"For comparable service shoreside, ‘You’d pay an awful lot more. You’d be at the Four Seasons or Ritz,’ Dickinson said. ‘The value equation of cruising, even with a 15-20-25-35% price increase, is still significantly there versus land."

How can he compare a Carnival cruise to staying at the Ritz or Four Seasons??? C'mon....let's be real....he should be comparing Carnival to Holiday Inn....seriously.

Maybe on the premium lines that Carnival Corp has, he could make that distinction, but not with Carnival Cruises....although the Spirit class is rather elegantly appointed compared to the Destiny or Fantasy class...it's still not a 5 star hotel....

When you take into account what you spend aboard (drinks/souveniers/spa) + cruise fare + taxes/etc surcharges + tips + excursions, it's well beyond what an all inclusive resort charges....

The cruise industry has done this price concession to themselves by excess building of new tonnage...notice that Carnival's profits didn't suffer at all the last couple of years even with the cheaper rates....they have to keep the rates low to sail the ships at 85% or more capacity...if they raise the prices, you'll see their capacities drop to 65% or lower..people just won't go and will choose an alternative vacation.

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Originally posted by wile1170:
How can he compare a Carnival cruise to staying at the Ritz or Four Seasons??

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Because wherever he stays, he gets a bloddy big suite and the best food and service, even on Carnival ships!

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Originally posted by Ernst:

Or maybe, when he comes to the Ritz, they say, look that is the guy with the disgusting ships. Let`s take revenge, and give him a small room and really bad service.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
This quote is from Seatrade Insider. Bob Dickenson,
president of carnival comments on where one would have to go to get the same service and hospitality on land as on one of the Fun Ships.

"For comparable service shoreside, ‘You’d pay an awful lot more. You’d be at the Four Seasons or Ritz,’ Dickinson said. ‘The value equation of cruising, even with a 15-20-25-35% price increase, is still significantly there versus land."

Comments?

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Originally posted by Rex:
The amounts of liquor are computer-controlled - the bottle is attached to some thingamajig and only a certain amount comes out before it's drowned in soda or juice.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Wow....whatever next? A machine that weighs your Frence Fries before they reach your plate?

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
I. In New York, London or Los Angeles a dinner for two at a fine restaurant (with drinks) can easily top $200.00. .

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I don't think the food is comparable between fine restaurants and a cruise ship.

It is almost impossible so. Even on the smaller ships (perhaps not Sea Goddess or so) there are so many people onboard, it is allways mass catering.

Really good chefs can give advice and recipes (and i doubt it will be the complete recipe), but are seldom aboard.

The quality of products can never be that good : I suspect they are mass-bought, aned never really fresh from markets etc.

Top class restaurants have, I think, single sittings for a limited public.

The wine cellars are subject to sudden movements.

Hotels can have restaurants with michelin stars, but I haven't really heard of cruise/liner ships with Michelin stars.

It is two different kinds : mass catering to highly individual works of gastronomy.

The degustation menu at Bruges' three star restaurant costs 175 EUR (without the wines), so that is easy 300 EUR. (per person)

Perhaps Crystal Cruises is aiming at this, but still, I should have my doubts.

Cruise ship catering seems to me more akin to large hotel banquets.

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Originally posted by Johan:

I don't think the food is comparable between fine restaurants and a cruise ship.

It is almost impossible so. Even on the smaller ships (perhaps not Sea Goddess or so) there are so many people onboard, it is allways mass catering.

Really good chefs can give advice and recipes (and i doubt it will be the complete recipe), but are seldom aboard.

The quality of products can never be that good : I suspect they are mass-bought, aned never really fresh from markets etc.

Top class restaurants have, I think, single sittings for a limited public.

The wine cellars are subject to sudden movements.

Hotels can have restaurants with michelin stars, but I haven't really heard of cruise/liner ships with Michelin stars.

It is two different kinds : mass catering to highly individual works of gastronomy.

The degustation menu at Bruges' three star restaurant costs 175 EUR (without the wines), so that is easy 300 EUR. (per person)

Perhaps Crystal Cruises is aiming at this, but still, I should have my doubts.

Cruise ship catering seems to me more akin to large hotel banquets.

J

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Originally posted by Johan:

I don't think the food is comparable between fine restaurants and a cruise ship.

I did not say it was. I said you get a GREAT value for your money when you take a cruise. I have had great meals in the Queen's Grill on QE2 and good meals on other cruise ships-the same with the finest restaurants on land that we have dined in around the World. In Spain last year we had one bad meal after another-even my Spanish mother said the food was awful and we were dining in top rated Madrid restaurants. For what the average passenger pays for a cruise, they get a good value for the money.

J

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In regard to ship's resturants receiving Michelin stars, I heard at that time, that "le Guide" did not rate ship's resturants, because they used some pre-prepared and frozen items which would have made them inelgible if they were land-based establishments.

Cambodge, indeed de gustibus etc, but still, if you used deepfrozen and pre-cooked stuff, or perhaps canned things, you can't really speak about "gorumet", I think. Even without the problem of taste, it is technically disqualified, I think.

Who - come on WHO - on here has ever been to a hotel banquet, business dinner or wedding reception where there have been four or five appetisers, a trio of soups, two salads and several entrees to choose from, plus vegetarian options and simple steak or chicken grills?

Ocean liner food is fantastic for what it is - it remains the best consistent dining experience of the year for me and I eat in some of the finest restaurants in central london where I live.

But it isn't just the dinners - its great breakfast buffets with eggs and omelettes made to order, delicious al fresco lunches, hot pizza when you feel like it and FREE room service.

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Originally posted by mec1:

Who - come on WHO - on here has ever been to a hotel banquet, business dinner or wedding reception where there have been four or five appetisers, a trio of soups, two salads and several entrees to choose from, plus vegetarian options and simple steak or chicken grills?

[...]
I think cruising remains a fantastic travel bargain. And then of course you have the unique experioence of being at sea on top of everything else.

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Me.