How to Spend More Money to Get a Better Cruise?

[AirGorilla]

Absolutely, we would pay more. On our last HAL cruise I even thought about HAL offering "premium cruises" periodically that include more-along the lines of Crystal. Crystal ships are no better than HAL's but the product is and in this way HAL could appeal to a wider market. Say one traditional HAL Sea of Cortez trip at the going rate but then another cruise on the same ship, same route, but offer comped wine tastings, no charge coffee and goodies in Exploration, sodas and water included, no charge for specialty restaurants, great speakers, computer training, and the like-just like Crystal does-maybe even get some premium entertainment. Would be interesting to see what per cent increase the number crunchers could come up with to offer these additional included items.

 

Gary

 

Interesting idea. I think that more and better trained staff would be required for the "premium cruise" concept. (i.e. a better staff to pax ratio in the main dining room than currently exists.)

[Sailorgirlseattle]

So far it looks as if we have found about 17 HAL Cruisers (and probably their spouses, so now we have 34) who are willing to pay more for a better cruise. This doesn't look very promising.

 

But then we need to consider that Cruisecritic represents only about 2% of the cruising public. So can we assume that if we received votes from 100% of HAL cruisers, we might come up with 1700 HAL passengers willing to pay extra (once or twice a year) for a better cruise?

 

So should HAL dedicate one ship with much better amenities and perks included for a higher price, for one or two cruises a year - and hope that all 1700 enlightened peoople are available and willing to cruise on those dates?

 

Yeah, but you forget one thing: We cruise critic posters are smarter than the average bear ;) :D :D :D

[Copper10-8]

Yeah, but you forget one thing: We cruise critic posters are smarter than the average bear ;) :D :D :D

 

Plus most of us here are legends in our own minds;)

[JunPOA]

Just a thought - and albeit not scientific - why not consider framing this topic into a Poll?:)

 

Leah, RN

[Thrifty]

I would gladly pay more for the cabin to have the optional items reduced a bit. What I'm suggesting is that the cabin, the wine, and the excursions should all be marked up proportionate amounts so that none of the passengers are effectively subsidizing others. (If I didn't drink, I'd sell my home and live at sea.) I realize that would present a competitive problem; other cruise lines would be able to advertise a lower cabin rate if they made it up on the optional items. I know nothing about marketing, so I don't know whether "honest" pricing is viable or not, but I would guess that a premium line like HAL might be able to do it even if a mass market line couldn't. (Walmart seems to have made it work.)

[Palmetto Lady]

If it were not a matter of money, I would cruise on Regent. Two of their ships are entirely balcony suites, wine and most other alcohol (except premium brands) are included. Bottled water is included as you leave the ship for excursions. It was lovely not to have been nickle and dimed. Crystal is lovely, but alcohol is not included. We cruised b2b in the Mediterrean and the Adriatic with Regent. We like to do longer cruises as my husband feels that it isn't worthwhile if you can't go for at least two weeks. My husband is a big man and now that we are older, I don't feel that it is healthy for him to be crammed into "steerage" on the airplane. We were fortunate that our TA was able to get us Business Class seats with our frequent flyer miles, but that isn't going to happen all the time. What is really annoying is that the airfare is almost as much as the cruise! So the bottom line is that we will fly BC and cruise with HAL. One has to make choices (at least most of us do).

[hammybee]

Just a thought - and albeit not scientific - why not consider framing this topic into a Poll?:)

 

Leah, RN

 

HAL has about 1 million passengers a year. A juicy poll on this board pulls in about 200 votes. I think the other 999,800 other passengers matter. Don't you? I wonder what percentage of the 999,800 are worried about their jobs, and/or how they are going to fill their tank and/or continue to put food on their table and/or pay their mortgage when their ARM resets.

 

Most of those who plan to cruise in the next year are focused on the cost and the lowest cost, provider within the mass market, with a similar intinerary, sails with a full ship.

 

Most people would not pay $10-20 more for more leg room, in coach, on American Airlines. Instead, they chose to sail in the cheap seats and complain how flying "ain't what it used to be". When given a choice, best price, almost always wins despite that price does not equal value.

[Thrifty]

I believe I represent a substantial segment of the HAL customer base, how substantial I don't know, teetering along the divide between the middle-middle and the upper-middle class. I am dissatisfied by the service on the mass market cruise lines, but cannot begin to afford the luxury ones.

I would gladly pay 20% to 25% more than HAL's current prices for dependably good service, which means being seated as soon as I arrive in the dining room, having my breakfast cappuccino cup re-filled reasonably promptly, etc. (I have, at times, received such service on mass market cruise lines, but I think I was lucky.)

I do not want personalized stationery or attention from a butler, whom I would be inclined to tip just for him to go away. I am so middle class that pampering makes me nervous. A cabin bathrobe would be nice, but is not at all necessary. In other words, I have no class; I seek value for my money. (Over the years, I have gradually changed from price-sensitive to price-conscious.)

I have long felt that there were not enough premium cruise lines, by which I mean something between the mass market lines and the luxury lines and I believe it might serve HAL well to become just a little more premium to dispel any confusion between it and the mass market cruise lines.

[Two if by Sea]

I'd like to bring this around to the original question, which really interested me, and which I took to mean:

 

How, on a HAL ship as it exists TODAY, can you spend more money to get a better cruise?

 

Obviously "better" is in the eye of the beholder. The one thing I've already done for our upcoming cruise that costs more money is to book a Deluxe Suite, since I believe that that will give me a better cruise experience -- size of cabin primarily, but also some of the amenities.

 

Other areas in which I could spend money would include the spa, shore excursions, etc. I have already planned some of those and expect that the extra money I've spent or will spend will indeed add to my cruise experience.

 

But where else? If I could spend extra money in the Dining Room to get a better experience I would certainly weigh the options. But I'm not sure I CAN. I don't think the Pinnacle Grill would be better than the Main Dining Room or Lido for what we want out of dinner, or else that would be an obvious addition we could make.

 

Anything else? I don't wish to go strewing money around unnecessarily, but I was definitely interested in the original question as I understood it. This is the HAL board, so "go cruise on Silversea" isn't the answer I was expecting. Nor, at least for the immediate term, is it going to help me to know what HAL could provide us some day if they charged more and added services. I want to know what they could provide me NEXT MONTH if I chose to make it happen.

[fann1sh]

(snip)....How, on a HAL ship as it exists TODAY, can you spend more money to get a better cruise? Obviously "better" is in the eye of the beholder. The one thing I've already done for our upcoming cruise that costs more money is to book a Deluxe Suite, since I believe that that will give me a better cruise experience -- size of cabin primarily, but also some of the amenities....(snip)...But where else? If I could spend extra money in the Dining Room to get a better experience I would certainly weigh the options. But I'm not sure I CAN....(snip)...

 

Don't forget among those suite amenities, you already have an "enhanced" breakfast option: breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. Sure, the food is the same as the main dining room, but the ambiance is so relaxed, and the service superb. On our December 2007 cruise, I think if I'd asked for a hummingbird egg omelet, the staff would have magicked one for me somehow. I know others here may think I'm kooky, but to me eating in the Pinnacle for breakfast may be the BEST suite perk.

 

Another option for dinner - which doesn't officially cost a dime - is course by course in room dining. I think room service is normally supposed to bring your entire meal at the same time. Others not in suites have posted they requested "course by course" and got it. Maybe our experience was no better than theirs. However, when we placed the request through the concierge, we not only began the meal with a visit from one of the dining room captains, but we had two waiters to ourselves that night: one who shuttled things from the dining room, and the other who stayed with us the entire meal.

 

Since we were in port that night, and had the meal served on our huge aft balcony, it was utterly memorable. The food even tasted better! The three of us tipped the dining captain and both servers generously, about as much as the charge for dining in the PG.

 

If on your upcoming cruise you spend any evening in port, I strongly suggest you try this!

[Orsino]

I think I fall into the "masses" category when it comes to cruising. We view cruises as transportation, food, and lodging. For us, the cruise draw is the opportunity to see several different places over the course of a week. When I was in High School, I bussed around Europe for a school trip. It was great, but so much time was spent during daytime hours on the bus.

I view a cruise as the solution to this problem. Luggage stays in one room (no repacking!) and almost every morning I get to wake up somewhere new.

 

Amenities beyond the basics are simply not that important to me. I will note that the cruise prices are insanely good deals. We would spend the same amount for hotels and dinner as we spend for the entire cruise fare. To us, that is an irresistible bargain. If the prices were higher, we would pay them since the benefits of transportation and entertainment have added value; but competition and high supply seem to be working in our favor so far.

 

Next month we are on an Alaska cruise (HAL) which we picked based on price; but we preferred HAL since we sailed with them before (Montreal-Boston), which we picked based on itinerary (price was good too).

 

Right now we vacation on a budget. I'd rather spend money on excursions rather than higher category room/services.

[Lady Chew]

Orsino,

 

that's pretty much how Mr Chew & I look at cruising

 

We take a variety of land vacations every year, recently added cruising which we both love

 

Re cruising, we could probably afford the "suite life" but we'd rather spend our hard-earned money on excursions & such. We don't need the extra amenities in our cabin as long as the bedding is decent, and clean, don't need a personal concierge as long as the guest services desk is fairly efficient

 

Although it would be nice to pay a little extra if it lifted up the general atmosphere on board - people might better conform to the dress code, no belly flop contests, etc:D

 

That is one reason why SIL & I are considering a HAL cruise next year. We're curious to see if a cruise that's a little more expensive weeds out some of the um, less-than-perfect behavior we've seen on our other cruises;)

[Taxguy77]

How do I arrange to take food off the ship so I do not have to pay for lunch, while on shore?

 

Try an inexpemsive land tour! We did one (great intinerary that we had been in the process of booking ourselves but at an enormous saving, and with friends going too) and were embarassed every AM if the hotel had a buffet breakfast. The tops was on the last day we had a beautiful buffet at a premium hotel and just before midnite at the airport I saw a woman pull a milk product out of her purse!

[Taxguy77]

I'll meet you at Walmart, for coffee.

:eek:

 

Any good independent resturants in your area? If not, please come to mine. :) Service isn't always the fastest, but coffees good. :cool:

[chasetf]

Better amenities and perks are available for a higher price, as we speak. Crystal, Oceania, Regent, etc., are ready when you are.

 

But ... that better stuff isn't coming from HAL.

Curious how those (and their competitor lines) do not show up on our "Past Cruises" in almost all of our signature blocks....... including those wanting those upscale perks. ;) :)

[chasetf]

I think I fall into the "masses" category when it comes to cruising. We view cruises as transportation, food, and lodging. For us, the cruise draw is the opportunity to see several different places over the course of a week. ..............

 

Amenities beyond the basics are simply not that important to me. I will note that the cruise prices are insanely good deals. ............................

 

Right now we vacation on a budget. I'd rather spend money on excursions rather than higher category room/services.

I agree.......transportation, food, and lodging ;)

 

We did not fly to Australia to board a ship and be served cavair and champange. We went because we want to see Sydney, Auckland and everything in between. We usually spend pre and post cruise time to see more sights.

[kryos]

Right now we vacation on a budget. I'd rather spend money on excursions rather than higher category room/services.

I'm with you, my friend. An inside cabin works great for me. Sure, I could probably afford better, but I'd much rather spend my money on neat shore excursions than onboard ammenities. Hey, I'll pop on down to the shore excursion desk or the Purser's Office if I have a problem. Don't need no Neptune Lounge Concierge to take care of those matters for me ... not at the prices of those suites! :)

 

But, hey ... that's the nice thing about cruising today. Something for everybody, right?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Re cruising, we could probably afford the "suite life" but we'd rather spend our hard-earned money on excursions & such. We don't need the extra amenities in our cabin as long as the bedding is decent, and clean, don't need a personal concierge as long as the guest services desk is fairly efficient ...

It's funny, but someone called me cheap on a cruise ship once because I refused to pay over $200 for a luau. I'm sorry, but that is absolute crap, in my book. When I book that cruise, my food ... what I feel should be decent food ... is part of my price. So if I am already paying for that food, why on earth would I want to spend $200 bucks to go to a special meal onshore?

 

Now, sure, I will do some excursions that involve a meal, but not a $200 one!

 

My feeling is that I've got all the good food I want waiting for me on the ship. I'd rather spend my money on other things.

 

By the way ... the day this person called me cheap we were in Oahu. She was going to a luau that night and wanted me to join her, which I declined. I also that day had dropped over $400 bucks over on the North Shore skydiving. And she's calling me cheap?!?!?!? No, I think it's just that I have other ways I'd prefer spending my money ... like by doing fun and exciting things.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[ANSalberg]

It is always amusing to me when people accuse ANY cruiseline "Of nickle & diming them" and then scream bloody murder if they see their cruise-fare at a slightly "different' [read LOWER] price somewhere else. Don't they realize that this "lower" fare may not have certain add-ons like taxes/fuel charge/ et al?

I worked for nearly 40 years and our vacations were few and far between. I feel now that we are retired that its OK to spend x-number of dollars on a cruise- AND do that in a suite,AND take longer more exotic itineraries. I can't tell you how THRILLED I was in some of the many ports we have been in, places I had NEVER imagined that I would ever be able to actually stroll [ or take a tour bus] down the street. BUT -and this is a huge thing, I think -I never envied "the other guy" -the one who had a suite while we were in an outside/the one who dined with the Captain while we dined with NEW friends/the ones who wear MINK while I buy my clothes "on sale".....You can waste a whole lot of time and energy WANTING what the other guy has.

I can honestly say that whatever anybody ELSE "had" I seldom envied because I was always so thrilled just to be able to participate in those travels; its a MIND set, I think. Just appreciate what you HAVE, not what you PRESUME you deserve.

Sail's immediate question was on "THINGS" and it immediately brought luxury cruiselines to mind for many. I think the sheer ADVENTURE of cruising and seeing cultures around our world/sharing a WEALTH of learning, is what cruising is all about for me. That's not good or bad, but it is my experience; unrelated to what anybody else has or wants or needs or in many cases SEES. In India a year ago people saw filth and poverty; I CHOSE to see history, and civilization, and adventure. And HAL took me there......"pinch"

[mancunian]

We went on our first cruise 18 years' ago on Swan Hellenic, a small fairly upmarket British ship. The two week cruise to Europe cost us about the same give or take £100, as our 16 night cruise on Rotterdam in March from Rio to Valparaiso which included long haul flights and three nights in a good hotel in Rio. Was it a better cruise? We enjoyed it very much, I think nearly everyone remembers their first cruise as being special. Some very nice touches like a four course meal with apperitifs, wine and liquers on a fairly short flight. My husband was still eating his cheese and biscuits and with half a glass of wine, his coffee, chocolate and liqeuer as the captain was announcing he would be losing height for Venice!!! The cruise was well run with good lecturers, the food was OK and there was wine on some evenings. Excursions were generally included. How did it compare with Rotterdam? Badly I would say. The ship was old and not particularly comfortable. Rotterdam was beautiful with a better crew and better food. There was far more choice on offer and really the entertainment was awesome compared with 18 years ago. It was not that we liked all of it, but were impressed that there were some many visiting artistes and so much choice of music. No way would we want to go back 18 years, we like our creature comforts too much.

 

There is now so much choice compared to then, I do not see how any cruise line could increase the fare to cover all options and although I know many find it irritating "nickel and diming" is really the only way to go. I much prefer this as I can pay my basic fare and then mix and match. Basic in our case because we are in an oceanview cabin not a verandah, never mind a suite. In fact we have only recently decided to move up from an inside because we are trying to see as much of the world as possible and therefore prefer to cruise two or three times a year. We are fortunate we feel to be able to do this and know that many cannot. What strikes me very forcibly reading this and other threads is that the majority of people on this board are at the top end of HAL passengers - a huge proportion of you aspiring to suites and this is really not representative of most passengers.

 

It is also important to take into account the age of HAL passengers generally. Every year there must be quite a large number not able to cruise anymore and the people replacing them will have different ideas and values. It is very difficult to please everyone, but whilst putting on rose tinted spectacles don't forget to include the better things of today's cruising.

[ANSalberg]

Mancunian -you are MY kind of human! CRUISE Happily!

[hammybee]

Mancunian -you are MY kind of human! CRUISE Happily!

 

I second this. The good ole days were not all that rosey (sp?) compared to the current enviornment and one man's nickle and dime is another's pay for play.

[gooselace]

Having come to this thread late, I'm reminded of my experience buying our house 30 years ago. We'd decided on the townhouse, in which we still live, but the agent tried to disuade us, saying "You could afford to live in a better neighborhood, with people more like you." She'd known us for all of 4 hours!

 

I usually cruise with a friend, who has cruised on many of the mass market lines, for whom a HAL veranda is a stretch she willingly makes. We usually enjoy one dinner in the Pinnacle. Someday when I cruise with my DH, we'll probably get a suite, have more meals in the Pinnacle, but wouldn't move up to one of the "premium" lines.

 

Having occasionally visted other CC boards, I always return to this one. Like HAL, it feels like home, with "my kind of people" in all their wonderful diversity, just like my neighborhood.

[GatorV]

Having just finished my cruise 5/8 I am now finished with the Pinnacle grill, its out of my system of "must do's" I've done it enough and although the food is good, its ALL good and can use the 60.00 for 2 for something else, tips maybe.

 

I will never book a suite unless I win the lottery and even then who knows? we always book inside on LP its wonderful and we are on deck in 5 seconds walking to one side of the ship or the other.

 

Fresh fruit was gone this time and brought into the cruise when we were asked what we would like. Great idea...much less waste.

 

MANCUNIAN & ANSalberg have a wonderful out look, i enjoyed their posts greatly and somehow i am very sure they are quite happy with their lives as crusiers, and i fall right into their way of thinking. I've done many cruises 5 on HAL, its not what it once was but niether am i but I intend to make the most of what is offered on each trip and we do!

[mkenn]

I luckily found this forum and have learned so much preparing for our first cruise in Feb 2009.

 

It's very interesting to read how cruising and air travel are not what the used to be.

 

Most things aren't. Good or bad, right or wrong, in business it's ....

 

 

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