Sales Volume Very Low?

[2SailingNomads]

Yes we had that list too, although when we tried to order a couple were told last bottle was just sold at Marble when in Yacht club

[2SailingNomads]

1 hour ago, johng75370 said:

It costs money to do it right; I think financial realities are setting in now that the second ship is about to launch, and the first has not perhaps delivered the sales volume they planned on.  

 

With Seabourn the revenue wines are reasonably priced to begin with, and our loyalty discount often brings the price to similar or less than what we can get retail locally.  Explora’s revenue wine list is a lot more pricey, and they likely need that revenue and won’t cut into it through loyalty or “wine package” discounts.  

Agree as Diamond members we often find wines at a great value, and knowing the Sommelier can often find you a bottle of 2 or 3 that since low stock they can't put on the list.

[travelwide]

On 5/11/2024 at 9:05 AM, HappyInVan said:

 

I can confirm that there are many travel agents and influencer guest of Explora on some sailings. I stumbled.into the tail end of a private function. Turns out that there about 150 pax in their 20s and middle age in that meeting.

 

BTW the guy holding the meeting mentioned...

 

They had no plans for a loyalty program. A 5% discount was available when booked on a ship. 

 

Not interested in large groups. Max in his opinion was 20 total.

 

Then, he mentioned to the influencers that there was one free host room for every 10 paid bookings. And so on.

 

I was not spying on them!

 

On our December sailing there was a fairly large group of TA's.  We did not like the vibe on the ship. Too much attention being paid to them. It is interesting that the ships are still being filled with them. 

We are not rushing to book another cruise on EJ. Was hoping to be a cheerleader. Much preferred Regent product. Or MSC YC.

[Elizabethbea]

 Yup, fed up of the TAs and Influencers on Explora. One called me an "angry and bitter woman" when I  suggested she might possibly get upgrades and superior service "cos she was a TA!!!!

 

( Well a gal is entitled to her opinion, but personal insults are a bit off piste..)

[CruiseCrew123]

Have you heard when it’s delayed too ?

[Stickman1990]

On 3/9/2024 at 3:27 AM, frankhi said:

The big picture is your money is chump change. Your entitled to your opinions, but you frequently make it sound like you are relaying what most people think, whereas, even it this thread, that's obviously not the the case.

Still true…some people never change…

[Sidney68]

As mentioned in another thread passenger numbers were c.300 for the transatlantic crossing that departed from Miami yesterday; when it reaches Barcelona in just over 2 weeks time a member of management advised that they were expecting passenger numbers to be at 750, their highest level and about 17% up on what we experienced last week. Not sure what proportion of these are paying v TAs/marketing 

[Waltershipman]

4 minutes ago, Sidney68 said:

As mentioned in another thread passenger numbers were c.300 for the transatlantic crossing that departed from Miami yesterday; when it reaches Barcelona in just over 2 weeks time a member of management advised that they were expecting passenger numbers to be at 750, their highest level and about 17% up on what we experienced last week. Not sure what proportion of these are paying v TAs/marketing 

Thanks for all your posts

[mnocket]

2 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

MSC made a staggering 38 Billion USD in profits in 2022 (you can look this up - it's a fact). They're in it for the long haul.

I wouldn't be so sure.  Sometimes successful businesses are successful because they cut loose business segments that fail to become profitable after a reasonable time.  Just saying. 

[Dr. Cocktail]

52 minutes ago, mnocket said:

I wouldn't be so sure.  Sometimes successful businesses are successful because they cut loose business segments that fail to become profitable after a reasonable time.  Just saying. 

Absolutely .... but, um, it's been only 9 months!

 

I know that I'm a cheerleader for Explora - but - there are a LOT of industry interviews in print and video with statements from the Vago family. They  point blankly  state that they don't have to care about pleasing shareholders. As a wholly owned family business that has been around for over 50 years, they take the long view on most everything.

 

Again, they have stated (and people can scoff) that they plan on dominating the luxury segment.

 

 Back to your initial quote - I think that a "reasonable time" for a start-up cruise line would be 5 years to see where you stand.

 

Celebrity didn't make any money for their first 8 years until they were bought out by RCI.

[mnocket]

The EJ strategy seems to be...  We will become successful if we can win over travel agents.

 

Perhaps the EJ strategy should be...  We will become successful if we can win over cruisers?

[no1talks]

10 minutes ago, mnocket said:

The EJ strategy seems to be...  We will become successful if we can win over travel agents.

 

Perhaps the EJ strategy should be...  We will become successful if we can win over cruisers?

 

In various interviews and press releases, Explora has been rather clear regarding their desire to capture a new market niche of sophisticated, new-to-cruising families who don't fit the typical mass-market profile.

 

If one thinks an untapped base that is not yet cruising is out there, getting TAs on one's side would be a smart move.

 

Personally, I don't think this target exists in America to the extent Explora may suppose. Perhaps it is different among the Europeans to which the Apontes are more accustomed.

 

 

[mnocket]

19 minutes ago, no1talks said:

 

In various interviews and press releases, Explora has been rather clear regarding their desire to capture a new market niche of sophisticated, new-to-cruising families who don't fit the typical mass-market profile.

 

If one thinks an untapped base that is not yet cruising is out there, getting TAs on one's side would be a smart move.

 

Personally, I don't think this target exists in America to the extent Explora may suppose. Perhaps it is different among the Europeans to which the Apontes are more accustomed.

 

 

You could be  right about that, although I think it's a bit like a new car company saying "our target customer is someone who doesn't currently own a car".  I guess there's a market, but it's a small slice of the pie. 

[RlyLvn]

I am just glancing through these posts. 
 

There are a lot of opinions. 
 

Just want to say I am sailing on Explora I as we speak. 
Here are some of the comments I am hearing:

1) “This is the nicest and most beautiful ship we have ever been on”. This person just got back from Seabourn in Antarctica. 
2) “This is our third cruise on Explora and we have another one booked”

3) “We are sold and there is no going back to Silversea, no comparison”

4) “The food is the best ever”

5) “Educating TA’s seems to be working. My TA advised me of the ship. We booked it and WOW!  We booked a second. 
6) “The outdoor public areas are just out of this world”

 

I could go on and on. All positive!

 

We are loving every minute. 

Cheers!

 

 

 

[Waltershipman]

1 hour ago, RlyLvn said:

I am just glancing through these posts. 
 

There are a lot of opinions. 
 

Just want to say I am sailing on Explora I as we speak. 
Here are some of the comments I am hearing:

1) “This is the nicest and most beautiful ship we have ever been on”. This person just got back from Seabourn in Antarctica. 
2) “This is our third cruise on Explora and we have another one booked”

3) “We are sold and there is no going back to Silversea, no comparison”

4) “The food is the best ever”

5) “Educating TA’s seems to be working. My TA advised me of the ship. We booked it and WOW!  We booked a second. 
6) “The outdoor public areas are just out of this world”

 

I could go on and on. All positive!

 

We are loving every minute. 

Cheers!

 

 

 

FANTASTIC  we were om board last October and have booked another fir January 

 

Great input

 

Would love to hear more about your current cruise 

All the  best 

ENJOY

[English Tim]

As you will see from my report, we had a fantastic cruise and Explora will be on our top four list for future cruises, always dependent on price and itinerary.

 

I am a little bit concerned that if the ship were full, the buffet would be too busy but that remains to be seen.

 

Having climbed to good levels in loyalty programs, there are quite a few perks that we missed, so that would also enter into our negotiations.

 

There seem to be far too many biased posts, which is alarming. What the average cruiser needs is an accurate reflection from people who have experienced a great product, but not from people who have been in the past and are yet to experience what it’s like when the ship has more people and sometimes when they are clearly not as friendly, as on our last segment there were quite a few people drinking a lot and their behaviour reflected that.

 

 

 

[PaulMCO]

She is still in Genoa, the AIS system is turned on and has Sea Trials programmed.   But she has yet to leave dock.  Still 2 months til first official cruise on 11 Aug in Barcelona.

 

Explora 3 has had its first steel cut late last year.

 

I am betting on 4 ships (5 and 6 are options)

[2SailingNomads]

On 6/1/2024 at 5:07 AM, Dr. Cocktail said:

 

Explora II had a delayed delivery announced months ago but I don't recall any new setbacks. If you could provide a recent source, that would be appreciated.

 

Fincantieri has had many late deliveries recently, the most  recent being that of Sun Princess which cancelled its inaugural sailing literally days before departure. Even after sailing, it left without all facilities and entertainment options complete.

 

As for sailing empty, I would be more concerned if I was A and K. The Crystal ships are also sailing with a less than ideal number of revenue generating passengers. My agent tells me that she is constantly inundated with offers from them.  She is part of a luxury conglomerate and she said that their failure has still left a bad taste in many of the agents who had to deal with the aftermath of their collapse.

 

MSC made a staggering 38 Billion USD in profits in 2022 (you can look this up - it's a fact). They're in it for the long haul.  They truly make RCI, Carnival Corp and NCLHI look like poor cousins.

Absolutely true about the profit MSC mafe, again PROFIT. Division per day of the year = they can sail empty and don't care...

 

[2SailingNomads]

12 hours ago, RlyLvn said:

I am just glancing through these posts. 
 

There are a lot of opinions. 
 

Just want to say I am sailing on Explora I as we speak. 
Here are some of the comments I am hearing:

1) “This is the nicest and most beautiful ship we have ever been on”. This person just got back from Seabourn in Antarctica. 
2) “This is our third cruise on Explora and we have another one booked”

3) “We are sold and there is no going back to Silversea, no comparison”

4) “The food is the best ever”

5) “Educating TA’s seems to be working. My TA advised me of the ship. We booked it and WOW!  We booked a second. 
6) “The outdoor public areas are just out of this world”

 

I could go on and on. All positive!

 

We are loving every minute. 

Cheers!

 

 

 

It is now June, no Seabourn or any other ship from any cruise line has just been in Antarctica, (we went to Antarctica on the Quest in 2017 in December).  By early  March all ships are going elsewhere.  Take it with a grain of salt what you hear...

[RlyLvn]

Fully aware of when Antarctica season is. 

[parallax]

@whipsnade I assume you are sharing the same business insight on the Crystal board.  They are looking to add ships but they cannot fill the Symphony or the Serenity.   At least, Explora has deep pockets and can afford to build its brand over time.  

[parallax]

Since you are great businessman, I assumed you could provide similar insight to Crystal. If not,  I can apply similar "in-depth analysis".  Crystal has the smallest cabins in the luxury market. Their ships are old and require significant upkeep.  The Symphony cannot sail in the U.S.  For over a year, they have not been able to fill their ships.  Crytal has the stigma of going bankrupt, which resulted in passengers losing significant amounts of monies.  They removed the casinos. The average of age a passenger is old.

Hmmm.

 

We all get you do not like Explora.  You continue to spew your invective.  I do not know why you bother with this board.  We love Explora and have two cruises.  I see issues with Crystal and other cruise lines but I don't dump on them in their forums.   I am actually a fan of Crystal and hope they do well as it gives consumers more choices.  

 

[CJANDH]

39 minutes ago, saminina said:

Visited a couple in their cove residence last week that were truly miserable with the entire Explora experience and rightfully so IMO.

Can you expand on that a bit please. I sailed in a Cocoon Residence and did not find value in the high expense. But I wasn't miserable. Just disappointed. Was it the suite itself that they disliked or more?

[saminina]

It began prior to the cruise.  Asked for bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue and was told it probably could not be supplied.  No surprise, it was not.  He purchased at first port stop.   This is not a complaint, just seemed odd that such a request could not be met.   Suite decor too brownish for the lady.  Their favorite evening dining venue was Emporium outdoors.  No problem until their butler invited himself to sit at their table.  Also, attempted same on final evening.  By then, they knew how to say NO to him.   While sitting in their suite, butler came in and did not remove tray of dirty dishes.  Also, butler in suite going thru drawers looking for his keys when occupants walked in.  Disappointed in lack of (zero) perks.  The little niceties one sees when residing in top suites on land or at sea.

 

About same age as Whip.....90.

Edited Monday at 10:00 PM by saminina

[Waltershipman]

4 minutes ago, saminina said:

It began prior to the cruise.  Asked for bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue and was told it probably could not be supplied.  No surprise, it was not.  He purchased at first port stop.   This is not a complaint, just seemed odd that such a request could not be met.   Suite decor too brownish for the lady.  Their favorite evening dining venue was Emporium outdoors.  No problem until their butler invited himself to seat himself at their table.  Also, attempted same on final evening.  By then, they knew how to say NO to him.   While sitting in their suite, butler came in and did not remove tray of dirty dishes.  Also, butler in suite going thru drawers looking for his keys when occupants walked in.  Disappointed in lack of (zero) perks.  The little niceties one sees when residing in top suites on land or at sea.

 

About same age as Whip.....90.

Cruising at 90 sounds wonderful