Celebrity Wants New Younger New Customers

[ABoatNerd]

Happy New Year.

 

A Fox News article by Paul Motter "Cruise Trends for 2014" Dec 27/13 is an interesting read relative to Celebrity's desire to get more new younger customers .....

 

* "most cruise iines seeing fewer first-timers"

* "a higher percentage of experienced passengers"

* "bargin basement prices like inside cabins ... Another sign that first - timers areabsent"

* "return of traditional dining -the return of experienced cruisers has reveraed a trend that was designed to attract new people - open seating dining"

 

ABoatNerd

[baldercash]

Don't all cruise lines want new younger customers?

If you cannot attract fresh customers any company will wither and die think Buick and Cadillac of the 90's . "Not your fathers Buick"

 

Royal Carribean International does have an advantage over other cruise lines since RC is great for families and young cruisers and even older but more active cruisers are attracted to the brand. When those cruisers mature or tire of that style they can move to a more sedate less child friendlily atmosphere of Celebrity. X cruisers can move up to Azamara with it's even higher price point and refined cruise experience.

 

Carnival international owns Carnival, Princess, Hal, Cunard and P&O they do not offer a natural transition from one to the other or all one big happy family with a strategy.

 

I read a business report that postulated RCI will surpass Carnival for total passengers carried by 2020. They are doing it with a smaller fleet but a better mix of ships and brands. They have a strategy they have already acknowledged those who sail in an inside on x are not equal to those in CC, AC and suites. Insides are loss leaders they can have them sail empty if they can fill the rest.

 

I constantly read on CC about Top tier loyalty members of all lines who brag about their perks and how they sail inside and spend nothing while on board. The lines are aware of it and are adjusting.

 

Princess has their new Royal with no Ocean view rooms and minimum insides may be a response to this. Though Princess seems in trouble with the ship as it does not play well to older Princess cruisers it seems to offer more of a NCL experience.

Edited January 2, 2014 by baldercash

[20pluscruises]

Happy New Year.

 

A Fox News article by Paul Motter "Cruise Trends for 2014" Dec 27/13 is an interesting read relative to Celebrity's desire to get more new younger customers .....

 

* "most cruise iines seeing fewer first-timers"

* "a higher percentage of experienced passengers"

* "bargin basement prices like inside cabins ... Another sign that first - timers areabsent"

* "return of traditional dining -the return of experienced cruisers has reveraed a trend that was designed to attract new people - open seating dining"

 

ABoatNerd

 

I wonder what the younger age group range is that they are looking for?

 

We have been on over 20 Celebrity cruises and have never booked an inside cabin. Possibly it has to do with the food? As we became older our food expectations have changed.

[baldercash]

I wonder what the younger age group range is that they are looking for?

 

We have been on over 20 Celebrity cruises and have never booked an inside cabin. Possibly it has to do with the food? As we became older our food expectations have changed.

 

As stated they can use insides as loss leaders, X is likely trying to refresh the ranks with the 45 to 55 year old's. Couples who are looking to leave the teenage kids at home and have a get away.

Don't think they are going after the 30 year old's that is RC territory.

We started cruising X 13 years ago when we were in our 40's now we are older but very active X loyalists who also cruise RC. I have no qualms using the wave rider or rock climbing when I sail with them.

[carolslc]

X is likely trying to refresh the ranks with the 45 to 55 year old's.

 

Woo hoo - I love it when my 50 years of age is considered young. ;)

 

If Celebrity is targeting the 45-55 year-olds looking to leave their kids at home, then it worked as that is exactly who we are. If we were bringing our kids, we'd go on Royal Caribbean. We'll see if they are doing everything else right to win us over when we go on our first cruise in a couple of weeks!

[phoenix_dream]

I would agree that Celebrity would be wise to draw in the 45ish crowd after the kids are grown, but at the same time, look at the ages of the people in their ads and on their website. I am not an expert at guessing ages, but it seems to me that a very large percentage of the people in the advertising seem to be in the 30-40 age range (and I would guess towards the young part of that range). Why would they be doing that if they really wanted somewhat older folks? I also think younger folks are more drawn to the 'menu' concept as that is more of a modern concept with its roots in options like those one would choose with cable TV or smartphone plans. Not that us 'old folks' don't use those as well, but we better remember a one size fits all concept. I have been on a number of longer cruises where at 60ish I was one of the younger people onboard, but at the same time I feel strongly that Celebrity is really trying to create a product that appeals to those as young as early 30's primarily. Not a party crowd, but the younger and more affluent group (people in their 30's-40's have been the least impacted by the recent financial mess - certainly not all, but percentage-wise). That is where the money is, so that is where they want to draw. And if they can hook them then, then they have another 30-40+ years of loyalty to draw upon.

[20pluscruises]

As stated they can use insides as loss leaders, X is likely trying to refresh the ranks with the 45 to 55 year old's. Couples who are looking to leave the teenage kids at home and have a get away.

Don't think they are going after the 30 year old's that is RC territory.

We started cruising X 13 years ago when we were in our 40's now we are older but very active X loyalists who also cruise RC. I have no qualms using the wave rider or rock climbing when I sail with them.

 

I'm in that age group and can't understand the rave/rap/hip hop dj music blaring in the Martini Bar would appeal to that age group. I know I didn't care for it.

[Dave85]

Don't all cruise lines want new younger customers?

If you cannot attract fresh customers any company will wither and die think Buick and Cadillac of the 90's . "Not your fathers Buick"

 

 

My thoughts exactly. My wife and I are in our late 20s and tried X for our Honeymoon this past year and, on a longer, off-season European sailing, felt slightly out of place. While the ship (Silhouette) was beautiful, the itinerary was perfect, and our dining experience in Blu simply amazing, we thought the entertainment was lousy overall and the non-Blu service was hit or miss . IMHO (I'm not speaking for everyone, just for us) X still has lots of work to do if they want to appeal to a younger demographic. Back to RCI we go.

Edited January 2, 2014 by Dave85

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just for the record, it was "Not your father's OLDSMOBILE."

[richsea]

In reading the article, I didn't see that Mr. Motter said anything about Celebrity going after a younger passenger. He brings up many interesting points though.

I think that celebrity is still going after the same target demographic that they always have. The perception that the target passenger has changed is due in part to the fact that many of us "long timers" here on cruise Critic have "matured" past Celebrity's main target passenger. We started cruising on Celebrity when we were 50 or so, & now, 15 or 20 years later, perhaps our preferences are not the same as our kids, who are pushing 50, who are becoming Celebrity's target. As a result, we may complain about the type, or volume of music on board, when in reality, Celebrity is trying to lure the same demographic as always, but we are still looking for "the good old days"!

Just thinking.

[OCruisers]

In reading the article, I didn't see that Mr. Motter said anything about Celebrity going after a younger passenger. He brings up many interesting points though.

I think that celebrity is still going after the same target demographic that they always have. The perception that the target passenger has changed is due in part to the fact that many of us "long timers" here on cruise Critic have "matured" past Celebrity's main target passenger. We started cruising on Celebrity when we were 50 or so, & now, 15 or 20 years later, perhaps our preferences are not the same as our kids, who are pushing 50, who are becoming Celebrity's target. As a result, we may complain about the type, or volume of music on board, when in reality, Celebrity is trying to lure the same demographic as always, but we are still looking for "the good old days"!Just thinking.

 

Rich ... Thanks for saying the same thing I was also thinking.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[NLH Arizona]

In reading the article, I didn't see that Mr. Motter said anything about Celebrity going after a younger passenger. He brings up many interesting points though.

I think that celebrity is still going after the same target demographic that they always have. The perception that the target passenger has changed is due in part to the fact that many of us "long timers" here on cruise Critic have "matured" past Celebrity's main target passenger. We started cruising on Celebrity when we were 50 or so, & now, 15 or 20 years later, perhaps our preferences are not the same as our kids, who are pushing 50, who are becoming Celebrity's target. As a result, we may complain about the type, or volume of music on board, when in reality, Celebrity is trying to lure the same demographic as always, but we are still looking for "the good old days"!

Just thinking.

Very well said, Rich.

[parallax]

I disagree that Celebrity is not kid friendly. Silverseas and Oceania are not geared towards kids. While it is true that Celebrity does not have all the attractions that one would find on RCL, NCL etc., there are more than enough activities to keep your kids entertained. My issue with the mega ships is that most things are mediocre (food, itinerary, service). I find Celebrity to be a nice middle ground (good food, better itineraries and service) and it works for both my wife and I and our daughter.

 

I think it is imperative that Celebrity reach out to the 30-40 crowd as it makes economic sense. It is a greater benefit to bring in customers at that age range because of the possibility of having a repeat customer for the next 40 to 50 years.

[redjetz]

Some of us who are 60 like the more current, livelier music being played in the Martini bar and atrium! Not all of us are looking for quiet music from yesteryear :-).

 

I wish there was more, and live, frankly. I love Celebrity, but the entertainment is a bit lame much of the time.

[cruzzzinma]

I complained to the cruise director on the Infinity last year about the music in the martini bar and she clearly stated that Celebrity is trying to attract the 30-somethings. Apparently they get a good response to the changes they've made on the South American cruises and get a much younger cohort of passengers.

[USVI-4-me]

Our children get cruise ship advice from us.

We will not guide them to Celebrity because the Celebrity profile group doesn't match our adult children or the grandchildren.

 

We advise them about timeshare vacations and other places to see.

The have cruised with us but not on Celebrity ships.

 

-Marisa

[SusieV]

Heck, we're in our early thirties and have been cruising Celebrity for nearly ten years. We preferred a lot of things the way they used to be! Guess we're "cranky young people".

[Gig103]

I read a business report that postulated RCI will surpass Carnival for total passengers carried by 2020. They are doing it with a smaller fleet but a better mix of ships and brands.

 

When they say smaller fleet, do you recall if they were referring to a lower total occupancy (in other words more repeat cruisers), or fewer ships (which doesn't mean as much since ships have varying amount of passenger capacity)?

 

DW and I are in our early 30s, and while I would like some more mid-day organized activities (It seems that the trivia and whatnot is only until lunch, then only live music until the 7pm show), we overall enjoy the relaxation, service, and food of Celebrity. I like that there are enrichment lectures, although of course those vary in quality and frequency. And I do like the types of live music Celebrity hires such as the string trios. I also enjoy the fact that there aren't a thousand kids running around and splashing in pools and crowding up the hot tubs.

[Viva_la_Vida]

As a 27 year old, I feel Celebrity is really trying to appeal to me, but not necessarily for my age, but the kind of things I enjoy - luxurious things! That's their whole brand, luxury. I went on many sailings as a kid and didn't find the "kid stuff" fun, but I do remember thinking what a nice place the boat was. That being said, I think that the lack of kids + an overall classy experience was a huge reason my husband and I picked Celebrity for our last two cruises. The other reason was for the classic drink package that's FREE with the 1-2-3 Go. There is no other liner that does that, aside from the super-luxury liners that we definitely couldn't afford as young professionals. Plus, the more mature demographic of Celebrity was a good guarantee that we wouldn't be surrounded by people who couldn't handle their unlimited free alcohol. Now that would be a turn off! I didn't feel at all out of place on our last cruise in April, probably because of the destination and Spring Break sailing. There were a lot of similarly-aged people on board, which was nice for us, but I also really loved the mix of ages as well. It makes for a well-rounded experience.

 

It's very interesting to hear everyone's take on this. Thanks for sharing, and happy sailing!

[chicagopaul]

As a 27 year old, I feel Celebrity is really trying to appeal to me, but not necessarily for my age, but the kind of things I enjoy - luxurious things! That's their whole brand, luxury. I went on many sailings as a kid and didn't find the "kid stuff" fun, but I do remember thinking what a nice place the boat was. That being said, I think that the lack of kids + an overall classy experience was a huge reason my husband and I picked Celebrity for our last two cruises. The other reason was for the classic drink package that's FREE with the 1-2-3 Go. There is no other liner that does that, aside from the super-luxury liners that we definitely couldn't afford as young professionals. Plus, the more mature demographic of Celebrity was a good guarantee that we wouldn't be surrounded by people who couldn't handle their unlimited free alcohol. Now that would be a turn off! I didn't feel at all out of place on our last cruise in April, probably because of the destination and Spring Break sailing. There were a lot of similarly-aged people on board, which was nice for us, but I also really loved the mix of ages as well. It makes for a well-rounded experience.

 

It's very interesting to hear everyone's take on this. Thanks for sharing, and happy sailing!

 

I fully agree. We are 26 and 31 and love sailing Celebrity. I've been on other lines and while they were "fun" it just seemed like a big party. The lack of children on board, sophistication of the clientele, the food and the beauty of their ships is what brings me back to Celebrity time and time again. While I do notice that we are always some of the youngest on board I do not mind it at all. We've met many great people on board that are our age or much older and have remained friends with them long after our cruises.

 

We also enjoy our drinks and find the premium drink package to be a huge benefit. We either try to get it with the 1 2 3 go (which we then upgrade from classic) or just purchase it if we miss the promotion.

 

We've always enjoyed the entertainment but I would like to see Celebrity step up their entertainment some, especially the consistency and range of their live music. Though I can never complain. A bad day at sea surely beats a great day anywhere else!

 

Cheers and Happy Cruising!

[Denny01]

I won't say anything about my age since I am so sensitive about it, but my daughters loved Celebrity and they sailed on her as teens and now as adults....oops I just gave away that I'm not in my 40's! Oh well.

 

They enjoyed the atmosphere and the elegance.

 

As to me, when I first cruised Celebrity, they were still playing songs out of WWII and 50's and I don't mean early rock. I was Not impressed. They have finally moved on. For a while, the big shows had songs from the older Broadway shows but have recently started bringing in ones from recent shows.

 

I enjoyed the Oldies, but it got very very old hearing "Cats" again and again, and am enjoying the newer stuff now. I am not a Rap lover, but that really isn't that common on my cruises but they have brought the music into the late 20th Cen and on into the 21st - finally.

 

And I agree that although the title of this is about celebrity shooting for a younger crowd, the OP and the referenced article are talking about how the Lines aren't bringing in a lot of new people and how, dare I mention this subject, the Lines are seeing people actually dress up for dinner and Formal night (no, I do not think you are a low-life scum if you don't wear a Tux with Tails and Tophat - now you maybe one wearing that, but that's a different subject), and opting for set dining times versus select.

 

A good idea for posters to read the article. Then we can start posting about dress code and quit posting about the blasted changes in the Capt Club program!

 

There, I mentioned three subjects we can all go crazy over and see if this thread will go to 1,000+

 

Den

[shipshape sam]

Some of us who are 60 like the more current, livelier music being played in the Martini bar and atrium! Not all of us are looking for quiet music from yesteryear :-).

 

I wish there was more, and live, frankly. I love Celebrity, but the entertainment is a bit lame much of the time.

 

I tend to not have a problem with the music type, but with the volume...too loud to have a nice conversation. There are plenty of places onboard to blare away.

 

We were just off Independence of the Sea (Royal Caribbean) in early December and we enjoyed the music from the deck below. Can't imagine being within 15-20 feet of it and thinking we would talk with others around a table.

Edited January 2, 2014 by shipshape sam

[keithm]

Don't all cruise lines want new younger customers?

If you cannot attract fresh customers any company will wither and die think Buick and Cadillac of the 90's . "Not your fathers Buick"

 

Royal Carribean International does have an advantage over other cruise lines since RC is great for families and young cruisers and even older but more active cruisers are attracted to the brand. When those cruisers mature or tire of that style they can move to a more sedate less child friendlily atmosphere of Celebrity. X cruisers can move up to Azamara with it's even higher price point and refined cruise experience.

 

Carnival international owns Carnival, Princess, Hal, Cunard and P&O they do not offer a natural transition from one to the other or all one big happy family with a strategy.

 

I read a business report that postulated RCI will surpass Carnival for total passengers carried by 2020. They are doing it with a smaller fleet but a better mix of ships and brands. They have a strategy they have already acknowledged those who sail in an inside on x are not equal to those in CC, AC and suites. Insides are loss leaders they can have them sail empty if they can fill the rest.

 

I constantly read on CC about Top tier loyalty members of all lines who brag about their perks and how they sail inside and spend nothing while on board. The lines are aware of it and are adjusting.

 

Princess has their new Royal with no Ocean view rooms and minimum insides may be a response to this. Though Princess seems in trouble with the ship as it does not play well to older Princess cruisers it seems to offer more of a NCL experience.

We always did a balcony on Cunard, but with Celebrity, we're doing an inside for the low price. We want to get a feel for the line before opting for a pricier room. That being said the room was about $2600 for the 2 of us. After adding some of the perks, its now almost $4000, so I'd say it's no longer a "loss leader".

[Orator]

Cruise lines, like other businesses, are trying to increase their customer base. Just received an invitation from one TA to tour Allure in January and have received calls from NCL yesterday and today to receive some special rates. Celebrity needs to walk a tight line to attract new customers while keeping previous customers returning. I'm certain that we'll see many programs,offers and changes as the year progresses.

[cruzinlisa]

IMO, they are trying to attract more of a customer base and some of them may be younger cruises. My main reason for believing this is the pick your perk/1-2-3 things that they have been offering. We are part of that younger demographic and it did attract us, but I certainly don't speak for all 30 somethings. This will be my 5th cruise, DH's 4th. All of the prior ones have been on Carnival. This time I was not even looking at Carnival, I wanted to try something different. We were looking mainly at Royal or NCL. But I got an email from an online TA advertising the pick your perk promo which offered us a drink package with Celebrity. Only one half of our pair really likes to drink (DH), but its nice to know I can order whatever I want without thinking of cost. So we went for it. If it had not been for this package we would not even looked at Celebrity. That said, I don't think they are trying to distance people that are not 30-40ish crowd or loyals, I think they are trying to widen their net. That is just my opinion, for what its worth.