DO YOU THINK THE MARDI GRAS SHOULD HAVE

[jimbo5544]

1 minute ago, gkbiiii said:

Cost, yet cruise fares continue to rise. 

Do they?

[Aplmac]

On 2/24/2019 at 2:45 PM, Cruisegirl6 said:

😱 To wash clothing on a cruise, I never consider that!!  

I best stay home if I have to do laundry lol.

.

You sound like my wife -and you're both absolutely right!

 

I go on a cruise to get away from washing the darned dishes.
She cruises to escape cooking, laundry and making the bed!

Escapism is the name of the game!

 

Here she is laughing at the machines on Carnival Glory, few yrs. ago.

.

[jimbo5544]

24 minutes ago, Aplmac said:

.

You sound like my wife -and you're both absolutely right!

 

I go on a cruise to get away from washing the darned dishes.
She cruises to escape cooking, laundry and making the bed!

Escapism is the name of the game!

 

Here she is laughing at the machines on Carnival Glory, few yrs. ago.

.

Won’t be seeing those on the Mardi Gras....

[Organized Chaos]

I'd just like to say to those who are repeatedly putting down others for eating junk food on a cruise...it's my cruise and I'll eat whatever I want. What other people eat on a cruise does not affect you, so why worry about it so much? For one, it's a vacation and many people cut loose and splurge on vacations. If you'd like a healthy snack late at night, great, petition Carnival. Bring some granola bars with you. I don't care because what you eat on your cruise doesn't concern me. But stop putting down others who choose to eat the pizza, etc.

 

On 2/21/2019 at 4:50 PM, gkbiiii said:

I think they need a grand brunch, for Gold & above.  Something like what the Midnight buffets used to be like, but at lunch.  Celebrity & Holland America used to have this.  Something special, to thank you for your loyalty and to bring you back.

 

On 2/22/2019 at 10:55 PM, gkbiiii said:

Leaving Royal as a Diamond/Diamond Plus, you loose so much, it would be nice to find something with some benefits.

 

On 2/23/2019 at 2:42 AM, gkbiiii said:

I am Elite, that is the highest level I can get, through status match.  I have a cruise booked for 2021, but am really excited about the new Carnival ship.

 

On 2/23/2019 at 6:45 PM, gkbiiii said:

So what does Carnival give it's Maiden voyage guests.  I got a hardcover book, on my Quantum of the Seas, Maiden Voyage Transatlantic voyage, and nothing on the NCL Epic.  So I wonder what Mardi Gras will get?

 

Honestly, you're the type of guest Carnival is trying to shy away from. Those who focus a lot on the free stuff in order to be loyal.

 

A couple years ago, Carnival's Chief Market Officer (at the time) said the cruise line wants to cultivate passengers who are enthusiastic about the brand, not just driven by the promise of perks. “When it comes to choice, we would rather it be attitudinal-based loyalty rather than just behavior-based,” she said. “So we’re not just bribing you with points.”

 

Basically, they said they weren't doing away with loyalty perks, but they'd much rather build a relationship with returning passengers based on the actual enjoyment of their product and not because they're given free stuff. I have to agree with that, especially from a business standpoint. Besides, if they concentrate on giving all of us a good product that keeps people coming back for more, we all benefit.

[gkbiiii]

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

I'd just like to say to those who are repeatedly putting down others for eating junk food on a cruise...it's my cruise and I'll eat whatever I want. What other people eat on a cruise does not affect you, so why worry about it so much? For one, it's a vacation and many people cut loose and splurge on vacations. If you'd like a healthy snack late at night, great, petition Carnival. Bring some granola bars with you. I don't care because what you eat on your cruise doesn't concern me. But stop putting down others who choose to eat the pizza, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Honestly, you're the type of guest Carnival is trying to shy away from. Those who focus a lot on the free stuff in order to be loyal.

 

A couple years ago, Carnival's Chief Market Officer (at the time) said the cruise line wants to cultivate passengers who are enthusiastic about the brand, not just driven by the promise of perks. “When it comes to choice, we would rather it be attitudinal-based loyalty rather than just behavior-based,” she said. “So we’re not just bribing you with points.”

 

Basically, they said they weren't doing away with loyalty perks, but they'd much rather build a relationship with returning passengers based on the actual enjoyment of their product and not because they're given free stuff. I have to agree with that, especially from a business standpoint. Besides, if they concentrate on giving all of us a good product that keeps people coming back for more, we all benefit.

 

Oddly I agree with you, much like with the airlines, Royal has to bribe its top tier levels, to keep them loyal.  Many would leave if they were to go away, just like with United.  There are much better lines, even MSC's Yacht Club and Luxury lines such as Crystal.  Royal (like CET Diamond Lounges) are a key perk, to keep us loyal, to an ever diminishing brand. Royal's approach was 180% different, illustrated by your quote, which is I believe how the set up and run their program: "just behavior-based" ie. "Loyal to Royal...  The continued decline is sad but true, in 2019.

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by gkbiiii

[glrounds]

On 2/21/2019 at 3:50 PM, gkbiiii said:

I think they need a grand brunch, for Gold & above.  Something like what the Midnight buffets used to be like, but at lunch.  Celebrity & Holland America used to have this.  Something special, to thank you for your loyalty and to bring you back.

Any chance of squeezing PLATINUM into that twist? 

 

[Organized Chaos]

 
Oddly I agree with you, much like with the airlines, Royal has to bribe its top tier levels, to keep them loyal.  Many would leave if they were to go away, just like with United.  There are much better lines, even MSC's Yacht Club and Luxury lines such as Crystal.  Royal (like CET Diamond Lounges) are a key perk, to keep us loyal, to an ever diminishing brand. Royal's approach was 180% different, illustrated by your quote, which is I believe how the set up and run their program: "just behavior-based" ie. "Loyal to Royal...  The continued decline is sad but true, in 2019.

When you look at it from a dollars & cents perspective, obviously they’d love to eliminate some of the cost involved in giving out free perks, so I’m sure that’s the biggest factor when making any changes moving forward. Some of the changes they were looking to make were geared around lower tiered passengers, the first & second time cruisers. They’d like to do some things to benefit them to encourage them to come back. From their research, someone who comes back that key third time is likely to keep returning. It makes sense to me, they’re building a foundation with those who are just trying out cruising. Doesn’t mean they’re turning their backs on those who are already loyal.

But if they’re truly interested in breeding loyalty by putting out a great product, well then, we all gain from that.

[jimbo5544]

The issue for Carnivals perspective on loyalty perks is the sheer numbers.  When 2/3 of some sailings are Plat or above, having recognition event on the ship becomes untenable.  In order to proceed, one of two things have to happen, either raise the bar in terms attainment or remove the perks (at least the ones that are most popular).  I realize that this is an exposed nerve for some here, but ......

[elcuchio24]

3 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

The issue for Carnivals perspective on loyalty perks is the sheer numbers.  When 2/3 of some sailings are Plat or above, having recognition event on the ship becomes untenable.  In order to proceed, one of two things have to happen, either raise the bar in terms attainment or remove the perks (at least the ones that are most popular).  I realize that this is an exposed nerve for some here, but ......

 

Exactly. Remember when the 'past guest party' legit just meant you had been on at least one other CCL cruise? LOTS of people in that room....

[ProgRockCruiser]

12 hours ago, gkbiiii said:

Cost, yet cruise fares continue to rise. 

 

Interesting comment.  As far as I can tell , when you account for inflation cruise fares have dropped significantly since the 1980s.

 

I would also say that the prices do not seem to be any different today than they were a couple years ago when my wife and I booked our first cruise together. 

 

I just did a mock booking for a cruise that matched that first one, but two years later now, and the price looks pretty close to the original.  Can't access my older emails right now, so can't get exact price, but I do not perceive it as much different.

 

Naturally, if you book late, you will pay a higher fare, so no fair (pun intended) comparing a great deal you got booking ES 18 months in advance to a booking three or four months out (which seems to be a peak price time, right before final payment) or last minute when the ship is full.

[gkbiiii]

But ships were smaller in the 80's, so prices needed to be higher too.  With large ships, costs per stateroom are less, so standards do not need to be reduced. 

[tidecat]

I wonder if Mardi Gras will have a culinary studio like Panorama will - it certainly would be a way to tie in to Emeril Lagasse’s brand if he and Carnival go that route. Even if they don’t, it would still make the feature available to cruisers on the East Coast, with Panorama being deployed to the West Coast.

[jimbo5544]

7 hours ago, tidecat said:

I wonder if Mardi Gras will have a culinary studio like Panorama will - it certainly would be a way to tie in to Emeril Lagasse’s brand if he and Carnival go that route. Even if they don’t, it would still make the feature available to cruisers on the East Coast, with Panorama being deployed to the West Coast.

Not sure I understand what a culinary studio is, do you mean where they do the Chef’s Table?

[Jamman54]

53 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

Not sure I understand what a culinary studio is, do you mean where they do the Chef’s Table?

 

Jimbo, on the just released Panorama tour video hosted by Emma Nixon, she mentioned a Culinary Arts Studio but gave no details. 😎

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, Jamman54 said:

 

Jimbo, on the just released Panorama tour video hosted by Emma Nixon, she mentioned a Culinary Arts Studio but gave no details. 😎

Hmmmm interesting 

[RTR 21-0]

We were on the April 6th sailing on Horizon and surprised to see an 11:30 pm buffet on lido every night.  Don’t think we’ve seen a midnight buffet since our 1st sailing on Sensation in ‘97.  The food was the same every night and very good.

 - although I did think they put way too much out for that time.  The sugar cookies were great.  We only ate there 2 nights but it was a welcome treat as we normally ate a late breakfast or lunch & skipped dinner on sea days.  

 

I would assume the Mardi Gras will have the same.  

[PhillyFan33579]

On 4/3/2019 at 8:03 AM, jimbo5544 said:

The issue for Carnivals perspective on loyalty perks is the sheer numbers.  When 2/3 of some sailings are Plat or above, having recognition event on the ship becomes untenable.  In order to proceed, one of two things have to happen, either raise the bar in terms attainment or remove the perks (at least the ones that are most popular).  I realize that this is an exposed nerve for some here, but ......

 

Supposedly Carnival is going to announce a change/update to their VIFP program some time this year, allegedly around the time when Panorama starts sailing. Of course I learned long time ago not to believe anything when it comes to the VIFP program. 

 

Like you mentioned, Carnival has to make some change sooner than later, in my opinion, to address the increasing number of Diamonds and Platinums. Should be interesting to see what changes if/when it happens.  One change they could make is eliminate the FTTF program, to compensate for the increasing number of guests with priority, but that will never happen since that is a big money maker for Carnival that costs them very little to run. 

 

Although I am a Platinum, it really doesn’t matter to me what changes they make as long as their cruise prices remain as competitive as they have been for a long time now.  

[ARcruisin2]

On 2/23/2019 at 6:48 PM, gkbiiii said:

I would like to see a "Carnival Luxury Brunch buffet" like other lines do.  Celebrity did them on even 5 night cruises.  This was with ice sculptures, carved meat, chilled shrimp, and many great deserts. If they did something like this, in the steakhouse, i would even pay to go!

This is basically what the old midnight buffet was, back in the day on Carnival.

Ice sculptures, all sorts of meats and deserts and carved fruits as pictured above.

This is what people are saying is a waste, since more people took pictures of it, than went back through to eat.

[gkbiiii]

1 hour ago, ARcruisin2 said:

This is basically what the old midnight buffet was, back in the day on Carnival.

Ice sculptures, all sorts of meats and deserts and carved fruits as pictured above.

This is what people are saying is a waste, since more people took pictures of it, than went back through to eat.

This is because it was at midnight, if it is brunch like with Celebrity, it will be well attended and the food will not be wasted. 

[crucero]

On 2/23/2019 at 6:45 PM, gkbiiii said:

So what does Carnival give it's Maiden voyage guests.  I got a hardcover book, on my Quantum of the Seas, Maiden Voyage Transatlantic voyage, and nothing on the NCL Epic.  So I wonder what Mardi Gras will get?

 

I hope they give us something awesome! I don’t expect anything, but it would be nice to get some kind of memento. I just booked the trip this weekend. We are so excited to go. 

[kbklcamp]

On February 23, 2019 at 7:45 PM, gkbiiii said:

So what does Carnival give it's Maiden voyage guests.  I got a hardcover book, on my Quantum of the Seas, Maiden Voyage Transatlantic voyage, and nothing on the NCL Epic.  So I wonder what Mardi Gras will get?

 

I was on the second week the Horizon sailed and we got hardcover books and pins.  I was so happy.