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Are Royal Loyal to Customers - Of Course Not


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5 hours ago, Rogueperson said:

Try Princess, Try them all and see what you like.

 

My last 6 cruises have been on Royal Caribbean.  They were pretty good.  Until last week, I would have said Royal Caribbean is my favorite cruise line.  This week, I'm waffling.  Last week, I did a 5 night Princess cruise.  The service that's been slowly being degraded on Royal Caribbean that i've been tolerating, its still in full effect on Princess.  For example, I'm sitting at an outdoor table after getting a burger from the grill (which ironically is like the best burger I've ever had at sea), a guy comes up to me and asks if i want an iced tea or lemonade.  This has not happened on Royal Caribbean in a long time, but this happened pretty much a minute after I sat down.  And its not the only time.  In the buffet, staff come up and ask if you want a drink from the station.  No pushing of alcohol, just service!

 

The constant nickle and diming that i've learned to phase out, is surprisingly much more subtle and easier to tolerate.

There are still little things I prefer on Royal Caribbean, but it was a breath of fresh air.  I'm not completely sold and willing to jump ship off of Royal Caribbean because their loyalty program (I'm diamond now) is still worthy and probably better than Princess, but hey, what they do have, is a serious contender.  In my opinion, you need to mix it up just to keep things fresh.  I realized after last week that I've had certain expectations after sailing so many Royal Caribbean ships that other cruise lines can and may exceed Royal Caribbean in certain areas.  Service is definitely one of the areas Princess is still awesome with.

Just got off 12 days of Adventure of the Seas, ate almost every meal in Windjammer, got asked constantly if we wanted anything to drink, often as we sat down with our food.  This happened previously on Anthem and Mariner.  Perhaps we just look needy.

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16 hours ago, Perkyboy34 said:

Having realised the cruise we have booked, is now being advertised £ 900 ($1300) cheaper and including onboard wifi,

I must say that reading this thread has given me some more insight into why the Independence is moving. If price drops like that are a regular occurrence that certainly helps explain the move. 

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I am Loyal To Royal  and will be taking a three week cruise on the Brilliance. Yes every company has shortcomings but one has to go with the punches if you want to stay loyal. Yes I agree that the cancellation of the Indy and the moving of the office away from the UK is disappointing but remember when you call up your bank are you calling London or India? 

 

So there are other factors to weigh. One cannot always be pleased  and I do realize that many people decide to sail on another company and thats fine by me. 

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On 5/17/2019 at 12:44 AM, Perkyboy34 said:

This is split into 2 sections, and in no means is it a rant, it is just an honest opinion

 

First Section

 

 

Second Section

 

Reading about RCCL cancelling all Independence of the Seas cruises from the UK for 2020, so they can deploy back to the USA for demand of Coco Cay", revenue over heartbreak

 

Can you imagine the heartbreak RCCL have caused cancelling over 60,000 peoples cruise, they are not robots, they are human people with actual feelings who were planning dreams and special memories shattered,

 

 

 

Being someone who cruises all cruise lines, loyal to none of them, I don't see the issue with your first complaint.  RCCL is no different than other cruise lines in this regard

 

As to your second section, sorry but RCCL is in the business of making money.  And if the demand is greater for cruises in one area and lesser in others, it is a normal business decision to redeploy a ship to the areas of high demand.  Why would a company have a multi million asset being used in areas of low demand / lower revenue when they can easily redploy that asset in areas of higher demand / higher revenue.  Economics 101.

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On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 6:44 AM, Perkyboy34 said:

This is split into 2 sections, and in no means is it a rant, it is just an honest opinion

 

First Section

 

What a business model RCCL operate, for their loyal following, they make us book a couple of years in advance ensuring they have our money well in advance

 

Gone are the days when we used to have a personal cruise consultant located in the same country as you, who became a friend keeping you up to date with the latest developments and cruise news, as well as offering you on board credit and other little perks to make your experience that little more special

 

Now we have to speak to a call centre somewhere in the world, who can hardly understand and speak your language, who are literally machines working from a script and website offering no personal experience

 

Well, having now done over 200 nights and reaching Diamond Plus, enough is enough,

 

Having realised the cruise we have booked, is now being advertised £ 900 ($1300) cheaper and including onboard wifi, would they price match our booking, of course not

 

RCCL - please take a sensible view on customer loyalty rather than profit, it has resulted in us cancelling 3 future cruises, losing you revenue of approx. $13000

 

 

 

Second Section

 

Reading about RCCL cancelling all Independence of the Seas cruises from the UK for 2020, so they can deploy back to the USA for demand of Coco Cay", revenue over heartbreak

 

Can you imagine the heartbreak RCCL have caused cancelling over 60,000 peoples cruise, they are not robots, they are human people with actual feelings who were planning dreams and special memories shattered,

 

 

 

I have to disagree with you. RCCL is a for Profit Company and they Need to take a sensible view rather on Profit than on customer loyalty. Customer loyalty is nice and companies are lucky if People feel loyal to them, but a Company will run into a Problem once those loyal customers start to feel too entitled. That´ts the Point to get rid of them. Profit rules not loyalty.

 

You are wrong in thinking they lost $13.000 in Revenue from your cancelled Cruises. They will sell your cabins and Maybe even to someone with more OnBoard spending. If - and I´m speculating only here - you booked those cancelled Cruises under UK T&C´s you´ve lost some Money on deposits which RCCL actually put in their pockets as additional Revenue to re-selling your cabins. Win Win for them.

 

I have not follwed the Indy re-deployment. Is that 60000 People number real, as in actual bookings being cancelled or is that just the number of cancelled sailings multiplied By the capacity of Indy? 

 

As to the second section...heartbreak...robots….dreams and Special memories shatterd….. anymore drame you can post?

 

It´s a Business decision and if they can get more Money with Indy somewhere else - good move.

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4 hours ago, Maverick61 said:

 

Being someone who cruises all cruise lines, loyal to none of them, I don't see the issue with your first complaint.  RCCL is no different than other cruise lines in this regard

 

As to your second section, sorry but RCCL is in the business of making money.  And if the demand is greater for cruises in one area and lesser in others, it is a normal business decision to redeploy a ship to the areas of high demand.  Why would a company have a multi million asset being used in areas of low demand / lower revenue when they can easily redploy that asset in areas of higher demand / higher revenue.  Economics 101.

 

A good example is the lack of or no presence in the California market.

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Never be loyal to a cruise line. They will never be loyal to you. Besides, things change. I dropped Carnival for NCL many years ago and was very happy I did. I got sick of NCL's constant reduction in quality and tried Carnival again and it was an awesome cruise. I'm trying RCL this year and if I don't like it, I'll try a different company.

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5 minutes ago, nelblu said:

 

A good example is the lack of or no presence in the California market.

That might just have to do with the 1,234,567 unique regulations they'd have to overcome to sail in and out of California...just the same as how other industries are impacted for doing business in that specific market. The pain (and added costs) to acquire added business there outweighs any initial rewards, resulting in avoidance.

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17 hours ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

That might just have to do with the 1,234,567 unique regulations they'd have to overcome to sail in and out of California...just the same as how other industries are impacted for doing business in that specific market. The pain (and added costs) to acquire added business there outweighs any initial rewards, resulting in avoidance.

Any facts to support your theory?

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5 hours ago, tinkr2 said:

Any facts to support your theory?

It's no theory.

 

Having worked for 2 Fortune 500 companies with multiple locations there, as well as being part of the regulatory compliance areas of those two firms and 3 others over the past 20 years...it's nearly common knowledge in many industries that "if there's a unusual, complex, and/or difficult way to do something, the West Coast states will find a way to pass and enforce a regulation to make it happen..."

 

Anyone with even a cursory readership of maritime regulations also knows that they vary significantly around the country and around the world. California and Alaska are among the most heavily regulated states pertaining to environmental issues. Canada has some strong regs on air and water standards as well. Many of these stem from historical elements of the 1970's and 1980's (the Exxon Valdez in 1989 is just one example that led to a myriad of new regulations).

 

In addition to your question, and relating this to the topic thread...it is also no secret that regulatory rules and their enforcement also adds a layer of cost to businesses. Compliance costs. If a company such as Royal Caribbean or any other cruise line decides to port out of any city, state, or nation around the world...they have to meet those locational standards/regulations - often at an added operational cost for licenses, fees, inspections, tariffs, etc.

 

In contrast, other port locations might reduce the regulatory costs through a variety of means (tax incentives, reduced fees, etc.) to entice cruise industry business. Florida is just one example that provides operating cost-friendly options without significantly reducing environmental regulations.

 

With all these factors coupled with market analysis of revenue analysis, demographic studies, and competitive target considerations...cruise lines figure out the best places to earn revenue (their main goal like any other business), as well as how to accomplish it profitably. If regulatory burdens are excessive in comparison to other places, those things add obstacles and even roadblocks when considering port candidates.

 

So where Royal is Loyal (markets) has plenty to do with all these contributing factors. 

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14 minutes ago, MightyMike said:

Anyone who pledges too much loyalty to a corporation--even a highly-regarded corporation like Royal Caribbean or Apple--is setting themselves up to be let down.

 

That applies to anything and anyone.:classic_rolleyes:

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26 minutes ago, MightyMike said:

Anyone who pledges too much loyalty to a corporation--even a highly-regarded corporation like Royal Caribbean or Apple--is setting themselves up to be let down.

Perhaps a more practical criteria resolves how loyalty is achieved.

 

The glass isn't 1/2 full

The glass isn't 1/2 empty

The glass is completely full - 1/2 air and 1/2 water

That makes a person see reality, and make choices accordingly

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33 minutes ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

Perhaps a more practical criteria resolves how loyalty is achieved.

 

The glass isn't 1/2 full

The glass isn't 1/2 empty

The glass is completely full - 1/2 air and 1/2 water

That makes a person see reality, and make choices accordingly

 

But if I can´t see or feel the 1/2 air in the glass, how can I be sure the glass is really completely full? Can I trust something I can´t see or fell being actually there?

 

Don´t be blindly loyal. Buy a product because it´s a good match for your Needs at a cost that is acceptable for you. Don´t buy a product because you want to be loyal.

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5 minutes ago, 123funcruiser said:

 

But if I can´t see or feel the 1/2 air in the glass, how can I be sure the glass is really completely full? Can I trust something I can´t see or fell being actually there?

Easy - don't have eyes wide shut.

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On 5/18/2019 at 6:15 AM, Sizzlechest said:

Never be loyal to a cruise line. They will never be loyal to you. Besides, things change. I dropped Carnival for NCL many years ago and was very happy I did. I got sick of NCL's constant reduction in quality and tried Carnival again and it was an awesome cruise. I'm trying RCL this year and if I don't like it, I'll try a different company.

 

I feel very appreciated by Royal. Loyalty can pay off

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3 hours ago, MightyMike said:

Anyone who pledges too much loyalty to a corporation--even a highly-regarded corporation like Royal Caribbean or Apple--is setting themselves up to be let down.

 

Like I said above, so far, so good for us

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I don't know why anyone would be "loyal" to a cruise line.  The perks you get for sailing on the same line are not that great With any line.  Why sail a ship or itinerary just to stay with the same line, for a few free drinks and some ridiculous honorary pin (or something equally unimportant)?  Sail the itinerary and ship you want to sail.  Companies will fill their ships with paying customers no matter if they are repeat customers or not, so i'm not sure why they would even care if customers are "loyal".  They are a business plain and simple... But I would never give a company my money when there are better options out there.  I've loved trying all of the different lines and hope to try them all.

Edited by jetta8300
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2 hours ago, jetta8300 said:

I don't know why anyone would be "loyal" to a cruise line.  The perks you get for sailing on the same line are not that great With any line.  Why sail a ship or itinerary just to stay with the same line, for a few free drinks and some ridiculous honorary pin (or something equally unimportant)?  Sail the itinerary and ship you want to sail.  Companies will fill their ships with paying customers no matter if they are repeat customers or not, so i'm not sure why they would even care if customers are "loyal".  They are a business plain and simple... But I would never give a company my money when there are better options out there.  I've loved trying all of the different lines and hope to try them all.

I couldn't agree more.  Free laundry service, free Bath Tub Gin in a segregated lounge or what ever else they are using to draw in loyalist isn't part of my vacation plans. All and I mean all of the mass market lines have changed over the years either by trying to target a certain market, changing itineraries,  repositioning ships and building ships so big that they have limited ports of call. If you are happy doing the same itinerary from the same port of embarkation year after year than perhaps the loyalty programs work in your favor.  I look for Itinerary and price. In the end the food has declined so much that it's not even a deciding factor any more and If I wanted top notch entertainment I would say home and go to Broadway shows, Concerts, and Comedy clubs in my own back yard. There is not a mass market cruise line that can compete with what I have access to living a stone's throw from Manhattan.  

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2 hours ago, jetta8300 said:

I don't know why anyone would be "loyal" to a cruise line.  The perks you get for sailing on the same line are not that great With any line.  Why sail a ship or itinerary just to stay with the same line, for a few free drinks and some ridiculous honorary pin (or something equally unimportant)?  Sail the itinerary and ship you want to sail.  Companies will fill their ships with paying customers no matter if they are repeat customers or not, so i'm not sure why they would even care if customers are "loyal".  They are a business plain and simple... But I would never give a company my money when there are better options out there.  I've loved trying all of the different lines and hope to try them all.

To each his own.  I'll take the plethora of perks anytime.

 

Ps.  I'm also a shareholder.

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40 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I couldn't agree more.  Free laundry service, free Bath Tub Gin in a segregated lounge or what ever else they are using to draw in loyalist isn't part of my vacation plans. All and I mean all of the mass market lines have changed over the years either by trying to target a certain market, changing itineraries,  repositioning ships and building ships so big that they have limited ports of call. If you are happy doing the same itinerary from the same port of embarkation year after year than perhaps the loyalty programs work in your favor.  I look for Itinerary and price. In the end the food has declined so much that it's not even a deciding factor any more and If I wanted top notch entertainment I would say home and go to Broadway shows, Concerts, and Comedy clubs in my own back yard. There is not a mass market cruise line that can compete with what I have access to living a stone's throw from Manhattan.  

Complaints, complaints--why do you even bother with them.

 

By the way, to go to a Broadway play and ancillaries, you need a small fortune.

Edited by nelblu
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2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Not theory, well known fact. Royals ships would require millions of dollars of renovations (each) to be able to adhere to the rules in California governing the use of shore to ship power. 

I see. I just knew that I have cruised Princess and carnival out of there and they were reasonably priced. I was unaware that the ships are modified specifically for California. I am of course aware that environmental issues are stricter in Alaska and California.

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