At first blush this may seem like worse than a naive question, but one that is just silly. I mean, how could the two largest true luxury cruise lines not be direct competitors?
Yesterday I learned some very interesting statistics. Silversea claims that it actually has more former Princess passengers on it ships than Seabourn guests. More Holland America passengers. More Cunard (actually the highest percentage). More Crystal. In fact, when providing the statistics Seabourn wasn't even mentioned; and clearly isn't in its top four sources of prior cruisers.
When first faced with this surprise I was, frankly, shocked. Of course Seabourn had to been in the mix, didn't it? But then I started thinking...as I do.
Silversea provides a very upscale product; no question about it. It has gone through, and probably will continue to go through changes, while it struggles with its present situation. However, Silversea has stressed that it is not cutting back, but rather adding value through essentially keeping the product the same and lowering prices. (I do not acknowledge that to be true - I don't have personal knowledge - but that is the company line.)
Seabourn also provides a very upscale product, but what I experience and what I hear consistently - even with the launch of the Seabourn Odyssey - is that it is the staff that makes Seabourn Seabourn. (How many expressed concerns abouth whether Seabourn could deliver the same quality service on its larger ship? I have not heard a single person say Seabourn hasn't succeeded.)
Aside from opinions about cuisine and service levels (or, better, style differences) the ships are markedly different. The Seabourn triplets with only 208 guests are yachtie and the 450 passenger Seabourn Odyssey provides the same yacht-like service. Silversea, however, provides a large platform for all its ships (which are medium to medium-large). Is that why Silversea mentions passenger to space ratios rather than differences in service? Probably.
So with the similarity, and knowing that many cruise these lines to be on the ships first of all and itinerary second, why isn't there more cross-over? My experience tells me that I have a much more prevalent move to Seabourn from Regent and Celebrity (and a bit from Oceania). I have had Seabourners try Holland America or Cunard...once. But not so much the other way round. I do have some serious Crystal clients that happily swing between it and Seabourn.
One interesting observation: Seabourn's ships are sailing pretty full this summer. In fact, Seabourn is running into situations where it is oversold. Silversea, on the other hand, ha thrown everything it has (butlers, $1,000 onboard credits, deep discounts, etc.) to attract more guests...and its ships still have significant space available.
With such great deals (and they are) why aren't more Seabourn guests giving Silversea a try? I believe that at this level the guests know what they want and it is not necessarily about getting the best deal...when measured solely by the dollar/pound/euro.
Backtracking to the move-up clients, it would appear that it is a bit more in what the style of service is provided (or, in some instances, marketed) in the mass market/premium market that a particular person latches onto and becomes comfortable with. Every line tries to pitch some sort of service difference and, it would seem, that comfort with the "hint" given on Princess may build a natural acceptance to Silversea's marketing, while the "hint" on Celebrity favors Seabourn.
Regent is a whole 'nuther kettle of fish which I will address another day. Suffice it to say, as I recently discussed with a client, Regent seems to be more of a premium line with great suites; rather than a luxury line with great service and cuisine. It is when those that have been trained that what is truly faux luxury discover what luxury cruising is truly about, the change to Seabourn or Silversea happens. My experience is that there is no real trend toward one or the other. In that respect, I guess, Seabourn and Silversea do directly compete.
I guess, then, it is not so ironic as a top seller of Seabourn cruises I also tend to sell more Celebrity and Oceania than I do Silversea, Princess or Cunard. Mind you I sell them all, and am very familiar with each, but I cannot ignore the trend.
Funny thing, "This is My Yacht" and "Starring You" do have some symmetry.
Showing posts with label cunard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cunard. Show all posts
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Update on SeaDream Yacht Club - Smooth Seas and Stability Promised
According to industry publications, such as Seatrade, Atle Brynestad, CEO...again...has stated that SeaDream's bookings are strong and that while he expects some changes in titles and duties since Larry Pimental's departure, there will be no corporate shake up and that he considers SeaDream to be a "family".
Mr. Brynestad, former CEO of Seabourn, former chairman of Cunard and former board member of Carnival Corp., has stated that operations will stay in Miami, but that he will work primarily from Oslo, Norway (his home). Personally, I am all in favor of the internet, telecommuting, emails and the like, but concepts like "hands on", "putting face to it", "having your ear to the ground (water)", etc. are very important concepts in business. We shall see how this plays out.
He also claims that SeaDream's 2009 bookings are slightly behind 2008's bookings (claimed to be a record year), but are still considered "normal". He asserts this is, in large part, due to loyal past passengers rebooking. Considering SeaDream's fine reputation, I have every reason to believe this to be true.
That said, I have no knowledge of SeaDream's measure of "bookings", but bookings based on passenger counts is far different from dollar volume or net revenues; especially in this time of significant discounts and cancel for any reason offers. (As an example, while I was out in Lake Tahoe, claims of lift ticket sales being down "only" 10% was clearly an optimistic view, as I know the price per ticket was also down from $83 to $50 if you took one of the multi-day deals...a 40% discount. So with actual tickets down 10%, but ticket revenues down 20-40%, the real picture is far more bleak.) Personally, I think the departure of LP has to be related to such issues in some fashion, but I really don't know.
One thing that remains a mystery is why Larry Pimental left, if he still is an investor and where he goes from here. Apparently both people are being very tight-lipped. This suggests to me (putting my lawyer hat on) that they are negotiating something at the moment and have been instructed to say nothing. A wise move. I am sure it will all come out shortly.
Mr. Brynestad, former CEO of Seabourn, former chairman of Cunard and former board member of Carnival Corp., has stated that operations will stay in Miami, but that he will work primarily from Oslo, Norway (his home). Personally, I am all in favor of the internet, telecommuting, emails and the like, but concepts like "hands on", "putting face to it", "having your ear to the ground (water)", etc. are very important concepts in business. We shall see how this plays out.
He also claims that SeaDream's 2009 bookings are slightly behind 2008's bookings (claimed to be a record year), but are still considered "normal". He asserts this is, in large part, due to loyal past passengers rebooking. Considering SeaDream's fine reputation, I have every reason to believe this to be true.
That said, I have no knowledge of SeaDream's measure of "bookings", but bookings based on passenger counts is far different from dollar volume or net revenues; especially in this time of significant discounts and cancel for any reason offers. (As an example, while I was out in Lake Tahoe, claims of lift ticket sales being down "only" 10% was clearly an optimistic view, as I know the price per ticket was also down from $83 to $50 if you took one of the multi-day deals...a 40% discount. So with actual tickets down 10%, but ticket revenues down 20-40%, the real picture is far more bleak.) Personally, I think the departure of LP has to be related to such issues in some fashion, but I really don't know.
One thing that remains a mystery is why Larry Pimental left, if he still is an investor and where he goes from here. Apparently both people are being very tight-lipped. This suggests to me (putting my lawyer hat on) that they are negotiating something at the moment and have been instructed to say nothing. A wise move. I am sure it will all come out shortly.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Cruise Lines' Fuel Supplements Suspended by Carnival Corp.
With oil prices having plummeted to $46 a barrel, Carnival Corp. has suspended (not eliminated) its fuel supplement for all of its major brands: Seabourn, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, Costa and Carnival.
This is how it will work: A refund of the fuel supplement will be made in the form of a shipboard credit for all bookings within the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008. All bookings outside of the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008 will be adjusted to remove the fuel supplement and guests will be provided with a revised final payment amount.
I am confident the other cruise lines will follow suit shortly.
Now, if only for the airlines!
This is how it will work: A refund of the fuel supplement will be made in the form of a shipboard credit for all bookings within the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008. All bookings outside of the final payment period for departures on or after December 17, 2008 will be adjusted to remove the fuel supplement and guests will be provided with a revised final payment amount.
I am confident the other cruise lines will follow suit shortly.
Now, if only for the airlines!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Queen Elizabeth 2 Has Minor Grounding Incident
Oh, for the QE2 to exit gracefully!
Today it was reported that on her approach to Southampton she had a minor grounding incident. She was refloated, escorted to Southampton and, after an MCA inspection, given the all clear to continue on her final voyages.
Today it was reported that on her approach to Southampton she had a minor grounding incident. She was refloated, escorted to Southampton and, after an MCA inspection, given the all clear to continue on her final voyages.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Carnival Brands Drop Fuel Surcharge For New 2010 Bookings- UPDATED
In a move that I felt was long in coming...as I felt was the drop in oil prices...Carnival Corp. has announced today that effective October 31, 2008 it will eliminate the fuel supplement charge on all new 2010 bookings on any of its lines (Seabourn, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, Carnival and Costa) and will, instead, institute a modest price increase.
If you have booked a cruise with a fuel supplement you may be entitled to an onboard credit dependent on the future price of fuel. Essentially, for any 2008, 2009 or 2010 cruise where a fuel supplement has been charged, if the price of light sweet crude oil on NYMEX (a primary oil trading exchange) remains below US$70 per barrel for 25 consecutive days ending 5 days before your cruise departs you will receive an onboard credit equal to the fuel supplement already charged. But if the price fluctuates above US$70 a barrel for even one day during the period, the fuel supplement remains. Put another way, starting 30 days before your cruise if the price stays below US$70 until at least 5 days before you cruise, you get your money back.
Considering that (a) most people just want to know the price of their cruise and do not care about the breakdown of the cost, and that tacking on a charge that has normally been included in the cruise price seems a bit offensive (even thought it was necessary), and (b) the cruise lines do not want to be seen as profiting from the unanticipated fall of artificially inflated oil prices, this reversion to the "old ways" makes a lot of sense. Hopefully the other cruise lines will follow.
If you have booked a cruise with a fuel supplement you may be entitled to an onboard credit dependent on the future price of fuel. Essentially, for any 2008, 2009 or 2010 cruise where a fuel supplement has been charged, if the price of light sweet crude oil on NYMEX (a primary oil trading exchange) remains below US$70 per barrel for 25 consecutive days ending 5 days before your cruise departs you will receive an onboard credit equal to the fuel supplement already charged. But if the price fluctuates above US$70 a barrel for even one day during the period, the fuel supplement remains. Put another way, starting 30 days before your cruise if the price stays below US$70 until at least 5 days before you cruise, you get your money back.
Considering that (a) most people just want to know the price of their cruise and do not care about the breakdown of the cost, and that tacking on a charge that has normally been included in the cruise price seems a bit offensive (even thought it was necessary), and (b) the cruise lines do not want to be seen as profiting from the unanticipated fall of artificially inflated oil prices, this reversion to the "old ways" makes a lot of sense. Hopefully the other cruise lines will follow.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Mariner of the Seas - My First 24 Hours
It has been a very interesting 24 hours aboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas. With approximately 3,735 passengers onboard, with quite a mix of ages, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, there is much that I have observed and some that just disappoints. Overall though, it has been more tolerable than I expected, though not my idea of a perfect cruise.
We arrived yesterday around 11:30 am and had a very painless check-in and were heading up the gangway in about 15 minutes. Our Grand Suite wouldn't be ready until 1:00 pm and we were not permitted to drop off our carry-on luggage so we started a brief tour of the ship a bit bogged down.
First stop was the spa, so the sea day massages could be booked at the desired times. There was no hard sell. I briefly inspected the complimentary steam room and sauna and other facilities and they were quite nice and sparkling clean. We then stopped by Johnny Rockets, the pool (with a scary number of lounge chairs), the rock climbing wall and miniature golf. The kids purchased their soda cards ($25 +15% gratuity) so they can have all the soda they want without the constant single charges.
It was time to eat, so we ventured into the Windjammer Café and had an OK meal from the buffet. (I do not remember ever seeing a hamburger that looked like what they were serving, but it was OK.) The seating was nicer than expected in faux rattan chairs, but the ambiance is not something I enjoyed with literally over 1,000 people walking past.
It was now time to see our suite. I was, and remain, pleasantly surprised by it. It is larger than the suites on Seabourn or Regent Seven Seas or Cunard, with a very comfortable full size sofa bed, queen bed, two comfortable chairs (plus one by the vanity desk), a nice bar, plenty of closet and drawer space and a very nice, large, marble bathroom with double sinks under a granite top and a full bathtub/shower. The balcony is large enough for two lounges, two chairs and a table. While it comes with only one lounge, a request of our cabin steward and a second lounge appeared. TV with DVD and an excellent sound system is also included. The bed was extremely comfortable and the linens crisp and comfortable. It was spotless and smelled clean and fresh. This is becoming my refuge.
Suites also have the use of the Concierge Club with complimentary drinks and snacks before dinner, as well as a fairly nice continental breakfast. More importantly, the concierge takes care of ice show tickets, tours, etc., avoiding literally hour long lines. It is a bit of a refuge and relief as well.
When I reappeared from my suite a terrible thing happened: Thousands of more people appeared. It turned the Promenade from a curiosity with a couple of possible places to have a glass of wine, to an echoing and loud mall/hall with tables being set up for the sale of cheap jewelry and liquor.
After a rousing game of miniature golf with the kids, I checked out my table for dinner. Incredibly we had been placed in probably the worst table in the restaurant, stuck in a back room next to a service door on the lowest of the three levels...with no view of anything. Shocking for a suite guest to be placed there. Equally amazing there was available an excellent table on the third (top) level right by the railing overlooking the entire restaurant and just above the pianist and violinist...transforming the massive space into what was admittedly a pretty elegant and quaint one.
With the kids enjoying room service (with a limited, but acceptable, menu) and planning out their evening, we had a drink in our suite and then we all ventured out to the show, which was very entertaining with a comic and a juggler (http://jeffthejuggler.com/). Then dinner.
This is where "my" cruise really falls apart. Our waiter is OK, but I cannot tell if he is genuinely friendly or if I should be looking for my wallet at the end of the meal. The service was polite, if not a bit rough around the edges. It was as if I was being rushed to complete my meal after waiting to place my order. The waiter served my wine - which I appreciated - as I saw the next table waiting a painfully long time for the sommelier. My first course was a Hot and Sour Shrimp soup which was hot and sour, but the broth had little other flavors and the shrimp had that watered down taste and mushy consistency of thawed shrimp that had been dumped from the tub with the defrosted water into the soup at the last minute. My wife's onion and cheese tart was OK, but with no style and curiously covered with red peppers. Salads were basic. Her sirloin steak was marginal at best (small, thin and tasteless) and was accompanied by a scoop of mash potatoes (you could see the scoop marks) and some diced vegetables. I went with the end cut prime rib and baked potato. The meat was dry, but it had a bit of flavor. It was, alas, food and nothing more. (Tonight we are trying Chops.)
We ended our evening in the Connoisseur's Club, the cigar and whisky lounge. It is a very nice venue, but curiously had a big screen TV which dampens the ambiance; though it remains one of the quietest places on the ship...which is hopping everywhere else! It is very sparingly used (maybe 3 couples at a time), but it does need better ventilation.
After a very restful night's sleep our breakfast arrived. The order had most of what we ordered, much we did not. It had tasteless powdered eggs and paste-like potatoes with dry, tasteless pastries. The coffee was actually quite acceptable as was the bacon. The rest was pretty much inedible, so cereal and fruits may be the only way to go.
I won't bore you with our morning activities, but the pool was pretty much filled and, as such, the whirlpool tubs were overwhelmed with kids. The Promenade was filled with announcements for raffles, etc. I like my suite.
We tried lunch in the Dining Room. The service was even more rough and let's just say that I will not be eating any more shrimp on this ship. I actually think the buffet might be a better option...if you can deal with all the people.
That's it for my first 24 hours.
We arrived yesterday around 11:30 am and had a very painless check-in and were heading up the gangway in about 15 minutes. Our Grand Suite wouldn't be ready until 1:00 pm and we were not permitted to drop off our carry-on luggage so we started a brief tour of the ship a bit bogged down.
First stop was the spa, so the sea day massages could be booked at the desired times. There was no hard sell. I briefly inspected the complimentary steam room and sauna and other facilities and they were quite nice and sparkling clean. We then stopped by Johnny Rockets, the pool (with a scary number of lounge chairs), the rock climbing wall and miniature golf. The kids purchased their soda cards ($25 +15% gratuity) so they can have all the soda they want without the constant single charges.
It was time to eat, so we ventured into the Windjammer Café and had an OK meal from the buffet. (I do not remember ever seeing a hamburger that looked like what they were serving, but it was OK.) The seating was nicer than expected in faux rattan chairs, but the ambiance is not something I enjoyed with literally over 1,000 people walking past.
It was now time to see our suite. I was, and remain, pleasantly surprised by it. It is larger than the suites on Seabourn or Regent Seven Seas or Cunard, with a very comfortable full size sofa bed, queen bed, two comfortable chairs (plus one by the vanity desk), a nice bar, plenty of closet and drawer space and a very nice, large, marble bathroom with double sinks under a granite top and a full bathtub/shower. The balcony is large enough for two lounges, two chairs and a table. While it comes with only one lounge, a request of our cabin steward and a second lounge appeared. TV with DVD and an excellent sound system is also included. The bed was extremely comfortable and the linens crisp and comfortable. It was spotless and smelled clean and fresh. This is becoming my refuge.
Suites also have the use of the Concierge Club with complimentary drinks and snacks before dinner, as well as a fairly nice continental breakfast. More importantly, the concierge takes care of ice show tickets, tours, etc., avoiding literally hour long lines. It is a bit of a refuge and relief as well.
When I reappeared from my suite a terrible thing happened: Thousands of more people appeared. It turned the Promenade from a curiosity with a couple of possible places to have a glass of wine, to an echoing and loud mall/hall with tables being set up for the sale of cheap jewelry and liquor.
After a rousing game of miniature golf with the kids, I checked out my table for dinner. Incredibly we had been placed in probably the worst table in the restaurant, stuck in a back room next to a service door on the lowest of the three levels...with no view of anything. Shocking for a suite guest to be placed there. Equally amazing there was available an excellent table on the third (top) level right by the railing overlooking the entire restaurant and just above the pianist and violinist...transforming the massive space into what was admittedly a pretty elegant and quaint one.
With the kids enjoying room service (with a limited, but acceptable, menu) and planning out their evening, we had a drink in our suite and then we all ventured out to the show, which was very entertaining with a comic and a juggler (http://jeffthejuggler.com/). Then dinner.
This is where "my" cruise really falls apart. Our waiter is OK, but I cannot tell if he is genuinely friendly or if I should be looking for my wallet at the end of the meal. The service was polite, if not a bit rough around the edges. It was as if I was being rushed to complete my meal after waiting to place my order. The waiter served my wine - which I appreciated - as I saw the next table waiting a painfully long time for the sommelier. My first course was a Hot and Sour Shrimp soup which was hot and sour, but the broth had little other flavors and the shrimp had that watered down taste and mushy consistency of thawed shrimp that had been dumped from the tub with the defrosted water into the soup at the last minute. My wife's onion and cheese tart was OK, but with no style and curiously covered with red peppers. Salads were basic. Her sirloin steak was marginal at best (small, thin and tasteless) and was accompanied by a scoop of mash potatoes (you could see the scoop marks) and some diced vegetables. I went with the end cut prime rib and baked potato. The meat was dry, but it had a bit of flavor. It was, alas, food and nothing more. (Tonight we are trying Chops.)
We ended our evening in the Connoisseur's Club, the cigar and whisky lounge. It is a very nice venue, but curiously had a big screen TV which dampens the ambiance; though it remains one of the quietest places on the ship...which is hopping everywhere else! It is very sparingly used (maybe 3 couples at a time), but it does need better ventilation.
After a very restful night's sleep our breakfast arrived. The order had most of what we ordered, much we did not. It had tasteless powdered eggs and paste-like potatoes with dry, tasteless pastries. The coffee was actually quite acceptable as was the bacon. The rest was pretty much inedible, so cereal and fruits may be the only way to go.
I won't bore you with our morning activities, but the pool was pretty much filled and, as such, the whirlpool tubs were overwhelmed with kids. The Promenade was filled with announcements for raffles, etc. I like my suite.
We tried lunch in the Dining Room. The service was even more rough and let's just say that I will not be eating any more shrimp on this ship. I actually think the buffet might be a better option...if you can deal with all the people.
That's it for my first 24 hours.
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