Is Bigger better and is growth and progress a good thing? or Not?

Do you know who really owns the cruise line you are sailing with?

Customers are often surprised to hear that the cruise line they love is not independent but owned by someone else and often a company they do not like or say they would not sail with!

Most cruise companies are owned by another group eg: Celebrity and Azamara cruises are owned by the Royal Caribbean Group etc…  But the biggest by far is the Carnival Corporation.

Are the Carnival Corporation getting too big?

It may or may not surprise you when I tell you how many cruise lines they actually own. But the question is will it start to effect the value for money that consumers will get. After all they are not likely to compete against themselves which could affect what deals customers will get in the future.

Do you know who they own?

Carnival Cruises

Cunard

P&O Cruises

P&O Australia Cruises

Princess Cruises

Costa Cruises

Aida Cruises of Germany

Holland America

Seabourne

Ibero Cruises of Spain

When you think about it they have the largest fleet at sea and are the largest Cruise operator in the world.

Formed in 1972 by Cruise Industry Pioneer Ted Arison the company has built its way up to the Global Company it is today.

Whilst I am all for growth within a company I have seen many changes since the various acquisitions took place. Whether they are a result of the digital revolution or progress as they like to call it I am not sure.  Having spent 28 years in this industry I remember when a cruise was something elegant and special.  Shore excursion booklets came 3 months before you travelled to allow you to pick your trips and call to book them. Tickets arrived in lovely leather wallets with guide books and leather luggage labels. Customers came into the office to collect them and felt like they were getting something special for their money. There are still one or two companies who provide this but they are few and far between.

Nowadays it is a few printed sheets from a computer and whilst I appreciate companies are trying to keep costs down and prices down the margins they make are not so small of that I am sure. They are multi-million dollar companies and perhaps if they took a step back and appreciated their customers a little more they may retain the loyalty that they all strive so hard to maintain with clubs and point schemes etc. Are these schemes really worth anything? A few extra pounds off on-board spending and an invite to a party on-board?  I for one am sick of having a purse full of cards for every shop I go to. Is this really  what customers like you want or would you prefer improvements in standards and to be appreciated more?

There has also been a huge increase in the number of complaints about standards slipping on-board some of the most loved cruise ships like those of the P&O fleet. Are they cutting corners in order to give cheaper prices? In my experience this is not what customers want. They will pay that little bit extra to get the quality they have come to expect.

Am I wrong?

Perhaps you feel you would rather have the cheaper prices.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Perhaps you have witnessed first-hand a drop in standards? If so let me know your story.

Did you know that Carnival owned all these cruise lines? What are your thoughts on this?

Please get in touch as I would love to hear your views.