We won't be sailing with Carnival again. There were many little things that brought us to this decision but there were 3 major issues that brought us to this conclusion. #1 Communication - We sailed when a hurricane was headed to FL, nothing at all Carnival could do about the weather, BUT, they could have communicated. They announced that they were modifying our port time in Cozumel to "enable the ship to port in Miami before the port closed". That announcement was made on Wednesday morning. They never once announced when that arrival time would be. Passengers needed to change travel arrangements and plan around cancelled flights but had no information to make those critical decisions. We asked at Guest Services and were advised Thursday Night but when speaking with the Cabin Steward he stated they were incorrect and provided different information. Who do you trust? The actual information was not provided until an announcement was made on Thursday at 10am that there would be a Disembarkation Session at 11am. If you didn't attend that session you were not provided with the information until a flyer was put under your door about 4pm. The stress this caused was unacceptable. #2 - Second Hand Smoke - We have sailed on many ships on many cruiselines, they have all offered smoking areas, we cannot think of one time we have ever been so affected to the point of not being able to enter certain areas of the ship to enjoy an activity. #3 - Service - Although the Crew was friendly they did not have a focus on service. Piling dirty dishes on Passenger tables so they could not be used, not ensuring a cabin was stocked with the basic requirements, having personal conversations while Guests are waiting to be assisted, not verifying information before providing it, providing the same information to all Guests, and communicating with Guests in critical circumstances.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
We purchased the Faster to the Fun option which did allow us to board quickly and it was nice to be able to drop our carry-ons in the room as soon as we boarded. The rest of the process was disappointing. We were traveling with other family and they did not receive the same information we received. We were unsure which was correct. They also did not provide us with the same documents. Once on board there were no crew members to direct us or ask questions. We went to the only area with food available and there was nowhere to sit inside or outside. We also noticed some tables were being used by Crew Members to clear tables. They were piling dirty dishes on tables that could have been used by passengers.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the food. It was well prepared and the dining room offered lovely presentation. The service was incredibly slow. We never had dessert in the dining room because it took 2+ hours for Apps and Entrees.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We had a grand time in the arcade as a family, once we figured out how to use the machines. The signage was lacking. The pools were not well maintained and often had bugs and trash. By the last day the Adults Only pool was green, we did not go in.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The musicians and DJ were good and played a variety of music. The performer in the Irish Bar was fantastic! He engaged everyone, played the piano very well, had a great sense of humor and created an atmosphere where everyone wanted to join in!
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Although the Crew was nice and, for the most part, friendly the service was disappointing. We paid extra for the "Faster to the Fun" option but our room was not ready when we arrived and it never got any better. We were only provided 1 pool towel, 1 bathroom glass, no water glasses, dirty dishes were never removed from the cabin and dirty towels placed on the floor (as instructed) were not replaced for 2 days. We had to put dishes outside the cabin to have them removed. We asked for glasses but they were never provided. We had to use the single pool towel to shower when the dirty towels had not been replaced and that single pool towel was not replaced so we then had none. They were not provided when asked for, multiple times. There was a horrible chemical smell in our room every time it was cleaned. We had to leave the balcony door open for a few hours to be able to stay in the room, needless to say with the door open there is no AC.
***Kudos to Katie (Guest Services) - Katie was AMAZING!!! She was patient, friendly, answered all of our concerns, made changes we requested and was sure to verify all the information she provided and advised us that changes were possible. She did all this after being treated quite aggressively by the two Guests in front of us. We watched her speak to them in a calm and patient manner and tried to address their concerns in any way she could within her position abilities. Katie Saved Our Day!!!*****
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
The ship's layout was a bit challenging. There was a dining room in the middle of the ship with no way to get around it. If you were trying to get to something on the same deck and took the wrong stairs or elevator you had to go up 2 decks to get past it and then back down. It was an inconvenient location due to our cabin location and the stairs/elevators that were the closest for us to use.
Although the ship was clean the second hand smoke was a nightmare!!!! All of the smoking areas were in locations that non-smokers had to walk through. The worst was the casino. We typically enjoy a ship casino, not this one. We tried one evening and everything smelled like smoke, there was nowhere to go to escape it and you could not get to other clubs on the same deck without walking through it.
The second hand smoke on this ship was one reason we will never sail on it again
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The cabin was a good size. The bed was comfortable and it was clean. As an older ship you could tell it had been well used but the interior had been well maintained. The balcony had quite a bit of rust and the rail, window and door had not been cleaned. The sea water residue made it difficult to see out.
Our greatest challenges with our cabin had to do with the cabin steward as previously outlined.
Ship tip
Pay the few dollars to upgrade to the Faster to the Fun option. It was worth its weight in gold for boarding time and avoiding the lines at Guest Services!
Fun! We did not do an excursion. We rented bikes and planned a route with a map provided by the "train" that took us downtown and saw everything we wanted to see at our own pace. Bikes were quick and easy to rent. We did our own research before we sailed and called to get details on rental. The bikes allowed us to see so much more than Duval St and Mallory Square.
We did not do an excursion. Beware of taxi drivers, if you have a destination make sure you do your research and have an address and know the name of the location you want them to drop you off. They will tell you they know exactly where you want to go but they take you where they have an agreement with a store/restaurant/tour. They will even get out and "herd" you into that location so you can't walk away.
When you walk down the street every shop will try to drag you in. They offer free items or tell you they need to feed their children. Smile and say no thank you, they can get pushy if you try to ignore them.
Cozumel can be the most fun on a tour or if you pre-arrange a car/moped/transportation.
The actual disembarkation went well, considering the circumstances. Due to the hurricane we arrived in port a day early and there were MANY options to disembark. Passengers and Crew were going ten ways all at once. Those of us that were disembarking the night of arrival had to carry off our own luggage but we were able to stay in our cabin until our deck was called and then the process went very quickly even with the skeleton Port Staff and Customs.
#1 Communication - they can't give you information that they don't have, the port closing day/time changed several times. Guest services or the room steward . . . hmm . . . in a swirl of changing factors I'd go with G.S. (keeping in mind that things can change at any moment. If no one from your group choose to attend the info session then . . . that's on you guys #2 - 2nd hand smoke, this can be found on most ships depending on which way the wind blows. #3 Service - From what I've seen and read it does seem that Carnival has cut staffing levels in housekeeping and food service but have never experienced rude or any type of bad service. Sorry for your bad experience.
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