Is Princess having a Brand/Identity crisis - your thoughts?

[BlerkOne]

Princess has the Sanctuary with a lower age limit of 16 and I'm sure the kids clubs have limits, too. The casinos are 21 and older. Drinking age on Princess is 21 and up, I believe.

[SCX22]

Princess used to be the trendsetter.  They put cruising on the map with The Love Boat.  They were the first to have private islands.  In 1998, they build the largest and most expensive cruise ship in the world, the Grand Princess.

 

In my opinion, they've gotten too comfortable with their position and have relied on the old blood to keep them afloat.  

 

Compare them to Royal Caribbean who's really built up their business.  In 1999, the Voyager of the Seas came along and really disrupted the cruise industry.  It became the largest cruise ship in the world.  Everyone balked at RC for introducing Chops Grille and Portofino as specialty restaurants, saying that no one would pay the upcharges.  Now all mass market cruise lines have introduced specialty dining.  It introduced more activities like an ice skating rink and a rock climbing wall, which were a hit and other cruise lines have followed and RC has added on to these concepts.  They've been able to build and have customer support for larger and larger cruise ships which translates into more money for the company and a larger encompassing demographic.  They've built their private island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay into a much sought after destination.  Now other cruise line have built up their private islands to follow suit, while Princess Cays is still Gilligan's Island-esque.  

 

Times change.  Growing up who would have ever thought personal camera film would go out style?  Now, barely anyone takes photos with film or gets photos developed and printed.  Everyone has a camera on their cell phone and looks at their photos digitally.

 

It's time for Princess to get with the times.  No doubt, this will alienate some of the old blood cruisers.  I think the Sun was their attempt to blend contemporary and traditional.

[reedprincess]

43 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Princess has the Sanctuary with a lower age limit of 16 and I'm sure the kids clubs have limits, too. The casinos are 21 and older. Drinking age on Princess is 21 and up, I believe.

FYI - casino is 18 and up on Princess.

Not 21.

Alcohol age is 21, 20 and 18 depending on ship location (North America, Japan, then essentially everywhere else)...

[reedprincess]

7 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

I’d love to hear from someone who cruised the new sanctuary suites and the quality of the restaurant. Also they way the sanctuary lounge situation is handled. Many times we ran like crazy people up to the sanctuary on boarding when suites were were given a head start. I won’t do than anymore.

You won't hear from anyone from those categories yet, as they don't start til Oct 14, 2024. 

It's my understanding, from the various room descriptions, that the Signature Lounge will still be for S category/full suites only while the other Sanctuary Collection cabins will have the balance of the perks, just not the lounge access.

Remains to be seen how the dining plays out, and the details do actually work out as the info is limited, to say the least. 

[Globaler]

52 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Pretty clear. First look at the national/regional focus.

 

Carnival, Princess, HAL north America focus

 

P&O UK  is UK focused

 

Aida is German line that is EU focused

 

Costa is an Italian line that is EU focused

 

Then you can take the 3 NA focused line and split them into 2 groups

 

Carnival is family focused competing against NCL and Royal Caribbean.

 

HAL and Princess is adult focused competing against Celebrity.

 

The CCL owned NA lines tend to focus a bit more on value, the RCL lines tend to be a bit more feature focused. Since NCL lacks an adult focused mass market line it trys to cover both. Though NCLH is the only one of the 3 major holding companies to have a small ship Premium option in Oceania since RCL sold Azamara.

 

Because CCL has 2 adult focused lines there is some competition between HAL and Princess. Recent changes with Princess is putting a bit more space between them. Princess is adding some of the features that Celebrity put in place years ago, but they seem to not be sure how they want to really implement. Might be a cultural issue.

 

In addition Princess really needs to bring its average age demographics down or it will become a serious problem like it was with HAL 10 years or so back. Especially with the ship size Princess is building.

Carnival, Princess and HAL North American but that’s not specific enough. Do the three of them all try and get the same segments? If that is the case it’s a poor strategy and a total waste of money.

[TRLD]

2 minutes ago, Globaler said:

Carnival, Princess and HAL North American but that’s not specific enough. Do the three of them all try and get the same segments? If that is the case it’s a poor strategy and a total waste of money.

You apparently did not read down further in the post. Where it was explained.

Edited July 16 by TRLD

[Itchy&Scratchy]

36 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

while Princess Cays is still Gilligan's Island-esque.  

nah, I'd say that's MSC's Ocean Cay

[shandryl]

8 hours ago, memoak said:

Sounds like something you can sea on the pool deck

in Speedo's! 😂

[Globaler]

31 minutes ago, TRLD said:

You apparently did not read down further in the post. Where it was explained.

My bad - very good insight!

[SCX22]

27 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

nah, I'd say that's MSC's Ocean Cay

Princess has had Princess Cays for decades and they haven’t been able to build a pier so passengers don’t have to tender.

[shandryl]

4 hours ago, crawford said:

Question: If that were the case, where are they getting the money to cruise? 

Answer: Credit cards, parents and grandparents.

True Story! 😂 good one!

[ChutChut]

I still want to know details about the shirtless men. Were they tan? Had good physiques? Tall? Do you have any pics? I think we should investigate this further....

[SCX22]

Further you can tell Princess’ reliance on their old blood passengers based on their ship refurbishment or lack there of.  When Princess refurbishes their ships, they change the carpet and maybe paint a little.  Compare that with other cruise lines who have spent millions to refurbish their old ships.  NCL spent millions to refurbish their old fleet, making them more contemporary and more appealing.  RC and X have done the same.  Princess on the other hand hasn’t really done much to spruce up their ships.  I walk into the Explorer’s Lounge on the Grand Class ships and it’s like a time warp with the murals and very cringe worthy.  They seem like they’re from the 1990s, which isn’t even in line with the decade that the newer Grand Class Ships were built in.   Princess cabins on the Grand Class ships need gutting; they still make use of many mirrors which is a dead giveaway of their age.  Contemporary cabins no longer look like this.  The old blood doesn’t seem to care and very much likes the decor of Princess’ older ships.  Then again, they’d never know the difference because they are only loyal to Princess.

[Globaler]

7 minutes ago, ChutChut said:

I still want to know details about the shirtless men. Were they tan? Had good physiques? Tall? Do you have any pics? I think we should investigate this further....

No pictures - it wasn’t a very good look. I think I was just a little surprised that it happened on a Princess ship. I doubt that it would happen on one of the older ships. It’s clear that someone or someone’s are trying to push the Sun to be edgey and a little shock worthy. As I said, let’s see if more stories trickle out over the next few months.

Edited July 16 by Globaler

[shandryl]

2 hours ago, MacMadame said:

I have a general policy that if anyone uses woke unironically, I stop reading the post. 😉

Woke << Has taken of many definitions but this is the version I know.  A political slang adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English originally meaning alertness to racial prejudice and discrimination. 
Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as racial injustice, 
sexism, and denial of LGBT rights

Edited July 16 by shandryl
words

[TRLD]

7 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Further you can tell Princess’ reliance on their old blood passengers based on their ship refurbishment or lack there of.  When Princess refurbishes their ships, they change the carpet and maybe paint a little.  Compare that with other cruise lines who have spent millions to refurbish their old ships.  NCL spent millions to refurbish their old fleet, making them more contemporary and more appealing.  RC and X have done the same.  Princess on the other hand hasn’t really done much to spruce up their ships.  I walk into the Explorer’s Lounge on the Grand Class ships and it’s like a time warp with the murals and very cringe worthy.  They seem like they’re from the 1990s, which isn’t even in line with the decade that the newer Grand Class Ships were built in.   Princess cabins on the Grand Class ships need gutting; they still make use of many mirrors which is a dead giveaway of their age.  Contemporary cabins no longer look like this.  The old blood doesn’t seem to care and very much likes the decor of Princess’ older ships.  Then again, they’d never know the difference because they are only loyal to Princess.

Now on some lines the cabins look like they were furnished by IKEA.

[SCX22]

Just now, TRLD said:

Now on some lines the cabins look like they were furnished by IKEA.

That’s contemporary design.  It’s derogatory to refer to design as IKEA unless the pieces used were actually from there.  It’s more proper to call it Scandinavian or Contemporary European.  You might be shocked to see the prices of true Scandinavian/European contemporary design.  Believe me if the furniture cruise lines used were from IKEA, they wouldn’t get the durability or longevity.

[TRLD]

6 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

That’s contemporary design.  It’s derogatory to refer to design as IKEA unless the pieces used were actually from there.  It’s more proper to call it Scandinavian or Contemporary European.  You might be shocked to see the prices of true Scandinavian/European contemporary design.  Believe me if the furniture cruise lines used were from IKEA, they wouldn’t get the durability or longevity.

I am very familiar with Scandinavian designs. In the case of what I was referring to was very cheap looking forms of that style, thus the intentional IKEA reference. Though if they had been design by IKEA they would have better storage.

 

While Princess cabins may be dated, they are very functional. 

Edited July 16 by TRLD

[SCX22]

1 minute ago, TRLD said:

I am very familiar with Scandinavian designs. In the case of what I was referring to was very cheap looking forms of that style, thus the intentional IKEA reference. Though if they had been design by IKEA they would have better storage.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Might look cheap to you, but it’s aesthetically pleasing to others, especially younger folks.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

37 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Princess has had Princess Cays for decades and they haven’t been able to build a pier so passengers don’t have to tender.

ah, you mean a pier. I meant making an island a little less inhospitable.

Maybe, Princess doesn't want to excavate.

[TRLD]

25 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Might look cheap to you, but it’s aesthetically pleasing to others, especially younger folks.

The funny thing is that that style is popular largely because of the market penetration by IKEA and the low cost furniture they produce.

 

Unlike the previous  time when Scandinavian furniture was the in style back in the late 70s. 

 

 

Edited July 16 by TRLD

[Ombud]

5 hours ago, crawford said:

Question: If that were the case, where are they getting the money to cruise? 

Answer: Credit cards, parents and grandparents.

They make good money .... 

============

Bottom line: PCL must evolve or be absorbed into a more profitable line (like POAU was just absorbed by CCL). 

 

 

Edited July 16 by Ombud

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, reedprincess said:

FYI - casino is 18 and up on Princess.

Not 21.

Alcohol age is 21, 20 and 18 depending on ship location (North America, Japan, then essentially everywhere else)...

My bad. That was from a lookalike Princess site 

[SCX22]

1 minute ago, TRLD said:

The funny thing is that that style is popular largely because of the market penetrative by IKEA and the low cost furniture they produce.

 

Unlike the previous  time when Scandinavian furniture was the in style back in the late 70s. 

 

 

As is the discussion on the thread.  Times change and tastes change.  I repeat, it’s now derogatory to call contemporary European design IKEA inspired unless the pieces are from there.  It’s pejorative to those who make furniture in that style that are leaps and bounds above the quality of IKEA and to the designers who specialize in that style.  Cruise lines would fit their new builds with this design aesthetic if it weren’t relevant to today’s tastes.

 

Passionate about this because I have a friend who specializes in contemporary European design and has outfitted many large projects including airline lounges.

[MacMadame]

1 hour ago, shandryl said:

Woke << Has taken of many definitions but this is the version I know.  A political slang adjective derived from African-American Vernacular English originally meaning alertness to racial prejudice and discrimination. 
Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as racial injustice, 
sexism, and denial of LGBT rights

I know what it means. That's why I stopped reading the OP's post as soon as he used it in a culture war way.