Tony Petralia

Age: 51
Occupation: Retired Police Officer
Number of Cruises: 3
Cruise Line: Carnival
Ship: valor
Sailing Date: May 15th, 2005
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

This is the exact letter mailed to the CEO of Carnival Cruise Line.
24 May 2005

Carnival Cruise Lines
3655 NW 87th Avenue
Miami, Florida, 33178-2428
Attention: Bob Dickinson

Re: Carnival Cruise Ship Valor
15 May 2005
Booking Number: 3C45T2

Dear Mr. Dickinson:

This letter is being written in the hopes of benefiting future Carnival Cruise Line passengers since we will never sail on a Carnival Ship again. I will note all the negatives and positives of our recent cruise aboard the Carnival Valor first, so please fasten your seat belt for a not so obsequious review.

Our cruise originated in Miami, Florida, on Sunday, 15 May 2005. Since our flight arrived in Fort Lauderdale, we utilized Carnival’s ground transfer service from the airport to the Port of Miami. Once we arrived in Miami, the Greyhound bus driver solicited a tip, which we know is customary for their services. However, he was quick to point out that he supports his grandson, and any tip you give him would also be helping his grandson. Once we stepped off the bus, Porter, Michael XXXXXXX, greeted us. You may be wondering why I would remember this particular Porter. Mr. XXXXXXX immediately stated that he is the individual responsible for seeing that our baggage gets onboard the vessel. He actually stated, “take care of me now…. because I am the last person who sees your luggage before it reaches the ship.” Being in the law enforcement profession, we have a word for this comment, “extortion”. By the time we tipped all of the porters, etc. at BWI and Fort Lauderdale Airports, we only had four one-dollar bills in our possession and we were not about to give Mr. XXXXXX a twenty-dollar bill. Mr. XXXXXXX actually inquired if we were producing five dollars since it was in a roll. Fearing for the future whereabouts of our luggage, we stated yes. The embarkation was trouble-free. Once aboard, the cabin was spacious as advertised. The bathroom facilities were exceptional. Throughout the week, our entrée in the Lincoln Dining room was served warm or cold. On one occasion, we did request that my wife’s prime rib be returned to the kitchen to be reheated. The Head Waiter was very apologetic for the cold food and promptly provided her with a hot meal. I understand this may occur from time to time considering the amount of meals prepared, but not on a continual basis. I should have complained on every occasion, however, I am not the type of person who creates a commotion. I choose this venue to express my criticism. Since Carnival advertised wireless Internet service, I brought along my laptop computer to keep in touch with my family. We thought it would be exciting to send and share pictures of our cruise with family and friends daily. On the first full day of our cruise, I purchased a 100-minute block of Internet time for fifty-five dollars. For three days I was unable to properly utilize my web-mail service. Any time I attempted to use the back or forward buttons of my computer to move from page to page, I was disconnected from the service. Of course the timer continued to count the minutes unbeknown to me. Once I learned of the obstacle, the Internet Administrator was quick to refund my money. However, he was unable to provide any type of technical assistance as to why this was occurring with your system. To simplify the remaining problems, they will be listed below:

1. Cold food on numerous occasions.

2. Morning room service was abandon after three consecutive days of cold food and lukewarm coffee and tea. Our Stateroom attendant suggested we contact Guest Services. I personally believe the complaint should have been managed and resolved at his level.

3. Lemonade and coffee beverage dispensers continually empty.

4. Food in the buffet not labeled. My wife has a seafood allergy. On one occasion she thought she was getting potato salad with horseradish from the buffet bar at Rosie’s Restaurant. It was found to be tuna fish, not horseradish. If my wife had consumed any of this fare, she would have gone into an anaphylactic shock. For the sake of other passengers who may also have such a seafood allergy, I privately spoke with the kitchen staff and suggested they label some of the foods. Approximately one-hour later I walked by the very same buffet and observed that no signage was being displayed.

5. On the last day I purchased a bottle of gin. I asked for a shipping box that is customary. The sales clerk said they were short and that I would have to buy another bottle to obtain a box. My shipboard purchases were above $3,100 for the week, shouldn’t that qualify me for a box?

6. On this same occasion at the ships store, I wished to purchase a cigar for a co-worker. This same sales person stated that he didn’t have a key and I would need to return in an hour.

7. On two occasions during the week our sea-toilet malfunctioned. The first time the mechanic quickly repaired it. On the second occasion it took considerably more time. This required me to very quickly seek out a public bathroom. Bear in mind this was in the morning hours and I had not yet had a chance to bath, etc., etc. I was very embarrassed walking the hallways looking for a bathroom in my state of dress.

8. On one particular shore excursion during the week at Grand Cayman, our group wished to leave prior to our excursion time. The ships daily newsletter specifically stated that if you have an excursion, No Tender Ticket is required. When we inquired as to how and when we can disembark, we were then informed that only passengers with Tender Tickets could leave. I displayed the newsletter only to learn that what it was meant to articulate is, if you have an afternoon excursion, you can’t really leave before that time, only passengers with Tender Tickets can leave the ship. This caused us a two-hour delay aboard ship. The Pursers Office agreed that I was reading it right and they will look into changing the newsletters wording in the future to avoid confusion. Also, by this time Tender Tickets were not available to our group.

9. During one jewelry purchase of $1,249, we could not obtain the letter of authentication at purchase due to a computer problem. Many excuses were made by those responsible for providing this letter. Ms. Chazlyn Maki helped with this problem and will be noted further in this letter.

10. During the entire week, my father who was staying in the adjoining cabin experienced television problems. It would only remain on for five or so minutes before automatically turning itself off. After 3 days of repair, the technician decided to replace the television. He explained they have been experiencing problems. My father was never able to utilize the interaction feature for the entire week. Since the problem involved a computer box located in the rear, as we were told, we suddenly found a technician in our room one afternoon adjusting our television since it was somehow associated with his problem. However, when the technician left, I was not able to obtain many of the stations as before.

11. The final night of the cruise was my wedding anniversary. When I booked the cruise in January I specifically noted that 21 May was this special occasion in our life. Others received mentions of birthdays and anniversaries except us. My wife was disappointed not receiving a cake or something extra at our table. Reluctantly, as we walked from dinner my father did inform me that he reminded the waiter on Wednesday that my anniversary was on Saturday.

I will now focus on the positives; The Scarlet Supper Club was well worth the extra fee. The Wine Steward was very informative and educated our group on many points of picking bottles of wine. The entire staff deserves accolades.

My shipboard purchases were well above $3,100 dollars during the week. Approximately $1,700 was in jewelry alone. Ms. Chazlyn Maki assisted us with all of our purchases. She is truly an asset to the Carnival staff. I would appreciate if you would convey our genuine thanks for her assistance throughout our cruise. Since the letter of authentication took several days to complete, Ms. Maki offered and delivered the letter to our cabin when it was finally prepared.

As you have read, this was not an enjoyable anniversary cruise for my wife and me. This is only our 3rd cruise in as many years and my fathers 10th. He has sailed with Carnival in the past and stated he will not book another cruise with Carnival Cruise Line in the future. My wife and I have now reached that point in our lives where our children are grown and we have decided to take one cruise a year. If you care to know, we are in our early fifties, two children, one son in the U.S. Coast Guard and a daughter in college. I am a retired Police Officer, now in my second career as a contract worker with the U.S. Marshals Service. My wife is a Registered Nurse. This should give you an idea of our background. We are far from wealthy and have worked hard for every dollar we have earned. I truly hope that you read this letter and take it seriously. We heard similar complaints from other passengers during the week. If no one takes the time to inform you of the problems, how will you ever know of such problems?

Very truly yours,


Tony & Judy Petralia