Do we all want an All Inclusive cruise??

It seems to be that more and more passengers are wanting a one stop shop. A cruise with everything included, no hidden extras or nasty big bills at the end of their stress free holiday.

More ships than ever are including drinks packages with their sailings such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, NCL, MSC, or complementary drinks with meals such as many of the River cruise Companies.

As many of us are aware Marketing is a fantastic tool but can sometimes seem a little misleading, I can’t count the number of times passengers have asked me ‘So that includes free drinks’, to which I reply ‘that depends on your understanding of FREE’. What passengers don’t always realise or understand is that the cost of the drinks included in your All Inclusive cruise have already been incorporated into the price of your Cruise, and you are indeed paying for these drinks upfront, whether you drink them or not!

This is all very well if you drink a large volume of alcohol.

It would seem in my opinion that cruise lines are placing their Ships into catagories. If you want an All Inclusive ship you need to be looking at these lines only, if you want to pay for your drinks as you go along ignore these lines as your paying over the odds for elements such as All Inclusive drinks that you’re really not going to benefit from.

As I always say, Cruise lines just need to keep it simple. Rather than changing tack every month with confusing promotions which just get regular cruisers backs up and make you question ‘Did I book at the right time?? Just offer an All Inclusive price and a Non Inclusive price all the time, don’t make it a promotion that you keep continually changing.

Make your cruises appeal to everybody not just people who like a glass of wine or two!!!!!