Lower fares - do they "cheapen" your experience?

[sparks1093]

But mainly because we lie through our teeth. :D

 

JB :)

 

Love it! (Guess you've earned the Bull in your screen name;):cool:.)

[SnowshoeCat]

I guess I may be a little guilty of some of the things people have mentioned. I travel solo, and look for bargains. Now I don't talk about how much I spent, but sometimes during the course of a conversation people may ask why I chose this particular cruise and the answer is simply, "I got a great deal!"

 

I've mentioned my low-deck oceanview cabin and the photos I've taken of the waves crashing against the window during rough seas when my tablemates mentioned they couldn't use their balconies ;) I don't think any offense was intended or taken.

 

Only once did I encounter a suite snob. I actually felt sorry for the woman. She seemed unhappy.

[xnavydoc2]

Reading this subject brought to mind something I've always wondered, what's the purpose of a "Cabin Crawl?" Don't all the cabins in each category pretty much look the same? Do people decorate the inside of their cabins? (I've seen some pretty clever decorations on the outside of doors) Or, is it so some people can see how "The other people live?"

[geoherb]

I mention on Cruise Critic some of my strategies for saving money, but I'd never tell someone specifically what I paid for a cruise. We had tablemates on one cruise who found out we had a mini suite and commented about how much that must have set us back. They told us how much they had paid for their ocean view cabin. It was more than we had paid, but I did not let them know that.

[agabbymama]

Reading this subject brought to mind something I've always wondered, what's the purpose of a "Cabin Crawl?" Don't all the cabins in each category pretty much look the same? Do people decorate the inside of their cabins? (I've seen some pretty clever decorations on the outside of doors) Or, is it so some people can see how "The other people live?"

 

For me, participating in a "Cabin Crawl" is to see how "the other people live". From inside cabin (which I could never occupy) to a Family 2 bedroom, to the Penthouse Suite (which again I could never occupy). I had an aft balcony cabin and others on the cabin crawl were noting the number so they could try to snag that cabin on a future cruise (as the balcony was huge).

 

I don't really care what anyone pays for their cruise, or their airline ticket, or for their clothes or anything else they may buy, but I will say truly "MONEYED" people do act differently than your ordinary Joe. Maybe it's inbred or taught from birth, but there is definitely a difference. I could very well imagine a particular family in the news making the kind of statement OP mentions. But then again, they would probably just buy the Cruiseline. JMHO

Edited June 25, 2014 by agabbymama

[Mytime2014]

I guess I may be a little guilty of some of the things people have mentioned. I travel solo, and look for bargains. Now I don't talk about how much I spent, but sometimes during the course of a conversation people may ask why I chose this particular cruise and the answer is simply, "I got a great deal!"

 

I've mentioned my low-deck oceanview cabin and the photos I've taken of the waves crashing against the window during rough seas when my tablemates mentioned they couldn't use their balconies ;) I don't think any offense was intended or taken.

 

Only once did I encounter a suite snob. I actually felt sorry for the woman. She seemed unhappy.

 

 

This is what I have determined from reading those posts. I was just surprised that someone who spends the money early in order to reserve 'that' suite finds that it cheapens HER experience that people wait, hoping prices will drop and then take the lower price. Anyone could do the same thing if they don't have to have "that" room/service. Its a choice!!! Anyway - I hope I don't run into that unhappiness or even the braggarts - I do, I can move on [and try not to be my sarcastic agitating worst!!!]

[Slugsta]

We have just a few cruises under our belt. Of these, several have been booked well in advance and full fare paid, others have been various late deals, some better than others. I can truely say that what we have paid for the cruise has never changed our enjoyment, nor has what anyone else paid.

 

Sometimes I have come across people who want to brag how much - or little - they paid but I refuse to discuss how much we did. I usually say, if asked directly, 'more than some and less than others' and leave it at that.

 

OP, I hope you have a great cruise and find that, once onboard, others are far more interested in enjoying themselves than worrying about what others have paid :)

[herbanrenewal]

I can remember a very in-depth discussion once around the dinner table on how to get great deals - no one mentioned their cabin class or what they paid but some very helpful comments on how to achieve what is important to you.

 

Afterwards, walking back to the elevators, got on and pushed our floor (deck 2) and had one of my new friends exclaim, OMG did they put you in steerage ??!!

then they realized the elevator was ...GASP... going down!

We had a good laugh.

[marco]

What do you mean by "Cheapens the experience?" If someone is lucky enough to pay a less then what I paid for comparable accommodations, how would that "cheapen" MY experience?

[BruceMuzz]

Lower fares do indeed cheapen and also degrade the cruise experience and product - but in ways that many cruisers do not understand.

 

There are many specific itineraries that are marketed and sold at fares that are lower than average.

How do the cruise lines make any profit on these cruises?

We look at the biggest costs and cut them back.

#1 is fuel. If the passengers pay low average prices on a particular cruise, we shorten port times to allow for slower cruising with less fuel burned.

#2 is food. On notoriously inexpensive itineraries, we remove the costlier menu items and replace them with cheaper items. Halibut and prawns change to pasta and pizza. Does this cheapen or diminish your cruise experience? Perhaps.

 

There is also entertainment to consider. On less than premium itineraries and ships, we cut back on lecturers and pricier entertainers, preferring to sell their cabins to paying customers to cover the shortfall in revenues. Does this cheapen or degrade your cruise experience? Probably.

 

When we market cruises with deep discounts, we tend to see more passengers who really don't have very much money. They are only cruising because it is cheaper than staying home. But once they get onboard, they realize that many things they want and expect are not included in the fare. How do they manage to enjoy their cruise? They decline to tip the service staff. As soon as those tip removals are communicated to the staff, crew morale and service levels take a nose dive. Does this cheapen or degrade your cruise experience? There is a very good chance that it does.

 

Some itineraries are famous for very frugal passengers. A good example is a Mexican Riviera cruise out of San Diego. No matter the cruise line, passengers on these cruises spend an average $10 less per person per day than most other itineraries. $10 doesn't seem like very much - until you multiply it by a few thousand passengers, then multiply it again by 365 days per year. Suddenly you have Millions of dollars missing.

To cover the losses, we cheapen the menu, cut back on lecturers and entertainment, and shorten port times. Does this cheapen or diminish your cruise experience? Probably.

 

In Alaska this season, cruise lines are discounting heavily. We are selling nice cabins for $250 for 7 days in Alaska. Then we are trying to sell Helicopter tours for $500 per person. The people who bought a 7 day cruise for $250 are not going to spend twice as much for one tour. Very few people sign up for these great tours - so we are forced to cancel them because we cannot make the minimum numbers required by the tour operator. Does this cheapen or diminish your cruise experience? It does if you wanted to take one of those tours.

Edited June 25, 2014 by BruceMuzz

[Mytime2014]

What do you mean by "Cheapens the experience?" If someone is lucky enough to pay a less then what I paid for comparable accommodations, how would that "cheapen" MY experience?

 

 

That's what I thought....it might make me mad {at me!!!} that they were enjoying the same view and food and cruise for hundreds less.... and make me work to find how they did it. I know I could have paid less for my cruise if I could be more flexible/last minute kind of planner, but I work in an office where its hard enough to get a week vacation, so when the plan came together and the time was available, I grabbed it!

 

If I meet the person who gets the same cruise for half what I paid, I'll be happy to learn their method, but rubbing shoulders with them in the Lido or the Crow's Nest is not going to diminish my enjoyment. Meeting that grumpy person anywhere would probably diminish my enjoyment but hopefully they will stay in their expensive room!!! :rolleyes:

[cruisemom42]

Just read this and it really ticked me off....people who pick particular spots/experiences on a ship feel that the presence of people who pay less cheapens their experience on the cruise. Really? You could pay less and just not get your free laundry, special coffee/snacks all day....how does my presence on that ship - because I followed a budget, didn't demand a particular spot, and priced shopped cheapen your experience.?

 

OMG reminds me of my ex who didn't want to live on the same road as a mobile home - even if it was 5 miles away out in the country.

 

Honestly - if most people on a cruise are like these few prima donna, high maintenance people, this will be a first and last for me. Hopefully tho - most people will just be happy to be on a ship headed for Alaska. If not, my balcony will be my respite [which I got a VERY good upgrade price for, did not pay full price!!!]

 

I don't know exactly which discussion you're talking about, but I've read similar statements on the board that I think you are referring to.

 

I think it may be possible that you have misunderstood what was meant. I have taken similar statements (in context) to mean that if fares on cruises continue to spiral downward to extremely low, last minute prices, then the cruise lines eventually have to cut services and quality in order to make a profit and meet shareholder expectations.

 

It's commonly acknowledged that for the most part cruises cost people less (on an adjusted basis) than they did a decade or even two decades ago. This can't happen without fewer waiters, fewer stewards, lower quality ingredients used to prepare meals, entertainment costs, etc.

 

So in a sense, it "cheapens" the experience for everyone ... nothing to do with the PERSON who paid the low fare, but the fact that cruise ships are reduced to offering fares that at the end of the day aren't really supportable without significant squeezing in other areas.

 

I don't cruise in suites; I travel solo mainly and do just fine in an inside cabin. But I can understand someone feeling that if they are paying for a "suite" experience, but that suite experience stops outside the door of the suite (due to all the cutbacks mentioned above.....which is at least in part due to low fares), it can be a disappointment.

 

At least ...... that's my interpretation. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that any insult was intended. (But as I said, I didn't read the specific thread.... Perhaps you could post a link to it?)

[Hlitner]

Yes, it is true that we are paying less for comparable cruises, in terms of real dollars, then we did decades ago. But cruise lines are not offering those fares out of pity for the cruisers. Fares are simply based on a combination of Supply & Demand welded with sophisticated Yield Management. When we started cruising in the 70s, a 14,000 ton ship was considered pretty normal. These days, there are life boats (on the Oasis and Allure) that hold more passengers then some of our early cruise ships. 1 single ship, carries more weekly passengers in the Caribbean then all the ships, combined, back in the early to mid 70s. The cruise lines have huge debt service on these monster ships (many of which cost well over half a billion dollars) and they must fill their berths. Since onboard revenue is very important in their business models, they are willing to sell some berths at low prices in order to get souls on board. In economic terms, an empty berth represents "opportunity lost" revenue.

 

Now since some have raised the issue of suites we will stop into that ring. DW and I have been on a lot of cruises (over 3 years on ships) and have never booked a suite. We can afford to book a suite, but choose not to spend our money for those cabins. If we want to spend the money that a suite costs on a mass market line, we prefer to spend a similar amount (or even less) and cruise on one of the ultra-luxury lines. A passenger who cruises on a mass market line and pays $400 per passenger day, is going to get the same food, entertainment, and most amenities as the passenger on that same ship who is paying about $100 per day. Getting a suite on a mass market line is similar to somebody who moves into a neighborhood of $100,000 homes...but chooses to buy a $250,000 home. Some of us would prefer to own the $100,000 home in a neighborhood of $250,000 homes because we then get the benefit of a better neighborhood.

 

DW and I once figured out that, on average, we spend less then 3 waking hours in our cabin on any cruise. And on some cruises it is actually below 2 hours a day. We have never been able to rationalize the added cost of a large suite for just those few extra hours of benefit. If we were folks that simply stayed in our cabin most of the day we might think a suite was worth the money. But when I sit at a dinner table with the knowledge that our table mates are paying more then twice what we paid to eat the same food it makes me think we made a wise decision.

 

Hank

[sail7seas]

Lower fares do indeed cheapen and also degrade the cruise experience and product - but in ways that many cruisers do not understand.

 

There are many specific itineraries that are marketed and sold at fares that are lower than average.

How do the cruise lines make any profit on these cruises?

We look at the biggest costs and cut them back.

#1 is fuel. If the passengers pay low average prices on a particular cruise, we shorten port times to allow for slower cruising with less fuel burned.

#2 is food. On notoriously inexpensive itineraries, we remove the costlier menu items and replace them with cheaper items. Halibut and prawns change to pasta and pizza. Does this cheapen or diminish your cruise experience? Perhaps.

 

There is also entertainment to consider. On less than premium itineraries and ships, we cut back on lecturers and pricier entertainers, preferring to sell their cabins to paying customers to cover the shortfall in revenues. Does this cheapen or degrade your cruise experience? Probably.

 

When we market cruises with deep discounts, we tend to see more passengers who really don't have very much money. They are only cruising because it is cheaper than staying home. But once they get onboard, they realize that many things they want and expect are not included in the fare. How do they manage to enjoy their cruise? They decline to tip the service staff. As soon as those tip removals are communicated to the staff, crew morale and service levels take a nose dive. Does this cheapen or degrade your cruise experience? There is a very good chance that it does.

 

Some itineraries are famous for very frugal passengers. A good example is a Mexican Riviera cruise out of San Diego. No matter the cruise line, passengers on these cruises spend an average $10 less per person per day than most other itineraries. $10 doesn't seem like very much - until you multiply it by a few thousand passengers, then multiply it again by 365 days per year. Suddenly you have Millions of dollars missing.

To cover the losses, we cheapen the menu, cut back on lecturers and entertainment, and shorten port times. Does this cheapen or diminish your cruise experience? Probably.

 

In Alaska this season, cruise lines are discounting heavily. We are selling nice cabins for $250 for 7 days in Alaska. Then we are trying to sell Helicopter tours for $500 per person. The people who bought a 7 day cruise for $250 are not going to spend twice as much for one tour. Very few people sign up for these great tours - so we are forced to cancel them because we cannot make the minimum numbers required by the tour operator. Does this cheapen or diminish your cruise experience? It does if you wanted to take one of those tours.

 

I don't know exactly which discussion you're talking about, but I've read similar statements on the board that I think you are referring to.

 

I think it may be possible that you have misunderstood what was meant. I have taken similar statements (in context) to mean that if fares on cruises continue to spiral downward to extremely low, last minute prices, then the cruise lines eventually have to cut services and quality in order to make a profit and meet shareholder expectations.

 

It's commonly acknowledged that for the most part cruises cost people less (on an adjusted basis) than they did a decade or even two decades ago. This can't happen without fewer waiters, fewer stewards, lower quality ingredients used to prepare meals, entertainment costs, etc.

 

So in a sense, it "cheapens" the experience for everyone ... nothing to do with the PERSON who paid the low fare, but the fact that cruise ships are reduced to offering fares that at the end of the day aren't really supportable without significant squeezing in other areas.

 

I don't cruise in suites; I travel solo mainly and do just fine in an inside cabin. But I can understand someone feeling that if they are paying for a "suite" experience, but that suite experience stops outside the door of the suite (due to all the cutbacks mentioned above.....which is at least in part due to low fares), it can be a disappointment.

 

At least ...... that's my interpretation. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that any insult was intended. (But as I said, I didn't read the specific thread.... Perhaps you could post a link to it?)

 

 

 

 

These two posts are what I believe the point to be.

If the ship brings in lower revenue, they will produce a lesser product.

 

[Mytime2014]

Here you go, its about the low class dawgs who don't pay top price :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

"...You have a small layer paying top prices and the $399 cruisers that come along for the ride. It cheapens the whole experience. "

;)

Edited June 25, 2014 by Mytime2014

[CowPrincess]

There are chartered cruises for all sorts of things. Maybe there ought to be one for people like the one mentioned by Mytime. It could be the "Pompous Ass" cruise. To go on this cruise, every cabin would be at full price. No sales, no specials, no price drops. Then everyone that goes on that cruise could brag and try to outdo each other on how much they spent. Blah, blah, blah. I've never had anyone on a cruise ask me how much our cabin cost, and I've never asked the same of anyone else. It's never entered my mind. Quite honestly, I don't care.

 

I suspect that most of those people don't recognize themselves, so probably would not book that cruise.

 

My first cruise was SO long ago, the internet didn't really exist (at least not as we know it today). I had a wonderful TA who schooled me about cruising, and definitely one thing she told me was "some people will have paid more, some will have paid less." Holds true today, too.

[Jackytar]

On a related note, there's a thread started by someone who got bent out of shape that they paid full fare and someone else, who I gather purchased a discounted fare, got an upgrade. As near as I can figure without knowing the full details of the person's booking, travel agent, etc., they feel they should've had first kick at the cat for the upgrade simply because they paid more.

[SeagoingMom]

no longer relevant

Edited June 25, 2014 by SeagoingMom

[lah66]

Here you go, its about the low class dawgs who don't pay top price :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

"...You have a small layer paying top prices and the $399 cruisers that come along for the ride. It cheapens the whole experience. "

;)

 

Funny you should quote $399! I have been hoping for a $399 pp cruise from the East Coast this Fall! For our second cruise of the year, and two college tuitions to pay, that is all I am willing to spend! Just because you snag a $399 fare doesn't mean you couldn't afford anything more! I love the idea of getting what is important to me (time with family, warm sunshine and beaches!) for a quarter the price others are paying! Not that I would tell anyone my fare and give my secrets away!

Lauri

[FLUFFLULA]

My time,

Love your avatar! RTR!

[Mytime2014]

My time,

Love your avatar! RTR!

 

Thank you! I just got my crimson and houndstooth jacket and sunglasses in time for the trip

 

Think I should get an "A" for my door?

 

RTR

Edited June 26, 2014 by Mytime2014

[nolatravelgirl]

A while back someone posted on the Princess board their observation that on sea days the passengers around the ship reading or playing cards must be too cheap to book a larger cabin with a sitting area so as not to take up space in the public areas of the ship. Why anyone would take the time and energy to form such an opinion--let alone put it in print--is beyond me; they were rightly taken to task for it. So please take this as proof that this attitude is by far the exception rather than the rule.

Too funny. I have only sailed Seabourn, which is an all suites ship that have ample "lounging room" in every cabin, but I love hanging in the common areas whether it is reading by the pool, or putting together the communal puzzle in Seabourn Square (the lounge area with coffee bar) I have enjoyed many lovely conversations with fellow passengers while doing these activities. Of course, I like the privacy of my own cabin where on lazy mornings I can enjoy my coffee and double toasted english muffin while lounging in my PJs and glasses. I also quite enjoy a movie night where I order a bowl of chips (french fries!) and red wine while enjoying a chick flick via the On Demand movies. Not everyone who congregates in common areas is looking to escape a prison cell.

[cbr663]

This is what I have determined from reading those posts. I was just surprised that someone who spends the money early in order to reserve 'that' suite finds that it cheapens HER experience that people wait, hoping prices will drop and then take the lower price. Anyone could do the same thing if they don't have to have "that" room/service. Its a choice!!! Anyway - I hope I don't run into that unhappiness or even the braggarts - I do, I can move on [and try not to be my sarcastic agitating worst!!!]

 

I know the exact thread that you are referring and am grateful that another poster commented how condescending the statement was.

 

In the short time that I have been on CC, I have learned that most of the ideas and criticisms that are vehemently displayed on CC are just that - they are on CC only. These are the opinions of the very small minority who have discovered an outlet to express their opinions. Twenty years ago these would have been the same people who would have called into radio phone in shows but now have online forums to whittle their time.

[FLUFFLULA]

Thank you! I just got my crimson and houndstooth jacket and sunglasses in time for the trip

 

Think I should get an "A" for my door?

 

RTR

 

We have a circular magnetic disk with the UA emblem that we use every cruise and makes it easy to find our door. I also have a UA lanyard and DH has several shirts with the "A" or elephant. Great conversaton starters.

[Mytime2014]

We have a circular magnetic disk with the UA emblem that we use every cruise and makes it easy to find our door. I also have a UA lanyard and DH has several shirts with the "A" or elephant. Great conversaton starters.

 

 

I'll have to see if Crimsonhoundstooth.com has one, and I'll put my Nick Chick pin on my lanyard/sea pass.

My friends all roll their eyes when we're out [i'm in San Antonio] and just in passing I give or get the head nod/Roll Tide. Even in church - a couple sat beside me and saw my phone case - their daughter is going to school there and it started up a conversation.