to the Brits ...please help me understand

[dorisday]

Hi Doris,

Isn't there some secret society that is something to do with tongues :p

I know the feeling I am in the same boat. But come on you Poms are a heck of a lot better off than us Kiwis, least your currency is strong, ours tends to be a bit 3rd world these days :D

 

PS. DorisDay was just my favourite when I was a little girl :D

 

DorisDay was mine too...I wanted to be her & married to Gene Kelly or Danny Kaye.

 

The GBP may be strong at the moment but Im currently unemployed after being made redundant for the second time in 12 months.

 

I would love to move to Kiwi Land, my top favourite place in the world Ive ever visited.

 

If this cruise isnt fully booked by us Poms at the end of the week Id be very surprised.....price is too good to be true

[AZbeachboy]

I think now we can say it has been hijacked. lol :p

[dutrie]

No, not true, Princess is the only cruise line that quotes in local currency. All others go through agents and are quoted in USD.

 

I didn't say anything about currency. I said that Princess has different prices depending on the STATE you are from. I got this directly from our national agent.

 

David

[dorisday]

this topic has not been hijacked,,,, currency, location & independant points of view are all relative

I responded to a previous message.... when I spoke of Doris Day etc but I also have replied regarding the topic.

 

The CC Pirates have not taken over this topic yet

[Chivalrygirl]

I didn't say anything about currency. I said that Princess has different prices depending on the STATE you are from. I got this directly from our national agent.

 

David

 

100% apologies David. :o

[Chivalrygirl]

this topic has not been hijacked,,,, currency, location & independant points of view are all relative

I responded to a previous message.... when I spoke of Doris Day etc but I also have replied regarding the topic.

 

The CC Pirates have not taken over this topic yet

 

Hi Doris Day :D

 

So sorry to hear that you have been made redundant twice in one year, thats a pretty tough one eh! Maybe the forthcoming summer will bring you more joy. I am really happy now that the NZ Govt. pay me for the pleasure of just being around, only trouble is it does not keep me in the manner I have become accustomed to.

 

Back to the topic, :confused: can someone please tell me what the exact topic was ;) Oh yes, cruising, different prices for different countries, (a bit like horses for courses ;) ) and exchange rates. At the present time the Kiwi is simply flying, up at least 14 cents when I paid for my HAL cruise last year. Now thats what you call losing a HEAP OF MONEY.

 

Back to work for me......to pay for my Grand Princess cruise in September :D

[latitude 22]

I'll bring this topic back to front and center....

Princess told me it was all about marketing.

That is their right to spend there marketing dollars where they want.

It is MY right when I disagree with Princess to spend MY dollars where I want!

I still have 2 more Princess Cruises paid for this year. Star Princess on May 22nd in Skan/Russia AND the British Isles...

a total of 22 nights plus I just got off the Dawn in February for 11 nights. Year 2007 33 nights just on Princess.

Today, my $$$$ walked themselves over to

Royal Caribbean.

I booked a balcony on the Legend of the Seas for 13 nights in October 2008 and I'm considering

adding another 12 and doing the cruise as B2B.

Hear that Princess ....25 nights in a Balcony and you lost the sale for not offering to match 382 USD

to what you were selling the same cabin at the same time to the UK.

Will Princess care? Probably not.

But I'm the highest ranking everywhere and I will go where I'm appreciated.

and I can honestly say when I went up the food chain with my original question, speaking in a calm,

rational manner and presenting my concerns in a logical manner my 302 sailing days with Princess were not valued or appreciated!

[Chivalrygirl]

I'll bring this topic back to front and center....

 

Princess told me it was all about marketing.

 

That is their right to spend there marketing dollars where they want.

 

It is MY right when I disagree with Princess to spend MY dollars where I want!

 

I still have 2 more Princess Cruises paid for this year. Star Princess on May 22nd in Skan/Russia AND the British Isles...

a total of 22 nights plus I just got off the Dawn in February for 11 nights. Year 2007 33 nights just on Princess.

 

Today, my $$$$ walked themselves over to

 

Royal Caribbean.

 

I booked a balcony on the Legend of the Seas for 13 nights in October 2008 and I'm considering

adding another 12 and doing the cruise as B2B.

 

Hear that Princess ....25 nights in a Balcony and you lost the sale for not offering to match 382 USD

to what you were selling the same cabin at the same time to the UK.

 

Will Princess care? Probably not.

 

But I'm the highest ranking everywhere and I will go where I'm appreciated.

 

and I can honestly say when I went up the food chain with my original question, speaking in a calm,

rational manner and presenting my concerns in a logical manner my 302 sailing days with Princess were not valued or appreciated!

 

 

 

 

Hey good on you Latitude. Sadly, there is no way you can beat Big Brother, your right they don't care, they employ lame ducks if everything I have read of these boards is to be believed. Like pay peanuts, get monkeys :rolleyes:

Bet it made you feel good by the time you had cancelled all your Princess cruises and moved to RCL :D

[AZbeachboy]

Lattitude, sorry to hear we will not be sailing together. I think I will have a good time anyway. But I think I will still stay on my trip to Tahiti and I will think about you and think, man he should be having a good time like me. :D Best of cruising to you!

[latitude 22]

Tahiti, NZ and Australia isn't for a couple of years...I've got a few more European adventures I want to take before I head down under!

I sailed the inaugural on the Legend of the Seas to Alaska, she's a special ship with a great spirit and check out the itinerary!

I never said NEVER on Princess again...

I said next year my $$$$$ will go elsewhere..

and that's alot of dollars Princess lost...

I have alwys been a Princess cheerleader and supporter, but the attitude from them as I spoke with people in the position

to honor the same rate has left me quite dissappointed in them

The Legend of the Seas is just the itinerary that I will be sailing on with my mom.

I've still have another 3 weeks of vacation with my husband

and more than likely they would have been on Princess!

So 6 weeks of cruising dollars from me and my traveling companions

will be spent on another line not under the Carnival umbrella...

Princess should ask themselves....

If their refusal to honor the same rate offered in the UK

was a smart marketing decision in the long run!

The bottom line is...they made thier decisions, I made mine.

I hope you have wonderful cruise AZ,

I know wherever and whenever I am traveling

it is always a fabulous experience!

[happyscot]

I'll bring this topic back to front and center....

 

Princess told me it was all about marketing.

 

That is their right to spend there marketing dollars where they want.

 

It is MY right when I disagree with Princess to spend MY dollars where I want!

 

I still have 2 more Princess Cruises paid for this year. Star Princess on May 22nd in Skan/Russia AND the British Isles...

a total of 22 nights plus I just got off the Dawn in February for 11 nights. Year 2007 33 nights just on Princess.

 

Today, my $$$$ walked themselves over to

 

Royal Caribbean.

 

I booked a balcony on the Legend of the Seas for 13 nights in October 2008 and I'm considering

adding another 12 and doing the cruise as B2B.

 

Hear that Princess ....25 nights in a Balcony and you lost the sale for not offering to match 382 USD

to what you were selling the same cabin at the same time to the UK.

 

Will Princess care? Probably not.

 

But I'm the highest ranking everywhere and I will go where I'm appreciated.

 

and I can honestly say when I went up the food chain with my original question, speaking in a calm,

rational manner and presenting my concerns in a logical manner my 302 sailing days with Princess were not valued or appreciated!

 

 

 

 

 

Has your boss noticed you're never at work yet?

 

:D

[latitude 22]

Yes,

 

I'm the boss!

[surfklutz]

This is it precisely - nothing to do with exchange rates, not in the UK at least, simply Princess extracting the most they can from each individual market, and of course preventing access to cheaper markets (which would be illegal in Europe). In the US, cruising is commonplace, the market is saturated, competition is fierce and prices have fallen. Cruising is fast catching-on in the UK, it is becoming more of a mass-market and ceasing to be perceived as "exclusive" and therefore less open to premium pricing. But that is a very recent phenomenon.

 

If I read my market economics correctly, prices may begin to equalise. The difference is less pronounced at the moment anyway because of the current, but probably temporary, weakness of the yankee dollar. And in any market condition, there will be occcasional flukes caused, perhaps, by difficulties in selling a particular product in a particular place.

 

I know you didn't want to bring it up, but Europeans are also educated in the ways of higher pricing - generally our labour markets are more restrictive, our benefit systems more generous, and taxes, wages, interest rates and prices are consequently much higher (in trend terms) than in the US. A consolation is that those who "serve" us (we don't tend to use words like "server", "help", "busboy" as these are considered deeply demeaning) are properly paid, and looked after when things go wrong for them. A number of us have tried explaining on this site therefore that it comes as a bit of a shock to still be paying these high wages, prices, taxes and interest rates (and overseas aid and charity donations which are enormously larger per capita than those coming from the US), but to then be told we must pay an effective tax of 10 - 20% on top AGAIN which you and others tell us are the "server's" wages and benefits. Thing is, you pay for these once, and get all the pleasure of flashing your wads, whilst we are arguably being asked to pay them 3 times through taxes, higher fares and tips, and being called cheap when we say "haw, wait a minute Jimmy!!". There are other arguments as well, chiefly about the demeaning nature of the tippping system which for us brings back dark memories of the Empire we are trying to forget we ever had, but that is the economic argument.

 

Hope that clears it up!!! The best thing would be for governments to accept the realities of the global market and the internet, and prohibit selective marketing policies (which, eg with AIDS medicine, is somewhat more serious in other spheres). With roughly equal (and therefore in our case much lower) prices, most Brits would instantly accept the tipping culture, although probably not quite to the same extent as in the US, where it has had many years to become ingrained.

 

You have to understand that the same people you see not tipping on cruise ships are the same people we see everyday making regular donations to charity from pay, raising ridiculous amounts of money on telethons, and actively voting for parties who say they will raise taxes to pay more overseas aid and cancel third world debt. It's not the done thing to talk about one's charitable donations in the UK, which is why folk don't tend to spell it out (or tip extravagantly in public - yuk). But I think that's why some of the threads got a little heated - fun though!!

 

I'll probably get slaughtered for this, and will instantly return to making childish one-liners instead!!

 

:)

 

Happyscot - this is NOT a slam - but I do like your childish one liners anyway.

 

I have a different view on tipping - and I am certain I will get slammed myself. I travel for business and rarely tip my maid in the hotel. Somehow when I pay $400 per night for a room with very few consummable products - I believe that hotel has charged me enough to also pay their maid a fair salary.

 

I tip on cruise ships - but have all but stopped cruising on anything other than all-inclusive ships. When I am on my vacation, I do not want to be responsible for how well my waitstaff's family back home lives. Same with my room steward - I don't think it should be my concern. On all inclusive cruises - the crew is paid well and it doesn't become my problem or concern.

 

By the way - a cruiseline that I once did work for routinely "dumps" left over inventory at a very nice discount in Europe - general the Benelux countries. Every line has a "dump" area away from the US so as not to spoil the revenue from the American market. They key is to find where these dumps take place - and you can buy a cruise for a song. When I was affiliated with this company we would sell cruises at about 1/4 price.

[terrierjohn]

This thread has meandered about rather like the Starship Enterprise, but it has been interesting and very well mannered, however the original point was that it's not always the Brit's/Europeans that get a raw deal on price from Princess, even though there is currently only one cruise that seems to be disadvantaging the Nth. Americans.

However it seems to me that maybe we have the answer in our own hands, if we all collectively apply pressure to the TA's that fall into line with this Princess policy by refusing to place our business with them, then it's just possible that the TA's will eventually refuse to play ball with Princess. OK so I realise it's unlikely but as an anarchist it does appeal to me.

By the way Happyscot I do 100% agree with your views on tipping, after normally being screwed on price and paying way more for my cruise than the Nth Americans, I really feel that Princess should stump up with my $10/day.

[happyscot]

Yes,

 

I'm the boss!

 

 

 

HA! Good answer, haggis target!

 

Hey I'm on baja too, on the Sea, see.

 

Quick hi-jack please. Got my tickets today, various details I understood, but next to cabin number appeared "mid"?

 

Wassat, gentle cruisers, please?

 

xx

[happyscot]

This thread has meandered about rather like the Starship Enterprise, but it has been interesting and very well mannered, however the original point was that it's not always the Brit's/Europeans that get a raw deal on price from Princess, even though there is currently only one cruise that seems to be disadvantaging the Nth. Americans.

However it seems to me that maybe we have the answer in our own hands, if we all collectively apply pressure to the TA's that fall into line with this Princess policy by refusing to place our business with them, then it's just possible that the TA's will eventually refuse to play ball with Princess. OK so I realise it's unlikely but as an anarchist it does appeal to me.

By the way Happyscot I do 100% agree with your views on tipping, after normally being screwed on price and paying way more for my cruise than the Nth Americans, I really feel that Princess should stump up with my $10/day.

 

 

Most flattering to know that both my occasional serious post and multitudinous childish posts are pleasing at least some. Thank you. I won't let it go to my head.

 

I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD.......

 

Hic.

 

:D :D

 

On the tipping thing, I have no idea what to do on my upcoming first Princess cruise, will go by instinct when I get there. I stand by all previous posts though, and welcome the support.

 

On exchange rates, STERLING NOW $2.02 a pound. YEEEEEE-HAAAAAA. At this rate, Princess will be paying me to drink on board..............

 

xxxxxx

[Chivalrygirl]

Most flattering to know that both my occasional serious post and multitudinous childish posts are pleasing at least some. Thank you. I won't let it go to my head.

 

I'M THE KING OF THE WORLD.......

 

Hic.

 

:D :D

 

On the tipping thing, I have no idea what to do on my upcoming first Princess cruise, will go by instinct when I get there. I stand by all previous posts though, and welcome the support.

 

On exchange rates, STERLING NOW $2.02 a pound. YEEEEEE-HAAAAAA. At this rate, Princess will be paying me to drink on board..............

 

xxxxxx

 

Lucky lucky u. We are at .7437 right now, and that has all our farmers and exporters screaming their "bleedin" heads off. Its almost higher than it has been in 25 years.

Oh well at least we don't get snow and nasty things like that, can't have everything we want in life eh!

But we sure as hec pay heaps more than any Yank or Brit, and from my recent experience it looks like Princess night just be recognising that a little. Still can't afford to tip $US10 a day :eek:

Someone on TV is playing the pipes, still a heap of Scots in this country :D

Love and kisses

from Val

[English Tim]

Having studied this thread, it got me to thinking about how expensive our next cruise is. We have to travel during school holidays / vacations and so prices are very high.

 

We choose to have two cabins, so that we can all have some privacy!

 

We paid £5500 ($11,000) for 1 outside with balcony and 1 inside (without balcony) on Riviera deck on Sea, for August 2007 (14 nights). I wonder how this compares with our friends from across the 'pond'.

[latitude 22]

Balcony Riviera deck 3630.00 pp USD

 

waitlist only

 

lowest inside 2590.00 pp USD

 

all categories available

 

currency coversion would indicate that ......

 

YOU PAID LESS than I would if I booked it right now!

[latitude 22]

happy scot...

 

are you in a balcony?

 

that can be an abbreviation for that...

[Sekhmet]

HA! Good answer, haggis target!

 

Hey I'm on baja too, on the Sea, see.

 

Quick hi-jack please. Got my tickets today, various details I understood, but next to cabin number appeared "mid"?

 

Wassat, gentle cruisers, please?

 

xx

 

I think this might just be an instruction to the baggage handlers as to whether to load a case near the sharp end, the blunt end or in the "mid"dle.

[happyscot]

I think this might just be an instruction to the baggage handlers as to whether to load a case near the sharp end, the blunt end or in the "mid"dle.

 

Ah! Thank you.

[happyscot]

happy scot...

 

are you in a balcony?

 

that can be an abbreviation for that...

 

 

Naaaah. Just dipping a toe in the water of cruising, prices are a bit sharp after years of land holidays, and we're doing new house up and paying off respective ex-spouses (or bast****, as I believe the legal term goes). We have about 12 rooms to do, so it's what you rich Americans would call an annex. I've bought a stags head for my games room wall in a sort of post-modernist ironic self-awareness gesture. Or "stupid" as my builder more succinctly puts it.

 

We are sleeping in a cupboard next to the propeller. I think we got shafted on the price. Geddit???? Propeller.....shaft....oh alright.

 

Love the way so many posters get the words "suite" and "elite" into their posts in the first 4 words even though they're posting about cell phones or something. Will we do this when the time comes? You're tootin' frootin' right we will!!!!

 

Why did the post about peepholes asking why the post about peepholes disappeared disappear? Shall I start a thread about that? Oh please say yes.

 

xxxx

[happyscot]

Lucky lucky u. We are at .7437 right now, and that has all our farmers and exporters screaming their "bleedin" heads off. Its almost higher than it has been in 25 years.

Oh well at least we don't get snow and nasty things like that, can't have everything we want in life eh!

But we sure as hec pay heaps more than any Yank or Brit, and from my recent experience it looks like Princess night just be recognising that a little. Still can't afford to tip $US10 a day :eek:

Someone on TV is playing the pipes, still a heap of Scots in this country :D

Love and kisses

from Val

 

 

Val's a nice name. I'm tall, quite good looking, and financially secure. I like.....................

 

OH **** WRONG SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hee hee hee hee hee.

 

In Scotland, we always thing of NZ as the country most like here, or vice versa, people and scenery wise. Everyone who's ever visited I've spoken to says folk and country mega fab. You're so lucky, don't let little stuff like exchange rates get u down.

 

I can afford to tip $10, just, but that isn't the issue for me. I refer you to my previous posts!!!

 

xxxxx

[Chivalrygirl]

;) Hiya XXXXXXXX

 

Would love to marry ya, but I fear you could well be at least 30 years myh junior, and as I am not a "rich *****" and I don't need to have both feet on the banana skin, you will now have lost interest. Besides the "Old fart" that I married back in 65 in old London town still needs me :eek:

 

OK my suggestion is that you now tip $US20 and I will have our tips removed :D I don't mind tipping at all, I really love some of these people that serve us on the ships, its just being told who I must tip and how much that really does get up me hooter!

 

Yep the scenery of NZ is very much like bonnie Scotland, I remember when I visted Scotland my DH got sick of me saying oh but this is so much like NZ. There is a very strong Scots influence in the South Island and way down the bottom end they all roll their "Rs" I guess the only dialect change in the whole country, that is excluding recent immigration of course.

 

I see the Kiwi dollar is still up around record highs this morning how is the old British pound doing ?

 

Sorry moderators that I am way, way off topic but its nice sometimes to chat to new friends, who spend their time writing things to make others really have a good laugh :D

 

Thanks Scotman

xxxxxxxx from Val