Carnival Cruise Lines Carnival Destiny Ghetto Cruise From H**l Miami, Florida
I've contacted Gerry Cahill CEO of Carnival Lines 3 times and have never received as much as
a reply.
Dear Gerry Cahill
President and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines,
Last year my daughter Laura sent Bill and I on Carnival\'s Inspiration
Cruise Ship. It was such a wonderfully relaxing experience, we
couldn\'t wait to go on another one.
Well we just got back from the Ghetto Cruise From H**l. Carnival\'s
Destiny Cruise Ship was doomed from the beginning. We were literally
herded like cattle for nearly 2 hours without any water just to board
the ship. Once onboard the stress really began. Once onboard the stress
really began. We were given a different cabin than what we had been
promised. I went to Customer Service and explained that I was told we
would have a wrap around deck. They agreed with me that yes indeed we
had and we were given a different stateroom. That was the end of our
discussion. The balcony was filthy from the prior cruise. I had to ask
four different people for wash cloths for our cabin.
The ship was overbooked with loud and uncouth people. We never ate from
the Lido buffet because the lines were horrendous. We didn\'t feel like
standing in line a half hour just to have something to eat. Don\'t know
what we would done without the Deli. Every day I had an arugula and
mozzarella sandwich while Bill had the Pastrami and corned beef. The
sandwiches were great, but we would have enjoyed having a variety of
foods to choose from. Once seated in the extremely crowed dining area,
we were subjected to loud, obnoxious people who thought nothing of
carrying on conversations with other tables across the room. I have to
say, the formal seating at dinner was much more enjoyable. The waiters
were fabulous and the food delicious. The spectacular shows were
awesome. The comedienne kept us in stitches. Both of these were the
saving grace of our cruise. We tried relaxing pool side but that was a
joke. First it was next to impossible to find a lounge chair. If we
were lucky enough to grab one, we were continuously bumped by fellow
passengers who were walking by. And if we weren\'t being jolted, we had
the luxury of having half a dozen people standing over us. Although
they provided a pool for the children, I think someone forgot to
mention that fact to everyone. Being a swimmer I couldn\'t wait to get
into the water. Unfortunately for me there were nearly 55 children and
adults jammed into one pool. The whirlpools would probably have been
great had it not been for the 25 children and adults in there at one
time. There supposedly was music playing on deck. But the deck was so
loud the music wasn\'t heard. We decided to give the adults only pool a
whirl. In this area they absolutely refused to play music. The
retractable roof was either partially or totally closed. And yes, it
too was over run with unruly children. Between the two of us Bill and I
have raised 6 lovely children. We adore children. But these kids had no
adult supervision even when there was an adult present. I asked at the
bar if they would play some music and I was told they weren\'t allowed
to play music in this area. Being a Fun Cruise Ship I didn\'t believe
what I was hearing. Surely there must be some mistake. So when I
spotted our matre de in his dress whites I thought the nothingness in
the air would be changed. To my horror, the matre de reiterated what
the bartender had just told us. Now this is is SUPPOSED TO BE A
CARNIVAL FUN CRUISE! I tried customer service, but again my
expectations were dashed. \"Sorry that was their policy\" was what I
was told. \"The main deck is where we should be if we wanted to enjoy
music while relaxing and getting wet.\" Trying to explain to them what
the main pool area was like was an exercise in futility. They could
have cared less.
Fortunately for us by day two our deck had been cleaned. So while Bill
worked out in the gym I would run back and forth from our shower to our
deck to try and enjoy the sun. On Carnival Inspiration they had
miniature golf and a grand walking area. Carnival Destiny had a
miniature walking area that was a total joke. The cleaning staff for
our room was EXCELLENT! They were also the most pleasant people to be
around. They were WONDERFUL! I tried on several occasions to find the
cruise director but was told he was in his cabin. (I guess the noise
and pandemonium was more than our cruise director could handle.) We
dined nightly in the Universe Dining Room. Again, the waiters were
superb. They were friendly, on the ball and could really rock at the
end of our dining experience. They either sang or stood on tables to
dance. This really involved the passengers. It was a most delightful
experience. Again, the dancers in the spectacular shows were
incredible, as were the singers and the comedienne. We took the
Ultimate Beach Break At Dolphin Cove and Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
The falls were a bit disappointing since this had been the reason why
we chose this particular cruise. The falls we toured were not the falls
seen in National Geographic. We declined disembarking in the Grand
Cayman Islands as we had done this tour the previous year. Besides, one
visit to H**L (that was the literal name of the place we had gone last
year was one visit too many.) We thought with the majority of
passengers going to the Grand Cayman Islands we would finally be
afforded the luxury of a relaxing day around the pool. Yeah right!
There were plenty of people left onboard to quickly dispel those
thoughts. So much for that great idea. We were so amazed by our
Carnival Inspiration Cruise we just couldn\'t begin to start our new
adventure. The both of us had worked an entire year to save up for
this. Also this past year had been a bit stressful. My husband found
out he had Prostate Cancer. He had his Prostate removed. One week later
he suffered a heart attack....unrelated to the surgery. This was truly
the trip and time off we had been waiting in anticipation for. All in
all we spent over $2,000.00 dollars and a week\'s worth of vacation
days for pure agony. I sincerely doubt that Carnival Cruise Lines will
be on our list of priorities for any future vacations. When you wait an
entire year to save up for something this disastrous (not to mention
the vacation days wasted) I definitely DID NOT find this cruise to be
the relaxing one that I had envisioned. It was one of the most
STRESSFUL 5 days of my life. Thank God I had the wonderful company of
my husband. So all wasn\'t lost. After being on Inspiration last year
there was no doubt in my mind that Carnival Cruise Lines was the way to
spend our long anticipated vacation this year. As a post script, I had
invited my sister Barb, her husband Doug, my brother Mark and his wife
Jill to join us. I\'m thankful they couldn\'t make this cruise. I
don\'t think I would have ever been able to forgive myself had I talked
them into joining us. Booking # 21QC62
Stateroom # 7327 CARNIVAL DESTINY Departure: 6/19/2010
11 Updates & Rebuttals
1stGenMills
Hanahan,South Carolina,
United States of America
Budget Cruises
#12Consumer Comment
Thu, October 27, 2011
1. Next time you book a budget cruise on Carnival you should opt for a suite and eat all meals in your room....or pay the extra for the restaurant upgrades.
2. Most of the time the people you are complaining about paid the same rate you have....so no need to stick your nose up at the masses so much....you are one of them.
3. You need to drink more wine.
4. I would suggest you switch to Sojourn, Princess or the larger Royal ships for the cruise you are looking for....but your gonna pay for it.
5. Life experiences are just that.......if it includes laughing romping kids, boisterous teens, and a cross section of life at the dinner table.........soak it up........there are much worse things in life as you know than having a bad time on a caribbean cruise.
Linda Loschiavo Makofski
Lakeland,Florida,
USA
Reason for referring to cruise as the ghetto cruise from hell
#12Author of original report
Fri, February 04, 2011
Re: Carnival Cruise Lines Destiny - Ghetto Cruise From Hell - Carnival Cruises Comment posted by Linda L M on 09/30/2010: I appreciate all the comments. My very first cruise was with Carnival and I absolutely loved it. That's why we saved up for another trip. It was something my husband and I were really looking forward to. I love kids. We have six between us. However we always did our best to keep the situation under control. Kids are kids and they love running around, being loud, etc. I'm not complaining about that. I want kids to be kids. My complaint is with the parents who have absolutely no regard for the rest of the people around them. Children can have a good time without being completely unruly.
Carnival offered loads of activities for the kids. Unfortunately, all too many children didn't take advantage of those programs offered. My reference to ghetto was in reference to the fact that many people were packed into rooms like sardines. I wasn't referring to anyone's race, color, religion or economic level. The fact that many rooms were packed with more than the usual amount of people designated for one room and the fact that there seemed to be a disregard for those around them is why I used the word. I did not intend on insulting any particular individual. However, I blame Carnival for allowing this. Carnival did lower their prices toward the end. I'm sure it was great for families who like us have to watch what we spend. We aren't wealthy. We have kids in college. My husband is 67 and I'm 61 and unfortunately we'll be carrying full time jobs for many a year to come. We purposely booked in advance in order to choose a room with a balcony. I know for a fact that later on in the booking process they reduced their rates tremendously. I think this had much to do with the overwhelming number of people on board.
I blame Carnival not the people for that. The evening meals and entertainment were lovely. However, I paid for a trip that also included mornings and afternoons. I didn't sign up thinking I would have to wait in line an inordinate amount of time every day just to eat. I didn't think I would have to dine in an area where adults were obnoxious, loud and quite overbearing. There's loud and then there's LOUD. My job is one that allows me to interact with people all day long. I love my job because I'm a people person. I just found it hard to understand why there were so many people who were so insensitive to those around them. People can have loads of fun but still be courteous. My idea of fun in the sun does not include a shortage of chairs, people clustered over me waiting for me to leave in order for them to grab my chair in order for them to enjoy fun in the sun. I can't believe a cruise ship would book that number of people if it couldn't accommodate them.
Again, I don't blame fellow travelers. People want to get as much as they can for their money. When I learned of the rate reduction I approached Carnival asking for a partial refund. I wasn't asking for the going rate, I was just asking for a discount. This was not a possibility. All in all, we DID NOT get what we paid for. All we got was frustration and knowing we would have to wait another year before we were able to enjoy ourselves for a couple of days.
Michael
Summerland Key,Florida,
U.S.A.
I completely sympathize with the op.
#12General Comment
Tue, October 05, 2010
Yes, this most certainly is a rip-off. When you go on a cruise vacation, you expect a certain level of service, a decent atmosphere, and a decent product. This person had only been on one prior cruise, so was not completely aware of the differences that come with various cruise lines or ships.
As a frequent cruiser, I can say from experience the Destiny is one of the worst cruise ships afloat. The ship is poorly kept and has a ridiculous floorplan. The public venues are all too small and confined, and the decor throughout the entire ship is hideous. The pool area really is a joke. Now that it does shorter cruises, it appeals to the drunken masses.
As far as fellow guests on board, that is so very typical of a Carnival cruise. Carnival is the cheapest mass-market cruise line out there, so naturally, it attracts people that are not always so pleasant to be around. More people are drunk. More people smoke. And more people are just overall obnoxious. Carnival also always has the worst passenger to space ratio, making their ships too crowded. Last year, I took a cruise on their newest ship, the Dream, hoping for a turnaround. Nope.
To the Op - Don't be fooled twice. Say bye-bye to this cheap cruise line.
Eric
King Of Prussia,Pennsylvania,
U.S.A.
So, where is the rip-off here?
#12General Comment
Mon, October 04, 2010
Where again were you ripped off? Your complaints about other guests is not resolvable. Do you expect Carnival to tell children to stop being children while you and your husband are around? Do you expect Carnival to tell people to behave to your standards while you are around? That would not be a cruise vacation, that would be a dictatorship to your liking. Based on your review, I would love to attend one of the cruises and probably hope I find someone like you to irritate with my uncouthness.
Joe
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO RAISE A CHILD
#12Consumer Comment
Mon, October 04, 2010
AND TODAY, THERE IS NOT THAT MUCH MONEY AROUND AS THERE USED TO BE.
SO MAYBE INSTEAD OF BLOWING THAT MONEY ON A CRUISE, PARENTS WOULD BE BETTER ADVISED TO PUT IT ASIDE FOR THEIR CHILD(REN)'S COLLEGE OR JUST FOR LIVING EXPENSES.
IT IS NOT ELITIST TO NOT WANT TO BE AROUND CHILDREN DURING MY DOWN TIME. I NEVER HAD ANY, NEVER WANTED ANY AND DO NOT HAVE ANY NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. SO MANY NOW ARE LOUD, VIOLENT, RUDE, CRUEL AND USUALLY HAVE SOME SORT OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
AND THIS CUTS ACROSS ALL CHILDREN ACROSS ALL ETHNIC GROUPS!
I THINK THE ORIGINAL POSTER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A CRUISE ON THE QUEEN MARY 2 ON THE CUNARD LINE WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE UPSCALE THAN THE CARNIVAL CRUISE WHICH IS THE Mc DONALD'S OF CRUISES, I HEAR.
I HAD A CHANCE TO GET THE $20,000 CRUISE FOR $10,000 BECAUSE OF A RETIRED MILITARY OFFICER AND HIS WIFE I KNOW WERE STUCK WITH TICKETS BECAUSE OF THEIR SON'S INJURY OVERSEAS. IT WAS ON THE QUEEN MARY 2 BUT AFTER READING THAT THEY MIGHT BE ANTI-JEWISH ON THAT SHIP, I REFERRED THE COLONEL TO SOME NON-JEWISH FRIENDS I HAVE WHO WERE GLAD TO GET THE CRUISE OPPORTUNITY.
I KNOW SUCH WEALTHY PEOPLE BECAUSE I HAVE ASSISTED THEM WITH THEIR LAWN WORK AND GENERAL HANDYMAN KIND OF THINGS.
I HAVE SEEN UNRULY CHILDREN IN NICE RESTAURANTS GRAB FOOD OFF OF STRANGER'S PLATES, TRIP WAITSTAFF ON PURPOSE, STAND ON THE TABLES AND THROW WATER AND TEA ON EACH OTHER WHILE EMITTING EAR-PIERCING SCREAMS AND SHRIEKS WORTHY OF A MIGRAINE.
I HAVE BEEN ON A PLANE ONCE WITH CRYING, FIGHTING, SCREAMING BRATS WHO WERE THROWING THINGS, TRYING TO BITE AND KICK PEOPLE AND MAKING A GENERAL HELL FOR ALL. THEIR YUPPIE PARENTS LOOKED ON WITH PRIDE AND DID NOTHING.
NOT EVERYONE LIKES TO BE AROUND ILL-BEHAVED, LOUD, UNDISCIPLINED KIDS TODAY.
I FIGHT AGAINST CHILD ABUSE. I FIGHT FOR A GOOD RELEVANT EDUCATION FOR THE KIDS AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT THEY NEED,
I BELIEVE THAT THE PREMATURE DEATH OF A CHILD HAS RIPPED US ALL OFF OF A HUMAN POTENTIAL TO CURE THE PROBLEMS OF HUMANITY.
aND I JOIN IN THE EREV SHABBAT PRAYERS THAT ALL CHILDREN WILL HAVE ONLY GOOD THINGS AND GROW UP WITH GOOD EXAMPLES SET FOR THEM BY PEOPLE WHO ARE QUALIFIED AND WELL-SUITED TO WORK WITH THEM.
I THINK THAT CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING BUT I PERSONALLY CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE ANY.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
You didn't just say that did you?
#12Consumer Comment
Sat, October 02, 2010
I am also amazed that people with children in these bad economic times could afford to take them on an expensive cruise.
- And I am amazed if you actually believe what you just said.
They sent me a DVD and I did not see a single loud, rude child on it .
- Your right, if a cruise was full of loud and rude children the Cruise line is going to want to promote that. After all that is a great selling point. So I guess if you see(well hear) one loud child on the cruise you are going to sue them for False Advertising?
Sorry if this comes off rough. But you appear to have something quite in common with the OP. You both appear to have some elitist attitude when it comes to cruising. I hope that before you book any cruise you verify that there is not a single child booked on the cruise. Because it would be horrible if there was even a possiblity that one child would become "loud" and destroy your vacation.
Helene
Elgin,Illinois,
U.S.A.
May I Make A Suggestion?
#12Consumer Suggestion
Sat, October 02, 2010
You and your husband might want to take a European river cruise that is not quite the ZOO that Caribbean misadventure with Carnival apparently proved to be for you and your husband.
I believe the name of the company I talked to is Vantage Travel and they can make all of the arrangements for you. They sent me a DVD and I did not see a single loud, rude child on it .
I am also amazed that people with children in these bad economic times could afford to take them on an expensive cruise.
Another option you might consider as a child-free adventure is booking a passage from London to Istanbul, Turkey on the Orient Express. I always wanted to go since a friend of mine at school told me about it.
Carnival is the McDonald's of the cruise industry.
i have heard so many horror stories about them.
Thank you for the warning.
I will not be taking a cruise with these people any time soon.
Stacey
Dallas,Texas,
U.S.A.
Kuddos
#12Consumer Comment
Sat, October 02, 2010
To those who could actually read this horrendous report - OP if you actually sent this to Carnival it would take a linquist to figure out your report says! Jees!
Michael
Tonawanda,New York,
United States of America
"Ghetto Cruise"????
#12General Comment
Sat, October 02, 2010
Everyone seems to be ignoring the most disgusting comment of all. Obviously, it was the color of the crude people that was the problem.Many Carnival cruises are becoming more popular with black travelers, and you are allowed your predjudices, but can't blame Carnival Cruise lines for who wants to go on their cruises.
Opana
New York,New York,
USA
You took the wrong type of cruise/vacation
#12Consumer Comment
Wed, September 29, 2010
It sounds to me that you're blaming the cruise line for things that they can't control. Such as other people's behavior or presence. You have a few complaints about service, staff and the accomedations, but the majority of the stuff really is out of their control.
Perhaps you picked the wrong vacation that you and your husband should have been on after a stressful year.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
What's the RipOff..
#12Consumer Comment
Wed, September 29, 2010
You were given the wrong Stateroom. But as soon as you brought it to their attention that was fixed. You enjoyed just about everything on the ship, and thought the staff was great. But every "complaint" seems to involve the other passengers. Sorry but you booked the "FUN CRUISE" and it seems as if you should have booked the "IT'S ALL ABOUT ME CRUISE".
Really, what did you expect Customer Service to do when you complained that the Main Deck was too crowded. Should they have "swept" the deck and removed anyone you thought was too loud? The one item I see that you may have a valid point on is if there were kids at the "Adults Only" pool and they didn't at least try to remove them. However, with the rest of the report I would still wonder how much of that might be a bit exagerated. If you want to avoid cruises with kids. Then go when the kids are in school, not in the middle of Summer when they are all on vacation.
By the way if you are ever contacted by them, are you going to try and get any sort of compensation? If so what do you think you deserve?
One more question. Just how "couth" does someone have to be to meet your standards to be able to go on a cruise?