9/14/07. Please bear with me. This is long but important.
This is still in a rumor stage but my source is well placed with high contacts in Carnival. The new CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines is Gerry Cahill, he was formerly the CFO has announced a cut back in personnel on Spirit class and larger. Specifically a reduction in the Stage Band to 7 players and elimination of the Jazz Trio. The report continued to say the he also wanted to cut the female dance cast from 11 to 8 but was stopped by other board members. The reason is that COSTA runs the equivalent size ships with 100 less crew. Any one sail on COSTA, how was the service and entertainment?
If any of this is correct then other cuts are at least contemplated, effecting housekeeping and perhaps even ships operation. I for one do not want to see smaller stage productions. I know that the band plays to a track now but at least with 11 players there is a reasonable add of live music. If Carnival wants to continue to boast of the best shows on the 7 seas live music would, to me, be a necessity. As far as the dancers go, I have been on a cruise where 3 female dancers were hurt, I know this because my daughter dances for Carnival, and I was impressed at how they covered and gave a good show. But it was not as good as it should have been. Dancers go down frequently, these are professionals, and they cover and work harder when performers are down and the show goes on. They do not have the ability, as shows do on land, to draw in an understudy. With 8 vs. 11 dancers how will they cover for a strained muscle, a case of the flu or Norovirius? They can’t, the show could be cancelled or scenes cut. I don’t want that.
What can you do? Note the size of the cast and band on your next cruise. Compare how well your room was maintained or how quick the wait staff responded and if it was not up to the normal high standards please note that on your comment card. I’m not asking for artificial comments, only if you indeed notice a drop in service or entertainment. It will get back to upper management. I think this CFO turned CEO could be cutting too deeply.
That was one of my first concerns when they replaced "Uncle Bob" with a bean counter. I am a bean counter and I know how we think. (sometimes that is not good)
The bottom line is the bottom line. Expenses go up and I would rather see prices rise some, then the "quality of the product" decline to save money.
Amen to that, LHP. Carnival has made too many strides in improving it's image and product to let it slip just to keep prices where they are. I'd rather pay a little more per person than see lower staffing numbers.
I will agree with all. Maintain the size of the cast/crew, maybe increase $ if needed. However I think we should note the good stuff on the comment cards as well as the bad. People are too quick to comment on the bad and not quick enough to comment on the good. If the 11 dancers did a good job tell them the 11 did a good job. The cards are for good and bad comments.
Originally posted by gdjoslin:
I will agree with all. Maintain the size of the cast/crew, maybe increase $ if needed. However I think we should note the good stuff on the comment cards as well as the bad. People are too quick to comment on the bad and not quick enough to comment on the good. If the 11 dancers did a good job tell them the 11 did a good job. The cards are for good and bad comments.
Thanks for the responses so far. I should have made both these points also. I agree, a few more bucks on the ticket to keep the quality up is fine with me. Cruising is such a bargin an extra $10 or 20 per ticket will cover dancers, band and more. And yes, those positive comments are sometimes even more powerful than the negs.
CruiseDad
I look forward to the jazz bands on Carnival ships. It would bother me to see these groups go away.
Any reasonable person knows that prices increase over time because of operating costs, inflation, etc. I've been a bean counter too, and one thing I learned from being on both sides of the budget is that sometimes a company can cut something that they later wished they hadn't.
Keep the Quality of the Cruise....that's what we are paying for....I will just have to get my wife to earn some extra money.....oppps..can I say that?.....Happy Quality cruising....
I agree. Carnival is the best priced cruise line out there. Keep all the perks just bump us up a few bucks. Lets be honest we will more then likely just spend that on shore on something that when get home we wander why we bought
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