Why are cruise lines constantly cutting back?

[bUU]

I can attest to the rising prices over the past few years especially.

Short term changes aren't informative. Keep in mind that we had a really nasty recession at the end of the last decade and that kept a lid on all discretionary spending for a very extended period of time. Since the recovery finally took hold, obviously you're going to see all discretionary prices increasing significantly higher than the broader rate of inflation. That's the way business Cycles always work. For comparisons of prices to be truly significant you need to compare prices during a certain point in time to another point in time that is at the same place in the business cycle.

 

 

 

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[ProgRockCruiser]

I can attest to the rising prices over the past few years especially. I cruised for $199 in an inside for 7 days on Glory then. Well it was $398 due to the solo supplement. They also used to run specials for single cruisers. Lately an inside cabin has been running over twice that.

 

The ship is getting older, it goes to the same places, and the experience isn’t getting better.

"It's the economy, stupid!"

 

(Not calling you stupid, just repeating an oft-used quote.)

 

Not sure of your timeline of "the past few years" ("few" to me means three), but the economy has been slowly recovering in the last three or four years, and based on what I am seeing locally (and elsewhere in the US) for housing and commercial building growth, has really taken off in the last year or two.

 

Based on that, it is not surprising that "great deals" on cruises are becoming a rare thing - there are more people with a bit more disposable income, so the cabins sell faster and more regularly at the normal pricing.

[firemanbobswife]

Short term changes aren't informative. Keep in mind that we had a really nasty recession at the end of the last decade and that kept a lid on all discretionary spending for a very extended period of time. Since the recovery finally took hold, obviously you're going to see all discretionary prices increasing significantly higher than the broader rate of inflation. That's the way business Cycles always work. For comparisons of prices to be truly significant you need to compare prices during a certain point in time to another point in time that is at the same place in the business cycle.

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I agree, however, I am talking within the past 2-3 years. The Truimph thing I’m sure had something to do with it as well. Carnival has recovered and prices increased accordingly. They simply aren’t the value they were a short time ago and have caused me to stray once again. Just not sure if I’ll be back after that.

[ray98]

I can attest to the rising prices over the past few years especially. I cruised for $199 in an inside for 7 days on Glory then. Well it was $398 due to the solo supplement. They also used to run specials for single cruisers. Lately an inside cabin has been running over twice that.

 

The ship is getting older, it goes to the same places, and the experience isn’t getting better.

 

Well....as someone who has cruised multiple times a year for 2+ decades....sub-$200 7 day cruises aren't something I found as a regular or common occurrence . I'm not sure that is an honest baseline anyway because there were several years cabins were nearly given away to fill ships due to the economy.

[firemanbobswife]

Well....as someone who has cruised multiple times a year for 2+ decades....sub-$200 7 day cruises aren't something I found as a regular or common occurrence . I'm not sure that is an honest baseline anyway because there were several years cabins were nearly given away to fill ships due to the economy.

 

Even comparing how much we paid for 4 in a balcony when we first started cruising in 2003, prices have gone up and the experience has gone down.

[Doggielover68]

Because that's the way life works. When the cost of things goes up, they have to make changes that make sense and align with the needs of vacationers today. Times have changed and things that were once considered luxurious to some are not really a big deal to others.

 

It's not just cruise lines, it's everything.

 

 

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[elcuchio24]

I also thing alot of people who are just starting to cruise, of maybe have only been on one or two, may not miss things that have been cut back. Because they never experienced some of the services folks who have been cruising for decades have.

[txskier]

We spread our cruising around to different cruise lines. Will see how Carnival has changed or remains the same since our last cruise with them in 2014.

Maybe today's market is mostly about the "new" customer and not keeping the "seasoned" cruisers.

Back in the early 80's there was a local boat dealer who sold a lot of boats but had crappy service. This was when there were a LOT of boat dealers. The standing joke at the time was that dealership wanted to sell a new boat once to everyone.....cause he knew he had crappy service.

Maybe that is just what the cruise lines want to do ...... find only new customers.

How far will we be stretched for vacation dollars?

We are snow skiers and quit skiing from 2002 til 2015 so we could concentrate on cruises.

Now we are back to skiing, other vacation $ will take away cruising in 2019

[jordanaire]

Because that's the way life works. When the cost of things goes up, they have to make changes that make sense and align with the needs of vacationers today. Times have changed and things that were once considered luxurious to some are not really a big deal to others.

 

It's not just cruise lines, it's everything.

 

 

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Amen! Name one company here in the good old USA that isn't in the business to make a profit! In order to make more money, cuts have to be made, including manpower, perks and more.

 

Now a cabin steward has to clean twice as many rooms as before while other stewards are let go. Food cutbacks are due to the unbelievable waste that takes place on every cruise ship every day. But the bottom line is "supply and demand". More people are taking cruises than ever before and companies, like Carnival, are taking advantage of it. That's become the norm here in the 21st century. And it's too bad because I, too, liked it better the way it used to be.

 

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[jimbo5544]

Jimbo;

 

While I agree with some of your points, do you really feel that Hurtigruten, with one ship of 127 cabins in the Caribbean is a competitor for Carnival? Or American Cruise, which only rarely ventures off the US coast, more into the Gulf of Mexico than the Caribbean, that I know of, and with their much higher prices?

LOL, I am probably unaware as to the number of ships they have. To be honest I just googled it. That said, I have seen that one ship 4 times in the Caribbean.

[Scotto97]

I'm probably more ok with cutbacks that I can still enjoy if I pay extra - examples like lobster on the Steakhouse Menu since it's not served on voyages less than 7 day now. Or chocolate I can purchase to replace what used to be placed on pillows.

 

But it's the cutting of experiences that I cannot buy back that bother's me more:

 

I cannot hire a band or pay them extra in order to experience more live music onboard

 

It's not possible for me to organize the loyalty party that used to occur for Gold or higher on every cruise

 

Bringing my own tablecloth probably won't work out too well

 

Paying to receive ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox is not an option

[bUU]

That's what CCL has Seabourn cruise line for.

 

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[Scotto97]

That's what CCL has Seabourn cruise line for.

 

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But Seabourn is a COMPLETELY different experience - we all know that.

 

It's a shame I'm being told to book with Seabourn just because i'd like table cloths or a 30 minute hosted party for returning guests. - These used to be included on Carnival until recently.

[bUU]

It isn't actually. If you expect there to be a cruise line custom designed for you personally you're always going to end up pretty disappointed. Cruise Lines, especially mass-market cruise lines, are designed for, well, the mass Market.

 

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[Scotto97]

It isn't actually. If you expect there to be a cruise line custom designed for you personally you're always going to end up pretty disappointed. Cruise Lines, especially mass-market cruise lines, are designed for, well, the mass Market.

 

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Personally I'd rather charter a small yacht in the Caribbean with another couple than go on Seabourn. Surprisingly the cost for a week can be similar depending on the cabin selection and yacht size.

[jimbo5544]

Personally I'd rather charter a small yacht in the Caribbean with another couple than go on Seabourn. Surprisingly the cost for a week can be similar depending on the cabin selection and yacht size.

Let us know if you are going to show up on Below Deck....

[Moviela]

I think you should consider what is being offered, and how much you want to spend. If they align, make a purchase. Don't worry that the pillow mint is no longer provided.

What CCL is selling is what people today want to buy. If there was a drop in bookings due to a lack of lobster, it will be back in seconds.

[Scotto97]

Let us know if you are going to show up on Below Deck....

 

Love that show - very interesting what goes on behind the scenes. (Not the crazy reality show stuff though)

 

But a 50 - 60 foot Sea Ray or Azimut would be more in our price range.

[CGinMTL]

People insist on living in the past and want something for nothing. Why does it matter what you used to get from cruise lines back in 1998 when today is 2018. The world is constantly evolving so move with it or fall by the sideway.

I agree. Prices have not really increased in at least 10 years.

I have no problem with what they have cut.

If you want more and pay more, go on azamara. I went, loved it, but i was "over served ". Prefer to pay less.

 

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[BallFour4]

I see this question at some interval and have this based on my B- in college economics.

In 2002 I took my family on our third cruise on the Celebration from Galveston for five nights. I had three in a outside cabin with no balcony. The cost was $1700 before gratuity and excursions.

My wife and I, both over 55 and diamond on the next one are booked on a 7 nighter later this spring for about the same dollar amount in a lido balcony.

The car l drive in 2002 cost 18k and my 2016 Acura pushed 40.

I can do without a chocolate, second cabin service, lesser menu and a smattering of other things to see the fleets expand in number and size of the costs stay in check.

I’d type more but SWA just closed the door on the plane!

.

 

 

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[riclop]

In 1 word GREED!!!!!

[jimbo5544]

In 1 word GREED!!!!!

 

 

 

Time to watch the movie wall street.....

 

 

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[Indytraveler83]

What I see is a few things going on:

 

1) An adjustment to mass market expectation vs traditional cruise expectations. For instance, twice a day cabin service is a very traditional thing. But for most of us, we stayed in hotels for years where we were lucky if a maid came in and made our bed.

 

Most passengers just haven’t come to expect the traditional cruise services, and the line simply isn’t going to continue on its own dime a practice that most customers likely won’t expect.

 

2) The rise of the “micro-transaction” This is having a low base rate, then being nickled and dimed later. The cruise industry is not alone, nor did they start it.

 

It’s impossible to play a video game without being offered a power up or cheat for 99 cents. Anyone fly Spirit or Allegent lately? Those base fares grow quickly when you have the audacity to actually bring on so much as a carry on!

 

Not that I’m defending any of it. But a modern American consumer needs to think a little harder now, and really add the cost of the “micro transactions” to their base rate and figure out the true cost of a product.

[LizSydney]

What I see is a few things going on:

 

1) An adjustment to mass market expectation vs traditional cruise expectations. For instance, twice a day cabin service is a very traditional thing. But for most of us, we stayed in hotels for years where we were lucky if a maid came in and made our bed.

 

Most passengers just haven’t come to expect the traditional cruise services, and the line simply isn’t going to continue on its own dime a practice that most customers likely won’t expect.

 

2) The rise of the “micro-transaction” This is having a low base rate, then being nickled and dimed later. The cruise industry is not alone, nor did they start it.

 

It’s impossible to play a video game without being offered a power up or cheat for 99 cents. Anyone fly Spirit or Allegent lately? Those base fares grow quickly when you have the audacity to actually bring on so much as a carry on!

 

Not that I’m defending any of it. But a modern American consumer needs to think a little harder now, and really add the cost of the “micro transactions” to their base rate and figure out the true cost of a product.

 

Possibly BUT I would rather have everything included and know up front what I'm paying rather than have to pay for heaps of things later.

[Warm Breezes]

We all know that Carnival and other cruise lines have been cutting back on staffing along with various services and offerings that have been found on-board in the past. I won't list them all, but the term "Death by a thousand cuts" has been used frequently on this board.

 

My question is why.........

 

The economy is good for the most part and improving.

 

And cruise line profitability is also fairly robust.

 

There's more ships than ever sailing, so it seems that competition would promote improvement in the cruise product, but instead it seems to be constantly diminishing in an effort to squeeze out every possible nickel.

 

There obviously was a time when this trend was the opposite, Companies looked for ways to offer a better experience or there won't be so much to could take away or cut back on these days.

 

What changed?

 

My first Carnival Cruise was CCL Inspiration in 2005, a 5 day Western cruise out of Tampa and our 2nd was on CCL Elation in 2006, a 5 day Eastern cruise out of Port Canaveral. My last Carnival Cruise was on CCL Fantasy last year, a 5 day Western cruise out of Mobile. I have been on a total of 10 Carnival cruises in that time span. Since my first and last Carnival ships were both on Fantasy class ships I can honestly tell you that there many CHANGES made between my first sailing and my last. Not all of them were "cut backs".

 

Our Carnival Inspiration cruise was for 4 people in an inside room in November and cost us $1500. Our Carnival Fantasy cruise was 2 people in a port hole room in October and cost us $550.

 

Things that were added to the Fantasy class ships since we first sailed them that we noticed and enjoyed include:

 

Blue Iguana

Guy's Burgers

The Deli

Water Works

Serenity

Sea Day Brunch

Casual Dress Code

Anytime Dining

 

 

Things that were cut back on Fantasy class ships since we first sailed them that we noticed and missed include:

 

hmmm....I can't think of anything

 

We still had excellent service. The CD was a blast (much better than the ones we had on Inspiration and Elation whom I don't even remember). The food was consistently good in the MDR (as normal on our Carnival cruises) and not so good in the buffet (as all my Carnival cruises have been). There was a Grand Gala midnight buffet on our first 2 Carnival cruises....but we didn't go to either one so I didn't miss it on our last one. The shows (IMHO) were better than we have seen on Carnival in the past and the CD had us rocking in the Atrium at the post show parties. I think their Playlist Productions are improving and the comedy club was standing room only for every show. I even won in the casino...so much so that I left with more cash than I came on with and they were starting to give me free drinks the last couple of days. I usually come in right around the break even point and never come close to getting free drinks. Our room was cleaned 2x per day, we had towel animals every night, and our room steward kept our cooler full of ice. They even gave us a coupon for a free photo for our anniversary. The cherry on top....they gave us 20% off what we paid on that cruise to use towards our next Carnival cruise because we missed Progresso (of all places) due to a medical emergency and ended up having an overnight in Cozumel. We missed Grand Cayman on our Carnival Inspiration cruise and were sent Progresso instead. No refunds for that.

 

Thanks Carnival. Got a great casino rate on our next Carnival Glory cruise this November and used our discount from our Fantasy cruise. Net cost $1566 for a 7 day Eastern cruise out of Miami for 2 in a balcony room.

 

Yes there have been changes that we do miss like the past guest party (wasn't eligible for them on our first cruises so didn't list that above ;)). But there have been more things that we enjoy that have been added over time that I can't look at things as cut backs but as changes. I go on a cruise fully anticipating that things might not be the same as they were the last time we sailed. I do my research and adjust our expectations to what currently is and decide if the current cost of the cruise is worth what is currently being offered. On Carnival, the answer from us is still a resounding yes.