Topic: Princess pursues Village People!

Princess Cruises' is targeting Ocean Village cruisers by introducing a selection of fly-cruises to the Med in 2011.

Pieter van der Schee, Head of Brand Marketing for Princess has said “With the additional capacity of fly-cruises, we think we will appeal to Ocean Village customers looking for other opportunities.”

With Ocean Village's final voyage all sold out, customers will soon be saying 'bon voyage' to the cruise for people who don't do cruises.

Do you think Princess can really fill the gap?
Or is it wishful thinking?

QUOTE:

Princess Cruises' is targeting Ocean Village cruisers ===> So they should!
by introducing a selection of fly-cruises to the Med in 2011.

Do you think Princess can really fill the gap?
Or is it wishful thinking?

I reckon Princess should give it their best shot!

Having done two trips on OV2, I'm as much a Village Person as any?
and I found my last cruise(on Carib. Princess) to be thoroughly enjoyable!

It's obviously more upscale than OV's small ships,
and Princess' decor is a definite improvement on OV's non-decor
so I think people should like it.


The final Marketing thrust might be to offer certified OV-ers(those with definite histories)
a small discount or some other little treat, to win them over to making the booking.

I can assure them that once they're on board a Princess ship the likes of my Carib. Princess
they'll be happy.



.

So Princess are going down market are they!

Princess have always been a close contestant to Celebrity, Ocean Village never were, and were never intended to be, so unless they rebrand a couple of ships as did P&O with Ocean Village and Royal Caribbean did with Island Cruises, they are in danger of losing their bread & butter four star plus market.

I have nothing against those who prefer the OV type experience, I don’t, and I still book a cruise where some degree of formality is upheld, dinner off a tray is not the reason I choose to cruise.

As it happens I am awaiting the 2011 itinerary for Princess as my next cruise is/was number one on my booking plans………..I will take a step back until further announcements are forthcoming………Wilba

QUOTE:

So Princess are going down market are they! ===> Princess needs $$$ to stay alive?!

Princess have always been a close contestant to Celebrity, Ocean Village never were,
and were never intended to be, so unless they rebrand a couple of ships
as did P&O with Ocean Village and Royal Caribbean did with Island Cruises,
they are in danger of losing their bread & butter four star plus market.

I have nothing against those who prefer the OV type experience, I don’t,
and I still book a cruise where some degree of formality is upheld, dinner off a tray is not the reason I choose to cruise.

Maybe Corporate Thought is that we'll try to elevate That Sort a bit, get them more refined
no more trays(the trays were always optional -I often did without).

The idea of the tray was/is to transport several items,plate included, to the table.
Once at the table, all items were placed on the table, the tray being a bit 'skiddy' for my liking
but yes.. most under-cultured types simply plonked the tray down in front of them
and had away at it.


I suspect there will be no trays in Princess dining rooms!


Those who are incapable of ordering from a Menu
will 'feed at the trough' up on Lido Deck?
.

I'm with Wilba on this.

I can see no way that Princess can attract the OV customers without changing because the whole marketing structure of OV was to make it unlike other cruises and was an opportunity for people not to conform with the cruise norm.

Princess have a chance if the take one or two ships and change the whole concept to that of the OV ideology but to hope that you can re-educate OV customers and patch them into the Princess style is moonraking. ....Neil

QUOTE:

I'm with Wilba on this.


Princess have a chance if the take one or two ships and change the whole concept to that of the OV ideology but to hope that you can re-educate OV customers and patch them into the Princess style is moonraking. ....Neil

This argument assumes that OV people don't know any better. I have done 4 OV cruises (amongst many others) and have met many folk aboard OV who have done and are happy to do formal cruises. It's just they prefer the informal less rigorous approach.

I would suggest that you would be hard pressed to tell an OV person on a formal cruise. I know there are some who say they will never go on a formal cruise but from my own experience there are far more who are adaptable to both styles of cruising.

QUOTE:

This argument assumes that OV people don't know any better. I have done 4 OV cruises (amongst many others) and have met many folk aboard OV who have done and are happy to do formal cruises. It's just they prefer the informal less rigorous approach.

I would suggest that you would be hard pressed to tell an OV person on a formal cruise. I know there are some who say they will never go on a formal cruise but from my own experience there are far more who are adaptable to both styles of cruising.

Whichever way you look at this, Ocean Village was marketed for 'People who don't do cruises'..........Princess were never marketed in this way!

The mix does not work, no formal dining, no thanks I can do that in Morrisons or British Home Stores at £3.50 a tray load.

I too would be happy with an informal dress code/atmosphere, but not at the expense of queuing up at the trough for an evening meal 'experience'.

QUOTE:

..........Princess were never marketed in this way! ===> Past tense?

Maybe there's a big scary change coming?

Maybe that's exactly what the big wigs are discussing
at the huge cruise management conference, right now!
.

QUOTE:

This argument assumes that OV people don't know any better.
I have done 4 OV cruises (amongst many others) and have met many folk aboard OV
who have done and are happy to do formal cruises.
It's just they prefer the informal less rigorous approach.

I would suggest that you would be hard pressed to tell an OV person on a formal cruise.
I know there are some who say they will never go on a formal cruise
but from my own experience there are far more who are adaptable to both styles of cruising.

A refreshing breath of realism!
.

I did OV because the ships were superior to those offered by Thomson / Island escape, they had fantastic childrens facilities and went to some brilliant places at a reasonable price ~ my hols with them for 4 have all cost less than £2500 for 2 weeks including flights!

I also enjoyed the casual aspect as at the time we owned a fine dinning restaurant where I had to be made up, dressed up ~ ish all the time and as it was my hol I wanted to relax.

Just because you got given a tray food wasn't a problem ~ children and hubby are more likely to graze than eat three courses anyway. But Princess has appealled, as have Celebrity for a while and I am quite able to dress up, eat at a table with loads of cutlery (got taught that at school!) and now I'm not doing it day after the formal style seems more what I'm after now.

We'll just have to see what the itineraries and the prices are like...