Princess Marketing at their "Best"????

[M4dC0w]

I was looking at a Caribbean Cruise on the September 20th, I found something very odd.

 

Voyage B442A - 9 Days Grand Caribbean Sampler Caribbean Princess

 

Voyage B442 - 5 Days Western Caribbean Getaway Caribbean Princess

 

What I find interesting is that they have allocated more rooms to the 5day, and a $100 obc for it, whereas the 9day has less rooms to choose from and a $50 obc.

 

You would think they would want to sell more off the 9day before the 5day, as whoever books the 5day would disembark on Sept.25, and leave the ship for the last 4 days that many more staterooms empty and less passengers on the ship to spend. Not only that, but the rooms reserved for the 5day, cannot be booked for the 9day.

 

Weird huh?!

 

I called my Princess Planner, and the 1-800 number and they just said that its something marketing did. I would love to get some of that marketing is smoking. :p

 

Trying to figure out marketing is like trying to catch the elusive upgrade fairy

Edited August 20, 2014 by M4dC0w

[geoherb]

It's strange. I also noticed that the price of the 9-day is more than booking the 5-day and 4-day separately before taking the onboard credit into consideration. Just using the Princess price, I could book a BE balcony on both cruises separately for $698 and get $200 onboard credit versus paying $819 to book it as one cruise with $50 onboard credit. It is crazy.

 

When we sailed on back-to-back cruises on the Ruby last December, I booked them as separate cruises. At the time, Princess wasn't offering them as a single cruise. I booked us in the same cabin on both cruises. We met a woman during the turnaround day who wasn't happy that she was having to switch cabins.

Edited August 20, 2014 by geoherb

[Pam in CA]

It's probably based on Yield Management which predicts how many cabins will be sold in each category and how many times. In general,

Edited August 20, 2014 by Pam in CA

[M4dC0w]

I almost passed on the 9day because the room I wanted was "sold", but it was held for 5day guarantee.

Edited August 20, 2014 by M4dC0w

[BruceMuzz]

I was looking at a Caribbean Cruise on the September 20th, I found something very odd.

 

Voyage B442A - 9 Days Grand Caribbean Sampler Caribbean Princess

 

Voyage B442 - 5 Days Western Caribbean Getaway Caribbean Princess

 

What I find interesting is that they have allocated more rooms to the 5day, and a $100 obc for it, whereas the 9day has less rooms to choose from and a $50 obc.

 

You would think they would want to sell more off the 9day before the 5day, as whoever books the 5day would disembark on Sept.25, and leave the ship for the last 4 days that many more staterooms empty and less passengers on the ship to spend. Not only that, but the rooms reserved for the 5day, cannot be booked for the 9day.

 

Weird huh?!

 

I called my Princess Planner, and the 1-800 number and they just said that its something marketing did. I would love to get some of that marketing is smoking. :p

 

Trying to figure out marketing is like trying to catch the elusive upgrade fairy

 

Not weird at all.

The Sales and marketing people have extensive historical data that guides their actions.

People who take a 5-day cruise spend as much or more than people who take a 9-day cruise. But a 5-day cruise costs far less to deliver. That gives the cruise line a much higher profit margin with substantially lower costs on a 5-day cruise.

It also allows them the option of upsells for the remainder of the 9 days.

That's another big revenue opportunity with nearly zero cost.

 

Figuring out cruise marketing is very easy if you understand the business.

Figuring out upgrades is even easier - but I am not going to give the secrets away.

[cruiselvr1]

Not weird at all.

The Sales and marketing people have extensive historical data that guides their actions.

People who take a 5-day cruise spend as much or more than people who take a 9-day cruise. But a 5-day cruise costs far less to deliver. That gives the cruise line a much higher profit margin with substantially lower costs on a 5-day cruise.

It also allows them the option of upsells for the remainder of the 9 days.

That's another big revenue opportunity with nearly zero cost.

 

Figuring out cruise marketing is very easy if you understand the business.

Figuring out upgrades is even easier - but I am not going to give the secrets away.

I think your right, that does make business sense. The ship is going anyway, the crew are paid for the 9 day, and they will more than likely sell off the other cabins. They can put them on sell, and still make money.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Not weird at all.

The Sales and marketing people have extensive historical data that guides their actions.

People who take a 5-day cruise spend as much or more than people who take a 9-day cruise. But a 5-day cruise costs far less to deliver. That gives the cruise line a much higher profit margin with substantially lower costs on a 5-day cruise.

It also allows them the option of upsells for the remainder of the 9 days.

That's another big revenue opportunity with nearly zero cost.

 

Figuring out cruise marketing is very easy if you understand the business.

Figuring out upgrades is even easier - but I am not going to give the secrets away.

 

Why Bruce, oh why???

[flamomo]

Figuring out upgrades is even easier - but I am not going to give the secrets away.

 

 

We would ALL like to know the secrets to THAT so we faithful Princess cruisers would know how to get one now and then, instead of the way they seem to tend to go to first-timers. :(

[Colo Cruiser]

We would ALL like to know the secrets to THAT so we faithful Princess cruisers would know how to get one now and then, instead of the way they seem to tend to go to first-timers. :(

 

 

Nobody on CC knows any Princess secrets such as the one indicated

 

You can be what ever you want posting online. ;)

[AZJerry]

There are all sorts of oddities. On one cruise we have booked, Princess was offering an OBC for EVERY category of cabin EXCEPT the Windows suites. Naturally, that's the cabin we have booked. The last time I could check, there were still 3 WS available and that hadn't changed for weeks.

[counsdr]

I don't have any ideas here. All I know is that we booked the 5 day months ago and our mini suite is still available if we want to stay in it for 4 more days. The additional 4 days however is more than what we paid for the original 5!

 

Cheryl

[ar1950]

Nobody on CC knows any Princess secrets such as the one indicated

 

You can be what ever you want posting online. ;)

 

Perhaps you are correct. However, I will always give credence to BruceMuzz's posts. :cool:

[Mackenzie1]

Cruise Critic on free upgrades:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1428