Posting "Celebrity Secrets" Backlash

[excitedofharpenden]

Interesting thread this one.

 

First of all, Allen. Whilst you put it in stronger terms than I would, I have to agree with your principal. I'd feel embarrassed asking for more than one helping. I did it once on the last cruise I was on, when I had two desserts after our waiter had joked about it before. I have to say I felt a bit guilty when he brought me two. I did of course eat them. Rude not to:p

 

The other thing is the question of just how many people actually read these boards. I think there are an awful lot of non-members who look in. More than we perhaps imagine. I gauge this by the fact that I posted a link to my photos on Webshots here and within 4 days I had 2700 hits. I know our CC group was large, but not that large:eek: so I think it quite possible that word "gets around".

 

I'll have to have a good look at the other items on the "secrets" thread to see which other things may disappear.

 

Phil

[nu2sea]

Please explain revenue enhancement.

...

 

Revenue enhancement is a term used to describe an additional source of income. Celebrity is now offering a shrimp cocktail as a $12 Sailaway Package for two. (or $24 for four)

 

Susan

[WeBeCruisin']

Please explain revenue enhancement.

If a cruise ship were a grocery store (make believe) and a particular product was hard to keep on the shelves because it was so popular, would the manager not order more than he formerly did, to supply the demand?

.

 

The problem is that all the extra shrimp and lobster costs extra money, yet the ship's "revenue" has not been enhanced just because people are demanding more of certain foods. At some point, costs have to be increased to cover the extra food, and that's when the same people who pig-out on special foods not found on the menu each night will be the first to complain about increased cruise prices or nickel-and-dime increases in other areas.

 

The argument that other less popular items such as escargot and froglegs can be eliminated is somewhat fallacious, too, unless you're wanting them to eliminate everything except the most popular choices. Ironically, one of the reasons the "special" people give for their menu demands is that there aren't enough things on the menu that they like. :rolleyes:

[arabrab]

I could buy the expense issue, but nice shrimp (even large nice shrimp) are simply not a very expensive food anymore. The prep is very easy, can be done somewhat in advance, and the presentation, with cocktail sauce and lemons is not expensive either. All in all, the food cost of a shrimp cocktail appetizer can't be much above $2 per serving,(20-24 count shrimp per pound) and the service costs (plate, waiter) are pretty much the same whether the appetizer is shrimp cocktail or pate. Shrimp are almost always frozen these days, so it isn't as if they have issues with perishability either.

 

They may have reasonable issues with people ordering 2 or 3 shrimp coctails or any other appetizer at one time, but the cost of one shrimp cocktail, even if everyone ordered one every night shouldn't pose any kind of a financial strain.

 

Cheers,

Barb

[WeBeCruisin']

Interesting thread this one.

 

First of all, Allen. Whilst you put it in stronger terms than I would, I have to agree with your principal.

 

Hi Phil. I'm still trying to work on that unfortunate tendency to phrase things a little too strongly. :o

[nu2sea]

Phil, you and Allen may be right in that the publicity that we have given some of the Celebrity Secrets may have driven up the demand. But, the fact that Celebrity now offers Shrimp Cocktails as one of their Bon Voyage Selections in the cruise docs tells me that they are trying to enhance their revenue by charging for them.

 

So, did the demand go up first, or did the price? Or was it the chicken or the egg?;)

 

Susan

[Ericknow32]

And then there is the limited space on ships. The freezers/refrigerators can only handle so much. By bringing on more shrimp to please greedy people it will cause something else to be left out. Maybe it is the food you want. Who knows. I agree with Allen, people should order off of the menu.

[Leela]

This is a very interesting topic. It kind of ties into a reaction I had about a recent "getting the most out of" thread. For some people, getting the most out of something, means just knowing how things work and what's available so you can have a great worry-free time. But for a few others, it means figuring out every single perk or possible perk or extra thing you can get, and then making sure you get as much of it as possible.

 

It's kind of like the difference between enjoying the really nice shampoo and conditioner in a fancy hotel, and hiding the bottles every night so the maid will give you new ones even though you didn't use the old. The first one is just a matter of knowledge and enjoyment ("Wow, their soaps are made by Aquatiane en Provence, cool, I'll have to check out that shop some time") and greed ("I paid $200/night for this hotel room, and I'm going to walk out of here with all the extra fancy soaps that I can").

 

Now, soap isn't very expensive, but extrapolate this to some other more expensive things and publicise how to get them and you can see where the problem starts to crop up.

 

I see Celebrity as walking a fine line. They have picked their "niche" and price point, and if they raise cruise fare prices so that everyone can get as much of anything as they want, then their customer base will be unhappy. To keep prices stable -- and to increase revenue in the face of rising fuel prices, rising shrimp prices due to hurricane disruption in the Gulf, and other things of this nature -- then have to limit or start charging for things. And if they kept their prices stable without increasing revenue, then the stockholders would be very upset because healthy stock prices depend a good deal on growth.

 

As I said, this is very interesting.

[MajorsWife]

There seems to be a rapidly-increasing number of cruise passengers who have the mind-set "I paid for this cruise' date=' and I will demand and get anything I want, because I am royalty and everyone on the ship, including the other passengers, is subservient to my self-centered desires and whims".[/quote']

 

 

All three of the couples were in CC staterooms and had paid plenty of money for our crusies...don't we deserve it or havent we paid for it? OK, Im rambling....

 

Gesh Allen...I hope you werent refering to me:confused: This is my first cruise..so my first offense. I by no means think I'm royalty or have that attitude...hope you all know me better than that:)

[nu2sea]

Leela, I'd like to give X the benefit of the doubt and assume that the shrimp prices were raised due to hurricanes, but the brochure was printed well before the hurricanes hit.

 

On the other hand it worked well for the oil companies, didn't it? Using the hurricanes as cover, they amassed a record breaking $10 billion dollars in profits.

:cool:

Susan

BTW, I don't order shrimp cocktails, actually don't care for them...

[WeBeCruisin']

They may have reasonable issues with people ordering 2 or 3 shrimp coctails or any other appetizer at one time, but the cost of one shrimp cocktail, even if everyone ordered one every night shouldn't pose any kind of a financial strain.

 

Barb, it's not just the individual orders of shrimp. It's the cumulative effect that all this has financially and on the efficiency of their dinner operations.

 

I was on one cruise with a tablemate who ordered two plates of escargots every single night on a 14-day cruise. That had to be pretty expensive.

 

Also, besides the additional cost of all these non-compensated "perks", there's the fact that all of the "non-special" diners who order strictly from the menu are having to wait for their food while the waitstaff and the kitchen staff ignore them because they're having to cater to the demands of the self-proclaimed "royalty".

[Outlanderssc]

I think that the one thing people are overlooking is that the X staff are catering professionals.

 

Tastes change constantly. If more people are ordering shrimp these days, order more shrimp. If shrimp is expensive, raise the prices for passage or simply stop offering shrimp cocktail. If there is no room left in the chiller, empty out a storage room and pack it in ice. If you don't have the staff to shell shrimp, buy it shelled or hire laborers to shell them.

 

The fact that it is or is not on the printed menu is irrelevant. The people want it, you can either offer it or let them go somewhere else.

 

Cruise critic is simply creating demand for their product, it's up to them to deliver at a profitable margin. It's called running a business.

[jchipgcs]

Has anyone got documentation from X saying that shrimp cocktails or anything like it is absolutely FREE AND ALL YOU CAN EAT? If not.....why is this discussion STILL LINGERING?????

[nu2sea]

Has anyone got documentation from X saying that shrimp cocktails or anything like it is absolutely FREE AND ALL YOU CAN EAT? If not.....why is this discussion STILL LINGERING?????

 

It's going to be okay, jchipgcs. Just take a few deep breaths and then step away from the keyboard.

 

When you return, try reading another thread if this discussion annoys you so much.

:D

Susan

[jchipgcs]

Susan, you're right. But somehow shrimp cocktails have popped up in several threads. I feel like we've got a few regular patrons of their local "China Buffet" in here. $9.95 all you can eat!

 

It's time for a beer.

[cruising with marti]

Has anyone got documentation from X saying that shrimp cocktails or anything like it is absolutely FREE AND ALL YOU CAN EAT? If not.....why is this discussion STILL LINGERING?????

 

 

It lingers because it can.;) And exactly why are you yelling???

 

 

Phil

[WeBeCruisin']

The fact that it is or is not on the printed menu is irrelevant. The people want it, you can either offer it or let them go somewhere else.

.

 

And should this same "logic" apply to land-based restaurants? That what's printed on the menu is irrelevant and people should order whatever they want?

[C 2 C]

and the couple who won the champagne for the most cruises on the ship were ordering appetizers for dinner, she had double he had triples & they got them.

On Summit we received flowers and a bottle of white wine... we had neither doubles nor triples... you must be remembering a different cruise than the one we both just completed.:confused:

 

 

 

I can't see how the price of four jumbo shrimp would be any greater than the other types of appetizers available...

[coleridge]

[What is a Caprese salad and what ,for goodness sake, is HAL?

 

QUOTE=scott in maine]On the past several X cruises we've been on, there were scads of other pax who were well aware of the Shrimp Cocktail offering for nightly dinner and I dare say none of them were CC members.

 

There are plenty of other things like getting a Caprese salad for the whole table nightly that I've seen done time and again on X sailings ..... these folks are just loyal, long time X cruisers and not CC members.

 

X would do well to remember that these are some of the things that keep their pax loyal to them and not drifting over to HAL or, God forfend, Carnival.....

[Leela]

HAL == Holland American Line

 

insalata caprese is the Italian salad made up of fresh sliced tomatos, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil, with salt, pepper, and olive oil sprinkled on it.

[nu2sea]

Susan, you're right. But somehow shrimp cocktails have popped up in several threads. I feel like we've got a few regular patrons of their local "China Buffet" in here. $9.95 all you can eat!

 

It's time for a beer.

 

There does seem to be a lot of the "all you can eat" mentality on cruises. Just stand around the luncheon buffet and note the heaping plates. Perhaps it is the all inclusive nature of the cruise.

 

And there is currently a lot of whining and complaining as Danno has pointed out on another thread. On this thread, I was more interested in looking at the reasons a business such as Celebrity changes its operations and begins to charge a fee for what was once part of the all inclusive nature of the product.

 

I have no problem with them charging for shrimp cocktails, frankly I don't care one way or the other. And I agree with the sentiment that has been expressed on this thread that there are too many gluttons sailing the seas, gobbling up everything within reach.

 

While I don't believe in getting something for nothing, I also don't think that Celebrity started charging for shrimp cocktails because we discussed it on this board.

 

They may have run short due to supply disruptions following Katrina and Wilma but the decision to charge for the cocktail was made earlier. I think the reason why is simply that they can. It enhances their revenue. And they are in business to make money.

 

They may wind up pricing us out of their market. But there are always other cruisers out there.

 

Susan

[Schplinky]

 

insalata caprese is the Italian salad made up of fresh sliced tomatos, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil, with salt, pepper, and olive oil sprinkled on it.

 

 

Oh, I love that! Is it sometimes made with bocancini (sp?), the softer mozzarella?

[Leela]

Yes definitely -- the softer mozzarella in the little balls, not the harder stuff that you grate to melt on top of pizza. Delightful!!

[DancerOT]

As a point of fact, I knew (as did the rest of my family) about shrimp cocktail as an appetizer at dinner well before I knew about CC. I only started talking to you all within the last 6 months and have been taking cruises for longer than that. Guess what? I also knew about the ceasar salad, steak, and salmon at any dinner before CC as well. How did I know, you ask? Because our waiter ALWAYS told us! So as helpful as many of you are - and you have helped with planning many aspects of our cruise and are you just fun to talk to, dont think that CC caused this change. I will be happy to report back in a few weeks when I get back if the "shrimp cocktail fiasco" is actually occurring. In one other point of fact, even with knowing about the shrimp cocktail - I very rarely order it. Happy cruising!

[Schplinky]

Yes definitely -- the softer mozzarella in the little balls, not the harder stuff that you grate to melt on top of pizza. Delightful!!

 

Oh dear. It's ironic that this thread (complaining as it is about those who request "specials" has made me want to ask tfor this one when we're on Connstellation in a few weeks.