Is Princess losing

[Cruise Junky]

Repositioning TAs used to be a great value, even for solos, and I got hooked on them. Then a lot more people discovered them and .... VOILA!!

Now the fares are way higher, and solos get NO breaks. Double fare or no cruise!!

 

Yeah, I know ..... cruise companies are in business to make $$$. I'm painfully aware!

Some are still dirt cheap after final payment. There were some bargains for this coming April.

[Hlitner]

All the mass market lines have been making some cut-backs (we cruise on many different lines). As to "free drink packages"......folks need to understand that "free" is not really "free" but is more of a marketing con. The lines that offer drink packages as a perk (such as Celebrity) actually increase the price of the cruise to cover most of the cost of the package. The increase is hidden in the various marketing promotions. So, for example, one can book with a drink package....or wait until the right time and get the same (or similar) cabin for less money without the drink package. The Promos can be decent in that you will often get the drink package at a slight discount (one can have a lot of fun with the math calculating all this stuff). But the cruise line "value" for the drink packages is so inflated that a discount still makes it an expensive option. In the final analysis a couple with usually pay about $100 a day (or even more) for packages. While some folks might drink this much, our own experience after forty+ years of extensive cruising is that most do not run up $100+ (per couple) bar bills. In our case, even though we drink wine at dinner and more than our share of adult beverages...we average about $72 a day (total for both of us) over a long cruise. Like many we will drink more during a sea day....but port days usually find us drinking a lot less (because we are often off the ship).

 

Hank

[Cindy]

We cruise on different lines...my last 6 cruises were Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean x 2, HAL, and Princess, with another Princess booked for this summer. Since we’re primarily focusing on port intensive non-Caribbean itineraries now, we find ourselves gravitating more towards Princess and HAL.

 

We choose based on itinerary first, and then look at cost, perks, ship, etc. The cruise I chose for this summer originally had drinks included, but I’ve been able to upgrade AND save over $1,000/person by giving up the “free” drinks and going with a subsequent promotion. I really enjoyed my two Celebrity cruises, but everything I looked at for this year had (in my opinion) too many sea days for Europe, and was extremely (again my opinion) overpriced.

 

To me, ALL the cruise lines are dramatically different than they were a decade ago. There are things that I miss from the old days, but there are also things that I think have changed for the better. I don’t see any more cuts on Princess than any of the other lines I cruise. As of last October, I thought the Princess experience was still pretty darn good. We heard plenty of whining on our HAL cruise last April and May, but in our opinion it was still pretty darn good. Celebrity and RCI still have a good product. All have made cuts, some that bother me more than others, but I’ve adjusted and will probably have to continue to do so if I want to keep cruising with the mainstream lines.

 

 

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[RDC1]

We cruise on different lines...my last 6 cruises were Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean x 2, HAL, and Princess, with another Princess booked for this summer. Since we’re primarily focusing on port intensive non-Caribbean itineraries now, we find ourselves gravitating more towards Princess and HAL.

 

We choose based on itinerary first, and then look at cost, perks, ship, etc. The cruise I chose for this summer originally had drinks included, but I’ve been able to upgrade AND save over $1,000/person by giving up the “free” drinks and going with a subsequent promotion. I really enjoyed my two Celebrity cruises, but everything I looked at for this year had (in my opinion) too many sea days for Europe, and was extremely (again my opinion) overpriced.

 

To me, ALL the cruise lines are dramatically different than they were a decade ago. There are things that I miss from the old days, but there are also things that I think have changed for the better. I don’t see any more cuts on Princess than any of the other lines I cruise. As of last October, I thought the Princess experience was still pretty darn good. We heard plenty of whining on our HAL cruise last April and May, but in our opinion it was still pretty darn good. Celebrity and RCI still have a good product. All have made cuts, some that bother me more than others, but I’ve adjusted and will probably have to continue to do so if I want to keep cruising with the mainstream lines.

 

 

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As the cruise lines have changed so have my choices. Originally my go to line was Celebrity, then after they changed to raising prices and including packages, we shifted primarily to Princess. These days we do more land tours than cruises. Our next 4 cruises are Celebrity (12 days Sydney to Sydney), HAL (16 days Sydney to Honolulu), RCI (7 day Seattle to Seattle, with grandkids), Princess (15 day LA to FLL).

 

These days it pretty much comes down to route and price. Often cruises are combined with longer land based trips with a cruise replacing a flight home from Europe or Asia.

[gwade]

I rarely post, but this thread has peaked my interest. My wife used to work for HAL during the glory days and she still regales me with stories of how great it was back then. She and her family were also avid cruisers and Elites on Princess. Since we met we've been mostly sticking to Princess and HAL (and one DCL). We both feel that HAL is dying by a thousand paper cuts. Our last HAL Christmas cruise in December was simply an awful experience. The cutbacks on staff are visible and apparent, the lack of "cruise staff" in her parlance is obvious in the lack of entertainment, the response of anyone you talk to about problems is totally unhelpful with an air of "why are you bothering me with that". In fact when I removed all gratuities from our account, it was not met with even a hint of question why.

 

We've had slightly better (albeit inconsistent) treatment on Princess...we shall see next month how they are lately.

 

The conclusion we have both come to is not that either are suffering an "identity crisis", rather they are both playing to the masses. We are seasoned travelers, she knows what it "used to be like"...heck 80% of each cruise seems to be first timers, and as far as they are concerned it's fancy, fun, fantastic and "all inclusive". We feel they simply don't care to maintain a high level of standards if "good enough" is good enough.

 

On the other hand, more upscale lines such as Crystal are now really trying to appeal to the "upper middle class" family by offering shorter trips, more children's programs, etc. It's enough where we are going to branch out and try them (wife also cruised on them when she was younger, but this will be our first with a family and kids). For my money, I'd rather spend more to have a better experience and better service...and travel less often, if that's what it takes.

 

Our "free mini bar" won't be enough to keep us coming back if the decline continues.

Edited February 27, 2018 by gwade

[Casey12]

I rarely post, but this thread has peaked my interest. My wife used to work for HAL during the glory days and she still regales me with stories of how great it was back then. She and her family were also avid cruisers and Elites on Princess.

 

What years did she consider the "glory days"? I haven't followed HAL enough.

 

 

I started cruising mid-90's and loved it back then. I wish it was still like it was in the 90's.

[moki'smommy]

What years did she consider the "glory days"? I haven't followed HAL enough.

 

 

I started cruising mid-90's and loved it back then. I wish it was still like it was in the 90's.

Yup, 1994 was our first cruise. But talking about the "glory days" of cruising is rather like talking about when it used to be enjoyable to fly. Once upon a time, flying was an exciting event; now it is a necessary chore.

[gwade]

What years did she consider the "glory days"? I haven't followed HAL enough.

 

 

I started cruising mid-90's and loved it back then. I wish it was still like it was in the 90's.

 

Ha ha fair enough. She cruised with her family in the late 80's and 90's and worked there around 2000 so yeah...everyone's timeline is different. :D

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Princess ships sail full.

 

They give GREAT last minute deals to make sure that they do :)

[caribill]

All the mass market lines have been making some cut-backs (we cruise on many different lines). As to "free drink packages"......folks need to understand that "free" is not really "free" but is more of a marketing con. The lines that offer drink packages as a perk (such as Celebrity) actually increase the price of the cruise to cover most of the cost of the package. The increase is hidden in the various marketing promotions. So, for example, one can book with a drink package....or wait until the right time and get the same (or similar) cabin for less money without the drink package.

 

Celebrity pricing from a cruise I was on last year:

They have four amenities to choose from:

a) free Internet

b) free gratuities

c) free beverage package

d) $150/person OBC

Both passengers in the cabin must make the same choice(s)

 

 

Pricing to pick 1 amenity was $150/person over the base price with no amenities

Pricing to pick 2 amenities was $330/person over the base price with no amenities

No option to pick 3 amenities

Pricing to pick all 4 amenities was $690/person over the base price with no amenities (note: if all four were picked, the beverage package was a better one)

 

Obviously none of the amenities was free no matter what marketing wording hinted. Yet many passengers on the roll call gushed about all the free amenities they received.

[chisoxfan]

Celebrity pricing from a cruise I was on last year:

They have four amenities to choose from:

a) free Internet

b) free gratuities

c) free beverage package

d) $150/person OBC

Both passengers in the cabin must make the same choice(s)

 

 

Pricing to pick 1 amenity was $150/person over the base price with no amenities

Pricing to pick 2 amenities was $330/person over the base price with no amenities

No option to pick 3 amenities

Pricing to pick all 4 amenities was $690/person over the base price with no amenities (note: if all four were picked, the beverage package was a better one)

 

Obviously none of the amenities was free no matter what marketing wording hinted. Yet many passengers on the roll call gushed about all the free amenities they received.

 

 

We always want a drink package on our Caribbean cruises. Based upon your math spending 300 dollars for both of us is certainly preferable to spending over 800 (sorry I do not recall the current value of their package). We typically book cruises with this 'perk' up to a year in advance and watch prices closely. We have never found the price to drop close to where we would be better to buy the drink package separately. Is it free? It certainly seems that way when cabin prices without drink package go up until the cruise. I am convinced that it has been a good value for us on cruises we have taken and of course when fares go up it can be a really great value. Of course in principal I can agree that 'there is no such thing as a free lunch' but for pax who make good use of the packages it can be a wonderful thing both emotionally (no worry about the final bar bill) and as a value proposition.

 

The objection I have in the cruise marketing game is with NCL who tout 'free' but add a gratuity to the inflated price of their package (and then do not include water). JMHO

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

I have also been reading on some cruises now that some cruises has dropped happy hour

 

 

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[BoughtMyPoints]

Shame you weren't Platinum or Elite on a recent cruise on the Regal ... you logged in and the screen message was : unlimited internet!

 

I have a feeling that you were spoken to badly by one of the moonlighting entertainers who help out on a paid basis at the internet cafe to help with the initial crush.

 

 

 

At the risk of being flamed, here goes:

 

It was day 1 of the cruise, so of course, I was pretty excited. DH and I stopped in the internet cafe, because I like to get my loyalty minutes and get that out of the way. We were the only people in there, except for three staff people behind the desk. I didn't realize the program had changed on the Regal, so I asked one of them if they could explain it to me, and the guy said: "it's all right there on the screen, you can just read it yourself." Now, I know I can read it myself, and no, it wasn't rocket science, but I didn't think I was asking too much for one of the three guys standing around to take a minute to help me. I think I was a little extra offended because it was a buzz kill on day 1 of the cruise. Anyway, I never took any action on it, and, thankfully, I didn't have much need for the internet cafe afterwards.

[kywildcatfanone]

Celebrity pricing from a cruise I was on last year:

They have four amenities to choose from:

a) free Internet

b) free gratuities

c) free beverage package

d) $150/person OBC

Both passengers in the cabin must make the same choice(s)

 

 

Pricing to pick 1 amenity was $150/person over the base price with no amenities

Pricing to pick 2 amenities was $330/person over the base price with no amenities

No option to pick 3 amenities

Pricing to pick all 4 amenities was $690/person over the base price with no amenities (note: if all four were picked, the beverage package was a better one)

 

Obviously none of the amenities was free no matter what marketing wording hinted. Yet many passengers on the roll call gushed about all the free amenities they received.

 

This is a great post, and true. You might get a free item, but you are still paying for it somewhere.

[Cindy]

This is a great post, and true. You might get a free item, but you are still paying for it somewhere.

 

 

That’s so true! I think people tend to get caught up in what they’re getting for “free” and don’t always look at the big picture. On my next cruise it was in my best (financial) interests to give up the AIBP for a much lower cruise fare.

 

 

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[AF-1]

That’s so true! I think people tend to get caught up in what they’re getting for “free” and don’t always look at the big picture. On my next cruise it was in my best (financial) interests to give up the AIBP for a much lower cruise fare.

 

 

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So Cindy did you give up the package and book the same ship for a lower price; or did you book a different ship at a lower price? Thanks for your answer

[Cindy]

So Cindy did you give up the package and book the same ship for a lower price; or did you book a different ship at a lower price? Thanks for your answer

 

 

 

I’ve kept my reservation and cabin, and “refared” my booking at the lower price. I’ve done that twice, and saved about $1700 per person in the process.[emoji23] Each time I calculated the value of what I was giving up and what I was gaining. The biggest drop was $950 each. We lost the beverage package, but gained $200 OBC and pre-paid gratuities. In the next price drop, we lost the gratuities but added more OBC and a specialty dinner.

 

I wasn’t able to take advantage of the most recent drop because there are no cabins left in my category. That price reduction looked good at first, but by the time I lost $200/person in OBC and a specialty dinner the net savings would only have been $21 each! It definitely wasn’t worth giving up my oversized angled balcony and going into the guarantee pool for $42![emoji857]

 

 

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[AF-1]

Thanks for your explanation

[luv4cruises]

I have cruised on 6 different cruise lines with 43 cruises sailed. Princess used to be one of my favorites. IMHO Celebrity has outdone them in the Caribbean. Celebrity’s cruise fares for mid level balcony cabins are less expensive, the cabins are better, sofas in every cabin, a beautiful and roomy bathroom, a decent sized balcony, with faux teak wood decking, not that ugly blue stuff. The entertainment and activities are comparable to Princess, the food and service equal. The Soltice class ships are among the most beautiful at sea, with an adults only Solarium, with Pool, hot Tubs’s, and a healthy food cafe in it.

No paying extra for the Serenity experience. (There is no butler service). On Celebrity you are welcomed aboard with Champagne, They run many more promos - most of the time I get a less expensive fare than Princess for similar cabin, itinerary, and it includes the classic drink package that includes the 18% gratuity and a choice of free daily gratuities,Internet or OBC. Furthermore they offer reduced deposits of 25.00 /pp often and they are the first to open booking windows 2-3 years out. I have been trying to find a cruise on the Royal Princess that can offer me all that I get on Celebrity for a comparable price. So far no luck. I have sailed on the Royal, the Regal and 6 other Princess ships. I hope that sometime soon they will be more competive with Celebrity.

[BCCRUSINGCOUPLE]

I have cruised on 6 different cruise lines with 43 cruises sailed. Princess used to be one of my favorites. IMHO Celebrity has outdone them in the Caribbean. Celebrity’s cruise fares for mid level balcony cabins are less expensive, the cabins are better, sofas in every cabin, a beautiful and roomy bathroom, a decent sized balcony, with faux teak wood decking, not that ugly blue stuff. The entertainment and activities are comparable to Princess, the food and service equal. The Soltice class ships are among the most beautiful at sea, with an adults only Solarium, with Pool, hot Tubs’s, and a healthy food cafe in it.

No paying extra for the Serenity experience. (There is no butler service). On Celebrity you are welcomed aboard with Champagne, They run many more promos - most of the time I get a less expensive fare than Princess for similar cabin, itinerary, and it includes the classic drink package that includes the 18% gratuity and a choice of free daily gratuities,Internet or OBC. Furthermore they offer reduced deposits of 25.00 /pp often and they are the first to open booking windows 2-3 years out. I have been trying to find a cruise on the Royal Princess that can offer me all that I get on Celebrity for a comparable price. So far no luck. I have sailed on the Royal, the Regal and 6 other Princess ships. I hope that sometime soon they will be more competive with Celebrity.

 

 

 

I agree if you really look into other lines there are some really good deals. I have sailed 25 plus times on princess and understood I was paying a bit more but however for service and experience I was good with that. However princess is cutting in so many places however there fair price is up I think in time princess will start to notice

 

 

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