What are you most upset about in the Cruise Industry?

[Itchy&Scratchy]

what I am upset about is that they refuse to sail out of Atlanta. It's a shame, truly. 

[maler]

A few years ago on a 'budget' cruise line, I found many of the passengers to be people I wouldn't associate with in everyday life.

I won't make any stereotypes but a large percentage of passengers were what are often referred to as 'trailer trash' and of course, they were the ones that complained the loudest, were rude to fellow passengers and crew and the noisiest ones at the pool.

I vowed from that point to avoid the budget cruise lines and only cruise when (most) kids are in school.

[JMorris271]

On ‎3‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 10:55 PM, MicCanberra said:

Exactly, if you can find a nice restaurant in port and sample the local cuisine.

And beer.

[Hlitner]

Lord, save me from the social do-gooders who think every forum on earth is interested!  However, if you want to talk about "beer" that is entirely acceptable topic and very related to the cruise industry.  Most cruise ships/lines have an awful selection of beer and we think that Princess is among the worst when it comes to mass market lines.  Other lines like Celebrity and Carnival "get it" and have an OK selection....although we would love to see more draught beers.  As to Princess, I have just a three letter word for that line,  "IPA."  Now those letters are probably meaningless to the beer purchasing agent at Princess....but we can hope.

 

And no, I could care less about the wages of various crew members...although a strong case could be made that senior marine officers are horribly underpaid.  Bottom line is that the crew is no longer "impressed" into service and most work hard and compete for their jobs.  If they are unhappy with their work situation they are free to leave anytime...although leaving before the end of their contract will cost them some transportation money.

 

Hank

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, JMorris271 said:

And beer.

That goes without saying.🍻

[Sea Hag]

I'm not upset about anything at all in the cruise industry. Nothing is perfect in this life, and I don't expect cruise lines to be perfect either. If I ever find myself becoming upset about cruising, then I'll stop cruising.

[gooch47]

I know this won't go over well, but I get slightly annoyed at the "Titanic" class system trend such as the Haven or Club Class on Princess.  It just doesn't seem right that there are places us "low class" passengers can't go, dining room areas we can't sit in, or <<horrors>>>, separate dining rooms.

 

Yes, I know they pay extra for it.  We could afford to, too, if we wanted, but don't.

[jwcruise1]

17 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

what I am upset about is that they refuse to sail out of Atlanta. It's a shame, truly. 

Yeah I just don't understand what the problem is? Maybe a combination river/ocean cruise down the Chattahoochee?

[John&LaLa]

On 3/23/2019 at 8:49 AM, navybankerteacher said:

While it is true that you might be paying the same price for a week at sea as you did 10 or 20 years ago, the cutbacks when taken together mean that you are not getting the same thing for that price.

 

Sure, it is possible to buy a car for $20,000 today - the same way you could buy a car for $20,000 twenty years ago —- but it sure won’t be the same sort of car.

 

it is pointless to state that prices have not changed when what you get for a particular price is so very different.

 

 

 

But now we get balconies, ice skating, dive shows, Broadway productions, rock walls, surf simulators,  water slides, zip lines, etc....

[John&LaLa]

On 3/23/2019 at 9:25 PM, lenquixote66 said:

Not enough cruise ports in the US.

Too much unhealthy food

 

Did there used to be more?

[John&LaLa]

On 3/23/2019 at 9:52 PM, lenquixote66 said:

I think there should be a port in CT ,possiblly New London and definititely more than 2 ports in NY . I would suggest Freeport,Manhattan Beach and Rockaway.

 

If you build it, they will come.

[Mike981]

I guess for me it's functionality, from embarkation to disembarking  and everything else in between that deals with people flow. Man sometimes it is just obvious that a little forethought could go a long way.

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the constant up sells and nickle and diming. But it is what it is and the market will decide what prices will be, the most popular ships/trips and how much up the customers will put up with.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

But now we get balconies, ice skating, dive shows, Broadway productions, rock walls, surf simulators,  water slides, zip lines, etc....

If I want ice skating, dive shows, rock walls, surf simulators, water slides, zip lines, etc. I would prefer to find them in amusement parks — where they would be much better than they are when limited in the confines of a ship.

 

By trying to be all things for all people, mass market cruise lines have stopped doing what they used to do very well:  provide good food, good service, and quality entertainment along with transportation to interesting places.

 

Now they have what amounts to a floating mob scene - thousands of people in desperate need of external stimulation- and bring them to places which get overrun with thousands more visitors than can be absorbed without hiding what used to make those places interesting.

[navybankerteacher]

On 3/24/2019 at 12:03 PM, Velvetwater said:

 

 

 

 

I'll just post an image rather than discuss/hijack in the usual way since this thread has already  been hijacked with French bubbles which admittedly, I was mistakenly part of.

Are you trying to pretend that posting that cartoon was not as much a hijacking as a few paragraphs of polemics?

 

if you are ethically opposed to the business model, you should boycott the business — if you just prefer the UK approach to compensating service providers ...............

[OCruisers]

On 3/23/2019 at 7:39 PM, OCruisers said:

No longer having the MDR open for lunch on Port Days.  

 

On 3/23/2019 at 10:41 PM, MicCanberra said:

It is nicer to dine than to just eat, but agree, lunch in port is just as good.

 

On 3/23/2019 at 10:50 PM, lenquixote66 said:

 

We personally prefer lunch in port because we have the opportunity to eat authentic foods that we cannot get at a restaurant where we live.

 

On 3/23/2019 at 10:55 PM, MicCanberra said:

Exactly, if you can find a nice restaurant in port and sample the local cuisine.

 

In Reply:  Great to have lunch in ports of call. We often do and enjoy when convenient.

Unfortunately, sometimes getting to them can be a problem for those with mobility issues or even minor walking issues.  

 

Also some book a cruise just to be cruising so seldom get off the ship.

 

In January we mostly stayed on the ship and were amazed at the large number of others who did as well -- the buffet was full at lunch time as was the hamburger station and the pizza station.  

 

Yes,  we would have liked for the MDR to have been open for lunch.  

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

If I want ice skating, dive shows, rock walls, surf simulators, water slides, zip lines, etc. I would prefer to find them in amusement parks — where they would be much better than they are when limited in the confines of a ship.

 

By trying to be all things for all people, mass market cruise lines have stopped doing what they used to do very well:  provide good food, good service, and quality entertainment along with transportation to interesting places.

 

Now they have what amounts to a floating mob scene - thousands of people in desperate need of external stimulation- and bring them to places which get overrun with thousands more visitors than can be absorbed without hiding what used to make those places interesting.

 

Well, we all have an opinion.  Big fan of Mega ship entertainment. 

 

[MicCanberra]

I like ships that provide a multitude of diverse entertainment opportunities, as that way people can pick and choose which ones they want to see. If there were not many choices, everyone would be doing the same things and it would be crowded. This way, we can avoid most of it and have relatively quieter areas.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Well, we all have an opinion.  Big fan of Mega ship entertainment. 

 

To each his own - when I want “Broadway”, I’ll go to Broadway;  when I want to cruise, I’ll find a ship.

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

To each his own - when I want “Broadway”, I’ll go to Broadway;  when I want to cruise, I’ll find a ship.

 

Sorry, you said entertainment.  

So, when exactly was your golden age of cruises 

[navybankerteacher]

5 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Sorry, you said entertainment.  

So, when exactly was your golden age of cruises 

My own “golden age” is ongoing.  The age of quality cruising (at least on the mainstream lines) in my view started tapering off about 2000. I really had little experience before 1990.

 

[navybankerteacher]

13 hours ago, gooch47 said:

I know this won't go over well, but I get slightly annoyed at the "Titanic" class system trend such as the Haven or Club Class on Princess.  It just doesn't seem right that there are places us "low class" passengers can't go, dining room areas we can't sit in, or <<horrors>>>, separate dining rooms.

 

Yes, I know they pay extra for it.  We could afford to, too, if we wanted, but don't.

Until perhaps a dozen years ago cruise ships were essentially one class.  Then the main stream lines figured there was a much larger market that could be appealed to if prices were held down. They were right: the numbers of people cruising have skyrocketed -of course holding prices down meant cutting down on the overall quality:  entertainment, service, food preparation and presentation all reflected the unavoidable deterioration.

 

Then the lines decided to try to keep some of the market that wanted more than the bare bones inexpensive deals:  the only way a superior product could be provided in the mass market environment was by carving out enclaves: the “Haven or Club Class” you mentioned.

 

If you want more than the cheap experience, you can pay for it —- if you don’t, you can enjoy the bargain you want to buy —- does it hurt you in any way if someone else has something different from what you are willing to settle for?

[MicCanberra]

IMO, it all depends on what side of the velvet rope you are on. There is Envy on one side and Pride on the other.

[DirtyDawg]

11 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Well, we all have an opinion.  Big fan of Mega ship entertainment. 

 

 

I have to admit, that mega ship entertainment is not my cup of tea....

 

... or glass of sparkling wine. 😉

[John&LaLa]

8 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Until perhaps a dozen years ago cruise ships were essentially one class.  Then the main stream lines figured there was a much larger market that could be appealed to if prices were held down. They were right: the numbers of people cruising have skyrocketed -of course holding prices down meant cutting down on the overall quality:  entertainment, service, food preparation and presentation all reflected the unavoidable deterioration.

 

Then the lines decided to try to keep some of the market that wanted more than the bare bones inexpensive deals:  the only way a superior product could be provided in the mass market environment was by carving out enclaves: the “Haven or Club Class” you mentioned.

 

If you want more than the cheap experience, you can pay for it —- if you don’t, you can enjoy the bargain you want to buy —- does it hurt you in any way if someone else has something different from what you are willing to settle for?

 

Curious why you think entertainment has gone down. I feel it's gone up. 

[navybankerteacher]

8 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Curious why you think entertainment has gone down. I feel it's gone up. 

I suppose it’s a matter of taste.  I considered the live music, of various sorts - in several venues in the evenings, including at dinner to be part of entertainment. The shows, stand-up comedians, games, even enrichment talks all contributed.  Sure, the loud Vegas-style shows of today did not exist in the past - but I don’t think they come close in over-all value - or in any way replace what has been removed.