Luxury Cruise Lines
Mar 1, 2019, 9:53 am
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,800
Don't think I've ever been inside a RC but one major aspect that will be different for the hotelier is finding staff motivated to give the same level of service over the long-term (relatively speaking) when they're away from home for long stretches, away from family/friends/social life, living in rather-cramp quarters working long days (and evenings) without a break of more than a couple of hours, I imagine even the worst hotel chain's land-based hotel workers get days off and go home at the end of the day (or evening) except those in remote areas.
It's not luxury by any stretch (ship is a former old European ferry) but there is this "cruise" (also serves as a ferry) that goes between parts of Canada. For (and only during) the summer season, the ship is gone 4 nts before coming home for 3 nts on a weekly schedule. Supposedly the service is decent and the work's seasonal and not weeks/months on end..
It's not luxury by any stretch (ship is a former old European ferry) but there is this "cruise" (also serves as a ferry) that goes between parts of Canada. For (and only during) the summer season, the ship is gone 4 nts before coming home for 3 nts on a weekly schedule. Supposedly the service is decent and the work's seasonal and not weeks/months on end..
Mar 1, 2019, 10:58 am
#107
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
Don't think I've ever been inside a RC but one major aspect that will be different for the hotelier is finding staff motivated to give the same level of service over the long-term (relatively speaking) when they're away from home for long stretches, away from family/friends/social life, living in rather-cramp quarters working long days (and evenings) without a break of more than a couple of hours, I imagine even the worst hotel chain's land-based hotel workers get days off and go home at the end of the day (or evening) except those in remote areas.
Mar 1, 2019, 11:32 am
#108
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,800
No doubt the land-based staff will be training the crew. If the RC yacht sailings are repetitive 1-week type cruises, it may be that land-based crew may be staffing them on a 1-week-on-1- week-off schedule or something like that (not a dissimilar environment to those working in fly-in camps or on oil rigs).
Though I will probably never sail a true luxury line, I am interested in how they staff. I've heard that cruisecos are actually finding (or expect to find) it more difficult to recruit suitable staff from their current recruiting grounds (namely Indonesia and the Philippines) than in the past. I went to an Oceania presentation a few years ago (where I noted that a business school classmate of mine was one of the then-bigwigs and featured prominently in the propaganda videos) and noted that the faces of crew seemed to be primarily European so I wonder if some would prefer to recruit from Eastern Europe and Portugal (which Princess and Celebrity seem to do).
My upcoming cruise is on a French line where the propaganda videos on Youtube would have you believe that at least the chef de cuisine and maitre d'hotel as well as some servers and front desk staff are French (to cater to the primary target market's language preference). I watched a couple of French documentaries about one of the ships sailing the northwest passage a few years back and it would appear a lot of the kitchen and housekeeping staff, and servers, as well as sailors are either Filipino or Indonesian. Will be interesting to find out how different the wage and contract/work conditions for the French and non-French crew are. Ships are actually flagged in a French overseas collective.
Though I will probably never sail a true luxury line, I am interested in how they staff. I've heard that cruisecos are actually finding (or expect to find) it more difficult to recruit suitable staff from their current recruiting grounds (namely Indonesia and the Philippines) than in the past. I went to an Oceania presentation a few years ago (where I noted that a business school classmate of mine was one of the then-bigwigs and featured prominently in the propaganda videos) and noted that the faces of crew seemed to be primarily European so I wonder if some would prefer to recruit from Eastern Europe and Portugal (which Princess and Celebrity seem to do).
My upcoming cruise is on a French line where the propaganda videos on Youtube would have you believe that at least the chef de cuisine and maitre d'hotel as well as some servers and front desk staff are French (to cater to the primary target market's language preference). I watched a couple of French documentaries about one of the ships sailing the northwest passage a few years back and it would appear a lot of the kitchen and housekeeping staff, and servers, as well as sailors are either Filipino or Indonesian. Will be interesting to find out how different the wage and contract/work conditions for the French and non-French crew are. Ships are actually flagged in a French overseas collective.
Mar 7, 2019, 7:19 pm
#109
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
im kind of skeptical regarding relationship RC/marriott actually has with cruise companies in question
RC hotels can vary fairly dramatically, although not as dramatically as say Four Seasons hotels
would be interesting to see more like Four Seasons Explorer Maldives, but thats due to Maldives owner
hyatt now owns alila, which currently sometimes sells cabins on alila purnama, usually charter only
RC hotels can vary fairly dramatically, although not as dramatically as say Four Seasons hotels
would be interesting to see more like Four Seasons Explorer Maldives, but thats due to Maldives owner
hyatt now owns alila, which currently sometimes sells cabins on alila purnama, usually charter only
Mar 9, 2019, 8:46 pm
#110
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: GRR
Programs: Delta Plat & Million Miler
Posts: 1,375
Speaking of Silversea
Here's a nice offer:
The luxury Silversea Muse sailing Sept. 5 to Alaska. For the seven night cruise, a suite is only $4,500 per person. (Regular price is $17,280) This price includes so much that others do not: free beverages--including alcohol, free gratuities, free internet.
The luxury Silversea Muse sailing Sept. 5 to Alaska. For the seven night cruise, a suite is only $4,500 per person. (Regular price is $17,280) This price includes so much that others do not: free beverages--including alcohol, free gratuities, free internet.
Mar 9, 2019, 9:10 pm
#111
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,800
Here's a nice offer:
The luxury Silversea Muse sailing Sept. 5 to Alaska. For the seven night cruise, a suite is only $4,500 per person. (Regular price is $17,280) This price includes so much that others do not: free beverages--including alcohol, free gratuities, free internet.
The luxury Silversea Muse sailing Sept. 5 to Alaska. For the seven night cruise, a suite is only $4,500 per person. (Regular price is $17,280) This price includes so much that others do not: free beverages--including alcohol, free gratuities, free internet.
I've been getting so many Silversea mailers lately and choose to ignore them.
Mar 10, 2019, 8:35 am
#112
Join Date: Jul 2009
Programs: Delta Gold, silver, what yr is it?
Posts: 2,417
I think the luxury lines do have some cabins and some itineraries that sell for a high per diem. I don't think ANYONE pays brochure rate on anything, do they? I'm not a TA so I'm just guessing.....
[we did Alaska on Seabourn this past August because the fare/per diem was quite a bit lower than their norm - which I'd been watching on a few itineraries - and because the Alaska fare on Seabourn was quite close to a fare on a non-all-inclusive line we were also looking at - Oceania. We like small ships]
[we did Alaska on Seabourn this past August because the fare/per diem was quite a bit lower than their norm - which I'd been watching on a few itineraries - and because the Alaska fare on Seabourn was quite close to a fare on a non-all-inclusive line we were also looking at - Oceania. We like small ships]
Mar 10, 2019, 8:42 am
#113
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
Just a question about (mainly U.S.) luxury line fares. I see the fares usually advertised at many % off (usually 60-80) at VTG and the daily cost still seems high. Granted, a cabin on a m-m cruise ship of similar calibre is going to cost you at least half that with a lot of optionals that will add up quickly. Still, does Silversea really sell any cabins at anywhere close to $17k for a week or is the big discount something that makes people think they got a bargain? It's almost as much as a Ponant trans-Arctic 22-day cruise (though travel through the Northwest Passage is not gauranteed and no refunds if so).
I've been getting so many Silversea mailers lately and choose to ignore them.
I've been getting so many Silversea mailers lately and choose to ignore them.
Mar 10, 2019, 7:28 pm
#114
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 394
I think the luxury lines do have some cabins and some itineraries that sell for a high per diem. I don't think ANYONE pays brochure rate on anything, do they? I'm not a TA so I'm just guessing.....
[we did Alaska on Seabourn this past August because the fare/per diem was quite a bit lower than their norm - which I'd been watching on a few itineraries - and because the Alaska fare on Seabourn was quite close to a fare on a non-all-inclusive line we were also looking at - Oceania. We like small ships]
[we did Alaska on Seabourn this past August because the fare/per diem was quite a bit lower than their norm - which I'd been watching on a few itineraries - and because the Alaska fare on Seabourn was quite close to a fare on a non-all-inclusive line we were also looking at - Oceania. We like small ships]
Mar 11, 2019, 9:41 am
#115
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
As ridiculous as the “brochure rates” are it’s surprising, at least to me, the number of cruisers who actually pay the published rate. I know experienced cruisers who pay it without question or at least for whatever reason or reasons believe it’s better to book directly with the cruise line or with a full service travel agency. They feel comfortable with that and are thrilled when they get an inexpensive bottle of wine or a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries or a $50 OBC. Us? We have a great Internet agency/agent who first gives us a 10-12% cash discount and will throw in a thank you OBC for our business.
Last edited by Randyk47; Mar 11, 2019 at 9:50 am
Mar 11, 2019, 11:16 am
#116
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
I’d actually like to see that ad. I think some agency is playing fast and lose with cabin categories as there’s no way Silversea is going to discount what would have to be an Owner’s Suite at $17,000 per person that much. The quoted fare of $4,500 per person is more in line with their Vista Suites which with subcategories makes up about 90% of their cabins. Silversea rarely has deeply discounted sales and in fact has a fare guarantee program where if they do reduce the fare for your cabin category you are automatically refunded the diffference. As to do people actually book cabins that run $2,000 +/- per person per day per diem? Yup. The upper suites rarely go empty and Silversea, unlike the mass market lines and maybe some of the luxury lines, does not offer discounted up sells to unbooked suites and will let them sail empty. We were on a cruise on the Silver Spirit and about a day or two into the cruise we found out there were a number of empty Silver Suites. We knew the Hotel Manager having cruised with her before and asked about moving to one of them. It could be done but only at the full fare difference, adjusted slightly since two days had gone by, between our cabin and the Silver Suite. Since it was a 14-day cruise the difference in fare was substantial and more than we were willing to pay.
Mar 11, 2019, 11:40 am
#117
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,140
Friends of ours are currently on their second Silver Sea World Cruise. This one is for 5 months. They are currently docked in Hong Kong. They are annoyed as Govt officials came on board and removed all of the liquor with exception of beer and wine. Has anyone else ever heard of this happening on a cruise?
Mar 11, 2019, 11:54 am
#118
Moderator: Delta SkyMiles, Luxury Hotels, TravelBuzz! and Italy
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 26,543
Mar 11, 2019, 12:09 pm
#119
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,140
Mar 11, 2019, 12:53 pm
#120
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
Friends of ours are currently on their second Silver Sea World Cruise. This one is for 5 months. They are currently docked in Hong Kong. They are annoyed as Govt officials came on board and removed all of the liquor with exception of beer and wine. Has anyone else ever heard of this happening on a cruise?