Discount cruise due to profession

[celticlady]

The cruise lines are not showing appreciation. They are marketing to specific groups, with minimal discounts, to entice them to choose their line over another one. I guarantee you that no cruise line says anything about appreciation for specific groups in their strategic or marketing plans. What they do have, however, are occupancy and profit goals.

 

 

You are wrong about no cruiselines stating they have discounts to show their appreciation. If you take the time to check HAL and MSC state exactly that. However, it may very well be to draw certain groups in.

[spacepotatoes]

Please. Spare me.

 

Teachers get the equivalent of an annual salary for just working 183 days, so do not tell me they do NOT get paid for holidays.

 

That is like telling someone that if a person works one week a year and they get paid an annual salary of $52,000 and are paid weekly $1,000 they are not getting paid for holidays.

 

But, maybe that is the logic behind how poorly paid our teachers are.

 

We get it. Teachers work 183 days. You're not happy about it. Can we move on now? Seriously. Get over it. :rolleyes:

[tulsacubfan]

I guess the teachers in my world are quite different than the teachers in yours.

 

In my public school district the average teacher makes over $60,000 a year. Those in the system for 20 to 30 years can hit $100,000 PLUS. They work 183:mad: days a year. In addition, they get full retirement and health benefits.

 

Without information technology professionals, society in all aspects would come to a grinding halt. Therefore, technology specialists should cruise for free.

 

 

Well said! I think every profession can make some argument for a discount for their members. We need every profession in this country to keep it running. Garbage collectors - try getting by without them. Grocers - not going to make it without someplace to buy food. Insurance adjusters - try getting paid for a claim on your trip insurance without them. Priests and Ministers - gotta have them. I can't think of one profession (well, maybe a couple....politicians top of the list :)) that we don't need.

 

Discounts for belonging to a union? So the kid that sacks my groceries who is a member of a union can get a discount, but I can't for my profession? Really?

[tulsacubfan]

Exactly, however, the military sacrifies safety, family and possibly their lives to protect the country... they deserve a discount if they are active duty. And most don't have the choice of where they serve.

 

**BTW, I'm not military, so I'm not looking for an entitlement for myself.**

 

I do agree with the military discount if they are active duty.

[tulsacubfan]

First, I am not in Philadelphia, I am in suburban Philadelphia.

 

Now let's get the facts right. Where are your statistics on "turnover"? Having worked in the education system, my experience is that once one gets in it, for the most part, they are lifers. The salary and benefits are extremely good.

 

The lowest pay from your statistics is $44,039. The highest is $80,953. The average would then be?

 

Further, a 183 day work year is not bad compared to the average working stiff that puts in about 245. Also, full pension and full medical benefits is not something included in most working folks comp plan.

 

After looking at your stats, I must admit I am probably wrong in stating teachers in my district average $60,000. It is probably closer to $70,000.

 

Even at an average of $60K a year, that is $40.98 an hour (with the 183 days work year and an 8 hour day)!!!!!!!! I am sure there are a lot of degreed people who would like to earn $40.98 an hour!!! If you use these figures that are closer to $70K, the hourly rate would be $47.81!!!! I would take it....especially if I only had to work 183 days a year.

 

And please don't anyone flame me saying teachers take work home and work more than 8 hours a day...a lot of us either take work home or work 10-12 hours a day and work on Saturdays....more than 8 hours a day is not exclusive to teachers

[tulsacubfan]

I always love the comments about how much time off teachers get :rolleyes: We may not work 365 days of the year, but when school is in session, we work our butts off to give our students the best we can and there are many days that we work around the clock. Believe me, that time off is earned.

 

Anyone who has kids knows that raising them is not easy so I don't understand the perception that someone who deals with 90+ of them every day (if they teach in the high schools) has it easy. When I get these kinds of comments, I'm always tempted to invite people to come spend a week with me -- including time after school helping kids, coaching, etc. and then at home planning, prepping, and marking (for which we do NOT get paid, by the way) -- and then decide for themselves how long they could continue without burning out and what compensation they would think is fair.

 

That being said, I don't think teachers are more deserving of a discount on their cruise than anyone else. I agree with the poster who said that it's about attracting business. And if it didn't work for the cruise lines, they probably wouldn't be doing it.

 

Nobody is saying teaching is easy. Nobody is saying nursing is easy. But don't say you are the only profession that does work their butt off and deserve all the extra time off. Or that you are the only profession that works outside of the "normal" 9 to 5 hours. Trust me...you are not.

[tulsacubfan]

Husky,

 

Your post did not reference anyone's specific post, therefore it is not known to whom you were responding.

 

As for me, yes, I am incredibly jealous of teachers. But, I do make the point that they are well off when it comes to compensation and benefits. Further, it irks me that many support the notion that they should be treated as royalty and should be thanked for their sacrifices, as if other professions require no sacrifice or aggravation.

 

And lastly, the entitlement attitude that prevails in our society is what has put us in the incredible debt that we have now. And nowhere is it more prevalent than in the US education system.

 

Excellent post.

[Aquahound]

What makes one profession more important that the other?

 

It has nothing to do with importance. The cruise lines recognize certain professions based on their nature of work and this country's long standing traditions to honor those particular professions, not because they are any more "important."

 

Skimming through this thread, what I have not seen mentioned is that some cruise lines do offer state residency discounts regardless of profession.

[johneeo]

I didn't claim that teachers don't get an annual salary. Seems to me you have a real problem with someone whose job requires less time than yours.

 

No, I have a problem with the myth how horribly underpaid and unappreciated teachers are, and that they are entitled to all kinds of comps.

 

Whereas, normal working people that put in 245 days a year pay the salaries and benefits of them, and also have to pay for their own benefits.

 

Just putting out the facts. The teachers unions have done an incredible jog of putting out the propoganda of how horrible it is to be a teacher, and nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Truth hurts, eh?

[spacepotatoes]

Nobody is saying teaching is easy. Nobody is saying nursing is easy. But don't say you are the only profession that does work their butt off and deserve all the extra time off. Or that you are the only profession that works outside of the "normal" 9 to 5 hours. Trust me...you are not.

 

Actually, I didn't say either of those things. I was talking only about what goes into teaching, nothing else. And I followed it with the statement that I didn't think teachers were any more deserving of a discount than anyone else. Nowhere in my post did I belittle any other profession or suggest that teaching was somehow superior. I'm sorry if you read it that way, but that was not the way it was intended.

[7x57]

No, I have a problem with the myth how horribly underpaid and unappreciated teachers are, and that they are entitled to all kinds of comps.

 

Whereas, normal working people that put in 245 days a year pay the salaries and benefits of them, and also have to pay for their own benefits.

 

Just putting out the facts. The teachers unions have done an incredible jog of putting out the propoganda of how horrible it is to be a teacher, and nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Truth hurts, eh?

 

I started teaching at 36k. After 5 years I was making 42k, but that was including working summer school and nights as a community social trainer for students with autism. I left for a contract job allowing me to work part time for double my salary as a teacher. I worked in a "right to work" state without any union perks. I did have excellent benefits. I enjoyed my job and I felt fairly compensated.

[T&Dcruisers]

Hey, guess what?! I contractually work 181 days!!! Ahahaha!

 

Oh, my district does not pay into my benefits, I do, and I pay insurance premiums just like everyone else with health benefits does. It's all a trade off, I don't get corporate bonuses or profit sharing, nor do I get overtime pay even if I do work more than an average school day, but yes, I do get 10 weeks off over the summer, that was my decision.

[euro cruiser]

It has nothing to do with importance. The cruise lines recognize certain professions based on their nature of work and this country's long standing traditions to honor those particular professions, not because they are any more "important."

 

Skimming through this thread, what I have not seen mentioned is that some cruise lines do offer state residency discounts regardless of profession.

Again, it has nothing to do with "honoring" certain professions, it has to do with marketing to large groups of potential passengers. There are many other groups that the public would consider deserving of honor, but you don't see cruise lines (or most other businesses, for that matter) marketing to them with discounts because there aren't enough of them to bother with and/or because statistically they don't deliver profit once on board. Clergy, for example. Or social workers (although some of these may fall under the union member discount).

 

The state residence discounts help boost occupancy rates - many theme parks have similar offerings.

[Aquahound]

Again, it has nothing to do with "honoring" certain professions, it has to do with marketing to large groups of potential passengers.

 

I agree it's about marketing....but if you are saying it has absolutely nothing to do with honoring or recognizing certain professions such as military, I whole heartedly disagree.

[euro cruiser]

The military discount is a good example of a "win-win" for marketers. Retired and active military make up a huge potential market, and offering them a discount reflects positively on the brand. Everybody wins.

 

If the US market was in a mood similar to the Vietnam era, marketers would think differently about a military discount. Today it's a given, almost a business necessity, to appear to support the military (regardless of your feelings about war or politics) and the environment.

 

Few of these decisions are value based, nor are my observations. They are business decisions, and mine are the observations of a practitioner.

[Husky61]

I am not a teacher or any other group that gets discount. But unlike many of you, it doesn't bother me that some groups get a discount. I still enjoy life without the petty problems.:):)

[Alaskandad]

HEHEHE this will be fun.

 

I'm a retired military, disabled vet, prior Fish and Game law enforcement, and current high school teacher that belongs to a union on a 181 day contract. Hmm did I miss anything?

 

I am by definition the most hated guy on this thread.

 

It may be marketing, but because of the above list, I like to consider discounts a thank you. I get discounts from Burger King to resorts to universities to phone and internet service and uncle sam even sends me an extra check every month. Sometimes I feel guilty, then I remember missing all those christmases with the family, my kids birthdays and first steps, being shot at, sleeping in the mud, wearing chem gear for endless hours and I get over the guilt real quick.

 

Does anyone OWE me anything? No, I chose those things for myself. What can I say, I must love pain. But, if someone says thank you, you say you're welcome.

 

To all the nurses that took care of me in the desert> Thank you.

 

To the cops that I worked with and the ones that still keep me safe> Thank you

 

To my comrades in arms> Thank you!

 

To the IT guys that let me do my job, and let me access this forum> Thank you

 

To all the invisible folks that work hard to feed their families and in the process improve my life, to the butcher the baker and the candle stick maker> Thank you

 

And to all the folks that say thank you to me with a discount, You're welcome.

[iheartbda]

Alaskandad

 

LOVED your post.:)

[klfrodo]

HEHEHE this will be fun.

 

I'm a retired military, disabled vet, prior Fish and Game law enforcement, and current high school teacher that belongs to a union on a 181 day contract. Hmm did I miss anything?

 

I am by definition the most hated guy on this thread.

 

It may be marketing, but because of the above list, I like to consider discounts a thank you. I get discounts from Burger King to resorts to universities to phone and internet service and uncle sam even sends me an extra check every month. Sometimes I feel guilty, then I remember missing all those christmases with the family, my kids birthdays and first steps, being shot at, sleeping in the mud, wearing chem gear for endless hours and I get over the guilt real quick.

 

Does anyone OWE me anything? No, I chose those things for myself. What can I say, I must love pain. But, if someone says thank you, you say you're welcome.

 

To all the nurses that took care of me in the desert> Thank you.

 

To the cops that I worked with and the ones that still keep me safe> Thank you

 

To my comrades in arms> Thank you!

 

To the IT guys that let me do my job, and let me access this forum> Thank you

 

To all the invisible folks that work hard to feed their families and in the process improve my life, to the butcher the baker and the candle stick maker> Thank you

 

And to all the folks that say thank you to me with a discount, You're welcome.

 

More common sense? :D

 

Here, here,,,, Thank You and You're Welcome

[cat-tav]

I guess the teachers in my world are quite different than the teachers in yours.

 

In my public school district the average teacher makes over $60,000 a year. Those in the system for 20 to 30 years can hit $100,000 PLUS. They work 183:mad: days a year. In addition, they get full retirement and health benefits.

 

Without information technology professionals, society in all aspects would come to a grinding halt. Therefore, technology specialists should cruise for free.

 

I have been a public school teacher for 22 years and I make $56,000 a year. For which, I deal with 200 inner-city teenagers, some of whom are gang members, some are pregnant, some are on probation, some are the primary breadwinners for their families. Many of them have never read a book in their lives and have no interest in much beyond the iPods in their ears, their cell phones, or the fight they're planning to have after lunch. I have broken up fights and held apart young men much bigger and stronger than I am. I have dealt with girls in tears because of a breakup with their boyfriends. I have calmed angry parents who don't understand why the teacher failed their child. Never mind that the child skipped more classes than he attended, cursed me out more than once, and did no assignments. I keep doing the job because every once in a while I get through to a kid who needs me. That's a much better reward than a discount on a cruise. And by the way, much of my summer off is spent in professional development and planning to make next year better than last year. I agree that I/T is important, but the stress level of a classroom is far beyond what most people deal with on a daily basis. The health benefits offered by my district (one of the largest in the nation) are pathetic. So expensive and limited that I consider myself extremely lucky that my husband's job offers good benefits so I am not dependent on what is offered to teachers.

[CanWeGoYet?]

Alaskandad - wonderful post & thank you, reading that is the most positive experience I've had all day!

 

cat-tav - Thank you for the job you do! You must make a world of difference in the lives of the kids who need an adult who will believe in them. Agree, that is a much better reward than a discounted cruise.

[grod19]

In my mind no one that is paid to do a job should be getting special compensation for anything. If you made the decision to go into a profession then it was your choice and you will be compensated/paid accordingly, this goes for teachers, nurses, military, etc. Am I grateful for each of these services, absolutely but dont cry foul when you knew exactly what you were getting into from the start.

 

In my opinion compensation like this should be given to volunteers. In many parts of the nation EMT's, Firefighters, etc are not paid and get nothing for their services but they are happy to get out of bed at 3 am to come help those in need. To those individuals I would be happy to see companies give a little something.

[Arzeena]

Which cruiseline gives teachers discounts? That one doesnt make sense to me.

 

Does not make sense to me either! Why would any cruise line give a discount to teachers? A book store, yes; but a cruise line??!!!! Especially those in NJ!

[Arzeena]

That comment wasn't very nice. Who taught you how to read, write, and do all of the other things you needed to know in order to give you a running start at being successful in life? To answer your questions both HAl and MSC offer substancial discount for teachers( up to 70-80% off list price). They do that for other professional fields,as well, as a matter of community appreciation. Teachers are the backbone of any society. Most other countries know this and treat their teachers with great respect. Teachers are underpaid and overworked. I think it's wonderful when any business shows their appreciation for teachers through discounts( this goes for firefighters, police, nurses, and any others in the public service field). BTW, in today's world teachers put their lives on the line everytime they walk into a classroom. :rolleyes:

 

PLEASE!!!!

*The first education begins at home. So teachers cannot take ALL the credit.

*Teachers DO NOT give us a running start at being successful............here they work for a salary not for as a vocation.......see what the unions are doing! Teacher's striking and holding up classes???!!! Good examples they set!!

*We are talking about cruise discounts NOT community appreciation that teachers deserve.

*Teachers ARE NOT a backbone to any society they are an essential part of a community.

*ONLY the teachers in the third world countries are underpaid and over worked (are you forgetting the half day jobs, the 3 month vacations!!! every holiday!!! Most work 180 days out of 365)

 

So do not put them on a pedestal. Sorry to say that there are only a handful of teachers who really teach out of love. They are like the doctors without borders. In my opinion, only OUR TROOPS WHO KEEP US SAFE, deserve a cruise discount. These are the people who really put their lives on line so that we can stay safe. It's their families who sacrifice the most and hence they deserve any kind of appreciation that anybody or business can give. Doctors make a load of money, nursing is a very noble profession, teachers are an essential part of the community, but the line has to be drawn when it comes to recreational discounts.

[navybankerteacher]

Perhaps taxpayers should be recognized -- they're the ones who keep our society going: but only those taxpayers who put more into the system than they take out. So teachers, motor vehicle bureau employees, and Congressmen surely would not qualify -- volunteer firemen and EMT's, however, should be at the top of the list.