Cruise line offer emails

[cruise pup]

I am getting daily offers from all of my past cruise lines. The industry is obviously smarting from the pandemic but I am not ready to book regardless of the discounts. To tell the truth, I got better offers before the crisis. And now I would not book a  stateroom that doesn't have access to fresh air so the cost for me will increase. It's really frustrating because I am now living in Florida but unwilling to take advantage of the 55+ and Florida residents deals. Well, I want this crisis to pass for more important reasons than cruising but look forward to the day when we are all healthy and looking forward to lobster night!

Edited January 12, 2022 by cruise pup
Typo

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, cruise pup said:

It's really frustrating because I am now living in Florida but unwilling to take advantage of the 55+ and Florida residents deals. Well, I want this crisis to pass for more important reasons than cruising but look forward to the day when we are all healthy and looking forward to lobster night!

 

I understand your position because it is the same as mine.  I don't receive many e-mails from the cruise lines, but, I do get many snail mail offers with the most coming from Oceania, Viking, and Regent.  These are lines I have never sailed.  Princess and Carnival sends me offers at times.  But, the company that I have patronized the most, HAL, rarely sends me anything.  

[iancal]

More often than not we find  cruise line 'specials' sent to us are more special for the cruise than they are for us.

 

More often nothing more than the bundling of a few options, and a reprice based on those options.  We are to the point where I delete them unopened from email or we place the hard mail in the reclycle bin unopened.

 

The cruise lines seem to believe that we are mathematically challenged.  We are not.

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by iancal

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, iancal said:

 

More often nothing more than the bundling of a few options, and a reprice based on those options.

 

And, then increasing the price of the cruise "package" to much more than the unbundled cruise would be.  Whenever I have been offered such a "wonderful deal", I have asked my travel agent to get the price without all of the "goodies".  Quite a difference in the price has been my experience.  

[iancal]

Do the math.  Focus on the net price.  The discount percentage or savings is meaningless.

[iancal]

One thing to remember, besides breaking down the offer and doing the math, is that cruise lines are no different than any business wanting your custom.  

 

There will be two basic plays....

 

-the first is to focus the customer squarely  on how much or what percentage they are saving.  Does not matter if the discount or percentage discount is really not so as long as the regular price numbers are juiced up in order to provide the appearance of a discount.

 

-the second basic play, as or more important, is to create a sense of urgency.  Buy this now because the price will disappear and never be offered again.   Typically hogwash unless you a well inside the final payment window.  So, there is always a firm drop date on the limited offer AND a suggestion that all of the primo cabins will be snapped up before the end of the day.   And backed up by the statement that you can cancel before the final payment date and get a full refund.  So why not book today???

Edited January 17, 2022 by iancal

[mort&fran]

I agree with everything said. BUT I also suggest that you carefully keep an eye on things. We got free airfare for a Rhine River cruise from Viking. One month it was there; it no longer is (at least for our cruise).