HAPPY HOUR NICKEL ANd (DOLLARING)

[sail7seas]

We sure are fast enough to moan if HAL is to remain a strong profitatable budsiness but it is just fine for everyone to scramble to pay the bare bones lowest fare possible. You cannot have it both ways. THIS IS A FOR PROFIT business. Pay a bit more in your fare or pay a bit more on boad. JMO In any business, the customer pays or that business does not ldt..

Edited December 23, 2016 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

I agree. Every one of us has a threshold. There's an economic threshold that we cannot pay and then there is the principle threshold in which it just doesn't feel right to pay any more.

 

Many will simply willingly pay more and continue cruising on HAL. Others will seek out alternatives and HAL may lose them forever.

f the price is out of your comfort zone, okay, we understand, but tdon' buy it and then m blme the cruise line for treeying to st make a perofit and provide a good product

Edited December 23, 2016 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

I agree. Every one of us has a threshold. There's an economic threshold that we cannot pay and then there is the principle threshold in which it just doesn't feel right to pay any more.

 

Many will simply willingly pay more and continue cruising on HAL. Others will seek out alternatives and HAL may lose them forever.

f ythe price is out of your comfort zone, okay, we understand, but don't' buy it and then blame the cruise line for trying to make a profit, stay in business and provide a good product.

Edited December 23, 2016 by sail7seas

[qsuzi]

Prices have gone up some yes, but HAL still has lower alcoholic beverage prices than nearly all other lines. Definitely still a bargain!

 

Yes HAL has many alcoholic beverages under $8 choices that are good choices. While RCI and Princess drink prices are higher, they do use better alcohol and ingredients thus some drinks taste better compared to HAL. For example, the $10ish upgraded HAL Margarita tastes better and is comparable to the Margarita on RCI and Princess.

Edited December 23, 2016 by qsuzi

[grayjay]

For people fond of alcoholic drinks (all right by me!!) it might still be a bargain. As I prefer sodas and juices 2$ are almost the original price for one of those.

And yes, I agree: In comparison to Celebrity, for example, prices for cocktails and quite decent wines are still low.

[Overhead Fred]

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam Nov 27 - Dec 11 and had no problem with the happy hour price change.

 

Please remember that the $2 second drink now includes any individual drink (no beer buckets or wine bottles) regardless of cost. So the small (IMHO) price increase is tempered by a greatly expanded happy hour drink selection. The NA had happy hours in both the Crow's Nest and the Ocean Bar from 4-5 PM. We had great fun with a New Hampshire family of four at the Crow's Nest happy hour almost every night!

 

I was sad to see that the "late night" happy hours were gone. No more cheap nightcap in the Silk Den - which is a beautiful but seemingly under-utilized venue. But you can always get some cans/bottles of beer at happy hour prices and keep them in your mini-bar for a barley-pop nightcap! No reason you could not do the same thing with a single malt scotch - or whatever suits your palate.

 

Things change and we invariably complain, but try to remember that every day on a Cruise Ship is a Great Day!

[bUU]

Anyone want to report what Celebrity ,Princess, RCC are doing ???? Is this a trend ?

It is pretty easy to find complaints of nickel and diming right here on CC for all those lines. NCL actually seems to be the "winner" in terms of complaints about nickel and diming. (There is even a thread complaining about how much complaining about nickel and diming there is.) On NCL recent complaints were against the new policy prohibiting you from bringing your own water, soda and juices aboard, and earlier than that, about some on-board restaurants being reclassified from no charge to extra fee, and about a new fee for room service. NCL's distinction in this regard was even mentioned on the Disney forum and the Celebrity forum.

 

On Princess, there was consternation about an increase in the cost for a specialty restaurant. On Celebrity, it was about loss of certain free dining options, some replaced by a la carte options. On Royal Caribbean, there was a complaint about the no-show fee for a reserved on-board activity.

[cbr663]

Happy Hour at sea is just like Happy Hour on the shore. It is an incentive "sale" to drive patronage and customers in during periods of low sales. The HH times seem fairly consistent across all the cruises we have taken with HAL but the times and locations are at the discretion of the Beverage Manager.

 

On our last two cruises there was also a Happy Hour from 9-10 in one of the bars that was often empty otherwise.

 

If the new price doesn't continue to drive sales during slow times then they will revisit the pricing and times.

 

A voice of reason.

 

No, HAL does not have to offer any HH on the ship, but it obviously must if it wants to increase its bar and beverage sales. Contrary to want some may think - HH isn't a bonus for the passengers.

[bUU]

Contrary to want some may think - HH isn't a bonus for the passengers.

It is for those passengers who would have purchased drinks regardless.

[Caribbean Chris]

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam Nov 27 - Dec 11 and had no problem with the happy hour price change.

 

...The NA had happy hours in both the Crow's Nest and the Ocean Bar from 4-5 PM....

 

I was sad to see that the "late night" happy hours were gone. No more cheap nightcap in the Silk Den - which is a beautiful but seemingly under-utilized venue...

 

Things change and we invariably complain, but try to remember that every day on a Cruise Ship is a Great Day!

 

I'm also sad to hear that the late night happy hours are gone. I wonder if this is fleet-wide? On the 14-day Maasdam Alaska cruise this summer, we enjoyed sitting up in the Crow's Nest for a Grand Marnier after dinner, our cruising tradition - and a bargain with HH pricing.

Edited December 24, 2016 by Caribbean Chris

[KirkNC]

Gosh, go on a Hurtengruten cruise and then you will understand expensive drinks. I don't recall anything, even house wine under $10-12.

[slidergirl]

We sure are fast enough to moan if HAL is to remain a strong profitatable budsiness but it is just fine for everyone to scramble to pay the bare bones lowest fare possible. You cannot have it both ways. THIS IS A FOR PROFIT business. Pay a bit more in your fare or pay a bit more on boad. JMO In any business, the customer pays or that business does not ldt..

 

I totally agree. HAL (and any other publically-held cruise line) is there to make a profit for it's shareholders of the primary company. People bitch and moan about the rising cost of cruises. So cruise lines do exactly what airlines and hotels are doing; keep the initial "price" as low as feasible and add in charges for what used to be complimentary. People whine about paying for luggage and food on flights, people whine about all the hotels charging that "resort fee" (even city hotels are getting in on this).

If you don't like the new structure, don't sail on HAL. Find another line that has every little thing you demand. If you can't, come on back and live with it.

[sppunk]

Koningsdam had 10-11 pm and 11-midnight happy hours fwiw.

[CruiserBruce]

Let me get this straight...somebody is complaining about getting an alcoholic drink of their choice for the price of a soft drink on the ship....

[kazu]

Let me get this straight...somebody is complaining about getting an alcoholic drink of their choice for the price of a soft drink on the ship....

 

You got it ;) Except the price is LESS than a soft drink on the ship :D:p;)

[cbr663]

Let me get this straight...somebody is complaining about getting an alcoholic drink of their choice for the price of a soft drink on the ship....

 

No, that is not what this thread is about. This thread is about HAL's passengers being nickeled and dimed in order to increase revenues. Small cut backs and small price increases that seem insignificant but can make a difference.

 

Carnival CEO made no secret that his goal was to have all passengers spend an extra $20 a day on their cruises. From increases in ticket prices (I have seen price increases of more than 100% on some itineraries), to increases in specialty dining, beverage prices, excursion prices, it would seem that Donald's plan is working well.

 

FWIW: The dollar here and dollar there that totals $20 a day nets Carnival an additional $1.5 billion a year. With that kind of money on the table, you can be sure that Donald sweats the small stuff.

[kazu]

 

<snip>

No, that is not what this thread is about. This thread is about HAL's passengers being nickeled and dimed in order to increase revenues.

 

Suggest you re-read the opening post. This was exactly what the OP was posting about - the increase in the happy hour prices. ;)

[RocketMan275]

No, that is not what this thread is about. This thread is about HAL's passengers being nickeled and dimed in order to increase revenues. Small cut backs and small price increases that seem insignificant but can make a difference.

 

You have a choice. Which do you prefer, increased revenues or decreased quality.

[CruiserBruce]

I guess prices are NEVER allowed to go up. Even when they are severely discounted to start with. Change is difficult for some....

[cbr663]

You have a choice. Which do you prefer, increased revenues or decreased quality.

 

HAL's choice of late has been increased revenues AND decreased quality. Paying more to receive less is a fool's game.

[cbr663]

I guess prices are NEVER allowed to go up. Even when they are severely discounted to start with. Change is difficult for some....

 

Personally, I couldn't care less about HH prices. We rarely drink alcohol when we cruise, and we would certainly never visit a bar during HH.

 

The OP was merely pointing out yet another example of how HAL is nickel and diming (sorry, my mistake, dollaring) yet again by raising prices during HH. The fact is that this is exactly what HAL is doing and as I pointed out, Carnival Corp's CEO has been very open about that plan. There is nothing untruthful about the OP's assertion.

 

It is obvious that some posters support Donald's plan and don't care. That's fine. Like taking candy from a baby.

 

I just don't understand the need to disparage the OP for pointing out another example of this practice.

[RocketMan275]

HAL's choice of late has been increased revenues AND decreased quality. Paying more to receive less is a fool's game.

 

If revenues had not been increased, how much further would quality have decreased.

 

The cruise line must make a profit. If that means some price increases and some quality decreases then that's life. You could have much higher price increases with constant quality or you could have constant pricing with much lower quality.

 

The point is, you cannot expect that prices will stay constant. If you want higher quality, prices will have to increase. If you want lower prices, then quality will decrease. Which do you prefer?

Edited December 25, 2016 by RocketMan275

[bUU]

I think objections also stem from targeting the criticisms at any specific company (again, NCL is actually the "winner" in terms of number of complaints about this), or even targeting them at cruise lines in general, since that ignores the fact that this is found in all aspects of our society, wherever discretionary income is spent. The criticisms imply that someone did something wrong when the broader reality indicates the opposite, that cruise lines are doing exactly what our society expects of them.

 

It may not be as personally satisfying to complain about society but that's the real "culprit" if there must be one.

Edited December 25, 2016 by bUU

[EDLOS]

No, that is not what this thread is about. This thread is about HAL's passengers being nickeled and dimed in order to increase revenues. Small cut backs and small price increases that seem insignificant but can make a difference.

 

Carnival CEO made no secret that his goal was to have all passengers spend an extra $20 a day on their cruises. From increases in ticket prices (I have seen price increases of more than 100% on some itineraries), to increases in specialty dining, beverage prices, excursion prices, it would seem that Donald's plan is working well.

 

FWIW: The dollar here and dollar there that totals $20 a day nets Carnival an additional $1.5 billion a year. With that kind of money on the table, you can be sure that Donald sweats the small stuff.

 

For those out there who say "what's a dollar, cheapskate" On a $7.50 drink, a dollar is a 13% increase and $2.00 is a 26% increase.

Since July, my $34.00 beverage stateroom package has gone up to $43.00, a 26% increase. Yes, this a very significant profit center for HAL, maybe enough to restore the old library's, ????

[holacanada]

While I sipping my second Brandy egg nog I prepared myself for free, I take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Christmas

 

;)

 

Peace on earth —

 

Holacanada from Quebec City

Cruisin' Westerdam in 123 days