So many changes!

[mr green]

With all these 'cut backs', I have probably sailed Princess for the last time.:(

 

john

[Coral]

With all these 'cut backs', I have probably sailed Princess for the last time.:(

 

john

 

I was considering that after my May cruise. I think I have now hit my breaking point.

 

I even almost booked a fall foliage cruise last week but it would have been entirely about the ports and not about cruising which is the opposite usually for me.

 

I am glad that I had the opportunity to cruise Princess way back when when the cruise experience was incredibly special. Not like it is today. Cruising is definitely not what it was even 10 years ago. It is all about putting as many people on the ship as they can and reducing entertainment and food to mediocrity.

[ONT-CA]

If Princess' management's position is to have as many Elite/Platinum customers discontinue sailing with them and thereby reduce those remaining incentives they promised us, and then replace us with a whole new generation of youngsters earning $18,300 per annum, more power to them.

[SkystheLimit]

Just cancelled a booking because of the changes most notably the wine issue. Appears there are many that are unhappy with the changes based on another thread. The threatening approach in the Princess contract wording certainly doesn't help one to feel welcome. Based on my calculations, Princess lost about $15,000 in revenue from us. After 20 years of sailing with Princess, we are dissappointed.

[zahav1]

If Princess' management's position is to have as many Elite/Platinum customers discontinue sailing with them and thereby reduce those remaining incentives they promised us, and then replace us with a whole new generation of youngsters earning $18,300 per annum, more power to them.

 

Princess is like any other business, needs to make a profit, the younger crowd will drink more and that's a huge profit. By the way, 'the youngsters' I know make on the average of $70,000 per year, and those are the one that are cruising now, I've met many of them.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Just cancelled a booking because of the changes most notably the wine issue. Appears there are many that are unhappy with the changes based on another thread. The threatening approach in the Princess contract wording certainly doesn't help one to feel welcome. Based on my calculations, Princess lost about $15,000 in revenue from us. After 20 years of sailing with Princess, we are dissappointed.

 

I hate to say this but you will find the same policies on almost all the mass market cruise lines. I guess you will have to step up to Azamara, Crystal or Seabourn, which for one cruise will cost you over $15,000 (or close to it). All this because you can no longer bring unlimited wine?

[Coral]

Princess is like any other business, needs to make a profit, the younger crowd will drink more and that's a huge profit. By the way, 'the youngsters' I know make on the average of $70,000 per year, and those are the one that are cruising now, I've met many of them.

 

Give it a few years and what they know to be cruising will decline and they will leave also.

 

I hate to say this but you will find the same policies on almost all the mass market cruise lines. I guess you will have to step up to Azamara, Crystal or Seabourn, which for one cruise will cost you over $15,000 (or close to it). All this because you can no longer bring unlimited wine?

 

I have sailed Crystal and one can do it for less than $15k. I have priced other lines also and there are some deals out there for under your target. I am willing to cruise less on a higher line or take it to land vacations. The decline in the past year (and longer in some issues) to me makes (mass market) cruising no longer desirable to me.

 

For me - there is a lot more then wine (as I don't drink). It is the decline in food, service, space ratio, elimination of lunch in dining room on port days, the overworked staff, lack/change of decent entertainment, decline in FCC etc.... Princess's last new builds do not impress me. I found the Crown Princess my least favorite cruise/trip due to how crowded it was. So I have had to limit my trips recently to ships built before the Caribbean Princess. It is the trend cruising is going. When I got back from my B2B2B in June, I sold my stock with the cruise line.

 

If some don't think Princess will miss me in the future, I think you are wrong. I probably have spent more than $100,000 with them and I am still considered a young cruiser (early 40's). Any company who has clients who spend six figures with them and loses them, needs to start wondering why. And amongst my friends, I am not the only one.

[ONT-CA]

Princess is like any other business, needs to make a profit, the younger crowd will drink more and that's a huge profit. By the way, 'the youngsters' I know make on the average of $70,000 per year, and those are the one that are cruising now, I've met many of them.

 

As I say more power to them. It is said that we are the last of the generations that will retire in this manner with those following retiring late or not at all well. To Princess I would say that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and that bird should not be enticed to bite you.

[SkystheLimit]

I hate to say this but you will find the same policies on almost all the mass market cruise lines. I guess you will have to step up to Azamara, Crystal or Seabourn, which for one cruise will cost you over $15,000 (or close to it). All this because you can no longer bring unlimited wine?

 

Our cruise booking was for two cabins with four adults travelling. The cruise fare was $6,000 per cabin with an addtional $3,000 estimated onboard spending. There were three other couples planning to book. We have travelled with this group for many years at least once or twice a year with Princess. Yes, we all agreed that wine, corporate attitude, and other changes were enough for us to go elsewhere for awhile. Based on comments on the board, we are not alone.

[caribill]

Just cancelled a booking because of the changes most notably the wine issue.

 

You seem to have cancelled due to the change of wording in the contract.

 

The is before hearing from any cruisers that there is any actual change from previous lack of enforcement.

[toberman]

You seem to have cancelled due to the change of wording in the contract.

 

The is before hearing from any cruisers that there is any actual change from previous lack of enforcement.

 

There was never any previous lack of enforcement.... the "Contract" and the Cruise Answer FAQs were two totally different documents, only one of which was enforceable - the "Contract". Princess has now changed the wording in the "Contract", and conceivably at some point in time start enforcing it!!

I'm convinced that it will be enforced, but no one will know which ship or which port it will start at... which will make people leary about trying to circumvent the rules. Some people will leave, most will not.

I personally think it's a good business move by Princess.

[earljr]

If Princess' management's position is to have as many Elite/Platinum customers discontinue sailing with them and thereby reduce those remaining incentives they promised us, and then replace us with a whole new generation of youngsters earning $18,300 per annum, more power to them.

 

We have booked HAL for our next two cruised and will wait to see

how Princess continues to treat its loyalty group.

[Iamcruzin]

replace us with a whole new generation of youngsters earning $18,300 per annum, more power to them.

 

$18,300 per year??? What year are you referring to??? I made that on my first full time job in 1983.

[pris993]

Princess has been making so many changes in the last few days... (could be longer, but this is when I learned of some of them).

 

1. Princess's lenient policy to wine and spirits brought onboard is no more! RIP! I did enjoy smuggling a bottle of alcohol in my luggage, but now, after reading my contract, there will be two luggage inspections, one of which on CCTV... Only one bottle of wine per person is allowed now, which is really in keeping with other cruiselines, and will increase revenue for Princess.

 

2. FCC's are now valid for 2 years instead of 4, which I have no problem with. I always book a cruise with my FCC's shortly after I disembark anyway; (thank you Vickie) and

 

3. New menus, offerings and menu format (thank you Pam). I will have to wait and see for myself and withhold judgment until my next cruise.

 

Did I forget anything?

 

Just got off the Star, purchased FCC, good for 4 years? When is this change taking place? My cruise personalizer still says they are good for 4 years.

[rdsqrl]

Just got off the Star, purchased FCC, good for 4 years? When is this change taking place? My cruise personalizer still says they are good for 4 years.

You have good timing. I believe the change is to become effective in a week or so -- mid-October sometime.

[USNUZULOOSE]

I was on the Star this morning for BVE, and I asked Phillippa who deals with the FCC's and she did confirm in Oct they are going from 4 yrs to 2 yrs.

[caribill]

I'm convinced that it will be enforced, but no one will know which ship or which port it will start at...

 

No problem in San Francisco when people boarded the Star today.

[geocruiser]

Dear Princess Cruise line,

 

Now is the time for you to improve your product. Separate your line from being so much like other mass market cruise lines. Stand out as being the cruise line of great service & great food. Create onboard packages that some of your PAX can buy to make their cruise vacation more upscale for them. Get new bedding; no one wants a back pain on a cruise from a bad bed. There are so many lines to choose from now a days, therefore a cruise line has to stand out to be noticed.

By the way PAX on Azamara are going to be jumping ship and need a new cruise line to call home. I have sailed Princess many times but went to Azamara, now because of to many neg. changes there, I jumped ship from them.

Make taking a cruise special again.

[Coral]

No problem in San Francisco when people boarded the Star today.

 

If people are seeing the contract change today before final payment, I am guessing the change will take place in 75 days plus (around January 1). They are allowing those to see the contract before they make final payment.

 

Hopefully someone can get ahold of someone in the know and get the real answers.

[doreen22]

We have cruised Princess 4 times -only once on another line. We keep thinking we should try another line if only for some variety. But Princess' lenient alcohol policy keeps drawing us back and we are just about to book our fifth cruise with them. If they change their alcohol policy it may be our last with them, at least for a while. We do like our happy hours on our balcony:D. We just returned from a Med. cruise and our Princess bill was over 1500.00 (primarily excursions) so they are definitely making money from us!

[Hlitner]

We do think its somewhat amusing to hear folks complaining about menu changes. DW and I do a lot of cruising (99 days this year) and really love to see variety on the menus. Sure, we sometimes will miss a favorite item...but its fun to discover new favorites. That being said, we do see a trend (on several mass market lines) towards revamping menus to provide more dishes with a lower cost per dish. For example, a lobster tail might be replaced with shrimp, a filet mignon with a flatiron steak, bowls of cold shrimp at a buffet replaced with a shrimp salad, etc.

 

Hank

[Coral]

We do think its somewhat amusing to hear folks complaining about menu changes. DW and I do a lot of cruising (99 days this year) and really love to see variety on the menus. Sure, we sometimes will miss a favorite item...but its fun to discover new favorites. That being said, we do see a trend (on several mass market lines) towards revamping menus to provide more dishes with a lower cost per dish. For example, a lobster tail might be replaced with shrimp, a filet mignon with a flatiron steak, bowls of cold shrimp at a buffet replaced with a shrimp salad, etc.

 

Hank

 

I don't mind menu changes (if it is for the better) but I can definitely say the quality of the food has gone down. Our beef on our last cruise for the most part was disappointing. I cruised 21 days this year (not close to you but still quite a bit). I now think menu changes are for lowering the cost per dish.

[anteaters]

I just have to say that we just got off a 2-week cruise on Saphire yesterday and I just kept raving to everyone back home in my e-mails about what a perfect two weeks it was. Oh, we are not wine drinkers, but people were bringing bottles of wine on with no problems, both at the beginning and in the middle of cruises (lots went on wine tasting tours the second week and brought back many bottles at one time.) But anyway, the ship was beautiful and spotless, the crew was so friendly and efficient, there were so many activities available, the food was probably the best yet (lobster tail/giant scampi night was great too), we enjoyed the Princess singers/dancers and the special performers....And we have never had a problem with the beds on any Princess cruise....It was kind of funny at our anytime dining meals, occasionally someone would be putting down Princess in favor of a different preferred cruise line and I would find myself on the defensive--but really, everyone has their own perceptions and experiences and we have enjoyed two other cruise lines too but Princess is our favorite at this point.

[swedish weave]

For those complaining about the menu changes ---

 

Which would you prefer ?? Higher cruise prices or menu changes ????? You can't expect prices to stay low and food prices increase and expect the cruise line to stay in business. That goes for all cruise lines.

[Coral]

For those complaining about the menu changes ---

 

Which would you prefer ?? Higher cruise prices or menu changes ????? You can't expect prices to stay low and food prices increase and expect the cruise line to stay in business. That goes for all cruise lines.

 

I would pay higher prices for a better product (food, etc.). So yes, higher prices.