Funny that you did a video on this topic. This past January, I went on my first Carnival cruise in over 23 years, and I did happen to notice there weren't any tableclothes in the MDR at dinner. I didn't see this as a big deal at all. I thought, if anything, it may give the often over-worked crews in the dining rooms and the laundry rooms a little LESS workload by having to install, remove, launder, fold, etc. all these tableclothes. I thought, "Hmm, maybe this MIGHT give the crews a little break" (but, I'm sure the few minutes this saves a worker, the cruiseline will just find something else for the worker to do instead, so no real "break" will ever be obtained.) :(
I agree table clothes are a symptom not a cause of the cruise dissatisfaction . If one looks at the demographic of the demand of the population it is being created to cater to drunks living on a strict budget. As long as the booze is "cheap and plentiful" they are not going to be attracted to amenities. This will also create a cruise population that is less socially caring of others comfort and culture. I think my answer will be to look for quieter, more catered, cruising. I don't care if I spend more if I am really getting pampered and catered to, instead of being told I am and getting pampered and catered to. Yup, the heat is getting turned up on the amphibians. It started with the little tiny Chocolates on the pillows at night that got deleted. Now its noisy clunking cafeteria ambiance in the formal dinning room. Are ashtrays on the tables with the ketchup packets next?
Me too. 1992 was my first cruise. I remember them arming the passengers with a shot ---g---u----n---- for clay shooooting off the back of the ship. Man, have times changed!!
100% spot on. The cumulative effect of these incremental cuts endangers the value proposition of cruising. They are flying high right now due to pent up demand post COVID while also adding capacity. It is unsustainable IMO.
Yep! I think we're effectively in a cruise bubble and it's going to burst at some point. I don't think we're there yet (and as a broader economy are still in need of a massive, system-wide correction), but I think the uproar over tablecloths signals that the frog is starting to notice that the water is getting awfully hot....
Tablecloths make a difference to me. My view is that it’s a little touch of “elegance”, making the dining experience a little more special. Yes the food tastes the same but it’s also about the ambiance. The MDR experience on a cruise ship is an escape from eating in places like Chili’s, Outback and the like. These are restaurants where food is kind of flung at you, waiters show up at your table to take your order and bring the check. You never see t them in between. And they have no knowledge of the menu etc. MDR should be a step up. If it’s just about the food then let’s have paper plates and plastic utensils.
We were shocked a couple of years ago when we sailed on the Mardi Gras and there were no tablecloths. On the Freedom last May, this annoyance was compounded when the staff seemed eager to get us out of the dining room as fast as possible, delivering entrees while we were still eating our salad or soup. I watched a different video about this yesterday that quoted Carnival's "green" excuse, but I said to my wife that it was all about saving money. Glad to hear you are in agreement. While Carnival is free to cut any corner they think will increase their bottom line, I am free to sail on a different cruise line: hello Royal, hello Princess....
Fantastic video!! Personally, I will definitely miss the tableclothes if this becomes industry standard, but the backlash did take me by surprise. People have been casual-ing down the way they dress for meals in the MDR for years, so no tablecloths actually fits the vibe so many dress for (on Carnival). That said, your boiling frog analogy is spot on & speaks to the frustration so many feel about cruising post-2020.
I heard the tablecloth debate some time ago. There is an esthetic effect with tablecloths. A cloth dresses the table. A table cloth also reduces noise. All those dishes, flatware, and glasses make less noise when placed on a soft cloth rather than a hard table.
Agree. The elegance of the experience is diminished - visually, acoustically, service, etc. For me, I’ve always liked the MDR because it felt so fancy.
just got off a carnival cruise 2 weeks ago and yes your synopsis is so spot on we have cruised with carnival 23 times and we're there when ice sculptures and more luxury items were they're. so you hit it square on the head and have been thinking the same things.
It's tough, too, because I still love cruising SO much, and the loss of these things makes me sad, but it's not anything that will make me stop cruising... at least for now, but we'll see how far they take these cutbacks.
Good video. I understand how your view cruising. 33yrs with a Fortune 100 company and an MBA. I thought it wouldn't matter. I have sailed Carnival or years. I noticed they removed the tablecloths a couple of years ago on some of the ships we were on. Several cruise later, I did an NCL cruise to Alaska. They had tablecloths. Besides dampening the sound, the MDR can get very noisy, they made it feel you were eating at a fine dining restaurant rather than an Applebee's. I would rather have tablecloths but I don't pick a cruise weather it has table cloths or not. I pick a cruise based by itinerary and price. I am sick of the cutbacks. I will finally make Platinum but they keep cutting back the perks.
It’s not just Carnival or cruise lines for that matter doing this. We are frequent Vegas visitors. At least 3-5 times a year. And the casinos have made loyalty non existent. They have reduced or eliminated so many perks from their loyalty programs that it’s no longer worth it for the average person.
Exactly, service has been drastically reduced or eliminated in all areas. We used to go to Vegas all the time, too. In the 90s, a buffet was less than ten bucks and they had dirt cheap breakfasts that were huge. Now, the vagrants and "performers" on the streets are disgusting and rude, the prices are astounding and service stinks all over the place. Most of the buffets are gone since covid, and the ones left are expensive. As you point out, even the lower level gambler used to get some perks, such as comped rooms and meals, now, if you get a players card, they give you a small discount on their rooms and meals, but most of the restaurants these days are chains operating in the casino..
I was told about the Carnival tablecloth thing some time ago. I have since cruised on Carnival and a lack of tablecloths did not negatively impact my experience. I didn't even notice.
I absolutely agree. The first cruise I was on in 2017 felt really nice. They even put pretty decor on tables for elegant night. The food was really good. When i went in 2019 the decor was gone from the tables. I found several meals inedible. I haven’t been able to go since but I’m booked for January and I’m wondering what it will be like and I’m a bit concerned that I’ll be disappointed. As for the tablecloths, I wish they would have kept them for elegant nights and the steakhouse. When go to a nice dinner it just feels like there should be a tablecloth. I mean compared to what I heard about elegant night in the past it already seems really casual. I’m celebrating an anniversary on the trip and I would love to feel like we are at a nice restaurant not a diner or cafe (those certainly have their place!)
I have changed cruise lines to keep aspects of cruising that are important to me. Never been brand loyal in crusing have cruised in the past 3 decades with at least 5 different lines. Since pandemic I search cruise lines and packages that tick my must have boxes most affordably. I will say for me tablecloths aren't on that list.
Haven't tablecloth been removed from the main dining room since 2017? Maybe even before that, I remember being on a cruise in 2016 and not having a tablecloth except for on formal nights. Personally I don't really care about the tablecloths, although one of the cutbacks I do miss is the little chocolate squares you would get at the evening turn down.
The main issue I have with the removal of free room service is the claim that they did it to remove food waste. If they care so much about removing food waste, why not charge for the main dining room? Or the buffet? Why only remove free room service? There’s way more food wasted on the lido than in room service. Don’t tell such an obvious lie. Like you said, just be honest. ETA: As a result of them charging for room service, I simply won’t order any.
I'm surprised they don't have water stations so people can refill their own bottles. Throw-away water bottles are far more disgusting than a stray plastic straw here and there, in my very humble opinion.
@@christineE9301 so why does this require twice a day? I'm confused lol. Granted, we just got off of Wonder on the 15th and we traveled with our two kids. We got ready in the morning and some days went back to the room here and there but never to really hangout in the room except when it was time to wind down for the night and put the kids to bed.
@RobertoMezquiaJr for you it wouldn't be needed, for others it might. I think that's part of why many lines have cut it out. I keep my room clean so there is minimum needed for staff to do. They work so hard, I don't want to create more work for them.
@@RobertoMezquiaJrits not a need, its a want. The morning service will be a traditional room cleaning, bed making, bathroom cleaning, etc. The evening is a light cleaning and includes a bed turndown service. As a person who has my own boat, only to provide perspective, it is a yacht certified vessel with home like accommodations, onboard marine generator, air conditioning/heat, galley, etc., I am fine doing it myself. I do it myself on my own boat. I chose to have no crew. I hire out various service work, but I skipper my own boat. As a test to see if you can understand, let me add some context. When I fly comercial medium haul four hour or longer flight, I will adjust my schedule so I sit in lie flat business class or better seats. Doing honest math, these seats are more economical than economy seats in the 70’s or earlier once you factor in inflation. It’s a value for comfort to me. Silly to me is booking an ultra-low cost economy seats then complaining about the seat size, and lack of services. Want a bigger seat and food/drink? Just book a better seat. It’s that simple. Back to the room being made up twice a day, I study before booking so I get no surprises. Want to spend less? Book a line that gives you less. I’ve booked Carnival many times, paid for family members to join, and I’ve booked suites on premium priced cruise lines. A few years back, when then Disney Wonder was a new ship, Disney would not share with the public the inside of the Walt Disney and Roy O Disney suites. I booked the Roy O Disney suite, and surprised my kids as we entered the room, as I made a video capturing their surprise. I shard my video to TH-cam where my very amateur video with zero editing got tens of thousands of views. This video is still up under an old TH-cam channel I no longer use called PresentationWI. As ‘proof” if you need it that this is my video, my name for this TH-cam channel is my real name and you can freeze the Roy O Disney video under username PresentationWI and read my name on my room key as I’m opening the cabin door. At that level, yeah, I do expect table cloths, twice a day room servicing, no lines for anything, and concierge service where they come to you not the other way around. For example, my daughter wanted to see the ships bridge. The concierge was able to arrange this, as well as a private ships captain meeting during the bridge tour. My daughter got to blow the ships horn as we were about to leave the port. So no, twice a day room servicing is not a need, it’s a want. If you want it, book with a cruise line that offers it. If you don’t want it, then save some money and book elsewhere.
Oh wow I Just noticed i have looked at pics and videos from my 2019 November cruise and no tablecloths! But in my pics and videos from 2016 there were tablecloths!
I just looked back at every Carnival cruise I’ve taken over the past few years, I now see that I have not seen a tablecloth since before 2019. I checked every MDR photo, and I have lots, no tablecloths, and here’s a shocker…I do not care. 😊😂
Yeah, I noted a correction that the MDR removal was back in 2019 and the elegant night/specialty removal is more recent. And I also don't care about tablecloths, as I noted in the video. But does the culmination of ALL cutbacks as a whole bother you?
@@ProfMelissa when it affects the quality of the cruise it does bother me because the prices have not decreased, they are steadily going up. I had an Aft Excel suit last time I was on Celebration and it was not properly cleaned. There was dust everywhere in the mot obvious spots, the TV’s, the Lamps. The poor staff is overwhelmed.
@@ProfMelissa I promise you I did not even notice until you pointed it out. That’s what made me look back! 😂😂 I prefer no tablecloths it looks more modern, seems cleaner, and better for the environment 🌲🌳🌴
Having table cloths makes part of a large puzzle an elegant dining experience, But it is a cost and environmental saving issue. It’s not a huge issue for me. But an other issue is you are paying a lot of money in cruising. I think the cruising industry is nickel and dime the guests. This goes beyond the table clothes this is about gouging the guests. Internet, drink packages to the exclusions. I’m a long time cruiser. I can go on a rant but to keep the comment to a minimum I will leave it at that.
We started sailing CCL in 2001, "changes" have occurred over the years, but the swiftness interval occurred since COVID. In 2001 along with tablecloths, we had table side service Caesar salad made from scratch etc. If I recall correctly, we were assigned three waitstaff that worked four tables during our sitting. The service was the best!!! As far as staterooms, they were cleaned twice a day, no questions. Ice buckets were filled throughout the day and room service was free and there was a wide array of TV stations available, news, sports, children etc. But the area of most change is staff, or I should say staffing levels, yes CCL staff is still kind and always greet you (they are required) but in the past the staff were able to friendly, and you didn't feel they needed to be somewhere or be doing something else based on their current workload. We really like CCL (19 sailing and 2 upcoming) We have sail 1 RCCL too, didn't care for the food or service. FYI: CCL's Sprite class of ships have the largest space ratio/passenger of all CCL's ships.
Ahh, the tableside preparation sounds nice. I miss the magicians and tableside entertainers. I've only experienced that very sporadically post-2020, but that's one of those little touches that we all really loved, especially the kiddos.
I just looked back in my pictures of on the Carnival Magic in Oct. 2021 and there are no tablecloths on the tables in the dining room. We didn’t even notice or even care.
Same. As I mention in the video, even though my last Carnival cruise was just a few weeks ago, I could not for the life of me even recall so I had to go back and look at the photos.
I had not heard this, I’ve been sailing Royal lately. This absolutely makes a difference to me! I will NOT be sailing Carnival for this reason. I enjoy the feeling of elegance the white table cloths bring and it is absolutely a deal breaker for me and I’m platinum with Carnival!
Just found your channel; I will like and subscribe. I hadn't noticed about the tablecloths. The Greenwashing angle is interesting, and I like your take. I think Elegant night would be nice to have the tablecloths, but honestly, I'd like to see fewer ballcaps and flip flops. As to Carnival's slide to the "trashy" side, I think this is very evident. I am a Carnival fan (hopefully not cavalry), but I do sense a clientele shift.
We have been cruising since 2010 on Carnival and I loved every cruise. I have noticed a change in the caliber of people since just before the pandemic. There are more fights on the ships and more people don't move to the side when you are coming down the hallway. These folks only seem to care about themselves. I think the answer is to raise prices to eliminate the means of these people to cruise. In my opinion these folks are lower income then people that show respect for others.
It's crazy, though, b/c prices ARE high, but I agree with you that I've also noticed an appreciable decline in the behaviors of cruisers. At this point, I still love Carnival, but I avoid the short sailings on the old, small ships.
@@toddstarks1588I used to be a huge fan of Carnival and have to agree the quality of people has gone down considerably. We’ve decided to sail other lines and had a much more enjoyable experience. The last carnival cruise we went on as we were buying something in the gift shop prior to getting onboard, this rowdy group of drunken people were pushing themselves while in line. (I’m from NOLA and certainly not casting stones but come on)I finally threw a $20 on the counter which was more than enough and got back on board. Now that we clearly see the difference in the other lines, when I see a carnival ship like we did in Miami it’s almost like watching a hoopty cruising down the street with loud music blaring! 😂
Agree. After 15 plus Carnival cruises, my family and I won't sail Carnival ever again. The clientele has turned gheto. Disrepectful, entilted, obnoxious, and somewhat racist. It's the crusiers, not Carnival that have taken the fun out being on their ships. I would rather pay more to avoid the rift raft.
Sorry, but the level of rude and uncaring people have nothing to do with Carnival and neither does the prices.. Easy credit and terrible manners are the issue. Cruises used to be mostly older folks that were raised differently than the younger crowd we see now. There's even the attitude of some crew members that refuse to enforce the ships rules and allow people to annoy others without doing anything.. I have even heard crew members encourage poor behavior by saying they aren't even going to see the people around them again, so let loose. It would be nice if they made rules that they enforce it instead of allowing it to get so out of hand that the cruise line just bans something all together. Like the latest complaints about speakers on the pool deck.. The Carnival rules clearly state that speakers are to be used in state rooms only, and at a reasonable volume, so not to disturb others. It goes even further and states that ear buds or head phones are to be used in public spaces, to stop people from using the speakers on their phones or tablets. The fact that they permit people to blare their music on speakers just means that others will do the same.
We are looong time cruisers. The amount of perks they have taken away across all cruise lines in the name of environment while raising prices and gratuity amounts is crazy. All about the bottom line. Keep cutting until you get push back.
And this is the issue precisely! While I didn't notice of care about the tablecloths, because it's "no big deal", it's that it's just another in a very, very long list of cutbacks that as a whole sum DOES become a pretty big deal. I still love cruising, and probably always will, but there are definitely some things that have been eliminated that I really miss.
@@ProfMelissa same. Once a day room cleaning, charge for room service, no turn down service. My last NCL haven cruise the daily gratuity was $25 pp/pd. And that doesn’t include the butler
As a long time Carnival cruiser like you that is my go to cruise company. I had John heald serval times a a cruise director. He is by far the best. I have cruise every one of the ship oast and present. In total I have 111 cruises in November on the Carnival Spirit it will be 112. Like you I love John he is the best.
They charge for room service & the menu is nothing. Its like theyre trying to make room service so undesirable that eventually they can discontinue it & no one will care. Less food, less staff, less cost.
@@lovedfriend2020 Ive only started cruising last year so i dont have a personal frame of reference for what it was BUT I KNOW THE MENU IS AN INSULT NOW.
They are doing the same thing in the MDR. Cutbacks on quality, service, quantity in order to drive the passenger to the specialty restaurants..... where they can then make their $$$$. The food you get in the MDR today is nothing like what was available even 6 years ago.
I was on the Venezia back in February, and after checking throw photos, there was no tablecloth then, looks like they have been gone for a long while…lol
There was another comment here from somebody on Venezia last December. They said they had tableclothes. I happened to be on Venezia in late January, and the tableclothes were gone. So, I'm guessing January 1st is when they removed them. But, another comment said Mardi Gras had no tableclothes 2 or 3 years ago already.
We decided to go to a all inclusive resort because they have all the eminities included no penny pinching everything!! Plus alot classier getting cheaper than cruising
I do an all-inclusive about once a year, and I like that way of traveling, too, and have started to notice more and more now the gap between that and cruising. When I did Cancun last year it was SO nice to have the coffee shop included for free. I'm not a big alcohol drinker, so that benefit doesn't matter much to me, but I loooooved my free coffees!
Nice vid. Another way they’re raising the heat slowly is by reducing the number of ports and decreasing time in port. Most 7 Day CCL cruises only have 3 stops now - and some of them are like 10 AM, back on the ship by 4 PM. They “say” that this keeps down the costs by reducing the hours and “more friendly for the environment” as the ships can sail at slower speeds Plus, in international waters, they can open the casinos and shops and bars on the ships which bring them more money. As far as cruising being bad for the environment, let’s take a ship like Icon with 7,000 passengers and instead of taking them to the Caribbean, we’ll fly them down to the first island. You’d need about 25 medium to large passenger jets to get them there. Once there, you’re going to have to build new hotels and resorts for them to stay in which is bad for the planet. And then keep everybody flying to the next island ports. It would use a bunch more fuel and be far more polluting. In the end, if the climate goals stay as they’re planned, we won’t be allowed to travel as much
Where is 4 hour stops the norm now? I've not had one and in September last year we did 3 days in Bermuda? In February had 3 stop all was 8 hours or more on a 7 day cruise.
100% the frog as the cruiser. From the late 90’s til now cruises have drastically changed food service/offering/quality as well as the almost like private butler like service in your cabin. Then in the last 4-5 years they have changed even more. It goes along with everything else where the consumer get less for more money! Using a tag line to cover it up Added: this is why the demographic of people who cruise has changed greatly, like the MDR being almost semi formal dress nightly (like a nice cocktail dress, men in suit & tie) no jeans, pullover shirts and no women in pants.
Good point. I think you're spot on that a lot of this has correlated with a shift in demographics. And in some ways that's a good thing! I just did an interview with Bloomberg about the shifting ages of cruisers, as younger folks are getting into it and it's no longer just an "old people thing". And that's awesome! But... I don't think that needs to necessarily also correlate with a cheapening of the experience. I think the cruise lines can do a better job in balancing the two -- making it accessible to a more diverse array of consumers, but also making it feel like a luxury experience. Or at a minimum, just maintain some real touches of luxury, like elegant night.
Great video! Thinking about this more and the cut backs made me think of my experience 2 weeks ago on the Carnival Elation. I noticed that when getting a Guys Burger they now just give you a plain Jane unless you specify right then. They still have condiments there but I think they expect most people to put their own burgers together on the condiment buffet which now has less items on it than before. I'm not really complaining about preparing my own burgers as I know I'm a burger expert, BUT Is this one of the staffing cut backs you are referring to? Or is it just something on this specific ship?
You're spot on that this is one of the staffing cut backs, and they've taken any opportunity to save on labor costs. Which I get, since that's usually the biggest expense line for many businesses. But it REALLY impacts the customer experience when they take it to the extreme, as I feel they have. I just got off Freedom two weeks ago and the casino bar service was literally the worst I've ever experienced b/c they were just so short staffed. I just order a can of ginger ale and I'm not kidding when I say it took hours to get one, and on two occasions I gave up and just left without one.
@@ProfMelissa This was also my complaint on the survey. Both the guys burger and the casino bar staff. We had the casino play and chill package for our very cheap cruise. As many hours we spent in the casino we did not get very many free drinks (in fact 3 total). When we did order the drinks it was 30 minutes or longer. I shouldn't say order because we had to shake them down. They walked by rather quickly asking "drinks, drinks, drinks".
I will say though, on this particular cruise, their MDR was excellent, probably one of the best I've seen and supposedly they currently have the best rated by survey MDR for Carnival. It probably helps that it's a smaller ship and we got to know several of the staff even though we had Our time dining. Our first night waiter came up and said hello to us every night even though he was not our waiter.
We don't usually cruise Carnival but FiL wanted to go to Bermuda and Carnival had a sked that fit us best. We were not informed about an formal nights so I didn't bring a suit. I COULD have since we drove to the port. So we were caught off guard when they announced that the next night was a formal night. Well, we went to the MDR dressed in our biz-casual (Me dockers and a Polo) and although we were seated, some of those top tier Carnival passengers gave us a LOOK!
Is this the same principle of corporations slowly decreasing the size or volume of a product while still charging the same price? The packaging is about the same but the amount goes down?
Cruise lines are ditching any elegance or sophistication because many of their cruisers have ditched them…look at clothing, manners, etc…what do you think is going to happen?
I watched a video of a "higher class" cruise lines deck party the other day.. If you call higher class a bunch of "adults" stripping on the pool deck and being told it's time to "act naughty", than enjoy yourself.. I'm no prude, but that's not the kind of people I want to interact with. The days of "The Love Boat" type cruising is gone.. People are more casual now and wearing a tux to dinner isn't what most people want. I am 65 years old and agree that some things have gone too far in the wrong direction, so we are going to bail out of cruising for a while and hope they find their middle ground.. If not, there are many other places to go.
What's interesting is that Carnival Corporation also owns Holland America Line, and that gives them QUITE a diverse product mix, because HAL could NOT be more different than Carnival Cruise Line. I did my longest cruise ever on HAL this summer (two weeks) and it did feel like the "good old days" of cruising. They still put chocolates on the pillow, you get a tote bag as a thank you gift, twice daily turndown, free room service, etc. and it feels like an absolute LUXURY these days.
@@ProfMelissa HAL is the only line we haven’t cruised. We have moved to only suites now on Celebrity and NCL for what was the “ pre Covid “ experience. Less times per year but much better experience
@@garybelew7813 which line. Definitely not what I’ve experienced on Celebrity. Since retiring I’ll admit I have no desire to wear a suit . NCL haven is perfect as it’s upscale and casual at the same time. ps. I still wear slacks to dinner.
As a retired CPA, my first thought was the financial savings to Carnival. I like the boiled frog view, or as we say nickel and dime us to death. As a solo guest, I worry that my days may be limited in cruising. I hope not. It is my happy place.
I also have sailed solo often and the way cruise lines price penalize solo cruisers drives me CRAZY. Were it not for casino offers (and that's starting to change a lot too), there's no way I would have ever done a solo cruise.
What about all the harmful chemicals used to clean the tables in between dinners? You're gonna tell me the chemicals use are less invasive than the chemicals used to clean a tablecloth. Plus they had to use something to wipe the tables down with.
Just saying, captain dinner with no table clothes. This is why people don’t want to dress up anymore even on elegant night. We went on a carnival cruise in 2018 during the Dr. Seuss brunch. They had an ice culture.
I do think that as the cruise lines cut back and make things seem less elegant, people take notice and act accordingly, so you're right in that. It's hard to justify dressing to the nines when it feels like you're going to a meal at Applebee's. I did the Seuss brunch last year (loved it, btw) and what's interesting is that they DO go all out for that, with the ice sculpture, character appearances, and special themed decor and even napkins. Now of course they charge extra for it, but that felt almost like a more special experience than elegant night does these days.
I have been on many cruises and have only used Carnival and over the years I have cruised they have stopped doing several things that they once did, but nothing that I would complain about, I have never went to the customer service to complain about anything, you have to roll with the punches you are on vacation enjoy yourself
Thanks. Given that cruise culture can be a bit... much (as I noted in the video), it's hard to have a nuanced, calm, and mature discussion on these sorts of topics, so it's really nice to see when that can happen. I'm pleasantly surprised by the dialogue, for instance, right here on TH-cam.
We have cruised since 2006. I remember when they stopped fruit punch on the lido. Lots of changes since. I Think it would be nice to have tablecloths on just the elegant nights.
What Carnival is not talking about is the heat from the ships engines water discharge temperatures, so Carnival is full of bull, cruise ships engines create lots of heat and they have to take that excess heat somewhere, so they exchange it with ocean water and then discharge that heated seawater back to the ocean, its simple, heat exchange is simple mechanical ship operations, I think it is more about labor cost and ships design than anything else, not about the table clothes themselves
Yeah, I love Carnival, but that's total Greenwashing. Their priority is not the environment -- and you're right, they already have the logistics systems in place with regard to laundry, and the environmental impact of the other linens is not insignificant. It's a total money move, which I get... but don't be disingenuous about it.
Per personal experience Carnival's been on the no tablecloth trend since 2018 when the Horizon debuted so I really had to double check the date of this vid. My feeling is, given how many Carnival diners show up in the mdr for dinner with caps, questionnable shorts and Tshirts (just off the Magic yesterday), I'm way, way past the tablecloth and fine dining thing with Carnival, because that is not the clientele and atmosphere. I AM careful where I put my silverware between courses though. Now if this happens on Holland America or even Celebrity I would say shame on them, because their brand and target clientele really demands a higher level of refinement.
Yeah, I noted a correction that the MDR tablecloths went away a few years ago, and the removal of them on elegant night/specialties is more recent (although I can't for the life of me track down an official date). It's interesting knowing this that this is just NOW become a "thing" that people have been complaining to John Heald about.
The Crusaders baffle me. It's like you called their child ugly or kicked their puppy if you date complain or criticize their favorites. They take it SO personally!
People act is if it is only Carnival cutting back on things. It's everywhere, you go to a store, you check yourself out. restaurants want you to order using an app., hotels have gone to serving rooms once every three days unless you request otherwise, Las Vegas, that used to have buffets every where, now have many fewer, and they cost a fortune. I have been on Carnival 7 times, with number 8 set for next week and I never noticed if they had table clothes or not, but I don't see how that makes the food better or worse.. They cut back on things because people are getting less and less caring about things. There were people that would go to the dinning room and order several meals and leave entire plates of food sitting there to go to waste, people would fill plates at the buffet only to let them get thrown out. Waste ends up costing every one. I agree that table clothes are a waste, they might look good, but they have to be changed frequently as people spill things on them, and they serve no useful purpose.. If this is the focus of someone on a cruise, they are just looking for any reason to complain.
Oh I agree with this for sure, and that's a larger conversation of corporate greed and taking advantage of the pandemic. But as I note in the video, in our US mixed economy that is predominantly capitalist, it's dictated by supply and demand, and as long as we still demand these products as they're being sold, the companies are certainly going to supply it! It's only when consumers take a stand and speak with their wallets will anything change. And the outcry over tablecloths has me wondering if this might signal a shift toward consumers finally doing just that.
@@ProfMelissa Agreed, and if the people they complain to mock them with crass attitudes, it will happen.. We are already backing out of cruising for a while, even though we hadn't planned to.. They are getting more restrictive all the time, the ships are getting too large with too many crowds, and more and more things are at additional cost after you get on board. I don't rent a room at a hotel and have them force me to eat at their restaurants and only drink at their bars and pay a kings ransom for a beer that I can buy for about a dollar at a store, or pay a $1000 for a weeks worth of drinks that would last us six months at home...
@@garybelew7813 Haha, interesting you mentioned the cost of beer on a cruise ship compared to what you pay at the store. Just yesterday, I bought a 12-pack of beer for $12, and specifically thought, "I got this whole 12 pack for the price I will pay for just ONE beer on my cruise next month!" hahaha
It doesn’t surprise me that removing tablecloths is an issue on Carnival, and not some other cruise line LOL It’s not a hill I would choose to die on, but I’m sorry, I want a tablecloth. If I didn’t care, I would go to the buffet, where I don’t expect a tablecloth. IJS
The food tastes the same even Werth no tablecloth. Having tablecloths on hundreds of tables means those all have to be washed. Not friendly to the environment. People are so snobby about dumb things. I 1 million present agree with your comment. Take care😊
Heald, just stop, you're being willfully obtuse. You're too intelligent not to understand what's truly behind the uproar about tablecloths. While it's obvious the option for tablecloths is -well, off the table, can't for the life understand the dismissive attitude towards people who feel that the presence of dining room tablecloths, for a short period of time, surrounds them in a uplifting and elegant atmosphere.
Carnival is not being greedy. With all the debt that they acquired due to COVID, new ship builds and refurbishments they have a ton of debt. Yes they are making a ton of money but since Carnival is a publicly traded company they have a fiduciary responsibility to their share holders and with the high inflation that we have been experiencing, Carnival has to find ways to trim cost to balance the debt, inflation and their fiduciary responsibilities.
@@richardlo4867 well if you could afford to cruise on a real cruise line, or afford to invest in stocks or how about this, if you had enough education to understand finances, then we could have the discussion.
That's why I put the question mark, to open discussion. Is it greed, or is it a business decision made out of necessity? I'm always interested in cruise profit margins, which are much more narrow than one might first think. I think most folks don't realize the cruise lines make little on the average cruise fare, and rely heavily on ancillary purchases like photos, wifi, casino, etc. to drive their profits, which is at odds with a product that bills itself as "all inclusive".
@@ProfMelissa Funny you mentioned how a cruiseline actual profits depend heavily on the onboard, additional spending of the passengers. I remember a documentary on cruising I saw years ago, said how the lines would almost be willing to give away the last unsold cabins for free, because the passengers' typical spending habits show they will make this lost fare revenue up with their onboard spending habits.
It doesn't matter if Carnival has tablecloths or not. Carnival Cruise Line puts out a good product that is far superior to other cruise lines. I have a lot of fun on Carnival Cruises. John Heald was the Cruise Director on my first Carnival cruise. Would rather have good service and no tablecloth than have a tablecloth and lack of service. Then you missed a lot.
Table clothes are changed out between seatings at dinner in the MDR for the traditional "early" and "late" seatings. I can't speak for the "my time" dining, because I never do that. But, I would imagine it's the same. Do you think they just leave the same used/dirty tableclothes there between each seating?
It’s going the same way as the airlines, as Vegas, as Disney…they reached for the stars, but once they got there it’s only been higher prices while significantly lowering quality & service. They no longer care about the customer, or reaching for a glorious reputation. They just see how much they can take for how little they give. It seems to me this is a deeper cultural problem that is spreading all across America in every aspect.
Yep! I personally despise Disney parks, but as a business nerd I'm closely following them since I'm seeing a tipping point there, too. They've gotten away forever with price jacks and cutbacks, and have come away unscathed, but that bubble seems to finally be about to burst.
Carnival = Walmart ! It’s not a premium category cruise line , so just lower your expectations and you will be fine. My major dislike is to have to place my silverware directly on the table , I just found it not hygienically right ( that’s why I always use the small plate instead )
Even with these cutbacks, cruising is still much cheaper than any equivalent land based holiday. Even if cruisers were to jump ship, are they just jumping into another boiling pot???? It is interesting out of all the cutbacks. For me/us, the only cutback I didn't like was the entertainment cutbacks. Specifically the live music around the ship during the day on sea days.
I agree that cruising is still a great bargain, but while I don't know actual numbers, I suspect that the margin between cruising and traditional vacation travel is starting to close more and more with each cutback and price increase. With that, those of us who love cruising for cruising will still cruise, but the contingent of cruiser travelers who cruise b/c of the value proposition of it will start to peel off. I think THAT is when we'll start to see a bit of a "cruise market correction" and the lines will have to stop with the cutbacks and/or lower pricing.
I will insert here a mention of the addition of COMPULSORY TIPPING...... I go so far back when Bridge / Kitchen tours were complimentary! Now they are SOLD AS AN EXCURSION!!!
So, you expect as things get more expensive that things will not change? I went to Las Vegas in the 90s and eating was dirt cheap and they served free drinks as you played, and the service was great. Go there now, and a buffet, if you can find one, costs a small fortune, and service on the casino floor is painfully slow in most cases because they don't want people sitting at a machine playing real slow just to get free drinks.. Hotels only clean occupied rooms every three days in most cases unless you ask for more often, and then they may not do it anyway. As people become less respectful, cruise lines are having to dedicate more crew members to security which removes a crew member from another job on the ship. Since cruise lines have the uniqueness of the staff living in the same place as the guests , they can't just hire more staff without removing staff members from some other position.
Funny that you did a video on this topic. This past January, I went on my first Carnival cruise in over 23 years, and I did happen to notice there weren't any tableclothes in the MDR at dinner. I didn't see this as a big deal at all. I thought, if anything, it may give the often over-worked crews in the dining rooms and the laundry rooms a little LESS workload by having to install, remove, launder, fold, etc. all these tableclothes. I thought, "Hmm, maybe this MIGHT give the crews a little break" (but, I'm sure the few minutes this saves a worker, the cruiseline will just find something else for the worker to do instead, so no real "break" will ever be obtained.) :(
We noticed right away and it seemed like a step down, from Maggiano’s restaurant to Denny’s diner.
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I agree table clothes are a symptom not a cause of the cruise dissatisfaction . If one looks at the demographic of the demand of the population it is being created to cater to drunks living on a strict budget. As long as the booze is "cheap and plentiful" they are not going to be attracted to amenities. This will also create a cruise population that is less socially caring of others comfort and culture. I think my answer will be to look for quieter, more catered, cruising. I don't care if I spend more if I am really getting pampered and catered to, instead of being told I am and getting pampered and catered to. Yup, the heat is getting turned up on the amphibians. It started with the little tiny Chocolates on the pillows at night that got deleted. Now its noisy clunking cafeteria ambiance in the formal dinning room. Are ashtrays on the tables with the ketchup packets next?
I have been cruising since the earl 90's. The difference between then and now is striking.
It's very different!
Me too. 1992 was my first cruise. I remember them arming the passengers with a shot ---g---u----n---- for clay shooooting off the back of the ship. Man, have times changed!!
100% spot on. The cumulative effect of these incremental cuts endangers the value proposition of cruising. They are flying high right now due to pent up demand post COVID while also adding capacity. It is unsustainable IMO.
@@gregsyoutubechannel agree 100%. So many new to cruise they don’t what’s been cut
Yep! I think we're effectively in a cruise bubble and it's going to burst at some point. I don't think we're there yet (and as a broader economy are still in need of a massive, system-wide correction), but I think the uproar over tablecloths signals that the frog is starting to notice that the water is getting awfully hot....
Tablecloths make a difference to me. My view is that it’s a little touch of “elegance”, making the dining experience a little more special. Yes the food tastes the same but it’s also about the ambiance. The MDR experience on a cruise ship is an escape from eating in places like Chili’s, Outback and the like. These are restaurants where food is kind of flung at you, waiters show up at your table to take your order and bring the check. You never see t them in between. And they have no knowledge of the menu etc. MDR should be a step up. If it’s just about the food then let’s have paper plates and plastic utensils.
We were shocked a couple of years ago when we sailed on the Mardi Gras and there were no tablecloths. On the Freedom last May, this annoyance was compounded when the staff seemed eager to get us out of the dining room as fast as possible, delivering entrees while we were still eating our salad or soup. I watched a different video about this yesterday that quoted Carnival's "green" excuse, but I said to my wife that it was all about saving money. Glad to hear you are in agreement. While Carnival is free to cut any corner they think will increase their bottom line, I am free to sail on a different cruise line: hello Royal, hello Princess....
That’s a good point! 💯
Fantastic video!! Personally, I will definitely miss the tableclothes if this becomes industry standard, but the backlash did take me by surprise. People have been casual-ing down the way they dress for meals in the MDR for years, so no tablecloths actually fits the vibe so many dress for (on Carnival).
That said, your boiling frog analogy is spot on & speaks to the frustration so many feel about cruising post-2020.
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I heard the tablecloth debate some time ago. There is an esthetic effect with tablecloths. A cloth dresses the table. A table cloth also reduces noise. All those dishes, flatware, and glasses make less noise when placed on a soft cloth rather than a hard table.
I never considered the sound perspective, but that's a good point.
Agree. The elegance of the experience is diminished - visually, acoustically, service, etc. For me, I’ve always liked the MDR because it felt so fancy.
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just got off a carnival cruise 2 weeks ago and yes your synopsis is so spot on we have cruised with carnival 23 times and we're there when ice sculptures and more luxury items were they're. so you hit it square on the head and have been thinking the same things.
It's tough, too, because I still love cruising SO much, and the loss of these things makes me sad, but it's not anything that will make me stop cruising... at least for now, but we'll see how far they take these cutbacks.
I Love tablecloths........ I am sick of the cutbacks, Lack of service, Charge for everything extra, Nickel and Diming us to death
I cruised in August, didn't even notice. I just went back and checked my photos, no tablecloths. I could not care less, it was still amazing.
Good video. I understand how your view cruising. 33yrs with a Fortune 100 company and an MBA.
I thought it wouldn't matter. I have sailed Carnival or years. I noticed they removed the tablecloths a couple of years ago on some of the ships we were on. Several cruise later, I did an NCL cruise to Alaska. They had tablecloths. Besides dampening the sound, the MDR can get very noisy, they made it feel you were eating at a fine dining restaurant rather than an Applebee's. I would rather have tablecloths but I don't pick a cruise weather it has table cloths or not. I pick a cruise based by itinerary and price.
I am sick of the cutbacks. I will finally make Platinum but they keep cutting back the perks.
It’s not just Carnival or cruise lines for that matter doing this. We are frequent Vegas visitors. At least 3-5 times a year. And the casinos have made loyalty non existent. They have reduced or eliminated so many perks from their loyalty programs that it’s no longer worth it for the average person.
Exactly, service has been drastically reduced or eliminated in all areas. We used to go to Vegas all the time, too. In the 90s, a buffet was less than ten bucks and they had dirt cheap breakfasts that were huge. Now, the vagrants and "performers" on the streets are disgusting and rude, the prices are astounding and service stinks all over the place. Most of the buffets are gone since covid, and the ones left are expensive. As you point out, even the lower level gambler used to get some perks, such as comped rooms and meals, now, if you get a players card, they give you a small discount on their rooms and meals, but most of the restaurants these days are chains operating in the casino..
I was told about the Carnival tablecloth thing some time ago. I have since cruised on Carnival and a lack of tablecloths did not negatively impact my experience. I didn't even notice.
Ooooooh people noticed. My mother in law and aunt in law could NOT stop commenting about the lack of table cloths. Wow.
I absolutely agree. The first cruise I was on in 2017 felt really nice. They even put pretty decor on tables for elegant night. The food was really good. When i went in 2019 the decor was gone from the tables. I found several meals inedible. I haven’t been able to go since but I’m booked for January and I’m wondering what it will be like and I’m a bit concerned that I’ll be disappointed. As for the tablecloths, I wish they would have kept them for elegant nights and the steakhouse. When go to a nice dinner it just feels like there should be a tablecloth. I mean compared to what I heard about elegant night in the past it already seems really casual. I’m celebrating an anniversary on the trip and I would love to feel like we are at a nice restaurant not a diner or cafe (those certainly have their place!)
This actually started years ago.
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I have changed cruise lines to keep aspects of cruising that are important to me. Never been brand loyal in crusing have cruised in the past 3 decades with at least 5 different lines. Since pandemic I search cruise lines and packages that tick my must have boxes most affordably. I will say for me tablecloths aren't on that list.
That’s a smart approach! Everyone has their own priorities when it comes to cruising. 💯
Haven't tablecloth been removed from the main dining room since 2017? Maybe even before that, I remember being on a cruise in 2016 and not having a tablecloth except for on formal nights. Personally I don't really care about the tablecloths, although one of the cutbacks I do miss is the little chocolate squares you would get at the evening turn down.
The main issue I have with the removal of free room service is the claim that they did it to remove food waste. If they care so much about removing food waste, why not charge for the main dining room? Or the buffet? Why only remove free room service? There’s way more food wasted on the lido than in room service. Don’t tell such an obvious lie. Like you said, just be honest.
ETA: As a result of them charging for room service, I simply won’t order any.
I'm surprised they don't have water stations so people can refill their own bottles. Throw-away water bottles are far more disgusting than a stray plastic straw here and there, in my very humble opinion.
@@gigi9301 Yeah, the cut backs don’t bother me as much as the obvious lies.
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Forgive me but why does someone need their room cleaned TWICE a day?
When 3 or 4 people are staying in the same cabin, the couch/bed and/or pull down bed can be put up/down making more space in the cabin during the day.
@@christineE9301 so why does this require twice a day? I'm confused lol. Granted, we just got off of Wonder on the 15th and we traveled with our two kids. We got ready in the morning and some days went back to the room here and there but never to really hangout in the room except when it was time to wind down for the night and put the kids to bed.
@RobertoMezquiaJr for you it wouldn't be needed, for others it might. I think that's part of why many lines have cut it out. I keep my room clean so there is minimum needed for staff to do. They work so hard, I don't want to create more work for them.
@@RobertoMezquiaJrits not a need, its a want.
The morning service will be a traditional room cleaning, bed making, bathroom cleaning, etc.
The evening is a light cleaning and includes a bed turndown service.
As a person who has my own boat, only to provide perspective, it is a yacht certified vessel with home like accommodations, onboard marine generator, air conditioning/heat, galley, etc., I am fine doing it myself. I do it myself on my own boat. I chose to have no crew. I hire out various service work, but I skipper my own boat.
As a test to see if you can understand, let me add some context.
When I fly comercial medium haul four hour or longer flight, I will adjust my schedule so I sit in lie flat business class or better seats. Doing honest math, these seats are more economical than economy seats in the 70’s or earlier once you factor in inflation. It’s a value for comfort to me.
Silly to me is booking an ultra-low cost economy seats then complaining about the seat size, and lack of services. Want a bigger seat and food/drink? Just book a better seat. It’s that simple.
Back to the room being made up twice a day, I study before booking so I get no surprises.
Want to spend less? Book a line that gives you less. I’ve booked Carnival many times, paid for family members to join, and I’ve booked suites on premium priced cruise lines.
A few years back, when then Disney Wonder was a new ship, Disney would not share with the public the inside of the Walt Disney and Roy O Disney suites.
I booked the Roy O Disney suite, and surprised my kids as we entered the room, as I made a video capturing their surprise.
I shard my video to TH-cam where my very amateur video with zero editing got tens of thousands of views.
This video is still up under an old TH-cam channel I no longer use called PresentationWI.
As ‘proof” if you need it that this is my video, my name for this TH-cam channel is my real name and you can freeze the Roy O Disney video under username PresentationWI and read my name on my room key as I’m opening the cabin door.
At that level, yeah, I do expect table cloths, twice a day room servicing, no lines for anything, and concierge service where they come to you not the other way around.
For example, my daughter wanted to see the ships bridge. The concierge was able to arrange this, as well as a private ships captain meeting during the bridge tour. My daughter got to blow the ships horn as we were about to leave the port.
So no, twice a day room servicing is not a need, it’s a want. If you want it, book with a cruise line that offers it. If you don’t want it, then save some money and book elsewhere.
Oh wow I Just noticed i have looked at pics and videos from my 2019 November cruise and no tablecloths! But in my pics and videos from 2016 there were tablecloths!
I just looked back at every Carnival cruise I’ve taken over the past few years, I now see that I have not seen a tablecloth since before 2019. I checked every MDR photo, and I have lots, no tablecloths, and here’s a shocker…I do not care. 😊😂
Yeah, I noted a correction that the MDR removal was back in 2019 and the elegant night/specialty removal is more recent. And I also don't care about tablecloths, as I noted in the video. But does the culmination of ALL cutbacks as a whole bother you?
@@ProfMelissa when it affects the quality of the cruise it does bother me because the prices have not decreased, they are steadily going up. I had an Aft Excel suit last time I was on Celebration and it was not properly cleaned. There was dust everywhere in the mot obvious spots, the TV’s, the Lamps. The poor staff is overwhelmed.
@@ProfMelissa I promise you I did not even notice until you pointed it out. That’s what made me look back! 😂😂 I prefer no tablecloths it looks more modern, seems cleaner, and better for the environment 🌲🌳🌴
Our cruise to Alaska on the carnival spirit had table cloths in the mdr. The larger cruise ships, ex: mardi gras, didn't
Having table cloths makes part of a large puzzle an elegant dining experience, But it is a cost and environmental saving issue. It’s not a huge issue for me. But an other issue is you are paying a lot of money in cruising. I think the cruising industry is nickel and dime the guests. This goes beyond the table clothes this is about gouging the guests. Internet, drink packages to the exclusions. I’m a long time cruiser. I can go on a rant but to keep the comment to a minimum I will leave it at that.
We started sailing CCL in 2001, "changes" have occurred over the years, but the swiftness interval occurred since COVID. In 2001 along with tablecloths, we had table side service Caesar salad made from scratch etc. If I recall correctly, we were assigned three waitstaff that worked four tables during our sitting. The service was the best!!! As far as staterooms, they were cleaned twice a day, no questions. Ice buckets were filled throughout the day and room service was free and there was a wide array of TV stations available, news, sports, children etc. But the area of most change is staff, or I should say staffing levels, yes CCL staff is still kind and always greet you (they are required) but in the past the staff were able to friendly, and you didn't feel they needed to be somewhere or be doing something else based on their current workload. We really like CCL (19 sailing and 2 upcoming) We have sail 1 RCCL too, didn't care for the food or service. FYI: CCL's Sprite class of ships have the largest space ratio/passenger of all CCL's ships.
Ahh, the tableside preparation sounds nice. I miss the magicians and tableside entertainers. I've only experienced that very sporadically post-2020, but that's one of those little touches that we all really loved, especially the kiddos.
I just looked back in my pictures of on the Carnival Magic in Oct. 2021 and there are no tablecloths on the tables in the dining room. We didn’t even notice or even care.
Same. As I mention in the video, even though my last Carnival cruise was just a few weeks ago, I could not for the life of me even recall so I had to go back and look at the photos.
I just looked back at photos. We were on a 11-day cruise in December on the Venezia and we had tablecloths .
haha, funny that you should mention this. I was on Venezia in late January 2024, and the tableclothes were gone!! RIP tableclothes.
I like the fancy of cruising and don't want to lose it all. I wish they would use tablecloths on elegant evenings.
I had not heard this, I’ve been sailing Royal lately. This absolutely makes a difference to me! I will NOT be sailing Carnival for this reason. I enjoy the feeling of elegance the white table cloths bring and it is absolutely a deal breaker for me and I’m platinum with Carnival!
Just found your channel; I will like and subscribe. I hadn't noticed about the tablecloths. The Greenwashing angle is interesting, and I like your take. I think Elegant night would be nice to have the tablecloths, but honestly, I'd like to see fewer ballcaps and flip flops. As to Carnival's slide to the "trashy" side, I think this is very evident. I am a Carnival fan (hopefully not cavalry), but I do sense a clientele shift.
We have been cruising since 2010 on Carnival and I loved every cruise. I have noticed a change in the caliber of people since just before the pandemic. There are more fights on the ships and more people don't move to the side when you are coming down the hallway. These folks only seem to care about themselves. I think the answer is to raise prices to eliminate the means of these people to cruise. In my opinion these folks are lower income then people that show respect for others.
It's crazy, though, b/c prices ARE high, but I agree with you that I've also noticed an appreciable decline in the behaviors of cruisers. At this point, I still love Carnival, but I avoid the short sailings on the old, small ships.
@graemejones6619 so why not choose a higher-end cruise if that's truly the problem?
@@toddstarks1588I used to be a huge fan of Carnival and have to agree the quality of people has gone down considerably. We’ve decided to sail other lines and had a much more enjoyable experience. The last carnival cruise we went on as we were buying something in the gift shop prior to getting onboard, this rowdy group of drunken people were pushing themselves while in line. (I’m from NOLA and certainly not casting stones but come on)I finally threw a $20 on the counter which was more than enough and got back on board. Now that we clearly see the difference in the other lines, when I see a carnival ship like we did in Miami it’s almost like watching a hoopty cruising down the street with loud music blaring! 😂
Agree. After 15 plus Carnival cruises, my family and I won't sail Carnival ever again. The clientele has turned gheto. Disrepectful, entilted, obnoxious, and somewhat racist. It's the crusiers, not Carnival that have taken the fun out being on their ships. I would rather pay more to avoid the rift raft.
Sorry, but the level of rude and uncaring people have nothing to do with Carnival and neither does the prices.. Easy credit and terrible manners are the issue. Cruises used to be mostly older folks that were raised differently than the younger crowd we see now. There's even the attitude of some crew members that refuse to enforce the ships rules and allow people to annoy others without doing anything.. I have even heard crew members encourage poor behavior by saying they aren't even going to see the people around them again, so let loose. It would be nice if they made rules that they enforce it instead of allowing it to get so out of hand that the cruise line just bans something all together. Like the latest complaints about speakers on the pool deck.. The Carnival rules clearly state that speakers are to be used in state rooms only, and at a reasonable volume, so not to disturb others. It goes even further and states that ear buds or head phones are to be used in public spaces, to stop people from using the speakers on their phones or tablets. The fact that they permit people to blare their music on speakers just means that others will do the same.
We are looong time cruisers. The amount of perks they have taken away across all cruise lines in the name of environment while raising prices and gratuity amounts is crazy. All about the bottom line. Keep cutting until you get push back.
And this is the issue precisely! While I didn't notice of care about the tablecloths, because it's "no big deal", it's that it's just another in a very, very long list of cutbacks that as a whole sum DOES become a pretty big deal. I still love cruising, and probably always will, but there are definitely some things that have been eliminated that I really miss.
@@ProfMelissa same. Once a day room cleaning, charge for room service, no turn down service. My last NCL haven cruise the daily gratuity was $25 pp/pd. And that doesn’t include the butler
As a long time Carnival cruiser like you that is my go to cruise company. I had John heald serval times a a cruise director. He is by far the best. I have cruise every one of the ship oast and present. In total I have 111 cruises in November on the Carnival Spirit it will be 112. Like you I love John he is the best.
They charge for room service & the menu is nothing. Its like theyre trying to make room service so undesirable that eventually they can discontinue it & no one will care. Less food, less staff, less cost.
I've noticed that. Room service used to much more now. You have 4 or 5 things to pick from.
Yep, room service now on Carnival is abysmal and it's the one cut back that I DO really mind.
@@lovedfriend2020 Ive only started cruising last year so i dont have a personal frame of reference for what it was BUT I KNOW THE MENU IS AN INSULT NOW.
They are doing the same thing in the MDR. Cutbacks on quality, service, quantity in order to drive the passenger to the specialty restaurants..... where they can then make their $$$$. The food you get in the MDR today is nothing like what was available even 6 years ago.
@@PatrickWagz I believe it!
I was on the Venezia back in February, and after checking throw photos, there was no tablecloth then, looks like they have been gone for a long while…lol
There was another comment here from somebody on Venezia last December. They said they had tableclothes. I happened to be on Venezia in late January, and the tableclothes were gone. So, I'm guessing January 1st is when they removed them. But, another comment said Mardi Gras had no tableclothes 2 or 3 years ago already.
We decided to go to a all inclusive resort because they have all the eminities included no penny pinching everything!!
Plus alot classier getting cheaper than cruising
I do an all-inclusive about once a year, and I like that way of traveling, too, and have started to notice more and more now the gap between that and cruising. When I did Cancun last year it was SO nice to have the coffee shop included for free. I'm not a big alcohol drinker, so that benefit doesn't matter much to me, but I loooooved my free coffees!
Yea, it's Carnival all right. Always good for a laugh.
Nice vid. Another way they’re raising the heat slowly is by reducing the number of ports and decreasing time in port. Most 7 Day CCL cruises only have 3 stops now - and some of them are like 10 AM, back on the ship by 4 PM. They “say” that this keeps down the costs by reducing the hours and “more friendly for the environment” as the ships can sail at slower speeds Plus, in international waters, they can open the casinos and shops and bars on the ships which bring them more money. As far as cruising being bad for the environment, let’s take a ship like Icon with 7,000 passengers and instead of taking them to the Caribbean, we’ll fly them down to the first island. You’d need about 25 medium to large passenger jets to get them there. Once there, you’re going to have to build new hotels and resorts for them to stay in which is bad for the planet. And then keep everybody flying to the next island ports. It would use a bunch more fuel and be far more polluting. In the end, if the climate goals stay as they’re planned, we won’t be allowed to travel as much
Where is 4 hour stops the norm now? I've not had one and in September last year we did 3 days in Bermuda? In February had 3 stop all was 8 hours or more on a 7 day cruise.
100% the frog as the cruiser. From the late 90’s til now cruises have drastically changed food service/offering/quality as well as the almost like private butler like service in your cabin. Then in the last 4-5 years they have changed even more. It goes along with everything else where the consumer get less for more money! Using a tag line to cover it up
Added: this is why the demographic of people who cruise has changed greatly, like the MDR being almost semi formal dress nightly (like a nice cocktail dress, men in suit & tie) no jeans, pullover shirts and no women in pants.
Good point. I think you're spot on that a lot of this has correlated with a shift in demographics. And in some ways that's a good thing! I just did an interview with Bloomberg about the shifting ages of cruisers, as younger folks are getting into it and it's no longer just an "old people thing". And that's awesome! But... I don't think that needs to necessarily also correlate with a cheapening of the experience.
I think the cruise lines can do a better job in balancing the two -- making it accessible to a more diverse array of consumers, but also making it feel like a luxury experience. Or at a minimum, just maintain some real touches of luxury, like elegant night.
I appreciate Carnival. It gives everyday blue collar hard working people the opportunity to cruise !
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Great video! Thinking about this more and the cut backs made me think of my experience 2 weeks ago on the Carnival Elation. I noticed that when getting a Guys Burger they now just give you a plain Jane unless you specify right then. They still have condiments there but I think they expect most people to put their own burgers together on the condiment buffet which now has less items on it than before. I'm not really complaining about preparing my own burgers as I know I'm a burger expert, BUT Is this one of the staffing cut backs you are referring to? Or is it just something on this specific ship?
You're spot on that this is one of the staffing cut backs, and they've taken any opportunity to save on labor costs. Which I get, since that's usually the biggest expense line for many businesses. But it REALLY impacts the customer experience when they take it to the extreme, as I feel they have.
I just got off Freedom two weeks ago and the casino bar service was literally the worst I've ever experienced b/c they were just so short staffed. I just order a can of ginger ale and I'm not kidding when I say it took hours to get one, and on two occasions I gave up and just left without one.
@@ProfMelissa This was also my complaint on the survey. Both the guys burger and the casino bar staff. We had the casino play and chill package for our very cheap cruise. As many hours we spent in the casino we did not get very many free drinks (in fact 3 total). When we did order the drinks it was 30 minutes or longer. I shouldn't say order because we had to shake them down. They walked by rather quickly asking "drinks, drinks, drinks".
I will say though, on this particular cruise, their MDR was excellent, probably one of the best I've seen and supposedly they currently have the best rated by survey MDR for Carnival. It probably helps that it's a smaller ship and we got to know several of the staff even though we had Our time dining. Our first night waiter came up and said hello to us every night even though he was not our waiter.
Seems like a mix of good and not-so-good experience.
We don't usually cruise Carnival but FiL wanted to go to Bermuda and Carnival had a sked that fit us best. We were not informed about an formal nights so I didn't bring a suit. I COULD have since we drove to the port. So we were caught off guard when they announced that the next night was a formal night. Well, we went to the MDR dressed in our biz-casual (Me dockers and a Polo) and although we were seated, some of those top tier Carnival passengers gave us a LOOK!
Is this the same principle of corporations slowly decreasing the size or volume of a product while still charging the same price? The packaging is about the same but the amount goes down?
Exactly! We call that "shrinkflation" in the CPG (consumer packaged goods) industry and this is pretty much the cruise equivalent of it.
@@ProfMelissa corporate greed plain and simple
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Cruise lines are ditching any elegance or sophistication because many of their cruisers have ditched them…look at clothing, manners, etc…what do you think is going to happen?
This is why I go less but go on a higher class cruise line. Too much nonsense going on on some of these cruise lines.
I watched a video of a "higher class" cruise lines deck party the other day.. If you call higher class a bunch of "adults" stripping on the pool deck and being told it's time to "act naughty", than enjoy yourself.. I'm no prude, but that's not the kind of people I want to interact with. The days of "The Love Boat" type cruising is gone.. People are more casual now and wearing a tux to dinner isn't what most people want. I am 65 years old and agree that some things have gone too far in the wrong direction, so we are going to bail out of cruising for a while and hope they find their middle ground.. If not, there are many other places to go.
What's interesting is that Carnival Corporation also owns Holland America Line, and that gives them QUITE a diverse product mix, because HAL could NOT be more different than Carnival Cruise Line. I did my longest cruise ever on HAL this summer (two weeks) and it did feel like the "good old days" of cruising. They still put chocolates on the pillow, you get a tote bag as a thank you gift, twice daily turndown, free room service, etc. and it feels like an absolute LUXURY these days.
Ohh I'm curious to know to which cruise line you're referring?
@@ProfMelissa HAL is the only line we haven’t cruised. We have moved to only suites now on Celebrity and NCL for what was the “ pre Covid “ experience. Less times per year but much better experience
@@garybelew7813 which line. Definitely not what I’ve experienced on Celebrity. Since retiring I’ll admit I have no desire to wear a suit . NCL haven is perfect as it’s upscale and casual at the same time. ps. I still wear slacks to dinner.
As a retired CPA, my first thought was the financial savings to Carnival. I like the boiled frog view, or as we say nickel and dime us to death. As a solo guest, I worry that my days may be limited in cruising. I hope not. It is my happy place.
I also have sailed solo often and the way cruise lines price penalize solo cruisers drives me CRAZY. Were it not for casino offers (and that's starting to change a lot too), there's no way I would have ever done a solo cruise.
What about all the harmful chemicals used to clean the tables in between dinners? You're gonna tell me the chemicals use are less invasive than the chemicals used to clean a tablecloth. Plus they had to use something to wipe the tables down with.
A great compromise would be to have tablecloths only.on elegant night. It would make that night seem a little more special
Just saying, captain dinner with no table clothes. This is why people don’t want to dress up anymore even on elegant night.
We went on a carnival cruise in 2018 during the Dr. Seuss brunch. They had an ice culture.
I do think that as the cruise lines cut back and make things seem less elegant, people take notice and act accordingly, so you're right in that. It's hard to justify dressing to the nines when it feels like you're going to a meal at Applebee's.
I did the Seuss brunch last year (loved it, btw) and what's interesting is that they DO go all out for that, with the ice sculpture, character appearances, and special themed decor and even napkins. Now of course they charge extra for it, but that felt almost like a more special experience than elegant night does these days.
I have been on many cruises and have only used Carnival and over the years I have cruised they have stopped doing several things that they once did, but nothing that I would complain about, I have never went to the customer service to complain about anything, you have to roll with the punches you are on vacation enjoy yourself
That's how I try to approach it, is to just relax and enjoy myself, even if everything isn't perfect.
well said
Love your analysis on this topic
Thanks. Given that cruise culture can be a bit... much (as I noted in the video), it's hard to have a nuanced, calm, and mature discussion on these sorts of topics, so it's really nice to see when that can happen. I'm pleasantly surprised by the dialogue, for instance, right here on TH-cam.
We have cruised since 2006. I remember when they stopped fruit punch on the lido. Lots of changes since. I Think it would be nice to have tablecloths on just the elegant nights.
Aww, I never got to enjoy fruit punch on the lido, but that sounds like a nice small touch.
What Carnival is not talking about is the heat from the ships engines water discharge temperatures, so Carnival is full of bull, cruise ships engines create lots of heat and they have to take that excess heat somewhere, so they exchange it with ocean water and then discharge that heated seawater back to the ocean, its simple, heat exchange is simple mechanical ship operations, I think it is more about labor cost and ships design than anything else, not about the table clothes themselves
Interesting, because while I'm a business nerd, I don't know as much about the mechanics like that. I hope to do a behind the scenes tour soon.
I just understand if Carnival has 600 sheets and pellow cases to wash why are they bitching about table clothes?
Yeah, I love Carnival, but that's total Greenwashing. Their priority is not the environment -- and you're right, they already have the logistics systems in place with regard to laundry, and the environmental impact of the other linens is not insignificant. It's a total money move, which I get... but don't be disingenuous about it.
Would be nice to keep a limited number of the tablecloths for the premium / first class dining experiences.
That’s a great idea! 😊
Per personal experience Carnival's been on the no tablecloth trend since 2018 when the Horizon debuted so I really had to double check the date of this vid. My feeling is, given how many Carnival diners show up in the mdr for dinner with caps, questionnable shorts and Tshirts (just off the Magic yesterday), I'm way, way past the tablecloth and fine dining thing with Carnival, because that is not the clientele and atmosphere. I AM careful where I put my silverware between courses though. Now if this happens on Holland America or even Celebrity I would say shame on them, because their brand and target clientele really demands a higher level of refinement.
Yeah, I noted a correction that the MDR tablecloths went away a few years ago, and the removal of them on elegant night/specialties is more recent (although I can't for the life of me track down an official date). It's interesting knowing this that this is just NOW become a "thing" that people have been complaining to John Heald about.
Those Crusaders act like they're on the payroll 🤣🤣🤣
The Crusaders baffle me. It's like you called their child ugly or kicked their puppy if you date complain or criticize their favorites. They take it SO personally!
@ProfMelissa it baffles me. Especially the Royals vs Carnival Crusaders 😭😭
It took them this long to be concerned with the environment. 😒
Yeah, I'm not buying for one second that actual environmental concern played much of a role in this one....
People act is if it is only Carnival cutting back on things. It's everywhere, you go to a store, you check yourself out. restaurants want you to order using an app., hotels have gone to serving rooms once every three days unless you request otherwise, Las Vegas, that used to have buffets every where, now have many fewer, and they cost a fortune. I have been on Carnival 7 times, with number 8 set for next week and I never noticed if they had table clothes or not, but I don't see how that makes the food better or worse.. They cut back on things because people are getting less and less caring about things. There were people that would go to the dinning room and order several meals and leave entire plates of food sitting there to go to waste, people would fill plates at the buffet only to let them get thrown out. Waste ends up costing every one. I agree that table clothes are a waste, they might look good, but they have to be changed frequently as people spill things on them, and they serve no useful purpose.. If this is the focus of someone on a cruise, they are just looking for any reason to complain.
Oh I agree with this for sure, and that's a larger conversation of corporate greed and taking advantage of the pandemic. But as I note in the video, in our US mixed economy that is predominantly capitalist, it's dictated by supply and demand, and as long as we still demand these products as they're being sold, the companies are certainly going to supply it! It's only when consumers take a stand and speak with their wallets will anything change. And the outcry over tablecloths has me wondering if this might signal a shift toward consumers finally doing just that.
@@ProfMelissa Agreed, and if the people they complain to mock them with crass attitudes, it will happen.. We are already backing out of cruising for a while, even though we hadn't planned to.. They are getting more restrictive all the time, the ships are getting too large with too many crowds, and more and more things are at additional cost after you get on board. I don't rent a room at a hotel and have them force me to eat at their restaurants and only drink at their bars and pay a kings ransom for a beer that I can buy for about a dollar at a store, or pay a $1000 for a weeks worth of drinks that would last us six months at home...
@@garybelew7813 Haha, interesting you mentioned the cost of beer on a cruise ship compared to what you pay at the store. Just yesterday, I bought a 12-pack of beer for $12, and specifically thought, "I got this whole 12 pack for the price I will pay for just ONE beer on my cruise next month!" hahaha
@@PatrickWagz We went to our AAA baseball teams game and beer was $14 each.. I feel better about what the ship charge now.. LOL
Can I get a napkin to put my silverware on then, just gross leaving my silverware on a old dirty table😲😲😲
Ha, my boyfriend has OCD and is VERY particular about this very thing... even with a tablecloth, he doesn't like it touching.
It doesn’t surprise me that removing tablecloths is an issue on Carnival, and not some other cruise line LOL It’s not a hill I would choose to die on, but I’m sorry, I want a tablecloth. If I didn’t care, I would go to the buffet, where I don’t expect a tablecloth. IJS
Totally! A tablecloth just makes it feel fancier 😄
Just started watching TH-cam channel. Good information, but the subtitles are annoying and not necessary. They distract from watching you. Thank you.
Lol noticing table clothes is wild... According to these comments people noticed 😂😂😂
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The complainers are the Keith and Karen of cruising!
The food tastes the same even Werth no tablecloth. Having tablecloths on hundreds of tables means those all have to be washed. Not friendly to the environment. People are so snobby about dumb things. I 1 million present agree with your comment. Take care😊
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I couldn’t cut my steak without my plate sliding across the table. Other wise I wouldn’t care.
Heald, just stop, you're being willfully obtuse. You're too intelligent not to understand what's truly behind the uproar about tablecloths. While it's obvious the option for tablecloths is -well, off the table, can't for the life understand the dismissive attitude towards people who feel that the presence of dining room tablecloths, for a short period of time, surrounds them in a uplifting and elegant atmosphere.
Yeah. The more I see of Heald’s attitude towards understandably disgruntled customers, the less I like him.
Carnival is not being greedy. With all the debt that they acquired due to COVID, new ship builds and refurbishments they have a ton of debt. Yes they are making a ton of money but since Carnival is a publicly traded company they have a fiduciary responsibility to their share holders and with the high inflation that we have been experiencing, Carnival has to find ways to trim cost to balance the debt, inflation and their fiduciary responsibilities.
And then?
@@richardlo4867 well if you could afford to cruise on a real cruise line, or afford to invest in stocks or how about this, if you had enough education to understand finances, then we could have the discussion.
That's why I put the question mark, to open discussion. Is it greed, or is it a business decision made out of necessity? I'm always interested in cruise profit margins, which are much more narrow than one might first think. I think most folks don't realize the cruise lines make little on the average cruise fare, and rely heavily on ancillary purchases like photos, wifi, casino, etc. to drive their profits, which is at odds with a product that bills itself as "all inclusive".
@@ProfMelissa Funny you mentioned how a cruiseline actual profits depend heavily on the onboard, additional spending of the passengers. I remember a documentary on cruising I saw years ago, said how the lines would almost be willing to give away the last unsold cabins for free, because the passengers' typical spending habits show they will make this lost fare revenue up with their onboard spending habits.
It doesn't matter if Carnival has tablecloths or not. Carnival Cruise Line puts out a good product that is far superior to other cruise lines. I have a lot of fun on Carnival Cruises. John Heald was the Cruise Director on my first Carnival cruise. Would rather have good service and no tablecloth than have a tablecloth and lack of service. Then you missed a lot.
That’s a good point! 😊
linen tablecloths are so 1980s - get rid of them!
I'm happy with no tablecloth. More stuff to wash. Costs more to have, less environmentally friendly
Good point! 🙂
Having gone through the ISO 14001 certification, the best way to reduce waste is not to create it in the first place.
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Table clothes are as nasty as those rotating bathroom hand towels.
Table clothes are changed out between seatings at dinner in the MDR for the traditional "early" and "late" seatings. I can't speak for the "my time" dining, because I never do that. But, I would imagine it's the same. Do you think they just leave the same used/dirty tableclothes there between each seating?
It’s going the same way as the airlines, as Vegas, as Disney…they reached for the stars, but once they got there it’s only been higher prices while significantly lowering quality & service.
They no longer care about the customer, or reaching for a glorious reputation. They just see how much they can take for how little they give.
It seems to me this is a deeper cultural problem that is spreading all across America in every aspect.
Yep! I personally despise Disney parks, but as a business nerd I'm closely following them since I'm seeing a tipping point there, too. They've gotten away forever with price jacks and cutbacks, and have come away unscathed, but that bubble seems to finally be about to burst.
Breakout the paper plates
Carnival = Walmart ! It’s not a premium category cruise line , so just lower your expectations and you will be fine. My major dislike is to have to place my silverware directly on the table , I just found it not hygienically right ( that’s why I always use the small plate instead )
Even with these cutbacks, cruising is still much cheaper than any equivalent land based holiday. Even if cruisers were to jump ship, are they just jumping into another boiling pot???? It is interesting out of all the cutbacks. For me/us, the only cutback I didn't like was the entertainment cutbacks. Specifically the live music around the ship during the day on sea days.
I agree that cruising is still a great bargain, but while I don't know actual numbers, I suspect that the margin between cruising and traditional vacation travel is starting to close more and more with each cutback and price increase.
With that, those of us who love cruising for cruising will still cruise, but the contingent of cruiser travelers who cruise b/c of the value proposition of it will start to peel off. I think THAT is when we'll start to see a bit of a "cruise market correction" and the lines will have to stop with the cutbacks and/or lower pricing.
I will insert here a mention of the addition of COMPULSORY TIPPING...... I go so far back when Bridge / Kitchen tours were complimentary! Now they are SOLD AS AN EXCURSION!!!
So, you expect as things get more expensive that things will not change? I went to Las Vegas in the 90s and eating was dirt cheap and they served free drinks as you played, and the service was great. Go there now, and a buffet, if you can find one, costs a small fortune, and service on the casino floor is painfully slow in most cases because they don't want people sitting at a machine playing real slow just to get free drinks.. Hotels only clean occupied rooms every three days in most cases unless you ask for more often, and then they may not do it anyway. As people become less respectful, cruise lines are having to dedicate more crew members to security which removes a crew member from another job on the ship. Since cruise lines have the uniqueness of the staff living in the same place as the guests , they can't just hire more staff without removing staff members from some other position.
I would not cruise with Carnival. I think they are the lowest class.
Table clothes will let you know if they care. If you know, you know.
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