Do you think cruise lines are trying to phase out older cruisers?

[GeezerCouple]

4 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

In November, I saw two security guards questioning a lady who kept her "do not disturb" sign on for a few days. They were right. She was hiding that she had COVID and didn't want to be quarantined. I asked my cabin attendant if it was true that they would report us if they saw evidence of real illness and he said it was true. 

 

A hotel (or cruise ship) will need to double check that the occupant of a room with a constant "do not disturb" sign up is okay, even without a Covid situation.

There are a variety of problems that could be unseen if no one has entered or even viewed the inside of the room.

For most of them, if the occupant has some sort of communication, such as by phone, that would suffice.  However, for other possible problems, including a hidden communicable illness, that alone wouldn't suffice.

 

RM

[ldubs]

I don't think cruise lines are trying to phase out older customers.  I think cruise lines are trying to attract more customers.  

[DarrenM]

2 minutes ago, ldubs said:

I don't think cruise lines are trying to phase out older customers.  I think cruise lines are trying to attract more customers.  

This

[luvs2beachit]

On 3/31/2023 at 10:02 AM, ldubs said:

I don't think cruise lines are trying to phase out older customers.  I think cruise lines are trying to attract more customers.  

Yes, agree.

[shorne]

On 3/27/2023 at 2:24 AM, DarrenM said:

Why would anyone need or even want their cabin cleaned more than once a day?

What on earth are you doing in there that demands this?

 

I work away from home and make sure to ask that my room is never cleaned on any of my 4 nights weekly.

 

I re-use towels etc.

 

I can make my own bed on the cruise and would happily have it cleaned once every two days.

 

and weirdly I gave up eating ice cream as a child.

 

 

 

On the one cruise that I have taken, someone came round for a moment to provide ice in the evening and leave a piece of chocolate and some literature for the following day. Although I was grateful for the ice, I certainly would not have expected to have the towels changed or anything else of that nature.

 

Hotels used to change the sheets and the towels every single day, even though those of us who don't belong to the hereditary nobility do not get such lavish treatment at home. Fortunately, when the same guest is staying for a few consecutive nights, some hotels now have the sense to allow for using the same towels again, or making the bed with the same sheets.

 

While we're on the subject, I clean my own room in a hotel to the extent that I can: I don't strew papers and such all about, but I do my best to clean up anything that is spilt and to leave things in reasonable order. The staff are there for ordinary maintenance, not to clean up any arbitrary mess that someone decides to make. We don't have the right to create an undue burden.

 

The complaint about lacking ice cream after 9:30 in the evening seems a bit petty. Being frozen, ice cream cannot just be left out; presumably the equipment has to be cleaned and put away at some point, and nighttime seems to be the most convenient moment. Isn't there enough food on a ship to keep you satisfied until the ice cream is put out again the next day?

 

[DarrenM]

5 hours ago, shorne said:

 

On the one cruise that I have taken, someone came round for a moment to provide ice in the evening and leave a piece of chocolate and some literature for the following day. Although I was grateful for the ice, I certainly would not have expected to have the towels changed or anything else of that nature.

 

Hotels used to change the sheets and the towels every single day, even though those of us who don't belong to the hereditary nobility do not get such lavish treatment at home. Fortunately, when the same guest is staying for a few consecutive nights, some hotels now have the sense to allow for using the same towels again, or making the bed with the same sheets.

 

While we're on the subject, I clean my own room in a hotel to the extent that I can: I don't strew papers and such all about, but I do my best to clean up anything that is spilt and to leave things in reasonable order. The staff are there for ordinary maintenance, not to clean up any arbitrary mess that someone decides to make. We don't have the right to create an undue burden.

 

The complaint about lacking ice cream after 9:30 in the evening seems a bit petty. Being frozen, ice cream cannot just be left out; presumably the equipment has to be cleaned and put away at some point, and nighttime seems to be the most convenient moment. Isn't there enough food on a ship to keep you satisfied until the ice cream is put out again the next day?

 

Completely agree

[BallFour4]

I am not sure what parameters you would include, but perhaps yes in the long term.

Cruise lines make their highest profits on alcohol, casino, shore excursions and the spa. While there are exceptions to every one of these as we cruise more often a number of us don't spend our dollars on these items. Then mix in a higher level of expectation about a diamond or platinum gift, a past guest party, etc and you might start to see why we are perhaps harder to please and spend less.
 
 Second, mass market cruise lines will take a significant amount of time to recover from Covid loss. The sweet spot for spend per passenger isn't in the over sixty group (hello 64) with my remarkably unscientific research being the last morning bill tucked away in the slot by the cabin doors. We've seen some cruise bills that looked like a small novel folded up from cruisers with cabins nearby that don't stare at AARP members when they look in the mirror.

 

 This is my opinion, nothing more. I could be exactly right or may need a carbon monoxide detector for brain function loss. Your call.

 

See You At Sea.

. 

Edited April 4, 2023 by BallFour4

[shorne]

1 hour ago, BallFour4 said:

Cruise lines make their highest profits on alcohol, casino, shore excursions and the spa. While there are exceptions to every one of these as we cruise more often a number of us don't spend our dollars on these items. Then mix in a higher level of expectation about a diamond or platinum gift, a past guest party, etc and you might start to see why we are perhaps harder to please and spend less.

 

 

I can't claim to know the dynamics of this line of business in any detail, but there seem to be some countervailing considerations.

 

Yes, the profits come overwhelmingly from ancillary purchases; tickets hardly matter. From a strictly pecuniary point of view, the cruises themselves are little more than vehicles for trapping people into captivity such that they must spend money with the company if they are not prepared (as most are not) to do without or shop around on shore. That's a crude way to put it, but realistically that's how it is. And those of us who don't readily drop wads of cash are not the most coveted.

 

On the other hand, older people tend to have more money and more time for cruises. It may not be best policy to discount those loyal customers who have been coming back for many years. An occasional bauble or party is nothing compared to the vast amount of food that cruise lines blithely waste.

 

[BallFour4]

42 minutes ago, shorne said:

 

On the other hand, older people...

 

That really hurt Shorne... by definition I guess old is when you make noise sitting down and getting up. 😁
 Appreciate most of my observation is from Carnival. That skews the curve. After 36 on the funnel folks we are returning to Royal for Alaska in a few months. It will be only 6 with them. They have expanded their market here in Galveston, so it's time.

.

[ldubs]

On 3/27/2023 at 1:24 AM, DarrenM said:

Why would anyone need or even want their cabin cleaned more than once a day?

What on earth are you doing in there that demands this?

 

I work away from home and make sure to ask that my room is never cleaned on any of my 4 nights weekly.

 

I re-use towels etc.

 

I can make my own bed on the cruise and would happily have it cleaned once every two days.

 

and weirdly I gave up eating ice cream as a child.

 

 

 

On our last cruise we always seemed to be in the cabin when the guy came for the afternoon service.  We told him a couple of times not to worry.  He apparently did worry because he would wait and do the service when we eventually left.  Even though we put our towels on the hooks, he still put new ones on the rack.  We had a lot of towels.

 

Wait, what?  How can anyone give up ice cream! 😀

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, shorne said:

 

I can't claim to know the dynamics of this line of business in any detail, but there seem to be some countervailing considerations.

 

Yes, the profits come overwhelmingly from ancillary purchases; tickets hardly matter. From a strictly pecuniary point of view, the cruises themselves are little more than vehicles for trapping people into captivity such that they must spend money with the company if they are not prepared (as most are not) to do without or shop around on shore. That's a crude way to put it, but realistically that's how it is. And those of us who don't readily drop wads of cash are not the most coveted.

 

On the other hand, older people tend to have more money and more time for cruises. It may not be best policy to discount those loyal customers who have been coming back for many years. An occasional bauble or party is nothing compared to the vast amount of food that cruise lines blithely waste.

 

It is the same business model as printers, sell the ink, or razors, sell the blades.

[DarrenM]

11 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

On our last cruise we always seemed to be in the cabin when the guy came for the afternoon service.  We told him a couple of times not to worry.  He apparently did worry because he would wait and do the service when we eventually left.  Even though we put our towels on the hooks, he still put new ones on the rack.  We had a lot of towels.

 

Wait, what?  How can anyone give up ice cream! 😀

To be honest I have never really started on the ice cream. 

 

I rarely eat desserts either.

 

Give me an extra starter any day.