I guess we missed the announcements. So now we pay for…?

[whitecap]

24 minutes ago, memoak said:

Haven’t you ever heard of turning underwear inside out to get extra wear ?

day one: wear right side out; day 2: wear inside out; day 3: shower with them on, hang to dry.

[kamelia]

5 minutes ago, whitecap said:

day one: wear right side out; day 2: wear inside out; day 3: shower with them on, hang to dry.

and then you can change with your stateroom-mate for another 3-day rotation

[whitecap]

10 minutes ago, kamelia said:

and then you can change with your stateroom-mate for another 3-day rotation

Yea, don't think I'd go that far!! 🤮

[Mike07]

59 minutes ago, memoak said:

Haven’t you ever heard of turning underwear inside out to get extra wear ?

 

With boxers, one can easily get four uses out of a single pair.

[tellis90245]

4 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Possible chaos on a single ship doesn't mean that it's the same way on every sailing of every ship in the fleet.  We've sailed on Princess for 28 days over the past 15 months and never had a problem getting a drink when we wanted to.  The only problem we encountered was a 20 minute wait for two seats at the bar at Good Spirits on a single evening.

I cannot speak to chaos. I can speak of my own experience. On my last Princess Cruise (Oct. 2022) the one time I ordered a drink using the app it took >1 hour to be delivered. The one time we ordered room service it took >2 hours. If that is the kind of performance I can expect, why would I pay for for those services?

[Guest ldtr]

2 hours ago, whitecap said:

Yes, cruise fare generates profit.  How much, only the Great Oz knows.

cruise fare adds to revenue, but without on board spend does not even cover it share of operating costs at current fare level.

[whitecap]

5 minutes ago, ldtr said:

cruise fare adds to revenue, but without on board spend does not even cover it share of operating costs at current fare level.

Well, I'll agree with you "as things are today".  But, do away with the casino, specialty dinning, all the shops, bars, spa and so on, and operating cost go down.  So really, its all relative.   

[kamelia]

44 minutes ago, whitecap said:

Yea, don't think I'd go that far!! 🤮

Yea, I probably posted that thought too quickly... I don't think I could get that one by DH. 🤭

[gottagocit]

I think my original post/thread has run it course and we’ve veered off into the grass a bit. I think I’ll should let it drop down the long list of retired subjects.

 

[Guest ldtr]

1 hour ago, whitecap said:

Well, I'll agree with you "as things are today".  But, do away with the casino, specialty dinning, all the shops, bars, spa and so on, and operating cost go down.  So really, its all relative.   

Not so much Spa, retail, art are all contract. they pay Princess to be onboard so they are not part of operational costs. The casino was a separate subsidiary of CCL at one time, not direct Princess employees, if they have that status then they also would not be part of the expense structure.

 

So out of the onboard spend you have specialty dining, bars, excursion desk not a lot.

 

 

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

Haven’t you ever heard of turning underwear inside out to get extra wear ?

 

1 hour ago, whitecap said:

day one: wear right side out; day 2: wear inside out; day 3: shower with them on, hang to dry.

 

1 hour ago, kamelia said:

and then you can change with your stateroom-mate for another 3-day rotation

 

59 minutes ago, whitecap said:

Yea, don't think I'd go that far!! 🤮

 

43 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

With boxers, one can easily get four uses out of a single pair.

 

TMI, all y'all.

[arxcards]

9 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Cruise lines no longer care about loyalty.  They have figured out that blue medallion people will spend as much, if not more than black medallion people.  Therefore, loyalty benefits are reduced/removed/changed to benefit the cruise line, so that revenue producing items can replace them.  Loyalty is no longer a consideration. 

I disagree. Every year they will spend a packet trying to foster brand loyalty. The recent changes haven't touched their Captain's Circle status tiers. In recent years, I can only recall the loss of free internet minutes being replaced by a discounted package and some tinkering of milestone qualifications. That tells me that loyalty is important to them, although they are prepared to churn a few rusted-on passengers in the process (you can't please all the people all the time). 

 

The PR on these changes was about spinning that everyone was getting more in their packages and designed to get more people buying them - fair game. The part that fails is not about the passengers on standard fares, but the ones that had already booked with these packages last year. The other side of loyalty has nothing to do with status tiers but is about goodwill and how their brand is spoken about in 3rd party referral or by social media influencers. They are copping a bashing, and that leads to less blue medallions.

[memoak]

2 hours ago, tellis90245 said:

I cannot speak to chaos. I can speak of my own experience. On my last Princess Cruise (Oct. 2022) the one time I ordered a drink using the app it took >1 hour to be delivered. The one time we ordered room service it took >2 hours. If that is the kind of performance I can expect, why would I pay for for those services?

That is why I walk up to a bar to get my drinks. 

[Steelers36]

49 minutes ago, arxcards said:

The other side of loyalty has nothing to do with status tiers but is about goodwill and how their brand is spoken about in 3rd party referral or by social media influencers. They are copping a bashing, and that leads to less blue medallions.

Yes, a blanket statement about not caring about loyalty is a lot of horse-wacky.  Find me one cruiseline exec that doesn't want their new customer to come back and sail again.  Of course, they want repeat business.  To give the poster (@kywildcatfanone) a bit of rope here, the idea was that Princess doesn't care so much about the long-term customer who is frugal with their cruise vacations and mostly use the ship as a hotel room and partake of the included items with no extra spending.  Now, they aren't going to say anything publicly, but I bet that same exec would prefer a repeat big-spender.

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, tellis90245 said:

I cannot speak to chaos. I can speak of my own experience. On my last Princess Cruise (Oct. 2022) the one time I ordered a drink using the app it took >1 hour to be delivered. The one time we ordered room service it took >2 hours. If that is the kind of performance I can expect, why would I pay for for those services?

Who knows if more will opt out and make for less demand"  I do know if I paid the $15 fee and got that service, I'd be at GS asking to be refunded and I would get my own in future.  Unfortunately, I don't think those on a package are going to get a rebate for lousy (meaning not timely) service.

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

 

 

 

 

 

TMI, all y'all.

😄 interesting back and forth goin' on there. I wouldn't  wanna be on an  elevator with a person sporting that hygiene philosophy.

[kywildcatfanone]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Yes, a blanket statement about not caring about loyalty is a lot of horse-wacky.  Find me one cruiseline exec that doesn't want their new customer to come back and sail again.  Of course, they want repeat business.  To give the poster (@kywildcatfanone) a bit of rope here, the idea was that Princess doesn't care so much about the long-term customer who is frugal with their cruise vacations and mostly use the ship as a hotel room and partake of the included items with no extra spending.  Now, they aren't going to say anything publicly, but I bet that same exec would prefer a repeat big-spender.

You are mostly correct on my view of this.  The erosion or changes of loyalty benefits are what bothers me the most as I have said.  Particularly their attempts like the recent plus change of them "adding value".  I do not see benefits removed that now cost me money to enjoy as "adding value".

 

And I still have extra spending, just not as much as most.  

 

They clearly want repeat big spenders, not people like me.  

[Princessfan20]

12 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Cruise lines no longer care about loyalty.  They have figured out that blue medallion people will spend as much, if not more than black medallion people.  Therefore, loyalty benefits are reduced/removed/changed to benefit the cruise line, so that revenue producing items can replace them.  Loyalty is no longer a consideration. 

 

Please cite your source.  I know of no major travel company that does not value repeat customers and does not have rewards programs to keep them coming back.  Or is this just more hyperbolizing on your part?

[CruizinSusan70]

7 hours ago, tellis90245 said:

I cannot speak to chaos. I can speak of my own experience. On my last Princess Cruise (Oct. 2022) the one time I ordered a drink using the app it took >1 hour to be delivered. The one time we ordered room service it took >2 hours. If that is the kind of performance I can expect, why would I pay for for those services?

Your mistake was made when you ordered a drink via the app.  If it ever comes to a point where my DH or myself can't get our own drinks at a bar, it's time to just stay home.  We have never used the app to order a drink and only used it once last year on the Discovery to order club sandwiches while enjoying a few drinks at Good Spirits.  Took just over a half hour at 1030 pm.

The only people that have to pay for this delivery are bare bones cruisers that need to pay the 14.99 activation fee that will be kicking in this month or possibly plus package people that only payed 50.

Edited August 9, 2023 by CruizinSusan70

[Steelers36]

4 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

You are mostly correct on my view of this.  The erosion or changes of loyalty benefits are what bothers me the most as I have said.  Particularly their attempts like the recent plus change of them "adding value".  I do not see benefits removed that now cost me money to enjoy as "adding value".

 

And I still have extra spending, just not as much as most.  

 

They clearly want repeat big spenders, not people like me.  

I just laugh at the marketing hustle job and let it slide off my back.  PCL is not alone in this BS stuff.  But it is added value for the newbie walking in the door and looking at all the shiny baubles.

[TheMichael]

On 8/8/2023 at 12:09 PM, whitecap said:

Well, I'll agree with you "as things are today".  But, do away with the casino, specialty dinning, all the shops, bars, spa and so on, and operating cost go down.  So really, its all relative.   

 

Hey, that's an interesting idea! A cruise line with just rooms and a buffet! Maybe deck chairs. Operating costs would be insanely low!

[Mike07]

22 minutes ago, TheMichael said:

 

Hey, that's an interesting idea! A cruise line with just rooms and a buffet! Maybe deck chairs. Operating costs would be insanely low!

 

Corporations aren't happy with providing steady or predictable profit margins tho. Need to sell $7 long necks bought for pennies on the dollar and $10 cocktails with maybe a dollar of liquor. Maybe the bar staff requires $10k USD per month per person minimum to staff???

 

 

[TheMichael]

I think, generationally speaking, the concept of "loyalty" to a company is falling by the wayside. Younger people are loyal to their pocketbook and their quality of experience - harm either one, and they'll at least try your competitors. I'm sure the cruise lines are noticing this and not worrying as much about loyalty as they are about market positioning and their perceived value as compared to their competitors.

 

Quite literally, it may be a case of saying "our deal may not be as good a deal as yesterday, but feel free to compare us to our competition, we'll be here when you're done." 

 

The actual risk may be of turning some folks off cruising altogether with the shell game of the super-cheap "standard inside cabin" fare that quickly balloons to double or triple that, first with port fees and gratuities and then to get things like internet, natural light in your room, or food you don't have to line up for. But airlines are busier than ever in these days of packing 'em in and giving 'em the minimum, and Vegas is making record revenues with ever-higher "resort fees," so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

[TheMichael]

16 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

Corporations aren't happy with providing steady or predictable profit margins tho. Need to sell $7 long necks bought for pennies on the dollar and $10 cocktails with maybe a dollar of liquor. 

 

 

You've just described most non-dive bars in America. And don't look now at how much it costs for a beer at a baseball game!

[kywildcatfanone]

On 8/8/2023 at 9:56 PM, Princessfan20 said:

Or is this just more hyperbolizing on your part?

I post what I see as an elite customer with Princess.  It's quite obvious that they are reducing or eliminating benefits and raising costs.  It's not hard to see if you book with them.