Quality of food lower now on Princess

Yeah... and it's all NCL's fault! I believe they were the first line to come out with a specialty restaurant in 2000 or there abouts (just as I started cruising).

 

The first cruise ship / ocean liner to have a specialty restaurant with an extra charge was the SS Bremen in 1906.

The second ship with a specialty restaurant was the HMS Titanic.

The First Class Dining Room was ala carte.

It was called the Ritz Restaurant.

The average dinner check ( cash only) was US$100 per person for dinner.

That year, the average American earned $300 per year.

The Ritz Restaurant was easily able to make a profit.

Unless you are referring to Las Vegas strip, how often do you see huge line up waiting for dinner tables outside a Holliday Inn restaurant vs. say your local popular eateries or some well known chain restaurants on a Saturday night? Many hotel restaurants are also unionized which means they must pay union scale wages plus benefits to staff working in the dining room and kitchen. No $5/hr college kid minimum wage with zero benefit. The two hotel F&B outlets that normally generate a profit are the bar/lounge and catering department.

 

The American Hotel and Motel Association announced a few years ago that it costs just under $2.00 for the average American Restaurant to serve a glass of free ice water to a guest.

How long until we see nothing except the room included in the cruise fare?

 

All dining options (including the buffet) will a la carte. The buffet will become like a high school cafeteria where you swipe your cruise card at the register.

 

The lines will 'spin' this as -

"A brand new concept in cruising - pay only for what you use!" They'll tout is as being 'Green'... because it cuts down on waste.

That would be true though, and all the other things that they would say touting "a la carte cruising™" would be true. There is no reason other than the personal preference of some of us for that not to happen.

Edited December 7, 2016 by bUU

How long until we see nothing except the room included in the cruise fare?

 

All dining options (including the buffet) will a la carte. The buffet will become like a high school cafeteria where you swipe your cruise card at the register.

 

The lines will 'spin' this as -

"A brand new concept in cruising - pay only for what you use!" They'll tout is as being 'Green'... because it cuts down on waste.

 

A-la-carte cruisiing (AKA pay for three hots but not the cot) was tried a few years ago. Easy cruises or a similar name (that orange logoed group). They lasted almost no time.

How long until we see nothing except the room included in the cruise fare?

 

All dining options (including the buffet) will a la carte. The buffet will become like a high school cafeteria where you swipe your cruise card at the register.

 

The lines will 'spin' this as -

"A brand new concept in cruising - pay only for what you use!" They'll tout is as being 'Green'... because it cuts down on waste.

 

This concept will work as long as they don't carry it to far. Most cruisers can't seem to resist the "extras" from what I'm seeing. i.e. Photo's, Specialty restaurants, special coffee, Gelata, Sanctuary seating, drink packages, etc.

These seem to be the newer cruisers who don't cruise that often & feel that they deserve anything & everything on their vacation no matter what the price.

This concept will work as long as they don't carry it to far. Most cruisers can't seem to resist the "extras" from what I'm seeing. i.e. Photo's, Specialty restaurants, special coffee, Gelata, Sanctuary seating, drink packages, etc.

These seem to be the newer cruisers who don't cruise that often & feel that they deserve anything & everything on their vacation no matter what the price.

 

If that means Princess will sell me a relatively cheap inside cabin with 3 meals a day and I will never be forced to spend money on board then it suits me down to the ground.

That's what happens right now, no photos, no specialty restaurants, maybe a couple of $5 drinks, good OBC.

Let the others who have a high onboard spend make the profit for Princess and pay me the Carnival dividend as a stockholder.

If that means Princess will sell me a relatively cheap inside cabin with 3 meals a day and I will never be forced to spend money on board then it suits me down to the ground.

That's what happens right now, no photos, no specialty restaurants, maybe a couple of $5 drinks, good OBC.

Let the others who have a high onboard spend make the profit for Princess and pay me the Carnival dividend as a stockholder.

 

Just look what's going on right now with the $49 for all you photo's package. Obviously there are a lot of people rebelling at the $20 per photo price.

I wasn't aware of that, last photo I bought was $8. BITD. $49 for all sounds good, how many days cruise, is it limited?

I have a 17 day and 15 day booked and sailing soon on Pacific and Star

I wasn't aware of that, last photo I bought was $8. BITD. $49 for all sounds good, how many days cruise, is it limited?

I have a 17 day and 15 day booked and sailing soon on Pacific and Star

 

$49? Try $199. That's what they quoted me on the THREE-DAY I just finished. I paid the same amount for a 7-day earlier this year. The guy at Photo tried to tel me "it's still a good deal." How? I got 73 pictures for $199 in June, but the 18 pictures you took over three days are worth just as much?

 

Instead, they got $0 from me for photos this cruise. Do they think people are stupid?

A-la-carte cruisiing (AKA pay for three hots but not the cot) was tried a few years ago. Easy cruises or a similar name (that orange logoed group). They lasted almost no time.

That isn't a good comparison to the kind of slow evolution that we're talking about in this thread.

This concept will work as long as they don't carry it to far.

... too quickly.

 

If an airline went from 34" seat pitch (standard in the 1960s) to 31" seat pitch (standard today), they'd probably have gone out of business. However, 34" to 32.5" and from there to 31" - that's something the flying public could stomach. Similarly, it wasn't a deal-breaker when many airlines did away with meal service in coach on most flights because by the time they did it the meals they were serving in coach on those specific flights were already nothing special.

 

Just look what's going on right now with the $49 for all you photo's package. Obviously there are a lot of people rebelling at the $20 per photo price.

I'm not sure if that package includes physical prints, but let's say it does: Watch what happens next: The prints degrade in quality with the rolling out of new (cheaper) equipment to serve that new offering specifically. Next, the package includes a thumb drive with instructions for sending away for (even cheaper prints) ("so you don't have to worry about them getting damaged on your way home"). Finally, the thumb drive is included (and the data is locked up behind an ad wall you need to pass through to obtain the images), but prints are not.

The American Hotel and Motel Association announced a few years ago that it costs just under $2.00 for the average American Restaurant to serve a glass of free ice water to a guest.

 

Sure markup can be steep but do they have enough guest covers and table turnover rate per meal period to offset restaurant op costs? Net profit margin for restaurants is rather thin and competition plenty. Insufficient guest count during supposedly busy meal periods is not a sign of a profitable restaurant business.

It is true that Guide Michelin did not officially rate American establishments in their guidebooks in the 1980s. But the Michelin people visited my restaurant after the Chef / Owner appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. They awarded us a certificate naming us "Best Restaurant in America". It now hangs over my desk as I am typing this.

A few years later, the American Zagat Guide came out and awarded us something very similar. But that was not nearly as special.

 

Was this restaurant a success? It made zero profit for nearly a decade. The owners thought it was a success. Why else would they keep it open? It allowed a small hotel chain to attract investors that made it into a large hotel chain.

 

Stars and Jeremiah Tower on the other hand was a terminally trendy restaurant with a hack chef. The whole thing imploded after a few years and the so-called Celebrity Chef disappeared.

 

Now I' m going to carry on with my day job - managing ships.

What ships do you manage?

What ships do you manage?

 

 

Lollipop?

... too quickly.

 

If an airline went from 34" seat pitch (standard in the 1960s) to 31" seat pitch (standard today), they'd probably have gone out of business. However, 34" to 32.5" and from there to 31" - that's something the flying public could stomach. Similarly, it wasn't a deal-breaker when many airlines did away with meal service in coach on most flights because by the time they did it the meals they were serving in coach on those specific flights were already nothing special.

 

Look what Princess has done with the size of the seats-- Compare the older ships like the Island or Coral size with the newer smaller Royal or Regal. Even the leg room seems to be narrower + there are no pull out trays any longer.

People still accept them although I doubt if they still order as many drinks since there's no where to place them during the show.

I'm not sure if that package includes physical prints, but let's say it does: Watch what happens next: The prints degrade in quality with the rolling out of new (cheaper) equipment to serve that new offering specifically. Next, the package includes a thumb drive with instructions for sending away for (even cheaper prints) ("so you don't have to worry about them getting damaged on your way home"). Finally, the thumb drive is included (and the data is locked up behind an ad wall you need to pass through to obtain the images), but prints are not.

 

I didn't see any reduction in quality lately-yet. Yes they do give you all the prints taken during the trip + a thumb drive with the files to do with as you please. Not sure if there's any limitations on accessing the files or the quality of them but you could always scan the prints which people have been doing for years.

Princess doesn't seem to concern themselves with security on their prints or DVD's. Even their Reflection DVD's don't have copy protection but I can understand that since 95% of the material is advertisement anyway.

People still accept them although I doubt if they still order as many drinks since there's no where to place them during the show.

The good news is that Princess doesn't have to guess. They have the data and they know, and can reconcile the changes they're making with what the data tells them. Maybe it'll result in a change. Maybe, instead, they're able to do things they way they couldn't do the other way (maybe fit more people in overall) and that ends up with a greater overall satisfaction. Like I said, they'll know.

The good news is that Princess doesn't have to guess. They have the data and they know, and can reconcile the changes they're making with what the data tells them. Maybe it'll result in a change. Maybe, instead, they're able to do things they way they couldn't do the other way (maybe fit more people in overall) and that ends up with a greater overall satisfaction. Like I said, they'll know.

 

I suspect you may be right. More people, more sales. :D

We just don't to have to hold a drink during the show and wait till later.

On the flip side of that, if you cannot put the drink down, you tend to drink it faster and may buy another..

 

Side note, based on the average movie theater, cup holders are a pain to clean and likely are a big noro spread vector as well..

 

I suspect you may be right. More people, more sales. :D

We just don't to have to hold a drink during the show and wait till later.

likely are a big noro spread vector as well..

Good point!

Even if it was on the menu it would be obscured by the infamous "EF". :D

 

 

Similar to tiny bubbles?

Similar to tiny bubbles?

 

No further comment on my part.......:rolleyes::D:)

On the flip side of that, if you cannot put the drink down, you tend to drink it faster and may buy another...

 

The first night we went to the theater on "Royal" both of us ordered drinks. After finding nowhere to put them during the show, or when people were moving into and out of their seats, we never bought another drink in the theater.

The first night we went to the theater on "Royal" both of us ordered drinks. After finding nowhere to put them during the show, or when people were moving into and out of their seats, we never bought another drink in the theater.

 

Most people just finish them quickly & shove the cup or glass under the seat.

It make for a real mess to clean up after the show.

HUH! That's just Dandy, I'm unphhht! I'm a 210 lb over weight 98 lb weakling but they are discussing food. Oh Yea. Will tell you about Crown in Jan when I come back. They put in writing Warm cookies and milk and popcorn served at MUTTS, wanna see me go to the Officer in Charge?

Devils on the Deep Blue Sea a good read. CCL profit 27.94% for Aug. 31, 2016 They can't lose too much on food.

Edited December 9, 2016 by WupperAV