Royal Caribbean & Celebrity the Brothels of the Industry?

In recent months Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have instituted the practice of requiring passengers to pay gratuities at time of booking in order to obtain "open" dining.  I've tried to think of other industries where you tip the provider before you get service ... manicures? no, .... haircuts?, no ....massage? no ....restaurants? no ..... hotels? no.  In fact there is only one industry I know of where you put your money on the bedside table before you get serviced.  So I guess Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have determined their niche within the cruise industry. 

Kind of makes me think of Spirit Airlines with their carry on luggage fee and Ryan Air with their pay toilets.  Hey, maybe Royal and Celebrity could consider pay toilets too.  Why not add a service fee if you speak to a Purser at any time during your cruise?  Why not coin operated exercise machines in the fitness center?  There are so many more nickel and dime opportunities to drive away passengers!

This is the Final Straw

Spirit Airlines has just announced that it is going to charge $45 for CARRY ON luggage ($30 if paid in advance)!!  For me this is the final straw in the insanity.  Where they come up with these ideas is beyond me. 

What's next?  Charging according to height?  Additional charges to board the plane first?  It's time for high speed rail in the US.  It can't happen soon enough.  The airlines have passed ridiculous on the meter and have arrived at absolutely, completely insufferable.  Are airline executives stuck on stupid? 

NCL Power Hour Right Before Prices Increase

NORWEGIAN OFFERS A POWER HOUR

OF SAVINGS BEFORE PRICE INCREASE

            Norwegian Cruise Line is giving customers one extra hour to book a cruise vacation before the line implements its largest rate increase in company history with prices going up by as much as seven percent fleet-wide on Friday, April 2, 2010.  The company’s call center will stay open until 1 a.m. the morning of the increase giving everyone a last chance to book current pricing on the line’s 10 Freestyle Cruising ships along with its newest and largest ship, Norwegian Epic.

            Price increases will take effect on more than 125,000 rates across the fleet on every ship and every sail date through 2012.  For instance, a seven-day Hawaii cruise on Pride of America will go up from $1,389 to $1,489; a 12-day cruise on Norwegian Sun through the Baltic will rise from $3,099 to $3,319; and a seven-day Alaskan vacation on Norwegian Pearl will change from $1,699 to $1,819.  Prices are based on double occupancy in a balcony stateroom.

He who hesitates pays the cost!

Remember when you used to get these great looking ticket packages in the mail? The nice folders with your luggage tags, documents, shore excursion information and other goodies? Sad to say, but even Cunard has announced that it's moving to e-docs, in an effort to provide "excellent customer service". That brings to mind one of my mother's favorite signs in a restaurant: "In order to improve customer service, we have changed to self-service."

It's the end of an era. Perhaps even more so than watching the QE2 sail off into retirement. The cruise lines are quick to tell you that it's environmentally friendly (which it is), but I have to wonder how much they're worrying about the environment and how much they're worrying about the costs of printing and postage.  Change is inevitable, but I will look back fondly at the old documents I used to receive.

Up to a 2-Category Upgrade

Up to a 2-Category Upgrade

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How to book a cruise

How to Book a Cruise

1. Determine which area of the world you want to enjoy.  Are you looking for a sunny beach during the winter?  Ancient ruins over summer vacation? Off season bargains in top locations?  The hardest job is often to figure out what you want.
   
   
2. Do some research, go to the library, speak to friends who have visited the places you’re interested in.  Search the internet for reviews of destinations by past visitors and for tips on what to see and do, and what to avoid.
   
   
3. If your trip is important to you, see a professional cruise specialist.  If you don’t cut your own hair, do your own taxes and handle all your own legal work you shouldn’t book your own cruise.  Let a professional who is knowledgeable about the different ships, itineraries, decks, services and price strategies help you.  Even if they charge a small fee, it is well worth it – frequently an agent will get you better pricing than what you see on the internet, and they will back you up in the event of any problems.  They can recommend shore excursions, assist you with pre- and post-cruise planning, make sure your cabin is the best one on the ship to fit your individual needs, etc.  There’s a lot of value added in using a travel agent just as there is in using a realtor to buy or sell your home.
   
   
4. Once you’ve booked your cruise, read up on the countries you’re going to visit.  Not only will it help you gain a better understanding of the places you’ll visit; even historical novels or historical romances will help you understand the people and the customs of the countries you visit.
   
   
5.  Get your paperwork in order, keep it all in one envelope, put that envelope in the pocket of your carry-on luggage.  That way everything will be in one place when you’re running out the door and trying to remember if you shut off all the lights, discontinued the newspaper and put a hold on the mail.

Just signed up for Cruise Shipping Miami (formerly known as Seatrade, kind of like Joe Robbie Stadium will always be Joe Robbie stadium no matter how many times they change the name).  Anyway, this is my annual chance to meet and chat one on one with representatives of all the cruise lines and ask some of those questions that have always bugged me ... like why does Royal Caribbean name a ship Liberty of the Seas and then Carnival names a ship the Carnival Liberty, or Royal Caribbean names a ship Jewel of the Seas and then Norwegian Cruise Lines names one the Norwegian Jewel? What's THAT all about anyway?  Do the cruise lines need a book like the ones that expecting parents read "1001 Names for Baby"?

But it's also a great opportunity to attend seminars, run into old friends from former cruising life and play "do you remember?"  There are some people I don't really want to run into, or rather I'd like to run them over with a Mack truck, but my mother taught me to be polite so polite I will be. Besides, Mack trucks are expensive and hard to get through the convention center front doors.

My Roxborough High Reunion group just got back from the Southern Caribbean (yes, while the Northeast was digging out once again they were having pina coladas by the pool).  All had a great time - how could you not?  Hey, why not get YOUR high school to do a shipboard reunion?  Sure beats the high school gym and you don't have to decorate with crepe paper!

Riding the Wave - Prices Heading Up

Earlier this week I predicted that once Carnival announced that it would be raising it's rates, the rest of the cruise lines would quickly play follow the leader.  In this case being right is not the cheeriest news I can bring you. 

On the one hand, I guess higher rates represent an improved economic picture, on the other hand, well - those were some hard-to-turn-down deals that kept popping up on my radar every week! 

Today Norwegian Cruise Lines announced increases of up to 7% beginning on April 2nd.  (Couldn't they wait until tax refunds are received?).  So the message that's starting to pop like a cork out of a champagne bottle is that cruisers probably want to lock in that cruise they've been thinking about now, or they'll pay more for it in a few weeks.  In fact, I'm expecting a trickle up effect - if it works for the mass market cruise lines, then we'll soon see the end of those lovely 2-for-1 fares, free air and high shipboard credits that the luxury lines have been touting for the last year or so.   I will definitely miss THEM! 

Bottom line is that to watch your bottom line, it's still best to book early - last minute deals seem to be heading out to sea!

Well it's not often that I give Royal Caribbean credit for their generousity, but it seems they are making a relief effort in Haiti - even if  lacks altruism.  After all, they've just made a multi-million investment in expanding Labadee, their private (?) beach on the north coast of Haiti  so that their 5,000+ passenger vessel Oasis of the Seas can call there.  What's private about a small beach with  5,000 of your new best friends?  Sounds about as private as Coney Island.  Let's note that Labadee is on the other side of the mountain range, and nowhere near the earthquake zone.  Here's their press:

Royal Caribbean International is loading up earthquake relief supplies for Haiti on Independence of the Seas and intends to transport more supplies on other vessels stopping at its private island of Labadee, which is off the coast of Haiti. In his blog, Royal Caribbean pesident Adam Goldstein said the first relief supplies will be taken on Independence of the Seas to Labadee (the ship was already scheduled to call there - not like it's out of their way) and distributed through Food for the Poor.
“We are also in the process of coordinating additional relief supplies that will be loaded on Navigator of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, and will be taken to Labadee on Monday and Tuesday of next week,” (during their regularly scheduled calls there) Goldstein wrote. “The supplies we are sending include rice, dried beans, water, dried milk and a variety of other canned items. This effort is going to be a marathon, so we will be partnering with Food for the Poor on the back-end distribution in Haiti.”
Goldstein also wrote that  they are committed to continuing calls to Labadee with Independence of the Seas and other ships. “There were a lot of discussions about this, but in the end Labadee is critical to Haiti’s recovery and hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood,” he wrote. (What?  No mention of their recent heavy investment there.) “In our conversations with the U.N. Special Envoy of the Government of Haiti Leslie Voltaire, he notes that Haiti will benefit from the revenues that are generated from each call, which is critical to their recovery. We also have tremendous opportunities to use our ships as transport vessels for relief supplies and personnel to Haiti. Simply put, we cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most.”  (It would cost us money!)

Key Biscayne Boat Parade

The Key Biscayne Boat Parade is an annual holiday event (we celebrate a little differently down here in Miami) where boat owners decorate their boats with colored lights and invite friends and family to join them in a parade on the water into No Name Harbor and then into Hurricane Harbor and back to the Key Biscayne Yacht Club. There's a contest for the best decorated boat. This year I was lucky enough to be invited to join in the parade on the Sea Miner, owned by Chris and Doug Biggers. It's not the kind of cruise I can sell (if only!), but it's another excuse to get out on the water and if you know me you know I don't turn down an offer like that!


The food is always wonderful, you can't help but have fun on a boat (any boat!), and the display of lights is always beautiful. I didn't get great shots with my little "point and shoot" Kodak, but I think you'll get the picture - all puns intended!

Here's a reindeer leading the way ... in this case Santa is flying a yacht instead of a sleigh, but I think he uses whatever works in the part of the world he's visiting.











This shot is a little blurry, but when the boat is rocking it's sometimes the best you can do!












The boats aren't the only things that get lit up, but most of the drinking takes place back on shore when the boats are safely docked. It's a very community and family oriented event, and the party goes on until the last reindeer drops.

I think the cruise ships should have a holiday lighting competition! Wouldn't THAT be something to see??!!