I hate the word "cutbacks"....

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

Guess I'm the odd man out but I hate the word "cutbacks" and the implication that a cruise line is scamming us when they make changes in their offerings.

 

Yes, over the decades, cruising has changed and things that were offered for "free" or covered in your fare became "extras" and were charged for but many of them helped stabilize the cost of a cruise and were more fair to many.

 

Examples...If someone doesn't consume alcohol why should their fare cover the cost of those that do, if fru-fru drinks and soda are not something I favor why should my fare include them, if I don't especially go ga-ga over chocolates on my pillow why should I be paying for them.

 

Tap water works well for me, don't necessarily use the robes so someone has to pay for them to get washed even though they are never worn. I am fine with the "free" meals served on the ship...can't even imagine indulging in lobster and steak everynight (my weight would take a real hit).

 

There are so many things on a cruise that just don't mean squat to me and have no impact on my enjoyment of the vacation. I don't need fresh linens everyday, or fresh towels twice a day. I don't lug on soda so don't need ice in my room. I can move freely about the ship and don't spend my vacation huddled in my room so the limited free "room service" options are fine with me. If I vacation with the "kiddos" I vacation with them and don't feel the need to hand them off to someone to "babysit". I don't feel a meal on my vacation needs to include a silver mine full of flatware, or a table be set with a cloth or wine glasses I'll never use.

 

Towel animals are cute but once "oohed" over they just turn into extra towels.

 

Obviously I am a "go with the flow" kind of person.

 

How about you?

[RWolver672]

I agree 100%. Keep the price of the cruise affordable and if I want the extras I'll pay extra.

 

It use to be that if you bought a car, you told them what you wanted on it and paid accordingly. Now you buy a car and it comes with power steering, power windows, power brakes, A/C, back-up camera, top of the line radio with GPS, etc. And you pay dearly for all those extras. At least we still have the option of paying for the extras that we want on a cruise.

[dd likes to cruise]

I too agree!

[ray98]

Yup.....many of the things people complain about make me chuckle.

[Jamman54]

I also agree 100%!! I pay less for a cruise now than I did in 1985 when I first started cruising. MUCH less!!

[cruizergal70]

Finally!! Yes, I agree 100%.

[doconner]

So with the 'keep the cruise cheap and I'll pay for what I want' line of thought, where does this end. What if the cruise fare was just the price of the room, and beyond that you had to pay for each of the following a la carte:

 

- room cleaning

- main dining

- meals in the buffet

- entrance of to main theatre

- cover charge for piano bar, comedy club

- pool pass

- access to serenity

 

These are towards the extreme end of the examples, but the point is that these are all included at this point, as so many other things previously were that are no longer available at all or are now pay for extras.

 

At what point does the 'keep it cheap, I'll pay for what I want' start to bother you?

Edited August 14, 2016 by doconner

[Jamman54]

So with the 'keep the cruise cheap and I'll pay for what I want' line of thought, where does this end. What if the cruise fare was just the price of the room, and beyond that you had to pay for each of the following a la carte:

 

- room cleaning

- main dining

- meals in the buffet

- entrance of to main theatre

- cover charge for piano bar, comedy club

- pool pass

- access to serenity

 

These are towards the extreme end of the examples, but the point is that these are all included at this point, as so many other things previously were that are no longer available at all or are now pay for extras.

 

At what point does the 'keep it cheap, I'll pay for what I want' start to bother you?

 

I understand what you are trying to say, but your examples are extremely extreme and unrealistic when compared to the actual cutbacks such as no chocolates on the pillows, no lobster on cruises shorter than 6 days, VIFP party only being Platinum & Diamonds, no drink coupons for gold's & reds', etc.

[RuthlessBoss]

I detest the word cutbacks. Sometimes things disappear but new things are added. The problem is if someone has a favorite thing that disappeared, the new replacement will become a favorite for another. That's not a cutback, it's providing change.

[Thorncroft]

I detest the word cutbacks. Sometimes things disappear but new things are added. The problem is if someone has a favorite thing that disappeared, the new replacement will become a favorite for another. That's not a cutback, it's providing change.

 

It's a cutback by any other name for whoever had their favorite thing disappear. I'll never understand brand apologists. This is a huge corporation just like any other. We are not family or BFFs to them. We are just a number in their system and their goal is to relieve us of as much of our money as possible. Everything that is taken away and everything that is added is a calculated scheme to do just that.

 

Carnival would do so much better to just make changes quietly, without fanfare, rather than making a splashy announcement that draws the attention, and the ire of their customers. They're just like the child who announces that they didn't break the priceless Ming vase. You know immediately that they did just that. They should just keep their mouth shut and hope that no one notices.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Thorncroft

[iahawkize]

I agree that there are some things that have suffered. I personally didn't like the milk Chocolates on the bed as I'm a dark chocolate fancier. The American menu in the MDR has a lot to be desired on Carnival as well as the Lido buffet. I can understand Carnival Gold level cruisers being felt left out, but on my Carnival Splendor Cruise prior to the change they had to have 2 seating's in the main Showroom to accommodate us all and it was still crowded.

[greaseslapper]

So with the 'keep the cruise cheap and I'll pay for what I want' line of thought, where does this end. What if the cruise fare was just the price of the room, and beyond that you had to pay for each of the following a la carte:

 

- room cleaning

- main dining

- meals in the buffet

- entrance of to main theatre

- cover charge for piano bar, comedy club

- pool pass

- access to serenity

 

These are towards the extreme end of the examples, but the point is that these are all included at this point, as so many other things previously were that are no longer available at all or are now pay for extras.

 

At what point does the 'keep it cheap, I'll pay for what I want' start to bother you?

 

This will be CCl in 3-5 years

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EasyCruise

[Micahs Grandad]

It's a cutback by any other name for whoever had their favorite thing disappear. I'll never understand brand apologists. This is a huge corporation just like any other. We are not family or BFFs to them. We are just a number in their system and their goal is to relieve us of as much of our money as possible. Everything that is taken away and everything that is added is a calculated scheme to do just that.

 

Carnival would do so much better to just make changes quietly, without fanfare, rather than making a splashy announcement that draws the attention, and the ire of their customers. They're just like the child who announces that they didn't break the priceless Ming vase. You know immediately that they did just that. They should just keep their mouth shut and hope that no one notices.

 

good post

[stevefrisco]

I booed the conquest in December because it had fush and chips. Logged in thus morning and saw two threads about how it was being replaced with a new seafood shack. I can still get fish and chips for $6.

 

I totally disagree with Jamman, price have gone up 35% in the past two years on my family's biennial Xmas cruise. We were also on a newer ship then. Despite increased costs, there will be significant reduction in overall offerings. I didn't like the chocolate but appreciate that they were offered. I don't think the MDR will have the same luxury feel either w/o the table clothes. If I wanted Applebee's I could get that in Columbus.

Edited August 14, 2016 by stevefrisco

[navybankerteacher]

So with the 'keep the cruise cheap and I'll pay for what I want' line of thought, where does this end. What if the cruise fare was just the price of the room, and beyond that you had to pay for each of the following a la carte:

 

- room cleaning

- main dining

- meals in the buffet

- entrance of to main theatre

- cover charge for piano bar, comedy club

- pool pass

- access to serenity

 

These are towards the extreme end of the examples, but the point is that these are all included at this point, as so many other things previously were that are no longer available at all or are now pay for extras.

 

At what point does the 'keep it cheap, I'll pay for what I want' start to bother you?[/quote

 

To a significant extent a number of the items listed have already become a la carte :

Main dining menus have been significantly down-graded with respect to quality and selection, along with level of service; replaced with alternative restaurants so you now pay for what used to be included.

 

The increase in passenger load on most newer ships without comparable increase in public spaces has reduced access to common facilities such as pools and lounges because of crowding.

 

These cutbacks, among many others, mean that prices have not remained level over the years: to receive what used to be included on HAL and Celebrity, for example, you now need to pay the higher fares on premium lines - or be "a la carted".

 

One major change which is often overlooked is the loss of the "one class" approach - with ever increasing areas of the ship being reserved for "first class" passengers - whether called Neptune or the Haven, or whatever - the experience being offered everyone else is being continually downgraded.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I booed the conquest in December because it had fush and chips. Logged in thus morning and saw two threads about how it was being replaced with a new seafood shack. I can still get fish and chips for $6.

 

I totally disagree with Jamman, price have gone up 35% in the past two years on my family's biennial Xmas cruise. We were also on a newer ship then. Despite increased costs, there will be significant reduction in overall offerings. I didn't like the chocolate but appreciate that they were offered. I don't think the MDR will have the same luxury feel either w/o the table clothes. If I wanted Applebee's I could get that in Columbus.

 

I think what people often tend to forget is that cruising is a choice, not a necessity and that pricing is relative to those that choose it as a vacation. There are so many cruise lines and each offers an experience and a price point for each individual to choose from.

 

If, say Carnival, is no longer offering all the little extras then, isn't it, time to move on and find a cruise line that does. I didn't stop buying gas at my neighborhood station when they stopped window washing and oil checking (boy am I dating myself) but continued to buy my gas there because the price was right and the location convenient. Same with my neighborhood bar. Even as prices for my drinks went up I stayed loyal because it offers me a great place to unwind and visit with friends.

 

As much as some hate the idea of a business having economic stability as their prices also increase and they have to allocate their expenditures accordingly it is how economics work. Why do some believe that it is their god given right to not live within the economic framework of modern times that is just not the reality. Sure I want "everything" for every dollar I spend but I have to "know" that as wages increase, the cost of staples goes up and economics force prices to move upwards.

 

It is beyond my comprehension that some actually believe that a business is only there to "serve" them and has no "right" to be a "for profit" institution.

[NLH Arizona]

I think what people often tend to forget is that cruising is a choice, not a necessity and that pricing is relative to those that choose it as a vacation. There are so many cruise lines and each offers an experience and a price point for each individual to choose from.

 

If, say Carnival, is no longer offering all the little extras then, isn't it, time to move on and find a cruise line that does. I didn't stop buying gas at my neighborhood station when they stopped window washing and oil checking (boy am I dating myself) but continued to buy my gas there because the price was right and the location convenient. Same with my neighborhood bar. Even as prices for my drinks went up I stayed loyal because it offers me a great place to unwind and visit with friends.

 

As much as some hate the idea of a business having economic stability as their prices also increase and they have to allocate their expenditures accordingly it is how economics work. Why do some believe that it is their god given right to not live within the economic framework of modern times that is just not the reality. Sure I want "everything" for every dollar I spend but I have to "know" that as wages increase, the cost of staples goes up and economics force prices to move upwards.

 

It is beyond my comprehension that some actually believe that a business is only there to "serve" them and has no "right" to be a "for profit" institution.

Very well said.

[Thorncroft]

 

It is beyond my comprehension that some actually believe that a business is only there to "serve" them and has no "right" to be a "for profit" institution.

 

They do have a right to make a profit. That's why it's incomprehensible to me that when prices remain relatively unchanged for decades, people can't believe that cutbacks are being made somewhere to keep those prices stable. Face it, you're not getting what you got 10 or 20 years ago. Call it whatever you want, but the cruise lines have been playing the frog in the boiling pot game for years.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Thorncroft

[Flatbush Flyer]

Guess I'm the odd man out but I hate the word "cutbacks" and the implication that a cruise line is scamming us when they make changes in their offerings.

 

 

 

Yes, over the decades, cruising has changed and things that were offered for "free" or covered in your fare became "extras" and were charged for but many of them helped stabilize the cost of a cruise and were more fair to many.

 

 

 

Examples...If someone doesn't consume alcohol why should their fare cover the cost of those that do, if fru-fru drinks and soda are not something I favor why should my fare include them, if I don't especially go ga-ga over chocolates on my pillow why should I be paying for them.

 

 

 

Tap water works well for me, don't necessarily use the robes so someone has to pay for them to get washed even though they are never worn. I am fine with the "free" meals served on the ship...can't even imagine indulging in lobster and steak everynight (my weight would take a real hit).

 

 

 

There are so many things on a cruise that just don't mean squat to me and have no impact on my enjoyment of the vacation. I don't need fresh linens everyday, or fresh towels twice a day. I don't lug on soda so don't need ice in my room. I can move freely about the ship and don't spend my vacation huddled in my room so the limited free "room service" options are fine with me. If I vacation with the "kiddos" I vacation with them and don't feel the need to hand them off to someone to "babysit". I don't feel a meal on my vacation needs to include a silver mine full of flatware, or a table be set with a cloth or wine glasses I'll never use.

 

 

 

Towel animals are cute but once "oohed" over they just turn into extra towels.

 

 

 

Obviously I am a "go with the flow" kind of person.

 

 

 

How about you?

 

 

You should consider brokered yacht charters, which vary from "bareboat" (you'd need demonstrable evidence of your ability to sail/navigate) to whatever level of "crewed" provisioning/luxury/service you desire.

BTW, not as expensive as you may think.

Check with charter brokers like Ed Hamilton (google him).

[sheeniwoo]

I can relate to every word you just posted. I'm easy to please and go with the flow as well. When things change, I do not question it, it is what it is and move on.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cruizinisthebest]

Not every change is made via some big announcement. It's just that every changed is made a big deal of on here.

 

Call it what you like. None of us likes every change. But change is necessary. I get it.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[First and Ten]

People need to appreciate what they do have and not whine about what they don't have

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited August 14, 2016 by First and Ten

[CHEZMARYLOU]

I'm the minority poster on this thread but without amenities like clean linen, room service, bottled water, etc. I could just stay home, go to Outback and Red Lobster for dinner, and save my money.

[Jamman54]

I totally disagree with Jamman, price have gone up 35% in the past two years on my family's biennial Xmas cruise. We were also on a newer ship then. Despite increased costs, there will be significant reduction in overall offerings. I didn't like the chocolate but appreciate that they were offered. I don't think the MDR will have the same luxury feel either w/o the table clothes. If I wanted Applebee's I could get that in Columbus.

 

I agree that prices have risen some in the past few years BUT, In 1985 I paid $1485 per person for an inside cabin on Main Deck for the then brand new Holiday for a 7 day cruise. I can book an inside cabin on a 7 day cruise during primetime for MUCH less right now. I find that amazing since the cost of fuel, maintenance, and supplies has risen dramatically in the past 30 years. Something had to give, and I hate to see some things being reduced or taken away, but if it keeps the prices low, I'm ok with it.

 

Now of course, those of us with long cruising histories will have a different perspective than those who have not been cruising that long. Just wanted to add my two cents.

[stevefrisco]

I'm the minority poster on this thread but without amenities like clean linen, room service, bottled water, etc. I could just stay home, go to Outback and Red Lobster for dinner, and save my money.

 

Exactly! The economic realities are such that the prices have gone up and we are getting a less luxurious product accross the board. I'm not sure how people are saying they have stayed the same, these people must have booked in 2006 early saver or something because go to the Carnival website and it's plain to see they've increased.

 

We cruise carnival for xmas because my children's grandmother and father are platinum and diamond respectively and won't do another line. We are definitely looking to take our talents to another line in the future or maybe just try to find another vacation type that we like. I'm just giving my opinion. I never have a bad time, it is just disappointing that people are so brainwashed (or maybe even paid by carnival) and can't understand that they are getting less value.

 

I would happily pay what we paid in 2006 for a cruise now plus inflation to go back to that level of service and offerings. I would imagine that would be 3-400 more pp but those were definitely the days.

 

Flame away with good riddance posts, I'm sure CCL pays by the post and not word count;)