Is Carnival Falling Behind?

[EngIceDave]

#1 in size is all

Look at ratings from different places. Here are some

The only one they are number one in is budget cruising

First timers - Budget

Top Rated

For Couples

For Families

Customer Satisfaction

Best ships - Not even listed

So other than maybe raising their customer service ratings, seems to me their nailing their target demographics

[driftingaway2017]

http://economics-files.pomona.edu/jlikens/SeniorSeminars/Likens2012/reports/Carnival.pdf

 

Thanks for posting this link. After reading, it makes sense why Carnival has restricted number of new ships. Restricting capacity is expected to bring prices up for Carnival. Very interesting report.

[EngIceDave]

Excellent read. I'm not quite finished with it, but it states quite clearly that Carnival is hardly falling behind. In fact, as a "cash cow", it's doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing.

 

That's what I gleaned from it. They're filling ships, making money and not taking on massive levels of debt

 

In the long term, while Carnival has significant debt outstanding, we do not

believe its solvency to be seriously in question. Total long-term debt outstanding is

approximately $9B, which is only a fraction of its net asset value. In fact, it is

significantly less leveraged than its main competitor Royal Caribbean, which has a Total

Debt/Equity ratio of approximately 1, compared with Carnival’s .39.

 

Also bear in mind, CCL is not a single property cruise line, but it is the budget offering within their portfolio. With other properties like Cunard, Holland America, P&O and Seabourn, CCL offers many higher priced and higher tier properties, but CCL itself serves it's basic purpose, offering affordable cruising for families, first timers, seniors or those who are budget minded.

[chengkp75]

To me, its all about customer demographics, not whether you are innovative for the sake of being innovative.

 

Will Carnival lose customers to RCI and NCL who want the "bells and whistles"? Probably.

 

Will Carnival gain customers from RCI and NCL who don't want the "bells and whistles"? Probably.

 

You pick your customer base, and cater to that base. When the desires of that customer base change, you change with them. There is no need to follow the competition and be "innovative" just because the competition is.

 

Since others have used the car metaphor, Ford F-series trucks and Subaru's have been the top selling vehicles in New England for decades. Whole lot of innovative ideas there?

 

Having said that, I do feel that Carnival is lagging in areas that could affect their bottom line, but they are not things that affect the cruise experience. Like it or not, the bigger ships are here to stay, as the economy of scale rules in shipbuilding. Also, Carnival's late adoption of the exhaust scrubbers needed to meet newer emissions regulations will have an impact based on fuel costs. The next few years will be interesting.

Edited May 13, 2014 by chengkp75

[jimbo5544]

Why? Nothing free on Carnival that isn't free on Oasis

 

Sorry I missed all the posts since then. I don't want to start another diatribe on this but I will give you my thoughts have just sailed on Oasis that answer your questions. I will preface it by saying you don't have to spend the extra (one never does, but they are trying for you to). Windjammer - fresh squeezed OJ 2.95, Johnny Rockets 6.95, late room service (no idea what the charge is), a freaking tiny bag of popcorn at the outdoor movie 3$. Upgraded steak and lobster every day on the MDR menu 20 and 25 dollars. It goes on ....that to me is actually more than nickel and diming. None of these are charged for on Carnival.

Edited May 13, 2014 by jimbo5544

[TPFKAH]

Sorry I missed all the posts since then. I don't want to start another diatribe on this but I will give you my thoughts have just sailed on Oasis that answer your questions. I will preface it by saying you don't have to spend the extra (one never does, but they are trying for you to). Windjammer - fresh squeezed OJ 2.95, Johnny Rockets 6.95, late room service (no idea what the charge is), a freaking tiny bag of popcorn at the outdoor movie 3$. Upgraded steak and lobster every day on the MDR menu 20 and 25 dollars. It goes on ....that to me is actually more than nickel and diming. None of these are charged for on Carnival.

 

Nor are they offered on Carnival.

[honeybunches]

I have sailed Explorer OTS and, wanting to try "bigger", also Freedom OTS. What a mistake! It seems we spent most of our time walking from one end of the ship to the other for anything we wanted. That got old real fast. And the lines for anything were horrendous.

 

I tried to remain loyal to RCCL but when looking for a cruise that suited what I wanted, Carnival was the choice. Going on my first cruise in September.

[lady_cruiser]

To me its not how much bigger a new ship is or how many more people it holds but what's being offered. All cruise lines need to start thinking about offering more things to all age groups. I'm a 65 year old female and won't try the huge water slides. But then I am not the typical bingo grand mother either.

 

Bring on more guest lecturers such as financial planning, etc. Something free on the ship that I can't get at home without paying for it.

 

Forego the port and shopping talks and have a representative from the next port of call on-board to give us a true view of where to go and what to see that the normal tourist won't know about, Etc.

 

Just having my one-cents worth. Thanks for listening.

[emtnmare2]

I think when you start comparing the number of ship being built. You need to look at the whole company not just the brand. RCCL is building more ships under that brand. But when you look at the whole company it is very equal.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/07/11/guide-new-cruise-ships-order/2506049/

 

CCL markets for the North American region. RCCL is going world wide. I am sure there will be a lot of crying when RCCL starts announcing where the new builds are going. Just look at the up roar when the Quantum was announced to be going to China.

[wanderingjew]

Please list " his lies"

 

and he is good for much more , if only you new what he did for me and my family you would cringe with embarrassment.

 

He stated Bon Voyage prices would remain steady 2 days later they went up appreciably

 

He also stated the VIFP would be much better than the old program it was worse

 

I now cringe when JH states a BRILLIANT change is coming LOL :D :eek:

[jimbo5544]

Nor are they offered on Carnival.

Partially correct and partially incorrect, Carnival does not offer upgrades in the MDR and a fresh squeezed OJ which pleases me. They do however have Guys (free ..., as in no charge) and free popcorn for outside movies and they do offer room service and free as well.

Edited May 13, 2014 by jimbo5544

[wanderingjew]

When he announced the Alaska miracle itinerary change on Facebook, he promised to answer all questions folks had on a date certain. He did not address any questions on Facebook as far as I could tell, other than have the captain describe the route. My questions and concerns have been ignored.

 

He strikes me as a blustery cheerleader: Everything is great and will be even better now that we've cancelled a port.

 

 

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BRILLIANT Thank You:D

[SUSIEK]

Nor are they offered on Carnival.

 

And I didn't miss them either :-)

[LMaxwell]

And I didn't miss them either :-)

 

In a thread asking if Carnival is being innovative or not what is the sense in posting that you don't care if they are innovative. It's like a backhanded apology?

[Casco Bay Kid]

I believe more people sail Carnival than any other cruise line.

 

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[cruisinfanatic]

Thanks for posting this link. After reading, it makes sense why Carnival has restricted number of new ships. Restricting capacity is expected to bring prices up for Carnival. Very interesting report.

that was written 2 years ago. Carnival better get on the ball or the only ships they'll have in the fleet are refurbs

[cruisinfanatic]

Sorry I missed all the posts since then. I don't want to start another diatribe on this but I will give you my thoughts have just sailed on Oasis that answer your questions. I will preface it by saying you don't have to spend the extra (one never does, but they are trying for you to). Windjammer - fresh squeezed OJ 2.95, Johnny Rockets 6.95, late room service (no idea what the charge is), a freaking tiny bag of popcorn at the outdoor movie 3$. Upgraded steak and lobster every day on the MDR menu 20 and 25 dollars. It goes on ....that to me is actually more than nickel and diming. None of these are charged for on Carnival.

does Carnival even offer some of those things? What's wrong with the offer of something better if you choose to splurge?

I hate the nickel and diming line.

[SUSIEK]

In a thread asking if Carnival is being innovative or not what is the sense in posting that you don't care if they are innovative. It's like a backhanded apology?

 

 

The comparison was made with RCL. Innovative referring to the over-the-top attractions onboard their new ships. I would not want to see those "attractions" on the Carnival ships.

 

Different strokes for different folks... it's OK !!!! One cruise line does not fit all. That is why there are a zillion of options out there and you should try to experience them all.

[cruisinfanatic]

I have sailed Explorer OTS and, wanting to try "bigger", also Freedom OTS. What a mistake! It seems we spent most of our time walking from one end of the ship to the other for anything we wanted. That got old real fast. And the lines for anything were horrendous.

Lines for what? There are lines at certain times for certain things on all ships.

What's wrong with walking the length of the ship once in awhile?

[cruisinfanatic]

Partially correct and partially incorrect, Carnival does not offer upgrades in the MDR and a fresh squeezed OJ which pleases me. They do however have Guys (free ..., as in no charge) and free popcorn for outside movies and they do offer room service and free as well.

Why do you care that RCL charges for upgrades to their menu and Carnival doesn't?

 

The room service fee charged in middle of the night is the gratuity

Edited May 13, 2014 by SeaUs

[beachbum53]

My conundrum is that I want to cruise to exotic ports (far southern Carribean) but don't wish to pay exotic prices that the other cruiselines charge. I cruise MAINLY for my destinations!!! How else can one travel to so many different places at the price Carnival is charging??? I think if you chose to cruise from this perspective, and Carnival continues to have ports in these exotic locations, they'll continue to make money. If they begin to cheese everything back to the point they ONLY visit "third world ports" or ports where crime is super high, they'll begin to lose money. I can only cruise once a year but they're seven or eight day cruises. Next year we go to Aruba for 8 days. It's NOT CHEAP! Not even on Carnival! $3800 for a family of four with a balcony cabin. But it would cost a lot more than that on another line. A niche Carnival has with these ports we are going to is there ISNT any other line cruising to these ports when we are going to be there. Makes Carnival actually stand out! :D

 

If Carnival really wanted to get a leg up on the competition, they should do even more itineraries that the other lines aren't doing....like maybe do an "ABC Island Cruise." Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, all in one cruise. I'm going to two of these but I've been reading on other Cruiseline threads how so many people wish there was such a cruise on Celebrity and on RCI. There ARE other people out there who, like me, cruise mainly for the ports.

 

 

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I may be in the minority here, but I actually cruise to go to new destinations. These mega ships are a destination in themselves...and because of their size, their itineraries are more limited. At the moment, Carnival fits the bill for my travel needs and the prices allow me to cruise twice a year:)

 

While I didn't read every reply word for word, I was able to find two replys that somewhat reflected my thoughts. The thing I've noticed about the bloated mega ships is that, at least in the Caribbean, the itineraries are very limited, due to the fact that there are some places they can't go because they're TOO DARN BIG! When we go on a cruise, I prefer a ship that's not a behemoth, and that you don't need a map and a compass to find your way around. For those that cruise for the ship and not so much for the itinerary, I wonder how many would be happy just to sail around for 7 or more days and never dock anywhere until they got back to the home port. What would be the point in that? Why even bother to sail anywhere? Just leave that monster tied to the dock like a floating hotel with a very large playground. Let people book their rooms for however many days they want to stay, then check out. No passports needed. At some point, the novelty of the mega ships is going to wear off, and all of the innovations won't be such a big deal. Remember the saying "The bigger they are, the harder they fall." So maybe, just maybe, Carnival is making the right choice by NOT doing some of the things that RCCL and others are doing. There will always be competition for customers among the mass market lines. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next ten years, and who gains and who loses in the stock market.

[TPFKAH]

Partially correct and partially incorrect, Carnival does not offer upgrades in the MDR and a fresh squeezed OJ which pleases me. They do however have Guys (free ..., as in no charge) and free popcorn for outside movies and they do offer room service and free as well.

 

Guys is not a service restaurant. Johnny Rockets is a service restaurant. Both have free hamburgers. One charges you a tip for service.

 

Royal forces a tip in the 12AM to 6AM hours. The room service food is free on both lines. Tips are discretionary all other times.

 

Still have never seen popcorn on a CCL ship, as I still select ships without the Jumbotron.

[SadieN]

Carnival offered a steakhouse quality steak and lobster in their MDRs a few years ago.

Instead of Johnny Rockets, Guy's Burgers is on some ships. Popcorn served during the outdoor movies was a charged item, now free.

 

Carnival is like AVON. Some original products and some products that have been perfected on other lines.

 

The one thing I like about the Carnival ships is that I know I'm on a ship. I like to see the ocean as I walk around the indoor promenade.

[quickrate]

My only comments to your post is that while you are correct that Royal and NCL are innovative, I don't want to "pay" for those things in my cruise fare, they are not what I want from a cruise line. While some think Quantum is to die for with ejector pods, sky dive simulations, Broadway shows, etc etc etc that is not what I want out of my cruise experience. So I guess my point is I am happy with where Carnival is at, and while I would like to see new ships, "innovative" amusement parks at sea or no MDR experience is not on my wish list.

This is exactly how we feel!! We are not cruising for all the bells and whistles, we are cruising for the experience of being on the sea. We spend a great deal of our time on our balcony, on the lido deck, a few shows, but not the highlight of a cruise for us. If I want to experience an amusement park, I will go to an amusement park on land.

Pat

[Havingfun2010]

Honestly, after two Oasis class cruises, I don't understand the "mall" comments. The Promenade is like a Carnival ship, with shops. Difference is Carnival has a centrum, and RCCL is flat. (no steps to climb!). The promenade has 4 bars, and 2 locations to eat snacks, as opposed to Carnival that has "all" the clubs/bars in one location on the ship. On on the last Carnival ship, the promenade was the casino, some fake sushi stand, and a dozen photographers blocking all the windows.

 

With all the balcony staterooms, the extensive decks I never feel like I am in a shopping mall. I never needed a compass to find my way around, or a map. But these ships are not for everyone. Just don't understand why it is compared to a shopping mall, because it does not look like any I have been to.