All inclusive

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

22 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

 

I've certainly read how great Disney cruises are...but was turned off when we were sailing out of Port Canaveral a few years ago and one of the Disney ships was beside us and the entire time we were up on deck before and during sailaway we could hear "It's a small world after all"  playing endlessly on their pool decks....we could still hear it as we sailed away😱.... just not for me.

 

Again...I know they get wonderful reviews...just not for us.

 

I agree.  We were parked next to a Disney ship in St. Maarten once.  The noise from their pool deck was overwhelming.  That alone put me off ever considering them.

[Tigrou]

On 11/28/2020 at 12:52 AM, basenji56 said:

I sailed on Disney once.  Good experience even though we didn't have kids with us.  Entertainment was very good (as you would expect).  Food was decent but not as good as Celebrity.  MDR was traditional seating and rotated between three dining rooms with same wait staff.  Ship was beautiful and very well maintained. Private island was outstanding. Price was probably twice that of Celebrity (at least before the AI pricing on Celebrity).

 

On 11/28/2020 at 5:57 PM, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

It is NOT "nonstop singing and characters". Yes, there are characters out, but in designated places that you can easily avoid, and not at all times. No more singing than I've experienced on Celebrity - in the shows and in some of the bars. Wonderful adult areas. And you really only see kids at the shows and possibly meals - I see them LESS on Disney than on other lines because they want to be in the kids' clubs.

 

On 11/28/2020 at 8:54 PM, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Interesting. I've been on 6 Disney Cruises and have yet to hear It's A Small World on them - for certain not on a loop.

 

My experience has been exactly the same.  I did 8 Disney cruises with my late DH.  We don't have any kids, pretty much can't abide kids, but we loved cruising with Disney.  

 

It always made us laugh when people make the assumption that the ships are floating theme parks with crowds of children everywhere, without having experienced them.    

 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

5 minutes ago, Tigrou said:

 

 

 

My experience has been exactly the same.  I did 8 Disney cruises with my late DH.  We don't have any kids, pretty much can't abide kids, but we loved cruising with Disney.  

 

It always made us laugh when people make the assumption that the ships are floating theme parks with crowds of children everywhere, without having experienced them.    

 

 

Yep. And the adult pool area is fabulous and not as busy as the main pool!

[LGW59]

9 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Yep. And the adult pool area is fabulous and not as busy as the main pool!

I have heard it is a Mickey Mouse operation  😂

[Keys Kathy]

On 11/10/2020 at 10:54 AM, cruiserhal said:

I think going to all inclusive is a great deal.  Very happy to see it coming to Celebrity.  

You won't be so happy when you see the prices!

 

[davekathy]

On 11/29/2020 at 3:18 PM, LGW59 said:

I have heard it is a Mickey Mouse operation  😂

That was a Goofy reply. 🤣

[ChucktownSteve]

On 11/10/2020 at 10:54 AM, cruiserhal said:

I think going to all inclusive is a great deal.  Very happy to see it coming to Celebrity.  

 

Celebrity's promotion is "Always included" not all inclusive.  What "always included" means is they always force you to pay for the THREE items in the promotion if you sail Celebrity: gratuities, basic liquor and the slower internet service (not streaming).  If you don't drink alcohol, you have to pay for it anyway.  Can you imagine what the WI-fi speed will be like if everyone on the ship tries to use it?

Edited December 1, 2020 by ChucktownSteve

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, davekathy said:

That was a Goofy reply. 🤣

Jiminy Crickets, what was I thinking! 😂

[Luvcrusn]

12 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

Celebrity's promotion is "Always included" not all inclusive.  What "always included" means is they always force you to pay for the THREE items in the promotion: gratuities, basic liquor and the slower internet service (not streaming).  If you don't drink alcohol, you have to pay for it anyway.  Can you imagine what the WI-fi speed will be like if everyone on the ship tries to use it?

Nope. They can't "force" anyone. They aren't the only game in town. 

[ChucktownSteve]

Just now, Luvcrusn said:

Nope. They can't "force" anyone. They aren't the only game in town. 

 

They force you if you sail Celebrity.

[jagoffee]

1 hour ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

Celebrity's promotion is "Always included" not all inclusive.  What "always included" means is they always force you to pay for the THREE items in the promotion if you sail Celebrity: gratuities, basic liquor and the slower internet service (not streaming).  If you don't drink alcohol, you have to pay for it anyway.  Can you imagine what the WI-fi speed will be like if everyone on the ship tries to use it?

Perhaps, in theory.  I recently read reports from people who converted to the prevailing rate and it was the same price and/or a small increase.  It will most likely be market driven.

Given all the cancellation and increased demand, comparisons  to older bookings is likely not valid.  Because  rates had significantly increased  prior to this change.

 

I have always “paid” for a lot of things that I do not use on a ship.  Just a matter of where you “draw the line”.
 

Free high quality WiFi is getting to be a standard everywhere.  Basically a capital investment in constantly improving technology.  Use of technology has a potential for cost savings to any operation.

[LGW59]

11 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Perhaps, in theory.  I recently read reports from people who converted to the prevailing rate and it was the same price and/or a small increase.  It will most likely be market driven.

Given all the cancellation and increased demand, comparisons  to older bookings is likely not valid.  Because  rates had significantly increased  prior to this change.

 

I have always “paid” for a lot of things that I do not use on a ship.  Just a matter of where you “draw the line”.
 

Free high quality WiFi is getting to be a standard everywhere.  Basically a capital investment in constantly improving technology.  Use of technology has a potential for cost savings to any operation.

I recently did exactly this.  I went up one grade in suite, so not exactly apples to apples, but overall cost pp/pd was lower had I booked before always included, I did the comparison for both.  Plus we now have $800 OBC, can eat at any specialty restaurant, yes that is OBC/excusrions, we know, but prior we had $300 OBC.  We were very satisfied with it.

[ChucktownSteve]

6 hours ago, jagoffee said:

Perhaps, in theory.  I recently read reports from people who converted to the prevailing rate and it was the same price and/or a small increase.  It will most likely be market driven.

Given all the cancellation and increased demand, comparisons  to older bookings is likely not valid.  Because  rates had significantly increased  prior to this change.

 

I have always “paid” for a lot of things that I do not use on a ship.  Just a matter of where you “draw the line”.
 

Free high quality WiFi is getting to be a standard everywhere.  Basically a capital investment in constantly improving technology.  Use of technology has a potential for cost savings to any operation.

 

I was responding to a specific post about it being about time that Celebrity became "all inclusive" it wasn't referring to any cancelled cruises or lift and shift which maintained or transferred the perks in the original booking. 

 

I did a lift and shift from January 2021 to February 2022. I was able to keep everything intact. The only difference was one deck higher but if I had to pay the prevailing rate it would have been over twice what I paid less than six months earlier.

 

As I previously posted, Celebrity probably began raising rates knowing they would be implementing the new "always included" program so it didn't look like the rates were drastically increased due to that program.  Coupled that with all the cancelled/lift and shift cruises and FCCs trying to find a smaller qualifying inventory; voila you have the perfect storm of rates. 

 

Celebrity may have the "Free high quality WiFi" on the newer ships but Celebrity's "always included" program does not include the streaming WiFi.  It's the basic (aka slower) surfing speed.

 

I'm not complaining, just stating the obvious.

Edited December 1, 2020 by ChucktownSteve

[Bo1953]

On 11/24/2020 at 7:29 PM, NutsAboutGolf said:

X knows full well that some long term cruisers do not like change and dealt with the backlash from the Edge class.  At the moment, all an US citizen needs is a face cover and a passport then they can fly into Mexico and stay in an AI.  No covid test or temperature check required.  Mexico uses a color code system and can vary based on the resorts location but they're all AIs are at limited capacity and most attractions are open.  Better yet, you're free to explore the area on your terms, can go self guided or hire your choice of a tour operator.  Some other countries are open to Americans if you bring an approved negative Covid test.  Whether or not one likes AIs or not, they're definitely more attractive than ever.  Perhaps this is a motivating force for the always included pricing?

I Am very sure that I, personally, would not want to travel to a place where there are reckless freedom loving individuals not worrying about the spread of C-19 through various means including not wearing of masks and washing hands. It only takes one incident/exposure.

 

Further, not sure I would want to risk having to go to a medical facility in Mexico with a diagnosis of C-19 and believe that I would be getting world class attention. Even trying to get back home might pose a great challenge.

 

While I always have travel insurance when I leave home on a vacation, a lot of travelers do not and we know what happens in those cases "Go Fund Me" etc... or I Am stuck/held hostage, HELP!!!

 

Yes, a "cheaper" AI vacation on its' face, overall, then again???

 

In health and bon voyage.

[Bo1953]

18 hours ago, Keys Kathy said:

You won't be so happy when you see the prices!

 

Very happy here as I just checked pricing on our sailing in Oct 2021 and the AI pricing is not more than 2.5% higher than what we originally paid....

 

When it gets lower, we will change over for the pricing...

 

No complaints here, so far.

 

bon voyage

Edited December 1, 2020 by Bo1953

[Bo1953]

13 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

Celebrity's promotion is "Always included" not all inclusive.  What "always included" means is they always force you to pay for the THREE items in the promotion if you sail Celebrity: gratuities, basic liquor and the slower internet service (not streaming).  If you don't drink alcohol, you have to pay for it anyway.  Can you imagine what the WI-fi speed will be like if everyone on the ship tries to use it?

You do mean 'beverage package', right? In which case there are many other items available to drink which are 'non-alcoholic', to be sure.

 

Cheers and bon voyage

[ChucktownSteve]

23 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

You do mean 'beverage package', right? In which case there are many other items available to drink which are 'non-alcoholic', to be sure.

 

Cheers and bon voyage

 It's still the classic liquor package which had previously also included non alcoholic beverages:  "Choose from an incredible array of beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks, wines by the glass, sodas, juices, specialty coffees and bottled water."

 

The 1/2L bottle of water priced at $5 I buy at Costco for 17 cents is also included in the "beverage package."  The vitamin water is only included in the Premium "beverage package." The included specialty coffees, water and and soft drinks do make the package more attractive.  However at $5 per coffee or water bottle, you have to drink about 12 per day to break even on the package price @$60/day. (prices rounded)

 

So it's semantics whether you call it "beverage package"  or anything else.  The shade of lipstick doesn't matter. 😁

 

Happy Sailing

Edited December 1, 2020 by ChucktownSteve

[ORV]

8 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

You do mean 'beverage package', right? In which case there are many other items available to drink which are 'non-alcoholic', to be sure.

 

Cheers and bon voyage

Yes, this is something that so many people miss when they talk about this. We tend to forget all the additional cost non alcoholic drinks that are available on a package that we used to never order and pay for. Since the advent of the packages, around 2012 or 13 or so, we never think twice about anything we want to drink.  Sodas, bottled water, sports drinks, juices, smoothies, coffees, and on an on. There is value to that even if you don't drink alcohol. Just our personal experience, although we also have plenty of the alcohol variety. 

[Bo1953]

13 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 It's still the classic liquor package which had previously also included non alcoholic beverages:  "Choose from an incredible array of beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks, wines by the glass, sodas, juices, specialty coffees and bottled water."

 

The 1/2L bottle of water priced at $5 I buy at Costco for 17 cents is also included in the "beverage package."  The vitamin water is only included in the Premium "beverage package." The included specialty coffees, water and and soft drinks do make the package more attractive.  However at $5 per coffee or water bottle, you have to drink about 12 per day to break even on the package price @$60/day. (prices rounded)

 

So it's semantics whether you call it "beverage package"  or anything else.  The shade of lipstick doesn't matter. 😁

 

Happy Sailing

Okay, the only other real option I see, is to wait to book 90 days out, go to Costco get a couple cases of water (still or sparkling or vitamin or combo) to bring aboard.

 

As far as how much I need to drink or chug to be of value went out the window for us about 12 years ago when it was decided that convenience and not having to ask "is this on my package" was the reason to purchase the PBP.... Pay up front and not to worry about it further, except any additional gratuity we may want to leave

 

I realize it is not the same approach for everyone and accepted accordingly, but this makes the most sense for us.

 

Cheers and bon voyage

[ChucktownSteve]

16 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Okay, the only other real option I see, is to wait to book 90 days out, go to Costco get a couple cases of water (still or sparkling or vitamin or combo) to bring aboard.

 

As far as how much I need to drink or chug to be of value went out the window for us about 12 years ago when it was decided that convenience and not having to ask "is this on my package" was the reason to purchase the PBP.... Pay up front and not to worry about it further, except any additional gratuity we may want to leave

 

I realize it is not the same approach for everyone and accepted accordingly, but this makes the most sense for us.

 

Cheers and bon voyage

 

Bo,  Believe it or not, I agree with you in principal. I always upgrade to premium...not feeling I have to get my money's worth but because the few liquor drinks I have, I want to be quality.  It was convenient to grab a bottle of water or two on the way back to the cabin after Celebrity nixed the daily water in AQ class.  I usually have three specialty coffees every morning since I drink that much at home regularly.  So I understand about the convenience factor.

 

However not everyone is in the same boat as us.  The problem I have with the concept is rolling the cost into the fare and forcing people who don't want it to pay for it. Then telling those people Celebrity is doing them a favor by always including it.

 

If Celebrity has itineraries I want at a value I'm willing to pay for what I get then I'll book them.  Celebrity suits you most of the time I suspect. That's good for you. It suits me some of the time so that's good for me. Everyone's mileage may vary.

[MarinerBoy]

As someone who works in the marketing field in the cruise industry, I will share one key research point we discovered: Less and less people are drinking alcohol in the United States and in general around the world.

As humanity slowly embraces new environmental and healthy life styles the consumption of alcohol per capita is going down. Cruise ship marketing experts like my self are very well aware of this fact and our recommendations to cruise line are reflecting the changes you see in Celebrity for example. Celebrity is smart to offer "all inclusive"  packages because they know consumption of alcohol is going down, their costs overall will go down while allowing to charge a premium rate under the idea "but its all free, all you can drink".

Jokes on the consumer, but many people are still from the "older generation" the generation that has no clue how bad alcohol is for your body and your health. It is proven that drinking more than 3 glasses of wine or 3 drinks per day in general is detrimental to your health, and dont get me started on sugary cocktails and yeast/barely filled malt filled beer which are so so bad for you.

 

In general, there is no need to drink a lot on the cruise, I see less and less of it, so of course companies like Celebrity will want to modify their offerings by going "all inclusive" knowing very well drinking is a fad on the way down. You can thank me later for my tips, I can open a go fund me page f you care to donate for my inside information. 

Edited December 1, 2020 by MarinerBoy

[ChucktownSteve]

10 minutes ago, MarinerBoy said:

As someone who works in the marketing field in the cruise industry, I will share one key research point we discovered: Less and less people are drinking alcohol in the United States and in general around the world.

As humanity slowly embraces new environmental and healthy life styles the consumption of alcohol per capita is going down. Cruise ship marketing experts like my self are very well aware of this fact and our recommendations to cruise line are reflecting the changes you see in Celebrity for example. Celebrity is smart to offer "all inclusive"  packages because they know consumption of alcohol is going down, their costs overall will go down while allowing to charge a premium rate under the idea "but its all free, all you can drink".

Jokes on the consumer, but many people are still from the "older generation" the generation that has no clue how bad alcohol is for your body and your health. It is proven that drinking more than 3 glasses of wine or 3 drinks per day in general is detrimental to your health, and dont get me started on sugary cocktails and yeast/barely filled malt filled beer which are so so bad for you.

 

In general, there is no need to drink a lot on the cruise, I see less and less of it, so of course companies like Celebrity will want to modify their offerings by going "all inclusive" knowing very well drinking is a fad on the way down. You can thank me later for my tips, I can open a ***** page if you care to donate for my inside information. 

 

What's in the pipe that he's smoking?  (To borrow a line from Arlo Guthrie's "The Pause of Mr. Clause") https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMvWqm1_DTw

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by ChucktownSteve

[basenji56]

1 minute ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

What's in the pipe that he's smoking?  (To borrow a line from Arlo Guthrie's (The Pause of Mr. Clause) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMvWqm1_DTw

 

I believe that alcohol consumption WAS declining up until this year.  However, this has changed given the lockdowns and the new normal.

 

US alcohol consumption is up 14% during COVID-19, JAMA study finds (usatoday.com)

 

"Any increases in alcohol use during the pandemic could be a cause for concern, particularly if the increases stem from an attempt to cope with negative emotions associated with the crisis," Koob said.

 

The World Health Organization in April warned that alcohol consumption can put people at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus because alcohol is known to weaken the body's immune system.

[Bo1953]

2 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I believe that alcohol consumption WAS declining up until this year.  However, this has changed given the lockdowns and the new normal.

 

US alcohol consumption is up 14% during COVID-19, JAMA study finds (usatoday.com)

 

"Any increases in alcohol use during the pandemic could be a cause for concern, particularly if the increases stem from an attempt to cope with negative emotions associated with the crisis," Koob said.

 

The World Health Organization in April warned that alcohol consumption can put people at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus because alcohol is known to weaken the body's immune system.

Well, I guess that is the root of my current issues with alcohol, not being able to sail and mimicking The Martini Bar in my kitchen!!! LOL

 

That is sans show the great bartenders put on at 7p, 9p and 11p!!!

 

Cheers and bon voyage

Edited December 1, 2020 by Bo1953

[MarinerBoy]

18 minutes ago, basenji56 said:

I believe that alcohol consumption WAS declining up until this year.  However, this has changed given the lockdowns and the new normal.

 

US alcohol consumption is up 14% during COVID-19, JAMA study finds (usatoday.com)

 

"Any increases in alcohol use during the pandemic could be a cause for concern, particularly if the increases stem from an attempt to cope with negative emotions associated with the crisis," Koob said.

 

The World Health Organization in April warned that alcohol consumption can put people at increased risk of contracting the coronavirus because alcohol is known to weaken the body's immune system.

 

Please ignore all CV19 related stats, these are just outliners and blimps. The reality is that alcohol consumption is going down, and even if a slight increase due to CV19 happened it has 0 effect on the cruise industry.

We know people are aiming for healthier life styles, I just revealed a huge leak in the case why Celebrity is going "all inclusive" due to the revolutionary new study that alcohol is going down thus they plan on seeing less alcohol bought to justify " all inclusive" offerings. I want people to praise my leak, because among the posters here I am the only one consistently delivering up to date marketing data and strategy leaks from the top.