aborgman

Yep... keep telling yourself that. "The amoral late stage capitalist corporation I prefer doesn't act like all those other amoral capitalist corporations" Some people cruise Carnival for perks... and Carnival wants those cruisers because Carnival wants any cruisers who turn a profit, no matter what they cruise for. Some people cruise Royal for perks... and Royal wants those cruisers because Royal wants any cruisers who turn a profit, no matter what they cruise for.

In my experience with corporate "full investigations" of this sort... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not a tiny bit of investigation. Complaint/question went right in the spam folder, and corporate is just PR shilling an actually did nothing at all.

Yes... and puffery isn't bribery, and EVERY business in EVERY industry on the planet does it. When Carnival induces people - you'll say it's a "perk". When the other cruise lines do the same thing, they're "bribing" their customers. It's hilariously transparent tribalism.

All loyalty programs, sales, perks, discounts, etc. are enticement based models. None of them are bribes under any legal definition of the word.

Enticements aren't necessarily bribes. Bribes are enticements, perks are enticements, discounts are enticements, door prizes are enticements, sales are enticements, and on and on and on and on... You're confusing the set with it's members.

Commodore Pet -> Commodore Vic20 -> Commodore 64 ->Original IBM PC -> Knockoff 386 (1200 baud modem like Wargames connecting to local BBS) -> HP 9000 model 730 (on the internet with Gopher, then NCSA Mosaic) We had the good old TRS-80 (Trash-80's) in my high school computing lab.

"Not expected" by corporate policy (see also: Land All-Inclusives and "tips included") and not expected by individual workers are two rather different things. As for people who have worked for tips knowing not to take it personally - that really isn't my experience with a mother (bartender), sister (waitress), and two nieces (waitress/hostesses) currently in the business, as well as numerous friends. Most service folks won't DO anything - but most of them absolutely are irritated, and will complain later to friends/family/co-workers.

I've been on the internet since before the first graphical browser (NCSA Mosaic)... I'm well acquainted with fanboys. When their team does it, it's good and virtuous - and when the other team does it, it's nefarious. When their favorite cruise line induces people - it's a perk. When the other cruise lines do the same thing, they're "bribing" their customers. It's hilariously transparent tribalism. As for "cheap"...I grew up in a region and household that considers it a badge of honor. I'm proud of being cheap. It's a virtue.

There is no vacation - land or cruise line - where cost isn't bundled and you aren't subsidizing (and being subsidized). There are different degrees of it - but ala carte doesn't (and cannot) exist.

You. "Taking out the internet" means the internet is down everywhere. As long as 2 computers are connected and communicating using IP - the internet is up.

No, they couldn't. They might cause the internet at your house to be down for weeks, months, or longer.

Oy... tell me you have no idea why DARPA created the internet to begin with, without saying it. The entire design of the internet comes out of research into distributed adaptive message block switching - specifically to sustain operation of the phone system during partial destruction in a nuclear war.

That was one that surprised me... they are throwing away money by not serving drinks in the theater.

Bribes are an illegal or unethical inducement to influence a person's behavior. That is the difference between a discount/perk and a bribe. If it's legal - it ain't a bribe, it's a perk.

Yes - global casino operation, Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruise lines, Cunard, HAL, Costa, Aida - all are "under Carnival".