What to do with the Art Galleries?

[AZjohn]

Replacing a revenue generating area with a non-revenue generating area doesn't seem likely.

 

Of course not, will never happen. But still loved the idea (lol).

John

[Bobs cruising]

how about bringing the old Java bar back with 'free' espresso's etc.

 

I agree this would be the best use of space. Even paid Espresso would be all right. (HAL has to make money on the space) It is something we can all enjoy.:)

 

Park West has been ripping off the cruising public much too long. Glad to HAL getting rid of them they are crooks and they take up too much space on the ship. :(

I would be against any other company running an art gallery on HAL because they are all the same. In fact some are the same umbrella company and warehouses using different names at different locations.:mad:

 

I would like to see RCCL and X get rid of Park West also.:cool:

[sodomojo]

Even paid Espresso would be all right. (HAL has to make money on the space) It is something we can all enjoy.:)

 

Please go visit the exploration cafe ;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

So -- again -- What is the "Princess Fine Art Gallery"? -- Just another art gallery run by a supposedly different company?

[hammybee]

Sorry guys but management already have other ideas. The art gallery will now be run by the same company that runs the Princess Fine Art Gallery.

 

Makes perfect sence, given art auctions are the #1 onboard profit center.

 

The potential for profit on the other stuff is chump change.

[Bobs cruising]

Please go visit the exploration cafe ;)

 

I love the explorations café, and there will never be too many Espresso locations on a ship for me. :D:D

 

As to the revenue generating aspect of my idea, it will never fly.:(

[hammybee]

I love the explorations café, and there will never be too many Espresso locations on a ship for me. :D:D

 

As to the revenue generating aspect of my idea, it will never fly.:(

 

Probably the only thing that could do better than the Art thing, is a HAL version of "Cathouse". :eek:

[Gsel]

Darn! I sure like Mrs.Muir's idea much better.

[jtl513]

You guys, I suggested the same dam thing last week!

 

Oh well. My voice doesn't carry in a crowd, either. I'm going back to work now.

 

Mrs Muir (invisible, like Captain Gregg)

Possibly the difference was that Brian started a new thread, while yours was post #85 on a thread that many had stopped reading??

[m steve]

have the same crap that Park West offered.Plus que change, le meme chose

[TCF]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I see Brian's great idea rolled into Mrs. Muir's idea along the lines of what Park West/Princess does with selling art....which as I read it is confusing...but...we would have a space selling art, classic posters, high end logo merchandise, etc.WITHOUT the misleading antics of the current "art Auctions"! HAL would make money on it...no doubt.

My DW is an artist although she doesn't work at as a career any more...but one of the things she likes to do is painting colourful images on "Jean-type" jackets. She did one for me with a classic HAL poster hand painted covering the entire back of the jacket...(given my size it is akin to bill board LOL!!!)....but you would be surprised by the very positive, "where did you get that jacket?", comments I get onboard. So I know first hand there is a market for this kind of high-end logo wear.

I am not sure how we would get HAL to take Brian's et al idea and seriously consider it!! But we should try.

[kakalina]

Love the imaginary shop. It could also sell those lovely Dutch hats that are painted with the date and ship and a picture. I just love those.

[catl331]

Sorry guys but management already have other ideas. The art gallery will now be run by the same company that runs the Princess Fine Art Gallery.

Oh, well! :( Although I like Mrs Muir's/Bryan's ideas, I can live with the P.F.A.G. company as long as they don't pile the stuff if the aisles around the atrium, or monopolize the Crow's Nest as P.W. did at least once.

[serendipity1499]

Oh, well! :( Although I like Mrs Muir's/Bryan's ideas, I can live with the P.F.A.G. company as long as they don't pile the stuff if the aisles around the atrium, or monopolize the Crow's Nest as P.W. did at least once.

 

LOL...Don't count on it!:rolleyes:

[Sir PMP]

Please go visit the exploration cafe ;)

 

Yes, but you have to pay there, in the old java bar you could sit at the bar in the morning and have a great coffee and meet interesting people....:rolleyes:

[bepsf]

...I had not seen that thread, otherwise I would have commented there and agreed with you.

 

It's a shame that PFAG (Hehe) is going to be taking over the Art Galleries and pulling the same stunts with the same merchandise - and probably even the same auctioneers. I'm all for the line making a healthy profit, but doing so by accepting 20% of the profits of an outfit operating on your premises that makes money by purposely misleading people about the value of what they're being sold just isn't kosher.

[MrsMuir]

Brian, no need to apologize! I should have expected that a late posting on another thread could get overlooked. I just feel so at home here on the HAL Board, I tend to speak my mind and be my crochety self.

 

Yes, it's too bad that "art" has to be such a revenue generator. How I wish that HAL would CATER to us ship-addicted types and dangle ship-related art in front of us. They'd have me at hello.

[Cinema15]

Relocate the Shore Excursion desk to this space since cruiselines always seem to dedicate so little square footage for this huge money maker. At least we can have some breathing room as we wait to plunk down our hard to come by cash. My 2 cents or should I say 5 cents since this has gone up also :)

[GarySuzy]

I was hoping that since Park West was gone that the "Art Auctions" would be gone also.

 

They remind me of the Starving Artest auctions they had every month or so when I lived in the Los Angeles area. You could by the same orignal painting in 5 or 6 different venues.

[m steve]

the CD and another employee were former PW employees. said the stuff was a scam. Don't forget that by switching a red stroke and a blue one makes each an original. Never went to an auction. Are there more than 1 bidder for an item?

[BruceMuzz]

Relocate the Shore Excursion desk to this space since cruiselines always seem to dedicate so little square footage for this huge money maker. At least we can have some breathing room as we wait to plunk down our hard to come by cash. My 2 cents or should I say 5 cents since this has gone up also :)

 

One needs to know the very important difference between a "huge money maker" and a "huge PROFIT maker".

Or one needs to be aware that cruise lines dedicate incredibly valuable onboard space based on PROFITS generated - not on revenues generated.

 

Although Shorex generates very high revenues every cruise, a very high percentage of those revenues are paid to the shore tour operators - in cash - the very same day you take the tour. All the major cruise lines have been forced by sue-happy passengers to carry enormous liability insurance packages for shore excursions. This insurance is quite expensive. It eats up much of what is not already paid to the operators.

 

Art Auction is a different story. Cruise lines receive a very high percentage of the price of a piece of art sold on their ships. Any liability is carried by the Art Auction company.

It's nearly all profit.

[hammybee]

 

I was hoping that since Park West was gone that the "Art Auctions" would be gone also.

 

Art auctions are on every cruise line, inlcuding the luxury cruise lines. They are there for a reason. People buy and the ship makes a profit off the purchase.

 

Only reason so much junk is sold in cruise ship ports is because people buy it.

 

There is only one reason to buy art, anywhere. Because you love it.

 

Lots and lots of people spend $ hundreds on tee shirts, straw anything, cheap watches, gold by the inch and all sort of ceramic (made elsewhere) knick-knacks, while on vacation. Other people might find the perfect framed print that they will hang and enjoy in their homes, for years to come.

 

Who am I to judge how others spend their money?

 

I am grateful that people buy art while cruising because they are subsidizing my cruise.

[iancal]

I believe that the cruse lines enjoy substantial gross margin profit on shore excursions. While on a Carib. cruise we met some ex pats in St. VIncent who were very involved in the tourist/tour industry. They said, on average, the cruise ship companies pay 1/3 of the shorex cost to the tour operator with the balance sailing off into the sunset with the cruise ship. They said that there were a few exceptions to this but from his perspective the least that he had seen the cruise companies pocket was 50 percent on shorex's with a high third party content such as admission to a very popular, public venue. After speaking to them I understood why the private tours that we have taken have been so much better-far less crowded, longer tours, great guides, and usually at a considerably lower price. They also went into a lot of detail about just how much money the average cruise ship takes away on a stop. It starts with shoreex, but continures through to percentage of sales at 'recommended stores' as well a high flat monthly fee that is paid by recommended merchants to the cruise line.

[luxurysailer]

Unless one is very knowledgeable, bidding on art is exceedingly risky. And the prices they suggest on most of the pieces I've looked at were beyond what I would even consider paying.

 

On the other hand, I do enjoy art and know what I like but would not be considered an art conoisseur in any stretch of the imagination. I think the ideas suggested here are great. Poster reproductions, reproductions of paintings representing sites in ports of call for that cruise, HAL memorabilia, etc would all interest me. I would buy some of this type of merchandise, but would not even consider bidding in an art auction with the prices I have seen on various cruises. And this goes for Princess as well.

[iancal]

I suspect that many of the cruise lines are re-examining their art auction policy. I would assume that this is because of increased public awareness, ie not wanting to be associated to this scam/near scam, and because there appears to be more litigation/bad press. The revenue/profit will have to be replaced with something else and it won't just be by selling gold plated chain by the inch.