Book a Carnival cruise while on Princess

[highheel girl]

My thoughts exactly! I don't even bother trying to speak to them in person anymore. I get far better information from my TA and here on the CC boards. :)

 

Thank goodness for the drop box!! :D

[caribill]

But you wouldn't have the FCC benefit. Why shouldn't we get the benefit of being able to purchase FCCs for another CCL cruise line while on Princess? They claim that there is special "World's Leading Cruise Lines" pricing benefits for being a past passenger, but I've never seen proof of that. Why not a CCL FCC instead of just a Princess FCC? (And please don't say it's because they offer different benefits because again I'll wonder why.)

 

The FC Consultant position definitely needs to have one or two more people, especially on the larger ships. Why not do away with the wasted space and all the unused monitors in the FC area and make room instead for one or two more desks?.

 

Each of the Carnival branded cruise lines is its own profit center. Consider a car dealer. GM makes both Cadillac and Chevrolet. You can not go to a Chevy dealer to purchase a Cadillac. You cannot use a Chevy discount offer at a Cadillac dealer.

 

Not all the larger ships still have the big FC area you are referring to. For example, below is a picture of the FC area on the Star Princess. No monitors at all and an office that can hold one desk.

 

[hubofhockey]

It seems to work among Royal Caribbean's brands. But maybe they don't compete against each other as Carnival's brands do.

 

You also get very little with Carnival FCCs because they don't offer it as the deposit.

 

I am thinking of booking a Celebrity Baltics cruise while on the Allure next Spring.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Each of the Carnival branded cruise lines is its own profit center. Consider a car dealer. GM makes both Cadillac and Chevrolet. You can not go to a Chevy dealer to purchase a Cadillac. You cannot use a Chevy discount offer at a Cadillac dealer.

Au contraire! Back when we were purchasing GM SUVs at a rate of one every two years we did exactly that. In addition, our GM credit card points were good on any of the competing GM brands.

 

You can cite several reasons why you believe this won't work, but the reality is that this is one very big missed opportunity on the CCL family of ships. It would be a perfect way to move people up into higher per diem cruise lines as well as offer a cruise line that's a better fit to someone who isn't thrilled with the one they're on. Once they're off the ship with no future commitment, CCL has to compete with other cruise lines and other vacation options for their business, business they could have locked in.

 

If Princess is so concerned with protecting only its profits, why does it even show the World's Leading Cruise Lines video over and over again on its TVs? Why get someone interested in another cruise line only to tell them that they can't book them or get information about them while on the ship?

 

I would bet that, five years or so from now, this capability will exist.

[Cygneagile]

I completely understand that this action is not possible now. Thank you for all you input.

And yes the line ups are terrible and service is somewhat poor. It all comes down to money. Who would want me to book a cruise for Carnival while on Princess? Princess wants your money. Although several ships are under the Carnival Umbrella they are all separate entities and therefor money must come into Princess for it to count for them.

I will just go on the Carnival site and find my cruise and have my TA do all the work.

We will overcome to be sure

[Cygneagile]

Just received email from Princess. Of course everyone was correct.

It cannot be done. Dead in the water.

thanks

[Loonbeam]

The issues are not technical, but legal. The way the subsidiaries are legally organized right now, one arm of CCL cannot engage in a transaction for another. The isolation has to do with Tax and other reasons. RCCL is configured a tiny bit differently.

 

The way it would have to work (which I think is a great idea) is to have the FC specialist be an independent contractor contracted to CCL (not Princess) who could sell all lines - CCL would then have to 'pay' princess for the space and passage for their employee (and they would not be allowed to have any other roles on the ship as they do now). Also, the charge would have to be processed separately of your onboard account.

 

Au contraire! Back when we were purchasing GM SUVs at a rate of one every two years we did exactly that. In addition, our GM credit card points were good on any of the competing GM brands.

 

You can cite several reasons why you believe this won't work, but the reality is that this is one very big missed opportunity on the CCL family of ships. It would be a perfect way to move people up into higher per diem cruise lines as well as offer a cruise line that's a better fit to someone who isn't thrilled with the one they're on. Once they're off the ship with no future commitment, CCL has to compete with other cruise lines and other vacation options for their business, business they could have locked in.

 

If Princess is so concerned with protecting only its profits, why does it even show the World's Leading Cruise Lines video over and over again on its TVs? Why get someone interested in another cruise line only to tell them that they can't book them or get information about them while on the ship?

 

I would bet that, five years or so from now, this capability will exist.

[Pam in CA]

Also, the charge would have to be processed separately of your onboard account.

It's already charged separately. :) You cannot charge an FCC to your onboard account.

[Katie333]

If I was to work aboard a ship, the FC Consultant is the job I would want. I'd love to advise people on a future cruise (Princess or otherwise lol). They've got some paperwork to do, but to me it's a simplified TA role that allows you to travel the globe.

 

It is too bad you can't book all the member lines, I bet that would result in some additional sales. For example, if you are cruising HAL and you decide you want to go again, but the HAL itineraries are not yet out, but poof, Princess, Carnival and Cunard have theirs available. Better than the customer seeking options with NCL or RC.

[Cygneagile]

]

Exactly, they are separate entities or completely separate companies.

As I mentioned previously the legality dictate what they can and cannot do

Too bad though it would make the next cruise booked on the ship a very good deal.

Oh hum

[Loonbeam]

I think the form allows you to use a CC on file for your cruise for the charge. That would no longer be an option, since they would not be able to access shipboard records.

 

It's already charged separately. :) You cannot charge an FCC to your onboard account.

[Pam in CA]

I think the form allows you to use a CC on file for your cruise for the charge. That would no longer be an option, since they would not be able to access shipboard records.

True. But to clarify, it can't be charged to your onboard folio. :)

[PescadoAmarillo]

The way it would have to work (which I think is a great idea) is to have the FC specialist be an independent contractor contracted to CCL (not Princess) who could sell all lines - CCL would then have to 'pay' princess for the space and passage for their employee (and they would not be allowed to have any other roles on the ship as they do now). Also, the charge would have to be processed separately of your onboard account.

This would be a great way to handle it, and the FC consultant, as an independent contractor, could also be on commission, which they aren't currently. What an incentive for having the FC desk be open longer hours!

 

I also like your thinking, suggesting a way that it might work vs. shooting it down (without really having facts) as not do-able. This thread reminded me so much of a regional VP I worked for years ago. He used to say, "Don't tell me why it won't work. Figure out how to make it work and tell me when it's successful". Twenty years later, I still live by that advise.

[Loonbeam]

I'm a business process/IT consultant so that's pretty much what I do for a living. "You want the system to do WHAT??...."

 

This would be a great way to handle it, and the FC consultant, as an independent contractor, could also be on commission, which they aren't currently. What an incentive for having the FC desk be open longer hours!

 

I also like your thinking, suggesting a way that it might work vs. shooting it down (without really having facts) as not do-able. This thread reminded me so much of a regional VP I worked for years ago. He used to say, "Don't tell me why it won't work. Figure out how to make it work and tell me when it's successful". Twenty years later, I still live by that advise.