dmb814 Posted June 21, 2007 #1 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Hello, I'm currently enrolled in a marketing class. We got to pick a company or theme that we were passionate about. Well I picked Cruising. But my instructor wanted me to go to Travel Agency and watch people as the purchased their vacation. Unfortunely this cannot happen as I work full-time and school full time. Between both of those and homework, I have no time. So I have gained insightful information in the past about different cruises on Cruise Critic for personal vacations. So I come again for school. My questions are: 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? Any help would be very appreicate. Thank You Diane B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wennfred Posted June 21, 2007 #2 Share Posted June 21, 2007 My questions are: 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? 1. Ports of Calls and Pricing 2. Yes, for the price they have everything I want. Fred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheriNtexas Posted June 21, 2007 #3 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Hello, I'm currently enrolled in a marketing class. We got to pick a company or theme that we were passionate about. Well I picked Cruising. But my instructor wanted me to go to Travel Agency and watch people as the purchased their vacation. Unfortunely this cannot happen as I work full-time and school full time. Between both of those and homework, I have no time. So I have gained insightful information in the past about different cruises on Cruise Critic for personal vacations. So I come again for school. My questions are: 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? Any help would be very appreicate. Thank You Diane B. I have only been on 3 cruises so far, one with Carnival and two with Royal Caribbean. I picked them because they sailed out of Galveston, which was convenient to me at the times I could cruise. For ME, what makes a good cruise line is a good price, with good service and lots to do onboard. The ports of call are important too, but for me personally, just cruising is the fun for me!! I would not say I am loyal to Carnival and RC, that is just the only 2 cruiselines I have sailed on so far. I have other cruises booked, 3 on Carnival and 1 on RC, but they were not chosen for the cruiseline, they were chosen for the itinerary and a date that works for us!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redlef Posted June 21, 2007 #4 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Hello, I'm currently enrolled in a marketing class. We got to pick a company or theme that we were passionate about. Well I picked Cruising. But my instructor wanted me to go to Travel Agency and watch people as the purchased their vacation. Unfortunely this cannot happen as I work full-time and school full time. Between both of those and homework, I have no time. So I have gained insightful information in the past about different cruises on Cruise Critic for personal vacations. So I come again for school. My questions are: 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? Any help would be very appreicate. Thank You Diane B. 1. Big stable ships. Fun itinerary. Affordable pricing. Preponderance of positive reviews on websites. 2. Somewhat. We tend to cruise based on schedule & itinerary. I probably wouldn't say "Let's call Carnival and pick a vacation." I'd more likely say "I want to go to Italy. Let's see what cruise line can get us there." For example, last year we went NCL because their ship left on a Sunday. The similar Carnival itinerary left on the Friday before. However, due to work schedule, we couldn't do the Friday Carnival departure, so we went NCL. No guest loyalty, yet. But that'll change if I ever reach VIP status. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurbanfan Posted June 21, 2007 #5 Share Posted June 21, 2007 1. Great itineraries,big ships and great prices 2. Absolutely not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrislynn55 Posted June 21, 2007 #6 Share Posted June 21, 2007 1. itinerary...can we drive to the port....CC reviews......price (in that order) 2. We go on lots of different cruise lines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chitown cruisers Posted June 21, 2007 #7 Share Posted June 21, 2007 My questions are: 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? 1. Value for the $$$ and itinerary.....we are in Chicago and pretty much have to fly to go anywhere, so originating port really doesn't have any bearing 2. Right now I am VERY pleased with the product Carnival puts out....not saying I won't try the others...but for now "if it ain't broke...." or I can always experiment later. Good luck!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea_u_onboard Posted June 21, 2007 #8 Share Posted June 21, 2007 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? One that enjoys having people onboard. I have done 5 Carnival cruises - #6 coming up in 2 weeks :D and I have meet the friendliest people on Carnival. I've done onee RCL cruise and those people are not happy campers. 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? I am loyal to Carnival. They have done some great things for my family in the past. I like the fact that they recognize military - both vets and active duty - by offering discounts. I enjoy the whole Carnival experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ehpride Posted June 21, 2007 #9 Share Posted June 21, 2007 1. Value, activities and service. 2. Yes. I'm not opposed to trying another cruiseline later on, but right now, the activities excite me on Carnival, it is well worth my money and I felt like a princess with the level of service that I got. Bottom line, as long as they keep it fun, I'm on board! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton Posted June 21, 2007 #10 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Hi Diane, and good luck w/your marketing course. I cruise more for the sea days than the ports. I've been to most Caribbean islands and then some - by cruise or land vacations - so I really enjoy simply being on the sea. It seems to recharge me when I need it.:) I'm very partial to Carnival, but have cruised other lines. I will probably try another line next year - maybe HAL - but I have a feeling Carnival ships will always have my heart, mainly because of the wonderful staffs and crews I've met. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink roses Posted June 21, 2007 #11 Share Posted June 21, 2007 Very important to me is the friendliness and service from the staff. The value is important. The port of embarkment is important for us right now, since flying x4 would add on more money. I am getting ready to go on my 4th cruise with Carnival. We have been happy with them so far, although one ship lacked the friendliness and service. Should some of the other lines offer the value and drivable distance we would probably try them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchiegirl6 Posted June 21, 2007 #12 Share Posted June 21, 2007 1. The value for the money, the friendliness of the staff, and varieties of itineraries 2. So far I have been "loyal" to Carnival, but I see no problem trying out other lines if they are offering what I'm looking for. The rest of my family is very loyal to Carnival. My parents stick with them to try to gain VIP status, and my grandparents (in their 80s) wouldn't even think about sailing a different line because Carnival offers them everything they want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmb814 Posted June 21, 2007 Author #13 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I would like to thank you very much for your responses. It will very helpful for my paper this week. I hope you enjoy your next cruise. Once again, THANK YOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Fester Posted June 22, 2007 #14 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I would like to thank you very much for your responses. It will very helpful for my paper this week.I hope you enjoy your next cruise. Once again, THANK YOU Being a former marketing instructor, always remember the marketing mix, or so-called "Four-P's," -- Product, Price, Promotion, and Placement. It seems most people have answered so far based on two or three of the four: 1. "Price" -- The value of the cruise relative to other vacations; 2. "Product" -- The amenities of the the ships, its itinerary and the overall cruise experience; and 3. "Placement" -- Where you can board the ship (I guess it could be argued that the itinerary could go here is well). What you didn't hear is "Promoition" or advertisting. I would suspect since this is a board made up of mostly past cruisers, they aren't really swayed by Carnival's current advertising campaign, unless it was to bring back Kathy Lee, which may have a negative impact on some people. I think the answers that everyone gave are great and can be a big help, but becarefult not to leave out the impact of advertising. It doesn't really impact the people on this board, but could significantly impact people who have never cruised before, and base their choice on the "Fun Ship" ads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simkoreb Posted June 22, 2007 #15 Share Posted June 22, 2007 1. Price and quality 2. I have done 3 (soon 4) Carnival cruises only. They have always had the best price and itinerary for what I was looking for. I am willing to try others, but haven't found that great deal yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRene Posted June 22, 2007 #16 Share Posted June 22, 2007 My questions are: 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? Diane - is this like cliffnotes??? LOL 1. Price, itinery and schedule. 2. For the most part, yes. But only because we have reached 10 cruises and get some perks with Carnival. Also, we have gone on other cruise lines where we didn't find the "funship" atmosphere and although we enjoyed our cruise to some extent, we seriously missed the fun. Good luck with your Marketing course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hstrybuf Posted June 22, 2007 #17 Share Posted June 22, 2007 1. Pricing and itinerary. Which ship on which line depends on these and what's available when school is in session. We cruise at a time to avoid a lot of kids. 2. I have no loyalties to any one cruise line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennisLover Posted June 22, 2007 #18 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I'm in marketing also (public relations) -- glad to help. We have a particular time of year we can cruise -- DD is in HS, DS is in MS. For our trip in February 08, we got together with our firends who are cruising with and went through the following, in this order: Looked at the week. What cruises are available that week. Where do they go (ports) -- (had decided we wanted more port days than sea days) What is the price On which cruise line will we have the most fun I am open to trying different cruiselines; tried a new one this year, but going back to Carnival next year because it was more fun. Hope to try other cruise lines in the future, perhaps without my kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinsly Posted June 22, 2007 #19 Share Posted June 22, 2007 1. What makes a good Cruise Line for you? 2. Are you loyal to that Cruise Line? 1. One that offers good food, good itinerary, great crew, and excellent price. 2. I have been on a few different lines, but I keep coming back to one in particular. Their price is hard to beat. All in all, I am a SAHM and price matters. I still get all the things I want, and for a fraction of the cost that other lines charge. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&M Mousers Posted June 22, 2007 #20 Share Posted June 22, 2007 When we are looking to book a cruise I look at itenerary then price then cruise line. We've sailed on several and have our favorite ships and least favorite ships. I'd say our favorite line is Princess, least fav is Norwegian. On board we want great food, not just good. We live in Las Vegas, the city of inexpensive gourmet food and 1st class restaurants. I expect cruise ship dinner food to match or exceed what I get at home. We want nice rooms and good steward service. Our last cruise was a dissapointment in this area. Our steward didn't make towel animals and was polite but not friendly. That's a personality thing, I can't fault an entire cruise line because of one steward. He might have been having a bad week. We want non-repetative activities and a wide variety of music. The last two Princess cruises have excelled here. NCL Star was weak in this area. Bert (with a e) plays piano on the Caribbean Princess. We will cruise whatever ship Bert is playing on if we can. We aren't cruise line "loyal", except that if a particular itenerary is available on two separate lines, after considering price we'll choose Princess if possible, then Carnival, then Royal Carrib, then NCL last. Hope you get an A. My big project was writing the history of the buildings at UNLV and explaining the sources of all the names of the buildings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patdmoose Posted June 22, 2007 #21 Share Posted June 22, 2007 It started out with what sailed from Galveston or New Orleans. The we decided to try the Paradise before she lost her smokefree status. Now it has evolved to new ports. (Except for the currently planned Grandkid cruise - short and close-) Our next two cruise adventures (if we can afford it) will be Alsaka and Hawaii. We have never sailed with anyone but CCL. So far it has worked out very well. The only cruise that we had major problems on, CCL stepped up and gave us 50% off letters. (that is how we were able to go on the Paradise). My wife goes platinum on this next cruise, so it will be hard to consider other lines after that. -But, not out of the question... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muumuu Posted June 22, 2007 #22 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I am loyal to Carnival for a few reasons. I love the staff. What a huge difference they make. I love the price, espically to the retired military. I love that they offer a lot to do or just relax. I love VIP status. And last but not lease, I love their Kiss on the Lips and Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. I also love that when a bargain that I would be interested in pops up my PVP calls me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_dylaness Posted June 22, 2007 #23 Share Posted June 22, 2007 1. Right combination of price, good service, and food. Since I am a student right now price is the biggest consideration but once I graduate I plan to up the importance of service/food and try Regent, Crystal, Seabourn, etc. Itinerary is only moderately important as there aren't that many places in the world I don't want to go! 2. I am not loyal to any particular cruise line, as I've only been on two, RCCL & Princess (2x). They both had their perks as well as their downsides. I would sail Princess again, but probably only on a longer (min 10 day) cruise because I think it might draw a different crowd (less small children). Also never sailing again during a school holiday; we learned our lesson there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckycruzer Posted June 22, 2007 #24 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Diane B...Sweety, you rock...this past Jan on BOS, 10 day, PanCan cruise there were 2 girls doing market research for college..we helped them alot..they even had classes.You have most of my answers here too...add one more..CCL, has low single supplement...50% rather than 100%..I can drive to port, Overall price is good, I look for un- popular dates..b4 and after 4day weekends, holidays, spring break, avoid summer too many great kids, too crowded, and too hot for me outdoors. I watch pricing on line (a fave agency)..and watch for price reduction$ for on board credits. Age of pax dosent bother me..I fit in anywhere. Love the DR service, and the friendliness of crew on CCL. This board is a great opportunity to make wonderful cruising mates/enthusiasts, even if we never cruise together..Altho, I'd love to meet Miss Cotton! as we seem to share alot of the same things about cruising. It is the best $$$ you can spend for a vacation, and is "one stop shopping" for the ride of a lifetime! We all expect an "A" in your class !!! good luck..lucky..ps you need one of those Diamonds International bracelets to wear..I sent my kindergarten thru HS GF one..as she goes by "DI"..she loves it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eliot Ness Posted June 22, 2007 #25 Share Posted June 22, 2007 I'll go along with Fred on this one: 1. Ports of Calls and Pricing 2. Yes, for the price they have everything I want. As for #2 I was loyal to the (now defunct) PCL line until our 2000 cruise was canceled while we were waiting for their shuttle at the Houston airport. Carnival was able to get us on a ship the next day and we have enjoyed all of our Carnival cruises to date. Carnival meets all of our requirements so we haven't seen the need to look at another cruise line. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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