WE JUST FINISHED OUR 16 DAY PANAMA CRUISE ON THE CARNIVAL SPIRIT.
THE SHIP ITSELF IS FANTASTIC. THE SERVICE OF THE STAFF IS ALSO INCREDIBLE BEYOND DESCRIPTION.OUR ROOM WAS LARGE,ALWAYS WELL CARED FOR BY THE STEWARD,AND WAS BEYOND WHAT WE HAD EXPECTED.
UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS WHERE THE EXPERIENCE SOURS. CARNIVAL BOOKED US ON AN EARLY FLIGHT ,ARRIVING IN MIAMI AT 9:30 AM. WE THEN HAD TO WAIT AT THE AIRPORT FOR OVER 4 HOURS FOR OUR CARNIVAL TRANSFERS. WE WERE THEN HERDED ABOUT THE AIRPORT LIKE CATTLE AND JAMMED IN TO FAR TOO FEW BUSSES. THE AIRPORT STAFF WAS GENERALLY WORTHLESS,ENDING EVERY ANSWER WITH IT'S NOT MY FAULT,OR IT'S NOT CARNIVALS FAULT. WELL IF CARNIVAL HIRED THE COMPANY AND CARNIVAL KNEW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE BOOKING THEN WHOSE FAULT WAS IT.
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THE MAIN DINING ROOM AND THE NUVEAU SUPPER CLUB FOOD WAS EXCELLENT. THE FOOD ON THE LIDO DECK WAS OF POOR QUALITY AND FOR THE MOST PART COLD,WHICH FOR ICE CREAM IS GOOD,BUT NOT SO GOOD FOR EGGS,AND PIZZA. MY WIFE AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER PASSENGERS BECAME ILL ON WEDNESDAY OF THE SECOND WEEK. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF A COMMON FOOD,THE DELI TURKEY.
THE ENTERTAINMENT WAS GOOD. AGAIN I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE EXCELLENT LEVEL OF SERVICE BY THE STAFF. ON THE OTHER HAND,MANAGEMENT WAS GENERALLY INDIFFERENT,AND THE CRUISE DIRECTOR SHAWN BUSSEY WAS INCOMPETENT. SHE SEEMED TO THINK THAT BUBBLY FLASH WOULD MAKE UP FOR HER SHORTCOMINGS. ULTIMATELY EVERY TIME SHE OPENED HER MOUTH I WANTED A SOCK TO SHOVE IN IT.
THE TOURS WERE OVER PRICED,AND AGAIN I DO NOT LIKE THE CATTLE TREATMENT. HERDED INTO BUMPY OVERCROWDED LARGE BUSSES THAT ONLY ALLOWED STOPS THAT WERE TOO SHORT AND TOO FEW AND ONLY AT CARNIVAL "RECOMMENDED " STORES.
THE RETURN WAS MORE OF THE SAME CARNIVAL BULL. WE WERE HELD UP ON THE SHIP UNTIL AFTER 11:00 AM . AND AGAIN THE CATTLE TREATMENT. TOO MANY PEOPLE TOO FEW BUSSES,AND FROM WHAT I COULD SEE BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS ON THE SHIP AND ON THE BUSSES I FIGURE SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE MISSED THEIR FLIGHTS. AGAIN IT WAS CARNIVALS STANDARD LINE THAT ITS NOT OUR FAULT. WHEN I SPOKE WITH CUSTOMS OFFICERS IT WAS LACK OF BUSSES AND SPACE ON THE CURB THAT DELAYED DEPARTURE. WE ULTIMATELY TOOK A CAB TO LAX AND ARRIVED 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO DEPARTURE,ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE FIRST GROUPS OF BUSSES ARRIVED. HAD WE WAITED FOR A BUS WE ALSO WOULD HAVE MISSED OUR FLIGHT.
THE CRUISING EXPERIENCE WAS GOOD AND WE WILL DEFIANTLY DO IT AGAIN!!! HOWEVER I PLAN TO ADDRESS OUR PROBLEMS WITH CARNIVAL AND THEIR RESPONSE WILL DECIDE IF WE CRUISE WITH CARNIVAL. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.
