I Never Thought I'd Say This, But...

On 3/25/2011 10:05 PM, Goomba wrote:
Janet Wilder wrote:

I have heard that their food is pretty good but we were extremely
disappointed to learn that Carnival charges for distilled water for
C-Pap and Bi-pap machine users. This is a medical necessity. Royal,
Celebrity and the river companies we've cruised with don't charge.
It's not the $5 or so for the water, it's the fact that they charge
for something people need for their health. Turned us right off.

Sorry, Janet but I don't agree. You pay for your own prescriptions (or
your insurance does) right? Why should RC pay for your special needs?

It is almost impossible for people flying in for a cruise to purchase
their own distilled water. It's a gallon jug! A lot different than
bringing your own pills and medications.

The jugs cost about $1 to $1.50 retail. By the case, in large lots,
it's more like 50¢. Carnival is charging $5 and is using the medically
necessary item as a profit maker. Doesn't that disturb you a bit? It
disturbs me.

If other cruise lines do this to accommodate their guests, why is
Carnival using a medical necessity to make an obscene profit?



--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Janet Wilder wrote:
On 3/25/2011 10:05 PM, Goomba wrote:

Sorry, Janet but I don't agree. You pay for your own prescriptions (or
your insurance does) right? Why should RC pay for your special needs?

It is almost impossible for people flying in for a cruise to purchase
their own distilled water. It's a gallon jug! A lot different than
bringing your own pills and medications.

The jugs cost about $1 to $1.50 retail. By the case, in large lots,
it's more like 50¢. Carnival is charging $5 and is using the medically
necessary item as a profit maker. Doesn't that disturb you a bit? It
disturbs me.

If other cruise lines do this to accommodate their guests, why is
Carnival using a medical necessity to make an obscene profit?

Because you're paying for the convenience of not bringing it yourself.
Just like anything purchased at a resort or hotel, it costs you a bit
more. It seems like a fairly nominal charge for the actual product,the
staff to make a special delivery to your stateroom, etc. So no, $5
doesn't disturb me.

On 3/25/2011 10:44 PM, .Stu. wrote:
On Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:40:07 -0400,
wrote:

In raweb.com, Janet
wrote:

I might, but DH won't. At least Carnival has civilized dining, all be
it in garishly decorated dining rooms ;-)

I advise you to stay away from Carnival. The food is very good but I
doubt that the rest of the Carnival experience would be to your liking.
Carnival does not offer much for discerning cruisers.


That's not really true Charles and you know it. Carnival has wonderful food,
nice ships, just too bad we may not get a chance to cruise anymore.

I have heard that their food is good. As for the ships, they really
aren't to my taste in decor. I prefer things to be a little more
understated. I also like the layout of the Royal ships, especially the
Voyager class.

Sorry you don't cruise any more. I hope things get better for you in
the future.


--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

In article , Janet
Wilder wrote:

I have heard that their food is good. As for the ships, they really
aren't to my taste in decor. I prefer things to be a little more
understated. I also like the layout of the Royal ships, especially the
Voyager class.

The decor is what I really dislike the most about the Carnival ships.
And the layout on the non Spirit class Carnival ships is awful in my
opinion.

--
Charles

On Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:11:09 -0500, Janet Wilder
wrote:

On 3/25/2011 6:34 PM, Earl_Colby_Pottinger wrote:
On Mar 16, 9:05 pm, Janet wrote:
On 3/15/2011 5:30 PM, Mark (SF) wrote:









Over the past 25 years or so, I've seen numerous posts here and
elsewhere with phrases like:
- I'll never cruise line xx again, even if they offered me a free
cruise, I wouldn't accept
- The food was inedible / I couldn't find anything to eat

Well, it happened. I just got back from 7 days on the Norwegian
Spirit, W Caribbean cruise. A full cruise review will be forthcoming,
but until them...

The experience was horrible. I've always believed that there were a
wide variety of lines with different strengths and price points, and
it's a matter of appropriate expectations. When we took an almost
identical cruise on NCL 4 years ago (similar ships in size and age and
similar itinerary), the experience was surprisingly good, in spite of
an unbelievably low fare (5 days, $375 per pax, outside).

This time, just about every aspect of the product was fatally
compromised (except for the smiles and hard work of the crew and the
physical ship). Freestyle 2.0? - more like Freestyle .5 ...and little
was free, OR had style.

By the third day, I was taking refuge on the omelets made to order in
the buffet for breakfast, knowing that it would keep me fed for most
of the day, no matter how dismal the rest of the offerings in the
buffet or dining room. Most dinners, I attempted "defensive ordering"
- but items were still so poorly prepared, I could only eat a few
bites. Desserts were consistently inedible. Most of the time, they had
no flavor whatsoever, and when they did, it was off. I experienced
textures like nothing I've encountered in foodstuffs before (gelatin,
gum agar, flubber?). Before you think that I have too high
expectations of the food, realize that I was a dorm cook for 10 years
- I know the limitations of high-volume preparation with small
budgets. For instance, I was perfectly happy with ordering beef
stroganoff with egg noodles on "formal (optional)" night - I was NOT
happy that the meat strips were so tough, the sauce was strange, there
were no mushrooms and the sour cream wasn't in the sauce but a measily
dollop of sour cream on the flabby, dollar bill-sized noodles.

This was our third NCL cruise - I'm a bronze Latitudes member. I
expect to die a bronze latitudes member. During our group's dinner on
Wednesday, our organizer had drawings for "spectacular prizes"
including vouchers from airlines. If there had been a free NCL cruise.
I would have refused. Seriously. Even if they had covered shipboard
expenses and air. My time off is too valuable. Life is too short to
ever cruise NCL again.

Now you all understand why I stated here that if they gave me a free
cruise, I'd give it back.

I would sail with Gilligan and The Skipper before I'd sail with NCL.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

Would you do Carnival instead?

E.C. Pottinger (Carnival Lover)


I might, but DH won't. At least Carnival has civilized dining, all be
it in garishly decorated dining rooms ;-)

I have heard that their food is pretty good but we were extremely
disappointed to learn that Carnival charges for distilled water for
C-Pap and Bi-pap machine users. This is a medical necessity. Royal,
Celebrity and the river companies we've cruised with don't charge. It's
not the $5 or so for the water, it's the fact that they charge for
something people need for their health. Turned us right off.


First of all, it is not needed for your health and even if it was, do
you expect them to pay for your prescriptions also? On most line you
may bring water aboard.
Thumper
We have been really happy with Royal Caribbean and are Diamond on their
loyalty program but we are going to take a Celebrity cruise next year.

The only choices for the itinerary we wanted were Celebrity and
Carnival. When I tried to find a non-obstructed balcony on the Carnival
ship, it was close to the price of the Celebrity ship. Then there were
the free drinks and other perks ($300 OBC) and Captain's Club Elite
status. Combine that with our unhappiness for charging for a medical
need and Carnival struck out.

On 3/26/2011 10:40 AM, Goomba wrote:
Janet Wilder wrote:
On 3/25/2011 10:05 PM, Goomba wrote:

Sorry, Janet but I don't agree. You pay for your own prescriptions (or
your insurance does) right? Why should RC pay for your special needs?

It is almost impossible for people flying in for a cruise to purchase
their own distilled water. It's a gallon jug! A lot different than
bringing your own pills and medications.

The jugs cost about $1 to $1.50 retail. By the case, in large lots,
it's more like 50¢. Carnival is charging $5 and is using the medically
necessary item as a profit maker. Doesn't that disturb you a bit? It
disturbs me.

If other cruise lines do this to accommodate their guests, why is
Carnival using a medical necessity to make an obscene profit?

Because you're paying for the convenience of not bringing it yourself.
Just like anything purchased at a resort or hotel, it costs you a bit
more. It seems like a fairly nominal charge for the actual product,the
staff to make a special delivery to your stateroom, etc. So no, $5
doesn't disturb me.

Again, why do other lines and hotels provide it for free and not
Carnival. If they can do it, why does Carnival not only charge but make
an obscene profit from it. A fairly nominal charge would be $1 not $5
when it costs them fifty cents.

We have stayed at hotels that have provided it for free. We have sailed
other lines that provide it for free. We are sailing on AMA Waterways in
June. They are providing it for free. We will be sailing with Celebrity
next April, they are providing it for free.

I'm sure you will go on feeling as you do out of loyalty to Carnival,
but you still have not come up with a good answer, other than your
loyalty, to why Carnival sees a medical necessity as a price point and a
profit-maker.



--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

On 3/26/2011 8:35 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
On 3/25/2011 10:05 PM, Goomba wrote:
Janet Wilder wrote:

I have heard that their food is pretty good but we were extremely
disappointed to learn that Carnival charges for distilled water for
C-Pap and Bi-pap machine users. This is a medical necessity. Royal,
Celebrity and the river companies we've cruised with don't charge.
It's not the $5 or so for the water, it's the fact that they charge
for something people need for their health. Turned us right off.

Sorry, Janet but I don't agree. You pay for your own prescriptions (or
your insurance does) right? Why should RC pay for your special needs?

It is almost impossible for people flying in for a cruise to purchase
their own distilled water. It's a gallon jug! A lot different than
bringing your own pills and medications.

The jugs cost about $1 to $1.50 retail. By the case, in large lots, it's
more like 50¢. Carnival is charging $5 and is using the medically
necessary item as a profit maker. Doesn't that disturb you a bit? It
disturbs me.

If other cruise lines do this to accommodate their guests, why is
Carnival using a medical necessity to make an obscene profit?


You're another example of a well off American retiree who expects
everyone else to pay for her meds, no matter what. You can easily afford
to take multiple cruise vacations every year. You think nothing of
flying around the country to do just that. And yet, you think it's
alright to demand that a cruise line accommodate your extra needs
without any extra cost.
What will you demand next? A free electric scooter? You probably already
had Medicare or Medicaid pay for one of those. What else? Free tours?
It's people like you who have bankrupted the US medical system and have
heaped your every pain and creak onto the backs of the rest of us, all
the while easily able to pay for it yourself.
Instead of being thankful you can afford to go cruising and are healthy
enough to do so, unlike so many millions of others who can't afford the
comforts you have, you bitch and moan because a cruise line has the
temerity to charge you for something you think you should get for free.
Examples like this sicken me.

On Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:51:25 -0500, Janet Wilder
wrote:

On 3/26/2011 10:40 AM, Goomba wrote:
Janet Wilder wrote:
On 3/25/2011 10:05 PM, Goomba wrote:

Sorry, Janet but I don't agree. You pay for your own prescriptions (or
your insurance does) right? Why should RC pay for your special needs?

It is almost impossible for people flying in for a cruise to purchase
their own distilled water. It's a gallon jug! A lot different than
bringing your own pills and medications.

The jugs cost about $1 to $1.50 retail. By the case, in large lots,
it's more like 50¢. Carnival is charging $5 and is using the medically
necessary item as a profit maker. Doesn't that disturb you a bit? It
disturbs me.

If other cruise lines do this to accommodate their guests, why is
Carnival using a medical necessity to make an obscene profit?

Because you're paying for the convenience of not bringing it yourself.
Just like anything purchased at a resort or hotel, it costs you a bit
more. It seems like a fairly nominal charge for the actual product,the
staff to make a special delivery to your stateroom, etc. So no, $5
doesn't disturb me.

Again, why do other lines and hotels provide it for free and not
Carnival. If they can do it, why does Carnival not only charge but make
an obscene profit from it. A fairly nominal charge would be $1 not $5
when it costs them fifty cents.

We have stayed at hotels that have provided it for free. We have sailed
other lines that provide it for free. We are sailing on AMA Waterways in
June. They are providing it for free. We will be sailing with Celebrity
next April, they are providing it for free.

I'm sure you will go on feeling as you do out of loyalty to Carnival,
but you still have not come up with a good answer, other than your
loyalty, to why Carnival sees a medical necessity as a price point and a
profit-maker.


So if you were stay in a hotel, would you expect the hotel to supply you with
free distilled water?

On 3/26/2011 5:16 PM, BikeRider50 wrote:
On 3/26/2011 8:35 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
On 3/25/2011 10:05 PM, Goomba wrote:
Janet Wilder wrote:

I have heard that their food is pretty good but we were extremely
disappointed to learn that Carnival charges for distilled water for
C-Pap and Bi-pap machine users. This is a medical necessity. Royal,
Celebrity and the river companies we've cruised with don't charge.
It's not the $5 or so for the water, it's the fact that they charge
for something people need for their health. Turned us right off.

Sorry, Janet but I don't agree. You pay for your own prescriptions (or
your insurance does) right? Why should RC pay for your special needs?

It is almost impossible for people flying in for a cruise to purchase
their own distilled water. It's a gallon jug! A lot different than
bringing your own pills and medications.

The jugs cost about $1 to $1.50 retail. By the case, in large lots, it's
more like 50¢. Carnival is charging $5 and is using the medically
necessary item as a profit maker. Doesn't that disturb you a bit? It
disturbs me.

If other cruise lines do this to accommodate their guests, why is
Carnival using a medical necessity to make an obscene profit?


You're another example of a well off American retiree who expects
everyone else to pay for her meds, no matter what. You can easily afford
to take multiple cruise vacations every year. You think nothing of
flying around the country to do just that. And yet, you think it's
alright to demand that a cruise line accommodate your extra needs
without any extra cost.
What will you demand next? A free electric scooter? You probably already
had Medicare or Medicaid pay for one of those. What else? Free tours?
It's people like you who have bankrupted the US medical system and have
heaped your every pain and creak onto the backs of the rest of us, all
the while easily able to pay for it yourself.
Instead of being thankful you can afford to go cruising and are healthy
enough to do so, unlike so many millions of others who can't afford the
comforts you have, you bitch and moan because a cruise line has the
temerity to charge you for something you think you should get for free.
Examples like this sicken me.

Go puke in your hat. It's not my fault that you think the world has
dealt you a low blow.

If you had 6th grade reading comprehension skills, you'd have read that
other lines provide it for free. Further, they are not trying to use a
medical situation as a profit source. Carnival is by charging $5 for an
item that costs them 50 cents. It's not like this is an option to those
people who need it to be able to breathe.

No one here is demanding anything. If other lines accommodate their
guests, I'll sail on the line that does. You can keep your cheap-ass
Carnival and your cheap-ass loyalty to it.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

In article ,
BikeRider50 wrote:


You're another example of a well off American retiree who expects
everyone else to pay for her meds, no matter what. You can easily afford
to take multiple cruise vacations every year. You think nothing of
flying around the country to do just that. And yet, you think it's
alright to demand that a cruise line accommodate your extra needs
without any extra cost.
Don't see why all the hooha. She was merely stating that since the
others do, then why doesn't Carnival. I see nothing that indicates that
if the others did not, she would still be getting upset with Carnival.
Carnival, in this particular case is the outlier.




--
"Even I realized that money was to politicians what the ecalyptus tree is to koala bears: food, water, shelter and something to crap on."
---PJ O'Rourke