WIFI PRICES AND RECOMMENDED GRATUITIES ADJUSTMENTS

[Lee Cruiser]

6 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I attached a screenshot showing $65 for me. Might be an issue on my end. In Chrome it shows $65 but if I open the same link in Firefox it shows $48...bizarre.

May be a price change that’s coming soon, but hasn’t taken place yet, like the internet and gratuities. It’s going up soon. They are constantly raising prices on lots of things. It’s just a matter of when.

[cruisingguy007]

19 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

Mandatory gratuities are not gratuities, they're more akin to resort fees and have to be disclosed at the time of booking.

 

They can call it what they like (resort, service, whatever), they wouldn't need to raise them if everyone paid them, they may even be able to lower them a bit. Those that never paid them and those on the bubble about paying them will definitely not be paying them as they increase. They will just see it as a bigger savings over the $100 per head discount they get for removing them already and those who pay them will continue to feel like suckers and subsidizers. It's a vicious cycle. 

[AtSeaWithChris]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-food/steakhouse

 

Steakhouse page says it's $65 per person now too. Insanity!

 

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, MScarn123 said:

I just received this email as well. Thanks for the reminder to cancel what would have been my first Carnival cruise in October! 🤣

 

It's not about the price increase, because I wouldn't have bought the internet plan anyway... it's just the way Carnival is doing this, amongst other changes. Isn't this the second price increase of WiFi and gratuities in recent months?

 

It just seems super tacky to book a cruise, and then get multiple emails about nickel-and-dime price increases leading up to it, not to mention constant reports about the decreasing quality of pretty much everything.

 

Yeah I booked a cruise shortly before Thanksgiving and I've already gotten emails about two cutbacks/price hikes since. The cruise isn't until Summer 2024. Who knows - by then all that will be included might be bologna and cheese sandwiches! BYOM (bring your own mustard)!

[RD64]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

I feel like Carnival is turning into Allegiant airlines or one of those other airline that has cheap base fares but then anything extra (which you need) is $$$.  

@Eli_6around 2005 there was a cruise line that operated for a year or two called Easycruise. They had low base fares - and everything else was a la carte including the stateroom servicing. Although it failed at the time - perhaps it was actually visionary, because it looks like we are headed down that road again.

[CajunOyster]

The ships are going to be so much quieter and less crowded with all you people having palpitations over $1.50/person/day not sailing anymore.  Can't wait!

 

P.S. - everything is supply and demand.  The reason they raise prices is because there's enough demand that people will pay them.  All you middle-aged people out there that are appalled by the skyrocketing costs of Wi-Fi packages can largely blame yourselves for raising an entire generation now of kids who can't live without it.  There will be more increases and the addicts will keep paying it 😆

[Eli_6]

I also wish they would just make the gratuities required for everyone. I would be willing to bet that most of the people removing their grats are the first or second time cruisers that Carnival seems to be so "targeting" as of late. I know zero "seasoned" cruisers who remove grats because regular cruisers have seen the crew work their behinds off and talked to enough of the crew to know how much this money means to them.  

[audcc77]

1 hour ago, ohioNCLcruiser said:

For anyone who does adjust or remove the tips please make sure you write on the page that you are removing them due to Carnival's increased charge policy and not because of the crew.

Write on what paper?  The receipt?

 

[mz-s]

2 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

I also wish they would just make the gratuities required for everyone. I would be willing to bet that most of the people removing their grats are the first or second time cruisers that Carnival seems to be so "targeting" as of late. I know zero "seasoned" cruisers who remove grats because regular cruisers have seen the crew work their behinds off and talked to enough of the crew to know how much this money means to them.  

 

That forces the cruise lines to give up the charade that they're gratuities and not salaries paid by guests though.

[cruisingguy007]

36 minutes ago, CajunOyster said:

The ships are going to be so much quieter and less crowded with all you people having palpitations over $1.50/person/day not sailing anymore.  Can't wait!

 

P.S. - everything is supply and demand.  The reason they raise prices is because there's enough demand that people will pay them.  All you middle-aged people out there that are appalled by the skyrocketing costs of Wi-Fi packages can largely blame yourselves for raising an entire generation now of kids who can't live without it.  There will be more increases and the addicts will keep paying it 😆

 

Until you hit diminishing returns. You can only cut so far before enough people quit buying. It works the same for charging high prices, sure, some will keep paying the higher prices but as that pool shrinks it necessitates even higher prices to maintain the same trajectory. Quiet ships will be bankrupt ships. Heck, some would argue they are already bankrupt and just don't want to admit it and will keep raising prices and cutting costs until they can't. People always mention supply and demand as a one sided argument for higher prices while ignoring all the other dynamics that enter the equation. Eventually, things look better on the shelf and the pool shrinks and Carnival operates on the more participants lower spread model vs less participants higher spread model. You can put lipstick on the pig all you like, it will only fool some of the people, some of the time. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by cruisingguy007

[cruisingguy007]

5 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

That forces the cruise lines to give up the charade that they're gratuities and not salaries paid by guests though.

 

Good point, maybe it's time to get real and call it what it is. 

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, mz-s said:

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-food/steakhouse

 

Steakhouse page says it's $65 per person now too. Insanity!

This was the one area where carnival was kinda sorta cheaper than the others. I do get bogo on rcl so not really, but if I didnt get that perk it would be cheaper. I used to brag on carnivals pay restaurant prices. It was the only cheaper thing left. Now they match rcl in tips. 

 

I count all the cost when deciding who has the better deal. Carnival trying to price themselves out of the market. I got the email too, my carnival not until January 2024. They keep emailing asking if I want to make payments and pay early lol. 

[Rudyard]

1 hour ago, mz-s said:

I attached a screenshot showing $65 for me. Might be an issue on my end. In Chrome it shows $65 but if I open the same link in Firefox it shows $48...bizarre.

Showed $65 for me to when I clicked on it. Like someone else said, maybe it was a glitch showing the price down under. $48 US is about $71 Australian, so not far off. 

[CajunOyster]

9 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

Until you hit diminishing returns. You can only cut so far before enough people quit buying. It works the same for charging high prices, sure, some will keep paying the higher prices but as that pool shrinks it necessitates even higher prices to maintain the same trajectory. Quiet ships will be bankrupt ships. Heck, some would argue they are already bankrupt and just don't want to admit it and will keep raising prices and cutting costs until they can't. People always mention supply and demand as a one sided argument for higher prices while ignoring all the other dynamics that enter the equation. Eventually, things look better on the shelf and the pool shrinks and Carnival operates on the more participants lower spread model vs less participants higher spread model. You can put lipstick on the pig all you like, it will only fool some of the people, some of the time. 

 

But the simple fact that they ARE raising prices means they haven't reached equilibrium yet.  Who knows where it will stabilize?  Not you, and not me.  But - I assure you they're not done raising prices yet (specifically on WiFi).  And the hell of a service like Wi-Fi is that the incremental cost of supply is essentially zero (little to no COGS), so as long as demand exists, the sky is the limit for price.

 

Don't believe me?  Ask the people in the DC area that have created so much demand for traffic relief that they're willing to pay a $40 toll for 15 miles of road.  How much do you think today's young people are willing to pay for internet access?

[MeganGC1983]

Personally, this will end my Carnival LIVE situation. 

[cruisingguy007]

1 minute ago, CajunOyster said:

 

But the simple fact that they ARE raising prices means they haven't reached equilibrium yet.  Who knows where it will stabilize?  Not you, and not me.  But - I assure you they're not done raising prices yet (specifically on WiFi).  And the hell of a service like Wi-Fi is that the incremental cost of supply is essentially zero (little to no COGS), so as long as demand exists, the sky is the limit for price.

 

Don't believe me?  Ask the people in the DC area that have created so much demand for traffic relief that they're willing to pay a $40 toll for 15 miles of road.  How much do you think today's young people are willing to pay for internet access?

 

I don't disagree with that, they will work it until it doesn't work and the trajectory takes a hit or smashes head-on into Newton's laws.  

[cruisingguy007]

1 minute ago, MeganGC1983 said:

Personally, this will end my Carnival LIVE situation. 

 

That's unfortunate, I've always enjoyed your adventures. I predict a lot of others will do the same though, at a certain price point it looks better on the shelf. 

[TeresaJ]

2 hours ago, mz-s said:

https://www.carnival.com/cruise-food/steakhouse

 

Steakhouse page says it's $65 per person now too. Insanity!

Hmm. I just paid $42 per person for our cruise this month.

 

 

[notscb]

3 hours ago, ashkir said:

You can even watch Netflix on some cruise ships now

I was able to watch netflix/tiktok/youtube on the Dream a few weeks back. It varies widely ship to ship, but yeah, Carnival probably should have considered upgrading to Starlink before upping the price considering they already hiked it back in September.

[notscb]

1 minute ago, TeresaJ said:

Hmm. I just paid $42 per person for our cruise this month.

We paid $45, and the page they linked says $48/per adult.

[notscb]

7 minutes ago, MeganGC1983 said:

Personally, this will end my Carnival LIVE situation. 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sad

[TeresaJ]

1 hour ago, n6uqqq said:

My current steakhouse price for Feb cruise says 48 dollar per but books at 42 per person in cart.

Same thing happened to me. Mine also showed $48 per person but when I checked out, it was actually $42.

[notscb]

2 hours ago, ohioNCLcruiser said:

40 bucks a day to their cabin steward as a tip

 

Where are you seeing this? The tip has never just been for the cabin steward- it's split between the steward, the host in the dining room, your serving team and a whole bunch of guest-facing employees around the ship. $40/day isn't out of line considering what tipping landside is, too.

[notscb]

1 minute ago, TeresaJ said:

$48 per person but when I checked out, it was actually $42.

When you checked out, did the gratuities get added separately?

[MeganGC1983]

There are other cruise lines… I’m doing a live from Virgin in a week. They include the wifi price and with my status match, I get free premium. 
I’m sure at a later date, I’ll work out the math. I may even get one more in before the hike. I just think that’s a high price for what you get. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Resorts include wifi. Carnival prices aren’t that cheap these days.