Carnival has changed the tradition of cruising

[Cruisegoer]

25 minutes ago, schazzy said:

 

No it's not, it's included in your cruise fare, except for the cake at the coffee bar, that's an extra charge.

Really? The cake at the coffee bar is extra??? Damn more tragic news!

[UnorigionalName]

23 minutes ago, Cruisegoer said:

I have my opinions that if Carnival hadn’t done so, cruising wouldn’t be as mass market and the costs would probably have increased with inflation. The cost of a lowest category inside cabin on a 7 day Bermuda cruise in 1989 on RCL was $975pp with 3 in a cabin.  Can you imagine what that cost might equate to now with inflation if cruise lines never found the need to fall in a mass market affordable budget????  Again, not a bad thing, just reality.

 

"What cost $975 in 1989 would cost $1993.47 in 2018."

 

The thing is, not a lot of people in terms of the overall US/world population liked the old style of cruising.  Of course there are many people (like many people on this board) that were perfectly happy with the old product, but in general it was something that not a huge segment of the population liked.

 

With all the changes through the years, the current product is exploding in popularity and cruise lines are experiencing unprecedented increases in passengers and profits.  People like the newer model.  Satisfaction with cruises is currently very high.  I don't understand why people complain about the changes.  It's not "your" cruise line.  If it no longer fills your needs, go find another one.

Edited February 24, 2019 by UnorigionalName

[schazzy]

25 minutes ago, Cruisegoer said:

Really? The cake at the coffee bar is extra??? Damn more tragic news!

 

Yep, but only a couple bucks for a very large slice that's enough for 2 people and the carrot cake was very tasty and indulgent in our opinion. Not something we would get often, but DH loves carrot cake and the coffee bar was the only place we saw it offered, the piece we had one night was well worth the money. 

[Cruisegoer]

1 hour ago, UnorigionalName said:

The thing is, not a lot of people in terms of the overall US/world population liked the old style of cruising. 

Sorry but you’re wrong on so many levels. The reality is there weren’t many lines/ships to serve the masses and the popularity of cruising was so high with repeat cruisers that the majority of the industry didn’t feel the need to even advertise because sailings were at capacity without needing to.

 

If the “old style of cruising” was such a turn off, why was the “Love Boat” such a beloved show?

[BlerkOne]

16 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

Don’t get me wrong, all lines have “modernized” cruising but IMHO Carnival has integrated the most number of practices to change the tradition of cruising, their worst being once a day servicing of your stateroom.  I would never want to have to chose just once in such a small room on vacation.  I wonder how many people on Carnival ships know they can order multiple items off the MDR menu?   They’ve convinced the masses that Guy Fierri burgers are a proper meal plan.  Again, yes I know everyone has different tastes but the burger push is real on Carnival.  Selling access to board the ship, FTTF, is also a “new” concept that I really don’t understand but yet I’ve purchased it on my upcoming cruise.

 

I have yet to see robotic bartenders on Carnival, or climbing walls, or the audacity to charge for premium hamburgers. Don't even get me started on shopping malls of the seas.

 

or gimmicks or raising cruise fares to offer "free" drink packages and then making the customer pay gratuities on the packages whether they drink or not?

 

I have known about the MDR since my first cruise, but then, I don't need warning labels not to do stupid things, either.

[BlerkOne]

52 minutes ago, Cruisegoer said:

 

If the “old style of cruising” was such a turn off, why was the “Love Boat” such a beloved show?

 

You can't live in the past, and those who want to, either can't afford it, or are too cheap to pay for it. Change happens.

[BlerkOne]

3 hours ago, ecarbine said:

Not at all, I am a realist, and Carnival makes the rules. They have decided that our loyalty is not worth much to them.

Really, what are the benefits? Not a whole lot! And the wee bit of benefit we get are for sale, and there is nothing we can do about it!

 

 

Carnival doesn't turn down repeat business, but the ROI isn't there if they have to pay a ransom to get the business. That isn't part of their business model. Carnival wants customers who like the brand for what it is, not for those who need perks.

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

 

To be honest I did mention “all cruise lines” in my OP but I certainly believe Carnival has spearheaded the change if for no other reason than they are the oldest that set out to offer a different model.

 

Carnival hasn't been innovative since they tried the smoke free Paradise. Almost everything else has been done first by others. You give Carnival too much credit.

[tinkr2]

12 hours ago, ray98 said:

 

 

.....but all that is available on other niche lines who cater to the minority, 

 

You will find lines that take you to obscure ports, have top of the line performers and have Michelin quality food.  You just have to open your pocketbook.

 

And they said they are trying Viking, so they have opted to spend more..  None of the luxury lines have  Michelin star food. though the food is obviously better than the mainstreams. but they still do not have the midnight buffet of the past, unfortunatly.

[beshears]

I have cruised off/on for over 25 years, on RCCL, Princess, NCL, Holland American, and mainly Carnival.  Each of them were good, except NCL, where we said we would never go on that line again, unless it was given to us FREE. At this point, unless things have changed since "last year," I didn't have a problem with the steward coming in twice a day, if I ask. Or providing a bathrobe, if I ask. When in the MDR, I could get more food, if I ask.  Now unless all of this has changed, I will soon find out on March 31st.  I believe all a person has to do is ASK in a nice way, and I'm sure Carnival employees will tell you if they are able to accommodate you or not. 🙂

[UnorigionalName]

3 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

Sorry but you’re wrong on so many levels. The reality is there weren’t many lines/ships to serve the masses and the popularity of cruising was so high with repeat cruisers that the majority of the industry didn’t feel the need to even advertise because sailings were at capacity without needing to.

 

If the “old style of cruising” was such a turn off, why was the “Love Boat” such a beloved show?

 

It's the other way around, love boat was a beloved show and convinced people to try cruises.

 

The popularity was high... among those that liked the product.  But not a lot of people went on cruises then and a lot of people didn't like it.  Just because you are one of the ones that liked itdoesn't mean you represent the whole of the US/world population.

 

https://cruisemarketwatch.com/growth/

http://www.arubaports.com/main/historic-cruise-data/

 

right... soooooooo popular in the 80's and 90's..

Edited February 24, 2019 by UnorigionalName

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, Joebucks said:

I wake up in the morning, go to the pool or port, then come back to my room that is clean. Apparently, I am supposed to be outraged because there should be a second service in there because I need two bath towels a day. This will really break the Carnival business model. Even better is that I can ask for it if I want it.

I know this will come as a shocker for you, but there are many who PREFER once a day.  Imagine the horror of having to answer a question regarding whether you want morning, evening or both....it is after all YOUR vacation

[Drazil65]

I still get twice a day servicing. I ask for it.

Don't like FTTF? Don't buy it. Most people don't.

Don't want a burger? Don't eat it. And believe me it did not take a cruise line to convince the masses that a burger is a proper meal choice.

And yes, I know I can order what I want off a menu presented to me. 

 

THIS!!!

 

Isn't the idea of going on a cruise to do it the way you want to?  Many options equal the opportunity to have your vacation the way you want (or close to what you want), the whole unpack once then have someone drive you (sail) around to exotic ports while having someone else make the bed or turn down the bed or both...sometimes you want to dress for dinner and sometimes you want a burger, seriously what is the big deal how others do it???  You do you and leave the rest to them!!!

[ray98]

8 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

 

I have my opinions that if Carnival hadn’t done so, cruising wouldn’t be as mass market and the costs would probably have increased with inflation. The cost of a lowest category inside cabin on a 7 day Bermuda cruise in 1989 on RCL was $975pp with 3 in a cabin.  Can you imagine what that cost might equate to now with inflation if cruise lines never found the need to fall in a mass market affordable budget????  Again, not a bad thing, just reality.

 

 

Yet people will ignore that and claim they aren't getting as 'much for their $$$' as the old days.

 

I said earlier, if you want to be treated to a true luxurious experience like was provided when cruising was still an upscale option,  it still exists if you just open your wallet.

[ray98]

3 hours ago, UnorigionalName said:

 

https://cruisemarketwatch.com/growth/

http://www.arubaports.com/main/historic-cruise-data/

 

right... soooooooo popular in the 80's and 90's..

 

 

Yup.  It was a niche market then, nothing more.

[grandmarnnurse]

8 hours ago, schazzy said:

 

Yep, but only a couple bucks for a very large slice that's enough for 2 people and the carrot cake was very tasty and indulgent in our opinion. Not something we would get often, but DH loves carrot cake and the coffee bar was the only place we saw it offered, the piece we had one night was well worth the money. 

But you can get all the lovely cakes free in the buffet at lunch time.

[grandmarnnurse]

8 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

My first cruise at age 12 in 1989 was on the RCL Nordic Prince, it was at that time the epitome of classic cruising (per the reviews of my parents who had been cruising since the early 70s),  My second cruise was on the then glitzy and obnoxiously glamourous Carnival Ecstasy in 1994.  I remember the commercials with Kathy Lee Gifford, “If they could see me now, on a FUN ship cruise”.....that line alone forever changed the impression of cruising. It was meant to appeal to the masses, to the non-cruiser.  What the non-cruiser didn’t know, the traditions of cruising, they might never find out about if only taking a Carnival cruise (granted back then Carnival still offered many of the same traditional cruise indulgences as the other lines) but you simply didn’t see Royal Caribbean or any of the other lines (mostly non-American at that point in history) advertising........so that’s how Carnival, as the oldest brand, began to change the traditions and the model.

 

I have my opinions that if Carnival hadn’t done so, cruising wouldn’t be as mass market and the costs would probably have increased with inflation. The cost of a lowest category inside cabin on a 7 day Bermuda cruise in 1989 on RCL was $975pp with 3 in a cabin.  Can you imagine what that cost might equate to now with inflation if cruise lines never found the need to fall in a mass market affordable budget????  Again, not a bad thing, just reality.

My first cruise was in 1995, for my 25th Anniversary on a now defunct cruise line. It was the old traditional model of cruising—big band playing with male escorts to dance with the ladies. We had high tea in the afternoon, and the ship was all glamour, but very low on entertainment. You were expected to spend your days lounging and just reading, or playing bridge. Our cabin had two bunks, and the bathroom had a tiny tub in the middle of a rather large bathroom. We had nothing to compare it to, as it was our first, and thought all ships were this way. The food was to die for, also. Our second was on the Carnival Ecstasy and when we walked onboard we said WOW! We were hooked from that point forward. I’ve seen the changes, not all great. I miss having past cruiser parties, which are now only for D&P, and those grand midnight buffets. But I realize that times have changed, and the average cruiser on Carnival has become a more casual, fun loving bunch. That is not a bad thing, though. My hubby and I decided several cruises ago that we were fed up with formal attire and lugging it on flights, so we loved NCL’s Freestyle Cruising concept, but we missed Carnival’s fun atmosphere. We have returned to Carnival, sailing in less than a week on the Breeze, and will experience the steward asking how much service we want, for the first time. I will also be asking for twice, because that is what we are used to, and until they make once a day a mandatory thing, I will keep twice a day, and tip our steward extra in cash, beyond our prepaid gratuities. I am excited for all the free casual food up on Lido, but I still relish the MDR experience. We just are more casually dressed. Yes, even on elegant night. The hubby gets no dressier than khakis and polos or button down Hawaiian print shirts, no suit and tie, and I am in a dress or Capri pant set, no ball gowns. And horror of horrors, all my shoes for a cruise are open toed sandals. Those that cringed at these changes, just need to chill, or switch to the luxury lines.

[vhorton1100]

IMHO.... I personally like the changes... we started cruising in the early 90's and wavered in the early 2000's for the relaxing atmosphere of the all-inclusive resorts... with all the changes in starting in 2010 we began enjoying cruising again and have cruised much more in the last 10 years.  Nothing wrong with changes sometimes things must be updated to appeal to the masses.  If you dislike the changes that a particular cruise line is making... then I would like to suggest looking for a cruise line that continues the same amenities that you prefer.  Happy sailing!

[balcony bound]

20 hours ago, Nic6318 said:

 I remember a number of years ago, on this site a person relating a story about taking with a couple after a number of days into their cruise, that hadn't been to the MDR because they didn't realize it was included. 

 

Oh, LOL, that was me telling that story - it was the last day of the cruise and I felt so bad those folks had never gone into the dining room.  And it's one that stuck with me through all our years cruising and the reason I always ask new cruisers I encounter how they are doing and ask if they have any questions or need any information.

 

As far as changes go, choices are always good.  We like being able to ask for evening service only in our cabin - our needs have changed over the years and not having to vacate the cabin during the early part of the day for cleaning is more relaxing.  The thing we miss most are the shows, just can't get into those Playlist Productions at all.  Hoping our night out at the Tropicana when we visit Cuba next week satisfies that loss.  That said, we have absolutely welcomed the comedy club.

 

Everyone cruises differently and has different needs.  I think some of the changes help address those and while many of us respond to change as a loss of something, there is usually a gain - for someone.  Might not be you this time, but something will come along that benefits you.

 

[schazzy]

2 hours ago, grandmarnnurse said:

But you can get all the lovely cakes free in the buffet at lunch time.

 

Well, we will on our upcoming cruise and very much so looking forward to trying them, but last year on the Miracle they still had the old deserts that were okay but not great. I really hope the new ones are as good as they look!

[Joebucks]

3 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

I know this will come as a shocker for you, but there are many who PREFER once a day.  Imagine the horror of having to answer a question regarding whether you want morning, evening or both....it is after all YOUR vacation

 

I am in that crowd. I don't want them coming in my room when I am in there. I fully believe that some people just want to consume as many goods and services as they can on THEIR VACATION.

[Doggielover68]

The other thing to consider is that Carnival corporation owns many cruiselines. It makes sense for them to offer a more affordable, more ala carte cruise to cover all sides of the spectrum. It has been working so far.

[Cafedumonde]

4 hours ago, schazzy said:

 

Well, we will on our upcoming cruise and very much so looking forward to trying them, but last year on the Miracle they still had the old deserts that were okay but not great. I really hope the new ones are as good as they look!

They blew us away.  Absolutely amazing.  They were a huge change from our last ccl cruise.  No need to buy the blue velvet cake at the coffee bar.  We just bought cappuccino and got dessert from the buffet! 😍

[JMAE]

I'm glad CCL keeps moving forward, we like the 2.0 changes along with adding the Hub App and Fun Times replacing the Capers, new restaurants and of course Punchliner Comedy Club! 

[scpirate]

On 2/23/2019 at 9:30 AM, blarko said:

As one who rarely uses the MDR, I do enjoy Guy’s Burgers 🤷‍♀️

Last carnival cruise I took a guys burger would have been welcome.those cheap soy patties and dogs they served on Elation were only fit for those with the cheers package.