I hear all these bad things about Carnival, I find them hard to believe....?

Question

This past summer I went on a week cruise on Carnival to the Eastern Caribbean. It was an amazing vacation. Since then on yahoo answers and some other places I hear people putting down Carnival so much. I can't seem to figure out why people dislike it so much. I find it hard to believe unless people have specific examples, that are major, not just the saturdays dinner was bad. One small s***w up should not affect peoples view of Carnival. What bad experiences have you had on Carnival and on which ship? Who agrees with me that Carnival is not nearly as bad as people make it sound?

Answer 1

I loved my carnival cruise! Sure, it wasn't as fancy as some of the others, but for out budget at the time, it wa awesome! Still the same great service and food was pretty good as well. Some people are just way too critical and like to ruin things for others :(

Answer 2

Been on Carnival a couple of times and had one bad experience that soured me with Carnival.

Me girlfriend, who was on her first cruise, was assulted by another passenger. When we reported it we were told that they had a tape of the incident and would view it and indentify the passenger and take care of it by informing law enforcement to talk to both of them at the port. But we should just go about our cruise "like nothing had happened because you're safe since the guy could not get off the ship." In talking to one of the pursers I knew, she told me that they don't do that. So when I ask the head of security what was going to happen, he made up all kinds of things such as "they are a fellow passenger, we can't bother him. He's on vacation too" and "just avoid him, you'll be fine" kind of talk. When pressed about the tape showing the incident, he said he didn't look at the tape. With my persistance, we went down to the casino where it happened to talk to the man who said they had the tape. Well he was "off duty doing something else." When pressed more about security seeing the tape he said they "couldn't" until like 3 days later when we were going to be off the ship.

The next morning we were told that my girlfriend won the comment card drawing for the free cruise. That was interesting in that we both still had our comment cards in our luggage and hadn't made them out. When I went down to the pursers desk before anyone started to disenbark and ask about it, I was told that they didn't know how it worked, just that her name was drawn. When told there was no way because we still had the comment cards and showed them in my hand, the gentleman quickly pulled back and said "you will have to take anything else up with the Carnival main office."

I then insisted that I would call law enforcement back at the port to see what could be done like they said they would do. They said I really shouldn't do that because it would interrupt the passengers vacation when he would best just be let off the ship.

I was standing by the line to watch for the passenger to get off the ship and then call law enforcement on my cellphone to meet them and point out the passenger to have them talk to him and my girlfriend, they pulled me to another room and wanted to know what it would take for me to just drop the matter. I ask to talk to the Captain and see what he says and was told that that wasn't going to happen. All the time other people from Carnival were coming around and whispering to each other. Come to find out they sent someone up to the room to "help my girlfriend with her carry off luggage and present her with a gift." Pretty soon a guy whispered into the ear of the security man and then he told me that we could go ahead and leave the ship at anytime now because we were safe. I ask how they came about and he made several excuses and then finally I pressed him and said "Is it because you know the man has left the ship and dock area." He kind of him-hawed around and then finally admitted that yes, he was out of the dock area. They obviously viewed the "missing tape" and knew who it was to were watching to see that he got off the ship. We have filed a complaint with Carnival but haven't heard anything back yet. The cruise company that I booked through was furious and is also filing a complaint with Carnival.

The ship was Carnival Valor to the Eastern Caribbean. We both admit that the cruise was excellent and one of the best I have taken. For the most part, the crew was excellent and we actually got to know some of them and they were great and made the cruise a very enjoyable one. If it hadn't been for this incident and more so how it was handled by Carnival on board, I couldn't say enough good things about Carnival. I have been on a couple of Carnival cruises and they are a good cruise line. Not as much "extras" as other cruises I have been on on Norwegian, but still no complaints because it's just comparing "great cruise" to "Great cruise." I do still keep in contact with a purser from Norwegian and in telling them about the incident, they told me of the process they go through on such matters and it would have been handled a lot more professionally along with a lot more personal care. Or as she said, "the passenger stops being another passenger when they assult or harm another passenger." Being in homeland security, I do know there are procedures that cruise lines can do to handle such incidents.

Answer 3

Carnival is not as bad as people make it sound.  Carnival is the Holiday Inn of cruiselines.  The people who complain are the people who want the price but want a Ritz Carlton for it.  This syndrome happens all the time.   Champagne taste/beer budget.  For the price, Carnival is a good value and a very fun cruise.  Is the food as gourmet as Radisson line- no.  Are the ships as luxurious and technology filled as Disney-no.  But you won't pay near as much either.   Pay for what you want people and remember, you get what you pay for.

Answer 4

I have to agree with the first answer.  I mean those people are expecting fancy high class things for a cheap price.  They call Carnival "the fun ships" for a reason.  They are not about focusing on high class meals and such.  They are there to have fun along with their customers.  

Those people who want that, go pay the bucks with another cruise line because Carnival is not about that at all.

Answer 5

We love Carnival!  

My husband and I have been taking our daughters on cruises since they were 5 years old.  We have taken many cruises including hosting a family reunion of 20 people on the Escstasy last year.

It simply depends on what type of experience you want.  

We are casual people and appreciate the fun loving environment.

Like the difference in staying at the Ritz verus the Holiday Inn Express....do you really care if the toilet paper holder is brass?

We don't and we are able to take a cruise every year because Carnival gives us a great bargain.

Answer 6

It's all subjective, and you have to take people's comments and opinions with a grain of salt.  The only way to know for sure is to experience it yourself, and you had a great cruise!

Answer 7

You have to take everything you read online with a grain of salt - a lot of the people who write on here write to complain about something, not to praise it. It's the same way with any internet forum. This thread is pretty outstanding, actually.

Sure, Carnival lacks where others excel, but Carnival is the fun ship, that gets you where you're going.

Answer 8

SIMPLE ANSWER!  I LOVE CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE!  SEE YOU IN 20 DAYS CARNIVAL, I CAN'T WAIT!!

Answer 9

I like Carnival but i do prefer some of the other cruise lines instead, but Carnival has great rates, and their rooms are very nice and its good for first time cruisers, and for families with kids and then its also good for people who want to have a good time because its known as a party ship, as they have waterslides and lots of on board activities, and everything like that, and the pools are services are wonderful, along with the food and entertainment, its just not as good as some of hte other cruise linse but overall its a wonderful cruise line.

Answer 10

Well, I've never really been on Carnival cruises, but I had an unfortunate experience involving them. I was about 10 years old and we were at the same port as a carnival and we had to walk past their boat. So, as we walked these people threw ice out of their window and yelled and were probably drunk now that I looked back at it. I just remember one of the pieces of ice hitting my sisters backpack, thank god none of us because they were really high up and it would have hurt really badly. So, things like that tend to have a negative effect on the Carnival cruise line, even though it's just some of the passengers. It's unfortunate, but I'm glad you had a good time!

Answer 11

First cruise I took was on Carnival.  It was many years ago and was a bad experience.  

We had an outside cabin but that only had one porthole way up high on the wall.  We never saw our cabin steward the whole cruise - except for the day when you were supposed to tip the steward.  He was perched on a chair in the hall at that time.  He did not get a tip from me since he never did anything - including making up the cabin.

It was many years later that we took another cruise and that was on Celebrity lines.  Tht was a world apart from Carnival and we loved it.  We have been regulars on Celebrity ever since.

I know Carnival has changed in those years and it a good line.

Answer 12

It's not that we dislike carnival. In fact, carnival is a great cruise line, and they must be doing something right as they're the largest cruise line in the world.

However, compared to other members of the cruise industry, Carnival is lacking in certain areas. For example, compared to Celebrity and Holland America Line & Cunard (believe it or not, a Carnival subsidiary) it lacks a more "refined" air, and many of the luxuries found on their ships (particularly in the food area). Compared to Royal Caribbean, their ships lack the "extreme adventure" features (like ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls and giant trampolines and of course, the flowrider). And, compared to Norwegian Cruise Line, it lacks the plethora of restaurants and entertainment options.

Carnival, however, is a FANTASTIC line for families. After all, they pioneered the concept of huge waterslides, multiple pools, and truly fun, distinct, child and teen centers. They have wonderful new ships with lots of areas for kids and adults alike. Of course, because Carnival is so family friendly, it draws a lot of kids. Kids can be angels, but they can also be demons when they want to be, and a lot of the old farts on "answers" don't particularly like kids running around the hallways, or splashing in the pool. In my opinion, that's part of childhood, but for other people it's annoying.

So I agree with you, it's not as bad as people make it out to be. It's just not for everyone.

Answer 13

Funny, that of all of the answers so far....everyone loves Carnival!!! Where are all the Carnival haters? Don't have anything to say to back it up, huh?

I love Carnival! I have my third cruise booked with Carnival in May to the Mexican Riveria. They have great rates, clean rooms, good food, lots of activities! Can't beat it!

Answer 14

My first cruise was on the Carnival Triumph with my mom, and I have to say Thank God my mom had been on two other cruises with another line before that or I would have never gone on another cruise again.  Our time on the ship was absolutely horrible.  

Half the time the toilet in our cabin wouldn't flush and everyday after one of us took the first shower the whole bathroom area would be flooded with about six inches of water with little black things floating in it.  We asked everyday to have the shower and the toilet fixed and every night there was a note in our cabin telling us that they had been fixed, but the next day after the first shower there was still water with black things floating in it.  

The water in the hot tubs was cold.  All the staff were completely rude.  

Our first day out my mom ordered a beer by the pool and an hour later she still hadn't gotten her beer.  She found the waiter and asked him where her beer was and he told us that when he had tried to bring it we were gone.  NOT TRUE-we had been sitting in that same spot for the whole hour.  

In the lounge where they have shows, the waiters completely ignored me and my mom.  When we would call out, excuse me sir or miss, they just walked right on by us.  When they did take our orders, they usually brought us the wrong drinks back almost 40 minutes later.  

One of the bartenders kept my sail and sign card and I realized it about 5 minutes later.  When I went back to get it he swore up and down that he never kept any card.  I had to go to the purser's desk and get one of the purser's to go to the bar and find my card - which WAS still there.  

The night of the formal dinner, my mom ordered a steak cooked medium-well.  When it came it was completely rare - didn't look like it had even touched an oven.  When mom asked to send it back the waiter insisted that she had ordered it rare (which I know she didn't because I heard her say medium-well) and would not take it back because he said that's how she ordered it.  When he finally gave up fighting with my mom, he picked the plate up and tilted it (we believe on purpose) so that some of the red juice spilled onto my mom's fancy white dress.  

When I tried to volunteer for activities, I was completely ignored by the staff.  They were having a jeopardy type game one night and when they called for three volunteers to come onto the stage, I was the first one up there, but was dismissed because they had already picked out other people to play.  What was the point of asking for volunteers to come on to the stage if they already knew who was going to participate?  

On the last night we got our statements for our sail and sign accounts (we paid cash because my mom and I don't use credit cards).  They were charging me for a $40 transfer back to the airport, which was not right because our transfers were included in the cost of our cruise.  We went to the pursers desk and at first they refused to even research it saying that it was something I had obviously ordered and forgotten about.  After 45 minutes of trying to convince them that if I had ordered an aiport transfer my mom would have ordered one too, they decided to research it.  Turns out there was someone else on the ship with my same name who had ordered the airport transfer and they just seen my name in their system first so put in on my account.  They figured this out by looking at the booking numbers on my cruise voucher and the order form for the transfer.  DUH!!!-Shouldn't they have assigned the charge based on the booking number anyway?

When we got home, my mom wrote Carnival a long letter demanding that they refund part of our money and pay for the dry cleaning for her dress.  They refused.  They offered to give her 10% off on her next cruise (hers only, not mine) and said the dry cleaning bill was not their responsibility.  For all we went through 10% was not enough, especially since we don't ever want to go on a Carnival cruise again.  My mom fought with them for a while but never got anything else, so she finally gave up.

Fortunately, my mom convinced me to go on another cruise with a different line, and it was a h**l of a lot better.  I love cruising now, but we will never go on Carnival again.

Answer 15

Sorry, last May we took a Carnival ship to the Caribbean.  I am handicapped and asked for a handicapped cabin.  I paid for a balcony that was not accessible!  My headboard was against corridor wall and all night long every night crew went through crew door and slammed it.  I had broken my shoulder in March and the last thing I needed was to have wall move!  I threatened to park my scooter next to door and clobber next person who slammed it - midnight, 2 am, 4 am, etc.  Every day I went downstairs and complained and nothing was done.  I asked for a sign saying please do not slam door - nothing.  I wrote to CEO - nothing happened.  For me Carnival is the pitts.