Nickle and Diming

[ICUQT]

Nothing is free Bob. Hotel guests are simply paying for it indirectly through higher room rates. HAL could do the same thing, but has opted to charge an individual user fee rather than to pass on the associated costs to all passengers. Is one system better than the other? I'm not sure, but then again, I really don't care: I lose more 25 cent pieces in the couch than I spend printing boarding passes! :D

 

 

I agree and when you log on to the MTN system you pay $3.95 user fee beside whatever package pricing you purchase.

 

bob

[doublebzz]

Should they provide free printing for Boarding Passes only?

 

 

The answer is yes.

[ICUQT]

The answer is yes.

 

ditto

[RuthC]

Twenty-five cents is hardly "nickel & diming". It's barely more than I pay Staples when I want a photocopy made. And I don't need to pay for the gas to drive. :rolleyes:

It's a valid charge for an optional request.

[IRL_Joanie]

There has been a 25 cent per page charge for printing as far back as I can remember. Whenever we have needed to print something while aboard, we have paid that charge and I never thought it objectionable.

 

Everyone wants low, low low fares but still wants what they want want want.

HAL is a for profit business.

 

Can't have low fares and then expect verything included. Doesn't work that way.

Cost of ink, cost of paper, cost of printer, times how many travelers, times how many boarding passes, times how many ships times 25 cents....... = $$

 

How was your cruise? Is that the only thing worthy of comment? Please share about your cruise.

Thanks if you choose to do that.

 

 

 

 

Joanie

[OlsSalt]

I believe most of the responses miss the point here which is style over substance. If each console in the internet cafe had a sign that read "Printing 25 cents a page"; I wouldn't have started this thread. However, the signs address specifically boarding passes. Why? Two reasons come to mind: (1) HAL is informing guests they offer the convenience of printing passes on board which, I think, most folks know. (2) HAL is using the signage to market boarding passes on board to increase revenue. If this is the case and even if the cost is negligible, it adds to the increasing list of revenue producers such as specialty coffees, bingo games, slot tournaments, not so duty free shops, wine tastings, $150 tours of the engine room, once a cruise rummage sales on the Lido Deck, among others. It creates an ambiance less of a cruise and more of a floating Walmart. I'm not mocking anyone who participates in these activities as I do as well; but when it comes down to a 25 cent charge for printing a boarding pass, I say again: Give me a break!

 

I didn't miss the point. Don't think anyone else did either. I don't think this is an example of "nickle (sic) and diming". It is paying for a specialty service rendered, much like paying for your drinks.

[OlsSalt]

Hate think of the overload it they announced to the ship within 24 hours of disembarkation: get your free boarding passes everyone. Be glad you had this 25 cent barrier that might have actually limited the amount of internet traffic a this time.

 

Personally, sitting in front of a ship's computer at the slow speeds they have is not worth my time to even think about doing something like this that can be done much faster at the airport itself.

[RJ2002]

You are making an incorrect assumption.

You seem to assume the only printing guests on the ships are doing are boarding passes but that is far from the case.

 

DH has to stay in touch with his office when we travel and on many cruises, he has the need to print out material e-mailed to him. Having access to a printer is important to some guests for more reasons that 'JUST" boarding passes. One needs to look beyond themselves to others needs and wishes. DH has more than once printed a 50+ page document. Should HAL not charge him for that? Should they provide free printing for Boarding Passes only? Ten Pages? Fifteen? How many pages should they provide for free?

 

If DH is printing many pages, he is not the only one I am very sure.

 

 

 

Sail, you posted what I was thinking after having read this thread. You have to consider more than the one page boarding pass. There will be people on board who print larger documents, whether it be a business document or a travel guide for the next port. Charging a nominal fee for printing seems perfectly reasonable to me.

[stlouistravelers]

I know there is a charge for printing and I have no problem with charging for general printing tasks. On NA, at each console, there was a sign indicating a printing charge specifically for boarding passes. I'm sorry, but the added revenue to HAL for boarding passes probably amounts to $50-$100 per cruise. I would guess most guests use printing solely for boarding passes so I would ask if the small additional revenues are worth creating the impression that HAL is a chintzy cruise line. At least, it created that impression in my mind even though I didn't require boarding passes.

 

The cruise was great. Very cordial and interesting fellow guests plus perfect weather ion the crossing contributed to that assessment.

 

I have to agree with the OP. As with any business you must look at what will bring the customer back. Printing a boarding pass at less than 2 cents would be a good will gesture for a premium line. All the OP has to do is tell his/her friends about the nickel and diming and the lost revenue could be astronomical to the cruise line. Its usually not the big stuff that loses customers but the small stuff. My humble opinion.

[Fouremco]

I object to paying to dine in specialty restaurants that once were free.

 

I object to paying for soft drinks or bottled water that once were free.

 

I object to paying for a decent cup of coffee that once was free.

 

Need I go on?

 

But I'm realistic enough to know that if I want to have a truly "all inclusive" cruise, I'm not going to get it at the prices offered by HAL. If that means paying for printing or coffee or specialty dining, so be it.

 

[sail7seas]

The answer is yes.

 

ditto

 

 

From my perspective, the answer is No.

 

Why should you have your boarding pass printed for free but my DH pays to have a single sheet from an e-mail printed? One page is one page.

 

Why is yours to be free but his is not?

 

[Typhoon1]

I used the pre disembarkation day special to print boarding passes several years ago, there was no additional charge for printing.

[mamaofami]

If anyone objects to paying the 25cents to print the boarding pass, you can always just go to the airport and print it there.

 

And, when staying at Hyatt Pier 66, we paid to print the boarding pass.

Can't recall what happened at Riverside Hotel, but I know it wasn't free.

 

It used to be that only air and water were free, but now you even pay for water.

[ICUQT]

Let's get in real time folks. If you receive a document containing 1, 5, 10 or 110 pages how are you going to receive it? Your going to receive it more than likely through your own private email account in the form of a pdf file because that is how communication from all associates would continue to flow while your onboard. Yes, you could have a HAL email account set up but that really does not make any sense. Should you pay for that printing? Absolutely! At 25 cents a page? I don't care what MTN charges for that service. That's business going through a private email account. I make a distinction from the point the OP makes and agree with stlouistravelers that it is good customer service for HAL to provide at no cost to their passengers. With all the negative threads here recently about HAL maybe they can add this as a perk (since it is so costly) to their star mariner program!

 

bob

[iancal]

Don't sweat the small stuff.

 

And this is truly SMALL stuff.

[ICUQT]

I object to paying to dine in specialty restaurants that once were free.

 

I object to paying for soft drinks or bottled water that once were free.

 

I object to paying for a decent cup of coffee that once was free.

 

Need I go on?

 

But I'm realistic enough to know that if I want to have a truly "all inclusive" cruise, I'm not going to get it at the prices offered by HAL. If that means paying for printing or coffee or specialty dining, so be it.

 

 

Well you might want to check out Oceania because all of the above...FREE!

[OlsSalt]

Charging only 25 cents a page is good customer service. HAL wins on this one. They are just charging for costs.

[stlouistravelers]

Charging only 25 cents a page is good customer service. HAL wins on this one. They are just charging for costs.

 

Disagree. They are making a profit.

[stlouistravelers]

Every hotel I go to will print for free. The logic does not stand.

[Fouremco]

Well you might want to check out Oceania because all of the above...FREE!

I attended an Oceania reception a few weeks ago. Free eats, drinks and a tote bag full of cruise information in exchange for sitting through an extended sales pitch. So I'm quite aware of what they offer, and at what price! FREE? I think not! :eek:

 

[OlsSalt]

Heck, Oceania gives me free, glossy brochures in my mail almost every other day. They are on to something.

[WpgCruise]

Good Grief, are we maybe taking things just a little to seriously?

 

[Fouremco]

Heck, Oceania gives me free, glossy brochures in my mail almost every other day. They are on to something.

Now that they have my address, I'm sure there will be some headed my way too. :)

[Loreto]

Heck, Oceania gives me free, glossy brochures in my mail almost every other day. They are on to something.

 

I too get pricey Oceania brochures every week. I have called them 3 times to ask them to please stop, that I know the web site if I ever decide to cruise with them. They have been very polite, say it is probably because of our Mariner status, and they will stop. No Good! I finally asked my TA to try.

 

Karen

[andilynnwright]

I'm laughing at myself for reading this post but am on a business trip and dining alone. Hotels all over the world have computer programs that allow you to print a boarding pass for free and pay for anything else.

 

25 cents is nothing in the scheme of things but perception does count for something. I'm on the fence.

 

Personally, I haven't printed a boarding pass in years as I check-in on my iphone. I'm saving trees one piece of paper at a time.

 

I hope that you can get past the quarter you paid and remember the good memories you made on your cruise that were worth every penny!