Advertising Blitz ??

[Jsipes]

We are receiving a flyer/handout/brochure almost every day in the mail, and e-mail ads 2 or 3 times per week, AND now in AZ HAL is advertising on CBS and ABC TV channels ( a first) Do you think the general public is cruising less due to the economy, and the increased sales tactics are designed to lure the consumer back......or is the increase in ads/media simply trying to "cash in" on the upcoming "tax rebates." Having just returnd from a wonderful 11 day Guatamala tour we are a little behin on world affairs... :) Jer the Bear

[jtl513]

It must be a local "blitz" because we're not seeing that in FL. We get something from Princess (which we've never sailed) every 2 weeks or so, but very little from HAL in the mail, on TV, or in email. But we are getting frequent NCL ads on TV.

[lvtotrvl1]

This is what the cruise industry calls Wave season. They can gauge the occupancy for the year pretty well with what is booked during Jan, Feb and March. Busiest time of the year for the travel industry:)

[kryos]

We are receiving a flyer/handout/brochure almost every day in the mail, and e-mail ads 2 or 3 times per week, AND now in AZ HAL is advertising on CBS and ABC TV channels ( a first) Do you think the general public is cruising less due to the economy, and the increased sales tactics are designed to lure the consumer back......or is the increase in ads/media simply trying to "cash in" on the upcoming "tax rebates." Having just returnd from a wonderful 11 day Guatamala tour we are a little behin on world affairs... :) Jer the Bear
Personally, I think you're gonna see even more of this. Cruise lines are building more and bigger ships. It's gonna be harder and harder to fill all those berths ... the cruise lines will have to compete with each other via advertising to do so.

We, the passengers are gonna benefit from this influx of new ships and berths ... in the form of lower cruise prices ... which is just great.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[RuthC]

I feel so left out. :( I hardly ever get a brochure in my snail-mail box, and never in my e-mail. Even though I signed up for it several times!
Is the day ever going to come when HAL sends me as much as their sister lines---who I don't sail!---do? :rolleyes:

[hammybee]

Princess wins in my mail box. I am averaging 5/7 days a week.

[x lindsay x]

Ok I thought I was the only one. One thing a week (minimum) from HAL and maybe once every two weeks from Princess who I have never even sailed with.

Some of the things HAL have sent have been very nice, but they haven't gotten me to book anything so I guess the fancy mailings aren't effective on me.

[Loreto]

I feel so left out. :( I hardly ever get a brochure in my snail-mail box, and never in my e-mail. Even though I signed up for it several times!
Is the day ever going to come when HAL sends me as much as their sister lines---who I don't sail!---do? :rolleyes:

I agree with you, Ruth! I signed up for HAL emails/ last minute cruises and never receive ANYTHING!:( I am flooded with ads and brochures from all the other cruise lines...even those not part of the Carnival group. Some sound pretty desparate with their offers.
Karen

[vbmom87]

I feel so left out. :( I hardly ever get a brochure in my snail-mail box, and never in my e-mail. Even though I signed up for it several times!
Is the day ever going to come when HAL sends me as much as their sister lines---who I don't sail!---do? :rolleyes:

I do get brochures from many lines as I requested info last summer. It is still coming. However, with HAL, my sister received an email about the sales last week, but I never got the email. I know HAL has it. I am registered and they have emailed in the past.

[garydm]

We are getting alot of HAL and other line ads but they are almost all for European cruises. Seems they may have misjudged the market. I don't think they comprehend yet that many of us do not want to spend 20 hours on an airplane or in a terminal to get to our departure port. The ships leaving the US seem to be filling up just fine.

Gary

[RuthC]

I agree with you, Ruth! I signed up for HAL emails/ last minute cruises and never receive ANYTHING!:( I am flooded with ads and brochures from all the other cruise lines...even those not part of the Carnival group. Some sound pretty desparate with their offers.
Karen

I do get brochures from many lines as I requested info last summer. It is still coming. However, with HAL, my sister received an email about the sales last week, but I never got the email. I know HAL has it. I am registered and they have emailed in the past.
After my earlier post I checked today's mail. Had another envelope from Princess! I've never ever sailed Princess! Never even inquired about a Princess cruise.
But they want me! :D HAL? :confused:

[amd92602]

Did you notice that the cancellations of 'booked cruises' is up? Maybe that's why!

[DFD1]

We have gotten 5 HAL brochures in the last 10 days. Canada and New England, Europe, Panama Canal, Mexican Riveria, and South American cruise segments.

We normally get about one a month plus the Mariner Magazine now and then.

[billroddy]

My mail today.
14 to 17 day Australia and New Zealand including r/t trip air fare from $3,569.
Air ports are East Coast, Mid states, Honolulu. but not LAX, SFO or Seattle.
Wonder why?
Bill

[TCF]

The cruise lines have advertising and marketing down to fine science!

Like others here, we are getting, on average, four or five "pieces" of ad mail either in the box or e-mail from Carnival, Princess, HAL, and NCL.

We have cruised with all these lines except HAL, where we have booked a five weeks cruise for September.

My guess is that HAL has a steady and loyal customer base that keeps people coming back to them year after year...and in some cases more often! Their itineraries are good and they have a better service record than most from what I can determine. The other lines don't have that degree of customer loyalty.

As for Europe...I agree....while the industry 'top guns' are oozing confidence publicly, I think they all recognize that the mess the US economy is sinking into is going to impact them....especially going into 2009 and especially in Europe! It is not necessarily the cruise prices that are causing them the grief...it is the air fare for a 13 hour flight from the west coast to Rome, Barcelona, Venice or Athens....and the growing disparity in the exchange between the US$ and the Euro....that is turning North Americans away from European vacations.

[jhannah]

No ad blitz from HAL is our mailbox. Seems like the last two pieces have been for World or other longer, more exotic sailings.

Princess mailings win in number with us, too, although these have slowed down in recent months. (We have sailed Princess.) We occasionally get a brochure from Seaborn.

It's likely we don't get a lot of mailings because we're probably not their prime demographic. Our onboard spending isn't anywhere near what could be called high/profitable! ;)

[sail7seas]

Did you notice that the cancellations of 'booked cruises' is up? Maybe that's why!

:confused: How do you know cancellations of booked cruises is up? Where would I find that information?

Thanks.

[sail7seas]

Suddenly Celebrity has found their way into my snail mail and e-mail boxes. We haven't sailed them for quite some time and have no plans to ever again.

Princess is also snail mailing to us.

[aliaschief]

It must be a local "blitz" because we're not seeing that in FL. We get something from Princess (which we've never sailed) every 2 weeks or so, but very little from HAL in the mail, on TV, or in email. But we are getting frequent NCL ads on TV.

In Northwest Florida we have been getting many brochures from Holland America. Maybe it's because we made an onboard reservation last summer that we have not booked as of today.