Seaborn Odyssey - Breakfast+Lunch -

[MARIANH]

Most grumbling is limited to CC.

 

How can you possibly know this? And would you not agree that posters on CC are a reasonably representative sample of Seabourn customers?

[sfvoyage]

How can you possibly know this? And would you not agree that posters on CC are a reasonably representative sample of Seabourn customers?

 

In the marketing research and analysis world, it is generally accepted that online forum participants - and especially active contributors - are not representative of the overall customer base. This is true on this board, as well as flyertalk, etc. In fact, consider this excerpt from an article on sfgate.com (San Francisco Chronicle) today:

 

Monitoring social media for insights doesn't always uncover the next big thing, according to Sandra Fathi, president of Affect Strategies, a New York public relations and marketing firm. There's the risk that companies will listen to the "loudest" bloggers instead of getting an aggregate of consumer sentiment, she said.

Extreme voices

"People tend to react when they have extreme emotion, whether they absolutely love something or absolutely hate it. Those who are indifferent tend to be a bit more silent on social media," Fathi said. "Companies can be misled by listening too closely to those voices on either end of those extremes."

 

So, no, if companies were to rely on posters on boards such as this, in many cases, they would get a rather skewed representation of their customer sentiments.

[MARIANH]

In the marketing research and analysis world, it is generally accepted that online forum participants - and especially active contributors - are not representative of the overall customer base. This is true on this board, as well as flyertalk, etc. In fact, consider this excerpt from an article on sfgate.com (San Francisco Chronicle) today:

 

Monitoring social media for insights doesn't always uncover the next big thing, according to Sandra Fathi, president of Affect Strategies, a New York public relations and marketing firm. There's the risk that companies will listen to the "loudest" bloggers instead of getting an aggregate of consumer sentiment, she said.

Extreme voices

"People tend to react when they have extreme emotion, whether they absolutely love something or absolutely hate it. Those who are indifferent tend to be a bit more silent on social media," Fathi said. "Companies can be misled by listening too closely to those voices on either end of those extremes."

 

So, no, if companies were to rely on posters on boards such as this, in many cases, they would get a rather skewed representation of their customer sentiments.

 

Thank you for that insight into the black art of market research. Ever mindful of the need to stay strictly "on topic", I will not open a debate about the veracity or otherwise of your quotations. Nor the statistical significance of extrapolating from small numbers to larger populations.

 

In a perverse way, your comments reinforce my question to Wripro. Namely, without " market researching " the rest of Seabourn's customer base , how can he opine that others are not grumbling/ disaffected also. IHO.

 

Setting all of this aside, Seabourn's reluctance to share its views/ plans vis a vis the MDR is of concern to some, if not all " valued guests". Most disappointing. We are still waiting for Host Dan to give us feedback from his approach to Seabourn. It's been a while now since he made the kind offer.

[Host Dan]

FYI, I have not heard back from SB HQ.

 

Host Dan

[Harvey2442]

Thanks Dan - Delay in a response from Seabourn doesn't give me a lot of confidence that I will like what they will say eventually

[Seabourn-nail]

I've given this subject some more thought and would like to ask what you think of it, not defending Seabourn if they decide to keep the MD closed for breakfast and lunch.

1. On sea days I think all the venues should remain open. It would be a disaster (especially on colder days if you can't sit outside the Colonnade or have breakfast or lunch at the Patio Grill), because the Colonnade would be far too full. Lines would be created this way.... lines that we don't want or expect on a Seabourn ship.

2. On port days, when a lot of people are doing excursions early in the morning, many of them order breakfast in their suite through room service and others take a quick bite in the Colonnade. Then it is VERY quiet in the MDR! I've certainly witnessed that (but then again that was only one instant of the morning).Should the galley be open for just a few guests? And that is probably the issue here.... I think it should! For those guests who really prefer the quietness and a relaxed breakfast.

3. Same thought for lunch on port days. Though sometimes people return from a tour JUST before closing time of either the MD or the Colonnade... A difficult one. Should both stay open until the very end? Maybe they could keep the MD open until 1 PM and the Colonnade until 2.30 PM.

Like all others I'm curious to hear/read what Seabourn will answer! I did hear though that the MD will be open for breakfast and lunch during the crossings and until now that is the only thing we are booked for...

Have a nice weekend all!

Marja

[sfvoyage]

Thank you for that insight into the black art of market research. Ever mindful of the need to stay strictly "on topic", I will not open a debate about the veracity or otherwise of your quotations. Nor the statistical significance of extrapolating from small numbers to larger populations.

 

In a perverse way, your comments reinforce my question to Wripro. Namely, without " market researching " the rest of Seabourn's customer base , how can he opine that others are not grumbling/ disaffected also. IHO.

 

There are many aspects of traditional market research techniques of which I am not a fan. However, I would not accuse the entire discipline of being a "black art." Objectively, the quote from the online article is rather intuitive and merely states the obvious: the most noise is generally created by the most emotionals on either end of the spectrum, and the extremes do not necessarily represent the norm.

 

Anecdotally, on my recent cruise, everyone seemed to have been having a good time, and I did not hear any complaints (first or second hand) about the closure of the MDR for breakfast or lunch. In fact, I didn't hear about or experience a lot of the other complaints or problems that I had feared, after having read about them on these boards beforehand. My cruise was a 7-day Mediterranean one without sea days, so seabourn-nail, you may well have a very valid point with your item #1 suggestion.

 

I agree with wripro that boards like these attract the brand advocates and detractors, and the passionates, influencers, etc., and do not necessarily represent the masses, which don't come to boards like these or stay lurking in the background.

 

And that may not be such a bad thing. On flyertalk, many flyertalkers jokingly refer to themselves as PITA (pain in the a**) passengers, as they mock how they observe, comment on, and criticize every minutiae of the flying experience. If the flying public consists solely of flyertalkers, the airlines might as well throw up their arms and surrender! :)

 

Sorry for being OT.

[Slong]

I've given this subject some more thought and would like to ask what you think of it, not defending Seabourn if they decide to keep the MD closed for breakfast and lunch.

 

1. On sea days I think all the venues should remain open. It would be a disaster (especially on colder days if you can't sit outside the Colonnade or have breakfast or lunch at the Patio Grill), because the Colonnade would be far too full. Lines would be created this way.... lines that we don't want or expect on a Seabourn ship.

 

2. On port days, when a lot of people are doing excursions early in the morning, many of them order breakfast in their suite through room service and others take a quick bite in the Colonnade. Then it is VERY quiet in the MDR! I've certainly witnessed that (but then again that was only one instant of the morning).Should the galley be open for just a few guests? And that is probably the issue here.... I think it should! For those guests who really prefer the quietness and a relaxed breakfast.

 

3. Same thought for lunch on port days. Though sometimes people return from a tour JUST before closing time of either the MD or the Colonnade... A difficult one. Should both stay open until the very end? Maybe they could keep the MD open until 1 PM and the Colonnade until 2.30 PM.

 

Like all others I'm curious to hear/read what Seabourn will answer! I did hear though that the MD will be open for breakfast and lunch during the crossings and until now that is the only thing we are booked for...

 

Have a nice weekend all!

Marja

I am also interested in reading what the Seabourn HQ has to say about this topic. We will be going on our first cruise with Seabourn in December. We previously sailed on Oceania where we enjoyed sitting down and being served for breakfast and lunch in the main dining room. There was also a dining room that served buffet style, but we found it to be crowded and hectic. So we enjoyed being pampered in the much more quiet MDR. But the people we met who had sailed on Seabourn made us feel that they were pampered far more on Seabourn than Oceania, so we were looking forward to the experience. We were anticipating marvelous food and didn't expect having to stand in a buffet line to get it. That's not what I thought I was paying for. If I wanted a buffet, I'd book on Princess.

[wripro]

Most passengers have never even heard of CC and are blissfully unaware that a forum to vent one's passion or anger exists. They simply come on board and enjoy themselves. Or not.

[Seabourn-nail]

Most passengers have never even heard of CC and are blissfully unaware that a forum to vent one's passion or anger exists. They simply come on board and enjoy themselves. Or not.

Si!

Marja

[plane10]

You will have a buffet and be able to order whatever you want from the wait staff. No lines, no problems. Odyssey cruise, October 2-9, Athens to Venice.

[Ceasar]

You will have a buffet and be able to order whatever you want from the wait staff. No lines, no problems. Odyssey cruise, October 2-9, Athens to Venice.

 

Breakfast half o.k. But lunch? is there a menue ? ceasar

[plane10]

Sorry, Ceasar. I am one of those people who don't eat a sit down lunch! I would take a piece of fruit from the Patio Bar to add to the supply of fruit that was always replenished in my suite. Fruit was my lunch.

[sfvoyage]

Breakfast half o.k. But lunch? is there a menue ? ceasar

 

Yes, at lunch, in addition to the buffet, there is a menu with about 8-10 (non-changing) items plus 1-2 daily specials. They can also make something off menu, especially if you enquire the day prior.

[Ceasar]

Yes, at lunch, in addition to the buffet, there is a menu with about 8-10 (non-changing) items plus 1-2 daily specials. They can also make something off menu, especially if you enquire the day prior.

Thank you plane10 and all the others for all the info.

If one can order as to wish, I will : !! Caviar = fisheggs - 3 pcs. fried and sunny side upp, littel bubbel and life is fine for BF. We will not starv, i look to that. But know about the most excellent service about SB.

[Ceasar]

Hi, reading all about the reactions as today 21st oct., it is confusing

what SB is to do or not is to do. It is very simpel that one can not

give the same service when establishments are closed. After we booked

and then found out that the MDR is closed for Lunch and BF and only

buffet style is there - NOT acceptabel !!!!

We have over 1650 cruising days in diff. classes ( never inside )- from 1968 - 2010, 1:st class on atlantic crossings in the 60:ties, where BF menues had news paper size, as well on Prisendam ( suite guests had own dining room for BF and lunch ) and Westerdam, SB must live upp

there image.

It is a certain knowledge ( old school of behavior ) of how lifestyle have to be - it is hard to find and it is fun.

We will report and not starv ( lobster upp ):)