nycruiser80

On 4/1/2024 at 7:43 PM, Senga said:

Memories.  Was this the Meridian?

No, it was the Amerikanis and the Galileo of Chandris Fantasy Cruises. I sailed both of those ships in 88 and 89 and they provided a boxed lunch even if you were not on a tour. You called to have it arranged and they would provide you with one. The Galileo ended up becoming Meridian for Celebrity Cruises when Chandris started up Celebrity Cruises in 1990. 

This post brought back memories. When I first started cruising in the late 80s as a kid, I remember Chandris Lines (the founder of Celebrity Cruises) offered such a service. They provided a boxed lunch for when going ashore. I remember sailing on them from NY to Bermuda in the summer and they would offer this. I remember eating fried chicken on the beach out the red striped box they provided us. Of course, it was a different time then. Cruising was different as was the laws found in many destinations. 

On 2/8/2024 at 11:06 PM, coaster said:

Price went even higher the other day online going to a balcony. Cancel and rebook is the response from the Princess call center. Ended up canceling and booking with a TA who was able to get me the current online price for a balcony. Princess just seems to steer you to a TA as booking direct will just cost you more than website pricing if you decide to upgrade an existing reservation. Strange as Princess just loses money in commission fees when you book with a TA.

 

If you think of it another way, the commission they pay travel agents is then reallocated in the case of a direct phone booking, to the Princess agent. The Princess agent gets paid a salary plus they get paid a small commission albeit smaller than a TA for making your booking. Also, the Princess agent may be getting healthcare benefits as well. In the end, someone is getting paid to book your cruise. I’m assuming internet bookings are a bit different as the overhead for internet bookings is different though I’m sure Princess outsources the internet booking capabilities to another company. Then in that case some of the commission that would be paid to a TA goes to that source.

I was a travel agent and left about 10 years ago. NCL used to offer group fares for a minimum of 5 rooms/10 berths on certain sailing, but again this was 10 years ago. Not sure if they offer such an arrangement. 

The tour conductor credit is typically the average cruise fare of all passengers. If my memory serves me right, some lines send the credit right before sailing or after the sailing in the form of a check. 

If you use a travel agent to do this, you will still receive the tour conductor credit if the group requirements are met. 

Often times groups are eligible for points which you can cash in for OBCs or other amenities for the group. But again, things I am sure have changed since I last left the profession.

Sailed on Magic last August from NYC to Bermuda and I had a great time. Before that, the last time I sailed with Carnival was back in 2009. The Magic was in great condition for my cruise last year. My only gripe was the noise above the aft cove balcony cabins. Next time I need to bring some earplugs but I loved having a cove balcony. That was the highlight of the cruise for me!

I’m booked on the Diamond Princess July 10, 2023 sailing so I am departing in 8 days. The app stills says to check back closer to my sailing. I’m not concerned and will just show up whenever. I don’t think their app is all that reliable anyway.

One deception was the lack of wind!!

Typically, they refund reduced government fees while onboard in a refundable OBC. I believe the thought process of this is that government fees can change up or down until the sailing commences but I could be wrong. It was like this years ago when I used to work in the travel industry but as always things change.

On 7/28/2021 at 10:09 AM, aliaschief said:

I believe the new Prominades were required changes since Concordia and also to be able to transient Panama Canal. I’m not a fan of Ocean Bar and we often go to Tamarind Bar for a quieter and more scenic pre dinner libation.

I thought so too but then I am noticing that recently built ships like the soon to be launched Disney Wish and the newly launched Spirit of Discovery and Adventure of Saga Cruises all have traditional promenades. In fact, the Concordia (and all Carnival/Costa ships that shared Concordia,

’s design)had two promenade decks. The first promenade deck you could not access to walk on as they ran parallel to the lifeboats and allowed for direct access into the lifeboats. The second promenade deck on the Concordia was located under the lifeboats and was for passenger use. It seems the newer promenades found on the Koningsdam and her sisters and also found on other cruise lines are created in a way to increase guests to book balcony rooms. The newer design also provides room for larger indoor public spaces.

I started cruising HAL at the age of 27 and always enjoyed the on-board atmosphere, though I am a low-key person. I am 40 now and have cruised HAL a few other times. Expect to sail with them again in Feb 2022. Like everyone else has said, Alaska is a great place and I am sure he will be occupied with sight seeing. HAL over the years has been trying to appeal to a younger demographic. They do have a good music program on board with BB Kings and Billboard in the evening.

On 9/14/2020 at 3:37 PM, drsel said:

I don't think any travel agent checks for price drops.
that is one thing you have to do personally.
Because a price drop also reduces the travel agents commission

My guy does. He uses a program that gives him updates daily. That is how he retains a loyal clientele. He books and take care of it call. Though the onboard credit he offers will fluctuate if the price drops by a lot as the onboard credit comes from his commission. Either way I still come out ahead so I am happy.  My last cruise back in February he was notified of a substantial price drop I qualified for. Even though he lowered his onboard credit I did very well.

I was a TA so I am partial. I use a TA who is great (a former colleague). I prefer booking with a TA as they advocate for me, price check daily and advise me of any price drops and best of all I always get an onboard credit on every sailing. I always come out ahead financially when using a TA. I don't understand how people pass up free gratuities or free onboard spending money to book direct  but to each his own I suppose. The price my TA gets is the same a booking direct in addition he has many group sailings so if I book early I tie into those and pay a better price than booking direct. During covid he stayed on hold with Royal to hunt down my FCC which was "lost" for a while. I was thankful I didn't have to do all that leg work.

The one time I booked direct,was with Princess. I had just left the travel agent business  and I booked direct with them on their website. I called in to request an early dinner seating and the Princess agent I got made a mess out of my booking. Long story short she was obsessed with "upgrading" my no obstruction ocean view window on deck 5 that I booked on their website to an obstructed view ocean view window on deck 8 that had a lifeboat in front. I said I didn't want the "upgrade" but when I received the confirmation an hour later she "upgraded" me without my consent. With availability limited it was a challenge getting back what I booked, not to mention a complete waste of my time! 

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

It most likely means the promenade deck will be even smaller.  The newer davits are telescoping ones, so the boats will merely hang further inboard than before.  The days of the wide promenade deck, with the boats above and inboard in the gravity davits is long gone.  The telescoping davit gives one more deck of balcony cabins, instead of a deck of "obstructed view", so more revenue.

Sad to see this. Thankfully some deluxe/luxury ships are still being built with full or partial promenade decks. The Spirit of Discovery/Adventure the Regent Explorer come to mind. From the renderings it appears Cunard will be using Koningsdam design which means no traditional promenade deck for their new build.  

Interesting observations. I am 39 and have been fortunate to have been cruising for the last 30 years or so. In that time, I have seen many changes but one notable change is the more inward trend of ship design. As the OP suggested, I too consider this to be a way for people to stay inside and hopefully focus more on onboard spending. Keep people inside to bolster onboard revenue. Most of the new ships lack an outdoor promenade deck which I miss greatly and if they have one it is sheltered with lifeboats and very narrow with no seating.  I remember reading this was done as an enhanced safety measure but there are new ships still built with an open air promenade deck with chairs. These ships are mainly sailing for deluxe and luxury cruise lines. I do think having outdoor open spaces and less crowds would help the industry recover post COVID. Going forward people will not be happy cramming in crowded cruise ship elevators. I have been feeling that the newer ships will not help the cruise lines instill trust with travelers. While I do love the new ships of all mass market lines for their forward thinking interior designs, I feel they carry way too many people and don't allow for passengers to spread out. 

I agree, I feel the lines want younger guests. My last few Celebrity Cruises I found music was blaring in the atrium all day long. Don't get me wrong, it was the music I love to listen to, as I am guessing I am the demographic they are trying to please but in my opinion play that stuff in the clubs. I would definitely go visit one of the clubs to here music from 90s but in the atrium I thought it was tacky and intrusive. I teach middle school, the last thing I want to hear is nonstop noise! I can go to work for that. Don't want to come off as snobish, but I am finding paying more and trying more deluxe lines like Azamara I am able to recapture what cruising used to be about. Rest, rejuvenation, and connection to the sea - these are the reasons I love cruising. 

On my Azamara cruise last year I saw Ana Rucner  in a Cello Concert at Mestrovic Gallery in Split. It was wonderful and a highlight of the trip.

I had posted this idea in another thread. When they both came together for the the health panel I started to think that they maybe interested in combining forces. In that thread, someone who claimed to work as a consulting person within the cruise industry alluded to this being a possibility but also said that they couldn't say more.

In my mind, if NCL and Royal did this I feel that Royal would fold NCL ships into their brand as I would think Royal has better brand recognition and NCL ships have a lot of innovative features like Royal Caribbean. Celebrity would stay as is. Azamara and Oceania would combine forces probably under the Oceania banner and Silversea would join Regent. 

I guess anything is possible in this environment.

18 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

As to work that an agent does...it comes with the job.   You get duds and lookie loos and you get big spenders.   It's all part of the job...like real estate or selling any product orservice  not ever effort is  rewarded... but  thats the natire of the job.   

  On the other hand there are some agents who are going to push for as much $$$ as they can wrangle or squeeze... like time share salesmen, they try to push a client as far as they can.....    They are disciples of old W.C Fields who said " Never give a sucker an even break"     And Gordon Gecko  "  Greed if Good" .     

 

  If an agent asked for money for his time it is clear he is working for himself and not you.    The guy who brags he charges  his clients and had all be business he can use,,  Is selling a line...  Promoting a con he hopes suckers will buy into.     If business was that good... why would he bother to to brag?????????????/

It’s business. I may not necessarily agree with all of that model but a business conducts itself as it sees fit. I am selling my coop (condo) at the moment and the real estate made me sign paper work stating that I agree to pay any administration fees (For advertising and the like) if I elect to back out. In addition, airlines charge customers fees for making changes and even booking on the phone. Of course when you become a travel agent you do realize that you will go through a lot of people who waste your time but for some agents they see fit to charge for their time. 

I used to be a TA and knew of some agents who did that and continue to do so. A large part of travel agent work is research and planning and often times you may spend days on arranging someone’s trip and then they don’t want to take it. Generally, the few agents that I knew who do that specialized in luxury land travel in Italy and Asia which required a lot of leg work to arrange including making long distance calls. Having been in this business you get a lot of shoppers as well as people who quite frankly consume a large part of your time but then again as the professional it is your job to cut ties with people who require great time and no commitment. The travel agent I use is an old colleague of mine and he does not charge fees and always gives incentives when booking cruises. He is savvy and does his best to let go of prospects that do not seem to want to make a commitment. 

10 hours ago, Sail20 said:

You hit the nail on the head. Maybe you work in the industry or don't but I do some part time consulting work with strategic firms some that are currently servicing cruise lines and you are not far off. All options are on the table now. I have been reading these boards for some time now but decided to join as I do like cruising too and I also see some of the behind the scenes in the work I do. Can't say much because of what I do but know that these cruise lines are hurting very much and are looking at all options at this point. Which means merges and acquisitions will be the rule not the exception. This example maybe be playing out in the boardroom.   

No, I don't work in the industry. I was a travel agent years ago and love to cruise other than that I was just speculating. I wish you could tell us more! 

I have been thinking about how NCL and Royal Caribbean teamed up with the health task force they created. Now with this name change for the parent company of Royal Caribbean, I am wondering if they are considering joining forces with the NCL group (NCL, Oceania, Regent). In my short time as an executive assistant to the CEO of a non-profit company, I was there for a merger and before we merged we created a new name and logo for our company and then proceeded with the merger.

This is of course  is speculation, but I could see both lines shedding older tonnage and Royal Caribbean merging with NCL as they both have ships which offer wow factors (especially NCL's newer ships). Azamara could merge with Oceania since they are both a similar line with sister ships held over from Renaissance Cruises  (both Azamara and Oceania are not luxury lines, they are deluxe and do not directly compete with Regent and Silversea), then I could see them merging Regent and Silversea into one brand. Just a thought not trying to start rumors but this has crossed my mind lately.

Sad to see this happen. I sailed the Horizon back in 1990 on her 9th cruise. She was a beautiful ship back then. Prior to that, I sailed Chandris Fantasy Cruises which was the parent company of Celebrity Cruises. Chandris had old ships with great prices and had wanted to create a new ship for their line to replace one of their old vessels. In any event, the Bermuda government had a few spare contracts for exclusive docking rights of cruise ships in the two main ports but would only offer it to a premium cruise line which Chandris was not. So the powers that be at Chandris decided to use the new ship under construction and create an entirely new cruise ship and that is how Celebrity Cruises was born with Horizon being their first new ship. They also used one of the older Chandris ships and renovated her and used that ship as well for Celebrity and named her Meridian. I have many fond memories of the Horizon. Sailed her twice and as well as the Zenith once. Celebrity was a different line back then. I still like them but it was different. 

I keep going back to this channel on YouTube where they have old videos of these ships. Here is one of the Horizon in happier times.

I cruised on the Noordam and Maasdam in the past and found their space ratio to be good. There was always a quiet spot that could be found. My last Holland America cruise in 2016 was on the then new Koningsdam. The ship had great interior decor but I found she was crowded. I remember there was never a seat to be had in the Crows Nest in addition on my sailing they were allowing certain crew members to hang out in the Crows Nest and that also created a situation where you could not get a seat. To top that off they created a narrow promenade deck devoid of lounge chairs making this once useful lounge area obsolete. I am contemplating on trying the Nieuw Statendam because of an itinerary that I like next summer but for the price I rather go with Oceania or something of that quality. 

Bring back a real promenade deck not like the one on Koningsdam and her sisters. 

3 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Celebrity now charges $30 a person for a friend (s) to join you for dinner at Luminea if you are in a suite and they are not. The best is if your friend can take a mini-suite that is club class , then they can eat with you every night. Or you can join them in the main dining room or both of you pay extra for a specialty restaurant. Once on RCCL we were in a Grand Suite and Coastal Kitchen let us have our two young grandchildren ( who were in a balcony cabin) join us for lunch for free but I don't think they were happy about it. It was a 50th anniversary cruise and everyone in our  party  of 12 were in random cabins.

Thank you for this. Seems fair Celebrity is charging for this.

45 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Have fun with your window suite; if you choose to book one.  Here is pic of window suite on SKY Princess

Thank you! This looks wonderful! I am actually looking at a window suite on the Grand for a Baltics cruise next year but I have to put this one on my bucket list.