It's NOT all about kids - Carnival Spirit

[Sandielle]

Right folks - here's the gen - from the horse's mouth (so to speak). :D

AND they are going to improve the coffee. :eek:

From today's Cruise Weekly

 

Carnival Spirit calls for all ages

Seniors and young people without children are now the most wanted passengers on Carnival Cruise Lines’ fun ship.

“IT’S not just for kids.” That’s the message from Vicky Tomasino,

the sales whiz who has been dispatched down under from Carnival Cruise Lines’ Miami headquarters to drum up business in

Australia.

“Carnival Spirit is very multi-generational, there’s something for everyone and plenty to do that doesn’t require having children,”

Tomasino told Cruise Weekly.

“We are also a great option for 65 to 75 year olds, couples, honeymooners, girls getaways and family reunions.”

According to Tomasino, the average age of passengers on Carnival Spirit, which is currently based in the United States, is 48.

“I’m trying to swing back that pendulum, to show Australians that we have a lot to offer all ages,” she said.

While bookings for school holiday and Christmas cruises are “very tight”, other itineraries on other dates are far from sold out.

“When the kids are in school, Spirit is still sailing year-round,” Tomasino said.

In her new role as Senior Manager -Business Partnership, Tomasino is educating local travel agents about the special featuresand itineraries of the 2,680-passenger Spirit, which will be permanently based in Sydney from October.

The most common query is what makes Carnival Cruise Lines different to P&O. As she tells the agents: “The big difference is that we are bringing the newest and largest ship to be home-ported in Sydney – it was

built in 2001 and has all the bells and whistles.”

Carnival Spirit is also very different to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, “whose ships are only passing through for a few months”, she said.

“Because we have committed to be in Australia year-round until at least 2017, we are able to change things to make the ship more comfortable for Australians, such as installing Australian power points, using Australian dollars as the onboard currency, stocking local beers and wines, and improving

the coffee.”

Tomasino also reminded Victorians that Spirit would have “a couple of departures” from Melbourne in 2013.

Meanwhile, Tomasino will spend the next six months travelling around Australia, hosting consumer information events and training travel agents.

“I’m also speaking to senior citizen clubs to tell them about our 16 bars and lounges, the fine dining, the Broadway-style shows, the comedy clubs and the adults-only Serenity deck,” she said.

“It’s not just the Green Thunder [waterslide].”

[lizzy77]

I must admit I am a bit tempted with the Melb- NZ cruise in Late Jan.Balcony cabins were about $1700 for 14 days which is great value. But I think I will still wait a bit as there has to be some last minute deals with so many ships here for the summer.

[woodscruise]

In the article it mentions that Carnival will be homeporting here until at least 2017. Any ideas what will happen after 2017?

[The_Big_M]

They'll re-evaluate before than and either extend - or pull out.

 

However, in the cruise world 2017 is a long time away. Ships are mobile so having a commitment that long is significant.

[Cruise ship fan]

This statement doesn't make it sound like the ship is selling to well down here. Its their own fault in a way. The marketing campaign is a failure. They are entering a market where hardly anyone has heard of their name, their prices are higher then everyone else's and their ads are not advertising Carnivals only advantage in the market THE SHIP.

 

A carnival cruise should not be more expensive then the exact same cruise on Princess. Expecially when trying to enter a new market, if anything they should be the lowest or if not one of the lowest not the most expensive.

 

The TV ads. Why advertise the destination when P&O has done that for years and has is known in Australia, Carnival on the other hand is trying to establish a name for themselves in the market, but are advertising just like P&O, they even act like the Green Thunder slide is the only thing better about the ship. This would work in the US because it is the only thing better about the ship but not here where we have all the hand me downs. They should be advertising the ship, their biggest and only draw card (they said it themselves).

 

So now they are trying to get people who is not the normal target market for the brand.

[suey]

Just curious Cruise ship fan how old were you for your 1994 cruise? As a 17 year old I thought you would have been born in 1995 like my grandson? he too gets annoyed that his status can't be recognised on Princess until he is 18.:confused:

[icat2000]

I always thought that Carnival was pushing their luck when they released the pricing schedule for the cruises. The high prices put me off even trying the Spirit. Too late now I have booked on other cruiselines.

[Cruise ship fan]

Just curious Cruise ship fan how old were you for your 1994 cruise? As a 17 year old I thought you would have been born in 1995 like my grandson? he too gets annoyed that his status can't be recognised on Princess until he is 18.:confused:

 

I was born in August 1994 and sailed on the ship the same year, I have no idea what month as we have lost the paperwork for the cruise. I will need to update my age soon as I turn 18 in August and I can finally be counted in the Captains Circle.

[SpiritofCharles]

We are booked on a cruise on Carnival Spirit going to the South Pacific in December 2012. We selected this one as it appeared to have the best programs for teenagers. Happy and occupied teenagers, mean happy and relaxed parents!

 

We've never been cruising before and so had no other basis on which to choose a particular cruise. When we booked we knew nothing about Carnival, (I've never seen any advertising about them), or any other cruise line for that matter. Friends have simply told us that cruising is a great holiday so we've decided to try it. The price for this cruise seemed similar to cruises on other lines going at the same time (all seriously expensive!) and I note that the prices are much cheaper outside of school holidays. But you get ripped off everywhere in school holidays.

 

If they had a different focus, though, we would never have chosen them. We are interested in holidays for our whole family, as that's the life stage we are in. We don't want to go on a seniors cruise, and we don't want to go on a party cruise. The Carnival Spirit cruise seemed to be a family cruise and that's why we chose it. I hope we weren't wrong!

 

I'm surprised by the comment about bookings for school holidays being tight, as I've been monitoring availability since we made our booking in March and there doesn't appear to have been any change at all in that time. I'm wondering if it was really necessary to book so early.

 

I'm glad to find out that they are using Australian currency on board as it would never even have occurred to me that a ship cruising from Australia would use anything else. Although I'm not sure what we'll spend it on, as my understanding is that all meals and entertainment onboard are included. I don't care about coffee, as all coffee tastes the same to me, but I hope they have decent tea (not tea bags!)

 

Cheers,

Charles

[The_Big_M]

I'm glad to find out that they are using Australian currency on board as it would never even have occurred to me that a ship cruising from Australia would use anything else. Although I'm not sure what we'll spend it on, as my understanding is that all meals and entertainment onboard are included.

 

Your understanding is correct, and many people cruise without spending anything, or much on board.

 

Some of the main things that people buy though are alcohol and soft drinks (water is provided with meals, and a cordial/juice like drinks are available in the buffet), spa spending (e.g. massages and beauty treatments), tours at your ports of call (and transfers to/from the ship), and duty free and general shop items. There are also other smaller charges that you can also avoid, but have cost if you take them up such as room service – and of course, bingo and the casino!

[SpiritofCharles]

Thanks for the info Big M!

 

They gave us $400 per cabin onboard credit when we booked and I wondered what we would use it for. It'll probably be used paying for tours since we're not big drinkers and don't gamble, and we don't go on holidays to shop. My wife will probably get a massage too.

 

I'm surprised that it's necessary to pay for soft drinks though since they're so cheap anyway. Is water available outside of meals? The kids will be happy with soft drink, but I prefer plain water.

[Royalty X]

They should've just transferred it over to the P&O Australia brand instead of trying to establish a new brand here. Like others have said, their marketing is the same anyway. And that way they'd be able to sell the (P&O) line as a whole (with the "new" ship as the focus) rather than two separate brands altogether. That being said, we got an incredible deal for the repositioning cruise in September so I'll let you know what I think once I've spent 17 nights on board.

[Tigerman00]

I always thought that Carnival was pushing their luck when they released the pricing schedule for the cruises. The high prices put me off even trying the Spirit. Too late now I have booked on other cruiselines.

 

Yes!! _ Exactly what we have done, Too late this coming season for us, booked two cruises with Royal Caribbean... Their prices were far too high!

 

K

[Sutho]

Looks like Carnival is up against some stiff competition. With Royal Caribbean and Princess, Celebrity, HAL all markets are covered with better prices and in some cases better ships.

 

I have seen the tv adds and it looks like they are trying to advertise to the younger generations who do not do cruises and prefer the nights out on the town. Most of the add does not even feature Carnival Spirit. In some clips the ship shown is clearly a Destiny class or later variant of.

 

I have already booked Celebrity for 2013. They got in first. Carnival came too late for me as I would have possibly considered them.

 

The general talk I have heard lately is that Carinval has plans to phase out P&O Australia completely and replace with Carnival down here. Not sure how much credibility the rumours have but I have heard them.

[Cruise ship fan]

The general talk I have heard lately is that Carinval has plans to phase out P&O Australia completely and replace with Carnival down here. Not sure how much credibility the rumours have but I have heard them.

 

Thats been around ever since Carnival brought P&O. I doubt it would happen, judging by the fact that the Spirit is hardly selling in non-school holidays. P&O is here to stay whether you like it or not.

[The_Big_M]

I'm surprised that it's necessary to pay for soft drinks though since they're so cheap anyway. Is water available outside of meals? The kids will be happy with soft drink, but I prefer plain water.

 

Yes, I'm the same!

 

Water (and ice) is always available from the buffet. The water in your cabin is also fine to drink and they have glasses there, so you should never be thirsty.

 

It's really true that you don't need to spend any more on a cruise - but they do try to entice you. :-)

[The_Big_M]

I doubt it would happen, judging by the fact that the Spirit is hardly selling in non-school holidays. P&O is here to stay whether you like it or not.

 

Keep in mind none of the new entrants e.g. RCL, Celebrity, HAL and so on have had massive sell-out demand in their initial season, or the one after. I wouldn't make forecasts based on sales she's even sailed here yet.

 

That said, I don't see P&O being amalgamated/discontinued any time soon. The main reason is that the lines do have a multi-branding strategy and the ships have quite different levels. Combining them into a single brand would mean those variations have to be removed, plus the facilities of the ships are significantly different - and there's nothing they can really do about that.