Disney Cruise Line tops J.D. Power satisfaction survey

Posted on 28 June, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Disney Cruise Line tops J.D. Power satisfaction survey

By Tom Stieghorst

J.D. Power & Associates has ranked Disney Cruise Line tops for consumer satisfaction in its first-ever survey of the cruise industry.

Disney scored well ahead of the pack. Four other cruise lines were bunched together. But their satisfaction index scores placed Royal Caribbean International second, followed by Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises.

Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines rated below the industry average score for satisfaction, J.D. Power said.

The survey found 18% of passengers reported experiencing at least one problem on their cruise.

“Many cruise lines in the report have very high levels of passenger satisfaction, well above the report average; however, for more than a year, the overall industry has been dealing with a lot of negative news affecting customer perceptions, expectations and trust,” said Ramez Faza, senior account manager of the global travel and hospitality practice at J.D. Power.

“To raise the bar, the industry must focus on meeting the needs of the nearly 20% of passengers who experience a problem with their cruise line experience,” Faza said.

Carnival’s impact on the public’s perception of cruising

Posted on 25 June, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival’s impact on the public’s perception of cruising

By Tom Stieghorst

*Insight Since the engine fire on the Carnival Triumph in February, the industry has been closely monitoring the public perception of cruising and whether the industry has come under a cloud.

Did the problems experienced by a single Carnival Cruise Lines ship taint perceptions of the entire cruise experience?

There’s more evidence in Carnival Corp.’s second-quarter financial results that the perception of a problem with cruising has mostly affected Carnival’s flagship product. *TomStieghorst

Carnival said that, excluding Carnival Cruise Lines, bookings for the next three quarters are up, and at higher prices. That means that Princess, Holland America Line, Cunard Line and the rest of the Carnival stable have been more than holding their own since March.

Competitors such as Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line likewise do not appear to be struggling with lower prices, according to Wall Street analysts.

When Carnival Cruise Lines gets thrown into the mix, however, Carnival Corp. bookings are behind last year, and at lower prices. Regrettably for Carnival Corp., and perhaps the industry, if Carnival Cruise Lines isn’t healthy, the conversation about cruising suffers.

It should be noted that two Harris Interactive polls, one in March and a follow-up in May, found that perceptions about quality, trust and intent to purchase for seven cruise brands were down across the board, albeit with Carnival Cruise Lines scoring lowest.

It is hard to square the poll results with the financial results, except to say that the poll is a measure of what people say, and booking data is a measure of what they actually do.

The financial results say that, except for Carnival Cruise Lines, there’s more demand for cruises this year than last. If Carnival Cruise Lines can heal itself, however, the whole industry will undoubtedly benefit.

Breakaway Brings New York to High Seas

Posted on 11 June, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Breakaway Brings New York to High Seas

Largest ship to homeport in Manhattan sails to Bermuda, Bahamas

By Marilyn Green

Where does Sponge Bob Square Pants rub elbows with the Rockettes? Onboard the new 4,028-passenger Norwegian Breakaway which launched last month. On May 8, the godmother Rockettes, the Nickelodeon characters and the cast of five-time Tony Award-nominated “Rock of Ages” joined “Burn the Floor,” The Second City, Howl at the Moon and blues master Slam Allen for the ship’s launch.

The christening ceremony, with celebrity baker Buddy Valastro, star of TLC’s “Cake Boss,” as master of ceremonies, featured the Rockettes cutting a long yellow ribbon to break the champagne bottle against the Peter Max-painted hull of the ship.

The $840 million ship, which sets the pattern for the upcoming Norwegian Getaway (January 2014) and two later ships known as Breakaway Plus, launched a number of changes from Norwegian Epic. The unusual bathroom design on Epic has reverted to a conventional bathroom, and the Studio staterooms for solo passengers have been reduced by half. In addition, 28 spa balcony staterooms and 20 spa mini-suites offer soothing decor and complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suite. The main dining room configuration has been replaced by three restaurants: Taste, Savor and the Manhattan Room, the last with its preview of Burn the Floor, which is offered in full in the theater. For more drama, a fireworks show is set off on the next-to-last night of each cruise.

Some of the changes on Breakaway are New York-specific, like the Sabrett’s hot dog stands and the Ice Bar with sculptures of the New York landmarks: the Brooklyn Bridge, Chrysler Building and Statue of Liberty. Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s president and CEO, who grew up in New York, said he envisioned Breakaway as both a ship for New Yorkers and for those who want a New York experience at sea.

In addition to all its New York echoes, Breakaway claims 27 restaurants. Among the no-fee ones are the three main dining rooms, the two pool bars and grills, O’Sheehan’s Pub (24 hours), the Garden Cafe buffet, the coffee bar in the atrium and room service, with the exception of pizza delivery, which carries a $5 charge. Specialty restaurants with varying fees, include longstanding Cagney’s Steakhouse, La Cucina and Shanghai’s Noodle Bar. And, although the Geoffrey Zakarian Ocean Blue has a charge of $49, it also has a take-out window where patrons can buy lobster rolls and crab toast a la carte for much less.

With all of the references to “walking the plank,” passengers may have thought “Pirates of the Caribbean” was being enacted onboard the Breakaway. The buzz was about Sky Trail, a ropes course definitely not designed for those with a fear of heights. Among its features are a bungee trampoline, a zipline and an eight-foot-long plank that extends above the lifeboats located 10 decks underneath. If that wasn’t enough in the thrills and chills category, the Aqua Park has five colorful multi-story waterslides, including a pair of free fall slides in which a trapdoor opens under your feet and you fall 250 feet into a loop; there’s also The Whip, where two passengers compete on a twisted course.

Breakaway was hailed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as the largest cruise ship ever based year-round in the city, where she will join the 2,394-passenger Norwegian Gem, which also sails year-round from Manhattan. The Breakaway is sailing to Bermuda on 22 one-week cruises until October, when she will offer cruises to the Bahamas, Florida and the Southern Caribbean out of New York.