Interesting article

[Oceangoer2]

Rated: 1+

 

Thank you Jules, the reason many may be here complaining, is because those who cannot afford to cruise would look at them cross-eyed trying to figure out what their real problem (privilege) is.... :cool:

 

bon voyage

HA HA...your reason to edit sounds intriguing ..... tell us what you really think!

Edited April 25, 2016 by oceangoer2
Curious

[BosoxI]

Rated: 1+

 

Thank you Jules, the reason many may be here complaining, is because those who cannot afford to cruise would look at them cross-eyed trying to figure out what their real problem (privilege) is.... :cool:

 

bon voyage

 

Exactly. Anyone who sets foot on a cruise ship is filthy rich in the eyes of those who can't afford it.

 

I recently got the opportunity to pay $999 for any cabin balcony and below on a Cunard 14 day sailing out/in to Southampton. $999 for a balcony. 14 days. That's $72 a day. A suite on the same trip, as I recall, was more than $6800 to start. Do suite passengers deserve some percs? You're damned straight they do. Wish I were one of them, but I don't begrudge anyone his success.

[jagoffee]

Very interesting article. Thank you for posting.

[Bo1953]

HA HA...your reason to edit sounds intriguing ..... tell us what you really think!

 

Well, to be sure OG2 I can only tell you when we sail together and have cocktails in our hands, otherwise, otherwise, otherwise I would be thrown overboard before even getting to the port! :D

 

So let us keep it to syntax, for now....

 

bon voyage

Edited April 25, 2016 by Bo1953

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thanks for the link. For once, an article about cruising seems to be pretty accurate (shocking, I know).

 

We've done the Haven with NCL and were willing to pay for the peace and quiet. On that particular cruise line, we felt it was necessary to our enjoyment. On other lines, not so much.

 

It's all about choices. I like having choices.

[BrendaJ]

I do sometimes ask why these folks don't choose to cruise on completely separate ships, exclusively for the wealthy. That would be even more exclusive than NCL's hidden Haven. Crystal comes closest to mind, but the Caribbean and Southern Europe are full of fabulous yachts that can be chartered with absolute privacy and exclusivity. The article does say, however, that Celebrity, Royal and NCL have no difficulty selling out their finest suites, so there is no easy answer to my question.

 

I have often wondered the same thing. I think the truly wealthy (one-percenters) would not consider sailing on any mainstream line, no matter how large the cabin and nice the perks. In that realm, I expect that privacy and seclusion from the masses trump anything a mainstream line can offer.

 

I've only enjoyed a Royal Suite on Celebrity once and it really was a wonderful experience, but I have to wonder if spending the same amount to sail in a smaller suite on a luxury line would be equally enjoyable.

 

For those who always sail the upper suites on Celebrity, I would love to know if you've sailed the luxury lines as well, and if so, what brings you back to Celebrity?

[jjjbr]

We don't always sail the "upper" suites on Celebrity, but these days usually sail AQ for Blu. In the past, we have sailed in ocean view, shared with children, but they're all grown now. We are splurging on a sky suite for an upcoming cruise. We have also sailed on Silversea, Seabourn, Azamara, and the Paul Gauguin. They were all wonderful! We come back to Celebrity most often as we feel that AQ allows us to have almost a small ship experience with larger ship amenities. We are definitely not the 1%!

[ChucktownSteve]

Royal and Celebrity have no idea which passengers are "one percenters". They know that that the passenger's credit card was approved the amount of the charge.

 

You would be surprised by the amount of marketing information a company can buy. I used to be a mailing list broker. My clients could buy lists with credit card remaining available balances as just one example.

 

Two people with a $20K card limit are not equal. One could have a $19K balance while the other could have a $1k balance and $19K available to spend.

 

You'd be surprised how they can select various top criteria in specific geographic areas and come up with prospective customers in the top 1% without ever tapping into your credit report.

[Barneu]

I think the exclusivity is what draws some people to offerings like the Haven. Sure one can cruise on a luxury line for the same cost but then one doesn't feel special. In fact, one may only be able to afford a balcony on a luxury line and will need to see even richer people living it up in a suite. Better to select The Haven and know that you are the top of heap.

[russg140]

I have often wondered the same thing. I think the truly wealthy (one-percenters) would not consider sailing on any mainstream line, no matter how large the cabin and nice the perks. In that realm, I expect that privacy and seclusion from the masses trump anything a mainstream line can offer.

 

I've only enjoyed a Royal Suite on Celebrity once and it really was a wonderful experience, but I have to wonder if spending the same amount to sail in a smaller suite on a luxury line would be equally enjoyable.

 

For those who always sail the upper suites on Celebrity, I would love to know if you've sailed the luxury lines as well, and if so, what brings you back to Celebrity?

 

On X we book a Celebrity Suite or higher. Previous posts on this thread asked, "Why not book another cruise line?" We are: We've booked an Azamara (still RCCI) TA for 10/17 to try it. We booked a Club Ocean Suite, somewhat pricier that what we normally spend just to try it, but we've decided that, even with 1290 CC points, we won't be returning to X. Oceania is most likely our next line of choice.

[Lastdance]

It really is wonderful to have so many choices available. Time goes by too fast for complaining or being jealous. Being happy is a choice and cruising the world is such a wonderful experience...

[cruise kitty]

Hi, OP here, I'm thinking that the Edge class ships are probably going to have a "haven like" area on the ships, which I'm fine with. :)

 

We don't book suites, so I've never dined in Luminae, (sp ?) & I'm fine with that. As long as the areas are available to anyone willing & able to pay the price, I'm good with it.

 

The only downside that I can see is that it would limit social interactions with those staying in the exclusive areas... I've always enjoined meeting new people in the bars & lounges in the evenings & hearing about their travels. :)

[Lady Chew]

Hi, OP here, I'm thinking that the Edge class ships are probably going to have a "haven like" area on the ships, which I'm fine with. :)

 

We don't book suites, so I've never dined in Luminae, (sp ?) & I'm fine with that. As long as the areas are available to anyone willing & able to pay the price, I'm good with it.

 

The only downside that I can see is that it would limit social interactions with those staying in the exclusive areas... I've always enjoined meeting new people in the bars & lounges in the evenings & hearing about their travels. :)

 

We do, too, but doesn't it kind of seem like it's the people in those exclusive areas who don't want to hang with the rest of us? (at least from the way the article is written, I mean)

[shipshape sam]

I have always felt it was fine to have different categories. I have also felt that the differences should be in private areas.

 

We do travel with others and now many times, we have Captains Club status and they, have a better cabin. :) I think the Haven concept is okay if that is what those passengers want and utilizing those separate facilities may separate them from some of traveling party. It is their choice.

 

I think, I would not want to be apart from my friends cruising with us and thus, might not utilize the separate amenities as much to feel I got the value paid. If we were traveling alone or with others in the same situation....Let the party start early!

[jaspersmommy]

Fascinating article. I have been wondering why the cruise lines are increasingly differentiating services offered to high end passengers and services to the rest (such as myself, by the way.) As one who grew up in the shadow of Palm Beach, I knew full well the wealthy always had a lot more privileges than those with lesser financial endowments. Somehow, though, cruiseships seem like a very small confined area in which to be constantly bumping up against such stark differences for the duration of a week or two of cruising.

 

I started cruising before those differences became so obvious. it has just become much clearer in the last five or six years as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity give over more and more ship space to the so called "One Percenters."

 

I do sometimes ask why these folks don't choose to cruise on completely separate ships, exclusively for the wealthy. That would be even more exclusive than NCL's hidden Haven. Crystal comes closest to mind, but the Caribbean and Southern Europe are full of fabulous yachts that can be chartered with absolute privacy and exclusivity. The article does say, however, that Celebrity, Royal and NCL have no difficulty selling out their finest suites, so there is no easy answer to my question.

 

 

Why shouldn't the cruise industry provide different levels of services and amenities depending on the amount you're prepared to pay? Airlines, railroads, hotels, etc. all do it. I don't think that the "differentiated" services are just for the wealthy. I can assure you that I'm not wealthy, yet I will only sail in a suite and I love the extras that X offers to suite passengers.

 

Because I want higher-end accommodations and more amenities, I don't cruise multiple times each year, or even once a year for that matter. I take land vacations in between at a much more reasonable cost. I save hard for my cruises. I would not go to a luxury line unless I found an unusually low price. Suites on X have been more cost-effective than balcony cabins on luxury lines every time I've looked into an itinerary that interests me.

 

I haven't sailed in a PH suite, but I have no issue whatsoever with those pax getting more perks than me. They certainly pay for it.

[jaspersmommy]

I have to wonder, of those that oppose "differentiated" service for higher-paying customers, how many of you have higher Captain's Club status? Do you refuse the CC perks you've earned as a result of spending more money with X than a first-time guest? :eek: