Carnival cruises are significantly understaffed. My wife and I have been on 5 cruises, on three different Carnival ships, since late last year. We have seen significant delays, reduced service, and problems on each of these cruises due to staffing. I "hear" Carnival in saying they are dealing with post-pandemic and red tape issues. We are "loyal" Carnival cruisers (turn Diamond next cruise). But really??? So, if past cruises (pre-pandemic) were 9 or above on a scale of 10, why should we deal with 5s now. We really want to support the cruise industry and Carnival, but long lines, poor service, and mediocre entertainment?? Carnival has responded by reducing events and venues. However, they do NOT reduce capacity. Reducing available venues and offerings keeps capacity high, while reducing expenses. Let me translate - less offered, more profit.
On the Carnival Dream in April, I confronted a manager on Lido. Wait time for the deli was well over 30 minutes, and when I got to the staff, they had no fries and little else to offer. I said to the supervisor, "what are you doing about this?' His answer was he was focusing on cleanliness. Admirable! But, I have an empty plate after 30 minutes, and need to go elsewhere.
Yet - Carnival continues profiting on high booking rates.
