my way to look for problems or nitpick minor issues. I've got better things to do on my vacation!

[K.T.B.]

There's only one constant in vacationing: CHANGE.

 

Regardless of the vacation venue, whether it be cruise ships, or Disney, or AI, they all need to change to keep up with the demands of the times.

[hapytobehr]

I don't care if there no longer table clothes in the MDR. Is that what you mean? LOL.

 

We do not look to nitpick on our vacation. We took a land vacation in Punta Cana last year. We loved it' date=' but if we looked at it through a magnifying glass I am sure we could have found and dwelled on things that were not perfect. I saw reviews of people who had gone to that resort for years and said the same things people here say about Carnival such as "gone down hill, not what it used to be, blah blah blah".

 

My whole life I have heard/read that whatever I am doing, wherever I am going things were better in the past, this includes my junior high school, my high school, my college, the town I live in, my wedding venue, the restaurants we like to go to, etc.

 

That being said, most of the complaints (except for the food and I have not experienced the American Table yet) I read about are regarding things we really don't care about. We don't really go to shows besides comedy (I live near NYC, if I want to see a show I will go there), we never go in the pools or hot tub. I have never had a problem getting a drink on a cruise ship. Maybe some bars take longer than others, but that is fine. I really don't care if the Steward cleans my room twice a day. I really do feel for them and know that they are being worked harder (but so am I at my job). I will NOT adjust my gratuities because they are only servicing my cabin once a day. What I will do is go on my vacation and have a great time no matter what, because we always do, even on the Disney cruise in which the psycho waiter freaked out on me, even on the Royal cruise on which I had the one of the worst meals of my life in the specialty restaurant.

 

I know some people say "if you accept less, you will get less", but if I really notice the service is that bad and the food is that horrible as some posters make it seem, then yes, I will rethink cruising on Carnival, but so far I like what I have seen and the price is right for us.[/quote']

 

What she said (y) (except for the American Table part which I have experienced and I'm fine with it)

[Cathy p]

Wow, I have never seen so many post on tablecloths. I could care less, however, if someone is that stressed out about it, they should bring their own.

[Warm Breezes]

These are the things I have stressed over in just the last 3 years:

• Having 2 mini-strokes caused by a dissected carotid artery.
  
• My brother dying at 39 from a cardiomyopathy (which I also have had since my DD was born in 1997) and leaving behind 2 young boys and a mentally unstable wife.
  
• My very close friend and cousin (my maid of honor and college room mate) passing away from brain cancer at 47 leaving behind her wonderful husband and 3 kids who are the same age as mine.
  
• My sister-in-law fighting breast cancer.
  
• Another cousin having a dissected aorta and losing both of his legs, he had a miracle recovery after being in the hospital for over a year.
  
• My DS graduating from college and moving over 16 hours away for his first job in nowhere ND with no friends or family out there to support him.
  

These are the types of things I stress over. Carnival, or any other cruise line, changes over the past few years are not even a blip on my stress radar. I cruise to get away from my stresses not add to them for things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of life. It's all a matter of perspective.

[maldenmusic]

Which changes?

[DirtyDawg]

Why do you need to assume? You have access to the very best resource right here, right now.

 

:'):') That just might be the funniest thing I have ever read around here.

 

When I first found this board I was looking for information about a Celebrity cruise. I had sailed with Carnival, Royal and Norwegian but knew nothing about Celebrity. According to the posts I read;

You could never find a lounger because of all the chair hogs.

Wild children would be roaming the hallways at all hours of the day and night.

People were cutting in front of everybody in the buffet.

Wife beater t-shirts were rampant in the MDR.

Every low-life cruiser pulls their auto-tips, so we had to tip, tip tip and save the crew!

And you were guaranteed 100% to miss your cruise if you flew in the same day.

 

CC might be a gold mine of information but it's a very low-grade mine. You have to dig through tons of useless waste-rock to find some tiny gold flakes around here. :)

[NewKansasKruiser]

I'm not sure, but I may be the only one not stressing-out over some of the recent changes.

 

Some of the changes I'm not too crazy about but I'm just going to go with the flow.

 

Just curious if there are any other cruisers that may feel the same way?

.

 

 

 

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Just off the Dream and there have been a lot of changes since we were last on Carnival. Food buffets was the biggest change. They have 2 separate "aisles" (with a buffet on left and right on both) on the dream. The one closest to the Lido pool (with 2 buffet lines...left and right) buffet aisle was not open for evening. This made for a REALLY long buffet line on the Lido in the evening...having only one line of buffet and the one across from it (maybe 1/3 as long?) was the dessert/fruit one. Definitely cut the staff and food on that, therefore upping the time in line. Guys burgers was open 12 to 6. Iguana was 12 to 2:30 for lunch. Evening after 6...your options were limited to the one single buffet line or sandwiches/pizza. Pizza wasn't good...burned and a long line for it. They had a late night snack (hot dogs, pre cooked grilled cheese, cookies) from 11 to 12:30 am. Food in the evening was limited for sure. There were other things ... cabin steward was definitely overworked, though he was pleasant and did call us by name! We are easy people...we just need towels, trash pick up most days. Had him do the room completely one time during our 8 day, but other than that we are very easy and low maintenance. He offered am or pm only. They also used to have a basket of freebies in the bathroom (toothpaste, floss, deodorant, snore strips, bandaids, etc...) and those are not there anymore. Bars seem to closer earlier / very busy so the endless bubbles is harder to get filled easily (wish they had a thing like Disney that you could auto fill a travel cup by yourself because it has a chip in it and knows you are paid). Guys Burgers were good! Burritos were good, though wish the hours were longer (and they will give you grilled shrimp even if you don't order a burrito..and it is good!) The BBQ place was closed 2 of the days due to rain, then not open on port days so it was elusive. The Dream was awesome...not crowded at all. The Flying Scotsman was amazing...best CD ever! Crew was amazing. Only problem was on an excursion and guest services was NO help. Still trying to resolve that one with not much luck.

[Nightrythm]

I only stress about stuff in terms of "What do I need to know for my next cruise?" So, now I need to make sure I note my boarding time and don't try to get in before it. Now I know I don't need to be confused when I don't get my sign an sail card. Do I have the information I need to know what to expect? Yes. Then, I'm good. I'm also kinda excited to see how it all works. I hope it's smoother and my trip continues to be fun. But I will continue to cruise where I get a good value for my money and I have a good time. If I'm not having fun here, I'll go somewhere else.

[bUU]

CC might be a gold mine of information but it's a very low-grade mine. You have to dig through tons of useless waste-rock to find some tiny gold flakes around here. :)

 

Should folks should regard your comments with as little credibility as you regard they're?

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[JonathanFlorida]

It is what it is...

Do you know how many changes CCL has made in the last 20 years.... Your head would spin.

I miss the pillow fights and horse racing

and my major complaint is why is the ice not as cold anymore LOL

 

I had TOTALLY forgotten about the pillow fights and horse racing! Thank you for the reminder and the smile it brought to my face

[Aquahound]

I'm not sure, but I may be the only one not stressing-out over some of the recent changes.

 

I'm not stressing either....but that's because I'm not brand loyal and there are so many other choices out there. If CCL does something worth stressing over, I just won't consider them anymore. Easy peasy. :)

Edited May 11, 2017 by Aquahound