You Paid and Princess Listened

[billco]

For those who can't or don't want to pay it, there are several other cruise options....but don't be surprised when nickel and diming is even more prevalent there.

I don't want to pay it. I am happy with things the way they are. If Princess wants to add a few more fees, that is ok. When I start to feel the impact, I'll make a decision about looking elsewhere, but for now that hasn't happened.

[Astro Flyer]

I also think that eliminating the ability to stack OBC would do the trick (and we're in the quadruple dipping pool too). Either that, or make none of them refundable. Using $100 in OBC for wine costs Princess $20 or so. Walking off the ship with $100 at the same time they're paying vendor fees for credit card charges costs them more than $100.

 

I'm sure it's actively discussed at Princess HQ weekly, but they instead chose to "speak softly" and implement additional usage based charges. That went over like a lead balloon, but the fact that they attempted it on an inaugural sailing indicates to me that change is coming, and if it's not that, it will be something else.

 

If the OBC were no longer stackable then Princess would no longer be the most cost-effective cruise line to provide me with an experience I enjoy. I don't understand why Princess began refunding complementary OBC which was to be used "onboard" and not cashed out to take home.

 

I may be wrong but I do not recall any other thing that was complementary on Princess becoming fee-based which concerns me.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Astro Flyer

[bhopal21]

I may be wrong but I do not recall any other thing that was complimentary on Princess becoming fee-based which concerns me.

 

It's only been a couple of years since Princess took away the free internet provided to suite passengers.

 

Mike:)

[PescadoAmarillo]

If the OBC were no longer stackable then Princess would no longer be the most cost-effective cruise line to provide me with an experience I enjoy. I don't understand why Princess began refunding complementary OBC which was to be used "onboard" and not cashed out to take home.

 

I may be wrong but I do not recall any other thing that was complementary on Princess becoming fee-based which concerns me.

Cappuccinos, port shuttles and the Sanctuary (which started out complimentary...for one cruise or so). Those are the ones that immediately spring to mind.

 

I guess the question is not whether we want cost increases or not- of course, no one does- but rather how much of the cruise experience that we love are we going to allow to slip away before we either accept the fact that it's going to cost us more in up front or on board charges or we move on to another cruise line or another vacation type. I think, for us, we're nearing the point where we want to maintain the experience more than the price.

 

And I agree about the OBC. Either assign the excess to the crew or buy something, for Pete's sake.

Edited May 30, 2014 by PescadoAmarillo

[Ethel5]

As I have been saying for years, Princess wants to be all things to all people and fails miserably. They need to decide what their niche is and then stick to it.

 

They have a dress policy that isn't enforced. They have an auto tip policy but allow you to remove it for any stupid reason. They refund OBC's. They have a no chair hog policy that isn't enforced-same with theater seats. Come on Princess-make up your mind-do you want to be another Carnival ship or the classy line from which you are slipping? You can't be both.

[PescadoAmarillo]

As I have been saying for years, Princess wants to be all things to all people and fails miserably. They need to decide what their niche is and then stick to it.

 

They have a dress policy that isn't enforced. They have an auto tip policy but allow you to remove it for any stupid reason. They refund OBC's. They have a no chair hog policy that isn't enforced-same with theater seats. Come on Princess-make up your mind-do you want to be another Carnival ship or the classy line from which you are slipping? You can't be both.

I couldn't agree more. Princess needs to develop a backbone, which, from what I've seen on ships and with this most recent debacle, they completely lack. They don't want to offend anyone by enforcing their own rules.

[bhopal21]

As I have been saying for years, Princess wants to be all things to all people and fails miserably. They need to decide what their niche is and then stick to it.

 

They have a dress policy that isn't enforced. They have an auto tip policy but allow you to remove it for any stupid reason. They refund OBC's. They have a no chair hog policy that isn't enforced-same with theater seats. Come on Princess-make up your mind-do you want to be another Carnival ship or the classy line from which you are slipping? You can't be both.

 

Are you listening Princess??

 

Mike:)

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

I couldn't agree more. Princess needs to develop a backbone, which, from what I've seen on ships and with this most recent debacle, they completely lack. They don't want to offend anyone by enforcing their own rules.

 

I don't agree. I think it was a good move for them to back off (for now) from the imposed Alfredo's and room service fees. They were sprung on unsuspecting passengers both current and booked on the Regal. When you read about a ship and the amenities promised on their website, you expect them to be there when you sail. If they put those charges in place effective on all ships at the same time on some future date, grandfathering those who are booked prior to the announcement, I will be surprised if there are so many upset about it. It was not that they had no backbone - they had made a poor decision about when and where to implement the new policy. That is what they admitted to when they removed the charges.

[shredie]

But apparently there are many others, I'm not certain if it's a minority or majority but it's a vocal group, who feel differently. I'm not inclined to make a list of names, but I feel quite certain that some here arguing against higher cruise fares were also up in arms about Alfredo's and room service fees.

 

As I said then and say now, it was not the fees themselves I was "up in arms about" so much as the way they were implemented.

[PrincessLuver]

I've done the math and it is still cheaper, for a comparable vacation, to do a cruise. Even with paying for drinks, specialty dining and extras, it still makes sense for us to cruise. Plus, we just really enjoy it.

 

Cruising is very expensive and by the time you get done adding in all of the hidden costs on a cruse after you get on it is no bargain IMHO. I can do an equivalent European vacation for way less money then a European cruise. It has been my experience that most people say the reason they like to cruise is "because they only have to unpack once." I almost never hear them say because it is a cheap way to travel.

[pusywillow]

I also think that eliminating the ability to stack OBC would do the trick (and we're in the quadruple dipping pool too). Either that, or make none of them refundable. Using $100 in OBC for wine costs Princess $20 or so. Walking off the ship with $100 at the same time they're paying vendor fees for credit card charges costs them more than $100.

 

I'm sure it's actively discussed at Princess HQ weekly, but they instead chose to "speak softly" and implement additional usage based charges. That went over like a lead balloon, but the fact that they attempted it on an inaugural sailing indicates to me that change is coming, and if it's not that, it will be something else.

 

I don't think OBC should be refundable. Use it or lose it!

[sonnenschein]

Cruising is very expensive and by the time you get done adding in all of the hidden costs on a cruse after you get on it is no bargain IMHO. I can do an equivalent European vacation for way less money then a European cruise. It has been my experience that most people say the reason they like to cruise is "because they only have to unpack once." I almost never hear them say because it is a cheap way to travel.

 

All the extra charges (which I don,t like) don't bother me that much since I have control over using those services or extra $$$restaurants on board. What gets me upset are the steep cruise price increases for next year. Just one example, our last trip on the Grand to Hawaii last year was 1200,00 LESS than the same future April cruise on the Star in the same cabin. That is an increase of 600.00p.p. for the identical trip. So don't tell me the cruise prices that Princess charges are not increasing much :eek::mad: If they don't have a sale before final pymt I will have to cancel this cruise:confused:

[waltd]

Cruising is very expensive and by the time you get done adding in all of the hidden costs on a cruse after you get on it is no bargain IMHO. I can do an equivalent European vacation for way less money then a European cruise. It has been my experience that most people say the reason they like to cruise is "because they only have to unpack once." I almost never hear them say because it is a cheap way to travel.

 

I wish I knew what the Hidden Costs were. We have been cruising for years and I have yet to find any costs that I didn't already know about before I left home.

[hubofhockey]

I couldn't agree more. Princess needs to develop a backbone, which, from what I've seen on ships and with this most recent debacle, they completely lack. They don't want to offend anyone by enforcing their own rules.

 

 

Sometimes the best marketing is actually listening to your customers. Some marketing professor taught me that a few decades ago.

[RDC1]

Of course there is no guarantee. But if Princess at $50pp per day was not a step up from a line such as RCCL with its ubiquitous extra charges, then Princess would not survive, which is strong incentive to do the right thing.

 

If I was paying $50pp per day more and still being approached about wine tastings, and still hearing BINGO and art auction and spa seminar announcements, I certainly wouldn't return. But it would be well worth $50pp per day to not only get unlimited drinks (which would still yield Princess a huge profit) but also to have a more upscale, all inclusive cruise experience (though I would still expect Chefs Table and specialty restaurants...heck, Seaborne has a specialty restaurant).

 

For those who can't or don't want to pay it, there are several other cruise options....but don't be surprised when nickel and diming is even more prevalent there.

 

You might get unlimited drinks for $50 per day per person, but not anything else. Maybe at $100 per person per day you might get the specialty dining plus some other things thrown in.

 

That is why you see the prices you do for all inclusive.

[RDC1]

All the extra charges (which I don,t like) don't bother me that much since I have control over using those services or extra $$$restaurants on board. What gets me upset are the steep cruise price increases for next year. Just one example, our last trip on the Grand to Hawaii last year was 1200,00 LESS than the same future April cruise on the Star in the same cabin. That is an increase of 600.00p.p. for the identical trip. So don't tell me the cruise prices that Princess charges are not increasing much :eek::mad: If they don't have a sale before final pymt I will have to cancel this cruise:confused:

 

Is that because the list price changed or because you got a discounted price last year? I have not noticed much of an increase this year looking at the early booking prices.

 

Some prices are higher this year because Princess and other lines have reduced capacity on the west coast and Alaska by permanently sending ships to the Asia market.

[caribill]

You might get unlimited drinks for $50 per day per person, but not anything else. Maybe at $100 per person per day you might get the specialty dining plus some other things thrown in.

 

That is why you see the prices you do for all inclusive.

 

The all inclusive cruise are on much smaller ships.

 

If 3560+ passengers on the Royal are paying $100 more per day, I doubt that all of them could book a specialty restaurant on a seven day cruise.

[insidecabin]

Cruising is very expensive and by the time you get done adding in all of the hidden costs on a cruse after you get on it is no bargain IMHO. I can do an equivalent European vacation for way less money then a European cruise. It has been my experience that most people say the reason they like to cruise is "because they only have to unpack once." I almost never hear them say because it is a cheap way to travel.

 

We live here and the cruise always work out cheaper than a land version.

 

our base cruise prices are around €100-€150pd for two of us.

 

You struggle to do hotel,lunch and dinner for that in most european ports/cities.

 

Our next Cruise is £30pppn and we definately could not do the UK for that as in most places that would just cover the room.

[insidecabin]

All the extra charges (which I don,t like) don't bother me that much since I have control over using those services or extra $$$restaurants on board. What gets me upset are the steep cruise price increases for next year. Just one example, our last trip on the Grand to Hawaii last year was 1200,00 LESS than the same future April cruise on the Star in the same cabin. That is an increase of 600.00p.p. for the identical trip. So don't tell me the cruise prices that Princess charges are not increasing much :eek::mad: If they don't have a sale before final pymt I will have to cancel this cruise:confused:

 

We have noticed the same for UK based pricing for cruises this year.

 

I think all the cruise lines are trying to reset the prices point in people heads

set the prices high an use regional discounting so you discount less for your core customer.

 

eg Princess round britain cruises got big discounts in the UK no where near as good in the US.

 

ALL the cruise lines seem to have put up prices and have been very reluctant to do major reductions one could suspect there was a cartel in operation and they have all agreed to discount less because people will book eventualy and as soon as one starts discounting they all have to.

 

We did start to see some reduction for late bookings/last minute cabin clearances and I think the usual major reduction for Nov Dec European trips will happen as usual, maybe a little later this year.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...So it may actually be we ourselves who are to blame for the increase in for-fee services and options, because we have learned to make our cruises more or less "all-inclusive" for ourselves, and with base fares so low (and our ability to find deals so high), this cruising style actually hurts the company's bottom line...

 

Please don't forget that those of us who are more experienced and shop for bargain fares fill cabins that might otherwise go unsold. While we may be low-margin business for the companies, we still add to their bottom line. So the cruise lines need us in a sense. They are just practicing yield-management like the airlines have for years.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Did you not read RCL CEO who just recently gave a breakdown of where revenue comes from? 75% comes from cabin fares.

 

Interesting. If that is gross revenue, that would mean that the average cruise passenger spends an additional 1/3 or so of their fare on shipboard account charges. In other words, someone spending $750 on cabin fare would, on average, charge another $250 to their shipboard account.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...I don't understand why Princess began refunding complementary OBC which was to be used "onboard" and not cashed out to take home...

 

I was surprised to hear that this happens. I would think it would roll over somehow to future cruises, but not be cashed out.

[insidecabin]

Interesting. If that is gross revenue, that would mean that the average cruise passenger spends an additional 1/3 or so of their fare on shipboard account charges. In other words, someone spending $750 on cabin fare would, on average, charge another $250 to their shipboard account.

the problem is that cabin revenue make little or no money on average across the brands nearly all the profits come from other spends.

[Cruise Junky]

What gets me upset are the steep cruise price increases for next year.

 

Princess prices are quite high for next year. Just taking a quick look at a 12 day Med Cruise, similar itineraries, a basic balcony on Princess is $3,289 vs. $2,689 on Celebrity on a much newer ship with higher ratings. Yes, Princess allows discounting but you can get decent OBC From a Celebrity TA too. Crazy.

[caber]

An officer on Princess once told us that all they wanted were full cabins, regardless of the price. (bums on seats)

They rely on the passenger spending onboard.