Be Honest!!!!!!

[vjmatty]

There's an assumption here that discount people don't have manners, too?

I shop at Wal-Mart, because I hate paying extra money for something that could be purchased there. I think it's not too smart to pay extra for something JUST because it's at an expensive store, when you can go to Wal-Mart for the same product. I'm a practical person I guess.

As to cruising, let's be honest, there are people who cruise Carnival for the discount, and there are people who cruise Carnival because they LIKE Carnival. Let's not lump everyone in the same basket. Also, I've seen some pretty rude affluent people. Money doesn't equal class.

 

I agree... while I may not by mens/womens clothes or furniture at WalMart because I do care about quality, when it comes to things like name-brand groceries, toiletries, toys or kids clothes, there is no difference between shopping at WalMart or anywhere else. Except price... the 79 cent travel sized shampoo at WalMart cost $2.99 at the grocery store :eek:

 

Carnival is what it is... cruising for those either on a budget or particular about what they spend their money on, and those who like a certain type of environment or activity choices. As you can see my choice of lines depends on what we are doing. A port-intensive cruise is less about the ship for me but I do want a balcony for all of those ports, so I chose Carnival. Also with regard to taking kids on a cruise, I prefer a "fun ship". However, I enjoy formal events and wouldn't even consider a transatlantic on anything other than Cunard, because the ship is everything on a transatlantic. ;)

 

Saying those who choose Carnival are classless and without social skills is like saying someone who prefers a Springsteen concert over the symphony is also without social skills. And where would you put someone like me, who would love to do both? :D

[islahopper]

I shop at Wal-Mart (did so this morning) and I cruise Carnival. The thing is that with cheap prices you get some people that do not have the social skills to be out in public. The people who act like they're still on the farm and are better at interacting with livestock than people( OMG I think I may be one of them cause I'd rather talk to my cat then other people). Maybe I got up on the wrong side of the bottle, guess I'll have to flame myself.

[heyitsmejudy]

The thing is that with cheap prices you get some people that do not have the social skills to be out in public.

 

And I've found the thing with high prices is you get snooty people who think the world owes them something and that they're above obeying rules.

Paris Hilton can afford to cruise on her own yacht. She's lacking some of those social skills you speak of.:D

[Kurbanfan]

I think it's fair to say you get lack of character in both classes.........

[momofzeke]

Carnival is not lux cruise line and will always have flaws and poorly acting passengers.

 

And is it your contention that other cruise lines do not have any flaws or badly behaved passengers? :eek: :rolleyes:

[StknCPA]

And is it your contention that other cruise lines do not have any flaws or badly behaved passengers? :eek: :rolleyes:

 

Is there a cruise line that sells wine but not beer? That is the only way that there would be a line without unruly passengers. (tongue firmly in cheek)

[Barkingowl]

Total thread drift now but I can't get this out of my head now that we are talking about toilets. I was outside a mens restroom when all of a sudden I heard screaming and cussing. Next thing I know the guy threw open the door. The toilet was malfunctioning (too heavy load i think) and was overflowing. Here was this 6' plus guy cussing pulling toilet paper off the roll and throwing it on top the increasing mess and at the same time trying to pull up his pants. I think he needed some of the cruise ship toilet suction.:eek:

 

[big_duck]

And I've found the thing with high prices is you get snooty people who think the world owes them something and that they're above obeying rules.

 

Yeah, no one on Carnival ever disobeys the rules. :rolleyes:

[wtoms]

We too were on this cruise and can only agree that your comments are understated. In addition to the concerns you raised we encountered the situation without heat in our stateroom for the whole cruise! The air-conditioning was set to some level just above freezing and dispite extra blankets etc provided by the staff our entire cruise was spent in sweaters and coats in the stateroom (riviera deck mid ship).

disembarkation was indeed four hours for us!

Forget about what to wear in the restaurants or tiffanys, shoes where at times a plus.

Screaming kids, drunks c/w vomit in the elevators, I could go on and on, this was an unbelievably bad cruise.

NEVER AGAIN!

[futaba951]

Wow, one week in the land of "fruits and nuts" and sounds like they've torn the old girl a new one. No wonder they try to keep all the new ships close to home in Florida. :D

[pattieann]

pompous remark:rolleyes: let's see...out of your "older CCL ships" shorter (5 day itineraries) that *suck* b/c "you get what you pay for", we have sailed: imagination, fascination, elation, fantasy...and that's just the "crappy" CCL ships, not including anything newer or other lines we have sailed (like DCL which was only a 4 day sea; 3 day land, but didn't suck).:rolleyes:

 

had a GREAT time, every time, mary... even if things didn't always go perfectly, so this is truly a case of "Speak for Yourself," thankyouverymuch. coming from one who has had their share of longer cruises too. i am sure many will agree, your comment is "out there."

 

Truecruiser I totally agree with your comments here. My family has mostly done those CCL old ship/short itinerary cruises and we've loved them! I guess we're just not as cultured as some people.:rolleyes:

[dan40]

We have cruised on Carnival a dozen or so times out of 48+ cruises. On at least 10 of those cruises, on a variety of different lines, I have overheard, been burdened with, or read scathing reviews like the OP's. Overheard by the Pursers desk, burdened by another pax talking to me on board, or read a review on this or some other board. In every one of those times, the complainer was extremely upset, not concerned, extremely upset. Now weather the situation was that bad or their reaction to it was that bad, I do not know. [and very judgmental tho I am, I won't make a judgment here]

I just have to say that in every one [maybe more than 10] of these "Cruise to Hell" situations, I was on the cruise too. And I, everyone with me, and many others I met and talked with aboard, were all having a fabulous cruise. On the same ship, at the same time.

 

Because of this experience, I no longer read cruise reviews on any board. Had this on been titled as a cruise review, I would not have opened it. But since it was dishonestly mislabeled, I got stuck.:D

 

Dan

[thoneycu]

Let's be honest, Carnival is a discount cruise line. It offers a good product for a good price, just like Wal-Mart. Just like Wal-Mart it attracts people who do not have the greatest social skills, people who will abuse the ships and not worry about it, people who will throw plates of food away, people who do not care how thier children act and people who will pee on the bathroom floors or over the balcony( which should be done in port due to the chance of getting it on ones self due to the wind on a moving ship.). Some of those people are on this board and can not stand to hear anything bad about Carnival even though it is just someones opinion. Carnival is not lux cruise line and will always have flaws and poorly acting passengers. What you pay for is what you get.

 

And you think there are not rude, inconsiderate, rule breakers on the luxury cruises or in the finer department stores, since you are comparing cruising to retail stores. I shop at Wal-Mart and I shop at Dillards, Macy's and other high-end retail stores and there are just as many rude, unruly children and ADULTS at all of them. Besides, why is Carnival always being compared to Wal-Mart??? Can't you people get a little more creative?

I have never even heard of CCL being the equivalent to Wal-Mart until I started reading CC. That's exactly how things get started and then that is what sticks and that is what is so sad about it. I have to remind myself that only a very small percentage of cruisers actually read CC.

[wizard-of-roz]

Dan: Read wtoms (thanks for writing in) review, it is a small sampling of mine.......

Exaggeration is not my forte...although, I may have misled you in my title and used some strong language (of which, I humbly apologize for) I, in no way, embellished the happinstances on this cruise.....

I love cruising and appreciate all that goes into making that experience happen for all concerned!

That is why I "extra tip" excellent service; our room steward, who went out of his way to help us and anyone else who goes the "extra mile!"

I don't think that anyone should have to put up with what we were asked, on this cruise!

I've truly moved on.....I know that bad things can happen to anyone....and I hope that all our future cruises, as well as yours, have as little nonsense to deal with, as is humanly possible!!!;)

[bonstersd]

Wizard of Roz.... Do you remember if the ship's time changes to Cabo time and then back?

[wizard-of-roz]

Yes, the ships time changes to Cabo time!

[bonstersd]

Yes, the ships time changes to Cabo time!

 

Thanks!

[Boatdrill]

exactly the reasons we never sail on older ships, nor on short itineraries. You get what you pay for. :)

 

Let's take another look at what the Elation is doing, and we'll find the reason(s) why the product is not meeting expectations by some long time cruisers.

1. This is the first summer season for this ship sailing out of San Diego, down to Baja.

2. Trips are short hops only, and alternate between a 3 day and a 4 day.

3. One trip is to Cabo and back to San Diego, the other is to Cabo, then Ensenada, then back to San Diego. The Mexican ports are party ports, not known for their museums.

4. The cruise fares are very inexpensive.

5. The ship holds just over 2,000 passengers. For the last two sailings out of San Diego, they took on 2,300 each trip.

 

Add up all of the above while keeping in mind that Carnival is marketing this ship/itinerary to a certain clientele (not even the usual Carnival passenger) and the cruise becomes a time bomb waiting for someone to light the fuse. Trouble in one form or another is bound to happen.

 

As for the ship itself, with the constant turnover of more than 4,000 passengers over a period of just 7 days, the ship's interior will get tired very, very quickly. It has nothing to do with the age of the ship. Put the Crystal Symphony in the same situation, and the same wear and tear would happen.

 

Bottom line: With 4,000 passengers on/off every 7 days, the crew gets tired too. It's alot to ask of any crew and of any ship.

[nothomeonacruise]

Let's take another look at what the Elation is

Add up all of the above while keeping in mind that Carnival is marketing this ship/itinerary to a certain clientele (not even the usual Carnival passenger) and the cruise becomes a time bomb waiting for someone to light the fuse. Trouble in one form or another is bound to happen.

 

Bottom line: With 4,000 passengers on/off every 7 days, the crew gets tired too. It's alot to ask of any crew and of any ship.

 

That doesn't sound appealing! I think some of the quick Bahama cruises are similar. I think in that case you wouldn't expect the same treatment as a longer more expensive cruise.

[crusinmama06]

That doesn't sound appealing! I think some of the quick Bahama cruises are similar. I think in that case you wouldn't expect the same treatment as a longer more expensive cruise.

 

Yeah but I was on Elation to the Bahamas and we didn't have those problem. I honestly didn't see any rowdy people the entire time. We must be more well behaved on the East Coast. LOL :p

 

(Yes I'm kidding. I'm kidding! :D )

 

And to wtoms - that is just incredible. I am actually shocked that you were on the same cruise that I was on...just different coast and different time of year. Sorry you had to deal with that. :(

[nothomeonacruise]

Yeah but I was on Elation to the Bahamas and we didn't have those problem. I honestly didn't see any rowdy people the entire time. We must be more well behaved on the East Coast. LOL :p

 

(Yes I'm kidding. I'm kidding! :D )

 

And to wtoms - that is just incredible. I am actually shocked that you were on the same cruise that I was on...just different coast and different time of year. Sorry you had to deal with that. :(

I'm glad to hear about the Bahama cruises, because I was thinking of booking one. :)

[truecruiser]

i was on the 5 nt out of port canaveral w/ probably the same itinerary as Cruisinmama (grand turk, HMC, nassau), and also did not have any problems like the ones mentioned. the problems OP (and others) experienced on their cruise are really a shame, and i feel badly that their cruise was ruined b/c of it. i know i wld be very upset if that type of violence was prevelant on my sailing.

 

my issue w/ the OP was the lying part (which has since been resolved), and w/ another poster's comment that you get what you pay for w/ the older fantasy class ships, and then OP's complete agreement w/ that comment.) as stated b/4, the fantasy class ships are great, and are the most popular. 5 ntrs work great for me w/ kids in school.

 

admittedly, i have not been on any of cruise shorter than 5 days, w/ the exception of one CCL cruise and one DCL cruise, each 4 days. but, i did not have any problems whatsoever on those cruises. i have never done a 3 day, but my brother did one (sensation out of port canaveral) in january of this year, w/ his DH and 3 small children, as a quick, almost last minute, get-away, and he had none of these problems either.

 

so, i guess it depends on who boards w/ you at any given time. and CCL does not have a "social graces" exam prior to boarding. the only resolution some on here might suggest, is to "price" the troublemakers "out of the market." but, as most of us already realize, troublemakers come in all shapes and sizes, from varying backgrounds and locales. so, raising the price of the cruise will in no way guarantee you won't be stuck w/ a shmuck or 2. it'll just affect us in the end.

[nimbex1970]

I think that anyone who spends the time to write a review is honest in their experience. When I read a scathing review, or even a negative one, I click on the name of the poster and see if they've posted their previous cruises if not mentioned in the review.

 

I use this info to place value on the review. If someone has only traveled princess and RCI and then does the smallest Carnival ship..... this is not a fair comparison and the review is not a fair comparison. The Mariner to the Triumph, although similar in size are not the same in price or layout... so dissatisfaction is inevitable if the reviewer does not have a comparable experience. THIS is the key. Honesty to me exists in the PERCEPTION in every reviewer... I just don't always agree with their perception and therefor the review.

[cruzvickie]

Thats NOT GOOD... we sail on the Elation in 40 days!!!!!!!!!!!! Please please tell me some good things about the food, cus I am looking forward to that part..

 

Now, thankfully, I live in San Diego, so I already get to spend my weekends at the beaches.. so If the cruise doesn't go as planned, I'll just head to the beach instead.

 

 

 

 

I think you will be impressed with the Elation...It is a beautiful ship. Tiffanys casual dining area is absolutely gorgeous. Please remember that it is an older ship, but it has been kept up. It did need some renovations,

but if your in it for the FUN SHIP experience and not the ritzy glamour of some other lines, you'll do fine and have a great time.

 

I hope you enjoy her as much as we did. And if Stewart is your CD, tell him G-DAY MATE!!!! He will befriend you from the beginning.;)

[truecruiser]

... And if Stewart is your CD, ...

 

i heard he's gone. i liked him very much too. hope he gets a permanent ship to call home for awhile.