Off Breeze Today May Cancel Mardi Gras (cutbacks)

[repo-cruiser]

OH NO they have replaced pens with pencils? OMG but what about all the trees being cut down . This is just to much for me. Those poor trees all so these cruise passengers can have pencils , I am in shock.😏

[James4me]

Are you upset because of the lack thereof of your food choices?  You seem to mention that a lot.  

[tandemcruzr]

1 hour ago, Pyrate13 said:

No doubts/concerns at all. Two booked, still going.

 

None for us either. Breeze B2B in Oct, 2019 -- Legend B2B in Jan, 2020 -- Radiance B2B in Nov, 2020 and Mardi Gras B2B in Feb, 2021.  🙂

Edited June 2, 2019 by tandemcruzr

[Cruisegirl6]

I thought of that use paper straws its about the trees, use plastic its about environmental issues, its a no win with either.

 

James4Me-  Part of it is the food and lack of food choices, and in my review I explain other issues.  Its a combination of a number of things.

[Organized Chaos]

7 hours ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

MightyMike- Exactly, Royal Caribbean is blowing away what they offer compare to what you get on Carnival.  We also very much prefer RC but realized being on the Breeze, how much we miss what RC offers and then there is the fact, why would I want to support a cruise line that keeps doing wrong/illegal actions especially when they are on probation?  Its only going to get worse, and they just be cutting back more to compensate for all they have lost/paid.  Trust me, its going to get worse and the people are the ones who will feel it.  The employees on the ship ARE worried.

 

 

Just a few items to mention:

 

The hot food selections in the lunch buffet were cut in half compared to what was offered last year, and they only had one meat carving which was embarkation day and never had another meat carving.

 

Salad bar offerings were cut in half.  I used to love their salad bar, but its so scarce now that I didn't find myself making a salad there.

 

Bacon in the breakfast buffet was nearly not available.  They would have somebody serving the bacon and there were only I would say 24 slices of bacon each time they placed the bacon in the pan to individually serve to the passengers.  What happened, that was only enough to serve to about 12 people, then the rest had to wait another 15 minutes for them to replace the bacon again with around 16-24 slices and the same thing kept repeating, causing huge huge long lines for breakfast.  It was the bacon that held up the lines and everybody complained, I would say we averaged 22 minutes on line to get breakfast each morning.

There is no longer assorted rolls for breakfast and no English muffins although they did have eggs Benedict that the English muffin was soggy of butter/sauce. The only bread was plain white toast and plain toasted bagel. People were complaining the pancakes/waffles were always undercooked and to get some butter they place it in a large tub so if you miss getting butter you have to get right back into that line again.

 

Yes, pens were taken away in the cabin and replaced with a small pencil which was fine to me.  

 

They took away the umbrella's for the drinks (this didn't bother me)

 

If you want a straw you always had to ask for one as most of the time they were not around to reach for, but we never were denied a straw, just make sure to ask for one when you order a drink.

 

Waiters are serving more people now, they are overworked but do the best job they can.

 

Cabin Stewards are working harder as there are fewer now.  This must be the reason why we are asked whether we want am/pm service but was offered both which we had.

 

Pizza crust was so think now that when you pick up a slice it literally bend over and the cheese run off of it.

 

In regards to your Mardi Gras deposit, since you have Vacation Protection (Carnival insurance), you'll get 75% of it back as a future cruise credit since you'll fall under "cancel for any reason." The credit has to be used within 2 years, but since you don't really want to sail Carnival again, it doesn't look like it'll do you much good. For other members of your family who are also booked, I'd say let them decide whether or not they want to cancel. They can go if they don't feel as strongly as you.

 

Carnival has already made a deal with federal prosecutors. The judge is scheduled to review that deal on Monday. It's up to her whether she accepts it or not. If not,

 

You raised the question, "Why would I want to support a cruise line that keeps doing wrong/illegal actions especially when they are on probation?"

In all fairness, Carnival has been on probation since April, 2017. So they were actually on probation when you booked your Breeze cruise. With that said, if you decide that their recent troubles causes you to take your business elsewhere, you have that right and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

They got rid of the ink pens in the cabins because they said they were keeping them out of the ocean. Kind of ironic, considering at least one of their ships was busted dumping trash in the ocean without separating the plastic, like they were supposed to.

 

Waiters having to serve more tables and most definitely the stewards being responsible for more cabins has been going on for at least a year or two, so you would've experienced this during your cruise in February, too.

 

Some of these things, like many of the food issues you ran into, could've just been a fluke on your cruise. We won't know if they are actual cutbacks unless we see these things put into effect across the fleet.

[drgonzogoo]

10 hours ago, Lee Cruiser said:

My wife and I got off the Breeze on May 4th and we booked it again yesterday for next September.  Plus, we have two more cruises before then. 

There was always plenty of bacon when we went to the buffet.  I can't speak to the waffles and pancakes since I don't eat those.  But I can say the salad was certainly one thing that was in abundance.  I ate a large salad every day for dinner.   There were always plenty of offerings like: multiple types of lettuces and mixed greens, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, various meat toppings, cheeses and more than I can think of to list.  They also had caesar salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, and beans.  I am not sure what has changed in three weeks, but there were plenty of salad options when we were there.

As far as the pizza crust, it has been that thin for a while.  Some of us really prefer it that way.

Yes, they have removed pens.  But not having a pen certainly doesn't make or break a cruise for me.

Yes, they do have fewer room stewards now.  That has been discussed on previous posts here in depth.  However, We definitely can say that our steward did a great job and we never lacked for anything we needed or asked for.

 

Hey there buddy! We were on the 4-27 sailing too. We had a pretty good time but we did like our cruise on the Vista last year better.

[wesorbeth]

I think you have a moral obligation to never cruise Carnival again if you feel so strongly about how bad they treat the environment, staff and guests.

[livingthedream1]

12 hours ago, Doggielover68 said:

Hmm, I have been on 13 Carnival cruises since 2014 and here are things I have noticed.

 

They got rid of the tasteless chocolate candies that I never ate.

 

Fewer bartenders asking me if I want anything every 3 seconds.

 

A pen replaced with a pencil.

 

Free toothpaste of a brand I don't prefer is no longer there.

 

The Platinum gift that costs no money is not as good as before. 

 

New things that I do get:

 

A free photo on almost every cruise. A spa gift certificate/discount on most cruises, half price drinks during happy hour at Red Frog Pub, a selection of hot fried food items available through room service for a small upcharge, pizza delivery available, a new App with the ability to book excursions without flipping through the awful TV menu, view dinner menus, activities, weather, account balance, a messaging app, the ability to have low cost access to Facebook to keep in touch back home from the middle of the ocean, new excursion offerings, different shows, and more.

 

So yeah, things change. But most of the bad things that change are so minor and people forget all of the new things that are available. 

 

 

I agree with you. For the most part I have only noticed the good changes. We like all the other food options now available and they seem to keep adding more options. Donuts and cupcakes now offered in the coffee bar yes there is a charge but I willing pay for something I want its a choice. Too me some of the changes are so trivial they do not make or  break a cruise for me. I will continue to cruise Carnival . I still think with cruising you get a good value for your money even with the extra out of pocket options. We do both land and sea vacations every year as well as all in inclusive vacations.    

[Butterbean1000]

Afterthought here. Actually changing from pens to pencils is a good thing. The less plastic produced and discarded the better.

[Cruisegirl6]

Organized Chaos-  Yes, I did hear that there is a "deal" that the judge will review tomorrow, I believe it is for the board to make the CEO step down.  They have to point the finger to a person in authority to try to lessen their issue.

My main concern about loosing the money isn't about me, its for my kids and other family members, they do not want a credit to sit with Carnival as they are unsure the next Carnival cruise will be.

I had no idea of the probation they were on until two weeks ago.  I don't follow the news after the last election.

On the Elation this past February, I had no indication of the cutbacks and such or the lack of waiters/cabin stewards working harder, it was not noticeable at all.

You have a good point, the food issues could of just been that cruise.

 

Wesorbeth-  Its sad, how people can still support any company that does illegal/wrong doing, the reason why these companies always get away with things and keep repeating their mistakes.  Its a shame...yes, its a moral thing to me for sure.  I probably be on the Mardi Gras after all, its all about family and I don't want anybody to loose any money.

 

livingthedream1-  Yes, love the new changes, the app is wonderful, the steakhouse is excellent...love the coffee bar and having the Cheers program.  I also love Anytime/My time dining, think that was the best thing they came up with next to having the Cheers Package.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[crewsweeper]

I've seen your review and several of the comments here.

First, to cancel a cruise for an uncertain reason (fines, if levied, hit company profitability and not necessarily mean large increases in costs to consumers).

Second, all cruise lines are cutting back on services in many ways.  If we want to experience a cruise our selective memory holds in our minds, we need to pay up for one of the luxury cruise lines.

Third, we enjoy cruising on RCCL, but they do nickel and dime you on every "extra".  Plus the cruises cost more than Carnival.

Seems you like to eat at buffets and MDRs.  Read some recent reviews of the Windjammer and RCCL's MDR.  Their quality is going down too.

 

So it's not just a matter for Carnival or any Carnival lines.  

 

A word about pencils over pens and plastic straws.  Plastic straws aren't the real problem in ocean pollution, but it's a "feel good" gesture.  It takes more carbon to produce paper straws that collapse half way through your drink than plastic straws, but they are easier to recycle.  Pens aren't the problem either, but a shift to pencils isn't a threat to trees.  Trees are renewable resources.  One of the options for cleaner fuel is bio-fuel, which is to a large degree, wood and wood pulp.  Usually from discarded wood and all those limbs and upturned trees from storms.  If major complaint is over pencil instead of pen that influences your cruising decision, you need to investigate other types of vacation alternatives.

[picomullet]

Can't wait to get back on the Breeze!  Send her back to Texas!!

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Organized Chaos-  Yes, I did hear that there is a "deal" that the judge will review tomorrow, I believe it is for the board to make the CEO step down.  They have to point the finger to a person in authority to try to lessen their issue.

 

Would love to know your source that the board is being forced to fire the CEO.  Did this come from your "senior" sources on the ship?  Believe me when I say that even the most senior person onboard any Carnival ship is most definitely not a senior person in the corporation, and no one on the ship would have any clue as to the terms of the plea deal until it was made public by the judge, or approved by the judge.  Having worked my entire 44 year career in the maritime industry, dealing with the environmental regulations on a daily basis, and actually having worked for two companies that were placed on probation by the DOJ, I can say it is unlikely that the CEO will be forced out as a term of the deal.  He may be required to plead guilty to felony charges, as executives of other companies have had to do, and carry the stigma of a convicted felon, but I'm not even sure if it is legal for a judge to rule that a CEO has to be fired.

[Organized Chaos]

39 minutes ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Organized Chaos-  Yes, I did hear that there is a "deal" that the judge will review tomorrow, I believe it is for the board to make the CEO step down.  They have to point the finger to a person in authority to try to lessen their issue.

My main concern about loosing the money isn't about me, its for my kids and other family members, they do not want a credit to sit with Carnival as they are unsure the next Carnival cruise will be.

I had no idea of the probation they were on until two weeks ago.  I don't follow the news after the last election.

On the Elation this past February, I had no indication of the cutbacks and such or the lack of waiters/cabin stewards working harder, it was not noticeable at all.

You have a good point, the food issues could of just been that cruise.

 

Wesorbeth-  Its sad, how people can still support any company that does illegal/wrong doing, the reason why these companies always get away with things and keep repeating their mistakes.  Its a shame...yes, its a moral thing to me for sure.  I probably be on the Mardi Gras after all, its all about family and I don't want anybody to loose any money.

 

livingthedream1-  Yes, love the new changes, the app is wonderful, the steakhouse is excellent...love the coffee bar and having the Cheers program.  I also love Anytime/My time dining, think that was the best thing they came up with next to having the Cheers Package.

 

Terms of the deal that's been made haven't been released yet, so whatever you've heard about the CEO stepping down is just hearsay. The judge was angered that none of the executives came to the first hearing, and her anger was justified. To her, and I agree, that's a sign that they aren't taking this seriously enough. If they don't take it seriously now, there's a chance they never will. There needs to be an upper-level change no matter what happens. Unfortunately, big corporations often get away with bad acts with a slap on the wrist. It happens all too often. But this judge sounds like she's no-nonsense, so I think she's going to make sure they feel it this time. It's possible for Carnival to change for the better, other cruise lines who have been caught violating environment maritime laws have changed. Granted, Carnival was fined $40 million and was 2 years into a 5 year probation when it was discovered they had continued to break the laws, so they're going to need an extra special kick in the rear to make sure they straighten up. Everyone who cruises, or is considering a cruise, and is aware of Carnival's wrongdoings has an individual choice to make. Is it enough to keep them from cruising Carnival? Whether the answer is yes or no, it's up to each person and neither answer is wrong. I commend you for standing by your principles and convictions. Maybe the results of tomorrow's hearing will change your mind. Maybe it'll offer you a bit of hope that they can, and hopefully will, do better.

 

I've heard nothing but good things about the Breeze. That's doesn't mean you didn't have a bad experience, I'm not doubting you. Everyone sees things in their own way. We haven't cruised on Breeze yet, but I'd like to one of these days, simply because of all the good things I've heard and read.

 

You seemed to have had some very good experiences aboard past Carnival cruises. And maybe even a lot of good experiences on your Breeze cruise as well. Maybe you should give it another chance. Me personally, if I had some bad experiences on only one cruise/one ship, I wouldn't let that sour me on that entire cruise line, but that's just me. I'd move on to a different ship, because people's experiences do vary (sometimes greatly) from ship to ship. I would say go on your Mardi Gras cruise. See if the negatives aboard the Breeze were just a fluke. Enjoy your time on your vacation and with your family.

[Cruisegirl6]

Crewsweeper-  The past year and a half I been on 4 Oasis class ships and the Majesty of the Seas, and the selection of breakfast and lunch food in the buffet blows out what Carnival offers.  We were only on the Elation and Breeze this year so that is all we can compare it to.  RC still has the meat carving in the buffet and Carnival just took that away as we only had it on embarkation day and then never saw it again, in fact, I heard a few people asking around where is the meat carving.  

Yes, we have to eat breakfast in the buffet because about time we get up, shower and dress, it is around 10:30 and the dining room is always closed on us, so its up to the buffet for us.

On all our Oasis class ships, we have only dined at the specialty dining and never had dinner in the MDR but our future 2 cruises on the Harmony in October and January we will be eating in the MDR as we are tired of the same menu's in the specialty restaurants.  When we were on the Majesty of the Seas last August, she did not have a specialty restaurant and we ate dinner nightly in the MDR which happened to be very good.  We did eat dinner twice in the MDR on the Breeze and it was good.

I don't care about pens or pencils I was happy to have the pencil as I needed a couple of times to write a note to my cabin steward.  Fishlips in Coco Beach had the paper straws and great quality, we didn't need to ask for another straw.

 

Hi Chengkp75- Correct, senior people do not work on the cruise ships.  I think I used the wrong word, not fired but to step down and yes, a judge can order that and the board of directors can vote to have a CEO terminated/removed or to step down.

 

 Lets recall back in 2013 CEO Micky Arison stepped down due to serious issues and following the Costa Concordia disaster.

 

   As we know,Judge Seitz ordered Micky Arison,  Arnold Donald and Stuart Subotnick to appear in court on June 3rd, there is a reason as they never appeared in court in the past.  Supposedly the parties have reached a proposed resolution of the issues and will be seeking courts approval of the resolution proposal this week, and for the judge to have both parties present, which never happened in the past, I feel something more will happen.  Perhaps some detention to these particular parties will be ruled we shall see?

 

Organized Chaos-  Lets not forget they didn't take things serious the first time and continued doing illegal environmental activities while on the five year probation and I also feel she is going to as you put it give them a "kick in the rear".  I wonder if there is the possibility that Carnival will put the blame on the captains of the ships ???  Yes, I have positive experiences on the Breeze and hoping to work on the review today.  We are definitely leaning on staying with the Mardi Gras, its like my son says, it will be Carnivals largest and newest ship and they want only positive things about it and compete with the other cruise lines. Also, some of the negative issues I had on the Breeze can be easily corrected on the Mardi Gras and some have due to the new layout of the ship.  

 

 

 

 

[Host Carolyn]

There is a already a separate thread regarding Carnivals possible sanctions. A new thread can be started tomorrow once the judge rules to discuss that ruling, again just one thread please,  but the topic here is OP's "review" of Breeze, discussing cutbacks etc., not the company's current legal problems. 

 

I will leave current posts but further posts on this thread re Carnival  legal issues should be put on the existing board regarding possible sanctions, please. 

 

thank y!ou

Edited June 2, 2019 by Host Carolyn

[evandbob]

The OP claims that cancelling her upcoming cruise is her way to protest Carnival's sad tale of pollution.

 

However, Friends of the Earth give an overall environmental grade of "D" to both Royal Caribbean and Carnival.  As a protest, her solution seems meaningless.

 

See:https://foe.org/cruise-report-card/

[evandbob]

1 minute ago, fyree39 said:

Did you not see Host Carolyn's post.  We need to keep this thread on topic. Otherwise it'll be locked.  

 No, it was posted as I was slowly typing my own.  I do think my post answered the OP's, question and doesn't address Carnival's current legal issues.

[chengkp75]

I'm still not convinced a judge has the ability to require a CEO to step down.  Yes, there are instances where plea deals include the CEO stepping down, but that is an agreement between the two parties.  And Arison did not step down due to any legal action.   Of course, the board can ask for the CEO's replacement, that is their perogative.

 

As far as "placing the blame on the Captain's", there will of course be some repercussions against many officers on the ships, but as the ships are supposed to be operating under the ISM/SMS system of management, this works to not assign "blame" for incidents, but to get accurate answers from all parties (which is possible if you're not pointing fingers at people you're trying to get answers from) so that lessons can be learned from the incident, an accurate assessment of possible remediation procedures can be concluded, and ISM policies and procedures revised to reflect these lessons learned.  If you read the report of the auditor team, which if you are that concerned about this issue, you should, you will find that this is one of the largest items they report on, that the ECP (Environmental Compliance Plan) did not include a shift from "blame" culture to "learning" culture, and this is where senior management has failed.

[Cruisegirl6]

Absolutely.

Since I have you here, question, does the Breeze have a different or new improved air conditioning system?  I found out of all my Carnival cruises,  the room on the Breeze was the coldest that I ever had, real nice!!  Or was it because I booked late and only had a choice of Oceanview or cove balcony, with us choosing the cove balcony on deck 2, is it possible the room was cold due to the location of our cabin being lower?  Any truth to that?  On our other upper deck balconies we did keep the curtains always closed with the thermostat on its lowest setting and never did we have cool air, but the Breeze was actually all cool in all public rooms too.

[Shaded Lady]

13 hours ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

I thought of that use paper straws its about the trees, use plastic its about environmental issues, its a no win with either.

There is always a 'win' situation... either bring your own reusable straw (I'll be using my Tervis Tumbler & straw) or, here's an alternative---- sip your drink from the glass, and bypass the straw altogether! Problem solved!

 

I personally think limiting the straws is a good thing, and there are a lot of moves that Carnival and other cruise lines can adopt to help the environment... none of which will make me stop cruising if they are slow to get around to them!

[Host Carolyn]

Okay that other thread re sanctions has been moved to page one. Please limit comments here to the topic at hand.

[TNcruising02]

I agree that Royal's buffet is superior to Carnival's.  We eat at the buffet a lot on our cruises and Royal's has been the best.   For breakfast, Carnival has enough of what we like, so it's fine.  For lunch, we really like Carnival's Guy's Burgers and BlueIguana, so Carnival wins out for lunch.  For dinner, Royal's buffet offers a much better selection.  It's my favorite.

Since we choose a cruise for overall options, we prefer Carnival.  I can see how your overall experiences on Royal might be  better for you.  It really sounds like you have very strong feelings about Carnival.  If you decide to stay with your future cruise, hopefully you can look past your concerns and enjoy the cruise.  I know how negative feelings can affect a vacation. If you think your feelings will bother you the entire cruise and ruin it for you, then losing the deposits is a small price to pay.  I guess it really depends on how the rest of your family feels since they will be the ones losing their deposits.

[2wheelin]

Non refundable deposits do not seem to be a wise option for people who cannot afford to lose them.

 

We were recently on the Horizon and the buffet choices were wonderful. Carving station every time I was there. Breakfast got to be a little boring but many selections and the bacon tray was always heaping full. The server would keep giving more than I wanted.

 

One ship does not make a fleet.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Absolutely.

Since I have you here, question, does the Breeze have a different or new improved air conditioning system?  I found out of all my Carnival cruises,  the room on the Breeze was the coldest that I ever had, real nice!!  Or was it because I booked late and only had a choice of Oceanview or cove balcony, with us choosing the cove balcony on deck 2, is it possible the room was cold due to the location of our cabin being lower?  Any truth to that?  On our other upper deck balconies we did keep the curtains always closed with the thermostat on its lowest setting and never did we have cool air, but the Breeze was actually all cool in all public rooms too.

Is this for me?  I can't say that they have a different or improved AC system, but it is most unlikely that any major upgrade has been done since new construction.  A cove balcony should have more insulation since there is less glass out to the balcony, and the balcony is more shaded than the normal balconies, so it should stay cooler.  Also, there are fewer of these cove balcony cabins, and less people might have their balcony doors open, which is the leading culprit for warm balcony cabins (other people having their doors open will affect your temperature).