Permanent Cutbacks on Carnival

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 minute ago, Lane Hog said:

I don't know that 24 hour access to food would be a tie-breaker for me, but it sure is a nice to have option.

 

Like it or not, unbundling won't stop.  

I fully expect one of the mainstream lines to move and make the buffet the only "included" option for meals, and for the MDR go away or become an upsell.

If there was an OBC or discount on the base fare to do things like carry your own bags on/off or to opt out of daily steward service, I'm sure there are people would give both up without thinking twice about it.

People joke about reserving deck chairs, but it wouldn't surprise me to see that happen.  Even our public pool is offering cabanas on a 2-4 hour rental.  

 

Sounds like the business model "easy cruise" had.

[DallasGuy75219]

On 8/4/2022 at 10:53 PM, IntrepidFromDC said:

You want filet mignon

 

Yet another cut... the filet with the steak and eggs has been replaced with a cheaper cut (striploin? sirloin?) since cruises resumed in the COVID era.

[DallasGuy75219]

On 8/4/2022 at 4:40 PM, mz-s said:

 

Same reason why pizza is now the only late night food option. People will walk down to the pizza pirate, see the line, say "I'm not really that hungry" and go to bed.

That's why I started getting a cheese plate to go at dinner every night.  It's my late night post-casino snack after the late night snack buffet (now being cut anyway) was closed and when I didn't want to deal with the line and/or drunks waiting for pizza when it was the only venue open and only had one person working it.

[BlerkOne]

39 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Cruising for free because Carnival has cut back on and cheapened the experience to the point that I (and apparently others) will no longer pay for it, except by "pre-paying" for future cruises by gambling in the casino.

Surely you know that most cruisers are not on casino specials.

[BlerkOne]

12 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

That's why I started getting a cheese plate to go at dinner every night.  It's my late night post-casino snack after the late night snack buffet (now being cut anyway) was closed and when I didn't want to deal with the line and/or drunks waiting for pizza when it was the only venue open and only had one person working it.

Doesn't the casino usually send cookies and more?

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Let me preface this by saying I didn’t take economics 101.

 

in your last sentence you say since Carnival can’t reduce fares they have to reduce cost. 
 

Do you mean they can’t reduce fares since they are already giving them away at rock bottom prices or free? And how would reducing fares maximize profits?

 

i would have understood if you said since  they can’t raise prices , but again  I did not take the class.

No, Carnival is not giving them away at rock bottom prices or free.  To some target marketed people, yes, but to everyone, no.  Carnival wants their cruisers to spend money on board.  They will give the cruises at cut rate prices or free insides to gamblers because gamblers spend money while on board.  They will also target to the blue cards, the first time cruisers that know no better and will spend on board.  They will give cut rate prices on the Panorama and the Radiance to west coast area cruisers to spur business.  Because of all of the giveaways, Carnival needs to trim the fat in other areas in order to help the bottom line.  Minor adjustments such as eliminating the brunch filet, shortening the brunch by an hour, not having pizza in the middle of the night, temporarily doing away with the chocolate extravaganza etc will add to the bottom line.   There might be a few people upset short term, but long term they will stick around.  And if they do somehow decide to leave, there will be a blue card waiting in the wings.

[Honolulu Blue]

5 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

If there was an OBC or discount on the base fare to do things like carry your own bags on/off or to opt out of daily steward service, I'm sure there are people would give both up without thinking twice about it.  Both would reduce cost without materially impacting the cruise experience for many.

I'd love this because I carry my own bags on/off now and occasionally block out my steward when they don't fit in with the rhythm of my day.  

[bobsfamily]

"If there was an OBC or discount on the base fare to do things like carry your own bags on/off or to opt out of daily steward service, I'm sure there are people would give both up without thinking twice about it.  Both would reduce cost without materially impacting the cruise experience for many." (quoted)

 

I agree but as with some hotels they do have to check every 24-48 hours on the cabin.  We love to have someone clean/refresh our cabin! Labor day weekend will be our first cruise in 2 plus years(covid) and 4+ years on Carnival.  With the new cuts this might be the last on Carnival and back to other lines.  Sad as the Sunshine is a 30 minute drive from home.

[UPNYGuy]

On 8/5/2022 at 3:09 PM, UPNYGuy said:

 

Same. This actually gave me pause in booking another Havana sailing until we see how things shake out. I enjoyed being able to walk around the corner and grab something to eat. It made up for the lack of a private dining area (like Haven or Yacht Club).

 

well...there goes that one...that lasted a whole 6 days 😄. Just booked a Havana cabin, and on a ship I stated I would not book on (Celebration). 

 

Figure I need to make my mind up for myself. DW and I are not huge pool people (she uses it, I really dont). But, we LOVE the cabana cabins, private bar area, and private seating area outside. I obviously know the Havana area is not as nice as what is on the Vista ships, but figure if we want to give the new XL class a go, we should try it with the cabin category we like and make up our own mind.

[Illbcruzn4life]

12 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

No, Carnival is not giving them away at rock bottom prices or free.  To some target marketed people, yes, but to everyone, no.  Carnival wants their cruisers to spend money on board.  They will give the cruises at cut rate prices or free insides to gamblers because gamblers spend money while on board.  They will also target to the blue cards, the first time cruisers that know no better and will spend on board.  They will give cut rate prices on the Panorama and the Radiance to west coast area cruisers to spur business.  Because of all of the giveaways, Carnival needs to trim the fat in other areas in order to help the bottom line.  Minor adjustments such as eliminating the brunch filet, shortening the brunch by an hour, not having pizza in the middle of the night, temporarily doing away with the chocolate extravaganza etc will add to the bottom line.   There might be a few people upset short term, but long term they will stick around.  And if they do somehow decide to leave, there will be a blue card waiting in the wings.

I wonder how I got targeted earlier this week. I only cruised once on Carnival since 2011 and I don't spend much money onboard. We don't gamble or drink. I got offers for 3-4 day cruises for $60. Sadly it's not worth the hassle to fly for a 3-4 day cruise and it is cost prohibitive.

Edited August 11, 2022 by Illbcruzn4life

[KmomChicago]

Just now, UPNYGuy said:

 

well...there goes that one...that lasted a whole 6 days 😄. Just booked a Havana cabin, and on a ship I stated I would not book on (Celebration). 

 

Figure I need to make my mind up for myself. DW and I are not huge pool people (she uses it, I really dont). But, we LOVE the cabana cabins, private bar area, and private seating area outside. I obviously know the Havana area is not as nice as what is on the Vista ships, but figure if we want to give the new XL class a go, we should try it with the cabin category we like and make up our own mind.

 

Oh but the Excel class ships are incredible. . . I was lucky enough to be only on a 2/3 full sailing (3900 last August).  And I am sure the crowds change it a little, but it will be great! The only thing wrong with the Havana area is that the pool is not much bigger than a hot tub. Otherwise it should be fine.  

 

Good for you making up your own mind. The Havana bar is very nice on MG and I am sure on the sister ships. Beautiful. The food is, well, great, by the standards of Carnival, which we like, unlike half the world.  We were completely happy with our MG cruise. 

[UPNYGuy]

5 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

 

Oh but the Excel class ships are incredible. . . I was lucky enough to be only on a 2/3 full sailing (3900 last August).  And I am sure the crowds change it a little, but it will be great! The only thing wrong with the Havana area is that the pool is not much bigger than a hot tub. Otherwise it should be fine.  

 

Good for you making up your own mind. The Havana bar is very nice on MG and I am sure on the sister ships. Beautiful. The food is, well, great, by the standards of Carnival, which we like, unlike half the world.  We were completely happy with our MG cruise. 

 

DW and I book Havana on the vista ships, so I was hesitant to book this due to the drastic difference. 

[Top_of_the_Cube]

Accounting just provides a picture.  Not a bad thing, but it is mainly a reflection of management decisions.

 

Marketing is the key.  Carnival has to create a product that gets people on its ships.  They try to determine the basic product that will entice their target market to book the cruise (~70% of their revenue, at least pre-pandemic).  Once on board, so much pressure is then applied to get you to further part with your money (~30% of their revenue).

 

For me, I LOVE it.  A cruise on Carnival is basically an All Inclusive experience.  But, my wife's onboard spending covers myself and probably five other "free-loading" passengers.

 

If these cuts are "the last straw" for you, either Carnival missed their mark, or you are not who they are after anyway.  New bookings will tell the tale.

[ProgRockCruiser]

1 hour ago, UPNYGuy said:

But, we LOVE the cabana cabins, private bar area, and private seating area outside.

The Havana Private bar is just the outside section, right?  Pretty sure the inside section is still "all-access" for us hoi polloi.

[sanmarcosman]

14 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Doesn't the casino usually send cookies and more?

Yes, and those "gift" cookies wind up costing the average gambler $25 per cookie 😉 

[sanmarcosman]

6 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

The Havana Private bar is just the outside section, right?  Pretty sure the inside section is still "all-access" for us hoi polloi.

That's the way we've seen it operated on Panorama. The inside Havana Lounge is used for karaoke so the indoor bar is necessary for all access.

[CruizinSusan70]

7 hours ago, bobsfamily said:

With the new cuts this might be the last on Carnival and back to other lines.  

Peruse the other boards on cruise critic.  The other lines are all doing their own cutbacks and changes in order to improve the bottom line.  Cruising as we knew it in 2019 has not returned yet on any line.

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

I wonder how I got targeted earlier this week. I only cruised once on Carnival since 2011 and I don't spend much money onboard. We don't gamble or drink. I got offers for 3-4 day cruises for $60. Sadly it's not worth the hassle to fly for a 3-4 day cruise and it is cost prohibitive.

No body in the outside world knows the rhymes or reasons regarding the algorithms that Carnival uses to determine who gets what promo. 

Certainly won't hold my breath for a RU1, RU2 or RU3 code for Cheers.

[CruizinSusan70]

23 minutes ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

The Havana Private bar is just the outside section, right?  Pretty sure the inside section is still "all-access" for us hoi polloi.

Yes, the same set up as on the Vista Class ships.

[M&A]

I sailed on an RCI ship a few years ago just after they ended the chocolates on your pillow.

When we had the question and answer with the Captain, a woman actually asked him why they stopped the chocolates on the pillow.  With a straight face he said  "too many people were getting chocolate on their faces"

[UPNYGuy]

1 hour ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

The Havana Private bar is just the outside section, right?  Pretty sure the inside section is still "all-access" for us hoi polloi.

 

yes. the outside section is private.

[pc_load_letter]

16 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

People joke about reserving deck chairs, but it wouldn't surprise me to see that happen.  Even our public pool is offering cabanas on a 2-4 hour rental.  

 

 

I believe I was watching a cruise vlogger and there was a cruise line, can't remember if it was on Celebrity's new ships or Virgin Voyages that have paid-for reserved seating on the pool deck.

[pc_load_letter]

I understand the cost cutting and the cost of labor, goods etc being what it is.

 

I guess I would rather see a good(ish) 24hr food venue on Carnival ala O'Sheehans versus the celebrity deals with the likes of  Fiere, Shaq and Emril.

 

Granted those deals may not even cover the costs of such a service but celebrity "stuff" doesn't really move my needle much.

[RD64]

NCL has the Vibe beach club, Princess has The Sanctuary, the newer HAL ships all have cabanas - paying for a deck chair is already here! 

[UPNYGuy]

35 minutes ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

I believe I was watching a cruise vlogger and there was a cruise line, can't remember if it was on Celebrity's new ships or Virgin Voyages that have paid-for reserved seating on the pool deck.

 

HAL has done this with poolside cabanas since the Eurodam started sailing.