Should we give Carnival another try?

[mz-s]

4 minutes ago, latebloomer56 said:

Well sorry if the cruise was so bad, just lucky I guess never had a totally crappy cruise. Yes not everything has been perfect, but have never gone hungry on any cruise. If NZ ties in with your family visit go for it vacation is about making memories, only you can choose those memories.

 

Sorry to hear some feel Carnival is sinking we just booked the Venezia for Aug./Sept. first Carnival cruise in many years. No reason other than they weren't going where I wanted when I wanted so have stuck with Princess and for our home port area NCL (which is actually sinking fast).

 

Carnival is still a good product for what it is. But those of us who know what Carnival is capable of recognize that the company has chosen to be "good enough for the price" rather than trying to actually do better. They're the salvage titled Kia Rio of the cruise industry I guess you could say.

[icft]

As others have said, Carnival has not gotten better over the last few years. I think it is more like Carnival has fallen off a cliff in the last few years.

 

You might also want to consider that December 2024 is a long time from now. Personally I would not book a cruise that was important to me on Carnival that far out. We frequently take Carnival cruises but they are really throw away cruises that are essentially free (casino offers). It is quite possible Carnival will be bankrupt by December 2024 and you are left with nothing.

[FastShip24]

5 hours ago, dianeh said:

We and another couple sailed a couple of years ago from lax to Mexico. We had balcony cabins. We usually cruise with Hal and have also sailed with Norweigan. We found our 7 day adventure horrible. Almost every meal in the dining room was cold, over or undercooked. We were told they would make it right. Never did. Our last night we ate at the buffet. The ship ran out of clamato juice, worstershire and avocados. There's more to add but you get the gist of it. We are flying to Sydney next December 2024 to see family. I have found a cruise for New Zealand on the Splendor. This is the only cruise in the time we wish to visit. I swore I'd never set foot on another Carnival ship but maybe I should give them another try? 

Just got off the Panorama. We have sailed on four of the major lines.  It was the best cruise we have ever taken. 

[staceyglow]

Has anyone else noticed that the biggest complainers on this board seem to be folks who cruise for free or close to free on Carnival because of casino offers?

 

Perhaps you guys should just insist on a refund.

 

 

[USU_Aggie]

1 minute ago, staceyglow said:

Has anyone else noticed that the biggest complainers on this board seem to be folks who cruise for free or close to free on Carnival because of casino offers?

 

Perhaps you guys should just insist on a refund.

 

 

 

I'd be upset too. They're paying 5x more than the rest of us because the odds are so bad on the ships. 

[CruizinSusan70]

4 hours ago, Hoosierpop said:

Sure. But I’ve never had a day that I would call horrible, let alone an entire cruise. If the complaint was that their AC didn’t work in their room, I’d say that might be a one off. Sure, they can try again. And they might have fun. But if I had a horrible 7 day cruise, I wouldn’t go back unless it was close to free.

But it was a general statement made with no specifics to back it up.  Give me a handful of things that occurred to make your entire cruise horrible and it's more believable than just an all encompassing statement.

[BlerkOne]

9 minutes ago, staceyglow said:

Has anyone else noticed that the biggest complainers on this board seem to be folks who cruise for free or close to free on Carnival because of casino offers?

 

Perhaps you guys should just insist on a refund.

 

 

Or don't cruise on Carnival to begin with. If at all. 

[CruizinSusan70]

4 hours ago, Wennfred said:

No, Save your money and sail on another cruise line, give the Celebrity Apex class a try, you will really see a difference in everything from Quality of service and especially food.

 

I am giving the Mardi Gras and Celebration a try this November because it’s their newest biggest ships but after November I have one more and it’s because Firenze is a different Italian concept but after that I’m done with Carnival.
 

I will sails with Holland, Princess, Royal and Celebrity. I have not done MSC or NCL yet and with the BS that NCL is pulling with taking that lady’s 4600.00 money over a 109.00 bus transfer mis-take I won’t waste my time with them also.

 

 

 

Just to let you know, NCL refunded her 

[StephPS79]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

 

Carnival is still a good product for what it is. But those of us who know what Carnival is capable of recognize that the company has chosen to be "good enough for the price" rather than trying to actually do better. They're the salvage titled Kia Rio of the cruise industry I guess you could say.

I'd reckon to say that most cruise lines product is "good enough for the price." Because they all operate as a business.  The only difference is, the price is low.  I don't think there are a lot of lines out there giving the "above and beyond" relative to the price.  

[VentureMan_2000]

On previous cruises, I would overhear during evening dining folks at another table complaining how they thought the ship was filthy... like they came wearing a white glove just so they could complain.  These are the same folks that gave the server grief because their meal was not cooked or prepared to their liking. 

I always want to ask the age of a disappointed cruiser.   And I want to ask their income.  And I want to ask if they have housekeepers/cooks. 

I can't help but thinking of Emily on Gilmore Girls when folks complain. 

It's a cruise... enjoy.

Edited March 28, 2023 by VentureMan_2000

[FastShip24]

36 minutes ago, StephPS79 said:

I'd reckon to say that most cruise lines product is "good enough for the price." Because they all operate as a business.  The only difference is, the price is low.  I don't think there are a lot of lines out there giving the "above and beyond" relative to the price.  

Just off the Panorama.  They definitely went above and beyond

[Markmom18]

Based on the OP’s post … my opinion is no to going back on Carnival.
 

If they had truly felt that each day of their Carnival cruise was “ horrible”, WHY would they waste their vacation time and money??

 

With the money saved by not booking the cruise, OP why not explore more of the country you are visiting! 🙂🙂

 

🛳️🛳️

Bobbi

[Wennfred]

2 hours ago, FastShip24 said:

Just off the Panorama.  They definitely went above and beyond

Panorama, is a great cruise especially when Lee Mason was onboard but you can only sail on her so many times. 3x since the restart.

 

CD Lee Mason is now on Celebration.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Wennfred

[Wennfred]

4 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Just to let you know, NCL refunded her 

Yes, only because of the heat they Recd, that should have never happened in the first place.

 

Put yourself in their shoes, to make it to the terminal and to tell you that you can’t sail and you are out 4600.00 what a crock  of BS.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Wennfred

[Joebucks]

Should the average person? Yes.

 

Should you? No. Chances are, the food wasn't nearly as bad as you made it out to be. You will likely find the same disappointment.

[kdr69]

13 hours ago, sgttami said:

My first 5 Carnival cruises were on Splendor (from NY) and I'd sail her again in a minute.

 

I don't need a dozen different places to eat and I'm happy with the older ships.

 

No complaints at all!

 

 

i have none either but to the OP it may be the straw....

[ray98]

If you didn't like Carnival pre-Covid you certainly won't like them now.  Certainly nothing has improved since then.

[kdr69]

I believe that Carnival has chosen "to survive as best as possible" given the "last few years" that everyone keeps casually mentioning as if it was business as usual for all involved, and paying more money for a better "quality" of people is fine but unless your sailing alone nothing is guarantied where humans are concerned and the higher the price the shorter the fuse for some.

[Hoosierpop]

9 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

But it was a general statement made with no specifics to back it up.  Give me a handful of things that occurred to make your entire cruise horrible and it's more believable than just an all encompassing statement.

That’s kinda my point. It was a general statement that they had a horrible cruise. Nothing specific that would be considered a one off thing. And it’s not like they have never cruised, so they have something to compare it to. Again, they could have a great time. I just wouldn’t risk it. If I didn’t like a restaurant 7 times in a row, I’m not paying for an 8th.

 

Carnival isn’t for everyone. I’ve been on HA and wouldn’t go again because it seemed like a ship full of people just sitting around. Place was dead at night. Those same people might hate Carnival. 

[Drazil65]

paying more money for a better "quality" of people is fine but unless your sailing alone nothing is guarantied where humans are concerned and the higher the price the shorter the fuse for some.

 

LOL...yes, because people with more money never act up or act entitled.  People are people no matter where you go and sometimes appearances are very deceiving.  Cant always judge on the optics.  

 

There are plenty of cruise lines out there so have your pick and move on (funny how many of the CCL complainers keep coming back to the Carnival forum just to continue to complain, love the attention I guess) as you are responsible for your own happiness.  

[Honolulu Blue]

11 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Just to let you know, NCL refunded her 

Not exactly.  They gave her a FCC in the amount of her cruise.  

 

OP, I think it would be a very tough call to recommend Carnival again or not.  The Carnival I knew can do better than what you experienced, and probably would the next time - if you gave them a next time.  But Royal and Princess also do the Mexican Riviera thing, and perhaps others.  They're pretty good too.  

 

I don't lean in one direction or another.  I defer to my colleagues on this.

[1kaper]

11 hours ago, staceyglow said:

Has anyone else noticed that the biggest complainers on this board seem to be folks who cruise for free or close to free on Carnival because of casino offers?

 

Perhaps you guys should just insist on a refund.

 

 

 

Not me.  We sail on the "free" rooms and that's the only reason I would sail Carnival.  I get what I pay for so I'm not too bothered by not great food. I can always find something to eat.  
I wouldn't pay full price to go on Carnival after my last two sailings with them.  But I'll pay the sale price and not complain.  

[1kaper]

7 hours ago, Wennfred said:

Yes, only because of the heat they Recd, that should have never happened in the first place.

 

Put yourself in their shoes, to make it to the terminal and to tell you that you can’t sail and you are out 4600.00 what a crock  of BS.

 

 

 

 

Anyone want to share what happened?

 

[tonit964]

17 hours ago, dianeh said:

We and another couple sailed a couple of years ago from lax to Mexico. We had balcony cabins. We usually cruise with Hal and have also sailed with Norweigan. We found our 7 day adventure horrible. Almost every meal in the dining room was cold, over or undercooked. We were told they would make it right. Never did. Our last night we ate at the buffet. The ship ran out of clamato juice, worstershire and avocados. There's more to add but you get the gist of it. We are flying to Sydney next December 2024 to see family. I have found a cruise for New Zealand on the Splendor. This is the only cruise in the time we wish to visit. I swore I'd never set foot on another Carnival ship but maybe I should give them another try? 

Based on how you describe your last carnival cruise, I would say no, don't give it another try.

 

[tonit964]

21 minutes ago, 1kaper said:

Anyone want to share what happened?

 

The story is on the NCL board.