Chapter II
WHO CRUISES AND WHY
Why People Cruise
1. A cruise is a hassle-free vacation.
2. A cruise takes away from it all.
3. You’re pampered like nowhere else.
4. You can sample a broad geographic area.
5. A cruise is something new.
7. Cruises offer huge variety of events, activities and meals.
8. A cruise facilities shopping.
9. It’s easy to make friends in cruise.
10. Cruises lend themselves to groups.
11. A cruise is a romantic experience.
12. A cruise is a learning experience.
13. There’s a cruise that can satisfy virtually anyone.
14. It’s a great way to celebrate a special event.
15. Everybody’s talking about how wonderful cruises are.
16. Cruises represent a safe travel experience.
17. It’s a fabulous value of money.
18. You know what you’re paying in advance.
Roadblocks to Purchase Cruise
1. Cruises are too expensive.
2. Cruises are boring.
3. Cruises are only for older people.
4. Cruises are stuffy and too formal.
5. Cruises are too regimented.
6. There’s not enough time in ports.
7. The ship environment is too confining.
8. Aren’t you forced to socialize with people?
9. I was in the Navy, and the last thing I want to do is to take my vacation on a ship.
10. I’ll eat too much and put on weight.
11. Are ships really safe?
12. I’m worried about terrorism.
13. It’s too far to fly to the port.
14. I’m worried about getting sick.
15. I don’t know enough about cruises.
Degree of Cruise Inclusiveness:
1. Always or Almost Always Included
Stateroom accommodations, stateroom amenities, meals, certain beverages, entertainment, onboard
activities, supervised children’s programs, access to exercise facility and of course ship transportation.
In few cases: room service or dining at special alternative onboard restaurant entails a modest add-on
charge.
2. Sometimes Included, Sometimes Not
Airfares, port charges, government fees and taxes, and transfers between the airport and the dock.
3. Usually Not Included
Shore excursions, gratuities to ship and shore side personnel, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks,*
optional activities, transfers when air isn’t purchased from the cruise line, laundry, certain special
offerings and pre post-land packages.
4. Never Included
The cost for meals ashore, parking at the departure port, shopping, gambling, photos, ship-to-shore
phone calls, internet connections, medical services, baby sitting services, personal services, and
insurance.
Cruises Prices
◦ Every cruise brochure spells out the exact price for each sailing, as well as what’s included and what’s not. The price
is basis two or double occupancy – it’s per person, based on two passengers to a room. Price depends upon where the
desired stateroom “category” is located on the ship.
The higher the deck the stateroom is on, the higher the price.
Outside staterooms (with windows) are generally more expensive than inside or interior
staterooms (without windows). Often outside stateroom is called “Ocean-view”
stateroom.
Larger staterooms on a given ship are usually more expensive than smaller ones.
Staterooms with balconies generally cost more than those without.
Outside staterooms whose views are obstructed, often cost less than those with
unobstructed views.
Many other factors can affect price:
Booking six to nine months or more in advance usually yields a savings.
A last-minute “sale” when the ship isn’t fully booked also results in lower prices.
To encourage early bookings or to energize slow sales, cruise lines often offer special promotional fares, such as two-for-one prices,
50% off the second passenger, and the like.
If there’s a third or fourth person sharing the stateroom, their per-person price is often much less than for the first and second
persons.
“Seasonality” is a factor too. Cruise lines almost always price their itinerary according to seasonal demand. Example:
o Summer – high season
o Spring and Fall – shoulder seasons
o Winter – low season
“Alumni or past passenger” are other factors that can reduce the cost of a cruise.
Past passenger rates – rates given to people who have sailed on that particular cruise line before.
Group Rates – group minimums vary by cruise line, some consider 5 passengers a group, others
require at least 20, most are somewhere between.
Yield Management – the practice of adjusting price to supply and demand
