skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

Is Carnival cruise line cursed?

17 years ago

Man murdered his wife, this week.

Women overboard, etc, etc, several instances, this summer. Plus he admitted killing her. duh

Wonder what's up with Carnival???

Reservations about the cruise line, which is my primary source of cruise travel.

Bet it hurts their business, eh?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (14)

bigfoot_liz
17 years ago
nationally people probably don't hear these stories much but being in FL w/ the most and largest cruise ports this is not unusual news. i think that story was atleast the 4th incident this yr, all the other's were people overboard and all but 1 died. i don't think these incidents affect whether people will cruise but there is an analysis of crimes committed on cruises coming out soon that might.

we are doing our second cruise this dec or jan, depends on DH's senior project and will try carnival this time. i'll be reserving in sept. we went last christmas on royal caribbean in the bahamas & caribbean. i planned, paid for and forced DH to go, he thought it would be torture being on a cruise lol. i think he loved it more than i did and i loved it lol, it was honestly the most relaxed i've ever been. we are doing a winter cruise every yr now :-) ~ liz
petaloid
17 years ago
We went on a Carnival cruise and lived to tell the tale -- lots of fun!
Related Discussions
Cruise Fare
Q
Comments (28)
I only cruise on small, "all-inclusive" lines --- the Regent Seven Seas, Crystal or Seabourne lines. The ships only carry around 700 passengers. All liquor is included. Sure, the price of the ticket is higher, but the quality of the food, wine, etc. is far superior. My last cruise was 31 days aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner. (In 2008, we sailed Australia, New Zealand, and then sailed from Auckland, NZ to Los Angeles, stopping enroute in Tahiti at several of her islands, and a couple of other small, Pacific islands....there were several consecutive sea days because of the distances we covered.) There were 450 passengers on board. In each restaurant, the maitre d' and the sommelier always recognized us, catered to our preferences, and there were several restaurants from which to choose, plus 24-hour, full-menu room service. AND, there are no "seatings". Dinner is served from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m....come when you choose. The food -- all meals -- was simply superb. Towards the end of the cruise, when there can, indeed, be too much of a good thing, I began requesting simple food not on the menu. And the kitchen always delivered. The wines were delightful --- French, German, Australian, New Zealand, California, etc. And I always appreciate being able to order a glass of champagne, wine or cocktail without being charged....one requests the drink and it appears, without signing any chit, charging any card, etc. It's an elegant way to travel. On my last cruise, we sailed with a well-known Australian wine expert (we were in the southern hemisphere), and for several days running, we attended delightful wine tastings, and learned fascinating facts about the wines produced in Australia and New Zealand....No charge; all inclusive. Also on the last cruise, interested passengers were able to sign up for the gourmet dinner (seating was limited), for $200 each. The food and the wines consumed were truly exceptional! Because of the price of these cruises, children are not found on board. And this allows the kitchen to focus entirely on adult menus. Also, there are no "midnight" buffets on these types of cruises; breakfast is served, as is lunch, high tea (with champagne, wine, tea, etc.), and dinner. And, if a guest is hungry at the odd hour, there is the 24-hour full-menu room service....with the ability to order something NOT on the menu, if one desires it. I love traveling like this, delight in the quality of the food, its lovely presentation, and I especially like the ability to come to dinner whenever one's personal plans dictate the time. Twice during the last cruise, I coordinated with the maitre d' of the restaurant I'd chosen, and I hosted a dinner. I selected the guests to invite (there were 12 of us), selected the day and time, and the ship's staff did the rest: sent personal invitations to the guests, arranged the pre-set table in a secluded spot so conversation was easy, alerted the wait staff who would serve us (and the sommelier), and ensured a delightful evening was had by all. For these dinners, the guests chose off of their menu, and I totally relaxed....no planning required, no cooking required or dishes to wash afterwards or bills to pay...all the passengers had already paid their "all inclusive". Such a civilized way to travel! So, I save my money and take a grand vacation like this every few years, so I can have a truly memorable, and very special experience!
...See More
LOOKING for: Had this on a recent cruise, and need info
Q
Comments (22)
Glenda, This is the real recipe from Carnival. The one posted above is just a copy cat recipe. There are loads of CC recipes around for cruise recipes.. but most of the lines put out cookbooks with the authentic recipes. I found it on the cruisecritic.com boards. It's in the Foodies forum. Someone posted that they had the orange sherbet soup recipe, but they never actually posted it. Glad you liked your cruise! Cruises are wonderful. We've taken 6, so far, and have 3 booked for this December. We hope to try Carnival some time. Anyway here is the reecipe for you. Enjoy! Strawberry Bisque 3 c strawberries, washed and hulled 1 Â½ c water Â¾ c sugar 3 T lemon juice 1 t grated lemon peel 1 Â½ c red wine 1 c. sour cream fresh mint leaves Directions: Combine strawberries, Â½ c water, and sugar in a blender. Cover and blend the mixture until pureed. Stir in lemon juice, peel, 1 c. water and wine. Stir in sour cream until blended. Chill for several hours before serving and garnish with mint. Silly
...See More
Those of you that have been on a cruise---
Q
Comments (27)
Jamie: I cruised in January and will try to answer some of your questions. He can pay with cash. When he first gets on board, he'll need to go to the information desk and fund his Sail and Sign (S&S) card. This is basically a deposit against photos, drinks, gifts, or anything he charges on board to his S&S card. We plunked down cash our first day for what we thought we'd spend. On the last night of the cruise, any balance left on the S&S card is refunded to you by leaving a refund check in your room with a copy of your statement. He can take that check to the desk and cash it or bring it home. Either is fine. During his cruise, if the cash deposit he put up begins to dwindle close to zero, they will let him know. On some ships, he can check his available balance on the TV in his room. On all ships, he can simply ask at the information desk. I would caution you against pre-paid credit cards. Have heard/read of those not being accepted on board. Also, do not send a debit card to "fund" his S&S card. Just like with credit cards, they will have the bank authorize a pre-set amount of money. It may me for more than he actually spends, and Carnival will make it right at the end of the cruise by cancelling the pre-authorized charge to the debit card and issuing another charge for the actual amount. It's just that those things take a few days sometimes... It sounds like all of his food, soda, gratuities, and excursions are included in the $1k you've already paid. So yes, all he'll need is money for gifts, food, drink that he buys off the ship. The steakhouse is an additional charge of $30 pp. I've heard it is nice, but there will be TONS of food on board 24/7 that he has already "paid for" in the $1k, so I doubt it's anything he'll want to do. He can have free room service (free food!) 24/7, but it's always nice to tip the steward who brings it a couple of bucks. There may be something like a coffee house on board with fancy cakes, etc. Those are extra, but again---he'll have PLENTY to eat that's included in the price. Pack less clothes than you think he'll need. Unless there are extenuating circumstances (a CPAP machine or something), he should be able to fit all his clothes in a carry-on. He doesn't have to carry it on...just sayin' that is plenty of clothes if you're a good packer. One final thing. Carnival can give you an emergency number where he can be reached. However, you need to check with your cell phone company if he'll be using a cell phone to call or text. Most people don't purchase an international plan, and some fail to realize that your phone is often charged when it *dings* those foreign towers. If he takes it, he should probably turn it OFF as soon as he steps foot on board and not turn it back on again until he returns to the port to get off the ship.
...See More
Alaskan cruise - ?'s
Q
Comments (12)
We did a land and cruise trip on Princess Sapphire. We did the whole trip through them but honestly, we could have easily did the land part ourselves. The did a good job, though. We did the land part first and I liked doing that way. They had us flying into Anchorage late one day and leaving the next morning on the land tour. We flew in a day early so we had an extra day and a half there. We took a train to Denali, that was fun. There are a couple of tours on Denali State Park, one goes much further into the park then the other. The one we took started early in the morning and lasted about 12 hours. It was great. Try to get a seat on the left side of the bus, it has better views. We saw lots of animals. We also got lucky and Denali was completely out, it's so often covered with clouds. On the boat we had a mini suite. Our kids (ages 21 and 16) shared an inside cabin down the hall. Having the suite was helpful with 4 people. I suggest at least getting a balcony but you will have a good time even if you get an inside room. We really loved Glacier Bay, the boat spent all day there. Not all boats go there, I recommend it. In Skagway we rented a car (reserve in advance) and drove ourselves into the Yukon. It was so much cheaper then having someone else drive you and the road was fine. I recommend doing this, with your own car you can stop and go as you please. Take plenty of warm clothes but also take some lighter clothes. We had a couple of days in the 70's on land but a couple of days on the boat were cold. I was fine with a winter coat, hat, and gloves. I also like the anytime dining option that Princess has. We could eat anytime we liked. We could make reservations or just walk in. We never had a long wait if we didn't have a reservation.
...See More
stargazzer
17 years ago
There is a lot of crime on ships, but I think it mostly young women who are victims. There are also suicides. It's just not in the news. A ship is like a city and there are always crimes being committed.
glenda_al
Original Author
17 years ago
Upcoming fall foilage cruise with Carnival will be my 9th. I do enjoy Carnival.
mcmann
17 years ago
Glenda- where will your fall foliage cruise be going?
jannie
17 years ago
I don't think it's the line. If you've had fun on their cruises, that's all that matters. Where to next?
joan_mn
17 years ago
Other than a murder, it kind of seems like the people who disappear are drunk. You have to work pretty hard to get over the railing on the ships.
Have a great time, Glenda and Liz. My dh is already talking about a cruise when we get to FL this winter. I think we've been on 8 or 9.
zeetera
17 years ago
I know of people who refuse to travel on their cruise line because of the caliber of people that Carnival attract. This is not my opinion because I've been on their cruises a few times and enjoyed it much more than Royal Caribbean.

It's advertised as a party boat, and the partying seems to get out of hand, and this is what probably leads to the incidents.

Enjoy your cruises Glenda. Take pics of the ship to make us jealous.
patti43
17 years ago
I don't remember what cruise line it was, but one overboard accident happened not long ago because this dumb guy jumped up on the railing so he could lean out further to watch the tug boat take them in. Duh! They fished him out of the water down by the Skyway bridge.
glenda_al
Original Author
17 years ago
Been on ONE Carnival that I did NOT like. It was an older ship, very hard to maneuver, and spring break. I'll never go on a cruise during spring break ever ever again.

Other than that one, I truly like Carnival.
linda_in_iowa
17 years ago
My first cruise was on Carnival and it was a blast. I was a lot younger then. My second was on Royal Caribbean and I really liked that one also. I would go again on Carnival.
chisue
17 years ago
We used to cruise a lot over Christmas break when our DS was in school. Also did several cruises abroad and through the Panama Canal. Never cruised Carnival though.

Yes, a cruise ship is like a city. Not only the passengers to consider, but also the crew! Far as I know, every ship has a 'brig' as well as a mini-hospital.

People on vacation sometimes get crazy. We see it when we're in Hawaii, too. You really can't travel without bringing your common sense along wherever you go.
glenda_al
Original Author
17 years ago
I really enjoy cruising.

And more so now that I allow myself a balcony.

So worth the money. My opinion ONLY!
gneegirl
17 years ago
Oh Glenda - that sounds like so much fun; having a balcony. I've only cruised once - NCL. It was very nice but very basic. I would love to go again - maybe next year. Enjoy your trip!

gneegirl

Related Stories

UPHOLSTERY Furniture Clinic: End the Curse of Slouchy Couch Cushions

By Shelly Miller Leer

Prolong the life of your couch with this inexpensive fix that’s so easy, even a beginning sewer can do it

BUDGET DECORATING 14 Ways to Make More Money at a Yard Sale — and Have Fun Too

By Laura Gaskill

Maximize profits and have a ball selling your old stuff, with these tips to help you plan, advertise and style your yard sale effectively

CONTRACTOR TIPS 10 Things to Discuss With Your Contractor Before Work Starts

By Ventana Construction LLC

Have a meeting a week before hammers and shovels fly to make sure everyone’s on the same page

Sponsored

High Point Cabinets

21 Reviews

Columbus' Experienced Custom Cabinet Builder | 4x Best of Houzz Winner

More Discussions

Suicide Prevention "Charity" Suggestion?

7

11

What happened to the other side?

10

Bodum French Press Recall

0

Smile today - 10/30/26

4