Do cruise lines file spending patterns of individuals?

[Been There, Planning That]

Different people seem to get offers of different specials. Some are Emailed and some sent in the post.

 

Beyond a simple counting of days sailed on any one line, do cruise lines track and record spending patterns and then make the best offers to the highest spenders?

[ab0si]

I certainly hope so. They would be very poorly run businesses if they do not know who are their best customers.

 

I know this doesn't answer your question. <grin>

[paul929207]

I don't know whether the do or not, but it sure would make sense. With the signing for most purchases on board, they have the info.

[GottaLuvCruising]

If it were MY business, I'd track clients / guests / passengers based on their overall value to my company...it only makes sense. Cruise lines are in a great position to do this because all on board expenses run through their folios. Then they could assign a value to each passenger - higher value, the more the cruise line wants them to return. Those folks who insist on booking shore excursions independently, sneaking their own booze on board and stiffing the waiter can pay more for their cruise. Why the heck not?

[MickeyGD]

I think they do! We had previously bought some art on one cruise and ever since then we ALWAYS get a letter in our mailbox outside our cabin on embarkation day saying "our records show you have purchased art in the past...blah...blah...blah" and they invite us to the art auctions and hope we buy more. Not!!! Tee Hee! ;)

[PennyAgain]

I know that some of them do so. Crystal tracks all customer purchases. The more you spend on board, the better offers you get for future sailings.

[kitty9]

They track not only your spending, but how much you play in the casino. Some lines offer free cruises for their biggest spenders in the casino.

[ehfl]

Obviously...any well managed business is going to keep lots of information about it's customers.

[MoYerclan]

They track not only your spending, but how much you play in the casino. Some lines offer free cruises for their biggest spenders in the casino.

 

Hmmmm.. how do they track this? I usually go to the roulette table and pass the croupier my cash dollars for the chips. I wish they'd track my gambling if it would get me some benefit, LOL! Should I be doing something else?

 

Now, I'm sure they know we spent $1100 at the spa on our February cruise. Perhaps that helped them decide whom to pick for a cabin upgrade when we sailed again this month? :)

[Atomica]

They absolutely do.

 

It's in their best interests to compile the spending habits of their passengers. Some of the offers you get will be tailored to you; in most cases, you've already given them that information (remember the Cruise Personalizer? They know where you like to go, when you like to go there, how often you've cruised, and whether you like Coke or Sprite in your mini-fridge.)

[satxdiver]

Yes they do. When you sign up for the cruise they record your demographics and what type of cruise you purchased. Onboard they record everything you buy since you charge it on your sea card. All of this is put into a large database on their computers. From that they analyze the data. They know what you like to spend money on and the voyages you like to take. Added to this they send out questionnaires asking where you would like to go next and for how long. Then they target you for what they think you would purchase. Therefore some get offers when others do not. They are a business and want to entice you with tempting offers to spend money with them.

 

All companies do this to some extent. Lowe's knows what sells and what does not along with when it sells (winter, summer, etc). Everytime you buy something it is recorded of course in the computer database. Not your name but the piece of merchandise. From this they know what sells quickly and what sells slowly or not at all. Their inventory is then built on this information.

 

In the computer field the analysis of database information is called data mining. All large companies do it since it means survival for them. It is all about profit and sales.

[Been There, Planning That]

Well, you've all confirmed what I'd suspected. Our steerage profile with minimal drinking and no gambling probably has us pegged. But we do book most tours through the cruise line. And we do tip above and beyond the daily surcharges, but that wouldn't be recorded of course and of no benefit to the line.

[Traveler353]

Hmmmm.. how do they track this? I usually go to the roulette table and pass the croupier my cash dollars for the chips. I wish they'd track my gambling if it would get me some benefit, LOL! Should I be doing something else?

 

Now, I'm sure they know we spent $1100 at the spa on our February cruise. Perhaps that helped them decide whom to pick for a cabin upgrade when we sailed again this month? :)

 

To get credit for your rated cash play you need to give the pit boss your card for them to track your play.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Having sailed 51 times on HAL alone -- I know that they don't offer or make any deals to some of us who spend a lot on their cruises.

I have read where some HAL people are given 15 and more cabin category upgrades -- for free!!

Never happens to us.

[kitty9]

Hmmmm.. how do they track this? I usually go to the roulette table and pass the croupier my cash dollars for the chips. I wish they'd track my gambling if it would get me some benefit, LOL! Should I be doing something else?

 

Now, I'm sure they know we spent $1100 at the spa on our February cruise. Perhaps that helped them decide whom to pick for a cabin upgrade when we sailed again this month? :)

 

Believe me, they know. The cruise line we use most has offered us numerous free cruises in the past year, through their casino manager, because we're very good casino players.

[lady_cruiser]

...........

 

I have read where some HAL people are given 15 and more cabin category upgrades -- for free!!

 

Never happens to us.

 

You must be thinking of Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington or some other famous person :rolleyes: that gets everything for free. 'Cause its not us hard working folks who has to pay for everything :p

[Mary Ellen]

Having sailed 51 times on HAL alone -- I know that they don't offer or make any deals to some of us who spend a lot on their cruises.

I have read where some HAL people are given 15 and more cabin category upgrades -- for free!!

Never happens to us.

KK - You only book suites. The only place 'up' for you is the Penthouse. HAL only has 1-4 of those on a ship. The odds are MUCH better for others to be upgraded. ;)

[trish1c]

Friends who get great offers all the time get them through the casino no the cruise line -- better profit margin. You are definitely going to spring for a $2000 cabin if the folks in that cabin are going to drop 5x as much in the casino.

[Keith1010]

Having sailed 51 times on HAL alone -- I know that they don't offer or make any deals to some of us who spend a lot on their cruises.

 

I have read where some HAL people are given 15 and more cabin category upgrades -- for free!!

 

Never happens to us.

 

Maybe it's time to switch cruise lines. Just kidding!! :D

 

Keith

[Tucker in Texas]

Well, you've all confirmed what I'd suspected. Our steerage profile with minimal drinking and no gambling probably has us pegged. But we do book most tours through the cruise line. And we do tip above and beyond the daily surcharges, but that wouldn't be recorded of course and of no benefit to the line.

 

We are the same as you which mystified us as to why we were invited to dine with the captain on our last cruise on RCI. We were in a guarantee balcony cabin which amounted to less than $50 a day, our on board account at that point was less than $50 and none of it was for drinking.

 

Now I may have been put down as a "big gambler" in the past because I would take out money from the casino to pay for tips ($400 to $500 on our trans-Atlantics) and for our independent tours (roughly $100 per port). But that stopped with the 3% surcharge. A lot of the other was offset by $450 OBC which has, also, come to a halt.

 

The only upgrade we have ever gotten on a cruise was on Princess, our first cruise with them.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Been There, Planning That]

I suspect that our best hope for a really special deal is an offer for a yet untried line, trying to entice us as first time cruisers.

 

We've NEVER been invited to dine with anyone of even remote seniority. But I'd rather be offered a good deal than good dining company.

[Bowie MeMe]

We got the table next to the captain's table on a TA. It was really interesting to see the two formal nights when a sub-captain was at the table with a bunch of white haired folks in tuxedos (big spenders?). The down side was they often took the waiters and assistant waiters to "help out" the Maitre De with the serving at the Captain's table. One night I got flowers and they automatically placed them on the Captain's Table later they made their way to me. I am an ALMOST Captain's Table.