Why Doesn't HAL Ask For Unique Itinerary Recommendations ?

[richwmn]

13 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Any small business can hardly compare to decisions made by corporate business plans of which the marketing plan is vital to the business plan being successful   . 

Decisions made by small business are just as vital to the success of that business. Just not on a global scale.

[mcrcruiser]

6 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

 

Yes - they are a very large global company, and HOPEFULLY they are have marketing folks who focus on more than one just port (where they just so happen to live)

It seems to me that the parent company hasn't done very well with their extremely high debt   facing them daily   .Catch this one ,Carnival corp has to make $196   million in profits not gross sales when the Federal Reserve just increases the interest rates by just 1%   yes  one percent   .so if this corporation  needs to keep their doors open they should at least listen to fresh ideas   .I am not running their business but they sure are   & the stock price does not reflect that they are doing a great turn around job  just saying  .Last price for CCL stock I just saw was $6.99 per share 

[mcrcruiser]

5 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Decisions made by small business are just as vital to the success of that business. Just not on a global scale.

But they can hardly afford a marketing department   .This is why big business can do so much better with well educated & experienced teams  of professionals  than  a mom & pop  operation  .  Today it is either grow or leave   . There is really no in between   

Edited October 12, 2022 by mcrcruiser

[Mary229]

4 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

But they can hardly afford a marketing department   I think your view of what a small business is may be out of date. 

 

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/01/what-is-a-small-business.html
 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Mary229

[mcrcruiser]

6 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

But they can hardly afford a marketing department   .This is why big business can do so much better with well educated & experienced teams  of professionals  than  a mom & pop  operation  .  Today it is either grow or leave   . There is really no in between   

Here is a link from Barons :https://www.barrons.com/articles/carnival-stock-earnings-51664551737?siteid=yhoof2&yptr=yahoo

[Mary229]

Anyway.   @mcrcruiser you are welcome to write them with your thoughts any time.  And before you criticize that suggestion I will let you know I recently wrote Jerome Powell and received a personal response that day from his assistant.  The written word can be powerful 

[mcrcruiser]

3 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

 

https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/01/what-is-a-small-business.html
 

common give us a break , That is weak , Here in Calif hundreds of thousands of small business went out of business during the height of the pandemic  nit the big box stores like Walmart ,Target ,home Depot ,Lowes ie   .more small business will fold in this  economy  because one they don't have the free cash flows that giants have  &  certainly they do't have diversified markets  like the giant corps do 

[mcrcruiser]

6 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Anyway.   @mcrcruiser you are welcome to write them with your thoughts any time.  And before you criticize that suggestion I will let you know I recently wrote Jerome Powell and received a personal response that day from his assistant.  The written word can be powerful 

What are you talking about getting a reply from one of many   government  assistants to  the  Federal Reserve   .Yes I said many LOL 

[richwmn]

@mcrcruiserI hope the Kool-Aide you drink is tasty

[AtlantaCruiser72]

mcrcruiser is right

mcrcruiser is always right

mcrcruiser shall forever be right

everyone else’s opinions have now been invalidated
 

there, that should end this debate…….

[Mary229]

7 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

What are you talking about getting a reply from one of many   government  assistants to  the  Federal Reserve   .Yes I said many LOL 

No, it was his personal office.  Anyway you make mine and @rondonna’s point.  Customers can’t take criticism and there is no point alienating them with a false sense of input 

[chengkp75]

42 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

.so if this corporation  needs to keep their doors open they should at least listen to fresh ideas

And, since they have to make so much profit, is it wise for them to add to costs by making new port agreements, new agent contracts, finding new excursion and supply vendors, and at the same time alienating those vendors, suppliers, and governments where they currently cruise to?  I don't think setting up a new itinerary including new ports is as simple as getting into your car and saying, "lets go to Florida instead of Michigan".

[mcrcruiser]

7 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

And, since they have to make so much profit, is it wise for them to add to costs by making new port agreements, new agent contracts, finding new excursion and supply vendors, and at the same time alienating those vendors, suppliers, and governments where they currently cruise to?  I don't think setting up a new itinerary including new ports is as simple as getting into your car and saying, "lets go to Florida instead of Michigan".

We understand but it  will take much  new innovation this time   to stay in business . The crunch or better vise is happening as we speak .costs are accelerating for both the cruise lines & consumers  ,It is getting to the point of suer saturation 

[mcrcruiser]

1 hour ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

mcrcruiser is right

mcrcruiser is always right

mcrcruiser shall forever be right

everyone else’s opinions have now been invalidated
 

there, that should end this debate…….

You said it so it "must " be right  LOL

[mcrcruiser]

45 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

And, since they have to make so much profit, is it wise for them to add to costs by making new port agreements, new agent contracts, finding new excursion and supply vendors, and at the same time alienating those vendors, suppliers, and governments where they currently cruise to?  I don't think setting up a new itinerary including new ports is as simple as getting into your car and saying, "lets go to Florida instead of Michigan".

Needless to say I am not running the cruise line ;however, what would Apple be today if not for inventive innovation ? 

[Destiny0315]

9 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Needless to say I am not running the cruise line ;however, what would Apple be today if not for inventive innovation ? 

Maybe bankrupt...

https://startuptalky.com/apple-failed-products/

 

[Homosassa]

For those of you that are not long time HAL cruisers :

 

Once a upon a time HAL had small ships that did  unique itineraries and would be longer than seven days.

 

Then HAL was sold to Carnival and the Carnivalization started.  We will not go into the small touches that made a HAL cruise special and were deleted first.

 

HAL and Princess basically had the same socioeconomic market demographic.  What to do?

 

Start HAL on the downward trend to be a step experience between bottom of the barrel Carnival and the higher tier lines.

 

Delete the small ships, build big ones. 

 

Big ships can not port at many of the old itinerary ports which means limited offerings for itineraries and shorten cruise lengths to fit the new marketing demographic.

 

Somehow, unless the HAL brand is sold , I don't see anything new or unique happening at HAL in the future.

[bennybear]

I would love to see a Greek island cruises that visits some of the lesser visited islands.   

[Crazy For Cats]

I would like to see the 14 day Seattle round trip to Alaska return.  We did that on the Maasdam and it was our favorite Alaska adventure.  We went up to Anchorage and visited different ports on the return trip.  That itinerary would justify the hassle of flying from Boston to Seattle.  

[kazu]

13 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

We live here in San Diego county  .imo ,HAL could do a partial transit from San diego like they do from Port Everglades  Ft Laiderdale Florida  .There are many more ports in Mexico  south of Puerto Vallarta  yjru could stop like Acapulco where the Cliff divers are located . another cruise which imo would be also packed is a round trip  Alaska ;which would eliminate flying   .These are just the tip of that ice berg doe examples 

 

Eliminates flying for YOU - doesn’t eliminate it for many of us and speaking for me  only, getting to San Diego is far more complicated from here than elsewhere.  It is also pricey.

 

I spent hours trying to find a decent connection to join friends on a cruise - all to no avail. 

 

Heck it is easier for me to get to Europe than San Diego right now.  And there is a lot more to see there - at least, for me 😉 

 

 

13 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

 

 When you think that the Pacific Ocean is twice the size of the  Atlantic  ,we have a lot to offer cruisers here  in the California ports   

 

 

Different itineraries appeal to different people.  What you consider ideal, many others will not.

 

4 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

That is great if  you live on the East Coast near  Florida ports  .so just for starters add in the much higher cost of flying today  to get to the embarkation port 

 

And that is exactly my point.  Just because YOU live close to that embarkation port doesn’t mean HAL should create itineraries to suit YOU.  You are one of many and not everyone wants what you do.  HAL knows what appeals and create them accordingly taking into account the necessary logistics.

 

[rodndonna]

5 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Heck it is easier for me to get to Europe than San Diego right now.  And there is a lot more to see there - at least, for me 😉 
 

 

Same here. From Toronto, it's much easier finding deals and options on flights to Europe than to California.  

[mcrcruiser]

20 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Eliminates flying for YOU - doesn’t eliminate it for many of us and speaking for me  only, getting to San Diego is far more complicated from here than elsewhere.  It is also pricey.

 

I spent hours trying to find a decent connection to join friends on a cruise - all to no avail. 

 

Heck it is easier for me to get to Europe than San Diego right now.  And there is a lot more to see there - at least, for me 😉 

 

 

 

Different itineraries appeal to different people.  What you consider ideal, many others will not.

 

 

And that is exactly my point.  Just because YOU live close to that embarkation port doesn’t mean HAL should create itineraries to suit YOU.  You are one of many and not everyone wants what you do.  HAL knows what appeals and create them accordingly taking into account the necessary logistics.

 

Well Well the gang is all here .  FWIW San Diego has  the best weather & is  one of the most desirable  places to live .We have numerous attractions for the visitor to see 

 

 Europe is appealing because both  the Euro & British Pound currencies are weakened   ,your Canadian loony will go further in Europe than the USA  currently . Perhaps that is a strong motivator   for you ;but ,remember the war  between Russia & Ukraine is a lot closer in Europe than here i.Yes there are definite trade offs 

 

 About itineraries ,all are recommendations to a cruise line that needs more revenues  both in births filled as well as at sea spending   .Candidly I really don't care if HAL keeps the same old same old itineraries , It is not my own business running nor am I currently a share holder in CCL stock  .Just far too risky 

 

 FWIW the companies today that will be  financially healthy & here tomorrow are the ones more innovative &  with new ideas which are part of  originality  &  innovation 😃

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

[mcrcruiser]

Interesting  that we are not seeing a lot of new faces coming to our roll call when the cruise is less than 2 months from sailing .In fact it is very skinny with people  .  It had never been this way in the past  . Could it be the economy is  impacting  new  sales ?

[mcrcruiser]

On 10/12/2022 at 9:09 AM, richwmn said:

@mcrcruiserI hope the Kool-Aide you drink is tasty

  What is your Kool -Aide .Are you recommending a personal drink of yours ?  Just thought you deserved a reply😆

Edited October 13, 2022 by mcrcruiser

[FlaMariner]

59 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

FWIW San Diego has  the best weather & is  one of the most desirable  places to live

 

Agree with the weather but why are folks leaving California?  

 

Wonder if HAL's delays and limited cruises from California  is about their costs to operate in California and the future they see there?  

 

I noticed the short west coast/re-position runs from Alaska were dirt cheap this year and the one ship that hangs around and goes to Cabo, etc. has low prices and they did exit the area at one time.

 

Perhaps HAL is contemplating a way to just get the ships from Alaska to Florida as fast as they can and bypass California because it is no longer worth it.....too much hassle/expense?

 

As far as California's population growth.....

 

The state’s largest decline was between 2020 and 2021 when the population dropped 0.7%.