So how's business? - A quick look at how the cruise lines are adjusting to the economy

"peter" wrote in message
...
On 3/8/09 9:41 PM, in article ,
"Jean O'Boyle" wrote:

I, too,definitely like the smaller ships...we took the Ren 7 when it was
still alive in 2001, the Pacific Princess twice, the Azamara and Oceania
Regatta once. We liked the Regatta so much that we have booked her on a
12
day Caribbean cruise in March next year.

We took the Azamara Quest in January. Not unhappy but it's a bit oversold,
I
think. "You have your own personal butler" - but you'll share him with 48
other cabins (not that that affects his service in any way). As good as
the
other Celebrity vessels, but, as you said, smaller and therefore more
intimate. We will be sailing the Nautica in March and are really looking
forward to it. What in particular did you like about the Regatta (which I
believe is identical)?

I don't know your itinerary, but ours started in Barcelona and was a
Transatlantic. Perhaps that is why they had such luscious fresh fruit,
raspberries, bowls of strawberries with a hot chocolate fountain next to
them as well as marshmallows and little creme puffs to dip into the
chocolate... They had a large abundance if fresh blueberries, blackberries,
melon, honey dew, kiwi halves and watermelon. The food was very good in the
dining room and the buffet...They gave us copies of the menus at the end of
the cruise as they were dated and could not be used again.

The personnel on the Regatta were extraordinary...we were welcomed onboard
with a row of smiling, courteous and genuinely nice crew like no other we
have encountered on our 44 cruises...all the way from the Captain, his
officers to the crew repairmen. None ever passed you without a greeting and
a smile...it was always, "Hello or good evening, madame" and many times they
stopped to ask how we were enjoying our cruise. They even acknowledged and
called out to us when we saw them off the ship. The courtesies continued all
the way through departure. The Information Desk people went out of their way
to be helpful and always in a cheerful way. The captain told us that they
retain at least 95% of their personnel and you can tell that they are happy
because it reflects in their behavior. He also said the Regatta clientle
consisted of many repeat passengers.

Buffet dining room waiters were right there to carry your tray and find a
table for you...that was especially nice on rock and roll days! These people
have been trained very well. You know how sometimes on some lines, you have
to be the one to move out of the way for members of the crew when they are
coming towards you? No way did you see this on the Regatta, they always
accomodated you!
To sum it up, the ship was a perfect size with a lovely ambience, the food
was excellent, the crew most courteous and hospitable, a humongous well
stocked library with a fireplace, no charge for the two specialty
restaurants; reservations had to be made, but sometimes, if you were lucky,
you could walk up and they might have a table for you without a reservation.
The voyage was very relaxing..The mix of passengers was very good and there
were no formal nights, all nights were smart casual.
I hope your voyage on the Nautica is just as pleasurable...

I agree with you about the Azamara, although we enjoyed her...there was
something lacking...The private butler was a joke and I think she was over
rated in her ads.
Is your cruise this month or next year? Which ever, Bon Voyage!

--Jean

Unca Pete wrote:
"Jean O'Boyle" wrote in message
...
.
What is sad is that those baby boomers now cannot afford it with their
401Ks losing as much as half their value; so the cruise lines may have
over estimated their markets. I'm afraid that fares going down will mean
that the service and quality of food will
deteriorate.
Thanks for the info.
--Jean

Jean, well, I fall into that category. Unfortunately, while I could
probably
afford it, I am too scared to spend money on vacations and other luxuries
at this point. I think many other folks feel the same way. I could retire
tomorrow and go out on a good pension, but I'm also hesitant to do that.
Maybe I'm part of the problem? VBG..
Pete



People simply don't feel wealthy or even comfortably secure nowadays.
Most feel better just staying home and saving up a bit for whatever
might come in the future.

--
Nonny
Elected officials should wear
uniforms like NASCAR drivers.
That way it would be easier to
identify their corporate sponsors.

Jean: You have made me so excited with your summary. Of course I had
the same experience on the Regatta in 2007 and so tomorrow's cruise
shouid be a carbon copy. the only difference was that we went to Cadiz
the last time and now we are going to Casablanca (one of the few ports I
have never visited)

I thought you were taking the transatlantic next March. Was I wrong?

Anyhow will give a new report when I return. rosaly
On 3/8/09 9:41 PM, in article ,
"Jean O'Boyle" wrote:


I, too,definitely like the smaller ships...we took the Ren 7 when it was
still alive in 2001, the Pacific Princess twice, the Azamara and Oceania
Regatta once. We liked the Regatta so much that we have booked her on a
12
day Caribbean cruise in March next year.

We took the Azamara Quest in January. Not unhappy but it's a bit oversold,
I
think. "You have your own personal butler" - but you'll share him with 48
other cabins (not that that affects his service in any way). As good as
the
other Celebrity vessels, but, as you said, smaller and therefore more
intimate. We will be sailing the Nautica in March and are really looking
forward to it. What in particular did you like about the Regatta (which I
believe is identical)?


I don't know your itinerary, but ours started in Barcelona and was a
Transatlantic. Perhaps that is why they had such luscious fresh fruit,
raspberries, bowls of strawberries with a hot chocolate fountain next to
them as well as marshmallows and little creme puffs to dip into the
chocolate... They had a large abundance if fresh blueberries, blackberries,
melon, honey dew, kiwi halves and watermelon. The food was very good in the
dining room and the buffet...They gave us copies of the menus at the end of
the cruise as they were dated and could not be used again.

The personnel on the Regatta were extraordinary...we were welcomed onboard
with a row of smiling, courteous and genuinely nice crew like no other we
have encountered on our 44 cruises...all the way from the Captain, his
officers to the crew repairmen. None ever passed you without a greeting and
a smile...it was always, "Hello or good evening, madame" and many times they
stopped to ask how we were enjoying our cruise. They even acknowledged and
called out to us when we saw them off the ship. The courtesies continued all
the way through departure. The Information Desk people went out of their way
to be helpful and always in a cheerful way. The captain told us that they
retain at least 95% of their personnel and you can tell that they are happy
because it reflects in their behavior. He also said the Regatta clientle
consisted of many repeat passengers.

Buffet dining room waiters were right there to carry your tray and find a
table for you...that was especially nice on rock and roll days! These people
have been trained very well. You know how sometimes on some lines, you have
to be the one to move out of the way for members of the crew when they are
coming towards you? No way did you see this on the Regatta, they always
accomodated you!
To sum it up, the ship was a perfect size with a lovely ambience, the food
was excellent, the crew most courteous and hospitable, a humongous well
stocked library with a fireplace, no charge for the two specialty
restaurants; reservations had to be made, but sometimes, if you were lucky,
you could walk up and they might have a table for you without a reservation.
The voyage was very relaxing..The mix of passengers was very good and there
were no formal nights, all nights were smart casual.
I hope your voyage on the Nautica is just as pleasurable...

I agree with you about the Azamara, although we enjoyed her...there was
something lacking...The private butler was a joke and I think she was over
rated in her ads.
Is your cruise this month or next year? Which ever, Bon Voyage!

--Jean

"John Sisker" wrote in message
m...
"George Leppla" wrote in message
...

IIRC, Jean has booked cruises with at least 4 travel agents who post
here on r.t.c.

I'm guessing you aren't one of them.



We can't be. If you recall, Jean was the very first one we found necessary
to include in our short, effective and necessary 'do not service' file,
and for obvious reasons. However, we always thought she was loyal to you
anyway.

Just another of the seemingly never ending Sisker mistakes.

Nonnymus wrote:

People simply don't feel wealthy or even comfortably secure nowadays.
Most feel better just staying home and saving up a bit for whatever
might come in the future.

I'm pretty darn secure in my occupation, as is my SO, and we're pretty
comfortable with our finances at this point in our life. But even I was
starting to get more cautious starting last fall when Obama kept talking
doom and gloom and the sky falling and has continued to do so. I think
he encouraged fear (for political reasons) and it in turn is compounding
problems. As a nation we've suddenly turned into "savers" instead of
"spenders" which isn't a bad thing at all,IMO, except in respect for the
economic recovery.

Goomba wrote:

Nonnymus wrote:

People simply don't feel wealthy or even comfortably secure nowadays.
Most feel better just staying home and saving up a bit for whatever
might come in the future.

I'm pretty darn secure in my occupation, as is my SO, and we're pretty
comfortable with our finances at this point in our life. But even I was
starting to get more cautious starting last fall when Obama kept talking
doom and gloom and the sky falling and has continued to do so. I think
he encouraged fear (for political reasons) and it in turn is compounding
problems. As a nation we've suddenly turned into "savers" instead of
"spenders" which isn't a bad thing at all,IMO, except in respect for the
economic recovery.

I feel secure enough, but we've never been spendthrifts. We have no
mortgage and no car payments. Bob does the work on the house and
cars and boat. We don't buy much in the way of clothing. I have way
too much furniture now to buy anymore. We don't need the latest
electronic goods, although I think I'm going to replace one of my cell
phones. I don't think that's going to jump start the economy though.

I feel guilty that I'm not spending, and then I also feel guilty when
I go on a cruise. Plus I worry that if I don't buy stuff now, I won't
be able to get it later.

"Rosaly Z. Greenberger" wrote in message
...
Jean: You have made me so excited with your summary. Of course I had the
same experience on the Regatta in 2007 and so tomorrow's cruise shouid be
a carbon copy. the only difference was that we went to Cadiz
the last time and now we are going to Casablanca (one of the few ports I
have never visited)

I thought you were taking the transatlantic next March. Was I wrong?

Anyhow will give a new report when I return. rosaly

Hi Rosaly,
No, we are not taking the Transatlantic in 2010 because Easter is on April
4th that year and it would also involve Holy Week...There was no Catholic
priest onboard on the Regatta the last time on the T/A... we figured it may
be the same on that Transatlantic, too. We are taking the Regatta Caribbean
cruise before Easter on March 9-21..

Have a wonderful cruise and I'll be anxious for your report when you return!

--Jean

Tom K wrote:

We can't be. If you recall, Jean was the very first one we found necessary
to include in our short, effective and necessary 'do not service' file,
and for obvious reasons. However, we always thought she was loyal to you
anyway.

Just another of the seemingly never ending Sisker mistakes.




She's run through 4 rtc travel agents already.
Who knows how many other agents she's sold out?
Sisker is smart as hell to avoid her.

Thanks Tom, you gave her the perfect chance to issue another of her
famous 'hate Sisker, but she has him kill filed' posts?

Jean O'Boyle wrote:
"Rosaly Z. Greenberger" wrote in message
...

Jean: You have made me so excited with your summary. Of course I had the
same experience on the Regatta in 2007 and so tomorrow's cruise shouid be
a carbon copy. the only difference was that we went to Cadiz
the last time and now we are going to Casablanca (one of the few ports I
have never visited)

I thought you were taking the transatlantic next March. Was I wrong?

Anyhow will give a new report when I return. rosaly


Hi Rosaly,
No, we are not taking the Transatlantic in 2010 because Easter is on April
4th that year and it would also involve Holy Week...There was no Catholic
priest onboard on the Regatta the last time on the T/A... we figured it may
be the same on that Transatlantic, too. We are taking the Regatta Caribbean
cruise before Easter on March 9-21..

I think I could be persuaded to do the Carib one, even though I'm just
about Caribed out. Just for the ship, and maybe, just maybe some good
company?

Ermalee ----sadly will also not be able to do the TA (been to all those
ports too, so its a no brainer, almost) LOL

"Ermalee McCauley" wrote in message
...
Jean O'Boyle wrote:
"Rosaly Z. Greenberger" wrote in message
...

Jean: You have made me so excited with your summary. Of course I had the
same experience on the Regatta in 2007 and so tomorrow's cruise shouid be
a carbon copy. the only difference was that we went to Cadiz
the last time and now we are going to Casablanca (one of the few ports I
have never visited)

I thought you were taking the transatlantic next March. Was I wrong?

Anyhow will give a new report when I return. rosaly


Hi Rosaly,
No, we are not taking the Transatlantic in 2010 because Easter is on
April 4th that year and it would also involve Holy Week...There was no
Catholic priest onboard on the Regatta the last time on the T/A... we
figured it may be the same on that Transatlantic, too. We are taking the
Regatta Caribbean cruise before Easter on March 9-21..

I think I could be persuaded to do the Carib one, even though I'm just
about Caribed out. Just for the ship, and maybe, just maybe some good
company?

I hope you mean that, Ermalee! It would be a nice 12 days and I know you
would really like the ship.
I'll get Tobie and Barb to help me twist your arm! ;-)
--Jean


Ermalee ----sadly will also not be able to do the TA (been to all those
ports too, so its a no brainer, almost) LOL