Diminishing Quality on Carnival?

[declansdad]

We were on Carnival in 2011 and 2015. In 2011, lobster was free and in 2015, it was an upcharge but other than that, we didn’t notice any diminished services. Both were good experiences except for my daughter and son having sea sickness

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

There is still lobster available for free on Carnival, just not every night.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

There is still lobster available for free on Carnival, just not every night.

 

They may have been on a shorter cruise in 2015 where they did away with the lobster.

 

I believe lobster is only served on cruises of 6 nights or more now.

 

Bill

[BlerkOne]

After sailing the last few trips on NCL, I finally did a 7 day on the Carnival Dream last July. My big disappointment was no lobster night but that is the same deal on NCL. However, the addition of Guys Burgers and the Pig and Anchor was a nice perk. Carnival seems to have more free food choices then the other lines.

 

They may have been on a shorter cruise in 2015 where they did away with the lobster.

 

I believe lobster is only served on cruises of 6 nights or more now.

 

Bill

 

I double checked.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I double checked.

 

That's hard to believe but if that was your experience I'm surely not going to disagree with you.

 

I would think that if CCL stopped serving lobster cruise critic would be lit up like a Christmas tree.

 

Bill

[Ronanc]

Just got off the Splendor today after 7 nights. It's an older ship so we did not expect an updated boat. This was our third cruise with carnival (2013 and 2015). I thought the entertainment was good. The cruise director was everywhere and very entertaining. We enjoyed the shows and activities. The food was similar to our last two cruises, with the exception of a better breakfast menu (Avocado toast-yum!). Our room was serviced twice a day, which mirrored what happened on our last two cruises. The change we noticed the most was slower service In the dinning room. The wait staff are run off their feet. The two things that drive me crazy on Carnival relate to some of the passengers. I can't stand noisy drunks waking up the family at 2 or 3 in the morning and selfish smokers, chain smoking on the balcony.

 

Sent from my SM-T713 using Forums mobile app

[Computer Nerd]

We were on Carnival in 2011 and 2015. In 2011, lobster was free and in 2015, it was an upcharge but other than that, we didn’t notice any diminished services. Both were good experiences except for my daughter and son having sea sickness

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

There is no upcharge even now (much less back in 2015) for lobster on lobster night (usually the first formal night). There is an upcharge only if you want the fancy lobster from the Steakhouse.

[Computer Nerd]

That's hard to believe but if that was your experience I'm surely not going to disagree with you.

 

I would think that if CCL stopped serving lobster cruise critic would be lit up like a Christmas tree.

 

Bill

 

They haven't.

[declansdad]

They may have been on a shorter cruise in 2015 where they did away with the lobster.

 

I believe lobster is only served on cruises of 6 nights or more now.

 

Bill

 

Could be on the 6 nights or more but it is still there. It was still being served a couple of weeks ago on the Vista.

[DallasKat67]

Thank you for the honest review. You bring up some good points.

First let me say that my wife and I are experienced cruisers and have cruised on Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal thus far. This post is not meant to bash on Carnival in any way... just looking for opinions. Does anyone else notice that it seems like Carnival is really going down hill quality wise? Food problems (quantity, variety, and temperatures), customer service issues, common area ship and stateroom cleanliness complaints, poor entertainment, etc. Is it just me or does it seem like Carnival is having problems? Our last Carnival cruise was very disappointing and we both agreed that our Carnival days were over until changes were made. Many small things like return guest perks, mints on the pillows, and complimentary toiletries in the stateroom bathrooms, to much larger issues like food, cleanliness problems, and a general feeling of a lack of concern for customer satisfaction. It also seems to me like the fleet is showing signs of age and they do not seem to be keeping pace with other lines in regard to introducing newer ships with more current features. I do understand that they try to be the "value" line and must keep costs low, but it just seems like their has been a real effort to take away the few last remaining reasons that we would choose to sail with them in the future.

[JMAE]

First let me say that my wife and I are experienced cruisers and have cruised on Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal thus far. This post is not meant to bash on Carnival in any way... just looking for opinions. Does anyone else notice that it seems like Carnival is really going down hill quality wise? Food problems (quantity, variety, and temperatures), customer service issues, common area ship and stateroom cleanliness complaints, poor entertainment, etc. Is it just me or does it seem like Carnival is having problems? Our last Carnival cruise was very disappointing and we both agreed that our Carnival days were over until changes were made. Many small things like return guest perks, mints on the pillows, and complimentary toiletries in the stateroom bathrooms, to much larger issues like food, cleanliness problems, and a general feeling of a lack of concern for customer satisfaction. It also seems to me like the fleet is showing signs of age and they do not seem to be keeping pace with other lines in regard to introducing newer ships with more current features. I do understand that they try to be the "value" line and must keep costs low, but it just seems like their has been a real effort to take away the few last remaining reasons that we would choose to sail with them in the future.

 

We have been on 15 Carnival cruises and don't find the quality of our cruises diminishing. We find the ship and staterooms are always clean, the food is always good and the staff is wonderful, helpful and kind. However, there have been changes, some call them cut backs since our first cruise in 2001. Some I like, some not so much. Currently, we don't cruise for all the gimmick attractions we cruise for R & R from very stressful jobs. A good book and a chair on deck is all we need to have a great time away from work. We love the Spirit and Fantasy classes of ships, which are some of the oldest ships in there fleet and we are glad they continue to update these ships. We have been lucky and had some of the best staff on our cruises and twice we had the wait staff (we never sailed back to back).

 

In a few years our needs may change but for the past 17 years Carnival has done a wonderful job providing us great vacations for a great price.

[jimbo5544]

That's hard to believe but if that was your experience I'm surely not going to disagree with you.

 

 

 

I would think that if CCL stopped serving lobster cruise critic would be lit up like a Christmas tree.

 

 

 

Bill

 

 

 

He might have double or triple checked....but he is wrong 6 nights or longer lobster is served period. I will save you the issue of disagreeing with him...I will.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[BlerkOne]

He might have double or triple checked....but he is wrong 6 nights or longer lobster is served period. I will save you the issue of disagreeing with him...I will.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I double checked the poster said no lobster on the 7 day Dream cruise. I disagree with him, too. Reading comprehension. Sheesh.

[JMAE]

He might have double or triple checked....but he is wrong 6 nights or longer lobster is served period. I will save you the issue of disagreeing with him...I will.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I agree, 6 nights or longer lobster is included selection in the MDR. But on all cruises regardless the length, you have the option to purchase for $20 the Steakhouse Selections, which includes a 1-1/2 pound Maine lobster, 9 ounce filet mignon, 14 ounce New York strip steak and surf and turf.

[jimbo5544]

I agree, 6 nights or longer lobster is included selection in the MDR. But on all cruises regardless the length, you have the option to purchase for $20 the Steakhouse Selections, which includes a 1-1/2 pound Maine lobster, 9 ounce filet mignon, 14 ounce New York strip steak and surf and turf.

 

 

 

Agree

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[JMAE]

Here is a Cruise Critic news article detailing the lobster change:

Carnival Pulls Free Lobster From Short Cruises, Adds New Formal Night Menu Items

[jimbo5544]

Here is a Cruise Critic news article detailing the lobster change:

 

Carnival Pulls Free Lobster From Short Cruises, Adds New Formal Night Menu Items

 

 

 

Just to keep apples to apples,what do the other cruise lines do for shorter cruises....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[mek]

I'm Platinum on Carnival and have had some really great cruises with them - especially the Med cruise that included an overnight in Venice. I love Guys Burgers. But evening entertainment is important to me and I don't like Playlist Productions, want more than a Hasbro game show to be the main event, and expect my adult comedy to actually have funny material that doesn't solely rely on F bombs to get a laugh.

 

So, I left Carnival about 4 years ago. I have 5 night cruise out of Cape Canaveral booked with family in 2020 that ties in with a Disney vacation. It will be interesting to see how things are at that time.

[shipbound2]

I've cruised on CCL since 1992, yes the changes are noticeable.The biggest change is in the entertainment section. When I first

started cruising the live entertainment on the ships was fantastic. The dance clubs were fun but now it seems CCL is phasing them out. I will be going on the Vista 4/21/18 so it will be interesting what the live entertainment will be like. Even Though I am older I love to dance and now since I've been taking ballroom dancing lessons it will be interesting the type of music that is played on the ship.

 

Gary

[Ronanc]

Lobster was served on the first elegant night on the Splendor

 

Sent from my SM-T713 using Forums mobile app

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I double checked the poster said no lobster on the 7 day Dream cruise. I disagree with him, too. Reading comprehension. Sheesh.

 

Sheesh is right. I thought you were the one who said no lobster was available. My bad.:o

 

Bill

[Fancy Dancer]

I will cruising on NCL next week. I trying them because I have noticed a decline in the entertainment on carnival. Particularly the bands have been sub-par. I'm not done with carnival but am looking for the musical experience we used to have on the carnival dream in 2015, 2016, and early 2017. We like to dance and noticed that those talented Filipino bands have disappeared. On our last cruise they had a young lady playing a guitar with a tip-can in front of her......in the Ocean Plaza at that. I felt bad for her because it tells me carnival wasn't paying her very much. Anyway, I don't need candy, flowers or fancy robes but I do need get my groove on. Maybe when the Dream leaves New Orleans and the Glory arrives things will be different. I'll give them another chance at some point.......maybe.

[Carpenter17]

I have been on 7 cruises since my first cruise in 2007. Next week will be my 7th cruise on Carnival but my first cruise on one of the Fantasy class ships. During all my cruising there were only 1 cruise that completely disappointed me and that was my only Royal Caribbean one. I found the ship was falling apart and the crew seemed uptight. The one chance I gave RCCL to get my business 2 people at our dinning tables chairs collapsed and that's the image that is still stuck in my head. Although they took away some gold member perks they are not the only ones doing it, I see the airlines doing it too.

 

Everyone has different taste when it comes to travelling. For me as long as they keep the Punchliners Comedy Club in good working order I'm happy.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Carpenter17

[LakeWobegon]

Lobster. Ehhhh. Give me king crab legs. Or my son, I think he'd take mine when I wasn't looking if he had the chance. He and I have split the Admiral's platter at Red Lobster before and he takes the crab legs and pushes the lobster over to me.

 

This will be my first Carnival cruise this Summer so I can't say if the quality has declined. But I do agree with many that it has to do with perspective. And a vacation is what you make it. Our society in general is expecting more from everything in terms of products and services. Give me more for less (the Walmart model). Do more for me. I want to do less myself because in this day and age, I shouldn't have to.

 

It sounds like Carnival still offers bath robes and that stewards will clean your room when you want them to, you just have to ask for it. That's a smart move on Carnival's part because, not everyone cares about those things. And they save money by not having to rewash and restock bath robes than never got used. And they keep cruise prices as low as they can and still make a profit which is a commitment they've made to shareholders.

 

It's similar to when I see someone say the meal they had was the most awful they've ever had in the MDR. If they had the time, they could have sent it back and tried something else.

 

As I said, I've never sailed on Carnival, but when I've sailed on RCL (once long ago) and NCL the past two years, the cruise staff sometimes cracked jokes at Carnival's expense. And some of the Carnival ships we saw in port were rusted out while NCL had crew continually retouching the white paint and murals on the sides when we stopped in port. Those things led me to pre-judge the book by its cover, that Carnival must be inferior in other areas as well.

 

So I hesitate to say it was a leap of faith for me to choose Vista for our next cruise. But my wife reminded me, I don't think I could have a bad time on a cruise unless there was some major disaster. I'm thinking it will be a different experience and I'm looking forward to trying it at least once!

[jimbo5544]

Sheesh is right. I thought you were the one who said no lobster was available. My bad.:o

 

Bill

...and my reply to yours was based on the same....

[jimbo5544]

Lobster. Ehhhh. Give me king crab legs. Or my son, I think he'd take mine when I wasn't looking if he had the chance. He and I have split the Admiral's platter at Red Lobster before and he takes the crab legs and pushes the lobster over to me.

 

This will be my first Carnival cruise this Summer so I can't say if the quality has declined. But I do agree with many that it has to do with perspective. And a vacation is what you make it. Our society in general is expecting more from everything in terms of products and services. Give me more for less (the Walmart model). Do more for me. I want to do less myself because in this day and age, I shouldn't have to.

 

It sounds like Carnival still offers bath robes and that stewards will clean your room when you want them to, you just have to ask for it. That's a smart move on Carnival's part because, not everyone cares about those things. And they save money by not having to rewash and restock bath robes than never got used. And they keep cruise prices as low as they can and still make a profit which is a commitment they've made to shareholders.

 

It's similar to when I see someone say the meal they had was the most awful they've ever had in the MDR. If they had the time, they could have sent it back and tried something else.

 

As I said, I've never sailed on Carnival, but when I've sailed on RCL (once long ago) and NCL the past two years, the cruise staff sometimes cracked jokes at Carnival's expense. And some of the Carnival ships we saw in port were rusted out while NCL had crew continually retouching the white paint and murals on the sides when we stopped in port. Those things led me to pre-judge the book by its cover, that Carnival must be inferior in other areas as well.

 

So I hesitate to say it was a leap of faith for me to choose Vista for our next cruise. But my wife reminded me, I don't think I could have a bad time on a cruise unless there was some major disaster. I'm thinking it will be a different experience and I'm looking forward to trying it at least once!

 

Interesting....so cruise directors on other lines bash Carnival:confused: (Having sailed other lines I know this to be true). Maybe that is why they come here to bash (as well as on their own threads). Go figure.... I wonder why????