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So, is the escargot back yet?

cdamion

By cdamion,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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bighairtexan

bighairtexan

Posted
Posted

I just got off Celebrity Equinox. Celebrity normally has escargot on the "every day" side of the menu. Not this time. I asked the head chef and he said "Snail shortage... google it." And I did. And everything that popped up was from 2009 and 2008, and they had escargot every day then. What makes 2012 so different? (and nothing popped up for 2012 when I googled escargot or snail shortage BTW).

 

I agree it's cost cutting, and all the mainstream lines seem to be doing it. Either cut costs or raise prices. I'd rather pay more up front for my cruise, but I'm sure the cruise lines have done their homework and I suppose I'm in the minority.

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NYLady

NYLady

Posted
Posted
CCL doesn't determine price, the market does. That is why prices are higher during the holidays and lower during fall. If the market says they CCL can sell an inside for $1300pp, the accountants at CCL will figure this out and price accordingly. Unfortunately, the market sees CCL as a bottom of the bucket product and this has caused CCL to price their cabins low.

For those who say that CCL has always been bargain based and this is nothing new, you are wrong. In the past CCL has often been more expensive than RCL, Princess and even Hal. Why would an AK cruise in summer of 2010 cost more on CCL than Princess? One word- the market. Market demand kept that price up there. That is now over.

CCL is in a death spiral of cost cutting, they are chasing their tales. They cut to increase profit, this causes them to lose customers, decreasing demand. To make up for decreased profit from the lower value of their cabins, they cut more corners, it is a viscious cycle. Can it be argued that a lot of people coming off CCL are telling friends and relatives that they have gone down hill, ships are crowded, chogs make it difficult and confrontational to get a chair, food quality has dropped, service is bad, especially in the MDR when it can take hours to get through it, entertainment has been cut to the point to where passenger kaoroke ("Legends Show") might be the high light.

I did quick look on holiday fares for 12/12 and found that CCL is the cheapest. When we did the Dawn Princess in San Diego of '08, at $600pp inside, was almost half the price of cruising the CCL Pride (I think that was the ship) up in LA the same time (was about $1200pp inside). Both cruises were NYE.

What does the market say now? Xmas on the Splendour inside pp is around $650, the same trip on the Sapphire Princess is $1100pp. Why the change> The market- this faceless animal says that CCL is worth 40% less than Princess.

They took away escargot for the same reason they took away other things- to increase profit. They will continue to cut, cabin prices will continue fall from lack of demand (again, they drop not because CCL wants them to, they drop because they can't sell them for more). When they get to the point where cabin prices drop below what it profitable (remember it is better to lose a little money on a cabin with two people than lose more money on a vacant cabin- this makes the claim that "Well, all CCL ships sail fool" a bit uninformed) they move the ships to somewhere else. Five years from now, people will be eating their hamburgers in the MDR talking about the days they used have escargot, shrimp, lobster, etc on board.

 

Unfortunately, I think you are right. We just booked our first Carnival sailing and it looks like we are too late to appreciate some of the better times. We love escargot so we will miss it. To a certain extent, these cut-backs are happening of most of the cruise lines. We were, however, surprised on NCL two months ago when we sailed Hawaii. We weren't expecting anything very nice on the ship - food, service, accommodations, etc had all received some poor reviews. To our great surprise and delight, the food was the best we have ever had on a cruise ship of any size. Service was also quite good. Perhaps it was a response to all the bad reviews.

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  • 1 month later...
H82seaUgo

H82seaUgo

Posted
Posted
Maybe "announcment" was the wrong word :o.

 

There was a posting on John Heald's fb page - quoting Carnival - that due the the drought there would be no escargot served until futher notice.

 

It sparked a "lively" thread - which now I can not seen to find :cool:.....

 

ready for this? the latest on the brand ambassadors facebook page is there is no escargots due to the floods in indonesia.

 

you can't make this stuff up!

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Indianaseadog

Indianaseadog

Posted
Posted
ready for this? the latest on the brand ambassadors facebook page is there is no escargots due to the floods in indonesia.

 

you can't make this stuff up!

 

He just posted that he said "floods" in error and that the shortage is due to droughts.

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elcuchio24

elcuchio24

Posted
Posted
CCL doesn't determine price, the market does. That is why prices are higher during the holidays and lower during fall. If the market says they CCL can sell an inside for $1300pp, the accountants at CCL will figure this out and price accordingly. Unfortunately, the market sees CCL as a bottom of the bucket product and this has caused CCL to price their cabins low.

For those who say that CCL has always been bargain based and this is nothing new, you are wrong. In the past CCL has often been more expensive than RCL, Princess and even Hal. Why would an AK cruise in summer of 2010 cost more on CCL than Princess? One word- the market. Market demand kept that price up there. That is now over.

CCL is in a death spiral of cost cutting, they are chasing their tales. They cut to increase profit, this causes them to lose customers, decreasing demand. To make up for decreased profit from the lower value of their cabins, they cut more corners, it is a viscious cycle. Can it be argued that a lot of people coming off CCL are telling friends and relatives that they have gone down hill, ships are crowded, chogs make it difficult and confrontational to get a chair, food quality has dropped, service is bad, especially in the MDR when it can take hours to get through it, entertainment has been cut to the point to where passenger kaoroke ("Legends Show") might be the high light.

I did quick look on holiday fares for 12/12 and found that CCL is the cheapest. When we did the Dawn Princess in San Diego of '08, at $600pp inside, was almost half the price of cruising the CCL Pride (I think that was the ship) up in LA the same time (was about $1200pp inside). Both cruises were NYE.

What does the market say now? Xmas on the Splendour inside pp is around $650, the same trip on the Sapphire Princess is $1100pp. Why the change> The market- this faceless animal says that CCL is worth 40% less than Princess.

They took away escargot for the same reason they took away other things- to increase profit. They will continue to cut, cabin prices will continue fall from lack of demand (again, they drop not because CCL wants them to, they drop because they can't sell them for more). When they get to the point where cabin prices drop below what it profitable (remember it is better to lose a little money on a cabin with two people than lose more money on a vacant cabin- this makes the claim that "Well, all CCL ships sail fool" a bit uninformed) they move the ships to somewhere else. Five years from now, people will be eating their hamburgers in the MDR talking about the days they used have escargot, shrimp, lobster, etc on board.

 

You are missing an important point. They are NOT losing customers. The customers they lose are replaced with 1.5 new customers. That's why their model is the way it is.

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debster11

debster11

Posted
Posted
Especially since it was "just" announced that they were removed from the menu - until further notice. :cool:

 

I was reading a review from someone who was on the Victory over Mother's Day and she had pictures of escargot. That ship sails out of Puerto Rico so maybe they are able to get them there.

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TreeLuvr87

TreeLuvr87

Posted
Posted

I had escargots in the steakhouse exactly one week ago today, on our first night on the Glory out of Norfolk. I don't recall seeing them offered anywhere else, but we only ate in the MDR twice.

 

The ones in the steakhouse were delicious!

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crusinpsychRN

crusinpsychRN

Posted
Posted
I was on the Pride in February and only one night of escargot. The waiter told me I can get it in a can from any asian supermarket. I live in NJ and found it! Just make with garlic and butter.

 

I get them in my local Publix grocery. And Carnival can't?

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mlzangel78

mlzangel78

Posted
Posted

we are doing the steakhouse on the glory next week for the SOLE purpose of eating escargot :) apparently thats the only place you can still get them

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leedixie

leedixie

Posted
Posted

I truly believe the cruise lines are just cutting back. We sailed carnival conquest April 29-may 6 and I noticed a marked decline in the overall quality in the main dining room from three years ago. We ate in the steakhouse one night and I had escargot - yummy!

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Cruise4Music

Cruise4Music

Posted
Posted

I am probably wrong but...

 

I wonder how many of the folks who seem to endlessly complain about almost everything really cruise Carnival much at all.

 

I think they cruise the boards a heck of a lot more then cruising on a real Carnival ship.

 

Step away from the boards and out of you Mom's basement and try taking a real Carnival cruise or two.

 

You might finds things are not as bad as you think.:D

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Sargent_Schultz

Sargent_Schultz

Posted
Posted
I get them in my local Publix grocery. And Carnival can't?

 

Can Publix supply 100,000 cans a week at the same price Carnival was paying for the others?

 

While some might not mind a snail surcharge being added to their cruises, I can live for awhile without them.

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H82seaUgo

H82seaUgo

Posted
Posted
I am probably wrong but...

 

I wonder how many of the folks who seem to endlessly complain about almost everything really cruise Carnival much at all.

 

I think they cruise the boards a heck of a lot more then cruising on a real Carnival ship.

 

Step away from the boards and out of you Mom's basement and try taking a real Carnival cruise or two.

 

You might finds things are not as bad as you think.:D

 

this post made me click on your name, and look at your list of posts.

 

oddly enough, they are all complaints, daggers and name calling.

 

step away from the mirror.

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Cruise4Music

Cruise4Music

Posted
Posted
this post made me click on your name, and look at your list of posts.

 

oddly enough, they are all complaints, daggers and name calling.

 

step away from the mirror.

 

Why the personal attack on me?

 

Why not comment on what I post.

 

Again you seem to be a little short on facts.

 

Of course you checked all 347 post?

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