Happy sails to you - Letters - Letter to the Editor

I would like to comment on Mary Jane Kovall's letter, "Nickeled & Dimed At Sea," in the Oct. '01 Cruise Travel.

Regarding the soft drink charges on cruises: During a recent Carnival cruise, complimentary soft drinks were available in the main dining rooms, but these were complimentary only to children under 12. Carnival also sells "Fountain Fun Cards" that offer unlimited soft drinks to the holder throughout the cruise ($19.95 for children and $29.95 for adults on seven-day sailings). The kids even get a souvenir necklace to hold their drink and cards.

On this same cruise my family and I noticed a dessert counter. There were many sumptuous-looking delicacies in the display. My wife pointed out that the caliber of many of these tempting treats looked a lot like the ones offered during meals on previous cruises. We were disappointed to see that these desserts were not complimentary.

I also agree with alternate dining options on cruises, but I draw the line at incurring additional expense. One of the many bonuses that make cruising such a value is the food. Why now must we pay for food?

We stated our complaint on the guest comment card and also contacted Carnival to lodge our complaint. Fellow cruisers may remember a cruise line tacking on additional fees for rock-climbing and miniature golf. Customer complaints ended the additional fees for those activities on that line. If you don't like what is going on in the cruise industry, let your voice be heard by contacting your cruise line. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease--or in this case, the "squeaky anchor."

Happy sails to you!

William Day, Century, FL

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