Merger Mania!!!

Have you noticed that the “bigs” keep getting bigger?  The banks are merging, the tech companies are merging, law offices are merging, and would you believe. . .it’s a disease that is rampant in the travel and hospitality business.

I’m not certain for sure when it started, but the airlines have been merging for several years now so that we really have only four major airlines in the United States that transport about 80% of the flying public:  American, United, Delta, and Southwest.  And you would think that they would all work together to enhance service to the traveling public……think again!!  Southwest is getting into the “big” act lately by letting it be known that in the not to distant future they will be charging for luggage too; it’s become such an economic boom to the other three, the opportunity to “get in line” will just be too tempting. 

The cruise lines merger activity is really no different from the airlines.  Carnival started buying up smaller lines and now are the largest in the industry.  Beside Carnival Cruise Line, under the Carnival umbrella is Holland America, Princess, Cunard, Seabourn, and Costa.  Their declaration when the mergers started happening was that the other lines would retain the “culture” that they and their loyal customers were accustomed to and that nothing would really change.  That lasted for about a year, and currently we are seeing, in my estimation, compared to the “culture” in the past, service and quality of cruise experience is on a downward spiral.  That doesn’t mean that one cannot have a great time, and if they are first-time cruisers, they will think they are in vacation heaven.  But for those who have cruised in the 80’s and 90’s, for the most part, they are disappointed with the current state of affairs.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has also been involved with merger action, acquiring several years ago, Celebrity Cruise Line.  More recently they picked up a smaller ship line named Azamara.  They don’t seem to be spread so thin with acquisitions, however they are building larger and larger cruise ships like the Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, and coming out later this year, Quantum of the Seas.  These are unbelievable vessels, 170,000 tons-220,000 tons, and carry up to 5000 passengers. . .and up until now provide a fantastic cruising vacation experience.

Norwegian Cruise Line has just announced, trying to keep pace, the acquisition for $3B plus, the smaller, luxury cruise lines of Oceania and Regent Seven Seas.  NCL leadership says this gives them an introduction to the luxury and upscale agents that they have not been able to connect with under the NCL products.  Of course, their mantra is, as with the others, “they will maintain their separate identities”.  We’ll see!!

The experienced travel counselors at The Travel Factory are poised and ready to help you to the cruise experience that suits your needs and desires, and we are thankfully familiar with the cruise products having many cruise experience under our belts. Call us and let us help you manufacture the vacation of your dreams.  We are at 698-1421 or located at 4150 Southwest Dr., between Rosa’s and Chick-Fil-A in Southwest Abilene.