Park West is back on Celebrity?

[Gr8Mariner]

Is this true? Why?

[Quo Vadis?]

Is this true? Why?

 

$$$$$$

[Lsimon]

Clearly money means more than honesty and integrity when it comes to merchandise sales on the ships.

 

I could never understand why such a great company, actually such a great industry, lowers themselves to such a low level when it comes to the auction and port shopping scams they allow their "marketing partners" to present on the ships.

[CRUZBUDS]

Clearly money means more than honesty and integrity when it comes to merchandise sales on the ships.

 

I could never understand why such a great company, actually such a great industry, lowers themselves to such a low level when it comes to the auction and port shopping scams they allow their "marketing partners" to present on the ships.

 

Our thoughts exactly - though we're torn. It does keep our cruise costs down. :rolleyes:

 

[cpj]

The only thing that is keeping your cruise costs down there are so many cabins to fill. Look at all the new ships over the years.

[rucrazy]

We just disembarkated the Century this morning and ...Yes... Park West is back on board

[TKS]

I'm new to Celebrity, but have sailed the last several years with Oceania. They did away with all the "art auctions" a few years back, and everyone was thrilled. They brought them back just this year again, to the general consternation of CC posters. Yes, unfortunately, it does just come down to money.

 

We're really looking forward to our Solstice cruise, departing a week from Monday, and I'm certainly not going to allow their "art" and "art auction" to ruin our cruise. There are too many other great things to do!

[CRUZBUDS]

The only thing that is keeping your cruise costs down there are so many cabins to fill. Look at all the new ships over the years.

 

There is still a huge untapped market of people who have never cruised.

 

Lots of ships is part of it, but the spa, shops, casino, art auctions, bingo, excursions, drinks, photos are a huge part of the profits. They can afford to practically give away the cabins, the short fall is more then made up with average on board spending.

 

We are far below the average for on board spending.

[Gr8Mariner]

I asked the question partly because I couldn't believe it.

 

Park West is involved in lawsuits and some cruise lines have been sued as well...might it cost them more than the revenue if a Jury decides to set an example? Especially when new contracts are signed after fraud has been proven...does that make sense?

[cpj]

There is still a huge untapped market of people who have never cruised.

 

Lots of ships is part of it, but the spa, shops, casino, art auctions, bingo, excursions, drinks, photos are a huge part of the profits. They can afford to practically give away the cabins, the short fall is more then made up with average on board spending.

 

We are far below the average for on board spending.

 

I agree and we are also below the average too. Maybe they would like to replace us with new cruisers.

[Jimbo59]

Just back, and Park West is also on Holland America.

[CRUZBUDS]

I wonder why they didn't come back with a new name ...... Park East? ;)

[mferranti]

Park East? ;)

Drive South? Reverse North?

[dkjretired]

Just off NCL and they were there.

[mahdnc]

According to the CNBC documentary "Cruise Inc: Big Money on the High Seas" which focused on the NCL Pearl, the cruise line's cut of the art auction was 20%.

[Gr8Mariner]

Just back, and Park West is also on Holland America.

 

It makes more sense for a cruise line to honor an existing contract than it does for Celebrity to sign a new one considering Park West's legal problems.

 

I'm just naive I guess.

[C 2 C]

Just off NCL and they were there.

 

Sorry off topic but how was the competition, art auction aside?

[RLM77]

Sorry off topic but how was the competition, art auction aside?

 

Hi Arno, although not Don, I hope you don't mind if we answer....the music was FANTASTIC, from big band dance music to steel drums on the pool deck. The "daily" even highlighted the offerings by dedicating the bottom fifth of the front page with the moniker "Musuc Everywhere". It says it all.

 

The MDR food was fine, not fabulous but not bad either. The restaurants were great. We will be back.

[dkjretired]

Sorry off topic but how was the competition, art auction aside?

 

Received a free cruise from Harrahs on the Jewel out of NYC. Wife, son and myself went for a week with stops in Port Canaveral, their private island and Nassau. Food was not as good as my other NCL cruises which were not that great. Didn't do specialties since we have tried them before and were not impressed. Service in dining room very spotty. Entertainment on this cruise was about the same as Celebrity, previously NCL really surpassed Celebrity. Lots of selling and quite a few announcements. Actually went to one of the art auctions and Park West gave a big talk as to how great they are, especially promoting their honesty. Overall we had a good time since it is a cruise and we don't go to look for problems. Just very easy for us to enjoy ourselves.

[Tantra1]

I go to them for an hour or so on occasion purely for the entertainment. It's amazing how much people will pay for some of the junk that is passed off as art. Cheap mass produced poster size Kincade prints and the same multiple mass produced Peter Max prints with different dabs of paints passed off as unique art, etc just proves the famous quote (incorrectly credited) of P.T. Barnum.

 

No matter which line or ship you cruise you will see the same artists and the same mass produced "art".

 

Cheers!

[6andy6]

There is still a huge untapped market of gullible people who have never (read about these scams anywhere in our 24/7 media deluge and despite the warnings in places like CC still complain when they get taken in by wild promises and don't use an ouch of the common sense they were born with)cruised.

.

 

There fixed it for you. :D

 

Look I have no problem if people are buying as a piece of art they like and just want to hang at home or the office or whereever. But please......Christies of London don't hold cruise ship auctions so why do people still persist in thinking they are actually going to buy investment pieces or pieces at reasonable prices after taking in the cruise lines and galleries profits on a ship

 

The pieces I saw on Solstice last month mainly looked incredibly bad and amateur hourish...in fact I could have got something just as good if I had brought a blank canvas and some oil paints and taken it up to the kids club and said 'go for it'. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but these...urgggg. In fact i did buy some lovely hipster fun art work in a port at a lot less than this rubbish on board (a series of 3 small frames with a common theme designed to be hung all together).

[gsb]

I go in, get some champagne and laugh.;)

[mgmigs]

Hey, April fools day was 27 days ago.

[TulipBee]

Can I ask a dumb question? What is Park West? About to go on my first cruise so need to know what the be weary of!

[Chinook Wind]

Park West was all over our December 2012 Panama Canal cruise on the Century. We were overwhelmed by a daily barrage of invitations, notices, offers and information. Definitely not impressed especially when Celebrity markets their ships as galleries at sea.

The Century is full of the most amazing contemporary fine art...Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, David Hockney, to name just a few.

I have catalogues of the art collections from both the Eclipse and Equinox so was disappointed when Guest Services told me that they didn't have one for the Century...and then shocked when they said that they had discontinued the self-guided art tour. :mad:

Yet they flog this Park West crap...