Just Off MG: The Perils of a Long-Term Relationship

[RLM77]

We just returned from a B2B on Mardi Gras.  These were our 16th and 17th weeks on MG since she started sailing and our long-term relationship, like many others, is evolving from love to love-hate.

 

There are many things I still love about this ship.  As retirees, we find more – and better – age-appropriate entertainment on MG than on even the RCI Oasis-class.  The jazz at Brass Magnolia is often first-rate.  The Backyard Band plays a range of rock and country that often spans the 1960’s through today.  At least one of the soloists usually has “oldies” as part of their playlist.  The piano bar remains a favorite and at least some of the comedy still appeals to us.  We’ve seen the stage shows enough times that we usually skip them now, but the “Trop Rockin’” set on embarkation night remains a great way to kick off a cruise.

 

The complementary food continues to be the best among the mainstream lines.  That’s admittedly not a high bar to clear, but we enjoyed the “free” food on MG far more than we did the offerings on recent Princess and Celebrity cruises.  Lunch especially is a relative strong point, but even the MDR dinner choices have more flavor options than on other lines.

 

We also love the crew.  While there are always exceptions, overall we find them friendlier and more willing to please than anywhere else, and we’ve cruised on nearly all the mainstream lines (except MSC).  Many of them remember us by name from previous cruises and some of the bartenders even remember what we drink.  We continue to be impressed with their hard work and dedication.

 

Which makes my next comment – and first “hate” – even more troubling: there have been noticeable cutbacks in the number of crew, especially in food service.  MDR service times have elongated and are significantly longer on (very busy) elegant nights.  Additionally, the folks in the Your Time section of the MDR are stretched so thin that most of them no longer have time to participate in “Showtime.”  I understand that Showtime is disliked by some guests and is a throwaway for most others, but for us it represents a link to good times past as well as longstanding Carnival tradition.  We were sorry to see that it had been carved away by the cost-cutting knife.

 

Another staffing change: our cabin steward told us he now had 33 cabins to cover, several more than during his previous contract (also on MG).  As “guests” we didn’t notice this change which likely means there will be even more cabins per steward in the future.  But our hearts go out to these guys because we can see how long and hard they work.

 

Another cut that we very much did notice is the phase-out of top-shelf liquors.  I am a single-malt drinker and had always been satisfied with the selection on MG.  No longer – there are very few left and one gets the sense that soon there will be none at all.  Other MG regulars voiced the same complaint about premium tequilas (Reposados, Anejos).  For now the wine selection remains respectable, far better than on our recent Princess cruise.  But I can’t help but wonder if wines too will be downgraded in the future.

 

Rant almost finished.  While this next “hate” is not new it’s getting more annoying (remember, this has become a long-term relationship).  Except on port days, there is nowhere on this ship to escape the noise and escape the crowds.  Loft-19 is the exception but that is an expensive option.  While some of the balconies can be quiet, others are over public areas on Deck 8.  And there are lines, sometimes long lines, for almost anything noteworthy.

 

Overall we still think MG is one off the best mainstream ships out there.  The music choices and incredible crew will keep us coming back, at least for now.  Deficiencies (from our point of view) among competing cruise lines also help.  But the disappointments are accumulating.  Could a break-up be in our future??

Rich

Edited 11 hours ago by RLM77
Correct typo.

[notscb]

I had wondered if the staffing changes were coming across Carnival's new fleet. Carnival had a vested interest in ensuring that the rollout of their newest ships went smoothly so they clearly staffed those ships well, meanwhile some of their older ships lacked staff.  At some point, Carnival would need to redistribute staff across the fleet vs focusing on their new ships.

 

Yes, my claim is based on anecdotal evidence based on the reviews on these boards. FWIW, I've been noticing a similar trend on RCL with Icon's rollout.

 

 

[jimbo5544]

16 minutes ago, notscb said:

I had wondered if the staffing changes were coming across Carnival's new fleet. Carnival had a vested interest in ensuring that the rollout of their newest ships went smoothly so they clearly staffed those ships well, meanwhile some of their older ships lacked staff.  At some point, Carnival would need to redistribute staff across the fleet vs focusing on their new ships.

 

Yes, my claim is based on anecdotal evidence based on the reviews on these boards. FWIW, I've been noticing a similar trend on RCL with Icon's rollout.

 

 

There is little doubt that the industry is still recovering (personnel wise) from the mandated shutdown, simply a fact.  38 BILLION in the hole makes lots of companies do different things.  Their quarterly financials are coming out this week.  It will be interesting to see how they look.

[jimbo5544]

3 hours ago, RLM77 said:

We just returned from a B2B on Mardi Gras.  These were our 16th and 17th weeks on MG since she started sailing and our long-term relationship, like many others, is evolving from love to love-hate.

 

There are many things I still love about this ship.  As retirees, we find more – and better – age-appropriate entertainment on MG than on even the RCI Oasis-class.  The jazz at Brass Magnolia is often first-rate.  The Backyard Band plays a range of rock and country that often spans the 1960’s through today.  At least one of the soloists usually has “oldies” as part of their playlist.  The piano bar remains a favorite and at least some of the comedy still appeals to us.  We’ve seen the stage shows enough times that we usually skip them now, but the “Trop Rockin’” set on embarkation night remains a great way to kick off a cruise.

 

The complementary food continues to be the best among the mainstream lines.  That’s admittedly not a high bar to clear, but we enjoyed the “free” food on MG far more than we did the offerings on recent Princess and Celebrity cruises.  Lunch especially is a relative strong point, but even the MDR dinner choices have more flavor options than on other lines.

 

We also love the crew.  While there are always exceptions, overall we find them friendlier and more willing to please than anywhere else, and we’ve cruised on nearly all the mainstream lines (except MSC).  Many of them remember us by name from previous cruises and some of the bartenders even remember what we drink.  We continue to be impressed with their hard work and dedication.

 

Which makes my next comment – and first “hate” – even more troubling: there have been noticeable cutbacks in the number of crew, especially in food service.  MDR service times have elongated and are significantly longer on (very busy) elegant nights.  Additionally, the folks in the Your Time section of the MDR are stretched so thin that most of them no longer have time to participate in “Showtime.”  I understand that Showtime is disliked by some guests and is a throwaway for most others, but for us it represents a link to good times past as well as longstanding Carnival tradition.  We were sorry to see that it had been carved away by the cost-cutting knife.

 

Another staffing change: our cabin steward told us he now had 33 cabins to cover, several more than during his previous contract (also on MG).  As “guests” we didn’t notice this change which likely means there will be even more cabins per steward in the future.  But our hearts go out to these guys because we can see how long and hard they work.

 

Another cut that we very much did notice is the phase-out of top-shelf liquors.  I am a single-malt drinker and had always been satisfied with the selection on MG.  No longer – there are very few left and one gets the sense that soon there will be none at all.  Other MG regulars voiced the same complaint about premium tequilas (Reposados, Anejos).  For now the wine selection remains respectable, far better than on our recent Princess cruise.  But I can’t help but wonder if wines too will be downgraded in the future.

 

Rant almost finished.  While this next “hate” is not new it’s getting more annoying (remember, this has become a long-term relationship).  Except on port days, there is nowhere on this ship to escape the noise and escape the crowds.  Loft-19 is the exception but that is an expensive option.  While some of the balconies can be quiet, others are over public areas on Deck 8.  And there are lines, sometimes long lines, for almost anything noteworthy.

 

Overall we still think MG is one off the best mainstream ships out there.  The music choices and incredible crew will keep us coming back, at least for now.  Deficiencies (from our point of view) among competing cruise lines also help.  But the disappointments are accumulating.  Could a break-up be in our future??

Rich

I would be interested as to which top shelf you no longer see.  Not an expert with all of it but the comment made me think.  In regards to room stewards, the cutbacks are clear, but that said, we have noticed between 32 and 35 cabins being serviced by a room steward for a good many years.  Not debating what occured, just more of a timing thing, from my vantage point.

[RLM77]

9 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

I would be interested as to which top shelf you no longer see.  Not an expert with all of it but the comment made me think.  In regards to room stewards, the cutbacks are clear, but that said, we have noticed between 32 and 35 cabins being serviced by a room steward for a good many years.  Not debating what occured, just more of a timing thing, from my vantage point.

I drank the last of the Aberfeldy 16 and almost finished the 12 - one of the bartenders scared up what he said were the last two bottles of that.  There was still some Glenmorangie.  That’s all I noticed as still available at Fortune Teller, Brass Magnolia, Del a Rosa, and Pig & Anchor.  We don’t frequent the steakhouse bar or the Alchemy; there may have been others available there.

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, RLM77 said:

I drank the last of the Aberfeldy 16 and almost finished the 12 - one of the bartenders scared up what he said were the last two bottles of that.  There was still some Glenmorangie.  That’s all I noticed as still available at Fortune Teller, Brass Magnolia, Del a Rosa, and Pig & Anchor.  We don’t frequent the steakhouse bar or the Alchemy; there may have been others available there.

Thanks for the reply.

[elkaholic]

I noticed a drop in service quality in the MDR on Radiance on our cruise this month (was planning on making a post about our experiences). My first cruise since coronageddon. Actually sailed the last week in Feb 2019 before ships started getting denied ports. I was wondering if it was just the Your Time Dining (what we had) or if it was noticeable with the set time dining as well. 

[Cherrys]

2 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

Thanks for the reply.

I too noticed no more Aberfeldy on our Venezia cruise last week

[jimbo5544]

48 minutes ago, Cherrys said:

I too noticed no more Aberfeldy on our Venezia cruise last week

Thanks, I have to claim ignorance on the brand you name.