RE: Good value/Upgrades*
Hi, Steamboating colleagues:
Frank hit it on the money [No pun intended] RE: 'good value and upgrades' with many of the upscale blue water ships. The comments above from you all very perceptive and correct. We just experienced as a family similar upgrades on the recent two week cruise. It's only good business knowing that previous bookings are likely to return again and again with many extra 'bennies' tossed in: free laundry/dry cleaning, special dinners in private dining rooms with officers/company officials, wet bars and extra large baths, living areas in cabins, transfers, greeters at air terminals, automatic birthday/holiday greetings and presents etc. You don't need all of it, but it can be nice. In the end you're paying for it.
This not 'pure steamboats,' but for some reason I receive each year a most upscale grand lux book advertising a luxury 22 day 'Around the world by private jet' trip. I'll not mention the name of the lux company here. Once you paw through the heavy grade slick paper with embossing, glorious photography, list of lecturers, food, hotels etc. you see that the per person initial rate begins at a mere $62,950. Single supplement another $8,150 on top of that. All other tips, taxes, gratuities, drinks, sundries, souvenir purchases, commercial air tickets to and from airport of departure/arrival on your own. What a deal! Did I promptly send off my who's who and $2,500 per head deposit? Oh, pleeeeeze! I'm not that far from my common roots being born/bred on the muddy banks of Coal Haven Landing.
Judy hit the nail right mentioning "disposable income"/"niche marketing." Are there people out there with money to spend like this? You bet. For years there was an old saying, "It only costs a little more to go first class." Yeah, right. Well, what do I know?
R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.
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