Interview: Carnival’s CEO on Getting More Money From Cruisers
Photo Credit: Carnival CEO Arnold Donald outside the New York Stock Exchange Carnival Corp.
Skift Take
Carnival has reason to celebrate when passengers spend more, but cruise lines need to be careful not to undermine their value proposition by making travelers feel nickel-and-dimed.
Cruise passengers were big spenders over the last few months, shelling out more cash to buy a ticket compared to the previous year and parting with more money once they set sail.
Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operator, highlighted the trend recently in its earnings report that covered the three months ending Nov. 30.
Excluding the impact of exchange rate fluctuations, the company said spending on cruise tickets increased almost 4 percent for the quarter. Passengers spent 4.5 percent more on ship-based items including Internet service, drink packages and casino games.
With advance bookings for 2016 ahead of where they were a year ago, Carnival expects to command higher prices for the remaining inventory. And thanks to an extensive study on customer practices, the company is exploring ways to more effectively sell products, experiences and indulgences to passengers.
Skift spoke to Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald about passenger spending, holding fir
