Carnival Scaled Back Too Much

[Je Souhaite]

When cruising returns next year, people are going to decide which line has the best bang for their buck.

 

that used to go to Carnival.  They had the best entertainment, fun, food, etc.

 

now to show what they used to be they have to have Journey cruises.  All the things that used to be included.

 

now there’s more things excluded than included.  And they are going to want their customers to return.  Well the different lines are going to have incentives.  I WISH Carnival rolls out their journey cruises to every ship, every week, to EVERY passenger.

[Elaine5715]

How do you know what is now excluded?

[firefly333]

I too wondered what is excluded. Almost every sale includes obc. I just want to cruise, dont care if we miss ports. The thing that was turning me off to carnival was all the gambling cruises I seem to hit every booking. Too many priority folks for it to be a perk any more.

 

Rcl isn't giving obc, just price protection and lift and shift and allowed to cancel within 48 hours. Les gambling cruises. Loyalty and suite perks always been better on rcl. Nothing  new. 

 

Same old that I know of. If there are restrictions on ccl, same will apply to other lines.

[Bgcruising]

So mysterious this post...

[Je Souhaite]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

How do you know what is now excluded?

Basically it’s anything you have to now pull your sail and sign card out for.

 

but it’s so much easier to pull out a brochure from the nineties and go down the “WHATS INCLUDED list.  Or review the Journey cruises amenities.

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, Je Souhaite said:

When cruising returns next year, people are going to decide which line has the best bang for their buck.

 

that used to go to Carnival.  They had the best entertainment, fun, food, etc.

 

now to show what they used to be they have to have Journey cruises.  All the things that used to be included.

 

now there’s more things excluded than included.  And they are going to want their customers to return.  Well the different lines are going to have incentives.  I WISH Carnival rolls out their journey cruises to every ship, every week, to EVERY passenger.

For awhile now Carnival has marketed themselves to a different demographic then they did in the past. Their cutbacks have allowed them to consistently offer the lowest price in the industry the majority of the time. I don’t see that changing in the future whenever they resume operations. If you are interested in how cruising used to be on Carnival, there are other cruise lines out there that have what you appear to be looking for when you cruise. 

[firefly333]

4 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

For awhile now Carnival has marketed themselves to a different demographic then they did in the past. Their cutbacks have allowed them to consistently offer the lowest price in the industry the majority of the time. I don’t see that changing in the future whenever they resume operations. If you are interested in how cruising used to be on Carnival, there are other cruise lines out there that have what you appear to be looking for when you cruise. 

Still not sure what I'm missing except there are a ton more priority guests. They always delivered the strawberries just before dinner and if I ate them ruined my appetite..though some got delivered last cruise.

 

All my favorite eating places on vista even if I'd rather the bbq not be outside. Love bbq, and guys burgers. I like Mongolian work but not the wait. I found out the cantina really has great salads in one of those chip bowls. The spa area served salad though it was too hot up there to enjoy so only tried it once. I'll skip the pizza, with the other choices. Pizza used to be better imo and serve caesar salad. I liked the caesar salad late at night.

 

I think the food choices are better. I did that bike thing that goes around the top rim last time, though was very windy. Next time I'll pick a calmer day. Rope course. So far I'm not sure what's missing .. I get all the food I can eat. Vista up next again.

[PhillyFan33579]

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Still not sure what I'm missing except there are a ton more priority guests. They always delivered the strawberries just before dinner and if I ate them ruined my appetite..though some got delivered last cruise.

 

All my favorite eating places on vista even if I'd rather the bbq not be outside. Love bbq, and guys burgers. I like Mongolian work but not the wait. I found out the cantina really has great salads in one of those chip bowls. The spa area served salad though it was too hot up there to enjoy so only tried it once. I'll skip the pizza, with the other choices. Pizza used to be better imo and serve caesar salad. I liked the caesar salad late at night.

 

I think the food choices are better. I did that bike thing that goes around the top rim last time, though was very windy. Next time I'll pick a calmer day. Rope course. So far I'm not sure what's missing .. I get all the food I can eat. Vista up next again.

The experience on Carnival used to be significantly different in the past than it is now. I think your comment directly supports what Carnival has been focusing on more and more... new or novice cruisers. These people won’t know what they are missing because they never experienced it and therefore they don’t have previous experiences to use for comparison. 

[bury me at sea]

5 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

The experience on Carnival used to be significantly different in the past than it is now. I think your comment directly supports what Carnival has been focusing on more and more... new or novice cruisers. These people won’t know what they are missing because they never experienced it and therefore they don’t have previous experiences to use for comparison. 

 

Exactly.

[firefly333]

7 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

The experience on Carnival used to be significantly different in the past than it is now. I think your comment directly supports what Carnival has been focusing on more and more... new or novice cruisers. These people won’t know what they are missing because they never experienced it and therefore they don’t have previous experiences to use for comparison. 

I've cruised for quite a while. 

 

What I miss are decent shows and the orchestra is now canned music and singers also have to dance. I get better shows on rcl. I like the food choices better on ccl, though I dont like ccl desserts anymore.. the icing tastes like lard, so I mostly eat salads and hope for ripe watermelon slices for dessert.

 

Shows are the biggest disappointment. Singers who cant carry a tune.

 

Best ever past guest party last time CD let us order any drink we wanted. 

 

Other than so so at best shows, but better food choices, so far no one has said what exactly they miss. Worse cabin steward service? I cruise alone and dont care. My cabin isn't messy. 

 

Maybe someone could list exactly what it is they miss. 

[xDisconnections]

19 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I've cruised for quite a while. 

 

What I miss are decent shows and the orchestra is now canned music and singers also have to dance. I get better shows on rcl. I like the food choices better on ccl, though I dont like ccl desserts anymore.. the icing tastes like lard, so I mostly eat salads and hope for ripe watermelon slices for dessert.

 

Shows are the biggest disappointment. Singers who cant carry a tune.

 

Best ever past guest party last time CD let us order any drink we wanted. 

 

Other than so so at best shows, but better food choices, so far no one has said what exactly they miss. Worse cabin steward service? I cruise alone and dont care. My cabin isn't messy. 

 

Maybe someone could list exactly what it is they miss. 

Have you tried Princess yet? You may like it.

[xDisconnections]

43 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Still not sure what I'm missing except there are a ton more priority guests. They always delivered the strawberries just before dinner and if I ate them ruined my appetite..though some got delivered last cruise.

 

All my favorite eating places on vista even if I'd rather the bbq not be outside. Love bbq, and guys burgers. I like Mongolian work but not the wait. I found out the cantina really has great salads in one of those chip bowls. The spa area served salad though it was too hot up there to enjoy so only tried it once. I'll skip the pizza, with the other choices. Pizza used to be better imo and serve caesar salad. I liked the caesar salad late at night.

 

I think the food choices are better. I did that bike thing that goes around the top rim last time, though was very windy. Next time I'll pick a calmer day. Rope course. So far I'm not sure what's missing .. I get all the food I can eat. Vista up next again.

I'll agree- the casual dining options were good on my Liberty cruise in Dec. The hours are just too limited though.

[firefly333]

8 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

Have you tried Princess yet? You may like it.

Yes several times. Well it's easy to find a bridge game, but wasnt really my cup of tea.

 

Rcl I like free drinks loyalty pts. So right now I lean toward rcl. 5 rcl booked and 1 ccl.

[xDisconnections]

7 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

So...what you're saying is Carnival is no longer your cup of tea. No problem.  Just time to move on. Remember,  we only have so much time. Why spend the time complaining about Carnival? Perhaps spend the time investigating a line that meets your current needs. 

 

2 hours ago, Je Souhaite said:

When cruising returns next year, people are going to decide which line has the best bang for their buck.

 

that used to go to Carnival.  They had the best entertainment, fun, food, etc.

 

now to show what they used to be they have to have Journey cruises.  All the things that used to be included.

 

now there’s more things excluded than included.  And they are going to want their customers to return.  Well the different lines are going to have incentives.  I WISH Carnival rolls out their journey cruises to every ship, every week, to EVERY passenger.

Thanks for the informative post, @Je Souhaite. It's clear there have been many cutbacks over the years... hopefully they can put the value back in there.

[xDisconnections]

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Yes several times. Well it's easy to find a bridge game, but wasnt really my cup of tea.

 

Rcl I like free drinks loyalty pts. So right now I lean toward rcl. 5 rcl booked and 1 ccl.

Lately, Royal has been my preference too. Maybe one day when cruising resumes, we'll be on the same ship.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, xDisconnections said:

Lately, Royal has been my preference too. Maybe one day when cruising resumes, we'll be on the same ship.

That would be fun.

 

Next up b2b last 2 weeks in feb on rcl... hope it goes.

[lazydayz]

While I appreciate the midnight gala on the Journeys cruise, I just go to take photos.  The amount of work that goes into it is incredible.  And I like the deck parties.  But I also enjoy regular cruises, though I miss the nightly turndown chocolates, which I never ate.  Rather it just made it a more elegant experience.
 

But times change and as the pandemic has shown us, it is either adapt or die. So I look forward to seeing what cruising will look like in the not too distant future.  While I will like some of the changes, others might not be to my taste.  But I know it will not be the same. 

[TNcruising02]

I’ve only been cruising since 2013, so I have no idea what Carnival cruises used to be like. All I can do is compare them to RCL, Norwegian, and Disney.

 

  I’ve got two Carnival cruises in the books, so I like their product. Other lines have much better theater shows, but my husband and I prefer comedy. Royal’s ships are fancier. Norwegian has nice ships too. I still have a better overall time on Carnival.

Edited August 16, 2020 by TNcruising02

[Bgcruising]

4 hours ago, Je Souhaite said:

people are going to decide which line

....they want to cruise on.....

Some will choose carnival, some will choose others. When it's no longer fun, they stop.

[chipmaster]

CCL and the various brands and the competitor companies are all about business, they need to make money and also pursue a strategy that keeps the business going.   

 

It will be about balancing costs and keeping customers coming back, but don't worry it'll be 2021 before you have to worry about that too much, by them it will be desperate times, LOL

[xDisconnections]

3 hours ago, TNcruising02 said:

I’ve only been cruising since 2013, so I have no idea what Carnival cruises used to be like. All I can do is compare them to RCL, Norwegian, and Disney.

 

  I’ve got two Carnival cruises in the books, so I like their product. Other lines have much better theater shows, but my husband and I prefer comedy. Royal’s ships are fancier. Norwegian has nice ships too. I still have a better overall time on Carnival.

You started with Carnival shortly after I stopped. It used to be great and at the time, it was one of my favorite brands. You would be surprised at how the content of my posts have changed around that time. It’s honestly sad how one specific unfortunate and escalated event, followed by a lot of cost cutting measures in a short period of time that directly lowered your perceived value and then a disappointing experience can really change one’s own opinion. 
 

At the time when I stopped sailing Carnival, the cutbacks all seemed very important to me. When I later returned to Carnival seven years later, I didn’t miss them. They were noticeable if I went looking for them but were in the background. Apart from the noticeable few, I couldn’t tell you... it’s been so long ago and I was trying to have a nice cruise instead of searching for negativity. It was nice to see how Carnival changed and I didn’t hate it. I’m not sure when I’d be back on another but at least I know, it no longer accommodates my vacation needs.

[xDisconnections]

4 hours ago, EscapeFromConnecticut said:

  When he ran American, Doug Parker spoke of getting away from the "cockroaches" - his ugly phrase for frequent fliers who'd

been piling up miles & perks by cherry-picking lowball fares.

 

 

🙋‍♂️

[xDisconnections]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

Always the optimist.  What does American airlines and doug Parker have to do with cruising and Carnival?  I would love to hear the answer......

Both offer state of the art loyalty and rewards programs designed to target specific audiences through a revenue optimization strategy that provides perks and incentivizes repeat travel.

[jimbo5544]

6 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Both offer state of the art loyalty and rewards programs designed to target specific audiences through a revenue optimization strategy that provides perks and incentivizes repeat travel.

One flies through the air to deliver people from point a to point b, the other offers vacations on ships, seems diverse to me.

[PhillyFan33579]

13 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Yes several times. Well it's easy to find a bridge game, but wasnt really my cup of tea.

 

Rcl I like free drinks loyalty pts. So right now I lean toward rcl. 5 rcl booked and 1 ccl.

I agree that RCI’s loyalty program is significantly better than Carnival’s, but personally I don’t cruise for loyalty points. If I did I would have stayed loyal to Carnival simply to reach Diamond, instead of booking cruises on RCI and Celebrity. 
 

I don’t compare Carnival to Celebrity since Celebrity is more of an upscale cruise line, but I currently prefer RCI over Carnival for many reasons:
- RCI ‘s ships are nicer

- There is more to do on RCI ships

- The MDR menus are more diverse on RCI

- The food is better on RCI. I realize food is subjective, but both my wife and I think the food is better on RCI. 
- The shows are way better on RCI

- The comedy shows are better on RCI. While we have heard very good comedians on Carnival, we have also heard very bad ones on Carnival. RCI tends to have higher profile comedians who are hilarious. 
- The adult solarium area on RCI ships blows away the Serenity area on Carnival ships. However, I am a big fan of the Serenity area on Spirit class ships. 
- RCI uses tablecloths every night in the MDR

- Cabin stewards service your cabin multiple times per day on RCI compared to Carnival stewards asking if you want morning, evening or both service

- Trivia is more fun on RCI. I stopped playing trivia on Carnival due to people cheating all the time. 
- You can use the drink package on RCI’s islands like CocoCay

- The revamped CocCay is spectacular

- I like the self-dispensing drink machines on RCI. I always feel bad that kids who want a soda have to go to a bar on Carnival ships. 
- Carnival ships can get quite crowded, especially during peak seasons. I have never felt crowded on an RCI ship. 
- I enjoy listening to piano players and prefer the Schooner Bar setup on RCI ships over the Piano Bar setup on Carnival’s ships. 
- This doesn’t impact me directly, but RCI’s drink package is unlimited while Cheers limits you to 15 drinks per day. 
- It wasn’t always this way, but lately (prior to cruising coming to a halt) the service in the MDR has been a lot better on RCI ships. 
- I prefer the plastic doors on the showers on RCI over the curtains on the showers on Carnival. 
 

All of these issues/areas by themselves are not a big deal. But when you add them all up, both my wife and I agree the overall cruising experience is a lot more enjoyable on RCI ships these days. I also understand a lot of people probably don’t care about a lot of these issues, which is why everyone isn’t going to prefer the same cruise line over other cruise lines.