Is Princess turning off their customer base?

[vmom]

Just because Princess has introduced the Ocean Medallion doesn't mean they are getting more "techie".   All business are using technology to meet the service needs of their customers within the service industry.

 

Further, most people I know in their 50's and 60's enjoy technology and use internet and tech services a lot.  Not sure how this means that Princess is no longer advertising to their base.

 

Further, multi generational cruising vacations are becoming more popular so its important for any cruise line to appeal to many age groups. 

 

So basically I'm not in agreement with your premise. 

[OCruisers]

14 hours ago, helencruising said:

I think they still have a good balance between keeping their customer base and attracting new generations of cruisers. 

 

 

 

Per above ... Agree with you! 

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, capriccio said:

But no one is forced to eat at 4:45.  Those preferring to eat later like us (and we are an 'older' demographic - mid and upper 60s) can chose late traditional or anytime dining.

 

 

 

You of course are 100% correct. I think an issue however,  as may have already been in said in a previous post, is that late traditional will fill up and Anytime will have more crowds.  

 

I have to say, that to me it just doesn't make sense to have a 4:45 early seating.  There must be demand otherwise I'm pretty sure they would not have done it.  

[Crystal04]

I'm a millennial and platinum status with Princess.  I'm not loyal to any brand. I just go for the itinerary and dates that work for me.  There isn't much to do on board other than lay out by the pool during the day, and maybe play some pickleball, and gamble.  Sea days can be rough for me, I get extremely bored. I honestly do not see what they are doing to appeal to younger people. Ocean medallion, no thanks, I don't need to carry something else around with me. The flat on demand TV's that Royal and Regal have are a necessity and need to be on every ship.  When I invite someone with me I explain to them that Princess isn't like other cruise ships and it is more of a relax and nap ship rather than a fun and exciting ship.

[MCC retired]

The only Customer Base turnoff for us , is the same old East, West and Southern Itineraries from Florida.

Need to change them up a bit once in a while.

[XBGuy]

1 hour ago, Crystal04 said:

The flat on demand TV's that Royal and Regal have are a necessity and need to be on every ship.

 

Who knew?

 

I'll be darned.

 

On the other hand, I learned the difference between "needs" and "wants" a long time ago--and, yes, I'm pretty old.

[sprint180]

I'm in my 40's been on a few Princess cruises but I'm not sure what is being marketed towards the younger set.  My husband loves Princess because all he wants to do is sit in a chair and maybe have a beer.  I think Princess is boring because I want more action.  I would really like it if they livened things up a bit.  My husband.  He is fine with how things are right now.

[Guinness1000]

We spoke to someone that works at RCCL and we were told that cruise lines have to get up to speed with the times and offer fast internet and wifi services because people are so addicted to their phones especially that many people won't even consider going on a cruise if it means they won't be "connected" at all times. 

[donswife]

2 hours ago, Crystal04 said:

I'm a millennial and platinum status with Princess.  I'm not loyal to any brand. I just go for the itinerary and dates that work for me.  There isn't much to do on board other than lay out by the pool during the day, and maybe play some pickleball, and gamble.  Sea days can be rough for me, I get extremely bored. I honestly do not see what they are doing to appeal to younger people. Ocean medallion, no thanks, I don't need to carry something else around with me. The flat on demand TV's that Royal and Regal have are a necessity and need to be on every ship.  When I invite someone with me I explain to them that Princess isn't like other cruise ships and it is more of a relax and nap ship rather than a fun and exciting ship.

What activities would you like to see?  I usually find more activities listed in the Patter than I can fit in, like Zumba, dance classes, port lectures, craft classes, all sorts of games in the Piazza or other areas, live entertainment and demonstrations, etc. Then there is the gym, which I visit most days, and the promenade deck (on the older ships) or walking track on the newer ones.

[phred119s]

20 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

As mentioned, you don’t attract a younger crowd with 4:45pm dining. That’s aimed at the nursing home crowd. They need to pick a demographic.  Their marketing and actions are opposing each other. 

Or people with young kids. 😂 ours gets hangry after 5:30 and she’s in elementary school! 

[Crystal04]

12 hours ago, XBGuy said:

 

Who knew?

 

I'll be darned.

 

On the other hand, I learned the difference between "needs" and "wants" a long time ago--and, yes, I'm pretty old.

To keep up with the times they need to upgrade their TV's. Flat screens and on demand have kind of been a thing for quite some time now. 

[caribill]

13 hours ago, MCC retired said:

The only Customer Base turnoff for us , is the same old East, West and Southern Itineraries from Florida.

Need to change them up a bit once in a while.

 

The bigger the ship the fewer ports than can handle it. So the "fantastic" Eastern Caribbean itinerary of St Thomas, St Maarten and a private island will be offered more and more.

[Doubt It]

Change is a necessity.

 

I would say Princess, HAL and Celebrity, in particular, are moving towards a "younger" customer focus.  

 

The mass lines are undergoing significant change driven by profit motive and the necessity to fill their massive number of berths resulting in more on board spend targets = younger customer.

 

The premium lines like Azamara, Oceania (having experienced 2 cruises on each line in past year) seem not to be providing the quality product they used to - cheapening has hit this market segment (read the CC reviews lately for both lines).  These two lines have an aging fleet which limit modernization, Saw less movement in this category towards a younger base. 

 

There is much more innovation (the physical asset and services, unfortunately not itineraries) at the mass cruise line level which opens opportunities for cruisers.

 

As long as a customer is not brand loyal - simply analyze the offerings and select based on the best fit for you.

 

It is all about you after all.

 

 

 

 

[cruisequeen4ever]

As a Princess loyalist who became loyal at the ripe old age of 17, who is now 37, and who got her husband hooked on Princess at age 26, I can say that we appreciate the refined Princess experience and the ships that really look and feel like ships. We are almost always the youngest at the Platinum/Elite Captain’s Circle Parties (except for the occasional grandchild traveling with grandparents), but it doesn’t bother us at all. I have definitely noticed a shift in Princess’s marketing, and though I’m all for targeting people in our demo of young married professionals, I have not liked that they’re pushing hard for families. A large population of children would radically change the Princess experience for the worse. I’m a teacher, so I like kids, but I don’t have any and want an adult, calm experience onboard. Sometimes lately, it seems like Princess has lost its identity, but I am still hopeful it won’t.

[Fuzzyape]

On 11/30/2018 at 5:53 AM, Anubi said:

Cruising has certainly changed.  When we first cruised, it was like the world fell off the horizon, we were free of everyday life and loved the relaxed days.  When we saw people coming onboard with their laptops we were surprised but it didn't impact our enjoyment.  But then, everything changed. The problem with new builds IMO is that they have become oversized and inward facing.  No more lovely promenades, absurdly small balconies and everything geared to producing revenue.  The relaxed cruising atmosphere that we loved is difficult to find, its still there if you look for it.  Is that going to put us off cruising?  Oh hell no.  We will continue to cruise the smaller ships and if Princess keeps going bigger and bigger we will exercise our free will and go elsewhere.  Its called freedom of choice and everyone has it.  

You are correct, Anubi!

I find it amazing as the ships get bigger that the focus becomes the ship...not its itinerary.  There were a lot of posts that I found interesting.   In my opinion, you have to find a ship that has the amenities you want.  To me that's why each of the lines have what they have to appeal to the market they want.  Though I know the market shifts, as do the passengers.  I guess I'll just have to keep my eyes out for the line that suits me best.  I'll let you know when it isn't Princess.  By the way, full disclosure, my first cruise was when I was in my mid to late 30s.  Take that information in whatever way you need.

[richsea]

On 11/29/2018 at 8:02 PM, 63 Super Sport said:

We enjoy cruising on Princess. The company seems to be trying to focus on younger folks but they may be turning off their "core" customer. Younger folks are going to lines with techie stuff, zip lines, race tracks and water slides. Sometime we ask ourselves - "Why not focus on your customer base?"  We have been cruising Princess since 1985 when we were in our 30's and have been hooked on cruising since then. We go on cruises for the R&R and to get away from all the "techie" stuff. We are going on our "Ocean Medallion" cruise next week. We are prepared and know the "techie stuff" but hope that it does not take away the reason we cruise.

"Life is short, Break the Rules. Forgive quickly, Kiss SLOWLY. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably And never regret ANYTHING That makes you smile."     

So if you have been sailing Princess since the 80s whan you were in your 30s, they must have marketed to you back then. So if they’re still marketing to those in their 30s,perhaps it’s you that have changed, not them. Just saying.

If you want to see a company marketing themselves to new people, look no further than Celebrity, who is marketing more and more to those who can afford the suite life, at the expense of their previous target cruisers.

[63 Super Sport]

Many thanks to all who have replied. I appreciate your input.

Have a wonderful weekend. Happy cruising...

[jangor]

On 11/30/2018 at 9:16 AM, dchip said:

 

Absolutely!!!!! How many times do you read how proud passengers are because they cruised and didn't spend a dime!! Cruise lines are a for profit business. If the older base isn't taking shore excursions, buying photos or drinking, they need to look for new cruisiers. 

 

Cheers, Denise 

This is not a Princess thing!  My daughters sail on other ships, take an inside cabin and limit, as much as possible, their on board spending.  They are still in the early stages of their careers and budgeting is a must!   My husband and are retired, love traveling, checking out new ports and new adventures ( I tried zip lining in Costa Rica at age 63).  Generalizing is never a good bet!

[jennybenny]

On 11/30/2018 at 6:16 AM, dchip said:

 

Absolutely!!!!! How many times do you read how proud passengers are because they cruised and didn't spend a dime!! Cruise lines are a for profit business. If the older base isn't taking shore excursions, buying photos or drinking, they need to look for new cruisiers. 

 

Cheers, Denise 

Ha!! That’s us!! However we spend a lot usually. We all get a beverage package for convenience  (up until recently-don’t like the new PBP package). However we’ve always prepaid for that. We also do ship excursions on some itineraries and prepay that as well. Our prepaid expenses usually cost far more than the cruise itself and for budgeting purposes we prepay a little at a time.  We pre book specialty dining always a few nights and pre pay. Then you have the duty free purchases, and we sign up for chef’s table (each executive chef has a different twist), wine makers dinners and special dinners in specialty restaurants (Royal class ships), that all gets paid on board, but I pay cash before we disembark because I like to walk off with a zero balance. 

So, I’m one of those braggers of zero but I don’t usually explain how I got to zero. Now you know.

Princess makes out with our family. 😊

Cheers,

Jenny 

[dchip]

15 hours ago, jangor said:

This is not a Princess thing!  My daughters sail on other ships, take an inside cabin and limit, as much as possible, their on board spending.  They are still in the early stages of their careers and budgeting is a must!   My husband and are retired, love traveling, checking out new ports and new adventures ( I tried zip lining in Costa Rica at age 63).  Generalizing is never a good bet!

 

You are right! Generalizing is not always a good idea. I apologize. We did the same as young cruisers.I also wasn’t speaking to cabin categories! We sure watch were we pick a cabin and yes, it has to do with pricing.  I was talking about folks who brag about not spending any money and there are quite a few of them on this forum. It is one of the reasons Princess went to non refundable OBC. Those same folks were bragging about how much money they got back from the cruise. Obviously OBC was meant to be spent. 

 

Cheers, Denise

 

 

 

 

[oalusk]

On 11/30/2018 at 2:01 PM, Guinness1000 said:

We spoke to someone that works at RCCL and we were told that cruise lines have to get up to speed with the times and offer fast internet and wifi services because people are so addicted to their phones especially that many people won't even consider going on a cruise if it means they won't be "connected" at all times. 

 

I find this really interesting! As young millenials (23, husband is 24), we actually LOVE the inaccessability you have while on the ship. For us, it's a great reprieve from being constantly connected with work, social circles, etc. I find it very difficult to actually relax on vacations - my first Princess cruise was the first vacation on which I felt completely relaxed and stress-free. I could completely "unplug", unwind, and enjoy each day. Sea days are some of my favorite days as you can choose to be as active (or inactive) as you please. I don't mind being on a ship with an older crowd - to me, it's even more enjoyable. There are less kids (typically), it's more quiet, and often, those who are older know how to have more fun! It's all about what the consumer desires from the experience. I don't blame Princess for trying to reach out to a younger target audience. I don't think they're completely forgetting their current audience, just reaching out to build a stronger long-term customer base.

[Coral]

25 minutes ago, oalusk said:

 

I find this really interesting! As young millenials (23, husband is 24), we actually LOVE the inaccessability you have while on the ship. For us, it's a great reprieve from being constantly connected with work, social circles, etc. I find it very difficult to actually relax on vacations - my first Princess cruise was the first vacation on which I felt completely relaxed and stress-free. I could completely "unplug", unwind, and enjoy each day.

 

Also remember - some people simply can not "disconnect". In today's world, some are expected to check work emails on vacation and also, some have had aging parents (or children) at home that they need to check on. For awhile - I could not get away unless I could check in daily back home. Everyone's circumstances are different. 

[Sellstar]

Great conversation around this.  With Carnival Corp being the "corporate parent" of Princess, Carnival, Holland America, Costa and others, they have a desired target market for each of their lines.  But they do position Princess as an "aspirational" brand, looking for customers to move up from Carnival and other lower cost lines.  While their ships do not have the high tech and family features that some of the newer ships have, I believe their intent in advertising to younger demographics is to get them to move up in cost with a higher perceived luxury trip.  Reading their annual report to  shareholders is a great way to identify what they are trying to accomplish and where they are having success.  It all comes down to revenue yield per passenger.  

[63 Super Sport]

1 hour ago, Sellstar said:

Great conversation around this.  With Carnival Corp being the "corporate parent" of Princess, Carnival, Holland America, Costa and others, they have a desired target market for each of their lines.  But they do position Princess as an "aspirational" brand, looking for customers to move up from Carnival and other lower cost lines.  While their ships do not have the high tech and family features that some of the newer ships have, I believe their intent in advertising to younger demographics is to get them to move up in cost with a higher perceived luxury trip.  Reading their annual report to  shareholders is a great way to identify what they are trying to accomplish and where they are having success.  It all comes down to revenue yield per passenger.  

Sellstar-

Thanks for your post.  I have a better insight on what Princess is doing.   We enjoy cruising on Princess. All the feedback has been informative. We are off to a Princess cruise this month.

Happy Holidays!

[PensFan1028]

On 12/1/2018 at 3:21 PM, cruisequeen4ever said:

As a Princess loyalist who became loyal at the ripe old age of 17, who is now 37, and who got her husband hooked on Princess at age 26, I can say that we appreciate the refined Princess experience and the ships that really look and feel like ships. We are almost always the youngest at the Platinum/Elite Captain’s Circle Parties (except for the occasional grandchild traveling with grandparents), but it doesn’t bother us at all. I have definitely noticed a shift in Princess’s marketing, and though I’m all for targeting people in our demo of young married professionals, I have not liked that they’re pushing hard for families. A large population of children would radically change the Princess experience for the worse. I’m a teacher, so I like kids, but I don’t have any and want an adult, calm experience onboard. Sometimes lately, it seems like Princess has lost its identity, but I am still hopeful it won’t.

 

I have to agree with this 100%. My wife and I began cruising in 2008 ( I was 23, she 21)... we decided to try Princess based on the itinerary back then. Our first cruise was on the Grand Princess (when it still had the real skywalkers)... and we were hooked. The elegance of the ship, the formal nights, the food and the most friendly staff at sea is what got us that first time. While I have seen a decline of formal night just over 10 years, we still go for the glamour of it all and fully participate with the formal attire. We too are typically among the youngest at the P/E Captain's Circle Parties ( and I do admit it is mostly for the free booze 😉   )   We don't have children and typically do not enjoy other people's children so the family marketing tactic is somewhat unfortunate. To be honest, I have high hopes for Princess to lean a little more towards a young professional to middle aged demographic, mainly for entertainment purposes. Our cruise this summer had bingo in the lounge and elevator roulette one night in the Piazza for entertainment... I'm not kidding. The ship was practically vacant after 9pm. 

 

We have met other couples on board in our demographic almost every time we have cruised so I know the customers are there, just need to entice some of them to move over from other lines with a few more incentives, fresh entertainment, ... ahem...better beer selection 😉 .

 

Don't get me wrong, we are all for the R&R during the long sea days and I'm even up at 6am some days to enjoy the pool deck in peace before most people.