OBSERVATIONS FROM THE POOP DECK SEASCAPE JULY

[morpheusofthesea]

Analytics firms have discovered that loyalty programs are not rewarding the most profitable cruisers. It is the cheap stiffs that are taking advantage of these rewards. That is why the scale back by cruise lines. Likewise the great tourist cities of the world have discovered that the mega ships are carrying these same cheap stiffs that only spend a few dollars per visit, than those that fly in and stay at their hotels, eateries and boutiques. Be prepared for mega ship limitation or higher tourist fares to these cities. This leads us to low price bidding on upgrades coming to an end. Cruise lines must have data that these deals are going to the least profitable steerage type passengers as well. They must be over indulging and taking much greater advantage of the complimentary perks than full paying Yacht Club guests. To the point that it is better to have the cabin empty than filled with a stiff.

[lahlah57]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

All are invited to frolic, cavort, romp and prance here at our Pierian Spring, a fountain of knowledge for the uninitiated.

You funny funny man.....🫤

[Essiesmom]

I had to look that one up…. EM

[morpheusofthesea]

25 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I had to look that one up…. EM

me too.

[Bgwest]

2 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

All are invited to frolic, cavort, romp and prance here at our Pierian Spring, a fountain of knowledge for the uninitiated.

You, my friend are indeed a fountain of knowledge. Me? About the best I can claim to be is a cesspool of useless information. 

[morpheusofthesea]

30 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

You, my friend are indeed a fountain of knowledge. Me? About the best I can claim to be is a cesspool of useless information. 

You, my friend, are too cunning.

"True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us." Socrates

 

You humble me.

Edited September 9 by morpheusofthesea

[lahlah57]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Analytics firms have discovered that loyalty programs are not rewarding the most profitable cruisers. It is the cheap stiffs that are taking advantage of these rewards. That is why the scale back by cruise lines. Likewise the great tourist cities of the world have discovered that the mega ships are carrying these same cheap stiffs that only spend a few dollars per visit, than those that fly in and stay at their hotels, eateries and boutiques. Be prepared for mega ship limitation or higher tourist fares to these cities. This leads us to low price bidding on upgrades coming to an end. Cruise lines must have data that these deals are going to the least profitable steerage type passengers as well. They must be over indulging and taking much greater advantage of the complimentary perks than full paying Yacht Club guests. To the point that it is better to have the cabin empty than filled with a stiff.

Soooo are you saying they do not appreciate me buying that lousy keychain or refrigerator magnet at their port souvenirs shoppe???

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is something else running around social media...... A CruiseCritic accumulation of data finds the five worst cruise lines today. On a scale of 1 to 5 the worst is Costa with a 3.0...followed by our favorite MSC with 3.3...next a tie for third worst, P&O and Ambassador and #5 worst is NCL...

   Now why might this be....

   It is because of the lowest prices in the cruise industry are attracting the worst in society. What Emma Lazurus coined in her poem the "wretched refuse". These cruise lines might just as well adopt her line as their motto. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to (sail) free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore".

   Most U.S. cities spend more per day to house and feed their homeless populations than what these cruise lines are charging. This upgrade bidding has gotten so the "wretched refuse" have even infiltrated the Yacht Clubs.  We use to love traveling on cruise ships around the world in steerage, but fighting for a chair hogged deck lounger every day or finding a seat, being pushed and shoved in the buffets, watching all the unwashed use their disgusting habits touching everything and putting food back (this list is too numerous to inventory here). This has forced us out of steerage into the suite category and even there we are under siege but still not to the full extent as steerage. Maybe this is a reason MSC is no longer giving away YC cabins ?

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This upgrade bidding has gotten so the "wretched refuse" have even infiltrated the Yacht Clubs. 

 

 I have not seen these low priced upgrades.  We sail in the YC and for our upcoming cruise the upgrade price to a Royal Suite was half again the cost of our YC cabin.  The upgrade price for the Owners suite was more than we paid for our YCP.  

 

[MsTabbyKats]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Here is something else running around social media...... A CruiseCritic accumulation of data finds the five worst cruise lines today. On a scale of 1 to 5 the worst is Costa with a 3.0...followed by our favorite MSC with 3.3...next a tie for third worst, P&O and Ambassador and #5 worst is NCL...

   Now why might this be....

   It is because of the lowest prices in the cruise industry are attracting the worst in society. What Emma Lazurus coined in her poem the "wretched refuse". These cruise lines might just as well adopt her line as their motto. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to (sail) free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore".

   Most U.S. cities spend more per day to house and feed their homeless populations than what these cruise lines are charging. This upgrade bidding has gotten so the "wretched refuse" have even infiltrated the Yacht Clubs.  We use to love traveling on cruise ships around the world in steerage, but fighting for a chair hogged deck lounger every day or finding a seat, being pushed and shoved in the buffets, watching all the unwashed use their disgusting habits touching everything and putting food back (this list is too numerous to inventory here). This has forced us out of steerage into the suite category and even there we are under siege but still not to the full extent as steerage. Maybe this is a reason MSC is no longer giving away YC cabins ?

I hope you're right.  When they give away YC cabins it dilutes the value,,,not to mention annoys those of us fools who pay!

 

As far as NCL being #5...one of the reasons that I don't even look at NCL is that they've raised their prices too much.  The price of a balcony without meals, drinks etc....is more or less the cost of a YC Interior!  And Haven costs so much more and gives you so much less than YC....

[MsTabbyKats]

3 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I have not seen these low priced upgrades.  We sail in the YC and for our upcoming cruise the upgrade price to a Royal Suite was half again the cost of our YC cabin.  The upgrade price for the Owners suite was more than we paid for our YCP.  

 

I believe he's talking about non-YC passengers who get upgrades to YC.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

7 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

I have not seen these low priced upgrades.

I saved these postings....

 "They accepted our offer and put us in the YC Deluxe balcony! So for the price of ONE YC person my wife and I are getting in (total cost $2600, the "rack rate" for that room is $5300)! Happy birthday to me!" Under title "Bidding upgrade to Yacht Club." This was 2 weeks before the sailing. During our disembarkation, we were escorted to the gangway by our butler. In the elevator he told us that the Yacht Club was almost sold out on the next cruise. There were 2 cabins available and one was the Royal Suite. So it appears everyone that bid got upgraded to the YC with only 2 left on embarkation day. So perhaps it is not too wise to nibble too early on those upgrade emails until 2 weeks before the sailing date ?

" Will be cruising on the World Europa from Barcelona on 27th of this month. First time in YC. Won a bid from a Bella interior cabin to a YC interior but have ended up with a deluxe cabin suite! Paying around $1300 per person in total, such great value." (another poster)

[DaKahuna]

41 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Paying around $1300 per person in total, such great value.

 

Heck you probably tip that much when you sail !!

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

3 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

Heck you probably tip that much when you sail !!

 

 

No. Actually $1500 on average total for the two of us for one week.

Edited September 10 by morpheusofthesea

[DaKahuna]

45 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I believe he's talking about non-YC passengers who get upgrades to YC.

 

 

 I think he was too but just wanted share the stupid upgrade cost for those suites. 

 

For our sailing on the 28th, there are four YC1's, 6 YCP's, and 1 Royal Suite showing available. 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

Here is a rather long 6 minute and 20 second tour of Ocean Cay from trolley. Mustafa K. is driving/guide.

[Moparfiend]

The upgrade offers seem really high these days for upgrades

There's 5 rooms booked in YC on Seashore in October
Owners, Royal, Deluxe grand on deck 16 (extra wide), and two interiors. It seems like, at least from YC to YC, it's close to the same as just calling and changing the room.

MSC YACHT ROYAL SUITE (cost 12k)
- to Owners Suite - Min bid PP - 3,465 USD per guest
 

MSC YACHT CLUB DELUXE GRAND SUITE (cost 6k)
- to Owners Suite - Min bid PP - 6,735 USD per guest
- to Royal Suite - Min bid PP - 3,255 USD per guest

YACHT CLUB Interior (cost 4k)
- to Deluxe Suite - Min bid PP - 1,125 USD per guest

At least we didn't get downgrade offers for more money this go around lol

[Gordoncruickshank]

10 minutes ago, Moparfiend said:

MSC YACHT ROYAL SUITE (cost 12k)
- to Owners Suite - Min bid PP - 3,465 USD per guest
 

Is $12k the going rate for a RS now?

 

We have 2 booked for Feb/Mar next year for £7k each week which is similar to what we paid for one on Preziosa 5 years ago - that's about $9k. I know it is different seasons but I thought the winter was more expensive. 

[Moparfiend]

17 minutes ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

Is $12k the going rate for a RS now?

 

We have 2 booked for Feb/Mar next year for £7k each week which is similar to what we paid for one on Preziosa 5 years ago - that's about $9k. I know it is different seasons but I thought the winter was more expensive. 

Sorry, I should have mentioned there are 3 people in that room

[DaKahuna]

6 hours ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

Is $12k the going rate for a RS now?

 

For our sailing on the 28th of this month, one Royal Suite is showing available at $11,018 for two passengers. 

 

Both are sold out on our sailing that departs on the 21st.  Owners Suites are sold out for both cruises. 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

  I'm right about who the Hotel Director is when it comes to over crowding the Yacht Clubs with Friends and Family given access to all the YC venues and NOT booked into YC cabins. On one of our cruises (BM before Mustafa) there were 44 on his list and our cruise was already over booked in the YC with 330 official paying YC guests. 131 YC cabins x 2 =262 fully booked. Then there are the casino group also allowed YC access without paying to be in the YC. This policy snowballs, because then the Yacht Club Director takes all the heat from paying passengers in the YC and tends to hide out the entire cruise, just waiting for the following week.

Edited September 11 by morpheusofthesea

[no1talks]

57 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

"Then there are the casino group also allowed YC access without paying to be in the YC. This policy snowballs, because then the Yacht Club Director takes all the heat from paying passengers in the YC and tends to hide out the entire cruise, just waiting for the following week."

 

On the topic of casino VIP access to Yacht Club, a director is hiding to avoid sharing the unpleasant truth: Casino enthusiasts put much more profit into MSC coffers than a typical, no-extras YCer.

 

Collectively, those top-tier gamblers (by MSC standards) drop loads of money. It's way more than the average profit margin on a YC cabin.

 

Now, if typical YCers were doing lots of extra spending (enough to be comparable to the gamblers' collective loses) the YCers would have as much clout.

 

It's not personal; it's strictly business.

[morpheusofthesea]

1 minute ago, no1talks said:

 

On the topic of casino VIP access to Yacht Club, a director is hiding to avoid sharing the unpleasant truth: Casino enthusiasts put much more profit into MSC coffers than a typical, no-extras YCer.

 

Collectively, those top-tier gamblers (by MSC standards) drop loads of money. It's way more than the average profit margin on a YC cabin.

 

Now, if typical YCers were doing lots of extra spending (enough to be comparable to the gamblers' collective loses) the YCers would have as much clout.

 

It's not personal; it's strictly business.

You are right, of course.... I am just pointing out why the Yacht Clubs can get overcrowded on a sailing, which leads into your astute observation of World America's problem of increased cabins and shrinking YC venues that will compound with present MSC policy giving access to these outside groups. I fear your anticipation is spot on the mark and am glad that MSC is going to have more than just this W of A leaving from Miami. We just might be cancelling our  W of A bookings and switching back to another Seaship instead. We will see in April.

[DaKahuna]

 

 Now that Mustafa has ended his contract on Seascape, are you expecting that there will be a lot of non-YC guest in the YC on you/our upcoming Seascape voyages this month?  I am hoping there will not be but I guess we will see soon enough. 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

58 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 Now that Mustafa has ended his contract on Seascape, are you expecting that there will be a lot of non-YC guest in the YC on you/our upcoming Seascape voyages this month?  I am hoping there will not be but I guess we will see soon enough. 

 

Good question.