rememberances of things past

[Superman of Inaction]

I wonder if they will look back sometime in the not too distant future and regret making decisions that will cause them to become just another RCI and to alienate their formerly loyal client base?

 

I surely hope so...

 

I think your point is very well taken, caviargal. From what I have read on these boards it is probably not possible for Celebrity to alienate all of the loyal client base. The only question is how many will be left. I just don't see an infinite number of new cruisers out there.

[tuggers]

Texed, I surely do hope you are right!:)

[caviargal]

Passengers they won't want, or you won't want to be on board with? I don't think they make these decisions lightly.

 

If Celebrity lowers its standards, I'll stop sailing it. Businesses change to meet the demands of the market and with as much choice as there is out there, I'm not too worried about Celebrity's changes.

 

Frankly, I don't care to be onboard with obnoxious drunks, families with kids running wild, and passengers next to me at dinner wearing bathing trunks. Those delightful experiences are already available to me on X, Carnival, NCL and, from all reports, Princess is heading there quickly as well.

 

Does X want those passengers? I imagine they do not want the lawsuits and continuing bad publicity that is becoming far too common. Suicides, brownie riots, youths out of control and threatening security, drug overdoses; the big settlement checks will take their own toll on the bottom line.

 

The "demands of the market" differ by demographic as the growth in luxury and almost luxury (Oceania) have proven.

 

It is a fact that lower prices enable more people to cruise. It is also a fact that certain cruise lines market to certain demogrphics. X has attempted to be a step above the rest with decent results. So while you are not dismayed or worried, some of us are.

 

We shall agree to disagree on this, the wine issue and I am sure many others as your view of things and mine are quite divergent.

[m steve]

I just hope thright kind of people will be sailing with me on X. I would like a list so that I can google them to make sure they pass my muster. I really don't like sailing with children on board. Any persons who flaunt their religious convictions and political leanings that don't agree with mine should be excluded. Drinking in your cabin is perfectly acceptable if you bring your own wine and liquor on board. All items left on chairs at the pool should be immediately removed by the stewards unless the persons are actually in the water. Older people with mobility problems should be limited to a single elevator so the people who are in a hurry to get somewhere should not be delayed by some wheelchair blocking the door.

Now if X can provide all of this I will remain one of their loyal passengers.

[rebeccalouise]

My family and I are going on three cruises this year- Oceania Regatta, Century and Millenium. After that who knows?

I started cruising in ernest in the past two years because of the rising oil prices. I think this industry is headed for a collapse. It is going to be much more expensive with rising oil costs- and people will switch to other modes of travel.

Have fun cruising at these prices while you can.:)

[Susan-M]

Frankly, I don't care to be onboard with obnoxious drunks, families with kids running wild, and passengers next to me at dinner wearing bathing trunks.

 

I am in complete agreement with you on that one! But I can't stop Celebrity from making changes that may result in a shipload of passengers that I'm not compatible with. So instead of worrying about what they are or are not doing, when it becomes unacceptable, it will be time to move on. So far, my experiences with Celebrity have been great .... and I won't discount them as an option until I have personally experienced a bad cruise with them and feel that they are at the "point of no return."

[CGTNORMANDIE]

REBECCA has brought up another good point...regarding high oil prices. But...I do believe CELEBRITY has come up with the answer. HMMMMMM...now let me see...how many bottles of wine at $25 per bottle would it take to off set the price of fuel??? Answer that question and you have grasped the entire subject!!! LOL!!!

 

Again...I say...I just think that the recent screw tightening at X needs to be handled differently.

[Sky Sweet]

If some passengers brought a unique bottle or two of wine to celebrate a special occasion, but no one abused the privilege, or sued the cruise line for the consequences of being intoxicated, that privilege would probably still exist. Unfortunately, we live in an era where many adults never learned to accept responsibility for their behavior and those are the people that you should really blame for this new policy. There is currently a wrongful death suit against Carnival by the parents of a woman who died in her cabin from an overdose of methadone that was brought aboard the ship by her boyfriend. When you consider that situation, as well as the Smith case, is it any wonder that the cruise lines feel the need to protect themselves?

[caviargal]

If some passengers brought a unique bottle or two of wine to celebrate a special occasion, but no one abused the privilege, or sued the cruise line for the consequences of being intoxicated, that privilege would probably still exist. Unfortunately, we live in an era where many adults never learned to accept responsibility for their behavior and those are the people that you should really blame for this new policy. There is currently a wrongful death suit against Carnival by the parents of a woman who died in her cabin from an overdose of methadone that was brought aboard the ship by her boyfriend. When you consider that situation, as well as the Smith case, is it any wonder that the cruise lines feel the need to protect themselves?

 

I think that there will always be those that will drink too much, do drugs onboard, and party til they puke. I do not think those are the same people who bring aboard some nice wines and are willing to pay a corkage fee. This rule does not begin to address the first set of folks but does cause problems for the second.

 

IMO, the issue is that X and RCI are not putting a stop to drinking, just wanting to make sure that it is on the tab. You can still orber anything you want to be brought to your room but that does not make it safer or preclude the risks of imbibing too much. I also do not think the law suits will lessen because when people smell money, things happen. The case you reference above is a good example. I think it is ludicrous to sue the cruise line but I have to believe this will settle out of court as the Smith case did and therefore open the door to more frequent lawsuits.

 

Quite frankly, there are those that will break any rules the cruise lines may try to impose and these are the folks that will find a way to bring booze on board no matter how the cruise lines try to police it.

 

I saw so many drunk 20 and 30 somethings on my last two RCI cruises (one since the new rulings) and the bar waiters just kept on serving them and pushing shots. The register kept on ringing. I believe there is far more likelihood of these folks causing a real problem (confirmed by the purser's desk the next day actually) then those that want to have a glass of wine in their cabin.

[m steve]

I hope that the people booking X haved moved on from RCL and Carnival and don't look at drinking as a competitive sport. To me my cocktail hour is a reward for tracking all over the place looking at fish, beaches, fat people in bakinis, rude French restauranteurs who won't let us just sit on their chairs without ordering something and hiking up to see another waterfall. A Mt. Gay and soda back on my veranda is just what I need and those CC hors' ds.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

If some passengers brought a unique bottle or two of wine to celebrate a special occasion, but no one abused the privilege, or sued the cruise line for the consequences of being intoxicated, that privilege would probably still exist. Unfortunately, we live in an era where many adults never learned to accept responsibility for their behavior and those are the people that you should really blame for this new policy. There is currently a wrongful death suit against Carnival by the parents of a woman who died in her cabin from an overdose of methadone that was brought aboard the ship by her boyfriend. When you consider that situation, as well as the Smith case, is it any wonder that the cruise lines feel the need to protect themselves?

 

Neither the Smith case or the latest Methadone case had anything to do with smuggled booze. These cases simply reflect the times and the extent that lawyers will stoop to recover monies. Every bad thing that I have read about the events at sea have all come with a huge dose of drinks being served at the bars. As I have said...this whole situation should have been handled differently by RCI/X. RCI's new policies need to be taken to task and exposed for what they are...PURE GREED. The loyal followers of RCI/X are being played for suckers here. It is not a case of "simply moving on". A lot of us have supported RCI/X for a long time and we deserve better treatment than they are doling out. If 10,000 loyal RCI patrons start complaining and keep complaining...it will have an effect on RCI/X. Word of mouth can be lethal in the cruise business. You best believe that we will sound off and complain and continue to complain until RCI realizes that they are in a service business and that they do not have a monopoly.

[Susan-M]

A lot of us have supported RCI/X for a long time and we deserve better treatment than they are doling out.

 

I don't understand the line of thinking that long time customers deserve better treatment or that the cruise line owes anything to them. You pay for your cruise and in return they provide the goods and service that you paid for. There are a few perks with Select and Elite status and that's what you get for your loyalty .... not a say in their business decisions.

[tuggers]

It might be fun to know what posters do, or did, in their professional life to get an idea of where some of the 'business sense' spouted here comes from.

[Susan-M]

It might be fun to know what posters do, or did, in their professional life to get an idea of where some of the 'business sense' spouted here comes from.

 

Celebrity has recognized a need to increase prices of some services and products, and to change certain policies - so, you feel that they have no 'business sense' and that some of the posters lack it as well. Do you feel this way because they have gone ahead and made the changes without consulting with or considering their loyal customers?

 

I've been driving Volvos for 10+ years .... they forgot to consult me before they raised their prices. I wasn't offended or angry ... I simply bought a vehicle that I felt was better value for the product.

[SheilaNC]

I, for one, taught both Financial and Human Resources Management for many years at a major university (that was after being a practicing health care administrator for many years). But I don't think you need to be a specific type of professional to recognize good management and customer service practices or to know when you are not getting reasonable treatment. Those whose needs are no longer being met can use their voices to state their response to new policies and their wallets (via purchasing services elsewhere) to determine their future actions. I write detailed messages to all appropriate RCL executives when I have received excellent service and am pleased with a cruise and will do the same when service is sub par and new policies offend me.

[tuggers]

My point exactly, spengle.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I don't understand the line of thinking that long time customers deserve better treatment or that the cruise line owes anything to them. You pay for your cruise and in return they provide the goods and service that you paid for. There are a few perks with Select and Elite status and that's what you get for your loyalty .... not a say in their business decisions.

 

MY POINT EXACTLY...the new customers are following like sheep. Your analogy with Volvos is most enlightening. The cruise business is not a manufactured product. The cruise business is a service business that is based on more than a 100 years of sea going traditions to which many newbies are totally clueless. We who have supported RCI and Celebrity from the beginning feel ripped off by the diminishing ammenities and sevices.

[judyush]

I've seen several references to the "Smith case" Can someone enlighten me?

[Susan-M]

We who have supported RCI and Celebrity from the beginning feel ripped off by the diminishing ammenities and sevices.

 

But changes are always occurring in business (& everywhere else in life). Ok, so my analogy with the car industry didn't work ....when I was five years old, our milk was delivered by a horse drawn cart (it was the late 50's, so a long time ago) - you can imagine my disappointment when they changed to motorized trucks and I couldn't see my favourite horse every day (not to mention the price increase of milk due to that change.) I wanted to boycott purchasing milk but I didn't carry much weight in the decision making process in our family :)

 

So I adopted the motto of the old adage: "Lord give me the strength to change what I can, accept what I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference."

[caviargal]

when I was five years old, our milk was delivered by a horse drawn cart (it was the late 50's, so a long time ago) - you can imagine my disappointment when they changed to motorized trucks and I couldn't see my favourite horse every day (not to mention the price increase of milk due to that change.) I wanted to boycott purchasing milk but I didn't carry much weight in the decision making process in our family :)

 

quote]

 

Perhaps if there was competition on the milk route who offered a similar product for an equal price and still gave you the experience you wanted, your family would have decided differently.

 

There are lots of choices out there and that is the point, IMO. Their overall product is losing it's edge overall, IME, and therefore looking elsewhere is a viable option.

 

Milk is milk after all, but the experience is what sets it apart, at least in your analogy:)

[Susan-M]

Perhaps if there was competition on the milk route who offered a similar product for an equal price and still gave you the experience you wanted, your family would have decided differently.

 

Yes, but we lived in a 'one horse town.' :D

 

There are lots of choices out there and that is the point, IMO. Their overall product is losing it's edge overall, IME, and therefore looking elsewhere is a viable option.

 

I agree that looking elsewhere is a viable option - and I won't hesitate to go that route, esp. if I feel that I am not getting the product and/or service that I have paid for.

[rebeccalouise]

I've seen several references to the "Smith case" Can someone enlighten me?

 

Last year a passenger- George Smith apparently fell off his balcony after a heavy night of drinking. The Smiths were on their honeymoon aboard RCI's Brilliance of the Seas. Royal Carib. settled out of court with the widow.

Now, I am sure their legal department has advised that they buckle down on drinking in general and apparently the Smiths were drinking their own illegal (not allowed in the US) alcohol.

However, Celebrity has always forbidden carryon alcohol. Now they are insisting that only wine purchased through Celebrity is free for corkage- while other wine delivered to the stateroom but purchased by the travel agent or outside company is subject to a $ 25.00 corkage fee. This is obviously to promote packages supplied by Celebrity and to discourage people from smuggling and/or using outside vendors.

I say who cares? But others feel this is SOOO UNNFAAIR!!

Unless there are major changes in my overall customer satisfaction- I am sticking with Celebrity. I'll let you know next year after my Century and MIll. cruises.

[tuggers]

Some people will never 'get it' about standing up and speaking your mind. They are the ones who continue to take what ever is handed them and if they don't like it, will quietly go on their way. For some reason they have been taught or led to believe that they have no 'rights'. To them, a big company has all the power.

Thank goodness there are others who WILL stand up and speak their piece if they feel an injustice or just a bad decision is taking place. We will never convert these people to stand up and speak so those of us who are willing to put ourselves out there will just have to continue to carry the load.

[dogsrule]

Yep, Tuggers-I think we will have to lead the way here....Change doesn't occur without some type of revolt or revolution:p The ones that don't get it will never get it.....

[tuggers]

I think you will find I run my mouth on here quite a bit about the good and the bad. I firmly believe in standing up to the bean counters at X when it is called for.