October onwards cruisers…

[Adawn47]

34 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

See you on board Avril!!

We shall look forward to it Jean. 

Avril

[Cathygh]

12 hours ago, Britboys said:

I thought they had changed Formal Nights to Gala Nights? Are they changing them yet again???

Yes now called Celebration nights

[jeanlyon]

Why on earth do they find the need to change the names of things.  Shore Experience instead of Excursion.  Ridiculous.

[Son of Anarchy]

Next change will be: Captain is changed to Chief Executive!!! 😈

[jeanlyon]

Trying to think of others.

 

Cabin is now room

Passenger is now Guest

Excursion is now Experience

 

You wouldn't think you were on a ship these days.

 

[Son of Anarchy]

Cruise Director was changed to Entertainment Manager.

[Adawn47]

22 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Why on earth do they find the need to change the names of things.  Shore Experience instead of Excursion.  Ridiculous.

 Dare I suggest that it could be because it is now an American company and therefore needs to seem 'up market'?

Frank and I are still passengers in a cabin who take the occasional excursion, but then again, we're common😊

Avril

[jeanlyon]

7 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

 Dare I suggest that it could be because it is now an American company and therefore needs to seem 'up market'?

Frank and I are still passengers in a cabin who take the occasional excursion, but then again, we're common😊

Avril

Nah, not common, you just like to feel like you're on a ship not a floating giant hotel!

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

 

You wouldn't think you were on a ship these days.

 

Do you mean an ocean going vessel Jean?

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Next change will be: Captain is changed to Chief Executive!!! 😈

That has already changed on some cruise lines. Couple of years ago at a Captain's chat on Princess the Captain said his official title was Captain/Chief Executive and he was not only responsible for the maritime of the ship but everything including takings in the shops/bars and excursions and the higher the sum taken on the ship gave him a bonus on his wage structure as it was now based on performance of the takings of the ship he was in charge of.

Edited June 13, 2021 by majortom10

[Britboys]

4 hours ago, Cathygh said:

Yes now called Celebration nights

How utterly ludicrous. A term that means nothing unless you are celebrating something specific. I wouldn't be surprised if they are paving the way to abolishing Formal Attire nights altogether...

[Britboys]

I think it is a shame they are trying to do away with all the old terminology. A cruise was always different to a standard holiday and felt 'special'. Increasingly, cruises are now just marketed as holidays and like Jean has said above, they want everything to be like a hotel with rooms and floors as opposed to cabins and decks. Personally, I think a Cruise Director sounds much more 'up-market' than an Entertainment Manager...

[LondonLad60]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

That has already changed on some cruise lines. Couple of years ago at a Captain's chat on Princess the Captain said his official title was Captain/Chief Executive and he was not only responsible for the maritime of the ship but everything including takings in the shops/bars and excursions and the higher the sum taken on the ship gave him a bonus on his wage structure as it was now based on performance of the takings of the ship he was in charge of.

If this is now true regarding P&O (and as Princess is part of Carnival it wouldn't come as a surprise), it would explain why, from the moment you set foot on the ship, the aim seems to be to separate you from as much of your money as possible. Photographers waving cameras in your face, spa girls selling treatments, bar crew selling drinks packages, coffee shop crew selling coffee cards, restaurant crew selling the select restaurants, casino crew giving away bingo tickets or giving free drink vouchers to entice passengers into the casino, and so on.

 

 

[jeanlyon]

Yes totally agree.  I give the photographers short shrift and the spa treatments.  I also hate the way they bother you when you are having a drink trying to sell you the Beach Hut or the Sindu.  I want to have a peaceful drink not that.

[Josy1953]

35 minutes ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes totally agree.  I give the photographers short shrift and the spa treatments.  I also hate the way they bother you when you are having a drink trying to sell you the Beach Hut or the Sindu.  I want to have a peaceful drink not that.

My thoughts exactly.  I always fill in the questionnaires at the end of the cruise and invariably make a comment that the continuous push to get us to sign up for meals in speciality restaurants, spas and photographs is irritating and off putting.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, LondonLad60 said:

If this is now true regarding P&O (and as Princess is part of Carnival it wouldn't come as a surprise), it would explain why, from the moment you set foot on the ship, the aim seems to be to separate you from as much of your money as possible. Photographers waving cameras in your face, spa girls selling treatments, bar crew selling drinks packages, coffee shop crew selling coffee cards, restaurant crew selling the select restaurants, casino crew giving away bingo tickets or giving free drink vouchers to entice passengers into the casino, and so on.

 

 

You can avoid all that. Just hide in the art auction. Free champagne and bargain works of art.🤣

[jeanlyon]

11 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

My thoughts exactly.  I always fill in the questionnaires at the end of the cruise and invariably make a comment that the continuous push to get us to sign up for meals in speciality restaurants, spas and photographs is irritating and off putting.

Yes I do that too.  You're supposed to be on holiday not being badgered all the time to spend more money.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes I do that too.  You're supposed to be on holiday not being badgered all the time to spend more money.

I sympathise with your comments, but your cruise fare would be much higher if everyone followed your, and my example. So I am prepared to accept the minor irritation of the hard sell, if in fact it persuades enough of my fellow passengers to part with sufficient money for the ship to achieve its revenue target.

[Britboys]

3 hours ago, LondonLad60 said:

If this is now true regarding P&O (and as Princess is part of Carnival it wouldn't come as a surprise), it would explain why, from the moment you set foot on the ship, the aim seems to be to separate you from as much of your money as possible. Photographers waving cameras in your face, spa girls selling treatments, bar crew selling drinks packages, coffee shop crew selling coffee cards, restaurant crew selling the select restaurants, casino crew giving away bingo tickets or giving free drink vouchers to entice passengers into the casino, and so on.

 

 

Princess has long had a reputation in the USA for a high level of 'nickel & diming' - trying to charge for as much as possible on board. Over the years, the base cost of cruises has reduced considerably and of course P&O no longer levy a gratuity. All that lost revenue has to be made up somehow - hence the reason that there are more extra-charge restaurants on Iona than complimentary ones (counting the four main dining rooms and The Quays as one each respectively).

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

Yes totally agree.  I give the photographers short shrift and the spa treatments.  I also hate the way they bother you when you are having a drink trying to sell you the Beach Hut or the Sindu.  I want to have a peaceful drink not that.

The thing that really annoys us the most are the photographers that come into the MDR and disturb us when we're trying to enjoy a quiet evening meal. I find it rude and intrusive.

Avril

[Josy1953]

33 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

The thing that really annoys us the most are the photographers that come into the MDR and disturb us when we're trying to enjoy a quiet evening meal. I find it rude and intrusive.

Avril

I  agree but at least they take a polite "no thank you" now and don't try to persuade you to let them take a photo.  I can't think of a worse photo to have than one with half eaten food on the table.

[davecttr]

15 hours ago, Britboys said:

I think it is a shame they are trying to do away with all the old terminology. A cruise was always different to a standard holiday and felt 'special'. Increasingly, cruises are now just marketed as holidays and like Jean has said above, they want everything to be like a hotel with rooms and floors as opposed to cabins and decks. Personally, I think a Cruise Director sounds much more 'up-market' than an Entertainment Manager...

As an ex Cruise Director explained to me. Entertainment Manager is a more exact description of my job and I get a loss less hassle from passengers who think I am in charge of the cruise.

 

as for the rest, cabins remain cabins for me as do decks. Changing the terminology is either dumbing down or following fashion. BTW when did railway stations change to train stations and factories become facilities, not that I care.

[Son of Anarchy]

18 hours ago, majortom10 said:

That has already changed on some cruise lines. Couple of years ago at a Captain's chat on Princess the Captain said his official title was Captain/Chief Executive and he was not only responsible for the maritime of the ship but everything including takings in the shops/bars and excursions and the higher the sum taken on the ship gave him a bonus on his wage structure as it was now based on performance of the takings of the ship he was in charge of.

A few years ago on Azura, at one of those interview with the Captain events, Robert Camby said very similar.  

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

as for the rest, cabins remain cabins for me as do decks. Changing the terminology is either dumbing down or following fashion. BTW when did railway stations change to train stations and factories become facilities, not that I care.

Creeping Americanisation - and I hate it. Staterooms, train stations, cookies, fries etc etc.

 

Plus the rapidly increasing use of words like ‘color’ and other American spellings.

 

Wasn’t there a big campaign a couple of years back about getting back control or something?

 

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20170904-how-americanisms-are-killing-the-english-language

[ToxM]

Seeing reports from the book of visage that payment dates for October 3rd cruise (not sure which ship) are being moved back to end of August. 

 

I did a dummy run on my October cruise and payment date seems to still be 28th Julyish (already paid so can’t see from my paperwork).