There is an interesting conversation going on today, and it was started by an article in Seatrade Insider that said luxury cruise lines are seeing an influx of passengers who are avoiding the clientele on some mass-market lines. Some call that behavior, “Disgusting.”
“We have new clients now who – unhappy with the kind of people the low prices have attracted to the larger brands – have decided to pay the extra for a luxury cruise to get away from them,” says one luxury line expert.
One commenter over at the Cruise Log says that he’s,
“observed this sort of behavior, and it is truly disgusting–it has no place in our society today. I am a great fan of the movie “Titanic”. The so-called class structure, in the time of that ship, was inexcusable in every sense but perhaps historically. But we are in the 21st century and should be cured of this by now. Well, apparently there are still some holdouts.”
We asked one veteran cruiser that has been on a variety of lines and itineraries, and says he now avoids bargain cruises because of the people they attract.
“I’ve been on one short itinerary cruise that was heavily discounted, and I wouldn’t do it again. There were far too many passengers who viewed the ship as a convenient place to stay drunk for a few days. The effort the crew put into creating an elegant evening dining environment was destroyed by the presence of many cruisers who ignored the ship’s dress and behavior protocols. And, for those who find cruise ships are a good place to strike up conversations with interesting and accomplished people, the opportunities for such chats were limited indeed.”
What do YOU think? Is this really a case of cruisers being too snobby? Or, is it the same as choosing to stay at the Ritz Carlton instead of the Red Roof Inn?