Just a thought for O

[ropomo]

With all the threads/comments lately regarding O's reduction in staffing levels, it occurs to me that they could easily fund these eliminated positions by ceasing the barrage of mailings to us.  I'm sure they are not targeting only me, but I receive on at least three days a week two brochures from O and on the other days I usually receive one (last week I received 9 brochures).  Additionally, I receive a booklet from them about every other week or so.  I'm not even going to go into the oversized postcards I get from them.  I understand that marketing is essential to an organization like O, but this is ridiculous.  I could do with an email with the same info (electrons are free and have virtually no environmental impact and I can block or ignore if I wish).  I'm sure that their design, printing and postage costs would more than fund some of these alleged staffing cuts.  Plus I have not seen any comments about this from those in an uproar about plastic straws.  This in my mind is more egregious, the raw materials and energy used in producing the paper, the energy and materials used in production, the energy and effort in distribution and the gamble that the recipient actually recycles them. Just my thoughts, I expect those of others my vary.

[LuAnn]

YES YES YES...I am with you!!! 100%!!! And 99% go in the re-cycle bin!!

 

STOP IT!!! It is a waste of time, money and resources!! Can you imagine how much each of those "brochures" cost?... I can..because I use to be involved in "marketing"...WHAT a WASTE!!! :)

 

Thanks for saying this...!!!  Give it up O....this is NOT the way to spend $$...

[Paulchili]

I too agree  - it is pretty excessive and I suspect it’s not cheap.

We are closing on 30 O cruises - we surely don’t need the volume of advertising from them. Maybe if we stopped cruising with them and they wanted us to come back - but that’s not the case at the moment.

[ropomo]

17 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

I too agree  - it is pretty excessive and I suspect it’s not cheap.

We are closing on 30 O cruises - we surely don’t need the volume of advertising from them. Maybe if we stopped cruising with them and they wanted us to come back - but that’s not the case at the moment.

 

Exactly, we currently have two cruises on the books with them, hardly a target worthy of bombardment.

[clo]

This is really interesting to me.  We booked our December cruise at least a couple of months ago and haven't gotten a single piece of snail-mail from O.  I booked directly with an 'agent' and we had an immediate rapport.  He's quickly replied to any emails and I've gotten a couple of business emails about our res and final payment date but nothing else.  I'm actually jealous 🙂

 

ETA: maybe because we haven't yet sailed with them?

Edited September 1, 2019 by clo

[ricka47]

Even before we booked our first O cruise, we received so much mail that I called and asked them to stop.  But, they didn't.  I toss them without looking as I do all of my research online and not with brochures.

[ginabab]

Got one brochure this week in a plastic envelope that is not recyclable !

 

 

[Mura]

This is a constant complaint, even from "cheerleaders".

 

I recently noticed that a neighbor of mine was receiving brochures from O so I asked her if they have sailed with O.  Not a bit.  They've done some river boat cruises but she gets violently seasick on the ocean and would never consider an ocean voyage.  So we guess that O picked up their name/address from river boat cruises, but in two weeks they've received 2 brochures.

 

Which will never result in a booking.

 

We get brochures but not so many as to be offensive.  So we don't complain to O.

 

I'm not sure that vastly reducing the advertising they send out would equal salaries for more staff 🙄 -- but it couldn't hurt the bottom line to stop the excess.

 

Mura

 

[clo]

47 minutes ago, ginabab said:

Got one brochure this week in a plastic envelope that is not recyclable !

 

 

Why isn't it recyclable?  

[Mura]

I think Ginabab meant the plastic envelope isn't recyclable?

 

[clo]

14 minutes ago, Mura said:

I think Ginabab meant the plastic envelope isn't recyclable?

 

I understand.  I was wondering why the plastic envelope isn't recyclable.  Lots of plastic is recyclable.

[GoSeeDo2]

Agree, stop the mailings and spend the savings on the staff!

[LHT28]

Do the brochures have your TA  name on them  if so ask them to take you off the mailing list

Or call Oceania & tell them to take you off the list

It took a couple of years but finally my TA  got us off the list

 

I sometimes  miss those nice brochures  but not enough to ask for them again 😉

[irisbax3]

I totally agree with everyone. The number of brochures is absolutely ridiculous. No straws yet bombarded with several different types of mailings. I hope someone at O reads this thread.

[Noxequifans]

Agree that the apparent mass mailings from O need a tune up. The present “take rate” could be improved for O by more intelligent targeting, The O marketing folks would see a higher return and customers would be less irritated. 

[LHT28]

the mailings  have been a contentious issue for years  & nothing has changed  in the past 10 +  years

[don731]

The lines must buy and sell their data....we get numerous mailings from all the Carnival owned lines, RCCL lines, river lines, etc.  I agree that O is up there with one or more per week.  

[orchestrapal]

39 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

the mailings  have been a contentious issue for years  & nothing has changed  in the past 10 +  years

 

The major change is that certain zip codes, ours included, get twice or thrice brochures included in our newspaper deliveries. This goes also  for Regent.👎

[golfguyhhi]

To stop the mailings ---

 

On the Oceania web site, scroll to the bottom.  Look for a sub-topic under "Guest Services" called 

Update Marketing Preferences

 

Click on it and it will open a dialog with a drop down box of choices to either: update your contact information, be removed from the mailing list, be removed from the email list, or, be removed from the phone list. 

[wripro]

18 hours ago, ropomo said:

With all the threads/comments lately regarding O's reduction in staffing levels, it occurs to me that they could easily fund these eliminated positions by ceasing the barrage of mailings to us.  I'm sure they are not targeting only me, but I receive on at least three days a week two brochures from O and on the other days I usually receive one (last week I received 9 brochures).  Additionally, I receive a booklet from them about every other week or so.  I'm not even going to go into the oversized postcards I get from them.  I understand that marketing is essential to an organization like O, but this is ridiculous.  I could do with an email with the same info (electrons are free and have virtually no environmental impact and I can block or ignore if I wish).  I'm sure that their design, printing and postage costs would more than fund some of these alleged staffing cuts.  Plus I have not seen any comments about this from those in an uproar about plastic straws.  This in my mind is more egregious, the raw materials and energy used in producing the paper, the energy and materials used in production, the energy and effort in distribution and the gamble that the recipient actually recycles them. Just my thoughts, I expect those of others my vary.

I just posted a similar view on another thread.. Here  Here!!!

[DeeniEncinitas]

18 hours ago, clo said:

This is really interesting to me.  We booked our December cruise at least a couple of months ago and haven't gotten a single piece of snail-mail from O.  I booked directly with an 'agent' and we had an immediate rapport.  He's quickly replied to any emails and I've gotten a couple of business emails about our res and final payment date but nothing else.  I'm actually jealous 🙂

 

ETA: maybe because we haven't yet sailed with them?

Cath,

we have never sailed with O but!! We have been getting O mail forever! Because of the mail that is how we contacted our agent through O.

yesterday we got a beautiful fancy catalog and just can’t imagine how much is spent on all their advertising!

Denise🥰

[kreastman]

Bottom line is, O's direct mail program apparently is working for them. Does anyone believe they would continue it year after year if it was not cost-effective? 

[DrivesLikeMario]

Azamara and Regent are just as bad.  Such a waste of paper.

[LuAnn]

1 hour ago, kreastman said:

Bottom line is, O's direct mail program apparently is working for them. Does anyone believe they would continue it year after year if it was not cost-effective? 

 

I don't know...but I would hope...that someone at O...would try and figure it out...I can't really imagine...that the cost/versus benefit ..works...maybe I'm wrong...especially since today...most people look/buy via the internet...not a "glossy" brochure...YES...I love the pictures...and the "feel/look" of that item in the mail...but...seriously...how many of these go "right into the re-cycle bin"??? I'm afraid ...MOST!! I think it is so important...that any corporation tries to "reach" their "customers" the right way...and in today's world...is that via "snail mail"??? Trust me...I'm "old"...and "old school"...but I'm not sure...that this is the best way for "O" to spend their marketing $$...especially if they want to "appeal" to those younger than "us"...as in...the "new crowd" ...who they hope to attract to cruising...I took my first cruise in the 70s...and I'm pretty sure that the "target" is probably not ME!! :) :)  Just my ideas...

[kitty9]

I had a thought the other day as received my 18th mailing in a month from Xfinity yesterday.  I started keeping them, unopened, and at the end of next month, I’m packaging them up and mailing them back to their corporate office.  So, why not do that with Oceania?  I went through my recycle bin and I have 6 Oceania mailings from just this past week, with some coming directly from O and others with my travel agent’s address on them.  I do think it’s a huge waste of money.