NCL: STOP THE MASS MAIL CATALOGUE MADNESS

[MaryZ]

Last week we got 3.  Yesterday I got the huge catalog for Regent. 
What I don't get is casino mailings.  Those I have to call in for.  I don't want any mailings.  All catalogs go in the garbage.  I don't even look at them.
 

[AKR2011]

This is so odd. I requested a catalog back in December so I could show it to my parents. They want to cruise, but my dad doesn't know how to use a computer. It quickly came, but not one piece of mail from NCL since then. If people are getting that much mail, I'm really surprised that I get nothing. I'm not complaining, but it's strange marketing strategy. I just turned platinum, canceled my one and only cruise on the books last fall, and only just booked again last weekend when the prices dropped. So months without a booking. All very strange.

[Gershep]

My husband and I both get at least  3 a week each. I don't even look at them, they go right in the garbage. Cut back on the brochures and lower the prices. 

[Nebr.cruiser]

I get catalogs from several different cruise lines and/or tour companies several times a week--sometimes several a day--most get tossed directly, so it is a big waste of paper, time and energy.  Once in a while I will look at one to get an idea of itineraries, but the prices in these brochures are so ridiculously high that I would never book from one.

 

I can find the same cruise much, much cheaper using a TA, or sometimes directly from the cruise websites (usually a TA).  There must be a lot of gullible people out there who book at the brochure inflated prices or they wouldn't keep sending them, I suppose.

 

Oceania, NCL Princess and Vantage travel are the biggest offenders.  I have never sailed with Oceania or toured with Vantage.

 

With all that is going on now, either all that will stop or greatly intensify because cruise lines are desperate for customers.

[molole]

Seems like you either get them by truck load or you don't get them at all.  I belong to the former.   I use them to line the bottoms of the trash cans in the house.  

 

 

[don't-use-real-name]

18 hours ago, GA Dave said:

My wife and I each get the same catalog, usually one day apart, at least 2-3 times per month.  Why do they mail the same exact thing to the same address???

 

Don't you know that ?

 

Sort of like doing something the same way all the time and expecting the results to be different.

 

Now what were you expecting of good ole NCL ?

 

xxxxxxxxxx

 

Those flyers are printed on expensive polished paper stock and not the cheap copier paper.

And while NCL is getting a break on the postage - mass mailing rate - NCL could take the savings

and apply it to printing Luggage Tags for all guests - something worth while !

Edited March 11, 2020 by don't-use-real-name

[dexddd]

15 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

.

On the ship is the worst. Flyers for CruiseNext every night inserted in the Freestyle Paper. Plus messages on the phone. On my recent cruise, they even left me a message on the cabin TV account. I wonder if a pax buys CN the first day of sailing if that would stop the harassment?

 

I am PP and get the junk mail for all 3 NCLH lines plus Viking every now and then. Just flip them right into the recycle bin my garage. These companies budget too much money for marketing. Wouldn't it be better to spend most of that on better wages for the lowly crew members?

I've mentioned this before about robocalls.  In normal fashion, a couple people will say it is fine for them to call you selling stuff while on vacation.

[sverigecruiser]

6 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

the prices in these brochures are so ridiculously high that I would never book from one.

 

I can find the same cruise much, much cheaper using a TA, or sometimes directly from the cruise websites (usually a TA).  There must be a lot of gullible people out there who book at the brochure inflated prices or they wouldn't keep sending them, I suppose.

 

I know that it's different in the US.

 

If I shall book a cruise here I will have to pay the price in the brochure. The price on cruiselines websites or with a TA is the same as in the brochure. (May differ a little but not much.)

 

Lots of people also say that their TA give them lots of OBC but I never get that from a TA.

[vpearlkc]

The one I got yesterday had a picture of Amalfi Coast, Italy on the back cover.

[seekatz]

Please stop these mailings, 2nd the post on saving the cost and lower your price, while saving the planet.

With the internet, how many really want a weekly mailing. If you do, order it.

[Kilroyshere]

“We remain committed to being a responsible corporate citizen by fostering a culture of awareness and respect for our world’s resources.

 

Our core company values extend beyond our ships and encourages the preservation of the precious natural resources that are integral to our success. -  NCL’s verbatim statement from their “Sale & Sustain” program. *

 

 

 

Every time I get another load of NCL & ‘O Life’ color catalogues in the mail, which go right into the recycle bin, I will recall this concern for our world's resources and respect for the environment.

 

SNORT!

 

 

*ncl.com/about/environmental-commitment

Edited March 11, 2020 by Kilroyshere
Formatting

[GA Dave]

17 hours ago, Kilroyshere said:

USPS lost $7 billion in 2019 and $4 billion in 2018. USPS business is going to be 'junk' mail. It's a terrible waste of energy, resources and produces more garbage. Now that Amazon has created their own 1st and last mile delivery. USPS is a dinosaur whose time has come and gone.

 

As for that 'honest days work' printing these, if those workers are say, in China, do you still believe that and, do you want NCL, Regent and Oceania supporting that kind of labor ?

I think the point that NJGeorge is trying to make is that you cannot blame the USPS financial issues on the local worker.  They are just trying to feed their family.  A little research on Google will show that the USPS losses fall squarely on the shoulders of Congress (shocking, I know).  They have been mandating ridiculous requirements related to delivery requirements, workers' compensation costs, and pension liabilities and health benefits for years to the USPS.  If they would actually privatize the business, they would have a chance to at least break even or even make money.  But, like all other government agencies, if Congress and the federal government mandates everything, it will be inefficient and money-losing.

[Kilroyshere]

Just now, GA Dave said:

I think the point that NJGeorge is trying to make is that you cannot blame the USPS financial issues on the local worker.  They are just trying to feed their family.  A little research on Google will show that the USPS losses fall squarely on the shoulders of Congress (shocking, I know).  They have been mandating ridiculous requirements related to delivery requirements, workers' compensation costs, and pension liabilities and health benefits for years to the USPS.  If they would actually privatize the business, they would have a chance to at least break even or even make money.  But, like all other government agencies, if Congress and the federal government mandates everything, it will be inefficient and money-losing.

USPS is losing $ because:

 

1. The lucrative component of USPS is 1st Class mail and package delivery business. And that has been eroding due to internet, fax and competition (UPS, FedEx & now Amazon building their own delivery service).

 

2. Unlike any for profit business, USPS 'borrows' billions every year at the lowest rate possible from the US Treasury. The debt can never be repaid and is just tax payers subsidizing this dinosaur. For profit businesses go under run like the USPS has been.

 

3. Legacy costs: USPS has health insurance and Defined Benefit benefits that are solid gold. And the USPS has underfunded them...something no private corporation can get away with.

 

USPS largely has 'junk mail' as their last piece of business and it's not enough to sustain their business model. As such, tax payers will pick up the burden so NCLH can send unwanted, multiple catalogues every week.

 

Don't blame Congress. Either USPS is on their own as a for profit company and they sink or swim like UPS, FedEx etc. or, we admit they are like most Government agencies; bloated, out of touch, poorly run and a burden on taxpayers.

 

 

[scootersdad]

On 3/10/2020 at 8:22 AM, Kilroyshere said:

We receive between 5 to 15 mailed catalogues weekly from NCL and their owned cruise line Oceania.

 

This mass mailing of catalogues is madness.

 

• It cheapens NCL's product
• It's environmentally a horrible waste of resources and energy
• It's gone beyond annoying and has soured us on NCL and their other owned cruise lines

 

We've asked our TA to help stop this but no luck. We logged onto NCL where we've previously cruised to find preferences to stop this madness with no luck.

 

Regent Seven Seas (owned by NCL) used to do this same multi-weekly mass mailing madness too. Posting here on CC found a big following of likewise upset cruisers posting their same frustrations and objections to these multi weekly mass mailed catalogues. As result, an email address was provided on CC to stop their mass mailing madness and it did for Regent.

 

STOP the mass mailing of catalogues NCL.

I get tired of both mailings and email the Offer Wonderful Savings that are neither.

They just keep moving the target prices.

 

[Nebr.cruiser]

2 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I know that it's different in the US.

 

If I shall book a cruise here I will have to pay the price in the brochure. The price on cruiselines websites or with a TA is the same as in the brochure. (May differ a little but not much.)

 

Lots of people also say that their TA give them lots of OBC but I never get that from a TA.

I do appreciate the savings opportunities we have here.  As an example, the March 20th Tahiti cruise we have booked, besides an amazingly low price, we got $400 on board credit from our travel agent.  Unfortunately, we are probably going to cancel due to corona virus.

 

Why is this so different in other countries?  Laws or just what is common practice?

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

I do appreciate the savings opportunities we have here.  As an example, the March 20th Tahiti cruise we have booked, besides an amazingly low price, we got $400 on board credit from our travel agent.  Unfortunately, we are probably going to cancel due to corona virus.

 

Why is this so different in other countries?  Laws or just what is common practice?

 

I think that it's common practice but I don't know.

[bssc]

I almost feel left out since we only get one or two mailings a year, and never a catalog.  Mostly email hints, perhaps because we have an NCL PCC?

[PTC DAWG]

To view this another way, junk mail keeps the post office in business.  Without it, it would costs multiple times more to mail a simple letter from Miami to Seattle.  

 

That and trees grow readily,  

[DZcreature]

7 hours ago, Kilroyshere said:

USPS is losing $ because:

 

1. The lucrative component of USPS is 1st Class mail and package delivery business. And that has been eroding due to internet, fax and competition (UPS, FedEx & now Amazon building their own delivery service).

 

2. Unlike any for profit business, USPS 'borrows' billions every year at the lowest rate possible from the US Treasury. The debt can never be repaid and is just tax payers subsidizing this dinosaur. For profit businesses go under run like the USPS has been.

 

3. Legacy costs: USPS has health insurance and Defined Benefit benefits that are solid gold. And the USPS has underfunded them...something no private corporation can get away with.

 

USPS largely has 'junk mail' as their last piece of business and it's not enough to sustain their business model. As such, tax payers will pick up the burden so NCLH can send unwanted, multiple catalogues every week.

 

Don't blame Congress. Either USPS is on their own as a for profit company and they sink or swim like UPS, FedEx etc. or, we admit they are like most Government agencies; bloated, out of touch, poorly run and a burden on taxpayers.

 

 

The USPS is NOT funded by tax payers. It receives no tax dollars for operating expenses.

[rj42]

Every cruise company has a contact information, and most of the junk catalogs I get also have online contacts. I simply send an email saying that if you don't stop sending me unsolicited mail, I'll never cruise on your line again, or solicit whatever business is bothering me. Then if it continues, call their customer service and say "I wrote asking to be removed from your catalog list but my request was ignored, so every catalog I receive means another year where I won't be cruising with your company". Princess cruises is up to a 10-year ban for me now :).

 

The same goes for 'cruise consultants' calling me at home. The first call gets a warning, and it happens again then it's a one-year ban for every call. You can get the person's name and send a letter to the CEO telling why they lost your business.  The companies only care about making money off you, so they have no incentive to stop marketing as much as possible unless you make it clear and direct that they'll lose your business if they don't stop. 

[Kilroyshere]

2 hours ago, DZcreature said:

The USPS is NOT funded by tax payers. It receives no tax dollars for operating expenses.

Yes, the USPS is funded by US taxpayers. Instead of calling it subsidy which is exactly what it is, they call it loans.

 

Every year the USPS loses money. In the past 3 years the losses/debt has been over $12 billion. The US Treasury gives them loans at minimal interest rates, which to date total over $100 billion in debt, not including USPS unfunded Pension liability shortfalls.

 

Those loans will never be paid back given the USPS failed business model and being a quasi government agency, not accountable as are all other for profit companies.

 

Amtrak does the same thing as USPS.