Higher base fare for better cruise experience?

[nycmode]

Just wanted to see what % of people would be willing to pay more in terms of their base fare for a "better" or more inclusive overall experience (i.e. better MDR food, no more additional cost for soda etc.). The additional cost would obviously still exclude alcohol and surcharges for specialty dining.

[nycmode]

On my last X cruise (and prior cruises) I was satisfied with what I paid for.

[tserface]

My initial reaction is no. I don't drink much soda so that wouldn't do anything for me. People who drink a lot of soda can already add on to their cruise price to get the unlimited package.

 

I think the MDR food is pretty good and think it's fine to pay extra for the specialty restaurants if a different experience is desired.

 

We also don't drink much alcohol so paying for drinks individually makes more sense and those who drink a lot can tack onto their price by also buying the packages.

 

I think Celebrity has it covered pretty well actually. People who want a more inclusive experience by paying more can already get it and those who just want to save a few $$$, but still afford to cruise can do that as well.

 

Tom

 

Just wanted to see what % of people would be willing to pay more in terms of their base fare for a "better" or more inclusive overall experience (i.e. better MDR food, no more additional cost for soda etc.). The additional cost would obviously still exclude alcohol and surcharges for specialty dining.

[Orator]

Just wanted to see what % of people would be willing to pay more in terms of their base fare for a "better" or more inclusive overall experience (i.e. better MDR food, no more additional cost for soda etc.). The additional cost would obviously still exclude alcohol and surcharges for specialty dining.

 

Increasing base fare will not necessarily lead to a" 'better" or more inclusive overall experience." Prices have been rising, as some say to cover additional fuel costs. Celebrity debt is high with the new builds and refits and additional revenue might be used to reduce the debt or increase the bottomline. My vote is to keep the basic fare at a reasonable rate and allow those who wish to enhance their individual cruise experience to add extras as they desire.

[Gonzo70]

I personally like the current model; keep cruise fares low to fill the ship, offer basic options for food, entertainment, beverages etc. included in the base fare, have a menu of additional fee activities and venues so people can enhance their cruise in a manner best for them.

[nycmode]

Increasing base fare will not necessarily lead to a" 'better" or more inclusive overall experience." Prices have been rising, as some say to cover additional fuel costs. Celebrity debt is high with the new builds and refits and additional revenue might be used to reduce the debt or increase the bottomline. My vote is to keep the basic fare at a reasonable rate and allow those who wish to enhance their individual cruise experience to add extras as they desire.

 

I agree with this, though I had to include the counterargument by some that higher base fares would lead to a more value-added experience (or at least, better MDR food, according to some). This topic really interests me.

[tserface]

For $40/day per person the customer can already upgrade their experience to any of the specialty restaurants or just do that on some of the days. I think that gives people the ultimate flexibility.

 

Tom

 

I agree with this, though I had to include the counterargument by some that higher base fares would lead to a more value-added experience (or at least, better MDR food, according to some). This topic really interests me.

[YOW]

Polls and surveys are tricky, and I think we'll see an example here as to why that is.

 

Many of us would, in theory, be willing to pay a bit more for a 'better' experience. Asked this question in a vacuum, we're quite likely to say 'yes.' But of course we're not in a vacuum. As has been said, paying more won't necessarily lead to a better experience. And it starts to become difficult to achieve agreement on what constitutes 'better' -- some may want this or that included, while others will say 'I don't want to subsidize someone else's consumption of things that I personally don't care about.'

 

For us, we've been on lines that have things like soda (Disney) or cappuccino (HAL) included; and we've been to resorts where all the booze is included. When that's the case, I partake. But we would have traded any of those for better food in the main dining venues. This may say something about Celebrity, as is. Could it be better? Sure. Would it be better, simply by charging more? I don't know.

[USVI-4-me]

I'd pay a little more for better meats and expansion of dinner buffet.

 

Anyone wanting the extras that are now available can pick and pay as they go.

 

Would I pay on board for a ticket to better entertainment?

Yes, depending upon whether I wanted to see the particular show.

 

Still, would the passengers benefit from a price increase, or the cruise line?

 

Maris

[Oxo]

For $40/day per person the customer can already upgrade their experience to any of the specialty restaurants or just do that on some of the days. I think that gives people the ultimate flexibility.

 

Tom

 

At $40 per day X 2 people that would = $560.00. So, what would that $40 per day include?

 

Here are the NOMINAL Fees that can be added on for a 7 day cruise in addition to the normal cruise price. I am not saying that anyone would do this everyday. I am just showing what can be added on to make it an 'All Inclusive' cruise for 2 on a 7 day cruise.

 

Specialty Restaurants: $40/person x 2 = $80/day x 7 days = $560

Bistro: $5/person x 2 = $10/day x 7 days = $70

Drink Package: $54/person x 2 = $108/day x 7 days = $756 + 15% + $113 = $869

Lawn Club on Sea Days $150/day x 3 = $450

Champagne Tea: $25/person x 2 = $50 x 2 Teas = $100

Added Total for the above for a 7 day cruise: $2,049

 

Again, I am not saying that this is what anyone would do, but it is just an example of what can be done to make this cruise 'All Inclusive.'

[ghstudio]

Call me a cynic, but my fear is that the cruise line would raise the fare and improve the food, free sodas etc FOR A WHILE, until the bean counters decide to reduce the quality of the food and charge for the sodas but keep the price at the higher level.

[Taxguy77]

Call me a cynic, but my fear is that the cruise line would raise the fare and improve the food, free sodas etc FOR A WHILE, until the bean counters decide to reduce the quality of the food and charge for the sodas but keep the price at the higher level.

 

A valid fear, but just the opposite has happened over the past few years. They need to fill so many cabins all mass market lines are competing on price. $40/day (Where did they find that?) is unrealistic. Cruiselines (Even NCL) used to have food costs that were half that, and meals in the MDR were superb. Yes, cruises cost more, but were worth saving for.

[BILL-WI]

I personally like the current model; keep cruise fares low to fill the ship, offer basic options for food, entertainment, beverages etc. included in the base fare, have a menu of additional fee activities and venues so people can enhance their cruise in a manner best for them.

 

I agree with this statement 100%. But if you want more, you can pay for it:

Better food: Specialty Restaurant

More drinks: Buy a drink package

More attentive service: Get a suite

 

BILL

[bakcd]

It would be nice to see some of the missing items return to the dining room but my fear would be that the price would rise but the better menu selections would not appear as expected.

[ForeverAtSea]

Aquaclass meets my needs for better food quality and better service, so I am quite happy.

[TLCOhio]

I personally like the current model; keep cruise fares low to fill the ship, offer basic options for food, entertainment, beverages etc. included in the base fare, have a menu of additional fee activities and venues so people can enhance their cruise in a manner best for them.

 

Gonzo70: I personally like the current model; keep cruise fares low to fill the ship' date=' offer basic options for food, entertainment, beverages etc. included in the base fare, have a menu of additional fee activities and venues so people can enhance their cruise in a manner best for them. [/quote']

 

The above two posts (and some others) do a very, good job summarizing where I would be. You are going to pay one way or another!!

 

BILL-WI also makes some excellent, valid points. Good questions and discussion points.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 57,524 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[nycmode]

Very interesting results ... I see it's about 50/50 so far with about half willing to pay more ... and the other half with the opposite view. Seems very similar to what I've seen in terms of responses on other threads too.

[gelo7]

I'm happy with what I get now.

[Bridge Maven]

I have a feeling that the results of this poll would have been very different a few years ago.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

All other things being equal, I'd pay a bit more, say around 5%, if I knew the extra money would be applied to better food in the MDR, unlimited soft drinks, and so on. It would eliminate the extra trouble of booking reservations in a specialty restaurant or having to show the SeaPass card every time you want a soda (or bringing soda aboard, as we do now). But what we consider to be a good use of the additional revenue may not match what another person thinks, thus they may feel they are subsidizing our soda.

 

I have no idea how much more it would cost to consistently have food in the MDR that most people would have problems finding fault with, or providing better prizes for the trivia games than a pen. Of course, Celebrity does, and weighs that cost against what they believe will increase demand. Whatever maximizes the profits will be the determining factor, as it is already. Someone with an actual college degree in this has already crunched the numbers and concluded that a 5% (or whatever) fare increase for a higher quality cruise experience just isn't worth it.

[Giorgi-one]

We are sailing on Silouhette in two weeks and have been on Celebrity several times. I have read comments that MDR food quality is not what it used to be. I noticed this on our previous cruises and hope it has not taken a big step down. That said, I would definitely pay more for better food. I have read that crusie ships spend somewhere between $10 and $12 per person per day for food. I would expect if we raised that by $5 (40 to 50% increase) we should get much much better food. I would definitely be willing to pay an extra $35 (7day) or $60 (12 day) for much better food. I am interested in paying for free sodas.

 

Better food has always beem a Celebrity selling point. I would guess that they will lose some loyal customers if food quality continues to decline.

 

Please do not respond with the old argument that you cannot expect quality food for 2500 passengers. Appetizers, soups, salads and deserts are all prepared in advance and really have nothing to do with the number of passengers. For entrees, quality means real prime beef, rack of lamb, bigger lobster tails, bigger shrimp, etc. which also have nothing to do with number of passengers.

[Giorgi-one]

We are sailing on Silouhette in two weeks and have been on Celebrity several times. I have read comments that MDR food quality is not what it used to be. I noticed this on our previous cruises and hope it has not taken a big step down. That said, I would definitely pay more for better food. I have read that crusie ships spend somewhere between $10 and $12 per person per day for food. I would expect if we raised that by $5 (40 to 50% increase) we should get much much better food. I would definitely be willing to pay an extra $35 (7day) or $60 (12 day) for much better food. I am interested in paying for free sodas.

 

Better food has always beem a Celebrity selling point. I would guess that they will lose some loyal customers if food quality continues to decline.

 

Please do not respond with the old argument that you cannot expect quality food for 2500 passengers. Appetizers, soups, salads and deserts are all prepared in advance and really have nothing to do with the number of passengers. For entrees, quality means real prime beef, rack of lamb, bigger lobster tails, bigger shrimp, etc. which also have nothing to do with number of passengers.

 

 

Sorry, that should read that I am NOT interested in paying for free sodas!

[rafinmd]

I haven't cruised Celebrity yet and haven't posted. I don't really have an opinion, even for the cruise lines I have traveled. I think that's best left up to the management to decide what works best for them and their customers. All these models have their advantages and it is best we have choices which we make by who we choose to cruise with. I guess I might tilt towards "Pay more" since I tend to prefer cruise lines with somewhat higher fares and somewhat to much better amenities but a choice of several models is still better.

 

Roy

[vermonter16]

I think it all depends on what better cruise experience actually means to each individual.

[Giorgi-one]

I agree with this statement 100%. But if you want more, you can pay for it:

Better food: Specialty Restaurant

More drinks: Buy a drink package

More attentive service: Get a suite

 

BILL

 

I agree totally with your comment on drinks. I do not want to pay for anyone else's alcohol. However your other two comments are a little over the top.

 

Eat in a specialty restaurant every night for 2 persons - $80 per night or $560 for a 7 day cruise and $960 for a 12 day cruise. I think we are talking here about maybe another $5 per day for a little better food in the MDR.

 

Stay in a suite. Typical balcony around $3200 for a 12 day cruise. Typcial suite around $7000 for a 12 day cruise. Junior suites are not really suites. Extra $3800 for better stateroom service. A little much I would think. I could bring my own butler with me and put him in an inside cabin for that price.