Carnival Temporarily Closes Popular Restaurant, Dining Experience

[ledges1]

2 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Just a little humor on my part 🙃 try to flow with it 😉

We are good, I think we are on the same page. 

[ledges1]

6 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Just a little humor on my part 🙃 try to flow with it 😉

6 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Just a little humor on my part 🙃 try to flow with it 😉

We are good, I think we are on the same page. 

[pc_load_letter]

46 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Of course they have made cutbacks, as you call it. Royal has made cutbacks in their Diamond lounges and it will be a while before they have the whole fleet sailing.

 

To try to compare business models of individual cruise lines is false equivalence and no further comment is necessary.

 

Wow, so just Royal and their Diamond lounges. My lord, they must be so short staffed.

 

And again, they don't have their whole fleet sailing while Carnival choose to short their crew and passenger offerings all in the name of getting the entire fleet sailing.

 

Glad Carnival doesn't run an airlines.

[pc_load_letter]

2 hours ago, CarnivalShips480 said:

you really haven't seen anyone say they will never cruise Carnival again?

 

 Not if they were someone whose been cruising them for a while.

 

Sure, I've seen people from RCL say they "gave Carnival a try" and it perhaps wasn't for them.

 

But I can't recall a long term Carnival cruiser flat out say "I'm done". Who knows, I could be wrong but frankly, I don't think I can remember anyone saying that.

[pc_load_letter]

1 hour ago, Moviela said:

Your opinion like that of several others assumes facts not in evidence. The restart plans were extensive and gave adequate thought to staffing levels, provisions, environmental compliance, port availability, and facilities to manage any Covid related issues. 

 

Obviously no line could mobilize thousands of workers at the drop of a hat. The start was ramped up slowly, with reduced capacity to accommodate the resources available. The plan included time for government agencies to do their work.

 

What has happened is the contracts are ending for people who have been at sea for 9 months, and are entitled to the leave they have earned. Their replacements were hired and paperwork submitted in a timely manner for US Department of State to issue visas to those individuals. The lifting of Covid restrictions worldwide has released a torrent of pent up demand for visas. Americans are spoiled, as there are few countries we need a visa for travel there, and those that do have reasonable visa fees. If you are a citizen in most Asian countries the burden to get a US visa is very high. It is now nigh on to impossible to receive any visa in a normal processing time. 

 

Carnival is not operating all ships at full capacity, and has moved certain crew to assist ships with higher load factors. It is expected that the visas will be issued over the next few weeks allows the Cucina and Chef's Table to resume. 

 

Some have suggested that some ships might be mothballed until staffing issues resolve. Imagine you had a cruise planned for a ship that was taken out of service. I sense several thousand people will be disappointed.  By keeping all ships working only 14 per voyage will miss The Chef's Table, and several dozen diners will miss Cucina. All ships will continue to generate revenue. 

 

If you ask me that is pretty good management. As I read the financials of several cruise corporations Carnival management shines very brightly.  

 

Someone spends too much time on John Healds FB page

Edited May 18, 2022 by pc_load_letter

[Moviela]

1 hour ago, ledges1 said:

If cruising on Carnival depended on finding a hot baked potato that would melt butter, the ship would be empty.

 

I give up. Where the hell are you getting butter?

[mowogo]

1 hour ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

Wow, so just Royal and their Diamond lounges. My lord, they must be so short staffed.

 

And again, they don't have their whole fleet sailing while Carnival choose to short their crew and passenger offerings all in the name of getting the entire fleet sailing.

 

Glad Carnival doesn't run an airlines.

That is literally the whole reason that the airlines have been having multi-day melt downs.  Trying to fly too much with no slack in the system.  

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

Wow, so just Royal and their Diamond lounges. My lord, they must be so short staffed.

 

And again, they don't have their whole fleet sailing while Carnival choose to short their crew and passenger offerings all in the name of getting the entire fleet sailing.

 

Glad Carnival doesn't run an airlines.

If Carnival did, they would require masks long before Royal admitted their failure 

[RD64]

Joebucks is 100% accurate! Meatballs are definitely found in Italy - served on their own, never mixed in with a plate of spaghetti. I speak from the perspective of my Italian relatives’ homes, not from tourist restaurants which may very well do so.

[bitemyfly]

On 5/17/2022 at 9:47 AM, Homosassa said:

LOL - I just looked at the Cucina's menu and cringed.  Really meatballs? Not in Italy. Fried Calamari? Not in Italy. I don't know where these "family" recipes came from, but they aren't Italy (or from my straight off the boat grandmother and the recipes passed down).

 

I was also going to suggest Olive Garden for quasi "Italian" fare.

 

This also explains the complaints that are posted about MSC's offering.

Hi 

I agree the cucina food could be better , as other poster stated sweet sauce.

I am 2 nd gen  Brooklyn born Italian , coast .. southern italy calamari is very popular.. fritto Misto ! 

[WKUTopperFan]

3 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

 Not if they were someone whose been cruising them for a while.

 

Sure, I've seen people from RCL say they "gave Carnival a try" and it perhaps wasn't for them.

 

But I can't recall a long term Carnival cruiser flat out say "I'm done". Who knows, I could be wrong but frankly, I don't think I can remember anyone saying that.

I'm a Carnival Platinum and I can honestly say that after my August cruise... if there is no Cucina or Chef's Table, I'm done. I split my cruise and casino dollars between Carnival and Celebrity.  Carnival comps me suites... Celebrity verandahs. The suites, other amenties and ability to smoke in the casino are the only reason I keep me coming back to Carnival. The inability to dine however will be deal breaker. I'll be done with Carnival and I'll be sure to let the casino team know why. 

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, Moviela said:

 

I give up. Where the hell are you getting butter?

From the self-serve butter factory. or on the table in the MDR.

 

 

 

 

[Guest BasicSailor]

6 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

From the self-serve butter factory. or on the table in the MDR.

 

 

 

 

You do know that's not butter, right 😁

[BlerkOne]

9 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

You do know that's not butter, right 😁

Of course it is. It is right there on the label.

 

§ 58.305 Meaning of words.

For the purpose of the regulations in this subpart, words in the singular form shall be deemed to impart the plural and vice versa, as the case may demand. Unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meaning.

 

(a) Butter. The food product usually known as butter, and which is made exclusively from milk or cream, or both, with or without common salt, with or without additional coloring matter, and containing not less than 80 percent by weight of milkfat, all tolerances having been allowed for.

[icft]

5 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Of course it is. It is right there on the label.

 

 

And they call that 2% stuff milk...

[BlerkOne]

23 minutes ago, icft said:

And they call that 2% stuff milk...

And Bud Light, beer.

[pc_load_letter]

2 hours ago, WKUTopperFan said:

I'm a Carnival Platinum and I can honestly say that after my August cruise... if there is no Cucina or Chef's Table, I'm done. I split my cruise and casino dollars between Carnival and Celebrity.  Carnival comps me suites... Celebrity verandahs. The suites, other amenties and ability to smoke in the casino are the only reason I keep me coming back to Carnival. The inability to dine however will be deal breaker. I'll be done with Carnival and I'll be sure to let the casino team know why. 

 

That's great input! I am no stranger to saying goodbye to brands. As a gun guy, Colt failed me years ago and they've been around since the 19th century.

 

I really do respect that though. I work hard for my dollars and I want what I want. After booking Radiance last week, I can home and asked my wife to look at NCL out of San Pedro. Sadly they are only doing 7 days and I right now can only fit in a four day.

 

But long term, I am entirely cruise agnostic and have no problem seeking other avenues for my dollar. Very excited to try a Virgin cruise later this year.

[KmomChicago]

6 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

That's great input! I am no stranger to saying goodbye to brands. As a gun guy, Colt failed me years ago and they've been around since the 19th century.

 

I really do respect that though. I work hard for my dollars and I want what I want.

 

This was my earlier point about choosing another cruise brand or product that better suits your needs and represents a better product for your investment but if I recall that was, I think the word was, dumb.  If Carnival cuts or lowers their product and people keep buying it anyway, there is no incentive to stop cutting and lowering. Voting with your dollar is more impactful than chit chatting with virtual people on social media about how much you dislike something. 

 

My hundred year old .32-20 Colt Police Positive is still my personal favorite firearm because it fits my hand like a glove, fires gently, and like most revolvers, has never failed and shows no sign of ever doing so. I like our little Henry .22 rifle a lot as well. They are easy to handle with minimal recoil and I am a small person without a tremendous amount of upper body strength.  I have fairly decent accuracy with both because I can control them.  I think I only shot my husband's .357 S&W Magnum once and that with .38 special ammo and wouldn't do it again unless my life depended on it, and I don't know that I could hit anything with it even in that situation.  But it's beautiful and certainly perfect for a certain customer, just not me.

 

But what do I know? Not much.

 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

9 hours ago, icft said:

And they call that 2% stuff milk...

 

I think that Carnival is the only line which does not make WHOLE milk readily available -- the only place I've seen it is at the dessert/coffee place for milkshakes and such. 

 

Tom

[ProgRockCruiser]

10 hours ago, BasicSailor said:

You do know that's not butter, right 😁

I used to work in our family restaurant.  That is just whipped butter, perhaps with a bit of water to help it get going.  There is no magic, nor margarine, there.  Or, if you like, it is butter plus air.  🙄

 

The fact that is it not a cold solid lump of refined animal fat that is difficult to cut does not make it "not butter".

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Having flashbacks of commercials...

 

"If you think it's butter, but it's not, it's Chiffon"

 

"Parkay... Parkay"

 

Tom

[KmomChicago]

6 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

Having flashbacks of commercials...

 

"If you think it's butter, but it's not, it's Chiffon"

 

"Parkay... Parkay"

 

Tom

 

It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

[KmomChicago]

Seriously does anyone eat margarine anymore? I use butter or olive oil.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

1 hour ago, KmomChicago said:

Seriously does anyone eat margarine anymore? I use butter or olive oil.

 

... and grass fed at that  🙂

 

Don't fear the reaper... errrr.... don't fear the (healthy) fat !!

 

Tom

[Guest BasicSailor]

1 hour ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

I used to work in our family restaurant.  That is just whipped butter, perhaps with a bit of water to help it get going.  There is no magic, nor margarine, there.  Or, if you like, it is butter plus air.  🙄

 

The fact that is it not a cold solid lump of refined animal fat that is difficult to cut does not make it "not butter".