CCL's target customer base ?

[bumorgan]

Let's face it out of NY area there is not much to choose from. Carnival is half the price of the very few other lines that occasionally cruise from here.

[killingtime]

I've only sailed on Carnival & really have no interest in trying other lines out - yet. I've not had a bad experience with Carnival, my expectations are met & we get take 7 or 8 day cruise twice a year. For us - it works & you know the old saying about if it isn't broken ......

 

11/26/11 Carnival Miracle SOUTH CARIBBEAN – Thanksgiving Cruise 8 days

2/12/11 Carnival Freedom EXOTIC W. CARIBBEAN – Early Anniversary 8 days

9/11/10 Carnival Freedom EASTERN CARIBBEAN – VIP!! :D 8 days

8/19/10 Carnival Sensation Mother – Daughter Cruise 3 days

3/27/10 Carnival Liberty WESTERN CARIBBEAN – Anniversary Cruise 7 days

12/31/09 Carnival Fascination FREEPORT & NASSAU – New Year’s Cruise 4 days

10/1/09 Carnival Sensation NASSAU – Family Cruise 3 days

3/28/09 Carnival Glory EASTERN CARIBBEAN – Anniversary Cruise 7 days

9/6/08 Carnival Glory EXOTIC W. CARIBBEAN – Just Because 7 days

9/10/06 Carnival Sensation Mother – Daughter Cruise 4 days

12/23/01 Carnival Sensation Christmas Cruise – 2nd time – same ports 7 days

12/24/00 Carnival Sensation X-Mas (Gr. Cayman, Cozumel & N. Orleans) 7 days

[rlthomas7]

Well I guess I fit the demographic to a T:

 

1) I shop at Target

2) I eat at Macaroni Grill

3) I am a first-time cruiser (we leave on Sunday!)

4) I have a young child

5) I am a bargain shopper. I rarely buy something if it's not on sale or I don't have a coupon.

 

But I do NOT eat at Golden Corral!

[suzinva]

I am not ashamed to admit I'm a penny-pincher extraordinaire. I have to be, I'm a single mom. Rarely do I pay full price for anything. I've sailed both Carnival and RC and like them both. I would try other lines if I had the available funds and they were going somewhere I wanted to go. But, here's the thing, if I didn't feel that Carnival was a good value for my money, I wouldn't sail on them, end of story. I'd find another vacation. People can call me cheap, and I am and I don't find it insulting at all. I know what I value and that's all that matters. :)

[big_duck]

As far as Carnival goes....I love the product and the value .... but we are very careful when we cruise.

 

When chatting with someone from Corporate, their comment was that Carnival's original theme was to draw folks that shop at Target and eat at restuarants like Macaroni Grill.

 

They said they are looking for a cruiser that still knows how to have spontaneous fun.

 

Depending on the port, sometimes Carnival hits that level of clientele and sometimes they don't.

 

 

Certainly a far cry from Bob Dickenson's vision of Carnival ... I miss those days.

[GaNavy]

Article from The Motley Fool by Rick Munarriz…March 24

One of the best things about living most of my life in Miami is that I was introduced to cruise ships at an early age.

I love cruising. I try to set sail once a year or so. I know all of the players well.

Carnival's namesake brand is the industry's mass-market vehicle. It's an entry-level cruise line that caters to penny pinchers and first-timers. It's the Golden Corral of cruise ship lines, where passengers get a good bang for their buck as long as they're willing to sacrifice a little bit in quality for the sake of quantity.

Don't get me wrong. I'm no sea snob. I still go on the occasional Carnival cruise, and here's me

in Jamaica as a shore excursion during a Carnival Destiny sailing last summer.

Interesting perspective on the target customer from an investor /advice / analyst

Do you agree? Penny pinchers??? The Golden corral???

 

Kinda snarky, and on purpose, too. "Penny pinchers" has the connotation of stingy or cheap - there are any number of us who might dispute that after looking at our S&S bill.:eek: As for first-timers, on my last 3 Carnival trips, there were actually more repeaters. And "quality" is in the eye of the beholder - especially for those who cruise because they love being on the ocean (like me) or love the ports.

 

Beyond that, who cares? I'm sure this person, like everyone else, feels just fine about Carnival when he's sipping on one of those monkey-head cocktails...

 

Laissez les bon temps whoop-tee-doo.

[pnjkeith]

Article from The Motley Fool by Rick Munarriz…March 24

One of the best things about living most of my life in Miami is that I was introduced to cruise ships at an early age.

I love cruising. I try to set sail once a year or so. I know all of the players well.

Carnival's namesake brand is the industry's mass-market vehicle. It's an entry-level cruise line that caters to penny pinchers and first-timers. It's the Golden Corral of cruise ship lines, where passengers get a good bang for their buck as long as they're willing to sacrifice a little bit in quality for the sake of quantity.

Don't get me wrong. I'm no sea snob. I still go on the occasional Carnival cruise, and here's me

in Jamaica as a shore excursion during a Carnival Destiny sailing last summer.

Interesting perspective on the target customer from an investor /advice / analyst

Do you agree? Penny pinchers??? The Golden corral???

 

 

Steveaaaaaaa has always called them the Walmart of the seas. I tend to agree after last cruise.

[firefly333]

The only reason we have not tried another cruise line yet is because our son with Autism is comfortable.

 

I have expressed many times that I can't wait to give Oceania and Celebrity at try...as soon as he is comfortable with it.

 

I completely understand ... just saying for some it is the answer at this time ... for other reasons.

 

Im planning on Celebrity myself, I just wanted to make diamond first on RCL so I could start at elite on Celebrity. Almost there.

 

PS I must be the only person who cruises Carnival who hates Macaroni Grill. I dont like noodles, all slimy ... uck. I dont eat italian unless I have to, to be polite.

[viciouslysh]

For me choosing Carnival is not penny pinching. I enjoy every bit of Carnival's service and feel that they are great quality. Last month we got off the newest Disney Dream and onto the Carnival Sensation. Disney was absolutely beautiful! But getting to Carnival was drastic difference. The crew was friendlier and immediately more attentive. There was such a huge difference in service. I felt they try much harder. I won't even bother sailing another line anymore when Carnival exceeds expectations. There were so many things that Disney needed to improve on. I'm sure it will take time since they were only on their first month out.

[big_duck]

Kinda snarky, and on purpose, too. "Penny pinchers" has the connotation of stingy or cheap - there are any number of us who might dispute that after looking at our S&S bill.:eek: As for first-timers, on my last 3 Carnival trips, there were actually more repeaters. And "quality" is in the eye of the beholder - especially for those who cruise because they love being on the ocean (like me) or love the ports.

 

Beyond that, who cares? I'm sure this person, like everyone else, feels just fine about Carnival when he's sipping on one of those monkey-head cocktails...

 

Laissez les bon temps whoop-tee-doo.

 

No self-respecting penny-pincher would fork out the dough for a monkey head.

 

Just sayin.

[valtandc]

Let's face it out of NY area there is not much to choose from. Carnival is half the price of the very few other lines that occasionally cruise from here.

 

Yup. I compared the other lines and Carnival was about a thousand cheaper comparible cabin for the 3 times i cruised out of nyc.

[valtandc]

Steveaaaaaaa has always called them the Walmart of the seas. I tend to agree after last cruise.

 

Do you mean because of the bad on board experience? or were the people like some of the walmart shoppers we all see and say.......WOW.....WHERE DID THAT come from?

[DEBnGAB]

PS I must be the only person who cruises Carnival who hates Macaroni Grill. I dont like noodles, all slimy ... uck. I dont eat italian unless I have to, to be polite.

 

You arent alone on that one about Macaroni Grill...But I do like Italian. Try some other non-noodle italian dishes. I bet you'd like them!

[EastCarolina]

The food, and level of service on RCC/Carnival/Celebrity/NCL are the same when on comprable ships. You cant compare the carnival fantasy to the Celbrity solstice or Oasis of the seas. You pay more for the larger newer ships.

 

If you aren't sailing on one of the new super ships, carnival has the same quality to any of the other cruise lines. So why pay more just for the logo on the side of the ship?

 

Having sailed with several cruise lines this is my 2cents

[stewpapa]

The idea of the article, that Carnival is the cheapest cruise line, which is the truth in most cases, gets across with the snarky comments, but in reality they don't pan out and are not truthful.

 

A true penny pincher will never go on a cruise because they THINK it's too expensive. The rum runners are not penny pinchers, they love the thrill of sneaking something by. They also blow money on other drinks and in the casino without a second thought. Penny pichers, no way. Wanting the best deal for your cruise, doesn't make you a penny pincher.

 

We have a Golden Corral and the comparison is not even close, food or service, not even at the buffet. Silly thing to say.

 

Although there are many new cruisers on all cruise lines, I think they all try to get you to love it so you come back again and again, thus all of the multi cruisers on these boards and on all the cruises we've been on. The first time cruisers don't keep them in business, we do, and they know it.

 

By the way, I am not a Carnival cheerleader, as I prefer RCI. I have said several times in other posts that RCI is not any more expensive than Carnival and it hasn't been for us. It just isn't available year round for us, and Carnival is the next best thing. ...Oh, and Carnival is nothing like going to Wal Mart either. Everyone goes to WalMart, but only the lucky go on cruises. Such comments like those in the article are easy to say to get a rise out of someone, or to feel that you got in a zinger, but there is not an ounce of truth to any of it. Every cruise we've ever had, whether Carnival or RCI, has been like a dream come true, and you don't get that feeling from Wal Mart or Golden Corral.

[Texas Realtor]

My wife loves nice things. We just got back from the victory not too long ago. My BIL and SIL went with us. Their only previous experience was on a similar cruise on Holland.

I like the attitude and atmosphere of Carnival, but honestly have nothing to compare it too. I think we are going on the Ruby Princess next. I suspect that it will be much more elegant and nicer. Although, I also suspect it will be a more relaxed atmosphere.

Price isn't the issue for me as much as the itenerary and attitude. I don't want to be on a ship with snobs and I don't want to be on a ship with classless punks either. I think you can avoid the snobs on carnival, although I am sure there are some. I have found the shorter cruises to be a little more boisterous (?sp)

I really wish Carnival would alternate routes on the Victory. I guess they would still have to go to Barbados, but change out some other islands.

[LHP]

[quote name='firefly333']I completely understand ... just saying for some it is the answer at this time ... for other reasons.

Im planning on Celebrity myself, I just wanted to make diamond first on RCL so I could start at elite on Celebrity. Almost there.

[B]PS I must be the only person who cruises Carnival who hates Macaroni Grill[/B]. I dont like noodles, all slimy ... uck. I dont eat italian unless I have to, to be polite.[/QUOTE]

Nope..you are not alone. I have only eaten there one time...and I figured out it was not for me....;)

I LOVE Italian...but not their version of Italian.

[Pollensalta]

Right on the money.

[H82seaUgo]

[quote name='DEBnGAB']You arent alone on that one about Macaroni Grill...But I do like Italian. Try some other non-noodle italian dishes. I bet you'd like them![/quote]

i'm a maggiano's kind a guy myself. not even sure what a macaroni grill is!

[kbmeow]

I have no idea what Golden Coral is and have to google it. ( is it like a old country buffet?) Most people are cost conscious. We vacation for the destination and try to get there with the least amount of money. This goes for land and cruise. We pick where we would like to go ( knowing they may change a port) and then the cheapest way to get us there when we want to go. Also we listen to friends and family who have cruised. Vacations only last about a week. So why break the bank for a week.

[Georgiagolfer]

DW and I are Platinum on CCL and have 5 cruises on RCI. We have found the people to be about the same on each line. On each of our RCI cruises, we paid more than we would have on CCL, but would have had to sail either the week prior or after in order to sail CCL. Have had no major incidents on either line.

However, we have encountered a few on RCI, that think RCI is a superior line with superior cruisers, mainly because they paid more to cruise.:confused: We cruise to cruise, relax, and have a good time.

BTW, I don't shop at Wal-Mart or Target, although the DW does.

[Haoie]

I like that CCL can attract a wide demographic. The days when all cruising was an exclusive, country club atmosphere are long gone, and good riddance.

Yeah, I can't stand snooty rich snobs.

[T. Advisor King]

The review copied by the OP was obviously written to obtain a reaction. Most Carnival passengers (at least in my experience) are very conscious of the price they're paying for their cruise. It is not usually the only consideration, but rarely is it merely of passing importance.

That said, the expression "penny-pincher" implies something much less positive than someone who is looking to maximize the value out of his or her vacation dollars. Wikipedia redirects "penny-pincheer" to the term "miser" and includes the following definition:

[COLOR=red]a person who is reluctant to spend [/COLOR][URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Money"][COLOR=red]money[/COLOR][/URL][COLOR=red], sometimes to the point of forgoing even basic comforts and some necessities[/COLOR]

It is pretty difficult to argue that any paying cruise ship passengers fit that description.

[TheTravelista]

He hit the nail right on the head. Most of the threads we see here daily serve as evidence.

[thesawch]

I can afford rccl or celebrity or even ocean but we tried rccl and then tried ccl and we had more fun on ccl so we stick with.