Unfair Sanctuary Practice

[Buckeye10640]

3 hours ago, ldtr said:

As with the coffee card, easier and cheaper for Princess to do away with the Sanctuary as it exists today, then to spend a lot of money on such a system, for a product that might get turned into private area for Suites in a couple of years.

Lets not even go down the path of the 'coffee card/package'.  I fail to see why they did away with that, other than to 'encourage' people into booking inclusive and more expensive  (Princess Plus) packages

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, Buckeye10640 said:

Lets not even go down the path of the 'coffee card/package'.  I fail to see why they did away with that, other than to 'encourage' people into booking inclusive and more expensive  (Princess Plus) packages

There were some problems with how it showed up in the system. Got confused with a drink package. Current system set up for by day, not by number of drinks, packages. Coffee card was only package of that type.

 

Worked OK at fixed stations, not so well as hand held units in bars where waiter would see that you had a package but not the type.

 

Easier and more in line with overall package strategy to cancel, instead of fixing it.

Edited May 5, 2023 by ldtr

[gerig]

6 hours ago, caribill said:

 

It would, because many people, for example, on a port day would do an excursion in the morning and want the sanctuary for just the afternoon that day.

I understand that but I like to book for a complete day and having that lounge empty in the morning because someone has booked for the afternoon is a loss for princess.

[Roberto256]

On 5/4/2023 at 2:31 AM, caribill said:

 

People also report that they they can't get a reservation for a specialty restaurant.

 

So by your logic, Princess should raise those prices also.

Yes, I agree.

The job of any public company is to maximize shareholder equity.

You don't do that by under-pricing your product.

 

[The Greater Fool]

When the demand is high, if Princess can't come up with a way to make everyone equally happy, then come up with a way to make everyone equally unhappy:

 

• Only allow 1/2 day reservations;
• Once a cabin has booked a 1/2 day reservation, the earliest next reservation from the same cabin is 3 1/2 days later. The number of 1/2 days between reservations could be increased or decreased depending on demand;
• I don't know if reservations can be for more people than in the cabin, but if it is allowed stop it.
• If demand is still an issue, delay the ability to make another reservations until a day later: This would prevent the first person in line getting multiple reservations before other folks get a chance at one;
• If demand is still an issue, increase prices.

 

For example, if a cabin books Monday morning, the next reservation they could book would be Wednesday Morning;  If it was increased to 4 1/2 days, then Wednesday afternoon,  If demand demands it, the cabin would not be able to make another reservation until Tuesday;

 

More passengers would get a chance at the Sanctuary for 1/2 a day. Few, if any, people would get everything they want. 

 

Everyone will be nearly equally unhappy.  But they are more likely to get a chair.

 

Good luck,

 

TGF

Edited May 5, 2023 by The Greater Fool

[SAKay]

We just got off the Ruby on the 16 day Panama Canal cruise from Galveston to San Francisco. We are Platinum. We were one of the first group on the ship around 10:45. We went straight to the Sanctuary. There were 2 couples ahead of us. When the attendant got to us there were few days or spots available. We were able to get 3 half days in the afternoon 1- 5:30, just not the exact location/chairs we wanted. We arrived each day at 1:00 and stayed the entire time. While we enjoyed it very much the bad part to us  was how empty it was. We stayed the entire time and there were maybe 5 other people there each day !  So many empty chairs and the cabanas were also empty. I don’t know if people paid for all of them and just didn’t show up or cancelled and they were available. We considered canceling our last day booked and asked when we needed to cancel by.  They said you won’t be charged if you don’t show up !  We tried to add additional days and there was very little available on the book but clearly many empty seats. I don’t know what the solution is but the current plan isn’t very good. I’m sure there were tons of people who would have enjoyed using all those empty loungers !  It’s a shame they sat empty all afternoon !! 

[caribill]

This is the most unusual thread of any I remember reading.

 

It is the only thread that posters are overwhelmingly asking Princess to raise prices.

[PescadoAmarillo]

13 hours ago, gerig said:

I agree get rid of the half day option which would eliminate a lot of people.  If you can't get a reservation, go back daily to check for cancellations.  It happened to us on the enchanted in March.

 

I was actually suggesting the entire bidding system was based on half day rentals. Highest half day rental bid gets first choice.  They might reserve a lounger for every day, all day of the cruise. It’s going on cost them a lot, but they’ll get exactly what they want.  Or they might just choose one afternoon on one day, Then it goes to the second highest bid, and down the line.
 

@caribill, it could be held in the hour just prior to sailaway, or by notIfication on the app, but I think the hour prior to sailaway would work best. Yes, it requires everyone to be at the Sanctuary at a certain tIme, but so does the existing system. It doesn’t have people rushing on the ship, it doesn’t favor B2B or Elite passengers (Princess should like that part the best, since they’re all about first time cruisers), and it provides a higher revenue stream (Princess should like that second best). 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

The only real solution is to raise prices and have all reservations be fully non-refundable. Low cost of entry as well as not charging for no-shows is the biggest problem. 1/2 day passes should be eliminated. Also day passes should not get to select a specific lounger/location until they arrive to the Sanctuary on the day then it is first come first served for choice of loungers.

 

Heres my serious proposal of changes I would make:

1. Full cruise passes pre-bookable at 90 days for all guests  Full cruise Cabana pricing $200/pp/day for two guests, additional guests $100/pp/day max 4 guests. Choose cabana at time of booking. Cabanas only pre-bookable for full cruise.  Full cruise Lounger pricing $60/day, with ability to pre-select loungers on boarding day by going to Sanctuary first come first served. Limited # of full cruise passes pre-bookable.

 

2. Daily passes pre-bookable at 90 days for all guests. Full day only - $100/pp/day sea days, $80/pp/day port days. Loungers only reservable first come first served on the day of reservation. Limited # of daily passes pre-bookable, no daily passes pre-bookable for turnaround days. 

 

3. Full cruise & Day passes refundable if cancelled up to 7 days prior to boarding, or once onboard can cancel up to 7pm on boarding day only.  No refunds for no-show on the day. 

 

4. Limited Full cruise Cabana, Full cruise and Day passes available once onboard, first come first served at same price as above. Daily cabana rates, if space still available at $50/pp/day more than full cruise pricing. No 1/2 day passes. No refunds for no-show on the day. 
 

Raising the pricing, limiting when and how loungers are selected, having an associated cost for leaving space empty and eliminating 1/2 day passes all seem the most sensical way to manage the limited resource of the Sanctuary. 

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

The only real solution is to raise prices and have all reservations be fully non-refundable. Low cost of entry as well as not charging for no-shows is the biggest problem. 1/2 day passes should be eliminated. Also day passes should not get to select a specific lounger/location until they arrive to the Sanctuary on the day then it is first come first served for choice of loungers.

 

Heres my serious proposal of changes I would make:

1. Full cruise passes pre-bookable at 90 days for all guests  Full cruise Cabana pricing $200/pp/day for two guests, additional guests $100/pp/day max 4 guests. Choose cabana at time of booking. Cabanas only pre-bookable for full cruise.  Full cruise Lounger pricing $60/day, with ability to pre-select loungers on boarding day by going to Sanctuary first come first served. Limited # of full cruise passes pre-bookable.

 

2. Daily passes pre-bookable at 90 days for all guests. Full day only - $100/pp/day sea days, $80/pp/day port days. Loungers only reservable first come first served on the day of reservation. Limited # of daily passes pre-bookable, no daily passes pre-bookable for turnaround days. 

 

3. Full cruise & Day passes refundable if cancelled up to 7 days prior to boarding, or once onboard can cancel up to 7pm on boarding day only.  No refunds for no-show on the day. 

 

4. Limited Full cruise Cabana, Full cruise and Day passes available once onboard, first come first served at same price as above. Daily cabana rates, if space still available at $50/pp/day more than full cruise pricing. No 1/2 day passes. No refunds for no-show on the day. 
 

Raising the pricing, limiting when and how loungers are selected, having an associated cost for leaving space empty and eliminating 1/2 day passes all seem the most sensical way to manage the limited resource of the Sanctuary. 

Or make reservations non refundable, then evaluate demand and then see if a price increase is in order.

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, ldtr said:

Or make reservations non refundable, then evaluate demand and then see if a price increase is in order.

 

[caribill]

Some good ideas here, but I have a couple of comments.

 

3 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

2. Daily passes pre-bookable at 90 days for all guests. Full day only - $100/pp/day sea days, $80/pp/day port days. Loungers only reservable first come first served on the day of reservation.

The problem with this is that some people do not want to be or cannot be in the sun and thus must have a spot in the shade. Others want only the sun. With this plan, people may have have paid for a location they do not want if the shade/sun preference is no longer available when they show. Also, it means people might have to line up hours early before the Sancuary is open to get the location they want for a spot already paid for.

 

3 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

3. Full cruise & Day passes refundable if cancelled up to 7 days prior to boarding, or once onboard can cancel up to 7pm on boarding day only.  No refunds for no-show on the day. 

 

Need to make an exception for when the weather is bad. Who wants to be in the open area of the sanctuary when it is pouring rain?

 

[donaldsc]

I may be missing something as I am not interested in the sanctuary as I think the whole idea is dumb.  But regardless this is what I don't understand.  People say that they can't get sanctuary spots because they all get taken really quickly.  However according to people who have checked often many of the already paid for spots are frequently empty so Princess is loosing potential sanctuary income.  If you have to pay for the sanctuary in advance regardless of whether you use it or not how can there be a loss of income to Princess.  The spot is paid for empty or not.  It is sort of like buying a season ticket to a sports team.  The team gets the same money whether you come to all the games, some of the games or none of the games.

 

What am I missing.

 

DON

 

 

[caribill]

5 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

 

it could be held in the hour just prior to sailaway, or by notIfication on the app, but I think the hour prior to sailaway would work best.

 

Scheduled sailaway or actual sailaway since sometimes sailaway is delayed because not all passengers have arrived due to plane and/or weather problems?

[MissP22]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

This is the most unusual thread of any I remember reading.

 

It is the only thread that posters are overwhelmingly asking Princess to raise prices.

It's obvious that many people wouldn't mind paying more for a spot without having to compete with the crowd on embarkation day.

[Carol28]

I am unfamiliar with the Sanctuary. It looks like it is completely enclosed like the Solariums on the RCCL and Celebrity ships. Is that accurate?  Do people mingle up there or is it a quiet place? 

[Kay S]

Just now, Carol28 said:

I am unfamiliar with the Sanctuary. It looks like it is completely enclosed like the Solariums on the RCCL and Celebrity ships. Is that accurate?  Do people mingle up there or is it a quiet place? 

I hope someone answers your questions in detail because I do not know what the fuss is all about (not being a Sanctuary devotee myself.)

[Host CJSKIDS]

It's interesting to read some of the suggestions and as someone who spends money booking the sanctuary on every cruise whether for the week or half of the days, if they made some of the changes I would be way less apt to book and they would be a game changer for me. 

I don't want to wait to see what lounge chair I would get until I got there as I wouldn't want a chair that was fully in the shade. I wouldn't book at all under these circumstances. 
 

I also don't want to book only half days as many times I show up later in the morning, leave for lunch and come back for the afternoon. 
 

I have no issues with them making the reservations non refundable and know this when I book a weekly pass. They should make the daily reservations non refundable as well. On one sailing the weather was so horrible one day that the Sanctuary was closed. We didn't get a refund for the day (a full week reservation) and I had no issues with that. 

 

 

As far as it being not completely at capacity,  I can say that many times people are in there for a few hours, leave for a bit to do something else and come back. It may not be as empty as it appears. 
 

 

[mtnesterz]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

...What am I missing.

Nothing. Well said. For @Kay S  and @Carol28who just posted, consider watching the Youtube video, The Sanctuary, is it worth it? 

Whether the Sanctuary is full or empty is irrelevant. Because for everyone else, the Sanctuary is part of the ship that we all pay to be on, and that area used to be accessible to everyone.

Edited May 5, 2023 by mtnesterz

[Carol28]

9 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

Nothing. Well said. For @Kay S  and@Carol28who just posted, consider watching the Youtube video, The Sanctuary, is it worth it? 

Whether the Sanctuary is full or empty is irrelevant. Because for everyone else, the Sanctuary is part of the ship that we all pay to be on, and that area used to be accessible to everyone.

I watched some of it but you did not answer my questions.  Is it completely enclosed and is it a sociable place or just very quiet?

[DCThunder]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

People say that they can't get sanctuary spots because they all get taken really quickly.  However according to people who have checked often many of the already paid for spots are frequently empty 

As the great philosopher Yogi Berra once said:  “Nobody comes here anymore, its too crowded”
 

[capriccio]

6 minutes ago, Carol28 said:

I watched some of it but you did not answer my questions.  Is it completely enclosed and is it a sociable place or just very quiet?

The Sanctuary is demarcated by a fence or short wall and has an entry gate.  It is a place of solitude and quiet.  These pictures (which I found by googling Princess Sanctuary images) are of the Caribbean Princess.  When we were in the Sanctuary on it in January 2022 they had new furniture but at least this will give you an idea of the set up.

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/caribbean-princess-303/the-sanctuary-215794/the-sanctuary--v10850992/

[mtnesterz]

1 minute ago, Carol28 said:

I watched some of it but you did not answer my questions.  Is it completely enclosed and is it a sociable place or just very quiet?

Never bought into the Sanctuary and never will. I have no direct experience to relate to you. Having read the preceeding posts and watched the video. It sounds like a way of isolating oneself. When onboard, I prefer interacting with others and being sociable. But understand others might prefer to isolate themselves. I thought that video might be of interest to you. Sorry it didn't answer your question.

[donaldsc]

So looking at the photos and from what I have read on this thread the sanctuary is a special area where I have to pay at least $40 per person per day to have a reserved seat after I have paid a lot of money just to get onto the ship.  If I want to have the opportunity to sit next to my spouse I have to rent 2 spaces which will be $80 per day unless I rent what looks like one of those double loungers.  Then when I want to have some of the "free" food I have to pay $3 per order to have it delivered.  I assume that the person who delivers my free food also expects a tip for the service.  In addition when I get on board I have to rush like crazy to the sancutary in the unlikely chance that I might actually get one of the few available spots.  

 

I just want to be sure that I have it right.

 

DON

[Buckeye10640]

3 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

So looking at the photos and from what I have read on this thread the sanctuary is a special area where I have to pay at least $40 per person per day to have a reserved seat after I have paid a lot of money just to get onto the ship.  If I want to have the opportunity to sit next to my spouse I have to rent 2 spaces which will be $80 per day unless I rent what looks like one of those double loungers.  Then when I want to have some of the "free" food I have to pay $3 per order to have it delivered.  I assume that the person who delivers my free food also expects a tip for the service.  In addition when I get on board I have to rush like crazy to the sancutary in the unlikely chance that I might actually get one of the few available spots.  

 

I just want to be sure that I have it right.

 

DON

From someone who wants to give it a try but has never gotten in the Sanctuary  yet....on a sea day I want to be outside, preferably mostly in shade. I might want to take a quick dip on the pool and go back to my lounger, go get lunch, go to Trivia, or even just go to my room for a bit.  I like the Retreat Pool area but those loungers get snapped up early.  I also like Deck 17 (Enchanted and Sky) just after exiting to the open deck to grab chairs under the overhang, facing the pool area.  To me, the benefit of The Sanctuary would be I do not have to be out on deck by 7am to get a chair (yes I am one of those people but you will find me  sitting in my chair with my coffee and book/phone, not dropping my stuff on it and going back to bed!). And I could come and go as I please without worry someone will decide I am a chair hog and dump my stuff.  Honestly, I might be willing to pay $20 bucks to be able to 'reserve'  a lounge chair on the open deck for the day so I could come and go.  But we dont want to give Princess any ideas....lol