Where have the libraries gone?

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, atexsix said:

If it's about costs then why not put in an actual book/convenient store of some type?  Almost every hotel in the world has a small shop that sells the usual forgotten items such as medicine, books, and sundries. And yes they are overpriced but people would expect this, seems to me any ship would make a mint off this.  But instead, HAL seems to think everybody wants to buy watches, shot glasses, and dam ship merchandise.

 

Oh my, I like that idea!  Seattle, are you reading this? 

[sail7seas]

2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Oh my, I like that idea!  Seattle, are you reading this? 

  

YES !!

put the shop in the space that used to be a library

 

I love the idea,

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, RuthC said:

 

However, if you aren't going to leave a paper book for someone who would like one, then don't take one, either. 

 

Well said!  I am going to leave whatever book wherever I can, if possible, when it's read.  Even in the Concierge Lounge at the Fort Lauderdale North Marriott Hotel there was an area where previous guests added their books.  (I left a hardback as well.)

 

 

[rkacruiser]

2 minutes ago, sail7seas said:

  

YES !!

put the shop in the space that used to be a library

 

I love the idea,

 

 

 

 

Or the area that sells the very high priced jewelry.  I rarely see any guests in that area when I walk by.

[sail7seas]

This idea is perfect.

 

 

[Cruising-along]

21 hours ago, atexsix said:

If it's about costs then why not put in an actual book/convenient store of some type?

A year or two ago on one of our cruises,  they did have a few paperbacks for sale in one of the shops.   It could have been the Rotterdam  VOV of 2018, I'm not sure...anyway I was pleased to see it but haven't seen anything like it on any cruise since. 

[Redtravel]

Library on a cruise ship is a valuable space that doesn’t make money.  Gone!  That space could be converted into more profits.  

[rkacruiser]

20 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Library on a cruise ship is a valuable space that doesn’t make money.  Gone!  That space could be converted into more profits.  

 

As a shareholder, I am certainly interested in my Company's bottom line.  However, my Company is in the business of attracting additional guests, and retaining them,  spending money on their product.  If their product does not offer what a guest wishes, there will be no repeat business from that guest.  

 

What attracts guests to spend their money on a cruise vacation?  It's the destinations that they wish to visit.  It's the amenities available on a ship.  (Some want a zip line; some don't.)  It's the dining reputation, the service and friendliness reputation of the crew.  (You want to increase profits on a cruise?  Have a bar staff, such as the Ocean Bar currently on Eurodam.  Everyone of us in regular attendance for the HH enjoyed that staff and encouraged us to arrive early and stay late for HH.)  And, this guest returned for more after dinner.

[Shmoo here]

22 hours ago, atexsix said:

Almost every hotel in the world has a small shop that sells the usual forgotten items such as medicine, books, and sundries. And yes they are overpriced but people would expect this, seems to me any ship would make a mint off this.  But instead, HAL seems to think everybody wants to buy watches, shot glasses, and dam ship merchandise.

We've always found a small section of one of the shops with sundries (aspirin, cold meds, hair care items, and more).  Can't recall that there were books, though.  

Edited February 11, 2020 by Shmoo here

[atexsix]

35 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

We've always found a small section of one of the shops with sundries (aspirin, cold meds, hair care items, and more).  Can't recall that there were books, though.  

I could have sworn I checked every inch of the Eurodam shops in search of Aloe to use on a sunburn, ended up buying it for $15 at the ship's medical office, I was desperate and would have paid $50.

[Shmoo here]

Just now, atexsix said:

I could have sworn I checked every inch of the Eurodam shops in search of Aloe to use on a sunburn, ended up buying it for $15 at the ship's medical office, I was desperate and would have paid $50.

Now, whether they'd have a specific brand/item, I can't say.  And, even if they did, the small supplies they have for such items could be sold out on any given cruise.  But there's some things onboard.

[atexsix]

5 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

Now, whether they'd have a specific brand/item, I can't say.  And, even if they did, the small supplies they have for such items could be sold out on any given cruise.  But there's some things onboard.

That's true and I don't mean to misjudge the ships.  But I think they could have thought it out better, a small bookshop with tables/chairs could have replaced the library proper.  And if they are trying to appeal to millenials, I read a very recent article about how millenials are flocking to real books and that e-readers are mainly popular with gen-exer's and boomers (bad eyesight maybe?).  Who would've thought?

Edited February 11, 2020 by atexsix

[Redtravel]

Look at other cruise lines.  Many are closing libraries. Some are also closing casinos. Those spaces are repurposed to make more money. One of my first stops after embarkation was to visit the ship library to check out books. Reading on a cruise is one of my favorite things.  On a cruise, I enjoy reading without interruptions....no phones, no kids, etc.  I now load up my kindle before leaving home.  If I do find an open library with good titles, I will read them. If not, I read my kindle.  I miss the library. However, it is not a deal breaker. I also don’t miss the casinos.

[atexsix]

42 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Look at other cruise lines.  Many are closing libraries. Some are also closing casinos. Those spaces are repurposed to make more money. One of my first stops after embarkation was to visit the ship library to check out books. Reading on a cruise is one of my favorite things.  On a cruise, I enjoy reading without interruptions....no phones, no kids, etc.  I now load up my kindle before leaving home.  If I do find an open library with good titles, I will read them. If not, I read my kindle.  I miss the library. However, it is not a deal breaker. I also don’t miss the casinos.

I'm in the process of loading my Kindle, I sail in 8 weeks, e-readers aren't perfect but I love knowing I have hundreds of choices available, for me books are comforting.

 

I probably wouldn't miss the casino either. Their hours are too varied and there's never anything compelling taking place when they are open.  A recent review I read stated they had to ask a very reluctant staff to open the roulette table like they don't even want you there, I think the bingo games offer more excitement than the average ship casino.

[Hlitner]

8 minutes ago, atexsix said:

I'm in the process of loading my Kindle, I sail in 8 weeks, e-readers aren't perfect but I love knowing I have hundreds of choices available, for me books are comforting.

 

I probably wouldn't miss the casino either. Their hours are too varied and there's never anything compelling taking place when they are open.  A recent review I read stated they had to ask a very reluctant staff to open the roulette table like they don't even want you there, I think the bingo games offer more excitement than the average ship casino.

I do think it depends on the ship and casino.  On HAL vessels the casino is usually as sleepy as the rest of the ship...not to mention that a majority of cruisers who are nonsmokers avoid the casino which stinks like a dirty ashtray.  When we have cruised on some other lines the casinos are crowded until very late at night.  Last December I walked into the MSC Divina's casino about 11:30 planning to play Blackjack.  I had to wait nearly a half hour to even get space at one of the tables.  On HAL, most of the tables would be closed at that hour.  MSC does allow smoking in their casino, but it is kept far from the table games and the ventilation seems to keep the smoke odor away from that part of the room. Celebrity simply does not allow any smoking in their casinos.

 

HAL casinos seem to be used as a place for smokers to go more then a place for real gamblers (we do not gamble on any HAL vessel).  Smokers can play a few dollars in the lousy slots, and get their smoking fix.  It is a small price to pay for those who must have their smoke.  When we are on HAL vessels we often walk up to the next deck to avoid having to walk through the casino.

 

Hank

[atexsix]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I do think it depends on the ship and casino.  On HAL vessels the casino is usually as sleepy as the rest of the ship...not to mention that a majority of cruisers who are nonsmokers avoid the casino which stinks like a dirty ashtray.  When we have cruised on some other lines the casinos are crowded until very late at night.  Last December I walked into the MSC Divina's casino about 11:30 planning to play Blackjack.  I had to wait nearly a half hour to even get space at one of the tables.  On HAL, most of the tables would be closed at that hour.  MSC does allow smoking in their casino, but it is kept far from the table games and the ventilation seems to keep the smoke odor away from that part of the room. Celebrity simply does not allow any smoking in their casinos.

 

HAL casinos seem to be used as a place for smokers to go more then a place for real gamblers (we do not gamble on any HAL vessel).  Smokers can play a few dollars in the lousy slots, and get their smoking fix.  It is a small price to pay for those who must have their smoke.  When we are on HAL vessels we often walk up to the next deck to avoid having to walk through the casino.

 

Hank

Yes I was speaking of HAL's casinos 😁. 

 

And I agree it makes a difference. A blogger on YouTube recently did a video review of the Bliss and I couldn't believe the size of the casino!   I think you did have to walk through it.  In a land casino the smoke would definitely bother me, actually I thought it was already banned in a HAL ship casino or I just didn't notice it.

[*Miss G*]

7 hours ago, atexsix said:

In a land casino the smoke would definitely bother me, actually I thought it was already banned in a HAL ship casino or I just didn't notice it.

 

There are no-smoking casinos on some of the HAL ships.... or you could have been by on a non-smoking night on the other ships.

[*Miss G*]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

On HAL vessels the casino is usually as sleepy as the rest of the ship...

 

My experiences are opposite.

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

My experiences are opposite.

 

Ditto 🙂 

[atexsix]

Maybe it depends on the itinerary, time of day, length of sailing, passenger age range.  I'm more of a daytime person so it looks dead every time I go by it, but that might not be the case during the evening.

[PSR]

On 2/9/2020 at 7:10 PM, atexsix said:

If it's about costs then why not put in an actual book/convenient store of some type? 

 

A LONG time ago, they used to sell paperbacks in the small sundries store in the atrium across from the Ocean Bar side on the S-ships, even when they HAD a great library. The stores appear to be still there on the older ships, but no twirling book rack as in the past. That's something that would really come in handy....🤔

[bennybear]

Cunard still has stunning libraries,  two stories with spiral staircase on the Queen Victoria.   So they are not all being eliminated.

[dockman]

Great idea to sell books.  It's not rocket science. 

 

Stock the top best sellers in paperback in one of the sundry stores where no doubt a lot of guests would buy, read and then some would leave some behind for others to read.

 

It's one of the few things i might actually buy as i don't want a tee shirt or refrigerator magnet or any of the same ole same ole stuff.  But a good book?  You bet.