Christmas cruise on Freedom, A lot to process!

[Stick93]

9 hours ago, cbringdrvr said:

Over a year ago in mid November , my family upon recommendation from me decided to book a Christmas cruise 2023. Seventeen people, six cabins on the 10th deck on Freedom.  Yes, I realized Freedom was an older ship but I have sailed and enjoyed other sailings in the same class as Freedom and I also knew it was undergoing a quick refurbishment in October. I have used the same PVP for about six years and was in direct communication with him as did the rest of the group.  On Black Friday ‘22 I did a ghost booking and the price for my cruise had gone down significantly so I called him and after some hesitation he agreed that I could indeed take advantage of the lower price.  Regrettably I did not notice that the confirmation email of the new price also included a change of my cabin only to deck 7 on opposite ends of the ship.  I take responsibility for not noticing.  However, at no time did he mention anything about changing cabins.  It was not until I printed documents that I realized this.  I immediately called and confirmed my greatest fear.  Ship was completely sold out,  PVP apologized.  I would have never, ever agreed to change cabins completely away from my children and grandchildren for the sake of saving money,   We always stay on deck above lido no matter the ship. It certainly did not ruin my vacay but it did most definitely affect it.

There are some other issues with this cruise I want to write about. I have read many reports that the quality of food and service overall has gone downhill significantly recently.  Having sailed most recently in May with great satisfaction , I scoffed at those reviews.  Sadly, overall the food was indeed disappointing. I do not expect 5 star cuisine  but four entrees in the MDR were awful(strip loin, an entree salad, parpadelle with lamb and fried chicken, previously a favorite ). We have enjoyed the buffet at lunch in the past but the quality and drink service was very disappointing.  In particular , the meal for Christmas was simply unacceptable..  We waited 45 minutes between our appetizer and entrees and then waited another 30 minutes after entree for dessert with no plates cleared or water refilled.  One of us never received our entree during all that time with no explanation when we inquired several times.We spent two full hours in the MDR , resulting in arriving late to several Christmas evening festivities. 

 

The last item I want to address is the general feeling of safety.  The cruise started off with an aura of yuletide cheer but as the week progressed the atmosphere digressed as entire groups of very rowdy unsupervised teens and young adults roamed the ship.   They took delight in blocking hallways and stair landings, spitting on people in the atrium from above, etc.  On the last night of the cruise they boldly escalated their behavior to a dangerous level.  They were seen by my husband and others wearing ski masks while threatening people.  At one am the “Charlie” call came over the intercom system twice for security as large fights broke out on 9th deck.  

I have been extremely loyal to Carnival for many years but I am ready to spend my vacations elsewhere. For all of the PR they are doing to improve their image, they are completely failing at implementation.  The  very heavy smell of weed at all hours of the day and night( so strong inside my cabin and on balcony and through out the ship) is proof that their heavily advertised announcements of intolerance is nothing short of a lie.  Much more importantly, for the first time in 15 plus cruises, I and my family no longer feel safe while sailing with Carnival. We sailed with four beautiful  , well behaved teenage granddaughters whose ability to enjoy the ship on their own was directly affected by this atmosphere.  Freedom security needs a complete overhaul.  They seemed to be very adept at catching those who took videos of the several fights as it was reported they commanded individuals to delete videos while they watched and verified.  They were also very adept at commanding people in cabins nearby to stay in their rooms even though they were getting texts from family members trying to reach each other out of fear for their own safety. Their concern for public image greatly eclipses their actual attention to creating a safe , enjoyable family atmosphere for people to sail and spend their hard earned money to create lasting memories.  My money can be spent elsewhere.  My loyalty to Carnival has suffered a tremendous blow, quite possibly, fatal.

 

 

 

 

 

Clientele on Carnival has most definitely gone down. My last cruise that I took my family on with Carnival, I had a person threaten me with serious physical harm that I believed would have been the end of me , that I had to yell security. When security did come they were little to no help until I took my camera out and started recording the entire event. Carnival is not serious about raining in the wrong behavior, and it only continues especially when there are more young people on the ship. Sadly the behavior on all the cruise lines has gotten worse the carnival in my opinion and experience has been the worst. 

[Drazil65]

OP, so sorry you had that experience and its not the way most people would want to spend their holiday.  I would not have been happy with the cabin change either (even at your request it seems like that should have been mentioned somewhere along the way during the process?), that had to be hard with your whole family staying in a different area.  

 

We got off of MG last Saturday (a 7 day) and had a great cruise (including food although we did not eat in MDR at all this time around, it just worked out that way).  There were approx. 6300 passengers onboard that week and we did not see anything even close to your experience.  Of course with a bigger ship there are more places to hang out and more options to create your own cruising experience closer to your own expectations.    

 

We cruise 2 or 3 times a year easily and although we have seen our share of drunk cruisers and the like, we are lucky we have not seen any fights first hand onboard any ship so far.  Children do tend to run wild when unsupervised but the parents are more to blame most of the time.  Our cruising has evolved over the years and we are quite good at spending our time in areas that do not include a lot of children/teens and this cruise was no different for us.  People can be rude and lacking in manners anywhere, being on vacation seems to attract such people in many cases as they are very focused on themselves.  It sometimes appears that manners are on vacation as well as the people.  

 

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by Drazil65

[cml4958]

9 hours ago, pe4all said:

Sorry your cruise was so disappointing to you.  While we have seen some of the issues you observed (slow dining room service, rowdy teens blocking stairways, weed smell on ships) we have never felt unsafe on a CCL ship.  Hopefully you went to guest services to report some of these things.  Also I would put my concerns in writing to CCL.  Mail it return receipt.  You may or may not get a response- but at least it is on record somewhere.  

@cbringdrvr I would recommend that instead of mailing you email.  I used to volunteer for Chris Elliott's consumer advocacy organization.  I've listed the link below for the Carnival execs.  Please read the page fully as there is a guide to solving your own problem hyperlinked which explains the process that usually results in success.  Start with basic customer service and if no response, or not the desired response, email to the primary contact.  Rinse and repeat.  Good luck with getting your voice heard.

 

I would be appalled if I experienced what you experienced.

 

https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/carnival-cruise-lines/

[purpleally]

2 hours ago, Stick93 said:

Clientele on Carnival has most definitely gone down. My last cruise that I took my family on with Carnival, I had a person threaten me with serious physical harm that I believed would have been the end of me , that I had to yell security. When security did come they were little to no help until I took my camera out and started recording the entire event. Carnival is not serious about raining in the wrong behavior, and it only continues especially when there are more young people on the ship. Sadly the behavior on all the cruise lines has gotten worse the carnival in my opinion and experience has been the worst. 

I would never ever ever cruise on carnival. While I realize there is a price point I would rather spend a LOT more and cruise on more civilized lines such as Seabourn and Regent. No kids either. Maybe one or two

[mz-s]

Carnival Celebration currently being detained in Cozumel due to a brawl onboard. Week in and week out on "The Fun Ships"

[cbringdrvr]

1 hour ago, cml4958 said:

@cbringdrvr I would recommend that instead of mailing you email.  I used to volunteer for Chris Elliott's consumer advocacy organization.  I've listed the link below for the Carnival execs.  Please read the page fully as there is a guide to solving your own problem hyperlinked which explains the process that usually results in success.  Start with basic customer service and if no response, or not the desired response, email to the primary contact.  Rinse and repeat.  Good luck with getting your voice heard.

 

I would be appalled if I experienced what you experienced.

 

https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/carnival-cruise-lines/

This is very valuable!  I tried to get proper email addresses at guest service but was told everything needed to go through 1-800/CARNIVAL,  I knew that was baloney.  Thanks so much!

[Jamman54]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

Carnival Celebration currently being detained in Cozumel due to a brawl onboard. Week in and week out on "The Fun Ships"

Source please.

[TiredTrucker]

7 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

Source please.

 

Could be they at referring to this account:  Passenger reporting on Reddit that a group was being removed at Cozumel after a fight onboard.  Boat is underway now, delayed 2-3 hrs per the passenger's account. 

[Roscoe13]

16 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

Source please.

Exactly!!

[mz-s]

You can look at the ships position and see it is/was still in Cozumel hours after schedule.

 

i don’t think we can link to other

forms of social media? Yes referring to Reddit post.

[momof3cruisers]

9 hours ago, ledges1 said:

I will be on the Glory in January out of New Orleans for 7 days. I booked this cruise thinking most kids will be back in school and an older crowd. On my last cruise in early November, Security was very prevalent through out the cruise ship. I hope this is the case in New Orleans. In Jacksonville, the police were walking a dog on board during the boarding process. Again, I hope this is the case in New Orleans. We did not smell marijuana in November but have in the past. I am sorry you experienced this behavior. If you have videos, I would send to Carnival. If this happened on my cruise, Carnival would hear loud clear about the problem, especially if I had video evidence.

My boys and I sailed out of Miami in early December. We decided that those dogs are safety theater. They clearly missed A LOT!!! Not only because on the very first day, immediately after sail away we could smell marijuana INSIDE our cabin when the vent was blowing but also because tons of people in our FB group mentioned smelling it as well and we were in all different areas of the ship. It was SO pervasive in our hallway that neighbors often passed each other and asked “do you guys smell pot?” On the last full day of the cruise we came out of the stateroom to a letter in the mailbox saying there had been several reports in that area and reminding people that there was a fine for smoking anything in the cabin or on the balcony. No kidding.

 

However, I will say that the cruise was very pleasant, didn’t see any crazy behavior though we are not night owls, and the food was all really good. We were on a four day on Conquest and I had definite concerns before we went. A friend of mine was on the next four day on Conquest and it was her husband’s first cruise. They loved it and he already booked them on another one in Jan. Also smelled weed but didn’t see any misbehaving either. 

[staceyglow]

4 hours ago, purpleally said:

I would never ever ever cruise on carnival. While I realize there is a price point I would rather spend a LOT more and cruise on more civilized lines such as Seabourn and Regent. No kids either. Maybe one or two

With all due respect, why are you even bothering to post here?

Edited December 30, 2023 by staceyglow

[WhiteOptima]

10 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

Totally agree!  My DH said if parents were fined $25 for every indiscretion, maybe the parents would monitor their children better.  I thought there was a fine for bad behavior, like fighting and not being able to cruise Carnival.🤷‍♀️ 

Cancel their drink package too.  And yes I drink so don’t blast me but parents are out having a good time and their kids are running around the ship causing issues!

[KarmaCruisers]

2 hours ago, WhiteOptima said:

Cancel their drink package too.  And yes I drink so don’t blast me but parents are out having a good time and their kids are running around the ship causing issues!

Not only cancel; literally bar them from PURCHASING a drink.

[bg2310]

So sorry for your horrible experience. I don't wish that upon anybody, and certainly nobody reasonable deserves to have their vacation ruined like this. I would take it up with their customer service team and have a conversation with them, not that it is likely to accomplish much. But maybe with enough complaints about this kind of thing, if indeed it is as common as some I see are making it out to be.

 

I definitely agree that Carnival needs to do more with regard to repercussions and disincentives for such behavior from passengers of all ages. It's unacceptable. 

 

All that being said, I don't know how generalizable we can make our own anecdotes. I have been on 3 Carnival this cruises just this year, a 4-day, 7-day, and 5-day and can say I did not witness any such behavior as described in the OP or other users, particularly those labeling it the "Wild West". Talk about sensationalism. 🙄😬

[jimbo5544]

14 hours ago, Jamman54 said:

Source please.

Bashers have no sources, amazing how they pop up for the negative.  Remind you of Loyal Royals, how do you spell agenda.  

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, bg2310 said:

So sorry for your horrible experience. I don't wish that upon anybody, and certainly nobody reasonable deserves to have their vacation ruined like this. I would take it up with their customer service team and have a conversation with them, not that it is likely to accomplish much. But maybe with enough complaints about this kind of thing, if indeed it is as common as some I see are making it out to be.

 

I definitely agree that Carnival needs to do more with regard to repercussions and disincentives for such behavior from passengers of all ages. It's unacceptable. 

 

All that being said, I don't know how generalizable we can make our own anecdotes. I have been on 3 Carnival this cruises just this year, a 4-day, 7-day, and 5-day and can say I did not witness any such behavior as described in the OP or other users, particularly those labeling it the "Wild West". Talk about sensationalism. 🙄😬

Good post, I have been on 6 and witnessed none as well.  Sometimes rose colored glasses makes us see what we want to see when things are not going well.  Holiday week cruises with lots of kids are going to be significantly different than mid march cruises….ON ALL CRUISE LINES.  Simply a fact.  The other fact is Carnival IS doing things to reign on the clientele.  There are threads here where cruisers feel infringed upon when they have to go thru horrific 5 minute waits while a drug dog scans carry on.  Another fact is that while Carnival tries to hold the line in regards to controlled substances, society says it is fine.  If you can stop along the way at a drive thru and big up something YOU KNOW the cruise line says is not allowed, then we should expect the results.  To imply this a Carnival problem is either an agenda driven post or pure folly (another fact).  

[jimbo5544]

16 hours ago, purpleally said:

I would never ever ever cruise on carnival. While I realize there is a price point I would rather spend a LOT more and cruise on more civilized lines such as Seabourn and Regent. No kids either. Maybe one or two

Wow, there is a lot to process here.  Thanks for the info.  Do they lock up the kids at night on Regent?  That way you are assured there are none roaming the halls causing harm and pestilence.  Have you sailed on Carnival? 

[jimbo5544]

On 12/29/2023 at 9:29 AM, cbringdrvr said:

Thanks for the return receipt tip!

Sorry you had a horrible cruise.  Nobody should ever feel threatened, on a cruise ship or anywhere.  I am sure you addressed it while on board.  Curious as to what GS response was.  Can you elaborate?  Not trying to cast blame, but seems the cabin issue was all on you, did I miss something?

Edited December 30, 2023 by jimbo5544

[purpleally]

45 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Wow, there is a lot to process here.  Thanks for the info.  Do they lock up the kids at night on Regent?  That way you are assured there are none roaming the halls causing harm and pestilence.  Have you sailed on Carnival? 

No kids. Too expensive and nothing for them to do

[jimbo5544]

21 minutes ago, purpleally said:

No kids. Too expensive and nothing for them to do

I get the rationale.  That said, this forum is Carnival.  The Fun ships.  Designed for families.  Compare them to Regent is meaningless (including clientele, and oh by the way price and the niumber of people on board).  

[sc4125]

I feel for the OP and her family.  That would certainly help ruin my vacation.

 

I was on the 5 day Freedom the week before the OP.  For whatever reason, I was not thinking about it being the week before Christmas when I booked it.  It was super crowded with lots and lots of kids.  We had 2 balcony cabins on the Lido deck and luckily never had an issue.  No kids running up and down the hallways (most of the time this is a problem) and I didn't witness any unusually rowdy behavior from the teens onboard.  Walking out to the Lido pool area was a bit of a mess trying to weave through people and I have never seen such lines at Guys Burgers - they literally went from Guys to the rum bar on one side and down to the taco place on the other.  I simply went on off times and we also ate breakfast and dinner in the dining room.

 

Like others, I have never personally witnessed a fight on any of the ships I've been on.  Mind you, I'm not hanging out in the clubs either.  Too old for that these days and spend the majority of the evenings in the casino.  My pet peeve is people stopping in the middle of the walkways on Promenade and Lido to have a discussion.  It drives me crazy that people do not have the common courtesy to have their discussions at the side of the walkway and not in the middle.  They seem to have no concept that they are blocking others from walking through.

 

 As I said it was very crowded.  It was our first time on the Freedom, though my sister and I are both Diamond so we've been on lots of Carnival cruises.  I had no problem with the Freedom but had to talk my sister down from a low opinion simply based on the number of people onboard.  I'm sure it was just as crowded on all the other ships during this week.  

 

 

[jimbo5544]

36 minutes ago, sc4125 said:

I feel for the OP and her family.  That would certainly help ruin my vacation.

 

I was on the 5 day Freedom the week before the OP.  For whatever reason, I was not thinking about it being the week before Christmas when I booked it.  It was super crowded with lots and lots of kids.  We had 2 balcony cabins on the Lido deck and luckily never had an issue.  No kids running up and down the hallways (most of the time this is a problem) and I didn't witness any unusually rowdy behavior from the teens onboard.  Walking out to the Lido pool area was a bit of a mess trying to weave through people and I have never seen such lines at Guys Burgers - they literally went from Guys to the rum bar on one side and down to the taco place on the other.  I simply went on off times and we also ate breakfast and dinner in the dining room.

 

Like others, I have never personally witnessed a fight on any of the ships I've been on.  Mind you, I'm not hanging out in the clubs either.  Too old for that these days and spend the majority of the evenings in the casino.  My pet peeve is people stopping in the middle of the walkways on Promenade and Lido to have a discussion.  It drives me crazy that people do not have the common courtesy to have their discussions at the side of the walkway and not in the middle.  They seem to have no concept that they are blocking others from walking through.

 

 As I said it was very crowded.  It was our first time on the Freedom, though my sister and I are both Diamond so we've been on lots of Carnival cruises.  I had no problem with the Freedom but had to talk my sister down from a low opinion simply based on the number of people onboard.  I'm sure it was just as crowded on all the other ships during this week.  

 

 

Interesting post.  Cruising is booming, for all lines.  Cruise ship occupancy is based based in lower berths, during times like this with a significant number higher than that, something has to give.  That something could present itself in a host of ways, some of which the Op describes.  That is a not a degradation of the product but an anomaly based at least partly on the number of people on the ship.  This affects, CCL, RCCL, NCL and even the majestic Seaborne or Regent SS.  

[bg2310]

I would add that my very first cruise was on the Freedom in fact, for just a 4-day and I had a great experience! No horrible behavior as described in this thread either beyond maybe not always the best elevator courtesy.

 

Other than that everyone was very happy and clearly there to have a good time, with a lot of drunk people sure, but no drama or fighting. Mind you this was in mid-January and so there weren't as many kids as other times I've gone. 

 

Still, as another user has stated, cruising is booming and very hot right now. A lot more people are doing it than maybe have in the past. That likely presents many new challenges they'll have to kink out, but that would be the case for all cruise lines, not only Carnival.

[notscb]

On 12/29/2023 at 5:37 PM, mz-s said:

Week in and week out on "The Fun Ships"

Did you miss the fight onboard a royal ship last week?

 

For how many cruises sail without problem, there are bound to be cruises with issues- especially during peek travel times. I've sailed Carnival plenty of times with exactly zero incident onboard. It's luck of the draw for any ship where you pack in 2,000 of your newest closest friends.