A question for the "old school" cruisers

An ongoing complaint on cruise critic is that cruising just isn't "what it used to be" 20-30 years ago.

To that, I ask, what were you paying 20-30 years ago during those "good old days?"

According to the US government, $900 in 1988 has the same buying power as about $1,900 in January 2018.

In 2018 dollars, you can get a 7 night OV balcony cabin on on Oasis class ship for 2 adults at about that $1,900 price point. Maybe lower, maybe higher, sure, but let's use $1,900 as our example.

That being said, what were you paying in 1988 for a 7 night OV balcony cabin on the "latest and greatest" cruise ship for 2 adults? Was it more or less than $900? If so, how much more or less?

I think the answer to this question will put some things into perspective.

you are totally correct price was a lot less 30 or 40 years ago but we made so much less, remember costing me a month pay to do a 7 day cruise 40 years ago

So true. And I think this every time someone complains about downgrading of food, services, etc. my first cruise took a much bigger bite out of my income than it does today.

In 1988 I took 7 nite cruise on Sovereign of the Seas. Was $3400+ for a small porthole tiny 122sq ft cabin on deck 2. Not a single balcony on these ships back then.... Cheaper to cruise today, alot! Not even taking inflation into it. Back then my Basic ARMY pay was about $1200 month...

Those wanting those old school cruises at today's mass market prices are delusional. I absolutely loved the cruises I took with my family back in the early to mid 1980's but I would have to be crazy to think I could get anything like that today for the fares being charged by Royal and the like.

All I remember from the good old days, 1989 - 1994, were having the same table in MDR for all 3 meals. Early dinner meant early breakfast. 😱

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In 1988 I took 7 nite cruise on Sovereign of the Seas. Was $3400+ for a small porthole tiny 122sq ft cabin on deck 2. Not a single balcony on these ships back then.... Cheaper to cruise today, alot! Not even taking inflation into it. Back then my Basic ARMY pay was about $1200 month...

Your answer is what I was expecting to hear. It's kind of like airlines. There was a time when only the affluent could afford to fly. People would get dressed up to get on a plane. You'd get a drink and a meal. Now people wear their pajamas and you have to pay cash for a can of coke.

Corporations like cruise lines and airlines are selling their product at a price-point that allows the middle-class vacationer to afford it without getting into debt. As such, they simply can't offer what they used to in the "good old days." If they did, you'd have to pay 3x as much for it.

The reality is that RC, NCL and Carnival are considered budget cruiselines. Just like Southwest Airlines. You want first class service, you need to take a different line. It's like expecting a first class seat with a hot meal on Southwest. It ain't happening.

If the cruise lines could get the equivalent of 1980's pricing today and still fill their ships they would be charging it. If the supply had been greater back then people would not have had to pay what they did. The cruise lines increased their capacity and they now have to contend with what ever the price point may be that will fill the ships.

RCI is showing a pretty healthy bottom line, record stock prices, and their CEO makes a pretty decent salary. Yet they can't afford to adequately staff the MDR or serve decent pizza at today's price point?

First cruise was in 1988 when I had just graduated. Did quite a few around that time on a starting salary. I wasn't affluent and found the cost very reasonable for an inside cabin.

Standard of service from cabin steward and dinning was far superior. In other respects, it was a different experience with more organised activities. There are more things to do these days, more features, bigger ships etc.

To give everyone choice and variety it would be nice if the largest and latest went onto become floating resorts while the smaller older ships retained some of the old sophistication and charm.

In 1988 I took 7 nite cruise on Sovereign of the Seas. Was $3400+ for a small porthole tiny 122sq ft cabin on deck 2. Not a single balcony on these ships back then.... Cheaper to cruise today, alot! Not even taking inflation into it. Back then my Basic ARMY pay was about $1200 month...

Loved Sovereign and also had that 122sq ft inside cabin in 1988 , you were lucky in 1969 when I was drafted in was 99 dollars a month

... RCI is showing a pretty healthy bottom line, record stock prices, and their CEO makes a pretty decent salary. Yet they can't afford to adequately staff the MDR or serve decent pizza at today's price point?

I don't think it's a matter of what they can afford. I think they in the process of seeing what the market will bear in terms of how much they can cut, before they start losing significant business.

I don't think it's a matter of what they can afford. I think they in the process of seeing what the market will bear in terms of how much they can cut, before they start losing significant business.

I completely agree. But people often seem to imply that the cruise lines can't afford the level of service that they used to provide because cruising is so much less expensive than it used to be. They can afford it. They want to see if they can get away without it and find what the minimum will be that people will still find acceptable and continue to fill the ships.

I completely agree. But people often seem to imply that the cruise lines can't afford the level of service that they used to provide because cruising is so much less expensive than it used to be.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the RCI CEO is doing just fine. In fact, he's doing so fine, he's taking home about $4 million a year. ;)

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the RCI CEO is doing just fine. In fact, he's doing so fine, he's taking home about $4 million a year. ;)

Only 4 million? Ok, so now I understand why they can't provide better quality pizza an need to increase the cost of Johnny Rockets.:D The poor guy is bordering on poverty.:eek:

I completely agree. But people often seem to imply that the cruise lines can't afford the level of service that they used to provide because cruising is so much less expensive than it used to be. They can afford it. They want to see if they can get away without it and find what the minimum will be that people will still find acceptable and continue to fill the ships.

You and I are on exactly the same page.

My husband's first cruise was 25 ~ish years ago as an older teen.

There was no teen club. Just a kid's club for those under 11 or 12. He wasn't sure which, but his sister was 13 and wasn't allowed in. It was a Disney cruise.

There were no iFly's, rock climbing walls, water slides, kid's water parks, or flow riders on the ship as far as he remembers. His mother thinks there was a kiddie pool in an enclosed area he probably never noticed. They had mini golf on the top of the ship and due to winds it wasn't available for most of the cruise. Husband isn't into sports but his mother thought there was a half court basketball court up top which was also closed for much of the cruise. There was a video arcade which charged $0.25-$0.50 per game depending on the game. If you didn't get in there early or if your parents made you go eat lunch with them you were out of luck until someone else abandoned a machine.

Husband would sneak into the Casino via a side door and play until he started winning. He said as long as he was loosing no one cared, but as soon as he won they would kick him out for being too young. :rolleyes:

The price was just a little more for the four of them than we paid for the two of us for our transatlantic on the Quantum. Compare the share of the average US income at the time and you'll see they actually paid a much bigger share. The rooms were both standard Oceanview rooms for those ships. Our room on Quantum was slightly larger with better storage and had two twins pushed together which I think makes a King? Their room had a queen bed and two bunks. Naturally he and his sister fought over who got the top bunk. His mother wound up making them take turns.

From what I can tell from talking to both my mother-in-law and my husband, there were a lot more crew initiated activities. She's got jewelry she made with my sister-in-law, picture frames they each made, and several other craft items. Evidently there were activities on the pool deck throughout the day up until dinner time. After dinner there were movies shown on a screen up there.

Dinners were just 2 seatings. Everyone got assigned and the tables were all those round tables designed for 8 people. They called everyone to dinner with chimes over the speakers. There was a sort of buffet they set up one afternoon on the pool deck and one night they were grilling hamburgers up there before the movie. Husband says they opened up a slider by the pool and you could get cookies and ice cream there in the afternoons but only on sea days.

None of them recall any specialty dining venues of the type we'd recognize today but my mother-in-law said there was a very expensive character breakfast offered on the sea days. Disney had their own little island even back then, and those who paid for an expensive character meal there were whisked off the ship on tenders which seemed to be manned by costumed characters.

My husband recalls that cruise fondly mainly because he was allowed to roam the ship whenever they weren't in port. Much better than all the other family vacations where he was trapped in a station wagon with his family for days. I resisted booking our first cruise for several years because of their stories about their Disney cruise. It just sounded like an expensive way to be bored to me.

Does anyone else remember betting on the horse races?

That was the best! I was never “an owner,” but it was sure fun.

No casino on Disney ships. He's fibbing you.

It might have been Premier Big Red Boat, but technically not Disney

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Does anyone else remember betting on the horse races?

That was the best! I was never “an owner,” but it was sure fun.

Yep Horse racing was fun. Especially the owners race with the scantily clad jockeys

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I don’t compare what it was like 30 years ago, I compare it to five years ago. I could find balconys for about $100 per person per day and that included all taxes, fees and tips. With the low inflation what is that in today’s dollars? The food, service, and entertainment was much better. They didn’t have their hand in your wallet everytime you turned around. They didn’t hard sell drinks and specialty restaurants everytime you turn around.

I book on value, not price so there is nothing currently available worth our hard earned money. It probably won’t change but that’s all right.

I don’t compare what it was like 30 years ago, I compare it to five years ago. I could find balconys for about $100 per person per day and that included all taxes, fees and tips. With the low inflation what is that in today’s dollars? The food, service, and entertainment was much better. They didn’t have their hand in your wallet everytime you turned around. They didn’t hard sell drinks and specialty restaurants everytime you turn around.

I book on value, not price so there is nothing currently available worth our hard earned money. It probably won’t change but that’s all right.

We were still recovering from recession then.

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Our first cruise was 1979 on Sitmar TSS Fair Sea, seven night Mexican Rivera. It was our honeymoon and my in-laws paid. We had a SMALL inside cabin. I still have the receipt. It was $988 PP and I made $996 per month as a rookie cop.

I think the big thing to look at is supply and demand. In the 1970's cruise lines were almost out of business. Many would have gone under had it not been for the TV show Love Boat, which is credited by many as saving the cruise industry.

Our TA has for many years said, "if you can get it for less than a $100 per day per person book it". That's sort of the rule of thumb I use today, except DW's taste in cabin location has increased considerable. So our 1979 Sitmar dinky inside cost $141 per night and our October 2017 OS on Oasis cost us $428 per night. I doubt DW would care much!!!

Our first cruise was 1979 on Sitmar TSS Fair Sea, seven night Mexican Rivera. It was our honeymoon and my in-laws paid. We had a SMALL inside cabin. I still have the receipt. It was $988 PP and I made $996 per month as a rookie cop.

 

I think the big thing to look at is supply and demand. In the 1970's cruise lines were almost out of business. Many would have gone under had it not been for the TV show Love Boat, which is credited by many as saving the cruise industry.

 

Our TA has for many years said, "if you can get it for less than a $100 per day per person book it". That's sort of the rule of thumb I use today, except DW's taste in cabin location has increased considerable. So our 1979 Sitmar dinky inside cost $141 per night and our October 2017 OS on Oasis cost us $428 per night. I doubt DW would care much!!!

Calculate that 1979 $141 per night in 2018 dollars.

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Only 4 million? Ok, so now I understand why they can't provide better quality pizza an need to increase the cost of Johnny Rockets.:D The poor guy is bordering on poverty.:eek:

If I had the responsibility of running a corporation that size I’d need at least $4 million a year too. I don’t think its out of line, if that’s what you’re inferring.

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Paid $2200 for an inside cabin on the Carnivale back in 1983 for my honeymoon. There was no 110V receptacles in the room. You had to go to a convenient room where there were 110V plugs. You could smoke in the dining room. It was 26,000 tons. Small compared to todays standard. But boy, I thought I was a big shot cruising with the rich people.