Moronic Marketing by Carnival

[jtwanabe]

I live in Houston which is 70 miles from where the Carnival Magic and the Triumph (when it isn't lame and loose somewhere)

leave from. So I get this great rate deal in the mail and I'm saying Yoo Hoo!. Then I read it's for a Cruise leaving out of

New Orleans.

 

Why would I pay $100 dollars in gas and drive 6 hours one way of my time to save $48.00 on a cruise. I would pay more

in gas to get there and back than I would save on the coupon.

 

If it was leaving out of Galveston I would be all over it. Goofy waste of paper if you ask me.

 

JT

[aggieastrosfan]

Exactly why I will never drive to NOLA for a cruise. Yes, the rates out of Galveston are insane. But by the time I add in transportation time, gas, hotel, meals, etc., there is no savings to be had sailing out of NOLA vs Galveston when you live in this area. Not at the times I'm sailing anyway.

 

 

Meredith

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[djcass4199]

We cruise for ships and ports of call. If we have to drive 12 hours to port or only 6, so be it. Transportation costs are not that big a deal for us.

[BeachChik]

I live in Houston which is 70 miles from where the Carnival Magic and the Triumph (when it isn't lame and loose somewhere)

leave from. So I get this great rate deal in the mail and I'm saying Yoo Hoo!. Then I read it's for a Cruise leaving out of

New Orleans.

 

Why would I pay $100 dollars in gas and drive 6 hours one way of my time to save $48.00 on a cruise. I would pay more

in gas to get there and back than I would save on the coupon.

 

If it was leaving out of Galveston I would be all over it. Goofy waste of paper if you ask me.

 

JT

 

Lame and loose somewhere, very funny. Lol!

[golfadj]

WE get phone calls for ridiculous things all the time and just ignore them.

[emelvee]

WE get phone calls for ridiculous things all the time and just ignore them.

Yeah, I hate election season too.

[Rudyard]

Are you sure it was from Carnival? I got something similar three or four days ago that looked official but when I looked closer it was from some "fly by night" looking travel agency. The thing I got was also for NO, which I found funny as I'm only 40 miles from Galveston.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Cheaper prices, better food, better entertainment, etc. etc. etc.

[maggieworkman]

Maybe some people like to try different ships and since it is within easy driving distance, the ad might attract them.

 

Personally I would get tired of sailing the same ship over and over. I would be more than willing to drive 100 miles for a different ship.

 

Maggie

[Sh1035]

A year later he will post they cancelled all cruises within 8 hours drive...some folks actually travel that far for a cruise ;)

[blondietink]

Some of us even drive 24 hours for a cruise!

 

I also have to laugh when they send us "deals" to cruise out of NYC. Apparently Carnival does not understand geography. Even though I live in New York State, I can drive to Boston or Baltimore in less time than I can drive to NYC. And I for one would never cruise out of NYC just because they are so expensive between the cruise price and the insane parking prices at the port or the insane cruise price plus airfare/taxi to the port for 4 people. I can actually drive to Florida or NOLA and take a cruise for cheaper than one out of NYC.

[LAKingsFan]

A year later he will post they cancelled all cruises within 8 hours drive...some folks actually travel that far for a cruise ;)

 

I live in Southern California and have taken countless cruises to Mexico. Not that I don't enjoy them, but I do crave some variety.

 

Flew to Houston last year for a trip on the Magic and am Flying to Miami in a few months for a Breeze trip.

 

I think 'moronic marketing' is a bit dramatic, however.

 

I'm a pretty heavy gambler at a few Vegas properties and get offers to go to places I don't care about....never give them a second thought. Just deposit them into the trash and move on.

[MyDogRudy]

I don't understand the issue. I don't think a cruise would determine which deals to send to people based on where they live. Does this mean since I live in Wisconsin I should find it moronic if I am sent a deal at all since I always have to pay a ton of money and spend a lot of time traveling to a port? I must have missed something I guess.

 

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[DirtyDawg]

Yeah, I hate election season too.

 

LOL Good Stuff.:D:D

[bitemyfly]

I live in Houston which is 70 miles from where the Carnival Magic and the Triumph (when it isn't lame and loose somewhere)

leave from. So I get this great rate deal in the mail and I'm saying Yoo Hoo!. Then I read it's for a Cruise leaving out of

New Orleans.

 

Why would I pay $100 dollars in gas and drive 6 hours one way of my time to save $48.00 on a cruise. I would pay more

in gas to get there and back than I would save on the coupon.

 

If it was leaving out of Galveston I would be all over it. Goofy waste of paper if you ask me.

 

JT

I am no way a carnival fanboy but I don't see anything moronic about that advertisement

All ads have a targeted customer , apparently your not one who is being targeted

A 6 hrs drive isn't much and while there is a extra cost , it's a different ship and port and a port with great food and entertainment. It might be desirable to some. ( not all plans a trip based on bottom line dollar spent)

It's a big world out there

Enjoy

[Smart Arsenal Fan]

Basically, I am quite sure they are not referring to Google Maps every time before sending out an offer.. :rolleyes:

 

Some will jump on it, some won't. That's Marketing.

[yoursurfer]

I just changed us from Triumph to Conquest. I went from a 5 night to a 7 night for the same price. This was after penalties! Btw those who say factor in gas,hotel etc. and your spending more to drive.... The same 7 day on Magic was almost $3000 more! I can get a lot of gas and a really nice hotel for much less than that!

[flounder315]

The boring ride down the Mississippi River would not be appealing to be. Leaving from Galveston you are in international waters pretty quickly and the shops and casino opens.

[hornonaboat]

The boring ride down the Mississippi River would not be appealing to be. Leaving from Galveston you are in international waters pretty quickly and the shops and casino opens.

That's why I don't want to cruise from New Orleans. If I want to take a slow boat up & down the river for 12 total hours, I'll do a stern wheeler.

[jimbo5544]

People sail out of different ports all the time..... different ship, different itin, many things.

[Dabaras]

The whole point of a discount is not for you, it is for the person offering the discount. They don't need to offer a discount to Galveston because there is a built in market in Texas that has a huge population and a population with lower unemployment than the rest of the country and people with good jobs. New Orleans/Louisiana/Mississippi is not in that same boat, so they need to get people to go there rather than Galveston. That is why the Conquest is $200 cheaper than the Magic week after week. Basic economics.

[jimbo5544]

The whole point of a discount is not for you, it is for the person offering the discount. They don't need to offer a discount to Galveston because there is a built in market in Texas that has a huge population and a population with lower unemployment than the rest of the country and people with good jobs. New Orleans/Louisiana/Mississippi is not in that same boat, so they need to get people to go there rather than Galveston. That is why the Conquest is $200 cheaper than the Magic week after week. Basic economics.

Dang, I knew I shouldn't have skipped that class.....:confused:

[awhcruiser]

We are trying our first cruise on the Conquest out of NOLA. Getting tired of Galveston. NOLA has more scenery leaving the port. Who wouldn't want to look at the skyline?

[joepeka]

I think 'moronic marketing' is a bit dramatic, however.

I would agree. Marketing can sometimes be about casting a wide net even if you know the response rate might be low. Single digit percentage response rates on direct marketing contacts are generally considered good. For every 10 people that think it's dumb marketing, another 2 or 3 might bite on it. In this case, it appears to be somewhat targeted in that the OP is within a few hundred miles of NO so why not pitch the deal to him?

[SUSIEK]

HA HA HA..... We live 20 minutes from the Port of Tampa and have never sailed from there.

Hoping to do it one day :-)

 

Always drive to Ft. Lauderdale, Miami or Port Canaveral. Itinerraries out of Tampa never look as good as those from other ports or the ships for that matter.

 

Never really thought it was silly. What I do find silly is the marketing material I get for the cruises that cost $27,000 per person! Are they kidding??? Do they know how much money we make .... LOL! And who can take off 4 months to cruise!! Really a waste of paper to send to me. Someone there is obviously getting the wrong financial/demographic lists.