Just got an email outlining the "NEW" offerings

[ceilidh1]

9 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

I Hope Princess IS reading these comments.  Very important feedback from you.  

 

Judging by the comments on the TA webinars, they are very aware!

[Oxo]

28 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

I will continue to sail Princess if they have the itinerary and pricing that works for me. Cruises of 7 days or less work for me to buy the package. Longer cruises no longer make sense with the package, since I sail with 2 kids that get very little "value" from it. This is where Princess have "priced me out" if you will - and not strictly monetary but value...

 

The bigger concern they should have is from agents (such as myself) who generally push Princess as first option to their clients. I am a firm believer in knowing my product and, as a longtime Princess cruiser, I felt that I knew the line, the ships, and that they offered a great product. This died off some with the rollout of the app (and this is still a bone of contention) and now the changes to packages. I have a number of clients affected by this - some past final payment, some already cancelled - and this has taken a huge number of work hours to communicate, find answers, deal with upgrades/cancellations - all work hours that are not paid for (remember, we only get a commission on the base cruise fare and not all the hours spent adjusting, etc). I know MANY of the TAs I work with are just done with Princess. For me, it's getting harder and harder to recommend them as first choice...

Let's be honest. Which cruise line is not doing the same thing?

We cruised Celebrity, MSC, NCL Princess and RCI this year and last year. They are all doing the same thing. They are in business to make a profit and if you want to cruise you will pay. 

[PacnGoNow]

4 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Let's be honest. Which cruise line is not doing the same thing?

We cruised Celebrity, MSC, NCL Princess and RCI this year and last year. They are all doing the same thing. They are in business to make a profit and if you want to cruise you will pay. 

Unfortunately, you are so right.  They have gone crazy with increases and changes on all the lines. Just read some of the other cruise lines CC comments.

 

We are just focusing on the itinerary and value. We have status on several lines, so it’s good to have a choice. 

[ceilidh1]

7 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Let's be honest. Which cruise line is not doing the same thing?

We cruised Celebrity, MSC, NCL Princess and RCI this year and last year. They are all doing the same thing. They are in business to make a profit and if you want to cruise you will pay. 

Of course. Which is why you need agents in your corner actively pushing your product. Now that princess is doing exactly what other lines are doing, why would I push their product over another? 

[maggie777]

On 8/15/2023 at 5:37 PM, MamaFej said:

My next cruise is 28 days. I have the "opportunity" to "upgrade" my current ($40)) Plus package and get the same number of casual meals as someone on a 5 day cruise. I can also get what look to be children's birthday party desserts 56 times and have a total of 2 fitness classes in which to burn them off. I think I'll pass. 

 

 

Yes, I know I can work out on my own, and I will. that's not the point. 

We have 2 sailings of 26 days each in 2024. The plus package was purchased at $40 for each sailing. We will not upgrade and hope that we are able to have a glass of wine at the current price of up to $15.

[startedwithamouse]

11 minutes ago, maggie777 said:

We have 2 sailings of 26 days each in 2024. The plus package was purchased at $40 for each sailing. We will not upgrade and hope that we are able to have a glass of wine at the current price of up to $15.

Yes, you will be able to.

[mcship]

14 hours ago, LittleFish1976 said:

Just looked at his LinkedIn page; he seems to like the idea of himself as an inventor. As well as being 'focused on creating "Game Changing" Experiences through the fusion of Creative, Technology and Operations.'

 

Not sure people are that happy about having their 'game' changed for them in this way.

Padgett is a brand manager.    He reports to Jan Swartz, another brand manager over Holland America Group, who in turn reports to Josh Weinstein the CEO.  They can put all the fake titles they want on people, but "brand manager" is the one they should have.  It is like a bank, where everyone has "vice-president" titles. 

Josh Weinstein has been in place for a year (August 2022).    So a year.  Needless to say, the changes are going to continue and/or ramp up for quite a while.

And at the end of the day, they all "report" to Micky Arison who is not going anywhere, since his father Ted started the company.  I use quote on "report" because chair of the board is supposed to be out of the day to day operations.  But one does not do well by crossing the chairman.  But, Micky is 74 yrs old.  When he steps down, who knows.  His son Nick is the CEO of the Miami Heat (which Micky owns).  Would he come over to Carnival?  That would be quite a leap NBA to Cruise Industry, but who knows.

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by mcship

[Oxo]

27 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Of course. Which is why you need agents in your corner actively pushing your product. Now that princess is doing exactly what other lines are doing, why would I push their product over another? 

Your a TA and I'm sure you will answer your own question.

I have a TA , however, I decide who to cruise with. The TA doesn't push me into any cruise line or product

Happy Cruising! 

[no1racefan1]

1 hour ago, whitecap said:

So true.  So let me ask the question:  What are "we", the loyal Princess cruisers, going to do about it?  Vent on social media, then pay their fees?  Vent to Princess, then pay their fees?  Maybe let them know by not purchasing their drink package or cancelling one if you have it, to send a message that we know what they're doing and we don't like it and don't want it?  Ummm, since I don't purchase the package (four booked cruises) I don't have a dog in this fight, other deciding $5.00 vs. $14.99 vs walking to the buffet/IC for late night snack, it will be interesting to see how others decide to handle it.

This is how I'm handling it, from a sporadic Princess cruiser on a budget:

I'm still going on my cruise next year, because I've already booked and paid for excursions, gift cards, etc. and it would be a serious pain in the butt to cancel with Princess. I know it will be a fantastic trip and these things won't ruin it. 

I'm not getting a package. I didn't get one initially because of cost, and nothing about the change has made me want to spend the money. It's not worth it based on our onboard spending habits.

I'm not paying to have the medallion shipped to me. I'll skip room service, Alfredo's, and OceanNow delivery. I paid a specific price when I booked, and don't want to pay for additional items that I didn't originally budget for. I'm annoyed that these were included when I booked and now they aren't, but I am not going to feel pushed into giving Princess more money. I'll miss getting chocolate cake and a glass of milk delivered to my room though 😉 

I choose each cruise based on itinerary and price, and I usually compare 3-4 cruise lines each time. In all likelihood, Princess won't make the cut next time I'm cruise shopping, because I'm really jaded with how they handled this. I have no loyalty to any line, so it may be easier for me to say this than for others.

I have emailed my feedback to Princess, and received a canned reply, which is what I expected. 

[memoak]

2 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

This is how I'm handling it, from a sporadic Princess cruiser on a budget:

I'm still going on my cruise next year, because I've already booked and paid for excursions, gift cards, etc. and it would be a serious pain in the butt to cancel with Princess. I know it will be a fantastic trip and these things won't ruin it. 

I'm not getting a package. I didn't get one initially because of cost, and nothing about the change has made me want to spend the money. It's not worth it based on our onboard spending habits.

I'm not paying to have the medallion shipped to me. I'll skip room service, Alfredo's, and OceanNow delivery. I paid a specific price when I booked, and don't want to pay for additional items that I didn't originally budget for. I'm annoyed that these were included when I booked and now they aren't, but I am not going to feel pushed into giving Princess more money. I'll miss getting chocolate cake and a glass of milk delivered to my room though 😉 

I choose each cruise based on itinerary and price, and I usually compare 3-4 cruise lines each time. In all likelihood, Princess won't make the cut next time I'm cruise shopping, because I'm really jaded with how they handled this. I have no loyalty to any line, so it may be easier for me to say this than for others.

I have emailed my feedback to Princess, and received a canned reply, which is what I expected. 

Just be prepared to see these types of changes on other mainstream lines. RCL is already prepping to change their pizza restaurant to pay per pie

[startedwithamouse]

2 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

This is how I'm handling it, from a sporadic Princess cruiser on a budget:

I'm still going on my cruise next year, because I've already booked and paid for excursions, gift cards, etc. and it would be a serious pain in the butt to cancel with Princess. I know it will be a fantastic trip and these things won't ruin it. 

I'm not getting a package. I didn't get one initially because of cost, and nothing about the change has made me want to spend the money. It's not worth it based on our onboard spending habits.

I'm not paying to have the medallion shipped to me. I'll skip room service, Alfredo's, and OceanNow delivery. I paid a specific price when I booked, and don't want to pay for additional items that I didn't originally budget for. I'm annoyed that these were included when I booked and now they aren't, but I am not going to feel pushed into giving Princess more money. I'll miss getting chocolate cake and a glass of milk delivered to my room though 😉 

I choose each cruise based on itinerary and price, and I usually compare 3-4 cruise lines each time. In all likelihood, Princess won't make the cut next time I'm cruise shopping, because I'm really jaded with how they handled this. I have no loyalty to any line, so it may be easier for me to say this than for others.

I have emailed my feedback to Princess, and received a canned reply, which is what I expected. 

It's a one time $14.99 charge to opt-in to OceanNow for the entire cruise.

 

Are you going to deny yourself that enjoyment after paying thousands on a cruise?

[no1racefan1]

Just now, memoak said:

Just be prepared to see these types of changes on other mainstream lines. RCL is already prepping to change their pizza restaurant to pay per pie

And that's fine, if I know I am going to be charged for pizza when I make my reservation, I can budget appropriately.

[no1racefan1]

1 minute ago, startedwithamouse said:

It's a one time $14.99 charge to opt-in to OceanNow for the entire cruise.

 

Are you going to deny yourself that enjoyment after paying thousands on a cruise?

Well, less than $2k, technically...but I don't really see it as denying myself anything to not use the glitchy delivery service that doesn't work half the time...

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, mcship said:

Padgett is a brand manager.    He reports to Jan Swartz, another brand manager over Holland America Group, who in turn reports to Josh Weinstein the CEO.  They can put all the fake titles they want on people, but "brand manager" is the one they should have.  It is like a bank, where everyone has "vice-president" titles. 

Josh Weinstein has been in place for a year (August 2022).    So a year.  Needless to say, the changes are going to continue and/or ramp up for quite a while.

And at the end of the day, they all "report" to Micky Arison who is not going anywhere, since his father Ted started the company.  I use quote on "report" because chair of the board is supposed to be out of the day to day operations.  But one does not do well by crossing the chairman.  But, Micky is 74 yrs old.  When he steps down, who knows.  His son Nick is the CEO of the Miami Heat (which Micky owns).  Would he come over to Carnival?  That would be quite a leap NBA to Cruise Industry, but who knows.

 

That changed earlier this year when they sit the Holland America Group. Jan Swartz is nolonger over any brands and the individual brand head now report direct to Josh.

[PacnGoNow]

3 minutes ago, memoak said:

Just be prepared to see these types of changes on other mainstream lines. RCL is already prepping to change their pizza restaurant to pay per pie

I wouldn’t pay for Sorrento’s pizza.  Good luck RCCL.

[memoak]

2 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

And that's fine, if I know I am going to be charged for pizza when I make my reservation, I can budget appropriately.

Personally I book cruises usually 1 year or more out so I realize that changes can happen. Just like years ago before plus plans the drink program went from unlimited to 15 cocktails a day

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, ceilidh1 said:

I will continue to sail Princess if they have the itinerary and pricing that works for me. Cruises of 7 days or less work for me to buy the package. Longer cruises no longer make sense with the package, since I sail with 2 kids that get very little "value" from it. This is where Princess have "priced me out" if you will - and not strictly monetary but value...

 

The bigger concern they should have is from agents (such as myself) who generally push Princess as first option to their clients. I am a firm believer in knowing my product and, as a longtime Princess cruiser, I felt that I knew the line, the ships, and that they offered a great product. This died off some with the rollout of the app (and this is still a bone of contention) and now the changes to packages. I have a number of clients affected by this - some past final payment, some already cancelled - and this has taken a huge number of work hours to communicate, find answers, deal with upgrades/cancellations - all work hours that are not paid for (remember, we only get a commission on the base cruise fare and not all the hours spent adjusting, etc). I know MANY of the TAs I work with are just done with Princess. For me, it's getting harder and harder to recommend them as first choice...

 

52 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Of course. Which is why you need agents in your corner actively pushing your product. Now that princess is doing exactly what other lines are doing, why would I push their product over another? 

At least I make life easy for my TA.  I provide all the details for booking a cruise and don't need hand-holding.  I do my own airfares.  If I have a lot of re-pricing to save dollars, I make sure they are compensated out of my savings.  And I wouldn't cancel a booked voyage over these latest changes.  I do realize my TA is not always making a lot since I get a generous discount.  Hours spent re-faring or re-booking reduces their income while I am saving money.  I am only trying to be fair.  We don't book tons of voyages, but I know what I did was appreciated and recognized the extra work involved - especially back in 2022 when PCL was more under-staffed and getting through was not easy.

[no1racefan1]

3 minutes ago, memoak said:

Personally I book cruises usually 1 year or more out so I realize that changes can happen. Just like years ago before plus plans the drink program went from unlimited to 15 cocktails a day

I do as well. I booked my 2024 cruise over a year out. The question was posed how Princess cruisers are going to react to the changes--as opposed to just complaining and/or cheerleading online--and I shared how I, personally, will be interacting with Princess in the future.

[Steelers36]

29 minutes ago, Oxo said:

Your a TA and I'm sure you will answer your own question.

I have a TA , however, I decide who to cruise with. The TA doesn't push me into any cruise line or product

Happy Cruising! 

A lot of the travelling public will consult with a TA about which line to go on and what their ships are like and food and so forth.

[Oxo]

2 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

A lot of the travelling public will consult with a TA about which line to go on and what their ships are like and food and so forth.

Fully understand your statement. I was just stating my position. I have nothing against TAs. I am glad they provide the service they do. Especially when I cruise MSC. LOL

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, no1racefan1 said:

This is how I'm handling it, from a sporadic Princess cruiser on a budget:

I'm still going on my cruise next year, because I've already booked and paid for excursions, gift cards, etc. and it would be a serious pain in the butt to cancel with Princess. I know it will be a fantastic trip and these things won't ruin it. 

I'm not getting a package. I didn't get one initially because of cost, and nothing about the change has made me want to spend the money. It's not worth it based on our onboard spending habits.

I'm not paying to have the medallion shipped to me. I'll skip room service, Alfredo's, and OceanNow delivery. I paid a specific price when I booked, and don't want to pay for additional items that I didn't originally budget for. I'm annoyed that these were included when I booked and now they aren't, but I am not going to feel pushed into giving Princess more money. I'll miss getting chocolate cake and a glass of milk delivered to my room though 😉 

I choose each cruise based on itinerary and price, and I usually compare 3-4 cruise lines each time. In all likelihood, Princess won't make the cut next time I'm cruise shopping, because I'm really jaded with how they handled this. I have no loyalty to any line, so it may be easier for me to say this than for others.

I have emailed my feedback to Princess, and received a canned reply, which is what I expected. 

Just as passengers decide what cruise lines they wish to be a passenger on, cruise lines and other businesses makes decision based upon which customer they wish to attract.

 

Considering the percentage of revenue that all of the main stream lines get from on board spend (around 35%), the operating profit margin even at the best of times, Princess basically loses money on passengers with minimal on board spend. They certainly lose out on revenue when a cabin that could have gotten booked by passengers that do spend onboard get booked by those that do not.

 

Pretty certain that the cruise line tracks purchase behavior and has projections for a number of behavior change metrics, including on board spend, package purchase rate, rebooking and cancellation rates by various passenger criteria. Some passengers they will be happy to lose (they just cannot say that).

 

Basically when occupancy is low they need low spending passengers to fill cabins. When occupancy is high those same passengers can be a drag on revenue since they fill cabins that could be sold to higher spending passengers.

Edited August 17, 2023 by ldtr

[mcship]

23 minutes ago, ldtr said:

That changed earlier this year when they sit the Holland America Group. Jan Swartz is nolonger over any brands and the individual brand head now report direct to Josh.

Yep, you are correct, they restructured that in May/June.

Good.  There is WAY to much overhead

Just showing how they don't pay attention, the bio for Padgett says he still reports to Jan.  You would think they would fix that right away.  Me, I would be firing the person in charge of the web site (this is not an IT thing, it is simple content).  If you have to be told to do the obvious...

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by mcship

[ceilidh1]

11 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

 

At least I make life easy for my TA.  I provide all the details for booking a cruise and don't need hand-holding.  I do my own airfares.  If I have a lot of re-pricing to save dollars, I make sure they are compensated out of my savings.  And I wouldn't cancel a booked voyage over these latest changes.  I do realize my TA is not always making a lot since I get a generous discount.  Hours spent re-faring or re-booking reduces their income while I am saving money.  I am only trying to be fair.  We don't book tons of voyages, but I know what I did was appreciated and recognized the extra work involved - especially back in 2022 when PCL was more under-staffed and getting through was not easy.

You're the kind of client we love!

[CalTexCruiser]

27 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

It's a one time $14.99 charge to opt-in to OceanNow for the entire cruise.

 

Are you going to deny yourself that enjoyment after paying thousands on a cruise?

 

We paid $ 200 pp + port fees/taxes for a mini-suite on our 12-day upcoming cruise.  When we booked, Alfredo's and OceanNow were free.  Now we have to pay for these services which in the aggregate will make up a substantial percentage of our cruise fare.

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by CalTexCruiser

[ceilidh1]

I would much prefer that Princess just adds an extra $40 a day to the fare and have that include gratuities/wifi/soda package - no fancy package names, just standard fare so I know what I'm getting. From there, pay $20 to upgrade to plus or $40 to upgrade to premiere. Something for everyone. And set it for new bookings as of.....whenever.