Carnival is bringing back brochures!!!

[SadieN]

Agreed! I still have our very first brochure, and often use it as a go to guise for deck plans of the ships that are in it. I am happy that they are coming back, so I can have one with the new ships in it. I love computer, but I love the brochures too, and Imho, it is easier to view the deck plans via the brochure. Maybe they will use recycled paper for them as another poster suggested?

 

YEP, Much easier to check out the deck plans of each ship using paper.

[Carnival_Brides]

Q: When grocery shopping, do you look at the circular on line, or prefer to have one in hand?

 

I have the ads pre-loaded on my iPad with my shopping list and budget.

 

I have tried to completely cut paper out of my life where possible because it's easier for me and cuts down on the clutter. All of my bills are paperless and paid online. My professors require papers to be turned in electronically so I don't bother printing them for edit anymore. All of my wedding forms were communicated electronically from CCL and the only one of 16 I had to print was the actual contract that I had to fax back. Everything else--you guessed it--saved to the iPad for use later.

 

I personally have booked 11 (almost 12) cruises since they eliminated the brochures and had a Carnival wedding without one, so I just don't miss them, I guess.

 

I'm not debating them. It's obviously a preference thing. I was just asking if the paper was beer flavored/scented or had something the website didn't.

[Maraprince]

Having information on line is great as long as you don't lose power! How many times have posters complained that they could not access Carnival's website for whatever reason.

 

Plus, having a brochure in your hand that you do not need to constantly print out the information you want when comparing cabin locations and ship features is great. Not everyone is computer savy or has a printer available when they want a copy of something.

 

Not having a printed brochure makes Carnival look cheap/cut rate that they could not even afford to print out a brochure.

 

Customers know enough not to go by the rates printed in the brochure, but they are not always sure under what rate category they booked under and that the cabin next to them may be under a different price category.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[Branman]

Q: When grocery shopping, do you look at the circular on line, or prefer to have one in hand?

 

They are much nicer online. I can use my grocery's store iphone app to electronically add all of the coupons that I want onto my shopper's card. No need to carry around pieces of paper, clip out coupons, or actually receive a newspaper subscription. It's very easy and convenient.

 

Back to the original topic at hand, I think this is a wrong step for Carnival. Paper is going out of fashion incredibly quickly. They would be much better off actually making their own tablet app which accomplishes the same thing. You'd get the same level of readability from a tablet as you would from a brochure, it would be instantly updatable (you wouldn't have to worry about your printouts growing old), and could interface with other parts of the Carnival IT infrastructure. Just think, you could have one app which covers advertising, booking, pre-cruise management, and on-ship management of sign and sail accounts.

[Linerguy]

The one thing about CC that’s absolute is that there will ALWAYS be people who feel the need to piss on someone else’s sparkplug….

[michelle1836]

ok, so if no one has one to post, where can I get one? travel agent? I wanna see too! :p

[old sole]

Now if they'd bring back the printed Shore Excursion guides I'd really be happy. It's impossible to show DW the selections and compare the options on screen - too much information, too slow, no way to filter for side-by-side comparisons of two, three or four similar excursions, especially across multiple ports.

[kazbar]

What's so great about it? - well for a start, Carnival seems to be making an effort to listen to people. That has to be a good thing.

 

Some people like looking on the website, some like a brochure, some like to use both. It's no different to someone wanting to read a real book versus kindle or holding a photo rather than looking at the image on a screen.

Different horses for different courses.

[AmberTeka]

Great. More dead trees. Way to go, Carnival. HUGE step backwards. :mad:

 

The will only use recycled paper. Carnival has gone green.

 

I am totally delighted. Thrilled. I just booked a cruise in March on the Fascination for DH and myself....Daughter..SIL and 3 yr old in another cabin. First time I booked Two cabins. I would have given anything to have had a brochure to study and study and pick out the very best adjoining rooms I could get. As is...........we are two cabins ten cabins apart on the same deck....same side. Daughter........first cruise. ( our vacation money was spent at The House of the Mouse until she was in college. It was only then...that we discovered cruising.)

 

I AM THRILLED. sorry. I have hoped for brochures for every year we have not had them. We are VIP on Carnival and day dreaming over those brochures...got us that way. Good move Carnival.

[Tutankhamen]

Great. More dead trees. Way to go, Carnival. HUGE step backwards. :mad:

 

Most paper is derived from tree's grown specifically for paper. Toilet paper is usually from old growth. Perhaps we should stop using TP?

 

How much energy is used to maintain a website? How much energy is used to maintain the servers? How much energy is used to maintain the satellites and wires? How much energy is used to fire up a desktop? How much energy is used to charge an iPad? How much energy is used to charge a cell?

 

The paper industry uses forests to get their wood. Forests that are regrown to maintain the forest and paper production.

 

Much bigger issues then paper.

 

Good for Carnival. I would have much better luck convincing friends and family to take a cruise if I could hand them a hard copy.

[Ship's Wake]

Good move. Thanks Uncle Bob! :)

[breland79]

I agree.

 

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Forums mobile app

[breland79]

Here we go. Can't please 'em all, clearly.

 

Yes, here we go. It always a few.

 

Sent from my KFOT using Forums mobile app

[larkz]

I'm in graphic arts and web development, and spend a fair amount of time creating brochures and websites both.

 

I think a print brochure is a waste of money, frankly. When I get one in the mail that catches my attention, my next move is to go online and check out the company or special offer. The same could be achieved by a small postcard, and I think the majority of people do what I do. Now if cruiselines were distributing the brochures in waiting rooms, there might be some benefit. But this is the electronic information age: I'd rather see videos, photo galleries, professional reviews, everyday people reviews, etc.

[SCOT]

I See that Uncle Bob is putting in some Info

[BananaAnna]

I wonder if those that feel this is such a great move would be willing to pay for it . Didn't think so.

 

 

Perfect!

 

As I was reading the thread I was thinking this is great - I would be willing to pay for a good comprehensive brochure.... and I need to get one for Robin...and Leslie...and I could send one to Kristy..... so yep, I'd totally pay for a brochure.

[jolyroger]

IMHO a step in the right direction! I still have my old brochures and look at them at times.

Us too!! So excited about this!!

[cruiseonthebrain]

If true, this is EXCELLENT news!

 

When we started cruising, we found our expectation was all ships offering the same products, and using our brochures to educate ourselves where each ship was going, exploring each ship and class, and even getting excited about anything new coming out.

 

Trying to use carnival.com was such a futile effort, besides being very poorly laid out and hard to navigate.

 

One new brochure, and I feel I will get right back up to date, and flipping through the onboard pictures will put me in a state to book.

 

And the easy to look at deck plans will help, especially side by side once again.

 

Can't wait! I love how Carnival is taking us back to the time they shone! Their 20 steps forward were unfortunately in the wrong direction.

 

 

I completely agree!!

[Maraprince]

Now if they'd bring back the printed Shore Excursion guides I'd really be happy. It's impossible to show DW the selections and compare the options on screen - too much information, too slow, no way to filter for side-by-side comparisons of two, three or four similar excursions, especially across multiple ports.

 

 

I thought I was the only one getting frustrated trying to see the different excursions being offered and then trying to compare them! Ugh!:(

 

Now, we wait until we get on the ship and take our chances. Too much trouble to print out and then weed out what we don't want.

 

MARAPRINCE

[minnesotamamafish]

I'm in graphic arts and web development, and spend a fair amount of time creating brochures and websites both.

 

I think a print brochure is a waste of money, frankly. When I get one in the mail that catches my attention, my next move is to go online and check out the company or special offer. The same could be achieved by a small postcard, and I think the majority of people do what I do. Now if cruiselines were distributing the brochures in waiting rooms, there might be some benefit. But this is the electronic information age: I'd rather see videos, photo galleries, professional reviews, everyday people reviews, etc.

 

The brochures came about because Uncle Bob had Q&A's with Travel Agents to find out what they need from Carnival to help promote them, and the resounding answer was BROCHURES! (I don't have a link to this info, but I read it in several places.)

 

When a clueless, first-time cruiser goes into a travel agency and the wall is covered in brochures from many other cruise lines (but not Carnival) it would seem to limit the odds of that travel agent booking them with Carnival. (Even if Carnival would be the best fit for those customers. First impressions from those other brochures can make a big impact.) Many people still don't have computers :eek: Some people are uncomfortable with technology they didn't grow up with; some choose to use their money on other things. Those are the potential clients these brochures would (concievably) be geared to. They have limited access to the internet and would go to a TA for their info. The rest of us that have easy access to the internet can choose to get a brochure if we feel it would be a benefit to us. I have no problem with either preference of online or paper brochures. I'm glad they are offering a choice.

[rkacruiser]

I am extremely pleased to learn of this change in their marketing strategy. It was an overdue change of direction.

 

Twice, as a CCL shareholder, I communicated with upper management about the lack of brochures and initially was told by a Senior Vice-President that the decision would be periodically re-evaluated. If a change was warranted, then that change would occur. I am very glad that their decisions are not forever locked into place.

 

I hope my efforts at communicating with them helped them to decide to alter their marketing plans.

[sprint180]

I am excited too. I love to look at the brochures. Put books side by side and compare. I also like real books, not kindle. and a picture in my hand (as another poster suggested.) Also my parents don't have internet or a computer. If I want to show them something it has to be on paper. It is totally subjective and what you are comfortable with.

[poison7fl]

Many of my cruises were booked after sitting on the throne reading through the pages of a Carnival brochure!

 

:cool:

 

I also got many of my friends on cruises by passing the brochure to them... having something to hold and see sitting on the table is a lot better than... "Hey, go online and look at the brochure"

[Litewait]

Now if they would bring back there quarterly magazine I would be really happy!:D

[CheapieD]

Many of my cruises were booked after sitting on the throne reading through the pages of a Carnival brochure!

 

:cool:

 

I also got many of my friends on cruises by passing the brochure to them... having something to hold and see sitting on the table is a lot better than... "Hey, go online and look at the brochure"

 

Emm.. I hope you passed it to them before visiting the throne