Carnival Cruiselines going Airline?

[crazycath]

"The airlines can keep their half can of soda and packet of pretzels. I hate pretzels"

 

LOL my husband hates them too

 

Cathy

[jetwet1]

I don't think the OP will get flamed, as we all know cruise cost less now than they did many many years ago, hell 26 yeas ago my father was paying $25 pp per day for us on the Norway and that was the employee rate, we just saw an NCL 14 day cruise for $499 ! or $749 for a suite !!

 

The lines are hurting, they can't raise prices so yes like the airlines they are going to make cuts and try and generate revenue in other ways.

 

Celebrity, while a higher price point line, has never been much of a profit center. I do not believe that it made money for John Chandris (that can't be determined as it was privately held)

 

Doc

 

Yes Chandris made money from Celebrity, not a whole lot but it was turning a profit when it was sold to RCCL, who of course did the normal thing and messed it up.

[tedjazz]

Ya' know... I've said it on many of these types of threads before and I'll say it again... I've seen no reduction in the quality or the quantity of service on Carnival ships.

Consider what has happened at other cruise lines, most notably RCCL, where you pay for late room service, 'premium' steaks in main dining, burgers at 'Johnny Rockets' and reductions in services to even their most loyal cruisers.

In my most humble opinion, the quality of the experience on Carnival has only gotten better as the years have passed. My first cruise on Carnival was in 1998 in a Cat 12 on the Inspiration and, although I was thoroughly impressed, my more recent cruises have been considerably better including on the same ship in exactly the same cabin.

:)

 

I began Cruising in 2001 on Carnival and have been on four cruises now with them. I can tell you the experience has gone down hill progressively since the first one. I'm not sure why or what may have caused it but that is what has happened in my experience.

[dan40]

Every company ALWAYS has the responsibility to control costs. Forgetting that business basic is a factor in today's depression, recession, downturn, whatever your PC term is.

When I started cruising there may not have been 20 cruise ships in the WORLD. My first ship was 17,000 tons. Now life boats approach that size.:D

Today there are more than 20 different cruise lines with hundreds of ships. And each one is 4 to more than 10 TIMES the size of my first ship.

THEN,

Hundreds of service personnel were needed worldwide.

NOW,

Hundreds of service personnel are needed PER SHIP!

THEN,

Truly good service was understood and appreciated by the passengers, the service people, and their supervisors.

NOW,

Truly good service is not understood by the pax, workers or supers.

THEN,

EXCELLENCE was the order of the day, every day.

NOW,

adequate will do................

 

Service has declined everywhere, land and sea, ALL COMPANIES!

[yobos4vr]

in response to the OP, any company if run poorly will end up strapped for cash and do what your airline does, i too work in the airline industry and have heard for years how it was my airlines fault that other airlines we losing money. point is if carnival follow good buisness practices then it will succeed.

[Kurbanfan]

Of course cruise prices, in real dollars are 75% less than they were 20 years ago, and in actual dollars are about 30% less than they were. People want more and more and are demanding to pay less and less. Well guess what, that does not equate.

 

I agree! Prices right now for cruises are historically low......what do people really expect.......especially Carnival.......I wish Carnival would offer options like other cruiselines do.........change it up a little.......that way they can keep the fares low and at the same time make extra revenue they need in order to keep quality service........

[Nunu]

I agree! Prices right now for cruises are historically low......what do people really expect.......especially Carnival.......I wish Carnival would offer options like other cruiselines do.........change it up a little.......that way they can keep the fares low and at the same time make extra revenue they need in order to keep quality service........

 

Like what?

[dan40]

I agree! Prices right now for cruises are historically low......what do people really expect.......especially Carnival.......I wish Carnival would offer options like other cruiselines do.........change it up a little.......that way they can keep the fares low and at the same time make extra revenue they need in order to keep quality service........

 

Lets see, they started 36 years ago with one old, old ship and borrowed money. Had to raid the slots of coins for fuel to get back to Miami on the first cruise. Now they are a cash rich, multi BILLION dollar company owning about 70% of the world wide cruise industry.

Mayhap you should be more specific with improvement suggestions?:rolleyes::D

[MDSue]

Ya' know... I've said it on many of these types of threads before and I'll say it again... I've seen no reduction in the quality or the quantity of service on Carnival ships.

 

Consider what has happened at other cruise lines, most notably RCCL, where you pay for late room service, 'premium' steaks in main dining, burgers at 'Johnny Rockets' and reductions in services to even their most loyal cruisers.

 

In my most humble opinion, the quality of the experience on Carnival has only gotten better as the years have passed. My first cruise on Carnival was in 1998 in a Cat 12 on the Inspiration and, although I was thoroughly impressed, my more recent cruises have been considerably better including on the same ship in exactly the same cabin.

 

:)

Host Mach, I agree with you. I have seen little difference since my first cruise [only 6-7 years ago] and my last cruise a few weeks back. I think overall you get the best bang for your bucks on a cruise vacation. Carnival was my first and last cruise with Princess and RCI in between. I was a bit worried I'd see a decline in quality over the years. but have been pleasantly surprised. I did find the amount and the quality of the food on the Lido deck not quite as good, but okay overall. I found the food and service in the dining room excellent overall. The service from all the staff members throughout our cruise was superb.

I cannot think of any land vacation where one could get the same level of service for an equivalent amount of money and also wake up in a different country just about everyday. I think cruiselines are very savvy in their ability to earn enough money through gambling, alcohol sales, shopping [cruise recommended stores], art auctions, etc, that the overall cost of a cruise is quite reasonable and affordable for many.

[CruiseJunky]

I think the proof is in the pudding, look at all the "alternative" restaurants on ships. They are always full and Carnival, RCI and others are building more of them in their new ships. I believe we might see dining room service in the future discontinued. It will be the Lido, Wind Jammer, buffet style cafeteria service. We all seem to think this is ok when you read some of the threads here on CC. Inferior service, food etc. are all ok, "as long as I am on a ship". These company's hear this loud and clear IMO.

 

I know for a fact (as someone I know works as a Virtual reservationist with Carnival through a company named Arise,) that they are re-structuring their entire reservation department and that it will be serviced by people who work in their homes as "Virtual Corporations". They are trained by agents with Carnival. There will be hardly anyone who will actually "work for" Carnival. Carnival has no responsibility to pay any type of health benefits, social security, or anything for that matter. The agents are independent contractors. This is not bad, really, they are well trained, but speaks to the fact that corporate America will always try to find a cheaper way at the expense of the employee and ultimately, the consumer. These are really just more cut backs.

[Vanessa L]

Interesting topic, OP and one I cannot see getting flamed. I believe that, because the economy is hurting so badly and they are having to rock bottom out the prices so the "average Joe/Jo" can go cruising, that there certainly have been cutbacks in service and just the overall cruise experience, at least from 1984, which is when I began cruising. I personally believe that the cruise lines are going to continue to make these changes until the consumer says, "Enough," and stops cruising. So far, while we have seen several defectors over here from RCI because of their changes, we also know that only 1-3% of cruisers visit these boards so truly that doesn't account for much of a "loss" unless a lot of other people are doing it too. I've seen numerous posts here about "less than" service on board but rarely if ever do you see it ended with, "And I am never cruising again." Usually it ends with, "I am still going to cruise, don't get me wrong, I just don't like it." I can see the powers that be sitting in the corporate office of [any] cruise line saying, "OK, this month lets cut [this--fill in the blank]." Then they watch sales for a few week or months and say, "OK, the public didn't bale on that one, lets go on to B (and so on)." I really think you're going to see this trend continue until the public's thresh hold for what they will stand is reached (my guess is when they all go to the "pay as you go" for food that NCL seems to be gearing up for).

[pe4all]

Looking back on our first-ever cruise, we couldn't believe the service we received. But we were young and inexperienced in travel/cruising, and it took very little to impress us! Now that we are older, well-traveled, and jaded about certain things, we are quite happy with the product Carnival delivers. In fact, I walk off every cruise with the same great feeling of satisfaction I had 26 years ago after our first cruise. Has there been a lowering of services on Carnival? If there has been, it really hasn't effected us. But again, we are easy going, and easy to please on vacation. Having someone making my bed, cleaning my room, cooking my meals, entertaining my family 24/7 - that alone is worth everything in my book! If it takes a bit longer for the dining staff to serve us - so be it. If my cabin is only cleaned 2x instead of 3x a day - so be it. (I'm lucky if I clean my house once a week - and forget about making beds everyday!) Cutting out the midnite buffet? I never made it there anyway, as I am so exhausted from all the activities of the day. Once I feel Carnival is not "right" for us, we will stop using them. As of now, I see a very, very, long relationship with them!

[Kurbanfan]

Lets see, they started 36 years ago with one old, old ship and borrowed money. Had to raid the slots of coins for fuel to get back to Miami on the first cruise. Now they are a cash rich, multi BILLION dollar company owning about 70% of the world wide cruise industry.

Mayhap you should be more specific with improvement suggestions?:rolleyes::D

 

 

 

I never said improvements;) I said more options......

 

So you think they can continue being a multi billion dollar company and continue serving quality meals while at the same time maintaining quality service at todays cruise prices:confused:

[winddawn]

I just realized it was probably over 20 years ago that I first cruised. This was one of my first cruises, the SS Emerald Seas. Does anyone remember this ship?

 

http://www.blue-n-gold.com/halfdan/diverdan.htm

 

I don't remember exactly when it was, but i remember we experienced a tremendous wind storm on this ship between Miami and The Bahamas. The wind (no rain though) was so bad that it broke everything glass on this ship, including the perfume bottles in the gift shop and the liquor bottles. We drank and ate from paper cups and plates the last part of the cruise. I remember being awakened to my room service tray flying off of the dresser in my cabin in the middle of the night and having to hold on to the walls to make it to the bathroom. There were people donning their life jackets heading toward their muster stations they were so afraid. Does anyone else remember this ship?

[DAllenTCY]

Carnival had their own airline a few years back and it wasn't profitable.....convenient....but not a money maker.

David

[tedjazz]

Lets see, they started 36 years ago with one old, old ship and borrowed money. Had to raid the slots of coins for fuel to get back to Miami on the first cruise. Now they are a cash rich, multi BILLION dollar company owning about 70% of the world wide cruise industry.

Mayhap you should be more specific with improvement suggestions?:rolleyes::D

 

Yeah, Carnival is doing everything perfectly, don't change a thing. Can I be a Cheerleader now? ;)