How Has Cruising Changed: Expectations vs. Luxuries?

[clo]

1 minute ago, davekathy said:

No sharing for me. You're on your own. 

LOL.  No, we share with each other.  We love good food but as we've gotten older (70s) we just don't have the appetites we once did.  And I loathe wasting food.  So having several apps and a bowl of soup or dessert works great for us.

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, clo said:

LOL.  No, we share with each other.  We love good food but as we've gotten older (70s) we just don't have the appetites we once did.  And I loathe wasting food.  So having several apps and a bowl of soup or dessert works great for us.

If I like it it won't go to waste. Late 60's. ✌️

Edited October 16, 2019 by davekathy

[clo]

19 hours ago, cb at sea said:

The we first started cruising, you had a MUCH better dining experience.  Real china, real silverware, real crystal glasses and a full place setting.  Very nice.  Molded butter pats..multiple courses (at least 5)....

 

Now, you have basic plates, stainless utensils, wrapped butter squares (or margarine...who knows?), no glasses or soup spoon or salad forks, 3 courses.....they've really "dumbed down" dining.  Of course, this is all to get you to pay more to eat in a better venue.

@cb at sea

 

Here's a description from Oceania of their Grand Dining Room:

"Tables are beautifully set with bone china, sparkling Riedel crystal, gleaming silver, and fine cotton linens. "

 

The "other venues" (included in the price) also look quite nice:

[happy cruzer]

So back to the original question...

 

People (i.e. the mass market cruiser) now expects :

Larger stable ships.

unlimited internet vs. a $10/minute phone call.

TV on demand programming.

Outdoor movies and music.

Accessiblity for cabins and all public areas.

Larger cabins with larger bathrooms.

Longer serving times in buffets, etc.

More variety in entertainment.

Quiet areas for adults only.

Children's programs.

Specialty restaurants.

Drink package options.

Late night options for drinking, dancing, dining...

Non formal options

Low costs.

 

Cruising changed because the public changed.  Luckily there are many lines serving a wide variety of tastes/wishes.

[SRF]

On 10/14/2019 at 3:37 PM, lenquixote66 said:

I refuse to go to a Specialty restaurant on a ship.The food should be the same everywhere. It’s like Sirius charging people to listen to music.

 

So the food should be the same at every restaurant on land?  

 

Sirius charges not for listening to music.  But to listen to music without commercials, and the same channel with the same type of music for a whole trip.

[lenquixote66]

9 hours ago, SRF said:

 

So the food should be the same at every restaurant on land?  

 

Sirius charges not for listening to music.  But to listen to music without commercials, and the same channel with the same type of music for a whole trip.

Where I live we have several commercial free music stations.We also are able to hear music by groups that you cannot hear on Sirius.Music should be free.

I never said that food should be the same at every restaurant on land.What I said is that I refuse to pay extra to eat on a ship.

[clo]

44 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

What I said is that I refuse to pay extra to eat on a ship.

Have you ever tried it?  We've only been on a couple where that was an option and the food really was awfully good.

[lenquixote66]

Just now, clo said:

Have you ever tried it?  We've only been on a couple where that was an option and the food really was awfully good.

Yes,but not when I had to pay extra.We were on a cruise last year.One of the perks was 8 specialty restaurant dinners. We went to four two times each.

[clo]

4 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Yes,but not when I had to pay extra.We were on a cruise last year.One of the perks was 8 specialty restaurant dinners. We went to four two times each.

Which line/ship was that?  I'd be interested.  And what did you think of the food?  Our upcoming 12 day cruise we'll have 4 specialty restaurant meals which will like be enough for us.

[lenquixote66]

1 minute ago, clo said:

Which line/ship was that?  I'd be interested.  And what did you think of the food?  Our upcoming 12 day cruise we'll have 4 specialty restaurant meals which will like be enough for us.

NCL ,The food was okay not great.I used to do restaurant reviews for a Brooklyn,NY newspaper in the 80’s .

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

Where I live we have several commercial free music stations.We also are able to hear music by groups that you cannot hear on Sirius.Music should be free.

I never said that food should be the same at every restaurant on land.What I said is that I refuse to pay extra to eat on a ship.

 

I like the idea of free music.  Musicians might not like it so much.  Lol.   Someone somewhere has to pay.   

[lenquixote66]

50 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I like the idea of free music.  Musicians might not like it so much.  Lol.   Someone somewhere has to pay.   

It is a matter of values.Bruce Springsteen appears in concert and the top price is $1300.00 a ticket.Graham Nash in the same venue top price $65.00.If people would not pay ridiculous sums to hear a singer ,perhaps Sirius would not exist.

[ldubs]

8 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

It is a matter of values.Bruce Springsteen appears in concert and the top price is $1300.00 a ticket.Graham Nash in the same venue top price $65.00.If people would not pay ridiculous sums to hear a singer ,perhaps Sirius would not exist.

 

Funny, I just downloaded, among others, a bunch of CSN songs from Apple Music. I put all that on shuffle play on the car via bluetooth.  Works great.  I honestly don't know how or if we pay for the Apple music downloads. I hope the artists receive a royalty.  

 

My free subscription to Sirius expires next month.  I'm not renewing it.   

 

[George C]

I drive less than 2000 miles a year so i would never pay for Radio , like my cd’s , we do lots of concerts but no huge venues. Had great seats for Herb Albert concert Saturday he is still great and all proceeds from concert goes to charity, of course when you are worth 900 million that is easy to do. 

Edited October 18, 2019 by George C

[ilikeanswers]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

It is a matter of values.Bruce Springsteen appears in concert and the top price is $1300.00 a ticket.Graham Nash in the same venue top price $65.00.If people would not pay ridiculous sums to hear a singer ,perhaps Sirius would not exist.

 

Don't forget that the ticketing companies add a lot of fees to the ticket that the artist has no control over. 

 

44 minutes ago, ldubs said:

I honestly don't know how or if we pay for the Apple music downloads. I hope the artists receive a royalty.  

 

Next time you go into iTunes go to Account ->View My Account and under Apple ID Summary look for Payment Information. It will show if you have any linked credit cards.

 

As for royalties artists get next to nothing from download royalties. The money is in licensing which most artists apart from your Beyoncés and Taylor Swifts have no control over.

[DarrenM]

I have spotify on my phone and laptop. I pay around £7 a month for it, but I have over 2000 tracks on my phone now. Well worth it. Of course being British, means the music is of much better quality than what you poor folk from the states will be listening to.😉 And is of far better quality than the food I eat over here.

 

I might have paid a decent wedge to See Springstein in the 80s but not now.In the same way I would have paid huge sums to see Green Day in the late 90.s and noughties.

[DarrenM]

And I am not forgetting that it was the states that gave the New York Dolls and The Ramones to the world. Of which we are eternally grateful for.

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, DarrenM said:

And I am not forgetting that it was the states that gave the New York Dolls and The Ramones to the world. Of which we are eternally grateful for.

 

But that hardly constitutes payment for the Sex Pistols!

[DarrenM]

Maybe not the Pistols, but it was really seeing the pistols, after they saw the Ramones, that gave us the Clash. And as they were the only band that ever mattered, then it appears fair.

[lenquixote66]

9 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Funny, I just downloaded, among others, a bunch of CSN songs from Apple Music. I put all that on shuffle play on the car via bluetooth.  Works great.  I honestly don't know how or if we pay for the Apple music downloads. I hope the artists receive a royalty.  

 

My free subscription to Sirius expires next month.  I'm not renewing it.   

 

We had a free subscription too.That was the right price to pay.

[lenquixote66]

8 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Don't forget that the ticketing companies add a lot of fees to the ticket that the artist has no control over. 

 

 

Next time you go into iTunes go to Account ->View My Account and under Apple ID Summary look for Payment Information. It will show if you have any linked credit cards.

 

As for royalties artists get next to nothing from download royalties. The money is in licensing which most artists apart from your Beyoncés and Taylor Swifts have no control over.

The artists do have control because Springsteen and Nash Both appeared in the same venue.Joan Jett lives near me.She plays free concerts every summer in our local park.

Pete Seeger played free concerts . Richie Havens played free concerts as do Dee Snider,Melanie and others.

I have a neighbor who is the lead singer of a DooWop group.They do free concerts.

[DarrenM]

Have you asked Joan if she still loves rock and roll?

[SRF]

18 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Where I live we have several commercial free music stations.We also are able to hear music by groups that you cannot hear on Sirius.Music should be free.

I never said that food should be the same at every restaurant on land.What I said is that I refuse to pay extra to eat on a ship.

 

But if you drive a distance, you lose the music station.  And have to search for another.   With Sirius, I can drive across the country and listen to the same station.

 

Hmm, music should be free?  Really?  I guess you need to tell the music industry that.  I am sure they want to work for nothing.

 

No, you said all the food should be the same.  And like on land, on board ship, there is better, higher quality food available, it just costs a bit more.

[lenquixote66]

3 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

But if you drive a distance, you lose the music station.  And have to search for another.   With Sirius, I can drive across the country and listen to the same station.

 

Hmm, music should be free?  Really?  I guess you need to tell the music industry that.  I am sure they want to work for nothing.

 

No, you said all the food should be the same.  And like on land, on board ship, there is better, higher quality food available, it just costs a bit more.

I have not been able to drive since 2003.My wife cannot drive that far.

Music was free for 100 years before Sirius.I posted previously that there are many singers who are not money hungry and appear in concert for which there is no charge or a nominal charge such as Joan Jett,Graham Nash,Bethany Yarrow,etc.

I said all food should taste the same. When it costs thousands of dollars to cruise there should not be an additional charge for food,in my opinion.

[ldubs]

15 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Don't forget that the ticketing companies add a lot of fees to the ticket that the artist has no control over. 

 

 

Next time you go into iTunes go to Account ->View My Account and under Apple ID Summary look for Payment Information. It will show if you have any linked credit cards.

 

As for royalties artists get next to nothing from download royalties. The money is in licensing which most artists apart from your Beyoncés and Taylor Swifts have no control over.

 

I don't have an account in iTunes.  I think I'm somehow linked or synced with someone else's account.  Mrs Ldubs tells me I can also download music via her Prime account, though I have yet to try that.