Cruise Service Cutbacks?

[paperpushere]

On a recent Holland America cruise (MS Zuiderdam), It was noticed that the Service in some locations on board was slow/lackluster. The Communication poor, Entertainment shorten to 40/45 min when presented. When communicating with other cruisers, I have heard the same problems on the Princess Line, Celebrity ships.

Are the cruise line(s) cutting back in bits and pieces so it would not be noticed, yet regular cruisers have noticed this trend.

Do other cruisers have any comments or have their own stories, or wish to contradict this summary:ship:

[lenquixote66]

This is likely the case on all cruise lines .I've experienced it on NCL and RCI .

[cruising cockroach]

The analogy is putting a lobster or crab in a pot of cold water then heating the pot. The critters don't know they're being cooked....

 

Cutbacks are constant (have to grow profits a.k.a e.p.s.!) and the longer you don't cruise (or rather, go between cruises), the more noticeable the cutbacks are.

[cb at sea]

Yep, the entire experience has gone downhill on most lines, unless you book suites with all the "perks"....it's how they keep the prices fairly low...and new cruisers (who is their "target" audience) knows no better.

[Flatbush Flyer]

On a recent Holland America cruise (MS Zuiderdam), It was noticed that the Service in some locations on board was slow/lackluster. The Communication poor, Entertainment shorten to 40/45 min when presented. When communicating with other cruisers, I have heard the same problems on the Princess Line, Celebrity ships.

Are the cruise line(s) cutting back in bits and pieces so it would not be noticed, yet regular cruisers have noticed this trend.

Do other cruisers have any comments or have their own stories, or wish to contradict this summary:ship:

 

 

Consider trading up to premium lines. It's fairly common for many first time Azamara and Oceania cruisers to be former long time HAL and Celebrity loyalists.

 

 

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[easyboy]

On a recent Holland America cruise (MS Zuiderdam), It was noticed that the Service in some locations on board was slow/lackluster. The Communication poor, Entertainment shorten to 40/45 min when presented. When communicating with other cruisers, I have heard the same problems on the Princess Line, Celebrity ships.

Are the cruise line(s) cutting back in bits and pieces so it would not be noticed, yet regular cruisers have noticed this trend.

Do other cruisers have any comments or have their own stories, or wish to contradict this summary:ship:

It is not surprising for cruise lines, HAL included, to have cutbacks. They have to maintain profitability to stay in business. Sadly, the seeming decline in service is being conveniently used as an excuse by some to remove the auto gratuities, thereby affecting those deserving crews.

[bUU]

Consider trading up to premium lines. It's fairly common for many first time Azamara and Oceania cruisers to be former long time HAL and Celebrity loyalists.

And that's really standard practice given the consumer environment. It's the same reason why business class airline travel evolved, and the same reason why there is now a Premium Economy class on some airlines above the basic economy class that the typically overly-price-sensitive American consumer will generally choose. What people like doesn't typically go away - rather it simply gets differentiated from a cut-rate service that it is separated from.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sadly cutbacks are happening on all cruise lines.

And it will continue.

New cruisers don't notice the cutbacks like those of us who have cruised for many years so they have no idea what we old time cruisers used to experience.

[JTBCruiser]

DW and I aren't seasoned cruisers, we are trying to go at least 2 times per 18 months. I don't miss what I don't know but with that said, for us it comes down to do we still enjoy the overall experience for what we pay. Right now the answer is Yes. We intend to try to keep this pace for the next 15-20 years and am certain we will see things cut back as well but I go back to my original statement, if we still enjoy it and can afford it, we will.

[cruzeluver]

It has become the norm and everyone has to decide what cutbacks they can live with. With so many berths to fill they have to keep costs low to attract new customers and in order to keep those prices stable cutbacks will have to happen. Would I prefer to pay more and go back to the service of old? Yes, but they would not be able to fill these larger ships operating that way. To get at that level you have to move up to higher end lines.

[boscobeans]

Yep, the entire experience has gone downhill on most lines, unless you book suites with all the "perks"....it's how they keep the prices fairly low...and new cruisers (who is their "target" audience) knows no better.

 

 

% 100 percent correct. The suite perk mentality is becoming more and more widespread and is the most obvious with Celebrity in their ads and many of their onboard changes..

 

IMHO

 

bosco

[marco]

Yep, and as I've posted before.....while going through old cruise memorabilia and coming across an old cruise ticket. We paid $30 more for a cruise 2 yrs ago than we paid for a cruise over 25 yrs ago for same length, same cabin category, same basic Caribbean itinerary. If prices don't go up, something has to be cut back. As an aside, "back then" there were not the cute little malls and shopping centers right at the dock, but the port taxes for the entire cruise was $12. Now, there around $200......so guess who's paying for those cute little malls and shopping centers right at the dock?

[boscobeans]

Yep, and as I've posted before.....while going through old cruise memorabilia and coming across an old cruise ticket. We paid $30 more for a cruise 2 yrs ago than we paid for a cruise over 25 yrs ago for same length, same cabin category, same basic Caribbean itinerary. If prices don't go up, something has to be cut back. As an aside, "back then" there were not the cute little malls and shopping centers right at the dock, but the port taxes for the entire cruise was $12. Now, there around $200......so guess who's paying for those cute little malls and shopping centers right at the dock?

 

 

After reading the above I looked back at our first 7 day cruise to Bermuda on the Celebrity Zenith and compared it to an upcoming 10 night cruise to the Caribbean in an oversized veranda D1 stateroom on Serenade of the seas. Sure, we got a great price and all that for booking on board and a year in advance plus an agent with a group price etc...

 

We are paying $29.92 more than we did for the Bermuda cruise in 2001.

 

Are there cuts? From our first experience WOW, yes and a lot of them.

Are we put off from cruising because of the cuts? Not really, we love cruising.

Would we pay more for the same 2001 experience? YES, with a big "IF". If we could get what we had without going into the full suite category, which is so far above even the best or largest veranda staterooms on ships in on board amenities, dining etc., in price.

 

It seems we are heading towards the Cunard Queens Grill and the like on Celebrity and other lines with the standardization of all things, verandas, dining and perks below true full service suites which are at times more than 3 times the price of a lesser stateroom.

 

We would gladly pay more than we did in 2001 with normal inflation worked into the deal plus some, but it seems like it is now 'lowest price cut to the bone cruises' (not as bad as Easy Cruise-LOL ) with the option to book a suite and get to eat at better restaurants, enjoy larger cabins and have an almost totally different cruise experience from those in STEERAGE. Just wish the lines would have a few more choices as to stateroom size and veranda size other than location, without having to pay 4 times the rate to have 20 extra square feet of space and a lounge on your veranda.

 

Love cruising and will soon be on our 24+ cruise with others lined up.

 

Happy Sailing to all and enjoy every Nautical Mile on every cruise to come.

 

bosco

[sfaaa]

Cruise lines also cutback on cruise fare. You can't have it both ways.

[navybankerteacher]

When you compare the perhaps 10,000 berths sailing the Caribbean at any time a couple of dozen years ago with the close to (and possibly more than) 100,000 now, it is obvious that the cruising population has necessarily increased. It used to be an activity for the relatively wealthy: professionals, corporate managers, the independently wealthy, etc. - who could pay the fares and also were inclined to be comfortable dressing for dinner and having a fairly formal experience.

 

By holding fares down, the lines have been able to fill their ships, and have increasingly attracted a less affluent segment of society. This is manifested by the growing percentage of cruisers who refuse the notion of dressing for dinner - with the resultant abandonment of dress codes.

 

It is a whole different business than it was decades ago, so of course the pricing, and product, is different.

[WupperAV]

BWAHAHA! Suite Perk Mentality. We were on Crown Princess and got Mediocre service in a few places including the 2 pats of butter at dinner, you ask for more and everyone is done eating by the time it arrives. No more cookies and milk with MUTS, they tell u go get your own. Crown was pretty dirty and Rusty in places. We sailed on Diamond in 2010 and it was impeccable. On formal night on Dawn, we were turned away at dining for being underdressed, (late arrival from a Princess trip) and lucky we were as it took an extra hr to serve dinner with no explanation to our friends. And Children.....? There were children aboard. Of all the OOOOOOHHHHHHH I can't go on.............LOL They allowed Rednecks aboard, Me being one of them.

[navybankerteacher]

BWAHAHA! Suite Perk Mentality. We were on Crown Princess and got Mediocre service in a few places including the 2 pats of butter at dinner, you ask for more and everyone is done eating by the time it arrives. No more cookies and milk with MUTS, they tell u go get your own. Crown was pretty dirty and Rusty in places. We sailed on Diamond in 2010 and it was impeccable. On formal night on Dawn, we were turned away at dining for being underdressed, (late arrival from a Princess trip) and lucky we were as it took an extra hr to serve dinner with no explanation to our friends. And Children.....? There were children aboard. Of all the OOOOOOHHHHHHH I can't go on.............LOL They allowed Rednecks aboard, Me being one of them.

 

 

What?

[boscobeans]

When you compare the perhaps 10,000 berths sailing the Caribbean at any time a couple of dozen years ago with the close to (and possibly more than) 100,000 now, it is obvious that the cruising population has necessarily increased. It used to be an activity for the relatively wealthy: professionals, corporate managers, the independently wealthy, etc. - who could pay the fares and also were inclined to be comfortable dressing for dinner and having a fairly formal experience.

 

By holding fares down, the lines have been able to fill their ships, and have increasingly attracted a less affluent segment of society. This is manifested by the growing percentage of cruisers who refuse the notion of dressing for dinner - with the resultant abandonment of dress codes.

 

It is a whole different business than it was decades ago, so of course the pricing, and product, is different.

 

 

Very good points... A lot also has to do with trying to fill these Mega-ships that are no longer ships but rather enormous housing complexes with amusement park entertainment..

 

It seems like those in the Ivory Towers where the decisions are made keep following the mindset that, at least for ships at sea, "THE BIGGER THE BETTER" and continue pushing the envelope of glitz, glitter and gigantism.

 

OMO

 

bosco

[bUU]

It seems like those in the Ivory Towers where the decisions are made keep following the mindset that...

There is nothing "Ivory Tower" about being right about what will best achieve the goals of the enterprise.

[navybankerteacher]

There is nothing "Ivory Tower" about being right about what will best achieve the goals of the enterprise.

 

 

I look forward to your comparing your experience in 2018 on Nieuw Amstedam with that of ten years earlier on Noordam. You might be asking yourself if it is same line.

 

However, as long as "goals of the enterprise" means only profitable operation, I agree with you. To the extent that "goals of the enterprise" means product delivered -- I must suggest that such goals are constantly devolving.

[boscobeans]

There is nothing "Ivory Tower" about being right about what will best achieve the goals of the enterprise.

 

 

What precisely are the goals of the enterprise?

 

Just wondering, I have seen ships and service change greatly in the past 17 years, as have others even more so over longer periods of time.

 

What is the goal of keeping prices down, below actual inflation statistics, by cutting so many aspects of what was for many the total cruise experience, and granting to those in suites what was common to all on prior cruises.

 

OMO

 

bosco

[boscobeans]

I look forward to your comparing your experience in 2018 on Nieuw Amstedam with that of ten years earlier on Noordam. You might be asking yourself if it is same line.

.

 

 

I was lucky enough to have cruised the Noordam back a little over ten years ago and it was far and beyond what Celebrity currently offers for its passengers all the way up to suite category.

 

bosco

[bUU]

What precisely are the goals of the enterprise?

As is required of all for profit corporations in the United States, to increase shareholder value.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[bUU]

I look forward to your comparing your experience in 2018 on Nieuw Amstedam with that of ten years earlier on Noordam. You might be asking yourself if it is same line.

 

However, as long as "goals of the enterprise" means only profitable operation, I agree with you. To the extent that "goals of the enterprise" means product delivered -- I must suggest that such goals are constantly devolving.

We probably won't notice the difference you do, because our expectations are different. Regardless, as it is, we booked a suite this time, and in this changing industry, responding to changes in the customer base, that is how you can retain that higher level of service with regard to some aspects. Furthermore, if we wanted to book something better, we would have booked a super premium line. Everything that used to be offered is still offered. The question is whether or not you're willing to pay the price for it.

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

Edited March 4, 2017 by bUU

[WupperAV]

Compare it with the CP Rail Road. Horton took it over, sold 300 Locomotives and they had a shortage to haul grain with but he made money for the Shareholders. Cruise lines are cutting back service and then wonder why we tell them to go to hell because the experience and food are just like a cattle car. We quit Princess due to their shoddy service. In 2010 it was impeccable. 7 years is all it took.