Cruise lines are offering extra choices for extra cost

[Aquahound]

You're right... never mind. Just because you may have been cruising longer doesn't make you an expert in economics. It's just business common sense to realize costs actually do go up so a cruise couldn't be the same price as it was 20 years ago if it there weren't cuts. The materials to build it cost more, the people to work on it cost more, the supplies to run it (and keep it up to stricter health codes and insurance standards) cost more, and the list goes on. More energy or fuel efficient really doesn't mean less expensive in the long run... and this applies to cars and household items too that people think are going to save them money. They may be more environmentally friendly but they aren't cheaper in the long term.

 

Sherilyn, I was being kind by just backing out. But since you insist on pushing this, I will be frank. I remember your stubbornness from past threads, so I should have known better than to try to contradict your opinions with facts. What I said has very little to do with my cruising experience (I never said it did :rolleyes:). My knowledge basis has more to do with the fact I have worked in the maritime industry for 17 years. One last time....there is not one solitary reason for costs being the same as before. There are a multitude of reasons...too many to even begin listing. If you can't understand that, there's nothing I can say to help you.

 

I am also no longer interested in this topic, so say what you like.....have your last word. I really don't care.

[sherilyn70]

Sherilyn, I was being kind by just backing out. But since you insist on pushing this, I will be frank. I remember your stubbornness from past threads, so I should have known better than to try to contradict your opinions with facts. What I said has very little to do with my cruising experience (I never said it did :rolleyes:). My knowledge basis has more to do with the fact I have worked in the maritime industry for 17 years. One last time....there is not one solitary reason for costs being the same as before. There are a multitude of reasons...too many to even begin listing. If you can't understand that, there's nothing I can say to help you.

 

I am also no longer interested in this topic, so say what you like.....have your last word. I really don't care.

 

If you can't hold up your end then feel free to back out. :) If you do know as much as you say you do then step up the plate and share this with everyone else instead of making excuses for not backing up your statements. Expand our knowledge, I welcome that. People do not learn if ideas and concepts are never discussed. I have never said you were wrong or right but only pointed out current business practices and points of view, there has never been any argument, it has all been polite back and forth conversation. I'm not trying to get you to believe one thing or another or force my views on anyone, I'm simply trying to encourage everyone to examine all sides of the story instead of just making assumptions. I realize it sometimes intimidates people when their thoughts and ideas are challenged but you shouldn't take it personally and think that someone is out to prove you wrong or think poorly of you. If you have information to share that backs up what you're saying as factual then share it. I'm sure everyone else would appreciate it as would I.

[readytogo2]

I think that is very true. We have a favorite restaurant here, the service started out so exceptional and amazing that there was nowhere to go but down a little bit. So unfortunately as the sparkle wore off the customer service from the staff seemed to go down each time we were there. I think part of it is the newness factor and awe wore off and also that we just happened to get lucky and have exceptional servers and managers giving us attention the first 5 times we went. That manager is no longer around when we're there and we've noticed a decline in our overall feeling each time we eat there now, but continue to go back because the food is still amazing and worth the price.

 

We have a great restaurant here too like that, it was always packed to the rafters. But the difference was they wanted a new building, so they moved and the new place was nothing like the old place,nothing. People noticed, they noticed how empty the place was...they closed and tore the place up, rebuilt the place all over, changed back to the old format, now the newly done place is also packed to the rafters. Moral of the story..if it ain't broke, don't fix it:p

[dagored]

I think that is very true. We have a favorite restaurant here, the service started out so exceptional and amazing that there was nowhere to go but down a little bit. So unfortunately as the sparkle wore off the customer service from the staff seemed to go down each time we were there. I think part of it is the newness factor and awe wore off and also that we just happened to get lucky and have exceptional servers and managers giving us attention the first 5 times we went. That manager is no longer around when we're there and we've noticed a decline in our overall feeling each time we eat there now, but continue to go back because the food is still amazing and worth the price.

 

Now you get it.

[sherilyn70]

Now you get it.

 

What, that it's perception? I don't think that was the original point. The quality changed because of cost. What I described was a change because of perception. I certainly don't think that the people that cruise in the 90s are imagining a difference in quality, I'm sure it does exist considering the drastic finacial differences and I would never suggest that it's all in their heads. Perception may play into their memories but I don't think they're that far off base when they say things used to be different.

[Cruzaholic41]

I realize it sometimes intimidates people when their thoughts and ideas are challenged but you shouldn't take it personally and think that someone is out to prove you wrong or think poorly of you. If you have information to share that backs up what you're saying as factual then share it. I'm sure everyone else would appreciate it as would I.

 

Oh believe me. Paul is not intimidated by you. ;)

 

He made a simple point that the economics of today's cruise industry is not just related to service as you clearly indicated.

 

Cruising today is apples/oranges to cruising a couple decades ago. If it cost roughly the same to cruise today, that does not mean there has been cutbacks to the service in order to maintain that purchase price. 20 years ago, cruise ships held a few hundred people. A cruise ship today holds thousands of people - up to 6000 on some ships. The biggest cruise lines have 20+ ships. Cruise corporations own several major cruise lines. These corporations are publicly traded. Cruising populous and demographics are also different today. All of these are factors and like he said, the list probably goes on for a mile.

 

Point is, you said "something had to go" in order for prices to be the same today. Negative. More like, something had to be added for prices to be the same today. And that would be the specialty restaurants, ice rinks, waterslides, zip lines - whatever - that attract all these thousands of people to every cruise ship.

[sherilyn70]

Oh believe me. Paul is not intimidated by you. ;)

 

He made a simple point that the economics of today's cruise industry is not just related to service as you clearly indicated.

 

Actually I indicated a lot of other things as well if you bother to read all of my posts. Business are struggling right now because things did get more expensive to run. Labor is a large part of it but so are costs of supplies and all of they have to buy now to appease the masses. I assume you know that the specialty restaurants actually don't run a profit margin and take from the ships money, right? If you don't I'd suggest you go and read some of Bruce's posts.

[dagored]

What, that it's perception? I don't think that was the original point. The quality changed because of cost. What I described was a change because of perception. I certainly don't think that the people that cruise in the 90s are imagining a difference in quality, I'm sure it does exist considering the drastic finacial differences and I would never suggest that it's all in their heads. Perception may play into their memories but I don't think they're that far off base when they say things used to be different.

 

Again, thank you.

[Cruzaholic41]

Well, I can see why the others won't continue discussing this with you. You have a knack for twisting words. I never said anything about specialty restaurants and profit margins. I only said they were an attraction.

[sherilyn70]

Well, I can see why the others won't continue discussing this with you. You have a knack for twisting words. I never said anything about specialty restaurants and profit margins. I only said they were an attraction.

 

Apparently you do to since you said that I only discussed the customer service costs. We were discusing the ship as a whole. Your friend brought up that the ships were more effecient and cost less to run. Running that ship does include everything on it, such as speciality restaurants. I would suggest that you actually bother to read an entire conversation/debate if you're offended that I addressed the entire issue instead of the one thing you decided to try and address. It's not about one thing, it's about the wholistic approach of cruising costing more now yet the costs never were passed on to the customer.