Companies That You Expect to Disappear Soon

[Brightonboy]

Arcadia is also adults only. Another good match for Cunard?

Arcadia was originally intended for Holland America line when built so is a close match for the other 4 Vista class in that fleet. She is also aging (as is QM2) so it would not make sense to leave Cunard with 2 older vessels (50% of their fleet). Cunard accommodate children rather than being 'family orientated ships' but would be unlikely to go adults only as there is a small but significant client base that want to travel as families (and with pets transatlantic on QM2).
On a family ship the space allocated for kids clubs etc and the numbers of family size cabins can be a sizeable chunk, removing that commitment in favour of additional space for adults only (mainly travelling as couples) is a balancing act - how many families do you lose compared to the number of additional adults and what are the numbers in terms of £. I think Cunard will remain as - carrying but not targetting families.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 20:21 ==

What is QA?

Queen Anne - the ship moving from Cunard to P&O.

 

[WesternLancer]

Arcadia was originally intended for Holland America line when built so is a close match for the other 4 Vista class in that fleet. She is also aging (as is QM2) so it would not make sense to leave Cunard with 2 older vessels (50% of their fleet). Cunard accommodate children rather than being 'family orientated ships' but would be unlikely to go adults only as there is a small but significant client base that want to travel as families (and with pets transatlantic on QM2).
On a family ship the space allocated for kids clubs etc and the numbers of family size cabins can be a sizeable chunk, removing that commitment in favour of additional space for adults only (mainly travelling as couples) is a balancing act - how many families do you lose compared to the number of additional adults and what are the numbers in terms of £. I think Cunard will remain as - carrying but not targetting families.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 20:21 ==


Queen Anne - the ship moving from Cunard to P&O.

Thanks for these insights

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Thursday at 20:37 ==

I hope not, but nothing would surprise me. Cunard, despite its image as a strictly class-segregated line, is one of the few lines not to follow the trend of “ship within a ship” for premium passengers, and even offers a good number of pet-friendly voyages.

I don’t entirely agree with the assertion that P&O’s clientele are vastly different to Cunard’s. I have sailed with both, and many of the passengers I’ve met on the Queens also happily sail with P&O (albeit preferring the smaller vessels, not Iona and Arvia). P&O seems well setup to cannibalise Cunard, offering a very similar experience to Britannia class, but without the hassle of gratuities or USD as the onboard currency. Cunard differentiate with the soft product - slightly better service and much better entertainment, but we have lost such benefits as included room service.

Thanks. Interesting to read this, based on experience.

 

[H F Stephens]

What is QA?

Cunard Line’s Queen Anne.

Edit: now answered above.

 

[brad465]

OpenAI, on account of fraud?

https://www.ft.com/content/b66a9858-f8fb-46cb-b506-44bfe26fca2a?syn-25a6b1a6=1

OpenAI’s annualised revenue is about $20bn less than the company had signalled, according to financial documents shared with investors, a massive gap likely to damp optimism about the growth of AI demand. The company has recently told investors its revenues were approaching $50bn on an annualised basis at the end of September, far short of the $70bn reported by the FT and other media outlets late last month based on information that was provided to investors.

 

[DelW]

Arcadia was originally intended for Holland America line when built so is a close match for the other 4 Vista class in that fleet. She is also aging (as is QM2) so it would not make sense to leave Cunard with 2 older vessels (50% of their fleet). Cunard accommodate children rather than being 'family orientated ships' but would be unlikely to go adults only as there is a small but significant client base that want to travel as families (and with pets transatlantic on QM2).

Although QM2 is over twenty years old, she's unlike any other ship. Her hull is thicker steel, her promenade deck is higher above the waterline, and she has large open deck areas both fore and aft. All of these are to enable her to cope with North Atlantic winter storms on her transatlantic runs. Her predecessor QE2 stayed in service for around forty years because she was similarly unique, so I think that as long as her particular market is there, QM2 will be serving it for a good while yet.

 

[Brightonboy]

Although QM2 is over twenty years old, she's unlike any other ship. Her hull is thicker steel, her promenade deck is higher above the waterline, and she has large open deck areas both fore and aft. All of these are to enable her to cope with North Atlantic winter storms on her transatlantic runs. Her predecessor QE2 stayed in service for around forty years because she was similarly unique, so I think that as long as her particular market is there, QM2 will be serving it for a good while yet.

All accurate, although some of the upper deck open deck areas will be lost at at next year's dry-docking period, along with the bookshop and some of the kids club area. Her hull shape is also different to a 'modern' cruise ship. There are, however, some shortcomings in areas such as crew accommodation and technical areas which, whilst not problems as such, could usefully be improved.

 

[Broucek]

OpenAI, on account of fraud?

https://www.ft.com/content/b66a9858-f8fb-46cb-b506-44bfe26fca2a?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Company that sells a product prone to making stuff up makes up its own financial results....

In other news, dog bites man

 

[8ace]

BBC reporting that Boots is being sold on by a US private equity outfit (who'd owned it for all of 18 months) to a Canadian private equity outfit. All the usual guff about "investing in the business" and "serving customers with excellence", but will anyone be surprised if they turn out to be another self-interested bunch of asset-strippers?

Boots sold in £7bn deal to Canadian billionaire family

The sale of the High Street chain was announced on Wednesday.

www.bbc.co.uk

Boots have never been what they were since they stopped displaying those big glass containers of blue and green liquid in the window.

 

[duffield]

Boots have never been what they were since they stopped displaying those big glass containers of blue and green liquid in the window.

I just hope they last another couple of days until I pick up my prescription - I've just paid them for a year's supply of Finasteride!

 

[8ace]

I just hope they last another couple of days until I pick up my prescription - I've just paid them for a year's supply of Finasteride!

Good luck thatching your roof! (unless you have BPH like I do )

 

[duffield]

Good luck thatching your roof! (unless you have BPH like I do )

Yes, mine's for thatching, I don't want my hairline going back any further at least. Sorry you've got BPH, must be very inconvenient but at least it's "B", not "M"!.

 

[eoff]

Boots have never been what they were since they stopped displaying those big glass containers of blue and green liquid in the window.

I was in Boots (non station store) yesterday, the staff member (with a headset for some reason) had not heard of Germolene and could only say it might be near the medicines so I just walked away as I was in a rush to get a train from the nearby statoin.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I was in Boots (non station store) yesterday, the staff member (with a headset for some reason) had not heard of Germolene and could only say it might be near the medicines so I just walked away as I was in a rush to get a train from the nearby statoin.

Sadly, for at least thirty years, I have found it easier to find things in Superdrug. Mainly because the store is so much smaller !.

I can remember in the 1980s and 1990s I was always in Boots for all sorts of things. Now I have very little reason to visit most of the non chemist lines no longer get carried. Especially when I found out Boots use the same (unreliable) supplier (exclusively ISTR) for prescription medicines as Superdrug do - so if Superdrug cannot get it hen I know not to waste my time at Boots.

Is Boots' real estate too big for a chemist that carries so little other stuff compared to last century ?.
Something that reminds me of Woolworths - an oversized sweet shop towards the end.

I feel sad because I was brought up on Boots (the chemist I mean).

They are still cheapest for sandwiches when I am desperate.

 

[Kite159]

They are still cheapest for sandwiches when I am desperate.

Used to be one of the cheapest places for a meal deal (especially when it included some items other places sell in the premium deals, like rice bowls with chicken) but since they increased the price to £3.99 (with a membership card) they have also reduced the number of items they stock, both sandwich wise & also snack wise.

Also since they got rid of the 10% saving on own brand products when using a membership card (in exchange for more personalised offers, mostly on rubbish I never buy) the own brand products are more expensive compared to other supermarkets.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Used to be one of the cheapest places for a meal deal (especially when it included some items other places sell in the premium deals, like rice bowls with chicken) but since they increased the price to £3.99 (with a membership card) they have also reduced the number of items they stock, both sandwich wise & also snack wise.

Also since they got rid of the 10% saving on own brand products when using a membership card (in exchange for more personalised offers, mostly on rubbish I never buy) the own brand products are more expensive compared to other supermarkets.

Somewhere I have a Boots loyalty card. It used to be the best return per pound spent. But I have not used it for decades, no idea where it is !.

I tend to only buy a sandwich. Alternatively a carton of milk if thirsty as it is not much more than water !. If I am on a planned trip its a loaf of sliced bread, ham slices and cheese (spread) turned into sandwiches. Last time cost me £2.93 for eight sandwiches. So meal deals are lost on me - not really interested in fizzy pop or crisps !.

I suppose I am a tight customer. I do not want the gimmicks. So I really want the basics to be reasonably priced.
I think the more and more some businesses try to come up with gimmicks the more I wonder if they are struggling.

 

[Broucek]

Somewhere I have a Boots loyalty card. It used to be the best return per pound spent. But I have not used it for decades, no idea where it is !.

I tend to only buy a sandwich. Alternatively a carton of milk if thirsty as it is not much more than water !. If I am on a planned trip its a loaf of sliced bread, ham slices and cheese (spread) turned into sandwiches. Last time cost me £2.93 for eight sandwiches. So meal deals are lost on me - not really interested in fizzy pop or crisps !.

I suppose I am a tight customer. I do not want the gimmicks. So I really want the basics to be reasonably priced.
I think the more and more some businesses try to come up with gimmicks the more I wonder if they are struggling.

Not just you...

 

[adc82140]

I've been in a TG Jones today. I was surprised to find that the manky old carpet had gone, and the lighting upgraded. The Ryman's next door on the other hand was shabby and overpriced.

 

[Techniquest]

Not just you...

Add me to that too, gimmicks are a clear sign of a struggling business. I can think of a major retailer who, for years, didn’t do any sort of loyalty card/app with a preference for lower prices keeping customers coming in. That changed and prices shot up, plus from what I understand it wasn’t a well received loyalty scheme.

As for Boots, I’d definitely put them on the list of companies likely to disappear. Maybe not for a good while yet, I daresay they have a big customer base and I do still like Boots over the competition. They’ll be a big loss to my city if they did go under, it must be said, hopefully they’ll snap out of their decline and pull themselves back up.