Why Doesn't Princess Modern"icized" Their (Old) Ships?

[MSBerliner]

We prefer the lovely design and decor of the current, so called "older" Princess ships (Ruby etc.).  It is warm and comforting. And, yes we would prefer a hand-held shower to a fixed shower head.  We would also prefer a much better menu for the main dining room (where did Hungarian goulash go to?) We would also prefer Princess bring back the pub lunch in the Crown Grill at least twice per week, not just stick fish and chips in the Horizon court buffet once per trip!  All cruise lines could assure that whomever gives announcements over the PA system can speak clear, understandable English!!!!!

[capriccio]

18 minutes ago, MSBerliner said:

We would also prefer Princess bring back the pub lunch in the Crown Grill at least twice per week, not just stick fish and chips in the Horizon court buffet once per trip.

IIRC The pub lunch was available on our December cruise.  Which ship(s) has discontinued it?

[OCruisers]

29 minutes ago, capriccio said:

IIRC The pub lunch was available on our December cruise.  Which ship(s) has discontinued it?

 

Also wondering which ships no longer ever offer the pub lunch?  

On Caribbean Princess in January the pub lunch was offered several times.  

Edited February 17, 2019 by OCruisers

[voljeep]

9 minutes ago, OCruisers said:

 

Also wondering which ships no longer ever offer the pub lunch?  

On Caribbean Princess in January the pub lunch was offered several times.  

we got it once ( the last sea day ) on the Regal last year ( March , 2018 )  7 day eastern carib

 

it was packed with a waiting line when we left ... don't remember the venue ...

Edited February 17, 2019 by voljeep

[TorontoTL]

Of the Princess ships I’ve sailed on that had been updated, none of them really had any significant cabin updates that were visible to me, other than mattresses and bedding.  When they update their ships they should do more to update the cabins including the bathrooms.  The bathrooms in cabins on the Grand are looking very dated.

Edited February 17, 2019 by TorontoTL

[MSBerliner]

The pub lunch was missing, except for the one item as mentioned, on the Ruby's Feb 1-8, 2019 Mexican Riviera cruise.

[RDC1]

I like Princess ships to look like Princess ships, not be redecorated to the latest hotel trend.

[capriccio]

1 hour ago, TorontoTL said:

Of the Princess ships I’ve sailed on that had been updated, none of them really had any significant cabin updates that were visible to me, other than mattresses and bedding.  When they update their ships they should do more to update the cabins including the bathrooms.  The bathrooms in cabins on the Grand are looking very dated.

We noticed new tile in our mini-suite bathroom on the Crown Princess this December.  it was a definite improvement over the tile on our December 2016/January 2017 on the Crown.

[richsea]

4 hours ago, floridalover5623 said:

I don't know about yourself but we fit the mold of not spending much on the ship for any of our cruises. Between all the perks, OBC, loyalty credit, military credit & FCC, the amount of profit for people like us is minimal. 

If it wasn't for the newbies & people sailing maybe once every few years, I doubt if they could stay profitable. 

We are also in that mold. Our onboard bill is less than when we first started cruising, not so much because we don’t spend less, but because we shop smarter & get more OBC from our on line TA, which has no effect on the cruise line. The perks from the cruise line are a result of THEIR policy of rewarding past cruisers; an indication that they need us. If they really didn’t need us, they would just shrink the loyalty programs to nothing. They succeed largely because of frequent cruisers, not in spite of them. I agree that newbies do spend more than us, but without us, they’d all be in trouble.

[getting older slowly]

It is interesting  point.... your spend OB.... yes always like OBC.... over our last five cruises our OB cost have stayed about the same   which is about $110 per day for the two of us..... ( sometimes more ) 

 

Yes we have a relation whom ( well one would say frugal ) spends nothing OB....They take an inside cabin... they do not drink.... and eat at the buffet or MDR.... and do anything which is free....

 

It takes all types of people.

 

well in a week, one we be adding to our OB account.

 

Cheers Don 

[hubofhockey]

I know the OP and actually met him on the Ruby in 2010, when it was fairly new.  Need2CruiseSoon is not a homer for any cruise line.  He cruises on several lines and is qualified to compare different lines and what lines are doing to keep old ships fresh.  We had been pretty much regular Princess cruisers, but had a vacation cancellation and found a nice itinerary on an older Celebrity M Class ship, the Constellation.  We were afraid of it being an older smaller ship, but fell in love with that ship and a very cool Adriatic itinerary.  The ship had been Solcistized and we loved Aqua Class and Blu.  It's important for cruise lines to refresh and improve these older ships.  With the right investment and modernization, they can be destinations again.  I loved the Ruby more than I liked the Royal Princess and believe, in many ways, it's a better ship.  I hope Princess updates, refreshes, and otherwise invests in these ships.  If they do, I'd love to go back.

[UpcountryTravelers]

On 2/24/2019 at 9:57 PM, hubofhockey said:

.  I hope Princess updates, refreshes, and otherwise invests in these ships.  If they do, I'd love to go back.

Agree.  Refresh and upgrade, don't go to a lot of changes to the traditional Princess decor we love.  Example: when Caribbean Princess came out of last drydock, we loved the freshening, especially the delightful buffet upgrade.  But it was still obviously Princess, so we felt at home and booked her again.

[wineglass]

We just took an inaugural cruise on the "revolutionary" Celebrity Edge.

the crew was terrific, the food was very good. We were unhappy with the ship. 

The "music" around the ship was te no music, loud and discordant, the atmosphere was more like a European hotel than a ship. If that is what you are talking about, count us out

[Daniel A]

On ‎2‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 9:57 PM, hubofhockey said:

 I hope Princess updates, refreshes, and otherwise invests in these ships.  If they do, I'd love to go back.

I think updating and refreshing is expected of all cruise ships.  The OP was asking for a revolution in design.  I think there's a big difference between the two.  I'm not interested in Princess hiring an Avant Garde designer to out Avant Garde other cruise lines just for the sake of having a revolution in design.  I like Princess they way it is.

 

I'm happy for you to see you found another cruise line that is a better fit for your tastes.  Enjoy!

[LSGDRG]

On 2/12/2019 at 6:56 PM, need2cruisesoon said:

Another cruise line is giving their ships a Revolution in design and update, why not Princess?

I like the decor on Princess ships.  I find the decorations on Celebrity and Viking to be cold and unappealing.  The design change I would like to see is to focus more on the outdoors.  I want to know that I am on a ship & not a floating hotel.  I like the idea of a promenade that encircles the ship and more indoor/outdoor seating & dining venues.  Where I think Princess needs to update is the activities.  I know that I am in the minority, but I would like less trivia and more of a variety of activities.

[Cruise Junky]

3 hours ago, Daniel A said:

I think updating and refreshing is expected of all cruise ships.  The OP was asking for a revolution in design.  I think there's a big difference between the two.  I'm not interested in Princess hiring an Avant Garde designer to out Avant Garde other cruise lines just for the sake of having a revolution in design.  I like Princess they way it is.

 

I'm happy for you to see you found another cruise line that is a better fit for your tastes.  Enjoy!

But isn't that what Princess have done with the Royal, Regal, etc. ?  a completely different design. No more promenade.  Seems like they did just what you wanted to avoid.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Cruise Junky

[Dani24]

I read these articles this morning which I think tells exactly where Carnival Corp -- and by extension Princess -- are in their thinking about future direction.

https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-cruise-ceo-reveals-company-turnaround-plan-2019-2
 

https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-cruise-ceo-reveals-industrys-biggest-challenge-2019-2

Yes, Princess (and the other Carnival lines) want to retain past passengers... but mostly as part of a model that centers highly around ADDING even MORE passengers to amp up demand. I expect that we will see more and more that Carnival Corp/Princess will focus on bringing in and appealing to new customers, and then trying to retain those new customers. Which means changing things to appeal to people who currently aren't really considering cruising as a vacation option (or who have been unsatisfied with cruising but may be swayed if certain things were different).

I also think that Carnival Corp/Princess will need to focus on a younger clientele in order to thrive long term (f they don't, they'll go the way of your favorite old-school restaurant, who ultimately closed down due to declining business as a result of a failure to modernize and attract new customers). Many of the cruise line's long-term clientele will be aging to the point that they can no longer cruise, whether they want to or not. By focusing on a younger demographic (not necessarily college kids, but perhaps families, DINKs, middle-aged folks who are nearing retirement and/or an empty nest and have several decades of cruising still ahead of them), they can help future-proof their profits.

This means appealing to these demographics. And, being part of this "younger" clientele, I can tell you that "we" want a lot of things that I see the more seasoned generation decrying. More modern decor (though in general, I personally love how tasteful Princess is with their decor, it could stand some updating as some of it feels a bit dated in some aspects). More modern food ("my" generation tends to identify more as "foodies", and aren't as happy on the whole with more traditional, old-school dishes). In fact, on the food front, I'd say that what they've done with things like SHARE are precisely targeted to a demographic like mine (whether it's good or not is a separate story -- I have yet to try it, but I look forward to experiencing it at some point). Ocean Medallion is another appeal to "my" generation. I'm happy without it, but the younger generation is more tech-minded, and enjoys feeling "cutting edge", having modern conveniences, and is (in general) perfectly comfortable trading off some privacy for these "benefits". And activities that appeal to the younger generations (they may not all want/need rock walls, and bumper cars, but they want choice and variety and more excitement, and they are drawn to certain things that their parents/grandparents generations aren't.

So, in the meantime, Princess has to find a balance of offering some of what their longer-term customers want, and some of what their newer customers want, with that balance shifting more and more as the latter overtakes the former. If they don't, they won't survive at all. 

[4cats4me]

On 2/26/2019 at 8:00 PM, wineglass said:

We just took an inaugural cruise on the "revolutionary" Celebrity Edge.

the crew was terrific, the food was very good. We were unhappy with the ship. 

The "music" around the ship was te no music, loud and discordant, the atmosphere was more like a European hotel than a ship. If that is what you are talking about, count us out

 

As much as I like Princess, I do wish they would get with the times and  play some techno, at least in Club 6 or Skywalker’s.   I love the European vibe, like on Celebrity.   

[floridalover5623]

4 hours ago, LSGDRG said:

I know that I am in the minority, but I would like less trivia and more of a variety of activities.

So would I but when would you like them to schedule it?

As it is there's something scheduled for every conceivable hour in the evening. 

[Daniel A]

1 hour ago, Dani24 said:

I read these articles this morning which I think tells exactly where Carnival Corp -- and by extension Princess -- are in their thinking about future direction.

https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-cruise-ceo-reveals-company-turnaround-plan-2019-2
 

https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-cruise-ceo-reveals-industrys-biggest-challenge-2019-2

Yes, Princess (and the other Carnival lines) want to retain past passengers... but mostly as part of a model that centers highly around ADDING even MORE passengers to amp up demand. I expect that we will see more and more that Carnival Corp/Princess will focus on bringing in and appealing to new customers, and then trying to retain those new customers. Which means changing things to appeal to people who currently aren't really considering cruising as a vacation option (or who have been unsatisfied with cruising but may be swayed if certain things were different).

I also think that Carnival Corp/Princess will need to focus on a younger clientele in order to thrive long term (f they don't, they'll go the way of your favorite old-school restaurant, who ultimately closed down due to declining business as a result of a failure to modernize and attract new customers). Many of the cruise line's long-term clientele will be aging to the point that they can no longer cruise, whether they want to or not. By focusing on a younger demographic (not necessarily college kids, but perhaps families, DINKs, middle-aged folks who are nearing retirement and/or an empty nest and have several decades of cruising still ahead of them), they can help future-proof their profits.

This means appealing to these demographics. And, being part of this "younger" clientele, I can tell you that "we" want a lot of things that I see the more seasoned generation decrying. More modern decor (though in general, I personally love how tasteful Princess is with their decor, it could stand some updating as some of it feels a bit dated in some aspects). More modern food ("my" generation tends to identify more as "foodies", and aren't as happy on the whole with more traditional, old-school dishes). In fact, on the food front, I'd say that what they've done with things like SHARE are precisely targeted to a demographic like mine (whether it's good or not is a separate story -- I have yet to try it, but I look forward to experiencing it at some point). Ocean Medallion is another appeal to "my" generation. I'm happy without it, but the younger generation is more tech-minded, and enjoys feeling "cutting edge", having modern conveniences, and is (in general) perfectly comfortable trading off some privacy for these "benefits". And activities that appeal to the younger generations (they may not all want/need rock walls, and bumper cars, but they want choice and variety and more excitement, and they are drawn to certain things that their parents/grandparents generations aren't.

So, in the meantime, Princess has to find a balance of offering some of what their longer-term customers want, and some of what their newer customers want, with that balance shifting more and more as the latter overtakes the former. If they don't, they won't survive at all. 

Some of what you say is true, but for the most part, families have college to save for and college loans to pay off, expensive health and life insurance premiums often making going on multiple cruises a low priority.  "DINKS" are nothing new, they started with the baby boomers.  The baby boomers are the ones who have retired and no longer have the big health insurance bills (Medicare), they have paid off their kids college loans (finally!)and they now have the disposable incomes to afford cruising.  Families tend to go toward something like Disney, but very often that is a once in a lifetime deal and those cruises are often paid for by grandparents (again with disposable incomes and assets.)

 

Princess needs to keep its base happy and coming back while figuring a way to attract newer retirees.  Princess' style isn't for everyone and I believe it would be a death knell if they tried to be something for everyone.  Most of us Princess cruisers have both the time and the money to go to sea with Princess.  I  really don't want to be on cruises with a bunch of people who have never been on a cruise before and are never likely to cruise again.  There are other cruise lines that attract that demographic.

 

I don't know if Princess is still doing this with the Medallion System but when walking the corridors, take note of how many blue name tags are at the stateroom doors as opposed to gold, ruby, silver and black name placards there are.  I think Princess needs to keep their base happy and coming back.

[Dani24]

5 minutes ago, Daniel A said:

Some of what you say is true, but for the most part, families have college to save for and college loans to pay off, expensive health and life insurance premiums often making going on multiple cruises a low priority.  "DINKS" are nothing new, they started with the baby boomers.  The baby boomers are the ones who have retired and no longer have the big health insurance bills (Medicare), they have paid off their kids college loans (finally!)and they now have the disposable incomes to afford cruising.  Families tend to go toward something like Disney, but very often that is a once in a lifetime deal and those cruises are often paid for by grandparents (again with disposable incomes and assets.)

 

Princess needs to keep its base happy and coming back while figuring a way to attract newer retirees.  Princess' style isn't for everyone and I believe it would be a death knell if they tried to be something for everyone.  Most of us Princess cruisers have both the time and the money to go to sea with Princess.  I  really don't want to be on cruises with a bunch of people who have never been on a cruise before and are never likely to cruise again.  There are other cruise lines that attract that demographic.

 

I don't know if Princess is still doing this with the Medallion System but when walking the corridors, take note of how many blue name tags are at the stateroom doors as opposed to gold, ruby, silver and black name placards there are.  I think Princess needs to keep their base happy and coming back.

 

I disagree with regards to family vacations. We have an elementary school-aged daughter. We go on at least one big family vacation (just the 3 of us) every year -- sometimes two or three. Plus another multi-generation family vacation every year or two. Our vacations are always paid by us. We save for college, pay a mortgage, pay for expensive after-school care, etc. Both my husband and I work, and while we make good money, we are hardly rich or even close to it. We're decidedly middle class for where we live. And we're hardly unique in our vacationing. Most of the families we know (which is a lot) also take at least one or two big vacations every year, paid for by themselves. Some of them cruise. Most vary it up (like we do) between various types of vacations. Honestly, most shy away from Disney cruises because it's so expensive (and if they cruise, prefer a more affordable line). We have done one Disney cruise, and while we love Disney, it wasn't worth the price, so we're heading back to Princess. The biggest reason most of our family peers don't cruise, or at least don't cruise Princess, is because they don't think it will be fun enough for their family, or they've never tried cruising and are worried they're going to feel "stuck on a floating Motel 6" or something. But with the right targeting, and the right amenities, a lot of them could be swayed to cruise. Especially once the parents realize it's not only affordable for everything you get, but it provides an immense about of flexibility for families (use of kids clubs, people being able to do the activities they like while still feeling "together" by being on the same ship, getting to explore various areas without needing to haul kids and their mountain of luggage all over the place, family-friendly dining, etc.)

 

I do think Princess needs to keep their base happy. But their base is largely older, and eventually will no longer be able to cruise at all. If Princess doesn't figure out how to attract a younger clientele now (and get them loyal), then when the current clientele passes away they will be in big trouble. My point is that many of the changes we've seen (that I've seen older folks complain about) appear to be targeting that younger demographic. And even people nearing retirement today have different needs and interests than today's retirees, and Princess needs to evolve to meet their preferences as well. 

[floridalover5623]

9 hours ago, Dani24 said:

I do think Princess needs to keep their base happy. But their base is largely older, and eventually will no longer be able to cruise at all. If Princess doesn't figure out how to attract a younger clientele now (and get them loyal), then when the current clientele passes away they will be in big trouble. My point is that many of the changes we've seen (that I've seen older folks complain about) appear to be targeting that younger demographic. And even people nearing retirement today have different needs and interests than today's retirees, and Princess needs to evolve to meet their preferences as well. 

Very true but I don't believe they want to change to fast for fear of scarring away their loyal customer base.

Saying that, I haven't seen many changes in the past 20 years that do attract a younger crowd.

[Dani24]

4 hours ago, floridalover5623 said:

Very true but I don't believe they want to change to fast for fear of scarring away their loyal customer base.

Saying that, I haven't seen many changes in the past 20 years that do attract a younger crowd.

 

I think you're right that over the last couple of decades on the whole it's hasn't been a focus. Granted, we started sailing princess in our 20's, and Princess has largely fit our style, and we've met some other younger couples who felt the same, so there's something that has worked there.

 

But, in the last few years I do think there's been signs of a shift. It's not a wholesale departure from who they have been in the past, but they are adding or changing things that I see from these boards are upsetting their older passengers, but attractive to the younger passengers. And given the direction Carnival Corp has started moving in the last couple of years since bringing on their new CEO, it makes sense the shift is starting now. And it will be gradual. I don't think they can afford to completely overhaul everything overnight. And I don't think Princess is going to want to change into one of their competitors. But they are going to need to find their niche amongst a somewhat younger crowd to survive.

 

My hope is that this looks like what we were attracted to Princess for in the first place. A refined elegant experience, without feeling snooty or pretentious. A relaxed atmosphere without heavy drinking/partying/etc., yet still has good entertainment options (this could use some enhancements). Good food, especially creative and interesting cuisine. And excellent service that feels a little pampering and indulgent. And all that without costing an arm and a leg. There are some aspects of that experience I would say rated more of a B/B+ than an A. But I feel Princess has a strong opportunity right now to step up their game in some of these areas, and others, to create an attractive experience for the younger crowd without completely changing who they are. 

Edited March 1, 2019 by Dani24

[LSGDRG]

17 hours ago, floridalover5623 said:

So would I but when would you like them to schedule it?

As it is there's something scheduled for every conceivable hour in the evening. 

I was thinking that Princess might want to change up their daytime activities, especially on sea days.  I would like to see more free exercise classes, like tai chi or an intro to pickleball.  I would also like more enrichment/port lectures and cooking/bar demonstrations.  So much of the activities onboard seem designed to sell you something.

[floridalover5623]

1 hour ago, Dani24 said:

But they are going to need to find their niche amongst a somewhat younger crowd to survive.

It's a catch 22 situation. 

Change to fast & they'll drive more their older loyal people to HAL.

Don't change quick enough & they'll lose out on future generations who've built up credits with Carnival, NCL & RCI who have already seen the writing on the wall. 

ie. dress codes, pool slides, etc.