Solving the unholy trinity of cruising

[wdblake]

I don't know if this is the right board to post this. Maybe they need a "sound off" board for opinions.

As long as I can remember three topics have dominated cruise flame wars. Chair hogging, Auto-tipping and Booze smuggling.

There is a very simple solution to all three of these problems which for some reason none of the lines will address.

 

1) Chair hogs: You pay good money for your cruise right? You would love nothing more than to mosey up to the pool and grab some sun. Only you find the sea of humanity has moved in and grabbed or saved every chair. You thrust your fist skyward in anger. GRRRRRR!!!

 

Solution: Cruise lines should have a huge supply of extra chairs tucked away in a room near the pool. You could have an attendant whose job is to procure a chair and set it up on some open place on the ship. I have noticed a lot of empty space on lines where extra chairs could be placed. This way everyone gets a seat! You won't be poolside but who cares? Sun is sun. I don't think lounge chairs cost the cruise lines that much money as I am sure they buy in bulk.

 

2) Auto-tipping: Lets get this straight. This is NOT tipping. This is a secret fee tacked on to the end of my cruise to make the cruise appear cheaper than what it really is.

 

Solution: Just be honest and raise the price of the cruise so everyone gets paid. I would much rather pay $77 extra and not be hassled by the line that if I don't keep the auto-tip on my cabin steward won't be able to feed his 6 starving kids in Guatemala.

Auto-tipping actually deprives the staff of much need revenue as a lot of people just go to the pursers desk and have them removed. Obviously cruise lines have no trouble adding "fees" onto the total price. Just charge me a little more for my cruise up front so that if I decide to tip it truly is a way of showing my thanks for the extra service. You may even find your staff more motivated if they can make some extra scratch as opposed to a flat rate.

 

3) Booze smuggling: Nobody wants to pay $7 for 1 drink. If anything this inhibits cruisers from buying drinks as nobody wants a $500 bar bill. The only way to save money is to turn into a smuggler which if you read these boards regularly you know this is more the norm.

 

Solution: Don't allow people to bring their own on board but allow us to purchase beer, wine, and liquor from a ship's store for stateroom consumption. On the surface you will say "But that will take away from all the revenue we make from our overpriced bar drinks". Wrong! I think people would be more likely to increase their bar tab if they did not have to worry about creating a huge bar bill. Plus you still get the revenue from selling at a ships store. I know some ships have liquor packages but they to are way too pricey. If I could buy a bottle of Crown Royal to enjoy in my cabin I would feel less antsy about paying $7-$10 for a Pina Colada poolside. Plus it would save the lines manpower by not having your staff turn into the liquor gestapo.

 

There! The unholy trinity solved! I hope some line exec reads this and thinks "hmmmmm". i guess I can only hope.

 

Again if this is in the wrong area then moderator please feel free to move it to the right area. I just couldn't find the right spot.

[Quasar1011]

3) Booze smuggling: Nobody wants to pay $7 for 1 drink. If anything this inhibits cruisers from buying drinks as nobody wants a $500 bar bill. The only way to save money is to turn into a smuggler which if you read these boards regularly you know this is more the norm.

 

Solution:

Don't drink!

 

My wife, being a recovered alcoholic, doesn't drink. Last drink I had was on my 2010 Alaskan cruise with my Dad, so I can take it or leave it. We'll spend our money on other things. :)

[KirkNC]

What about formal night and smoking?

[ehfl]

I have to disagree with the "solution" for chair hogs. Whenever I see unattended person items, I just do the right thing....one person in our party takes the items to lost and found. Problem solved. Chair available.

[Azulann]

One needs to factor in the prepaid gratuites, and drink prices in your total cost of your cruise. Everyone has different drinking patterns.

 

I have never understood someone who pays thousand of dollars for their vacation, then tries to smuggle liquor beyond the alotted bottles of wine on board.

 

Celebrity has a variety of beverage packages. Some find it a great value, others don't.

 

Part of doing a cruise vacation or going to an AI resort is that once the vacation begins ,just enjoy. Each has their own culture and rules. Complaining or trying to think they are the same is not worth the effort.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Though I hate chair hogs too, I've never once on all our cruises not been able to find a chair in the sun somewhere. It may take a little searching, but they are there.

 

If you have to be by the pool, then it is more of a problem. I have seen crew members bring extra chairs out, too.

 

I don't mind prepaying the 'tips' (service charge) as I know about it and factor in that cost. Would it be better if the ship paid their employees a living wage? Yes, of course, but really it would all come out the same, I'm assuming, whether you are paying the tip separately or the tip is included in the quoted price.

 

I understand why ship's want their advertised price pp to be as low as possible; psychology--people like to think they are getting a bargain. They know and count on most people spending a lot on board.

 

We don't drink so that is a non-issue for us!

[Starry Eyes]

Those "empty spaces" you see by the pool...Aren't those the walkways? and a deck up, isn't that typically the walking and jogging track? aren't other empty deck space the areas where cruise director staff hold events, contests, demos, etc? don't passengers need to be able to walk from one place to another? while YOU may be able to side step through narrow spaces among chairs, don't they have to leave plenty of room for passengers with disabilities. And, in an emergency, plenty of room is needed for safety. furthermore, some people currently do not like being packed in elbow to elbow with a stranger, so they hog extra chairs beside them by placing personal items...More crowding equals more complaints and more push back. Just face it, there is not enough room on the pool deck for everybody to have a reserved chair when they are not there...There do seem to always be enough chairs for those actually present on deck, so the problem is hogging/lack of enforcement. are you also in favor of people reserving seats in the theater hours ahead in case they decide they want to see the next show?

 

I am sorry that you dislike tipping. I suppose I can understand a newbie from a non tipping culture being unhappy if they book a nonrefundable cruise, then discover extra costs. Most of that blame goes to their agent for not informing them prior taking payment for the cruise. If the cruise is refundable and the newbie doesn't like tipping, they should cancel rather than belly aching. if they just dislike the tipping concept, they should try to respect other people's cultural norms. And in the end the cost is the same whether it is a service charge or part of the fare. he differences are small...when you pay (prepay if you wish, I want to pay aboard) and cruise list price (I pay less for insurance if my upfront cost is lower)...the loss suffered by a person without insurance or canceling for a non covered reason is greater if they paid all service charges as cruise fare. I do not like your idea at all...

 

If bottles were available to take to the cabin, I would take a look. Such bottles can be preordered on some lines. the prices are high, and I do not drink enough to justify the purchase. I imagine cruise lines have two concerns about bottles in cabins all over the ship. first, control and safety...are people getting dangerously drunk? Are underage people consuming the alcohol? will somebody get hurt or die? second concern, of course is profit...the on board stores prices would soar to make up for the bar losses and to police the above safety issues. With such high prices, nobody would buy duty-free bottles to take home, so prices would have to go up even more to make up for that loss. Or they'd have two price lists, which would anger many passengers. The cruise lines have the current system for a reason....I bet they keep it. BTW, Seven dollars a drink is not a bad price by big city bar standards.

[SadieN]

If the tip was included in the cruisefare it would be taxed and we would be paying more.

 

Carnival sells alcohol bottles, usually through room service. Prices are higher than on land but much cheaper than by-the-shot prices.

Bottles can be ordered before your cruise.

[BruceMuzz]

30 years ago when I started working on ships, the average daily tip given was double what is being charged today. That's without factoring inflation.

The cruise lines really don't want to attract passengers who think that the auto-tip is too much to pay. We have already lost too many great service employees who can no longer afford to work for the tips they are getting today.

 

Same story for alcohol prices. If you can't afford alcohol prices on ships, and want to have a take-out shop on the ship to sell you a 6-pack to drink in your cabin, we really don't need your business.

[gottahavefun]

I don't know if this is the right board to post this. Maybe they need a "sound off" board for opinions.

As long as I can remember three topics have dominated cruise flame wars. Chair hogging, Auto-tipping and Booze smuggling.

There is a very simple solution to all three of these problems which for some reason none of the lines will address.

 

1) Chair hogs: You pay good money for your cruise right? You would love nothing more than to mosey up to the pool and grab some sun. Only you find the sea of humanity has moved in and grabbed or saved every chair. You thrust your fist skyward in anger. GRRRRRR!!!

 

Solution: Cruise lines should have a huge supply of extra chairs tucked away in a room near the pool. You could have an attendant whose job is to procure a chair and set it up on some open place on the ship. I have noticed a lot of empty space on lines where extra chairs could be placed. This way everyone gets a seat! You won't be poolside but who cares? Sun is sun. I don't think lounge chairs cost the cruise lines that much money as I am sure they buy in bulk.

 

Never really had an issue with the chairs. Usually just go one deck up and find a nice quiet seat in the sun or better yet enjoy the chair on my balcony. No fight or fuss either way.

 

2) Auto-tipping: Lets get this straight. This is NOT tipping. This is a secret fee tacked on to the end of my cruise to make the cruise appear cheaper than what it really is.

 

Solution: Just be honest and raise the price of the cruise so everyone gets paid. I would much rather pay $77 extra and not be hassled by the line that if I don't keep the auto-tip on my cabin steward won't be able to feed his 6 starving kids in Guatemala.

Auto-tipping actually deprives the staff of much need revenue as a lot of people just go to the pursers desk and have them removed. Obviously cruise lines have no trouble adding "fees" onto the total price. Just charge me a little more for my cruise up front so that if I decide to tip it truly is a way of showing my thanks for the extra service. You may even find your staff more motivated if they can make some extra scratch as opposed to a flat rate.

 

Really? A secret? I find that it is very clearly stated before,during and after the cruise. I look at it like paying a toll on a road. Sure my taxes pay for the road but I still have to pay that toll if I wanna use the road.

 

 

3) Booze smuggling: Nobody wants to pay $7 for 1 drink. If anything this inhibits cruisers from buying drinks as nobody wants a $500 bar bill. The only way to save money is to turn into a smuggler which if you read these boards regularly you know this is more the norm.

 

Solution: Don't allow people to bring their own on board but allow us to purchase beer, wine, and liquor from a ship's store for stateroom consumption. On the surface you will say "But that will take away from all the revenue we make from our overpriced bar drinks". Wrong! I think people would be more likely to increase their bar tab if they did not have to worry about creating a huge bar bill. Plus you still get the revenue from selling at a ships store. I know some ships have liquor packages but they to are way too pricey. If I could buy a bottle of Crown Royal to enjoy in my cabin I would feel less antsy about paying $7-$10 for a Pina Colada poolside. Plus it would save the lines manpower by not having your staff turn into the liquor gestapo.

 

As far as drink prices are concerned I guess it's all where you live. Out here on Long Island a $7 drink is the norm if not a little on the cheap side and more than two drinks a day for me would be a lot. I don't go on vacation to drink, I go to see new places and meet new people. But that's just me :)

 

There! The unholy trinity solved! I hope some line exec reads this and thinks "hmmmmm". i guess I can only hope.

 

Again if this is in the wrong area then moderator please feel free to move it to the right area. I just couldn't find the right spot.

 

Just my two cents:D

[sail7seas]

I don't know if this is the right board to post this. Maybe they need a "sound off" board for opinions.

As long as I can remember three topics have dominated cruise flame wars. Chair hogging, Auto-tipping and Booze smuggling.

There is a very simple solution to all three of these problems which for some reason none of the lines will address.

 

1) Chair hogs: You pay good money for your cruise right? You would love nothing more than to mosey up to the pool and grab some sun. Only you find the sea of humanity has moved in and grabbed or saved every chair. You thrust your fist skyward in anger. GRRRRRR!!!

 

Solution: Cruise lines should have a huge supply of extra chairs tucked away in a room near the pool. You could have an attendant whose job is to procure a chair and set it up on some open place on the ship. I have noticed a lot of empty space on lines where extra chairs could be placed. This way everyone gets a seat! You won't be poolside but who cares? Sun is sun. I don't think lounge chairs cost the cruise lines that much money as I am sure they buy in bulk.

 

2) Auto-tipping: Lets get this straight. This is NOT tipping. This is a secret fee tacked on to the end of my cruise to make the cruise appear cheaper than what it really is.

 

Solution: Just be honest and raise the price of the cruise so everyone gets paid. I would much rather pay $77 extra and not be hassled by the line that if I don't keep the auto-tip on my cabin steward won't be able to feed his 6 starving kids in Guatemala.

Auto-tipping actually deprives the staff of much need revenue as a lot of people just go to the pursers desk and have them removed. Obviously cruise lines have no trouble adding "fees" onto the total price. Just charge me a little more for my cruise up front so that if I decide to tip it truly is a way of showing my thanks for the extra service. You may even find your staff more motivated if they can make some extra scratch as opposed to a flat rate.

 

3) Booze smuggling: Nobody wants to pay $7 for 1 drink. If anything this inhibits cruisers from buying drinks as nobody wants a $500 bar bill. The only way to save money is to turn into a smuggler which if you read these boards regularly you know this is more the norm.

 

Solution: Don't allow people to bring their own on board but allow us to purchase beer, wine, and liquor from a ship's store for stateroom consumption. On the surface you will say "But that will take away from all the revenue we make from our overpriced bar drinks". Wrong! I think people would be more likely to increase their bar tab if they did not have to worry about creating a huge bar bill. Plus you still get the revenue from selling at a ships store. I know some ships have liquor packages but they to are way too pricey. If I could buy a bottle of Crown Royal to enjoy in my cabin I would feel less antsy about paying $7-$10 for a Pina Colada poolside. Plus it would save the lines manpower by not having your staff turn into the liquor gestapo.

 

 

 

That solution does not work for me. I don't wish to drink in my cabin. I don't drink to get drunk, I drink for social and to enjoy being out and about with my DH enjoying the public lounges/areas of the ship. I want to buy a reasonable priced drink at a bar and sit like a mature, valued guest listening to the music and people watching or chatting with others we've met along the way. So no, bottles in cabins mean nothing to me.

 

 

 

There! The unholy trinity solved! I hope some line exec reads this and thinks "hmmmmm". i guess I can only hope.

 

Again if this is in the wrong area then moderator please feel free to move it to the right area. I just couldn't find the right spot.

 

 

 

You forgot about smoking and dress code. :D

[scottbee]

Solution..

 

Here's my list of 'Solutions', all of which would be covered by an approximate increase of $30-40/day/person (which just isn't that much, a couple of hundred on a 7 day). The bottom line is the cruise lines don't try to make a guest feel special any more, it feels more like plus selling at the mall.

 

 

• Include Tips, and return to tipping meaning something. Everyone wins, because there's still 10-20% who wouldn't be able to stiff the serving staff, and also Europeans aren't used to the level of tipping North Americans are. (cost 12-15$/day)
  
• Include [house] Wine / Espresso/etc with dinner. Come on guys,you're already paying next to nothing for your booze because it's duty-free. (cost $2-5/day)
  
• Give me a nice robe (maybe even with my initials on it if I'm a suite guest) when I board -- yours to take. (cost $30)
  
• Reduce drink prices by 25% (my cost would be about $5-10/day -- anyone drinking more than I do might have already bought a drink package.
  

 

Opinions on the rest

 

• Non-smoking in all but designated areas . Love =X= for the highly restrictive policies
  
• Keep formal night, and actually enforce it. Again, it's a 'special' thing.
  
• Enforcement of people who 'reserve' chairs by the pool. Just have the staff patrol and put post-it notes on the chairs "abandoned @ xx". If the notes are still there 1/2 hr later, just grab the stuff and free it up.
  

[Jack Horner]

I have to disagree with the "solution" for chair hogs. Whenever I see unattended person items, I just do the right thing....one person in our party takes the items to lost and found. Problem solved. Chair available.

 

I LIKE THIS SOLUTION! :rolleyes:

[dumb man]

One needs to factor in the prepaid gratuites, and drink prices in your total cost of your cruise. Everyone has different drinking patterns.

 

I have never understood someone who pays thousand of dollars for their vacation, then tries to smuggle liquor beyond the alotted bottles of wine on board.

 

Celebrity has a variety of beverage packages. Some find it a great value, others don't.

 

Part of doing a cruise vacation or going to an AI resort is that once the vacation begins ,just enjoy. Each has their own culture and rules. Complaining or trying to think they are the same is not worth the effort.

 

Some people just cannot help making antagonizing comments. They call it foot-in-mouth-disease.

 

,

[Starry Eyes]

Here's my list of 'Solutions', all of which would be covered by an approximate increase of $30-40/day/person (which just isn't that much, a couple of hundred on a 7 day).

• Include Tips, and return to tipping meaning something....
  
• Include [house] Wine / Espresso/etc with dinner....
• Give me a nice robe...
  
• Reduce drink prices by 25%...
  
• Non-smoking in all but designated areas ....
  
• Keep formal night, and actually enforce it. Again, it's a 'special' thing.
  
• Enforcement of people who 'reserve' chairs by the pool...
  

I know you want the cruise lines to make you feel special. don't we all? but your list would not make me feel special at all.I do not want tips included in the fare for reasons stated above (lower upfront cost, lower insurance costs, less money at risk if I cancel for uncovered reasons).

I do not think house wine or expresso should be included..Why should non drinkers (or upscale wine drinkers) help pay for your wine? those etc would add up, with soda, beer, cocktails all gradually being requested by those who do not drink wine.

I am happy to use a robe aboard, but I do not want to carry it home. I pack lightly and do not have space for a bulky robe and any souvenirs on my return trip...Buy your own robe and pack it both ways...have your initials embroidered yourself. You'll get one you really like.

why should they decrease drink prices? drinks sell well now, and the prices are competitive (or cheaper) than nice bars in major cities. If they reduce on board revenue, they have to increase fares, and again, I do not want to help buy your drinks, any more than you want to buy somebody else's cigarettes.

Smoking is already allowed in specified areas...the number of such areas varies by cruise line, and policies seem to be tightening gradually as society's attitudes change. select a line that suits your preferences.

I tolerate formal nights, but they do not make me feel special. I am glad they make you feel special, but I am a bit tired of them.

I totally agree that deck patrols should enforce the policy. chair hogging would largely disappear. I do not spend much time sunning on deck, but I hate to walk by and see tons of held chairs with few people in the pool.

[cindyleigh]

Pet peeve #4:

Self-appointed chair police. Must have been the hall monitors in elementary school.

[RazorbackBelle08]

I have to disagree with the "solution" for chair hogs. Whenever I see unattended person items, I just do the right thing....one person in our party takes the items to lost and found. Problem solved. Chair available.

 

I am SO going to remember to do this when I go on my first cruise next month so I can get a chair poolside. BRILLIANT!