HappyInVan

Competitive strategy is complex. You start by determining your focus. What are you? Who do you serve?

Explora is a startup evolving their way towards 6 ships. Explora 3 will have larger cabins and public spaces. In contrast, Ritz Carlton's customers are mostly existing hotel clients. So, their likes and preferences are known. The marina in their stern is a necessary lifestyle facility. RC currently has plans for just 3 ships in 2 sizes. “The Most Luxurious Suites at Sea.”

Where should Explora source their customers from? They're attracting the disaffected from existing luxury brands. “So much better than Regent etc?”

But, loyal luxury customers can also spot the deficiencies in Explora! How to win over satisfied customers from Regent etc?

IMHO, Explora needs to be popular (budget-luxury) rather than compete with RC and Regent, in order to fill the 6 ships. It could offer incentives to MSC Diamond customers to sail in OT suites. Eventually, it may need to offer incentives to YC customers to sail in penthouses etc. Explora has the option of offering more configurations than YC.

What's missing from Explora is the social scene. Is there a community built around the ship's activities and entertainment? For example, Holland America had the very popular Lincoln Center Stage with concert quality ensembles.

Explora has to make choices. It created the Anthology for bragging rights. But at Euro 170, it doesn't seem to make enough of an impact. In contrast, RC's Michelin restaurant is asking for $390.

Would it make more sense to create another popular venue like Marble?

Explora is very much a work in progress, and time is running out as Explora 2 is operational in August. Still far from its pinnacle.

One option to explore is the TA and Trans-Pacific journey. No cruise brand now runs a regular trans-oceanic service. This may be an opportunity for Explora mid-size ships.

12 hours ago, Wayward Son said:

 

However, once you get the hang if it, and understand how to find what you want, it's quite good -- 90% of the time. The other 10%, I just log off and come back later.

 

Frankly, I don't think that the message "Your ship has departed" can be ignored. What I can't understand is why the problem keeps cropping up???

Clearly, something is happening within HAL. Another little sign that the pax matter as much as potatoes. 🥴

Sorry.

I've traveled most with the Hilton group and through hotel dot com. No glitches with the Hilton chain, and usually hotel dot com posts an apology for online disruption. Never had the OP's problem. 😒

Gotta wonder if the Marriott uses the same contractor as CCL. Thanks for the heads up.

On 5/29/2024 at 12:09 PM, CountsByFives said:

I just paid the final balance due on our September departure and saw that B.B. King's is no longer a venue and there doesn't seem to be any mention of the live classical music that I would've sworn was going to be involved in showings of BBC Earth. As a FYI, B.B. King's was the venue I wanted to visit the most... 

 

 Yes, I can understand how disappointed you are. I suppose that you would have booked on Princess if you had known that HAL would cancel the music program.

It is what it is. HAL is in transition. We can only hope that at the end, HAL is still recognizable. 😬

21 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

The MSC concept with Explora looks interesting.  The pictures are beautiful.  I’m a bit concerned about the same menu every day.  I know my DH is cheering for you to convince me 😉 to give Explora a try 🛳️.

IMHO, it should not be a problem for a 7-day cruise. Between room service, Emporia buffet (lunch & dinner), the Fils Rouge (breakfast & dinner), the Marble and the Sakura (lunch & dinner), there should be enough choice. On a longer journey, just re-order the dishes you like.

I would remind myself that I should not expect the same food experience as back home. After many years, I have a curated collection of favorites. Culled from the best of several culinary traditions.

That said, the YC Mediterranean meal was so unremarkable that I quickly had lunch at Cioppino in Yaletown. Heard that they were closing in December. Rushed over to show support. For 100 Euro, I had 2 appetizers and the Mother Sunday Lasagna, and finished with a nice Cannoli.

That was a very filling gastronomic experience. BTW, one of the app was duck liver on toast. Unlike the duck liver in the Anthology, the Cioppino's was cooked and had strong favor. Interesting!

I should add that outsourcing a critical function is a dangerous decision. Sometimes, it goes horribly wrong. CCL ties itself into a multi-year contract. Loses operational control as the contractor runs the program. It should be possible to terminate the contractor For Cause. But, the transition to a new contractor is a mess.

For those who are interested, this is my 5 cents worth.

Outsourcing is prevalent where there is complexity. You would outsource the management issues (cost, quality, environment) to a third party. Just shop around for a deal.

You can reduce costs by outsourcing to a third party operating in low cost countries. You can outsource to a specialist who can produce higher quality than you can. You might outsource to a third party that has scalability. That is, it can meet your needs if demand for your products surge.

That said, it doesn't mean that lower quality is the inevitable result of third world outsourcing. Indeed, economic outsourcing can allow you to achieve higher quality because it costs less to build high quality.

The fact that HAL customers have been persistently disappointed in HAL IT reliability means that this is the choice that HAL made. HAL spent their money elsewhere, and built poor IT reliability (including dumb mistakes) into the customer experience.😛

Here's some insights from 2016...

https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/carnival-cruise-line-plan-threatens-miami-jobs/

"Capgemini stated to the fired Americans at a town hall meeting that Capgemini was outsourcing the work to India because that was the only way it could provide the IT services to Carnival at the rate paid to them by the company," Blackwell said.

Carnival denied the workers were being fired. Instead they were "transitioned" into the new company, Capgemini, said Roger Frizzell, a senior vice president and Chief Communications Officer for Carnival.

Frizzell stressed these moves were being done to improve performance and not to save money...  Will those efficiencies result in Capgemini moving those IT jobs to lower wage workers in foreign countries? Frizzell responded, "No, I am not aware of any such plans."

Ta da! 😛

2 hours ago, shadow 123 said:

Probably dating myself but I remember when every company,  especially a fortune 500 company, had their own IT department on site

Me too! 🧐

Back in the day, you bought an IBM service package when you bought IBM mainframes. They took care of the 'overheads'.

Guys,

I'm not an IT person. But, I'll offer a few comments on the functional areas. Please contribute if you have IT experience.

These days, the company's IT functions are dispersed among service providers and specialist contractors. First, the telecoms industry provides the gateway between the customers and the company. Problems here may cause slow response times.

Occasionally, the service provider is disabled. Pretty obvious since all users are disabled.

Second, customer information (profile, orders, history) is stored with a database company Google Cloud etc provides secure and high speed services. Occasionally, disruptions here result in missing data. “What happened to my bookings?”

Third, a multitude of vendors provide essential and additional services to handle your queries and transactions. The sales vendor maintains the price list and tracks the discounts and special offers. The payment vendor handles the $$$$. Then, there are the vendors that analyses the data into reports for the Management Information System.

Problems occur frequently in this area because of the amount of data exchange between multiple vendors. “My fault???? It's your fault!!!”

The security vendor is usually invisible, until someone hacks the company. Then, a chunk of the company's customer base shows up on the dark web. The amount of data stolen will reflect how much or little the company paid for IT security.

Then, there are the vendors running the company's app. Definite under-funding here, because most cruise app have limited functionality or under-perform.

Frankly, the problem presently by this thread's OP is confusing. The database used by the online service appears to be corrupted. The app reports the correct period to embarkation, but onboard bookings are missing? Frankly, I'm surprised by the persistent of data corruption for a company of this size.

In the end, the company sets spending priorities. Customers experiences the lapses and confidence is lost in the prolific offenders. Blame HAL management, not the CSR. To be fair, the online experience could be better if there were enough money from higher fares.

For the better companies, they acknowledge the problem. "Sorry, we're experiencing technical difficulties. Please come back later to access your bookings." They don't leave the customer confused and anxious.

6 minutes ago, WriterOnDeck said:

I'm guessing it is because for about the final 72 hours before a cruise, you cannot book anything online (it's explained in the FAQs). You will need to shift to the Navigator app once onboard or CS. Granted, it is awkward language at the least....

To quote OP...

"Then I checked our December booking, and it has also departed...Tried Navigator, it at least shows we leave in 14 hours, but, all of the reserved items are empty... Anyone else seeing this?"

1 hour ago, Boatdrill said:

What a strange thing to say about a computer glitch.  

 

What's a computer glitch? Is it the same as a gremlin?

From what the CSR people say, it sounds like a systemic problem. Insufficient funds for IT infrastructure? Incompetent cheap contractor? Forgot to pay the bills? Never heard of a problem like this in the past, or with any other brand.

Every organization has its strengths and weaknesses. Good and bad days. What matters is the trajectory! 🥸

Of course, failing brands have loyal customers to keep them going a little longer! 😍

6 hours ago, kad56 said:

I'm reading different things. Some people report that Bimini is open to everyone, others that staff block entrance to the entire smaller island at the bridge. What's been your experience? My ship (the Magnifica) doesn't have a YC, so I'm wondering if that makes a difference.

The only closed area that I know of is the smaller Ocean House Beach for YC. Some pax may be deterred by the YC check at the bridge. Making Bimini Beach (a long stretch) ideal.

Possibly, the guard at the bridge was new and had not been properly briefed.

Below are pics of the ship from North Beach, across Ocean Cay Lagoon. Of Ocean House Beach, and of Bimini Beach.

Very sad.

This is the latest indication that HAL is in desperate state. Hope that they are able to pay the bills. What next?😒

On 5/17/2024 at 8:48 AM, mnocket said:

Most people who are now sailing in the Yacht Club didn't start out sailing in the Yacht Club.  They likely spent many years earning the ability to afford such options.  Instead of resenting them, people would be well advised to emulate them.  Just saying. 

+1

44 minutes ago, CruiseDuckDuo said:

Nope.  Wasn't eligible for any of those on my last standby sailing, which meant that sailing standby actually cost more than just booking normally.  Lesson learned.  

+1

On 5/15/2024 at 8:35 AM, Sthrngary said:

My travel agent suggested for me to learn more about Explora Journey.  I read a few reviews, I saw some familiar contributors from other boards. I am looking at to consider Explora but need some comparisons to what I have been used too in the past. Any and all feedback would be appreciated...

Having sailed with several brands, I can offer these observations.

1) Mainstream brands remain under pressure, as cruise fares (adjusted for inflation) continue to fall. On Holland America, Alaska fares are as low as $50 pp/day on last minute deals. Now, they're offering free travel for third and fourth pax. Reports of overcrowding on popular shorter cruises.

2) Some expeditionary brands are able to raise and hold prices. Still some discounts if you're patient.

3) Among 'luxury' brands, MSC YC IMHO offers the best value. Ship within a ship. The butler service for basic suites is poor, and the rooms are small. Still, the best package for privacy, entertainment and food. The YC on the newest ships are a sight to behold.

4) Explora Journeys is the new kid on the block. So far, with only 2 ships there's not much prospect for exploring. The itineraries are rather familiar. That said, Explora is popular with those who eat and drink.

There are service and quality issues among the staff. Some are ex-Regent and some are ex-RCL etc. Half have never been on a cruise ship. Remains to be seen how quickly these issues can be resolved.

The established luxury brands have their strengths and loyal pax. Do you fit into the social networks among the pax?

8 hours ago, ExArkie said:

... it is disheartening to see that none of them seem to have figured out a way to not alienate their loyal fans in the process. 

+1

San Francisco Bay is always picturesque, particularly with a little fog. There was a nice ride on a fast SF Bay Ferry to Richmond. In the channel, there were diving pelicans, swooping terns and annoying gulls. Even a flock of stocks on a clump of trees on a sandbar. Unfortunately, the Embarcadero is so touristy that I finished ASAP and returned to the ship (Pier 27) for lunch.

In San Pedro's World Cruise Center, we docked at Berth 93 overlooking the Catalina Ferry terminal. After fond farewells, quick disembarkation at 9am. Nine of us rode in a coach bus (E80 each) to LAX. Adios!

Thanks so much for the award "Great Review for a post" 😃

Lets not forget about the destination! I was surprised that Astoria (on the mighty Columbia River) was so picturesque. Its a working city, and hosts few cruise ships. The visit starts with the very friendly volunteers of the Astoria Cruise program. Then, the double decker shuttle into the historic downtown. The older buildings and bright colors, food trucks and quiet streets. The old-time city hall and the nearby park. Try the ice cream at Schwietert's Cones & Candy.

Glad that you'll be released soon. Was there anything on the in-suite menu that you would recommend?

Whither Explora? MSC is ambitious. Committed to 6 Explora ships by 2028. Intending to quickly seize a chunk of the $$$$ market and capitalize on economies of scale. That also means that Explora has to find the quality hotel staff and entertainers to crew the ships.

By comparison, Ritz Carlton will have 3. SilverSea has 9. Seabourne has 7. Regent has 6.

With just one ship in operation, Explora has had a soft launch. Even so, why are there so few paying pax? Isn't great food and service enough?

I can eat well in my hometown almost any day of the week. At the Mandarin or Shangrila hotels, they're treat me like a lord. So, why Explora?

Explora will source customers from other luxury brands, or create new customers to the luxury cruise industry.

A number of disaffected customers have switched to Explora. “So much better than Regent etc”. But, that's not enough. Explora will have to pull satisfied customers from the other brands.

It may be difficult for veteran customers to switch unless their friends switch too. At this time, Explora isn't encouraging group bookings of more than 8. And, loyalty programs do matter. There are discounts and benefits. I was status matched to Diamond by MSC before my first cruise.

Celebrity guests and performers would get their attention. Willie Aames tells great stories but he's not a celebrity today. How much would Explora have to invest in Content?

Influencers are widely used in the hospitality industry to draw new customers. Is there enough fun on Explora for the younger people? Is Michael Langley (Entertainment Manager) the right person to make Explora a social mecca. Who's the Cruise Director?

You can go a long way by throwing money at a project. But, Explora is at the start of an uphill climb to build the right scripts, culture, and pax mix,

These are strategic marketing decisions that face the management team. IMHO, Explora will still be turning a significant loss in 2026. Expect several changes in the management team at corporate HQ. And, pax need to be patient and wary as Explora finds its way.

As a matter of fact, Captain Diego Michelozzi (at the Q/A) said that Explorer 3 would be 40' longer with fewer cabins. As has been noted here, the suites have disappointed. Certainly, my OT cabin could be sexier.

I spoke to someone at the Future Journeys desk. Mentioned that they shouldn't drop their prices because of the low occupancy rate. She hinted that they should raise prices!

Personally, I felt that I received value for my money. But, I sail for the destinations and will wait for more itineraries. In particular, more sailings from the West Coast. Next year, I will be sailing another 40 nights, and Explora is a low priority.

13 hours ago, RJ2002 said:

BTW, @HappyInVanwere you in Yacht Club on Meraviglia?

 

Great pictures!

Thanks. Yes, in YC right behind the restaurant.

Anyone else like to add something? I'll be finishing up tomorrow.

Wifi was excellent on this voyage. The interactive TV had a small number of older movies. Functionality was limited. The daily program etc was available on the Explora app.

I was pleased to note that the muster drill was simple and convenient. Watch the safety video on embarkation, and call the number. That unlocks the TV. Then, log in at your muster station. No crowds here.

The pax were mainly middle class with a mix of ages. Some Brits and Europeans, as well as from Quebec, I was surprised to see the number of younger people you would expect on NCL etc. Turned out that there was a multitude of influencers and TA onboard.

I was really pleased (with a few exceptions) with the food experience (as others have noted). The Fil Rouge is my favourite breakfast venue on any ship. There's grilled minute steak and lamb chops. The Fil Rouge Signature dish is a delicious experience.

They don't mess around with portions. Ask for ham and salmon and they deliver plates of the meat. Not just add a couple of slices to the eggs.

Entertainment was adequate, but nowhere close to that on the Meraviglia. The lobby bar had a piano served alternately by a classic pianist (Nathalia) and a blues singer (Nathalie). The Explora Lounge (deck 11) alternated with the pianist Nathalia and the guitarist singer Lissette. The Astern Lounge hosted the guitar duo Josh and Rafael.

There were the usual round of talks and class activities. Willie Aames delivered educational and passionate speeches. Overall, the ship's atmosphere was low key. Often, as I wandered around, I found myself wondering where everyone was.

The evening excitement was provided in the Journey's Lounge (all-tables theatre). The show (6 musicians and 2 singers Nik and Lydia) were competent, but did not IMHO achieve the wow factor. Flutist Gary Arbothnot provided a separate high-energy show

IMHO, food quality was outstanding. In the Emporio Marketplace buffet, I could put together several restaurant quality meals. The cook-to-order stations provided delicious quality meats and fish (Fruits of the Ocean); salmon, shrimp, burgers and even the chicken Yakitori.

One caveat, the cook-to-order dishes require time to cook on the grill. So, the waiting time may become problematic during peak period on a crowded ship.

The Ocean Pearls seafood bar had Oysters in the shell, as well as delicious crab ceviche etc.

The Sushi station provided plain traditional sushi, not fusion. Nothing fancy here.

I would avoid the pre-cooked stuff like steam vegetables and the ‘curries’.

Cannot praise enough the ship's confectionery and sweets. The Gelato bar (by the Discovery Pool) has very tasty ice cream.

Three restaurants require reservations. The Marble focused on meat, and the fillet mignon (165gm) was thoroughly enjoyable (medium and red). Though I felt that there was too much salt; particularly in the Bearnaise sauce.

I was disappointed In the Sakura. East and West are far apart. Fusion can be a revelation. Or. It can mean anything or nothing.

IMO the crab tempura was perfect. Just the right amount of batter and crispy. The slow-cook short rib was nice. The ‘Panang’ (mild Thai curry) part of the dish turned out to be too subtle for me. Where's the spicy stuff?

I did suggest to F&B that the Sakura could include a small selection of high quality 'authentic' Asian foods.

We paid E190 for the Anthology 7-course tasting menu. I did not receive the grand voyage to match the hype. Everything was well done to a high quality. But, it was not a memorable meal despite the frequent use of truffle and caviar in the appetizers.

I was surprised to discover that the main course ‘farm raised chicken breast, duck fois gras’ was actually duck liver wrapped in a thin ring of chicken. Not chicken breast stuffed with liver!

As such, the pate should have been an appetizer, not the main course

There were only three choices. The Japanese Wagyu turned out to be two small cubes of meat swimming in a dark sauce. The last choice was vegetarian.

Caveat emptor.

Photos of the Anthology menu and of the Emporio buffet...

The core of a luxury experience is the people who serve you.

Anyone can invest heavily in a palace hotel and hire a multitude of employees. To stand around and smile at you. On the other hand, a valuable helper is a wonderful thing.

On Explora 1, many of the hotel staff have gotten the memo. They treat pax as worthy of respect and attention. However, hotel management faces a grueling and continuous program of recruitment, training and retention. Of helping employees be the best that they can be.

The job is particularly difficult because Explora is a new enterprise with high standards. Staff is international and comes from many sources with their own experiences and assumptions.

Some are ex-Regent and others ex-RCL. I'm told that half the staff have never been on a cruise ship!

Over the next two years, management has to finalize a culture of service at a very high level. Not easy when turnover is high in the cruise industry, and 5 more Explora ships will be operational.

What about the employee's POV? Clearly, many are excited by the glamor and the prospect of promotions. However, they can see the high vacancy rate. Feel doubt and fear about their future.

Doubt and uncertainty creates apathy and defensive behavior. Not the best basis for operations.

At this point, management has to become cheerleaders and create confidence. The employees may not know where their journey will end. But, they must feel confident about following their officers.

Explora 1 is a work in progress. It is no way close to its pinnacle.