Problem with Princess advertising

[Shmoo here]

Really, what good does it do to send me a nice little catalog showing all the cruises I can book, when none of them shows the actual itinerary for the cruise?

 

It tells me the name of the cruise, the dates, ships, and prices. Even the start/end port.

 

But no where does it tell me what ports the ship will visit.

 

I'm still in the newer cruiser group - I plan my cruises mostly based on itinerary.

[skynight]

Really, what good does it do to send me a nice little catalog showing all the cruises I can book, when none of them shows the actual itinerary for the cruise?

 

It tells me the name of the cruise, the dates, ships, and prices. Even the start/end port.

 

But no where does it tell me what ports the ship will visit.

 

I'm still in the newer cruiser group - I plan my cruises mostly based on itinerary.

If you see a cruise you may enjoy at a good value just go to the Princess web site and search it out. All the information is there, plus more.

[Shmoo here]

If you see a cruise you may enjoy at a good value just go to the Princess web site and search it out. All the information is there, plus more.

 

My point is - I like the book, where I can easily flip back and forth to compare trips. But they're not supplying all the information I need there.

 

Using the website isn't all that easy. You can only look up one cruise at a time.

 

How do I know the cruise is a "good value" unless I have all the information I need to compare it with some other cruise line offer?

Edited March 31, 2016 by Shmoo here

[Keith1010]

Good point.

 

Keith

[MrMan]

I think the reason is to get all the options you would have to have an old-school brochure that is quite thick and expensive to produce/mail. What you have is a tease to get one interested and to the web site. The old school brochures have gone away on all lines and vacation options with the advent of the internet which gives you way more information than a brochure could ever give. One of the reasons cruise prices have not kept up with inflations as cost savings such as these keep fares low.

[shredie]

You could research it "backwards." Search the destination you are interested in and you will get all the cruises that go there. I know this doesn't solve your problem with the catalog, but they can put only so much information in one. I guess they think listing more cruises is better than listing fewer with all the details.

[MrMan]

One of the other options is Orbitz / Travelocity and some other travel sites allow one to use a "Compare" feature which allows one to compare several lines/cruises once you select the ones that interest you.

[Shmoo here]

I think the reason is to get all the options you would have to have an old-school brochure that is quite thick and expensive to produce/mail. What you have is a tease to get one interested and to the web site. The old school brochures have gone away on all lines and vacation options with the advent of the internet which gives you way more information than a brochure could ever give. One of the reasons cruise prices have not kept up with inflations as cost savings such as these keep fares low.

 

You could research it "backwards." Search the destination you are interested in and you will get all the cruises that go there. I know this doesn't solve your problem with the catalog, but they can put only so much information in one. I guess they think listing more cruises is better than listing fewer with all the details.

 

How much more space does it take to add a line (below the cruise name) showing the itinerary): example -

 

WINE COUNTRY COASTAL

Los Angeles/Santa Barbara/San Francisco/Astoria/Victoria/Vancouver

 

(instead of just saying "Los Angeles to Vancouver)? There's lots of empty space in the layout of the brochure.

[Pam in CA]

I think the reason is to get all the options you would have to have an old-school brochure that is quite thick and expensive to produce/mail. What you have is a tease to get one interested and to the web site. The old school brochures have gone away on all lines and vacation options with the advent of the internet which gives you way more information than a brochure could ever give. One of the reasons cruise prices have not kept up with inflations as cost savings such as these keep fares low.

I agree completely. It costs a lot of money to print the brochures as well as mail them. The return on investment is pretty low vs. an email or people going online.

[MrMan]

How much more space does it take to add a line (below the cruise name) showing the itinerary): example -

 

WINE COUNTRY COASTAL

Los Angeles/Santa Barbara/San Francisco/Astoria/Victoria/Vancouver

 

(instead of just saying "Los Angeles to Vancouver)? There's lots of empty space in the layout of the brochure.

 

Again that is not what the mailer is designed to do. You are using the wrong tool. Its not an old style brochure.

 

Again Orbitz/Travelocity "Compare" feature is your friend

[mmckm]

You could go to the web site and open up a bunch of windows with the cruises you like and flip back and forth that way.

[skynight]

How much more space does it take to add a line (below the cruise name) showing the itinerary): example -

 

WINE COUNTRY COASTAL

Los Angeles/Santa Barbara/San Francisco/Astoria/Victoria/Vancouver

 

(instead of just saying "Los Angeles to Vancouver)? There's lots of empty space in the layout of the brochure.

Don't disagree, but I guess Princess marketing doesn't see it this way. Anyhow, let's say, for example, you want to take a Cal. Coastal cruise in Oct, Nov or Dec 2016. Go to the Princess web site.

Select "Learn & Plan"

Select "Search Cruise Vacations"

Select your destination in this example CA Coastal

Select your month(s)

 

All the cruises, ships, ports, pricing and promos, if any, will show at one time. You can view more details or save to your wish list.

[thinfool]

Funny...I got the printed 2016-2017 Cruise Atlas a couple of weeks ago (printed). I am sure that it is because we have finally attained Platinum.

 

Still it has what I need to see for itineraries, ports and (ridiculous) prices. :rolleyes:

 

To the OP, I suggest that you walk into a brick and mortar TA and see if they have such an item.

 

My wife and I had lunch at a little place the other day and, across the street, was the office of a TA with a magazine type rack outside with...yep...several copies of the new Princess Cruise Atlas.

[RocketMan275]

My point is - I like the book, where I can easily flip back and forth to compare trips. But they're not supplying all the information I need there.

 

Using the website isn't all that easy. You can only look up one cruise at a time.

 

How do I know the cruise is a "good value" unless I have all the information I need to compare it with some other cruise line offer?

 

Well, actually you can look up more than one cruise at a time by opening multiple tabs. For example, find a cruise you're interested in. Open a duplicate tab and within that tab find another cruise you want to compare. You can have three/four/five/ or more tabs open at a time. You can flip back and forth just like it was an open book.

 

Or, you can have some tabs open for one line and other tabs open for another line allowing you to compare between lines.

[Shmoo here]

Don't disagree, but I guess Princess marketing doesn't see it this way. Anyhow, let's say, for example, you want to take a Cal. Coastal cruise in Oct, Nov or Dec 2016. Go to the Princess web site.

Select "Learn & Plan"

Select "Search Cruise Vacations"

Select your destination in this example CA Coastal

Select your month(s)

 

All the cruises, ships, ports, pricing and promos, if any, will show at one time. You can view more details or save to your wish list.

 

Well, actually you can look up more than one cruise at a time by opening multiple tabs. For example, find a cruise you're interested in. Open a duplicate tab and within that tab find another cruise you want to compare. You can have three/four/five/ or more tabs open at a time. You can flip back and forth just like it was an open book.

 

Or, you can have some tabs open for one line and other tabs open for another line allowing you to compare between lines.

 

Yeah, I understand how to look up cruises online. It's just more time-consuming than I want to invest when I'm doing preliminary research into selecting cruises.

 

All I'm saying is, if Princess is hoping to catch my eye with their cruises, they aren't supplying the kind of information with this mailing that I need to even take the time to go to their website for further research.

[TNTLAMB]

OR you could just use windows.... You can have two screens open at the same time and up to four with Win 10.................

[Working 2 Cruise]

Yeah, I understand how to look up cruises online. It's just more time-consuming than I want to invest when I'm doing preliminary research into selecting cruises.

 

All I'm saying is, if Princess is hoping to catch my eye with their cruises, they aren't supplying the kind of information with this mailing that I need to even take the time to go to their website for further research.

 

Oh well... this is a problem you'll have with most, if not all, cruise lines. It really isn't that hard to check online. Takes about 2 minutes or less!

[easyboy]

How much more space does it take to add a line (below the cruise name) showing the itinerary): example -

 

WINE COUNTRY COASTAL

Los Angeles/Santa Barbara/San Francisco/Astoria/Victoria/Vancouver

 

(instead of just saying "Los Angeles to Vancouver)? There's lots of empty space in the layout of the brochure.

I think you meant adding a line for the itinerary "even in small prints"

that will not alter the format, layout and physical size of the brochure.

[cruizmo11]

Go on the Website and order a mini brochure they have every itinerary in them, it sounds like you are referring to a mailer which is only there to entice or offer specific promotions. You can order mini brochures for free on their website

Edited March 31, 2016 by cruizmo11

[RocketMan275]

Yeah, I understand how to look up cruises online. It's just more time-consuming than I want to invest when I'm doing preliminary research into selecting cruises.

 

All I'm saying is, if Princess is hoping to catch my eye with their cruises, they aren't supplying the kind of information with this mailing that I need to even take the time to go to their website for further research.

 

There is an even bigger problem than the itinerary. Suggest you perform an experiment. Pick two or three cruises, any cruises. Compare the prices in the brochure to the prices on the website.

[milogurd]

To get your own Cruise Atlas, go to princess.com. At the bottom of the page, under Plan a Cruise, click on Order a Brochure.

 

Near the bottom of the next page, you will see the Cruise Atlas 2016-2017. You can have it sent to you, or download it to your computer.

 

All cruises have itineraries listed.

 

Possibly this link will get you directly there...

 

https://book.princess.com/captaincircle/brochureRequest.page

[WupperAV]

Pam, My wife and I spend hours planning and reading online and brochures. We love it and it's part of the Cruise to dream about it. Nowdays everyone want is right now. We're going on the Princess Crown round the horn for Christmas this year .

[GUT2407]

Sounds weird.

 

The ones I get have always had the itinerary.

Edited April 1, 2016 by GUT2407

[caribill]

Sounds weird.

 

The ones I get have always had the itinerary.

 

Any "little catalog" (the OP's term) I have received does have itineraries in the form of little maps.

 

I have received mailings about two pages in length that do not have those maps,

[Shmoo here]

Any "little catalog" (the OP's term) I have received does have itineraries in the form of little maps.

 

I have received mailings about two pages in length that do not have those maps,

 

There are no itineraries, or maps in the mailing that I got. It's a small booklet about 6X8, with 20 pages. Broken down in areas (Caribbean; CA coast, Mexico; etc)

 

On the page dedicated to that particular type of cruise it lists (for example - in the Caribbean):

 

Western Caribbean / 6 DAYS

Roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale

 

Featured Fares

Caribbean Princess Nov 27, 2015

 

Other Departure(s)*

Caribbean Princess, Crown Princess

Nov 2016-Apr 2017

Other Departure(s) fares may vary

 

then the costs for each category room (one column for per guest launch fares and one column for per guest featured fares)

 

That's how all the listings are - following the itinerary name it only shows if it's a roundtrip or embarkation/debarkation ports.

 

And no maps anywhere in it.