Changes in the last ten years?

[Vict0riann]

We still have 7 on our cruise Vict0riann (31 days) and on a port intensive cruise it gets difficult sometimes. We enjoy dressing up as you do as long as it is not squeezed in so to speak.

 

Here is the nice thing - you can dress very nicely if you are so inclined, especially if you are dining at the Pinnacle or elsewhere. It does not have to be a formal night.

 

Kazu, I think the change to fewer formal nights starts in October. I had figured we would have 8 rather than the previous 12, but six is really minimal, and probably 4 of them will be when we are doing the two TA's. I will dress up for the Pinnacle, our anniversary, etc. I'm wondering if the menus will change along with the dress code!

[Vict0riann]

We enjoy formal night, too, and getting all gussied up. I think the problem with reducing them to a minimum is that passengers are going to think it's not worth the bother for one night a week - bringing a suit, etc. I mean.

 

Exactly!

[BruceMuzz]

Is there a reliable source to back that up? I think on a single cruise there are likely a whole different range of what passengers paid for the same cabin. But I have never thought that those who got a screaming deal do most of the complaining.

 

On the 28 ships I have managed over the past 34 years, the loudest and longest complaints are ALWAYS from the people in the cheapest cabins.

[Lizzie68]

On the 28 ships I have managed over the past 34 years, the loudest and longest complaints are ALWAYS from the people in the cheapest cabins.

 

Aha, a name, LOL. Cheaper cabin does not always equate to cheapest deal.

 

As to other posts - some things are just predictable now.

[BruceMuzz]

Anyhoo, :D, I was just wondering about the last ten years, as we have only been cruising on HAL for about 5 years, and before that, mainly (pardon the pun) sailed Cunard. This latest change, to only half as many formal nights, has been a surprise. It will save some money for HAL, the "special" dinners will be fewer, and they'll save on the laundry, too, not having to wash so many chair covers! I imagine they will say it's in response to requests from passengers, perhaps the next step will be to change from "formal" to "festive" nights, where you can wear whatever you want.

 

To assuage my sorrow at not being able to dress up as often as I expected, I went out and bought a new travel purse!

 

Correction.

Cruise lines generally make far more money and profit on Formal Nights.

--Spa / Salon Revenue typically doubles or triples.

--Photo Revenue doubles.

--Beverage Revenue triples.

--Dry Cleaning Revenue quadruples.

--Casino sees about a 50% increase in revenues.

--The higher the number of Formal Nights, a higher number of passengers rent Formal Wear.

--Salon, Bar, and Casino staff make far more tips on Formal Nights.

--People behave better and complain less on Formal Nights.

--Cruises with more Formal Nights generally receive higher passenger satisfaction ratings than cruises with fewer Formal Nights.

 

The average cost difference in feeding people on Formal nights is just a few dollars per person.

It costs the cruise line a small fortune to cancel a Formal Night.

HAL's Onboard Revenue people must have raised quite a stink when the company decided to reduce them.

[SeagoingMom]

There's an interesting thread on the Cunard board about changes that have taken place in the past 10 years. Sounds very familiar to what has been mentioned here. See if you agree with this post:

 

"What has changed?

 

-the gauntlet one must run past the photographers on the way to the MDR

-tat tables, and perfume sales that are enough to gag a camel

-change in dress code, and the ambiguity therein, most especially for women

-last minute bargain fares that rankle early bookers, especially when upgrades are given to newbies who paid less than half

-pre-booking tours and dining reservations paid in advance - to which on board credits do not apply

-regarding World Club: discounts for dry cleaning and laundry only apply after all on board credit has been exhausted (and even then it is sometimes not applied unless an objection is raised)

-reduction in crew members to allow more berths for those who are revenue enhancing contract employees such as shop keepers, salon employees, photogs, entertainers, etc.

-SLOWER SPEED, fewer ports on a cruise - more time at sea crawling like a sailboat without at wind.

-Less training time for servers in the MDR

-Increased turnover of the crew

-More aspects of Cunard of being "out sourced" to various companies

 

 

 

...I could go on, but who cares? It is what it is. <shrug>"

 

I wonder if pre-paid tours and reservations will soon not count towards Mariner days for HAL, too. Or do you think she meant that OBC could not be used retroactively for those expenses?

I'll definitely have to keep my eye out for this one -- this is the kind of "deterioration" I like! I almost always book last-minute and I have never been too proud to pay less. :)

[BruceMuzz]

Aha, a name, LOL. Cheaper cabin does not always equate to cheapest deal.

 

As to other posts - some things are just predictable now.

 

And now we get to see who is buying those cheap seats.

[cbr663]

On the 28 ships I have managed over the past 34 years, the loudest and longest complaints are ALWAYS from the people in the cheapest cabins.

 

That may be true while on the ship, it certainly isn't so on this forum. The complaints on the sideboard in the NL on the Westerdam is but one example of this.

[cruz chic]

I've yet to meet anyone who got a screaming deal ---mostly because I don't ask and nobody seems to tell. Who cares? How do these posters in the know find out?

 

I believe we were on the same cruise years ago and there was a four day reposition attached to it. If you remember they closed down the lido late one afternoon for a party. The folks with that group bragged and bragged about the low price they paid. I was getting fed up with hearing about it. Some folks love to brag.

 

There are lots of stories on cc about people that go from a inside to a neptune for a few hundred and then ask if they paid too much.

Edited September 14, 2014 by cruz chic

[sail7seas]

That may be true while on the ship, it certainly isn't so on this forum. The complaints on the sideboard in the NL on the Westerdam is but one example of this.

 

 

Yes, that was a pet peeve of some of us who expect consistency in the fleet. If a CC'er never has a complaint, they are cheerleaders. If they do have a complaint, it is tossed at them. :rolleyes: Complain; don't complain. It's comical. :D

 

[CaveDiving]

...There are lots of stories on cc about people that go from a inside to a neptune for a few hundred and then ask if they paid too much.

 

Could you please refresh my memory with a few of these.

 

Scott & Karen

[nana51]

A gang-up? Do you not realise that the post would draw objections?

 

Why would people object. She is telling you what she knows. She has heard snippets, or complaints from various cruisers while on here, or on board. We all know people like that, she is not saying it about anyone in particular. We probably wouldn't know them if she did. If they are people on here complaining well they have publicly complained.

[dfish]

I don't care what any of you paid for your cruise. I'm just thankful that every couple of years I can do one. This year is out as we are both paying off kidney stones, but next year we've booked Alaska on the Westerdam. The price was good to me, I put down the deposit and we'll have a good time no matter what.

 

We've done balconies and an inside cabin. Both were fine. We'll get gussied up for formal nights. We'll find plenty to eat no matter what the hours of the Lido. We'll miss the Dessert Extravaganza, mostly for the photo ops as we never ate anything there, but we'll live and we'll have a good time.

 

No doubt some people will get a better deal than we got, but I can't worry about that. I got a deal I can live with, a cabin where I can sleep soundly and I'll have an experience that many can't even imagine. I'm happy.

 

Debbie

[sapper1]

I believe we were on the same cruise years ago and there was a four day reposition attached to it. If you remember they closed down the lido late one afternoon for a party. The folks with that group bragged and bragged about the low price they paid. I was getting fed up with hearing about it. Some folks love to brag.

 

There are lots of stories on cc about people that go from a inside to a neptune for a few hundred and then ask if they paid too much.

 

I honestly don't remember the Lido being shut down early or hearing any stories from a group. I'm certainly not doubting your word for a minute. I just don't remember----probably because we weren't affected by the closure enough for it to have made a lasting impression.

 

I know there are lots of stories on CC discussing prices but I have never encountered that in real life on a cruise. Maybe I need to get out more. :)

Edited September 14, 2014 by sapper1

[sapper1]

Could you please refresh my memory with a few of these.

 

Scott & Karen

 

If you really want to read up on these stories just use the search feature. It is time consuming so you may not want to inconvenience another poster by having them do it for you.

[cruz chic]

Could you please refresh my memory with a few of these.

 

Scott & Karen

Duplicate of sappers post.

Edited September 14, 2014 by cruz chic

[cruz chic]

I honestly don't remember the Lido being shut down early or hearing any stories from a group. I'm certainly not doubting your word for a minute. I just don't remember----probably because we weren't affected by the closure enough for it to have made a lasting impression.

 

I know there are lots of stories on CC discussing prices but I have never encountered that in real life on a cruise. Maybe I need to get out more. :)

 

I'd rather not hear them either. Since I eat most meals in the MDR I do tend to meet a lot of people. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not so much.

[cbr663]

<snip>

It costs the cruise line a small fortune to cancel a Formal Night.

HAL's Onboard Revenue people must have raised quite a stink when the company decided to reduce them.

 

I am guessing that the powers that be had to make a choice between the loss revenue on one night versus the lost revenue of all nights and passengers just not sailing at all.

[innlady1]

Beats me. I do remember one time when a tablemate, also solo with the same category cabin, asked me how much I had paid. I didn't answer the question.

I was brought up that discussions of private financial matters is just not done.

 

So was I, Ruth. To ask what someone paid for anything, for that matter, is rude. Big ticket items anyway.

 

I was taken aback at lunch in the MDR on our TA last fall when the man sitting next to me asked how much we paid for the cruise. I, of course, didn't answer...but he had no problem telling me what a great deal they got booking two weeks before the cruise departed.

 

I remarked that they probably paid much more in airfare than those of us booking early. Nope. They got a deal on that, too.

 

So rude.

[HamOp]

So the next time someone asks how much you paid, just tell them "oh, we're in a Neptune suite and only paid $125.00 total for the both of us. We have contacts in high places....."

 

Sure a little white lie, but so worth it to see the expression on their faces:p

[SeagoingMom]

The irony is sometimes (certainly not all), the folks who pay $399 complain more than those paying $3,999. :D One cannot expect to pay for a burger and be served filet mignon.

 

But you can, on a cruise! One can book the least expensive inside cabin, and get everything a person in a huge suite gets, except square footage, a butler, a dedicated lounge, and maybe free drinks or a cocktail party. The couple in the inside cabin can have their filet mignon, their extra-price restaurant dinner, their entertainment, their drinks, their pool, spa, and cabin service, including room service -- virtually everything that the suite cruisers gets, at one tenth the price. And they can pay for much of what suite guests get included in their fare and still pay way less for the cruise. And when they are walking around the ship, no one can tell who is sleeping in a suite and who is sleeping in and inside cabin (except for the suite pax who show off their specially colored ship cards to get attention.)

[sail7seas]

But you can, on a cruise! One can book the least expensive inside cabin, and get everything a person in a huge suite gets, except square footage, a butler, a dedicated lounge, and maybe free drinks or a cocktail party. The couple in the inside cabin can have their filet mignon, their extra-price restaurant dinner, their entertainment, their drinks, their pool, spa, and cabin service, including room service -- virtually everything that the suite cruisers gets, at one tenth the price. And they can pay for much of what suite guests get included in their fare and still pay way less for the cruise. And when they are walking around the ship, no one can tell who is sleeping in a suite and who is sleeping in and inside cabin (except for the suite pax who show off their specially colored ship cards to get attention.)

 

Not exactly.

Everyone on the ship is getting less when the prices for many drop very low.

Groceries are of lower quality; fewer luxury ingredients, fewer choices for all.

 

[cruz chic]

But you can, on a cruise! One can book the least expensive inside cabin, and get everything a person in a huge suite gets, except square footage, a butler, a dedicated lounge, and maybe free drinks or a cocktail party. The couple in the inside cabin can have their filet mignon, their extra-price restaurant dinner, their entertainment, their drinks, their pool, spa, and cabin service, including room service -- virtually everything that the suite cruisers gets, at one tenth the price. And they can pay for much of what suite guests get included in their fare and still pay way less for the cruise. And when they are walking around the ship, no one can tell who is sleeping in a suite and who is sleeping in and inside cabin (except for the suite pax who show off their specially colored ship cards to get attention.)

 

First of all there are no butlers on Hal. I've been in a Neptune and a penthouse suite and neither time did I flash my card at anyone. While I've seen one person write that they flash their card for better wine service I just consider the source. I highly doubt that many people do and I find the comment offensive.

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

My last three HAL cruises have been real clunkers in terms of food, ship's cleanliness & condition, service. It's been very sad watching HAL sail into a self imposed mediocrity.

 

What I miss:

* Ex Homeric, Westerdam

* Leatherette bound folders with proper luggage tags

* White gloved steward escort & hand bag assist to cabin

* Cabin THOROUGHLY cleaned before embarkation

* Morning & afternoon tea & lemonade served complimentary on deck

* Chimes played through all public rooms calling to dinner

* Hot food served hot, cold food served cold

* Nightly selection of fresh vegetables

* Usable drawers at vanity desk

* Sociable social staff & Officers

[take us away]

We were on the Amsterdam in Jan and we had excellent mac n cheese (based on the dish at a 'famous' Seattle restaurant) and also pot roast (with its fancy name) for dinner. Maybe these were just the chef's choices but they were both excellent.