Aqua Class getting out of sight!

We book sky suites or AQ. My cruise in Sept. I overpaid for AQ. as we booked with friends in advance. Sky suites are as much as the luxury or premium lines we cruise with. We will not be booking suites with X until prices come down.

Hawaii cruise in 2019 we have booked a 1A ( first time in many years ) and booked a 4 nt. spec.dine.pkg. The only benefit we use from AQ is dinner in Blu. If prices drop for Hawaii cruise we will go to AQ.

Suites are another way to price gouge folks. They offer 4 perks and access to Michael's and Luminae, then jack the prices to nearly double they were in the past. People book them because they think they are getting a good deal, but if they do the math, vis a vis the actual costs, they're really getting screwed but made to feel good about it. :rolleyes:

With a baby on the way, my wife and I will have to start booking Sky Suites since Aqua Class is limited to just 2 guests per room. Thankfully we can still eat in Blu and Luminaa.

, they're really getting screwed but made to feel good about it. :rolleyes:

I would really hate to pay for that and then not feel good 🤗😍. Actually I would want it to be fantastic.

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

With a baby on the way, my wife and I will have to start booking Sky Suites since Aqua Class is limited to just 2 guests per room. Thankfully we can still eat in Blu and Luminaa.

Blu is only available to suite guests on a space available basis.

Our next cruise is an eleven nighter. Our guarantee veranda got us an excellent 2A, which I pretty much counted on when we booked, as so many were available. Our cost is $1800 less than the Aqua which has remained constant since we booked.. If we buy a five night specialty package, the cost for two will be $318. Blu is the only Aqua benefit we use and it cannot compare in quality to the specialty restaurants. As I have noted more than once, a good veranda plus specialty dining can be a great deal.

As long as folks will pay the price, Celebrity (and others) will continue to raise their price. It's called inflation

I think it's called gouging. However a fool and his money are soon parted.

A much better deal would put you in a balcony and a specialty restaurant every night with better choices and service for less.

Blu is only available to suite guests on a space available basis.

This is true. However if you tell your butler or concierge you'd like to dine there they have a nack of always finding space. ;)

It’s not being driven up by supply and demand until you see statistics that show people paying that. Right now it’s Celebrity floating a silly price to see if it will stick.

It's more than "floating a silly price to see if it will stick."

In early December a 1B fare on my cruise was priced at $2949 while an A2 was priced at $3299. Since then the price of an A2 has consistently increased $100 to $300 (average of about $200) every month to a current price of $4549; while the price of a 1B fluctuated up or down $100 or $200 per month but is currently still only at $2949. This is pretty good evidence that the A2 price increase is due to actual demand rather than just hope on Celebrity's part.

Suites are another way to price gouge folks. They offer 4 perks and access to Michael's and Luminae, then jack the prices to nearly double they were in the past. People book them because they think they are getting a good deal, but if they do the math, vis a vis the actual costs, they're really getting screwed but made to feel good about it. :rolleyes:

I agree with you 100%!! I can't help but chuckle when I read people post how suites come with 4 "free perks". Free my you-know-what. But it is a marketing ploy that obviously works. I am not saying everyone who books suites is being bamboozled - of course not. But based on many postings here on Cruise Critic I can say with certainty that many are. Book suites if you want to, and enjoy the 4 perks, but I have a nice bridge to sell you if you think those 4 perks are free:)

It's more than "floating a silly price to see if it will stick."

 

In early December a 1B fare on my cruise was priced at $2949 while an A2 was priced at $3299. Since then the price of an A2 has consistently increased $100 to $300 (average of about $200) every month to a current price of $4549; while the price of a 1B fluctuated up or down $100 or $200 per month but is currently still only at $2949. This is pretty good evidence that the A2 price increase is due to actual demand rather than just hope on Celebrity's part.

Are you comparing a $350 price difference to a $1,600 the OP was talking about? I said the the $1600 was a silly price.

Book suites if you want to, and enjoy the 4 perks, but I have a nice bridge to sell you if you think those 4 perks are free:)

I agree for the most part, but with so many sailings and automated pricing, these perks are going to be charged to each cruise inconsistently. We're paying $450 PP for a 4 Day Bahamas cruise in Concierge, with $300 OBC and a drink package. If those weren't free perks, then my cruise is valued at $80! :hearteyes:

Since most cruises it takes us between 10 to 12 hour flights to get to the departure ports. So we tend to book b2b or b2b2b or for 2020 we are doing a b2b2b2b2b which is 66 days. No way can we do aqua but concierge for the price was a bargain.

Just had this conversation in our household tonight. We have a booking for February that is a re-booking (X cancelled) of a re-booking (we cancelled) of an original onboard booking. The price has gone up each time we've moved the reservation to the point that we're probably just going to cancel it and sail HAL instead. This trip was originally to introduce some friends to Celebrity but at this point we could take two HAL cruises for the price of this one. This is Celebrity Suite versus Neptune Suite pricing for a run-of-the-mill Caribbean sailing.

Are you comparing a $350 price difference to a $1,600 the OP was talking about? I said the the $1600 was a silly price.

I am the OP and you indicated that you would not believe the high AQ price was based on supply and demand until you could see actual purchases at these prices. I am saying that the continual increase in the price of AQ on this cruise on the order of $200 pp per month is a good indication that the prices are indeed based on demand - albeit a demand that surprises me. If they were not selling AQ cabins at these gradually increasing prices, Celebrity's yield management pricing algorithms would have not continued to increase their prices.

I am the OP and you indicated that you would not believe the high AQ price was based on supply and demand until you could see actual purchases at these prices. I am saying that the continual increase in the price of AQ on this cruise on the order of $200 pp per month is a good indication that the prices are indeed based on demand - albeit a demand that surprises me. If they were not selling AQ cabins at these gradually increasing prices, Celebrity's yield management pricing algorithms would have not continued to increase their prices.

Are you talking about the Reflection cruise in 2019? If so, there are a ton of Aqua available. More available than have been sold by a mile. Keep your eyes peeled for a sale. Last year this cruise plummeted in Aug/Sept

I agree for the most part, but with so many sailings and automated pricing, these perks are going to be charged to each cruise inconsistently. We're paying $450 PP for a 4 Day Bahamas cruise in Concierge, with $300 OBC and a drink package. If those weren't free perks, then my cruise is valued at $80! :hearteyes:

Did that include the taxes and fees? If so that's a pretty good price. If you booked through a good TA there should have been some refundable obc from them. Just for arguments sake, say you got $200 per cabin, as that's what I would have gotten based on being a loyal customer ($100) plus $100 based on the fare. $100 minus the $80 you calculated, means they paid me $20 to take the cruise. I wonder if I would have to claim that on my income taxes? And yet they have record profits, I would like the name of their accountant.

Did that include the taxes and fees? If so that's a pretty good price. If you booked through a good TA there should have been some refundable obc from them. Just for arguments sake, say you got $200 per cabin, as that's what I would have gotten based on being a loyal customer ($100) plus $100 based on the fare. $100 minus the $80 you calculated, means they paid me $20 to take the cruise. I wonder if I would have to claim that on my income taxes? And yet they have record profits, I would like the name of their accountant.

Wow; a $200 TA benefit on a $900 purchase is 22.2%. I need to find such a TA!

Wow; a $200 TA benefit on a $900 purchase is 22.2%. I need to find such a TA!

If you look closely, $100 of that is a Loyalty bonus for booking a lot of cruises with them, around 20. That is above and beyond whatever else is given. The other $100 is only 11.1%, which is on the low end of the norm.

We are booked on a TA and the price of our AQ has had 2 price deductions since Feb.

Today a C1 and an AQ are the same price

There are MANY staterooms yet to be booked.

We initially booked the cruise because the ship was to go to dry dock for the updates THIS fall (Oct/18) however dry dock for the ship has been moved to Nov 2020.

Wondering if that has made the difference in the ship being booked.

We are continuing to watch for price reductions.

I also think the industry is taking advantage of a healthy economy and preparing for a rising fuel costs.

No one is being forced to book a cruise, so you really can't say people are being taken advantage of. It's supply and demand; if people are WILLING to pay the price, then Celebrity will charge it.

 

Inflation IS creeping up, albeit very slowly. The cabin pricing for 2018 was set in, what, 2015-6, when inflation was relatively flat at historical lows.

2018 cruises may have originally been released for sale in 2015-16, but prices aren't static. They can and do change, all the way up until the ship sails, in response to whatever the current situation is.

Suites are another way to price gouge folks. They offer 4 perks and access to Michael's and Luminae, then jack the prices to nearly double they were in the past. People book them because they think they are getting a good deal, but if they do the math, vis a vis the actual costs, they're really getting screwed but made to feel good about it. :rolleyes:

Is it really "price gouging" if you're talking about a luxury item? And a cruise vacation is certainly a luxury item. True price gouging is more like when a hurricane is coming and a store jacks the price of batteries from 1.99 for a 4 pack up to 9.99 for the same pack, i.e. they are taking advantage of customers in a must-buy situation. No one is truly being gouged if they pay a high rate for a suite; they are simply choosing to purchase one for whatever reason, and the cruise line is responding in accordance with the laws of supply and demand. And this just in.....some people actually book suites because they prefer the extra space; the perks may be secondary to that.

It's the same with the lawn club alcoves. There are always posts saying Celebrity is "ripping people off" with the prices they charge but no one is forced to rent one. If they pay the price, clearly they feel they are getting value for it. If they didn't pay it, Celebrity wouldn't be able to charge the prices they do. Suites are no different. YOU may feel the value isn't there for the price, but plenty do.

Wow! On my 12-N 9/6/19 Reflection cruise, an A1 cabin (A2 loyalty fare) is now $1600 pp greater than a 1A cabin (1B loyalty fare.)

 

I have always enjoyed Blu; but is it really worth an additional $133.33 pp per night?

We are opting out of Aqua class for that reason. We can eat at specialty restaurants at a lower cost. We are elite plus and can enjoy breakfasts elsewhere.

Is it really "price gouging" if you're talking about a luxury item? And a cruise vacation is certainly a luxury item. True price gouging is more like when a hurricane is coming and a store jacks the price of batteries from 1.99 for a 4 pack up to 9.99 for the same pack, i.e. they are taking advantage of customers in a must-buy situation. No one is truly being gouged if they pay a high rate for a suite; they are simply choosing to purchase one for whatever reason, and the cruise line is responding in accordance with the laws of supply and demand. And this just in.....some people actually book suites because they prefer the extra space; the perks may be secondary to that.

 

It's the same with the lawn club alcoves. There are always posts saying Celebrity is "ripping people off" with the prices they charge but no one is forced to rent one. If they pay the price, clearly they feel they are getting value for it. If they didn't pay it, Celebrity wouldn't be able to charge the prices they do. Suites are no different. YOU may feel the value isn't there for the price, but plenty do.

Maybe price gouging is a little harsh, but it gets the message through. They've jacked up their prices so much that's it makes it out of reach for most cruises who might consider splurging for an upgrade. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. ;p

I just checked Exciting Deals for our upcoming cruise on the Equinox. The guarantee veranda has risen $50 to the level we paid several weeks ago. The A2 Aqua has jumped from $1899 to $2549. Now, I fully understand X is in business to make a profit, but should this cruise be appearing as an Exciting Deal? If it ever was, that day has come and gone.