Parkwest Takes Over Rotterdam's Crow's Nest - Denies Passengers Access

[Jade13]

A

Each year, Park West invites their best art buying clients to go on a free cruise. Park West picks up the tab for First Class Air Tickets, Suites in Hotels, Suites on Ships, and expensive bottles of wines.

Once onboard the ship, they pull out all their best and most expensive art pieces for exclusive Art Auctions with these VIP Art Buyers.

 

On a typical 7 or 10 day cruise this special auction will take in somewhere between 3 and 4 Million Dollars. The Cruise line keeps anywhere from 40% to 60% of that money.

If you owned the cruise line, would you give exclusive use of a private room for $2.5 Million ??? With no cost to the operation?? I would do it in a New York Minute.

I would also compensate the other passengers who were inconvenienced by my financial windfall. But maybe that's just me............................

 

Thank you. I was actually just logging on to say I bet Park West is treating their best customers to a free cruise and are there selling the art to these big spenders ...(like the Casinos fly in the big spenders). I knew this wasn't Park West employees....

[AWED23]

A bit of information can be a big help in situations like this one. I personally could care less one way or the other about Art Auctions.

But this is how it works:

 

Park West is on most of the Western Cruise Ships on planet Earth. They do pretty well. Why people buy that stuff is beyond my understanding - but they do, and big time. On most cruise ships the Art Auctioneer is the highest paid employee on the ship. Since nobody forces anyone to buy this art, and no laws are broken, this sort of thing will continue so long as the cruising public is dumb enouigh to keep buying it. If you or I owned Park West Galleries, making hundreds of millions of dollars every year, we would probably keep doing it. If you or I owned a cruise line making ten of millions of dollars commission every year from selling this stuff, we would probably keep doing it.

 

Each year, Park West invites their best art buying clients to go on a free cruise. Park West picks up the tab for First Class Air Tickets, Suites in Hotels, Suites on Ships, and expensive bottles of wines.

Once onboard the ship, they pull out all their best and most expensive art pieces for exclusive Art Auctions with these VIP Art Buyers.

 

On a typical 7 or 10 day cruise this special auction will take in somewhere between 3 and 4 Million Dollars. The Cruise line keeps anywhere from 40% to 60% of that money.

If you owned the cruise line, would you give exclusive use of a private room for $2.5 Million ??? With no cost to the operation?? I would do it in a New York Minute.

I would also compensate the other passengers who were inconvenienced by my financial windfall. But maybe that's just me............................

:eek: Sorry Charley, your numbers are not even close to reality !!!!!!

[Philip217]

AWED23,

 

I'm sitting here on my ship with the Director of Onboard Revenue for our company.

You have given us a great laugh.

 

Thank you.

[sail7seas]

Interesting you'd both be reading CC during your 'meeting'. :D

 

I haven't a clue what the numbers are and really don't think it's any of my business..... or need to know......or even interest. :)

I hope Park West provides the company with huge revenue and it keeps growing. It'll keep our fares under control, HOPEFULLY. ;)

 

 

 

[localady]

Money talks as we are all aware.

But where does it stop??? Is it fair to passengers that have an expectation to access a premiere location like the Crow's Nest

during the cruise?? Especially with no prior notice or renumeration received???

Sorry but when I cruise, I believe I am paying to use all the public rooms as well as my berth in a cabin. It's a reasonable expectation.

Having a venue like the Crow's Nest closed for the entire trip is not a reasonable expectation:o , and I too agree with Phillip that either notice or renumeration is appropriate.

[Jade13]

AWED23,

 

I'm sitting here on my ship with the Director of Onboard Revenue for our company.

You have given us a great laugh.

 

Thank you.

 

Philip, exactly what is your position with HAL?

[bookworm0911]

Philip, exactly what is your position with HAL?

Why do you think Philip works for HAL? I don't think he does. Has he ever said that? :confused:

[kabuka]

First, I am truly disturbed by this thread since I just booked my mother on a 16 day cruise on HAL for 2/08. She nor I have ever been on HAL and now I am afraid she will be disappointed (she is partial to Celebrity). She will be traveling alone so will pay twice the price for this trip. Hmmmm. . . I am wondering if this is going to be a big disaster. I can't imagine traveling around Cape Horn and not being able to enjoy the Crow's Nest.

 

Second, I have purchased art from Park West both for myself and my mother. We both enjoy auctions in general so why wouldn't I take advantage of the free-flowing champagne. Besides, I "won" a couple great "gifts" of free and hugely discounted spa treatments. The pieces we purchased were artists we love so we enjoy looking at that art every day. If we have "no taste" and "it is crap" according to some of the post-ers here, so be it.

 

I will continue to check out the HAL boards until November when final payment is due. Hopefully, by then I will know whether to send my mother on this line.

[Philip217]

Suffice it to say that I work for a large mainstream cruise line.

I have hosted these special Park West VIP Cruises several times on several different ships - with nearly identical results every time.

The information I quoted is valid for any number of mainstream cruise lines.

Park West operates the same program just about everywhere.

[WillieF]

OK, I haven't read all 509 posts in this thread but think I'm missing something.

 

The entire Crows Nest is reserved every evening for the entire cruise, that's not to my liking and I'd be objecting too.

 

We enjoy pre-dinner drinks up there and have frequently seen a 'group' or two partying in selected areas. No problem there, they have their own waiters etc. and service to us is not affected.

 

My question, does Park West pick up the tab for whatever number of passengers is required to fill the Crows Nest? Is attendance at these auctions confined to PW passengers?

 

Most ships these days have Art Auctions but said auctions are open to all passengers. We've frequently sat on the sidelines watching but have never felt the need to buy anything and certainly were not required to do so.

 

Can someone clue me in,please.

[RedmondCruiser]

PHILIP 217 --- If the lines make soooo much money off these events then they should offer a substantial cruise credit for excluding a signature area of the ship to their PAYING CUSTOMERS. When I go on HAL I expect to use the Crows Nest. It is one of the things that I paid for. Why not let Park West charter the ship if they want to hog the premier areas of the ship. ---- You and the bean counter can chortle all you want -- the fact is that the practice is penny wise and pound foolish.

[Jade13]

Why do you think Philip works for HAL? I don't think he does. Has he ever said that? :confused:

 

I read "our company" to mean he was talking about HAL, especially since he knows the numbers for HAL's art auctions. But I re-read and I guess it could read any company and he is indeed with a mainstream cruiseline (although he doesn't say he is not with HAL).

[Philip217]

RedmondCruiser,

 

Please don't misunderstand.

I completely agree with you.

Although many of the posters here have philosophical problems with the situation, I have personally experienced it; having been on the receiving end of the anger of many cruisers who had to put up with this sort of nonsense.

 

I was only laughing at one of the armchair quarterbacks telling me that my numbers were all wrong after I have personally completed the paperwork on many of the very VIP Art Auctions we are all talking about.

[Krazy Kruizers]

kabuka

 

I hope everything works out for your mother's cruise. Let us know what your final decision will be.

[Krazy Kruizers]

WillieF

 

From what I understand, that PW that was held in the Crow's Nest on the Rotterdam was only for those people who had PW pay everything for them. The other passengers could not attend.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Philip217 started these threads on "Ask a cruise question" for anyone who is interested.

Complaint of the Week #6

Philip217

 

Complaint of the Week #5

Philip217

 

Complaint of the Week #4

Philip217

 

 

Complaint of the Week #3

Philip217

 

Complaint of the Week #2

Philip217

 

 

Complaint of the Week (1 2)

Philip217

 

[kryos]

Thank you. I was actually just logging on to say I bet Park West is treating their best customers to a free cruise and are there selling the art to these big spenders ...(like the Casinos fly in the big spenders). I knew this wasn't Park West employees....

Then Park West should just go all the way and charter the ship for the week ... and host their big spenders on a cruise ship that is sailing at maybe half its full capacity. They shouldn't, however, be allowed to invite those big spenders onto a generally available cruise and then tie up primo public space for the entire duration of the cruise exclusively for the use of those big spenders. After all, the "little" people on that sailing paid good money for their fare ... they didn't get the tab picked up by Park West ... and thus they are entitled to the expectation that they will have certain public areas generally available to them during their cruise.

 

Don't get me wrong ... I'm not saying Park West shouldn't be able to host their big spenders by providing them with certain ammenities ... such as an all expenses paid cruise. All businesses do that type of thing and there's nothing wrong with that. You take care of your best customers and hope they will take care of you ... in terms of more business. However, when your efforts to take care of your customers begin to infringe on the rights of others ... people who paid money for their cruise and should be able to enjoy it as well ... that's when there's something wrong, and HAL shouldn't allow the practice.

 

So, as I say ... if Park West wants to provide a primo experience for their better customers and wants them to have EXCLUSIVE use of areas of the ship, then they should just go ahead and charter the thing ... and just kick everyone else off the sailing.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Jade13]

Philip217 started these threads on "Ask a cruise question" for anyone who is interested.

 

Complaint of the Week #6

Philip217

 

Complaint of the Week #5

Philip217

 

Complaint of the Week #4

Philip217

 

 

Complaint of the Week #3

Philip217

 

Complaint of the Week #2

Philip217

 

 

Complaint of the Week (1 2)

Philip217

 

 

Thank you for posting the link. These are sooo funny.

[RuthC]

KK, a million thanks for those links to Phillips's complaints of the week. They're a hoot! People are really like this? Guess I've lead a sheltered life. :rolleyes:

Perhaps we can prevail upon Phillip to post them on this board, too? I doubt I'll remember to go looking and I hate the idea of missing them.

[Chivalrygirl]

My last thought re:Park West....As a long time collector of paintings and bronze sculptures, I regard the whole "Art at Sea" as a rip-off to sell mostly crap....I can not believe that any knowledgeable collector would give one minutes time to one of Park Wests Junk Auctions.....Just my own personal, educated opinion !!!....:eek:

 

Ah my friend but if you are on a HAL ship which is selling in USD, and you have lowly valued colonial currency, the FREE BOOZE is a great big attraction :D

[amusea]

At one port I looked out my window and saw them offloading the gold frames. They were just throwing them on top of each other onto an open truck. I guess that sort of explains their true value. Also I wonder if some people know that in most cases there are many duplicates of the same wonderful piece that they purchased which are stored in the Park West warehouse. I wouldn't go near one of those auctions but the company is laughing all the way to the bank.

[WillieF]

WillieF

 

From what I understand, that PW that was held in the Crow's Nest on the Rotterdam was only for those people who had PW pay everything for them. The other passengers could not attend.

 

My understanding too! - it just makes the situation that much more unacceptable! We'd probably spring for a print or two if we'd been comped a a luxury suite!!!!!!! We should all be storming the doors and raising holy hell!

 

Would be interesting to know if cruise discounts were at an all time high for non PW passengers.

[harbormaster]

I want to say that PW did have the Crow's Nest for most of the cruise - definitely all sea days - even the last one after we were told other accomodations would be made. The art was wall to wall on stands.

 

(See my photos earlier in this thread).

 

The Crow's Nest was open from about 9:30 pm most evenings - but by then it was dark and no one was in there. When PW had the Crow's Nest NO ONE else was allowed in. In fact, we were asked to leave on one occasion.

 

One evening the PW people decided not to use the CN but moved their auction to the Wajang Theater. We peeked in - there was security at the door, but we were allowed to look for a minute. The bids were going on on some animated Disney cells - there were 5 people bidding $10,000 each at that point for the items. The auctioneer said they ONLY had 150 signed copies.

We then had to leave as we were not part of the group.

 

All the PW events were for these high rollers only. They did do one normal auction for the rest of the ship. We don't attend them ever.

 

We do believe that this was a business decision HAL decided to make. If the figures are correct above, of course they would do it.

The biggest problem we had was that for 4 days, no one on the ship acknowledged our comment card, complaints or questions. The staff basically was told not to discuss the issue in any detail. We got information really only by pushing back on staff a lot.

The feelings of the passengers who were denied access definitely took second place to the "high rollers," based on the actions and response of those staff members on board from the Hotel Manager on down.

The other problem was that, before the cruise, we specifically asked our TA to check if any groups were going to be on the ship or if any areas would be off limits. We had seen postings about this, and this was important to know. She checked twice with HAL. She was specifically told twice that no groups were aboard and no venues closed. These conversations happened before we got on the ship, so I know she did check and they told her no groups. (As it turns out there was a group of bridge players also - larger than the PW group - and they did not take over anywhere - they were fun and wonderful.)

 

It is apparent from this thread and others that there many loyal HAL cruisers. I believe that you have had wonderful experiences with HAL and that your feelings are much deserved.

Much of the staff on the Rotterdam still reflect the excellent customer service we've come to know in the past. However, the extent to which it will continue depends on the cultural emphasis, inherent in each ship, and in the corporation as a whole, on core customer satisfaction.

We also have cruised with HAL before. We have enjoyed them, but we have enjoyed any number of other cruise lines as well.

It seems to us that our recent experience demonstrates that HAL's current culture and customer attitude more and more reflect that of its parent corporation, Carnival.

Deciding what cruise line to use to us is also partly a business decision. Issues like this and the company's response to its core customers will likely impact what we choose in the future.

[RedmondCruiser]

Harbormaster -- I was assured by Group Ships Services that PW only had the CN on sea days and that the CN was open to all passengers after 5pm. This was the official company position. They were either lying, were totally misinformed, or the Hotel Manager exceeded his companies guidelines. It was interesting to hear the truth.

 

Thank you for your posts, they were very informative and I hope that you enjoyed your Mediterranean cruise (other than the CN incident)

 

If I find that PW has a group on a cruise that I intend to take I will either pass or canel on that cruise. PW should just charter a Seabourn or Yacht Club ship and then they can sell overpriced arit to their hearts content.

[hammybee]

Philip217 started these threads on "Ask a cruise question" for anyone who is interested

 

Complaint of the Week #3

Philip217

 

 

So what cruise line/ ship carrying 2000 pax was sailing in Japan in the middle of April?