kywildcatfanone

Princess is exactly like Celebrity.

Is it enforced? At least out of FLL? Princess says that, but you can bring more, such as two 12 packs each person

While I agree with you, I think people used to Princess will find princess is still better priced than say Celebrity.

Agree. It goes both ways. You used to could work for a company for 30 years and retire. Now, there is little to no loyalty from the company side (or the employee side). I have an upcoming cruise on Celebrity, and as has been mentioned in this thread and others, they are higher in everything than Princess. As high as Princess is now on things like the drink packages, Celebrity is higher still. Yep. People are now trained to pay whatever is being charged and not blink an eye. It's what it's become. Look at the price of new trucks. Did people stop buying eggs when they doubled in price? People are conditioned to reach deep into their pockets for virtually everything now, and these businesses know it and are using it to their advantage.

Yeah, I've cited this in this thread and others for myself. I can't bring myself to pay that kind of money for a drink. I also do mostly take out at restaurants so I don't pay $4 for an iced tea. Yeah, I'm that guy, and I'm okay with it.

Yep, that is what they are pushing. And it's working.

I post what I see as an elite customer with Princess. It's quite obvious that they are reducing or eliminating benefits and raising costs. It's not hard to see if you book with them.

We are on the Equinox in October. I don't buy Princess packages and certainly won't buy Celebrity's.

I didn't cruise with other cruise lines, but as far as I know the cruise card didn't track your every movement, only when you made a purchase, or opening your door, or it was recorded for going on and off the ship. The medallion knows how long you have been by the pool, in the theater, in your room, etc. They have basically 24/7 access to your movements for marketing purposes while on their ships.

Yep, I've seen that, and this is me in both instances 🙂

Yep, and the medallion is the tool for it. They are easily about to track your shipboard habits and spending. It makes it very easy for them.

You are mostly correct on my view of this. The erosion or changes of loyalty benefits are what bothers me the most as I have said. Particularly their attempts like the recent plus change of them "adding value". I do not see benefits removed that now cost me money to enjoy as "adding value". And I still have extra spending, just not as much as most. They clearly want repeat big spenders, not people like me.

The last two times we at at CG, you could tell the quality of the steak was worse, probably just select. And now that the price is higher, we will not be visiting there again. Another nice thing lost to increased cost and cutbacks on quality.

Cruise lines no longer care about loyalty. They have figured out that blue medallion people will spend as much, if not more than black medallion people. Therefore, loyalty benefits are reduced/removed/changed to benefit the cruise line, so that revenue producing items can replace them. Loyalty is no longer a consideration.

Welcome to the future of cruising. You will pay more, get less, and get charged for things you used to not get charged for. And you will like it or find another vacation type.

Well, certainly the new class of ships is trying to enhance both the Carnivalization of Princess, and expand the "pay more onboard" experiences from what I have seen of the deck plans and images. It's the direction they are headed. As far as alienating 25% of their loyal customers. I think marketing shows that there are people to fill those spots, many of whom will at least view their first cruise as a vacation to "splurge on everything", and therefore they will replace those of us who don't want to spend the outrageous amounts of money with people who will. Sadly, my leaving won't affect them negatively, only positively. They know that, and that is clearly the direction they are headed. Someone posted that it won't be long before the package prices go up again, and I agree with that. Seems to now be on a twice a year increase of pricing, and shifting of the benefits associated with it. It's the new normal.

Yep, and it looks like from the new class of ships, they are doing more to turn previous non revenue areas of the ship into revenue generators. It would not surprise me to see them start to charge for every little thing they can including the items you mention.

Yep, this is 100% true. If the loyal customers from days gone by take too many benefits, then cut the benefits, which has happened. If they don't spend enough money, and that wonderful medallion device gives Princess 24/7 access to your habits onboard, then let's try to run them off and get more new people willing to spend for the "adventure of a lifetime" you mention. I think you are 100% correct. As I said in the other thread, I'm the kind of passenger Princess is trying to get rid of. It's working too. I'm not gone yet, but it likely won't take much more for me to love on to something else. I don't like it, but it's all about the Benjamins anymore.

I guess plus is included in suite pricing, isn't it? If not, can you explain why you think it's dumb for someone to book a suite but not a drink package? Genuinely curious.

Thank you. I responded to him that my cost concern had nothing to do with affordability, but what you have said is also accurate. It's one thing to be able to pay for some outrageous priced item, it's another to actually choose to do it. With the cost of all these things now, everyone one of them adds up, and we choose not to pay those costs for something that we know we can either do without entirely, or in the case of drinks, bring on board what we like and save a ton of money by doing so. I understand why the default response to most of these is more about affordability or your own ability to justify paying the cost for a package or whatever, and that is for each individual to decide. If people see the value in them, great. Buy them. That is what the cruise line wants anyway. Anyway, that person never responded to my affordability comment, so I hope they understood the difference.

No harm in asking

You sound like me. Ultimately I can make this work. When they start forcing packages or not allowing you to bring drinks on at embarkation or ports, then they will see me no more.

Yep. That seems to anger folks the most. They paid for something included when they booked and paid, now they have to pay more for it. And the cruise line has your money in the bank drawing interest as well.

Join the crowd with me. Benefit cuts now cost me $200 more per cruise.

Loyalty for most businesses are deteriorating rapidly. Cruise lines are the same. They are currently filling the ships regardless of loyalty programs