If they would change just one thing...

[SantaFeFan]

Agree. They have included gratuities in Australia and yet their prices haven't escalated .

 

 

Sorry, but that is a fantasy. Prices would go up by only a few percent to roll tips into the fare. Would you really notice a 5 percent increase change over several cruising seasons? Especially when there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of other criteria being used to determine fares from year to year - think fuel cost fluctuations, variable food costs from year to year, etc.

 

If you think the cruise lines will absorb out of their profits an amount equal to what the tips were, you really don't know how business works. Any method in how the crew are remunerated will ALWAYS be paid by the passengers, whether in the form of tips supplementing the base wage, or increased fares to cover those increased wages now being paid only from their base pay.

 

The cruise lines are for-profit businesses, not charity organizations.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I'd like:

 

Real promenades on all ships

Bigger showers, with a door

MUTS daytime not so loud and no more concerts; at least have a decent movie. I like MUTS at night.

Longer shows

No traditional diners allowed in Anytime.

Decent sized balconies, like on the older ships

Stop the chair saving!

[Coral]

Sorry, but that is a fantasy. Prices would go up by only a few percent to roll tips into the fare. Would you really notice a 5 percent increase change over several cruising seasons? Especially when there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of other criteria being used to determine fares from year to year - think fuel cost fluctuations, variable food costs from year to year, etc.

 

If you think the cruise lines will absorb out of their profits an amount equal to what the tips were, you really don't know how business works. Any method in how the crew are remunerated will ALWAYS be paid by the passengers, whether in the form of tips supplementing the base wage, or increased fares to cover those increased wages now being paid only from their base pay.

 

The cruise lines are for-profit businesses, not charity organizations.

 

This can go either way. Princess is willing to lower the cost on the cruise quite a bit and even take a loss but they know the majority of their staff will be paid through tips. So they can take a loss on the cruise as they don't have as many salaried people knowing not all cruises have losses. There are Alaskan cruises going for $399 pp right now which has to be at a loss.

 

There would be less flexibility if they included tips as they couldn't operate at a loss there if they were responsible for paying higher salaries to all wait staff and room stewards.

[PTMary]

Wonder what would happen if all passengers withheld their tips????

 

Maybe cruise lines would pay 'living wage'. Appreciate cruise fares would rise.

 

Wonder what would happen if all passengers paid their tips without complaint????

 

Maybe cruise critic complaining would be 'cut in half'. Appreciate people from certain countries would appear to be kinder.

[MSBerliner]

The ONE thing they could do almost immediately is to begin serving FIRST CLASS COFFEE! The Germans, Swiss, Austrians and even the Americans (Starbucks) serve first class coffee. Even more, almost any US cafeteria with coffee brewed in large urns serves coffee 10x better than ANY cruise line! That's what the ONE thing is.

[Ergates The Ant]

1. Include tip/ gratuity/ service charge in the fare.

 

2. Make interior of ship smoke free, as it would be on land in the UK

 

3. Improve the layout of the buffet food stations.

 

That said,I have not booked a Princess cruise this year after their disgraceful behaviour in dumping waste at sea. Hopefully, the award to the whistleblower will ensure that any cruise line wont risk trying anything illegal in future. I might reconsider if some of the senior staff responsible get the jail sentences they richly deserve, rather than a fine that the company will just pass on to its customers.

[Ergates The Ant]

Wonder what would happen if all passengers paid their tips without complaint????

 

Maybe cruise critic complaining would be 'cut in half'. Appreciate people from certain countries would appear to be kinder.

 

Which people would appear to be kinder?

[Ergates The Ant]

Forgot about the coffee on Princess! Truly awful!

Celebrity can manage to provide good coffee in the buffet.

[Tatka]

We had a seafood buffet last week on the Crown

 

 

 

What was included? I am glad to hear!

 

I remember from our very first Princess cruise in 2006 huge crab legs split in halves, lobsters.. basically tons of various seafood. It happened twice during 7dayer.

[Thrak]

1. Include tip/ gratuity/ service charge in the fare.

 

2. Make interior of ship smoke free, as it would be on land in the UK

 

3. Improve the layout of the buffet food stations.

 

That said,I have not booked a Princess cruise this year after their disgraceful behaviour in dumping waste at sea. Hopefully, the award to the whistleblower will ensure that any cruise line wont risk trying anything illegal in future. I might reconsider if some of the senior staff responsible get the jail sentences they richly deserve, rather than a fine that the company will just pass on to its customers.

 

Pretty much all restaurants, bars, and hotels in California are smoke-free. I guess that's one thing California is actually getting right.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

1. Eliminate formal nights and substitute "Evening Chic" like Celebrity has done.

 

2. Improve Wifi reception and include it in the cruise fare.

 

Both of these recognize the changing times we live in. Even on vacation, many people want to stay connected.

[pablo222]

Agree. They have included gratuities in Australia and yet their prices haven't escalated .

 

Then why are they complaining?

 

"Stop treating some countries like 2nd class citizens when it comes to promotions etc."

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=52955654

[FritzG]

Make the guaranteed 6p.m. traditional first seating in the mdr actually take place at 6p.m.

 

Go back to using real butter in the pastries and desserts so they would taste like they should.

[floridalover5623]

1. Eliminate formal nights and substitute "Evening Chic" like Celebrity has done.

 

 

 

Why bother when they officially don't require people to dress formally as it stands today?

[cbreit]

I like the idea of a non-smoking casino. I quit 7 years ago (yesterday!) and can't stand the smell anymore.. but I do feel bad saying this because when I did smoke, I loved being able to in the casino.. You just can't win, unless of course you quit! LOL

[GUT2407]

They could easily include the tips (increase cruise cost) for those in areas that are not used to USA's tipping habits.

But then certain groups would still tip.

[GUT2407]

1. Eliminate formal nights and substitute "Evening Chic" like Celebrity has done.

 

2. Improve Wifi reception and include it in the cruise fare.

 

Both of these recognize the changing times we live in. Even on vacation, many people want to stay connected.

 

 

Actually I'd like to see them enforce the dress code

 

And

 

I'm not interested in subsidising everyone else's addiction to their "device" if they want it, let them pay for it.

[IndiTravler]

Turn down the sound at MUTS during the day. It is so loud it spoils the enjoyment of the area.

 

another ditto!

[ellie1145]

Love Princess!

 

Bring back cruising in the Caribbean in the summer would be my wish..... Not going to happen, I know.....

 

Would also like some more up to date theatre shows as the random selection of songs and a bit of dancing is so old hat.

[VibeGuy]

Just one? Slackers. Do one of these a year and earn my loyalty for life.

 

1) Have the booking engine remember my usual second passenger as a default.

 

2) prepare a personalized health form that prints with the boarding passes, ready to sign and date

 

3) remember my onboard spend card between sailings

 

4) make Messenger@Sea logins reusable between cruises. They persist (can't reuse the username) but they don't work again

 

5) Per-Day, Per Cruise or Per-Megabyte internet pricing so I can stay logged in to get emails and Skype calls. The more I'm logged in, the more days a year I can sail. I could go from being a 28-days-a-year cruiser to 60 or more literally overnight but I can only handle intermittent communication for so many days. (I'm 25 years from retirement and I'm not making the mistake my mom made and dying young figuring she'd enjoy early retirement - I have a career that is based on what I know, not where I know it).

 

6) Elite preference for dining reservations (both Traditional and ATD)

 

7) Better rum on board. The place is lousy with decent liquor as a rule but the rums are mostly swill.

 

8) Pre-personalized Elite minibars. Once upon a time the Personalizer could do this, but it never affected the onboard reality. Instead of deleting the capability, please fix the business process (I would like no beer, all Cognac and the non-alcoholic selections evenly divided between Perrier and Sprite Zero)

 

9) A financially viable option to ship luggage to and from the ship - think OnTrac not UPS/DHL published rates.

 

10) more accessible outdoor soft seating - I love the space outside Club One5 on Grand. Frankly, I like that entire concept quite well.

 

11) Continue working with the Port Of Vancouver on flows to make Elite/Suite preferred boarding a valuable benefit.

 

12) More frequent menu change cycles.

 

13) Coke Freestyle machines in the Horizon Court and on the Lido and Sun decks. They have RFID readers in them, so they could unlock for Ocean Medallions with Soda and More or AIBP.

 

14) bring back the pasta with sugo de lepre

 

15) Offer me the option of a (very) small floral arrangement instead of the minibar.

 

16) Lower the lights in the MDRs and rely more on "candle"-style LEDs - my DH and friends look better and better the dimmer the lighting gets.

 

17) More variety in Love Boat episodes on the CCTV. MeTV stations manage to come up with two new ones every week. Although, watching a young Meredith Baxter as a straight engaged centerfold model never gets old . . .

 

18) Rowing machines in the gym.

 

19) A stack of towels by the Lotus Spa Pool

 

20) An "express laundry" option for same-day service without pressing and, while we're at it, a laundry I can send a pair of jeans to without getting creases.

 

21) outlets near the bedside - especially the shiny new ones with USB chargers.

 

22) Dining room menus on Princess@Sea.

[SantaFeFan]

1. Eliminate formal nights and substitute "Evening Chic" like Celebrity has done.

 

2. Improve Wifi reception and include it in the cruise fare.

 

Both of these recognize the changing times we live in. Even on vacation, many people want to stay connected.

 

Agree on #1, but not on #2. Since we couldn't care less about staying connected when we are trying to get away on a cruise, included wi-fi would be something we would never use. There is no doubt that the fare would be increased to cover the extensive equipment upgrades necessary to let everyone use it all the time. I don't like paying for things that I don't use. If you want wi-fi, then pay for it yourself instead of wanting your fellow passengers to subsidize it.

[Coral]

2. Improve Wifi reception and include it in the cruise fare.

 

Both of these recognize the changing times we live in. Even on vacation, many people want to stay connected.

 

Princess is pretty behind in their wifi. Recently priced out internet on Liberty of the Seas and it is quite affordable for what they are offering. If Princess did what RCCL is doing, I don't think many of us would complain about the cost/signal. Many of us do need to stay connected when away.

[IndiTravler]

Also in the make the casino smoke free -- OR move it so I don't have to walk thru it to get from one end of the ship to the other.

 

I'd like other cheese options for burgers at the pool. I detest American cheese, I want real Cheddar or Swiss.

[ambo25]

Then why are they complaining?

 

"Stop treating some countries like 2nd class citizens when it comes to promotions etc."

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=52955654

 

Obviously whilst reading the boards you and fellow posters may not have understood the issues that some fellow Australians raise .

In Australia we are raised on the premise of giving and getting a fair go.

The issues in relation to the quote you have referred to pertain to the fact the Australians are unable allowed to partake in some Princess advertised promotions and offers that are offered.

Having cruised a number of years with Princess out of Australia I also suggest that the fares have increased over the years, albeit slightly but I have also noticed the much mentioned cost cutting during that time to services and more items being paid fro which were once included in you fare.

Cheers

[Reader0108598]

Definitely agree with shower doors. Shower curtains? Yuk!

 

Also agree with more equal promotions. No Sip and Sail for the UK. Instead our current one is two half bottles of wine and a speciality dinner. Whoop de doo :o Shouldn't moan as this is probably one of the best ones they have ever done since we started sailing with them. Got a Royal Caribbean cruise booked this year - buy one get second half price plus drinks package plus free gratuities plus unlimited WiFi.

 

You got a great deal on the Royal cruise,congrats! :)