Prices go up

[Jade13]

Jade,

Fortunately our cruises don't go that far north, so we should have fine weather.

 

I believe Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam will be warm. I'm not sure about Hong Kong, but I'm not worried about it either.

 

I was just curious about April vs February. Many Asia cruise are from January to April.

[Dick in Falls Church]

Bangkok got down in the 70s once in 3 years. The Thais all wore sweaters/jackets. We enjoyed it.

 

Cambodia is about the same, as is Vietnam (except in the highlands)

 

Of course, all these experiences were before Global Warming.

[Zimmy]

Maybe it is just the cruise I have been watching (and finally booked today), but for this cruise at least (Panama Canal 12-23-10) the price has been increasing in small increments every few days. Is anyone finding this on the cruises they have been watching?

[Karynanne]

I believe Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam will be warm. I'm not sure about Hong Kong, but I'm not worried about it either.

 

I was just curious about April vs February. Many Asia cruise are from January to April.

 

MY DH has been to Thailand in April for business. He said it's very warm and humid. It's rains for a small period of time often. He also mentioned that it's also a beautiful country!

[meow!]

We called Azamara this morning, and the agent who answered denied knowledge of any price increase in December. So what is happening? We know they cannot tell us ahead of time, but why deny if it is imminent?

[California Native]

We called Azamara this morning, and the agent who answered denied knowledge of any price increase in December. So what is happening? We know they cannot tell us ahead of time, but why deny if it is imminent?

 

 

At any minute a res agent can and will be monitored by powers that be that can fire them instantly

They are playing CYA and saying what they've been told to say.

[Zimmy]

We called Azamara this morning, and the agent who answered denied knowledge of any price increase in December. So what is happening? We know they cannot tell us ahead of time, but why deny if it is imminent?

 

I printed the prices from the web a couple of weeks ago for the 12/23/10 cruise. When I called my TA yesterday to book, I noticed that the prices on the website were somewhat higher. Oh well, my loss for not booking earlier. When I received the email confirmation from my TA today, with yesterday's prices, I again checked on the website and prices are $130 pp higher for the sky suite I booked yesterday. So that is two price increases in a couple of weeks for a cruise that is 13 months away. I also noticed that the prices for the royal and penthouse suites were considerably higher than yesterday. I don't know about the other categories. In addition, Azamara told my TA that prices were going up. I don't know whether the agent was referring to today's price increase, or telling her that they may be going higher still. Only time will tell.

[aboutThat]

We've been monitoring a Sept 2010 cruise. We've been looking at Cat 4/5 rooms. The price was steady until three weeks ago, when it went up $200. A few days later, it went up $100 more. We called our TA to put the deposit. Fortunately, she gave us the original price (before the increases). I checked the price the day after we paid the deposit and Cat 5 rooms had already gone up $100 more, so the price is $400 higher since I first checked in the summer.

[Jade13]

Well, my stateroom category for next year is now $3,000.00 more per person than what we paid.

[California Native]

Well, my stateroom category for next year is now $3,000.00 more per person than what we paid.

 

Each cruise we booked has gone up about 800.00 per person

that would be for a total of $3200.00

I can honestly say,

that large of a increase for the product we will be receiving is not worth it to us.

I'm not discounting all the pros of cruising and the AZ product

 

it's unfortunate for not only us but them

We're the demographic that they are trying to tap into..

As we're well travelled, in our 40's with no children. We enjoy the ambiance of small ship cruising.

Most importantly for them, we spend a very large chunk of change each year traveling the world

And if all goes well, we could be sailing with them for another 40 years!

[meow!]

Just curious, which voyage and which category, how many % increase and when did you book?

[California Native]

Just curious, which voyage and which category, how many % increase and when did you book?

 

Not sure if you mean me or Jade

This is our itinerary...category 10

http://ourpassportstamps.com/Our_2010_Adventure.html

[Jade13]

Just curious, which voyage and which category, how many % increase and when did you book?

 

14 night Feb 6 Quest in Asia booked Jan 2009. I don't have time to figure out the exact math but it's over a 260% increase for our 2A Verandah (over 2 and a half times). On top of that from about Jan until April (?) or later Azamara was offering pre-paid gratuities and OBC.

 

I don't think this is the norm because the Verandah's were sold out and than some became available after final payment. Instead of discounting the staterooms since the cruise is around the corner the staterooms are at top dollar.

 

However, Azamara may be testing to see if they can sell the lowest priced Verandah on a 14 night cruise for close to 5K. My guess is that they are moving in the direction of Seabourn and SilverSeas. They did tell me by phone that they were going to be "Better than Oceana". I believe Seabourn is Carnival's luxury line, with HAL, than Princess, and than Carnival following, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if RCCL wants a luxury cruise line too. We did go on SilverSeas to the Arctic in July and Azamara's itineraries are going to have to be really unique for to pay top dollar because we are interested in the ports once we get past the shortie 4 and 5 night Cruises on Celebrity or 3 night Cruise to Nowhere we took on HAL's new Eurodam last year when she was in NY.

 

Personally we'd be happy to stick with HAL (best crew at sea in our opinion), but the itineraries haven't been that great for those who travel a lot and want unique 7-14 day cruises max (still working) because they continue to repeat each year. SilverSeas has the itineraries because they move their ships around the world and sell small segments. We booked Azamara because HAL took Rotterdam out of Asia, the price was attractive and we knew someone who had been on Journey and said it was their favorite cruise out of 40 plus cruises.

[Jade13]

Not sure if you mean me or Jade

 

This is our itinerary...category 10

 

http://ourpassportstamps.com/Our_2010_Adventure.html

 

I love the second itinerary (we did most of the first one with HAL who I was going to tell you stops in Malta). They have a 20 day (2 10 day btb's) that go East and West.

 

I'm still waiting for someone to go from Rome to Israel and Eqypt (and ideal cruise would stop in Istanbul and Malta - or Goza), but in July or August as we can't travel that late in the season.

[meow!]

14 night Feb 6 Quest in Asia booked Jan 2009. I don't have time to figure out the exact math but it's over a 260% increase for our 2A Verandah (over 2 and a half times).

Wow .. ?!

[Jancruz]

We called Azamara this morning, and the agent who answered denied knowledge of any price increase in December. So what is happening? We know they cannot tell us ahead of time, but why deny if it is imminent?

 

Thats why the agents dont know yet..they would tell!

Jancruz1

[California Native]

I love the second itinerary (we did most of the first one with HAL who I was going to tell you stops in Malta). They have a 20 day (2 10 day btb's) that go East and West.

 

I'm still waiting for someone to go from Rome to Israel and Eqypt (and ideal cruise would stop in Istanbul and Malta - or Goza), but in July or August as we can't travel that late in the season.

 

Hi!

The our 1st cruise was perfect to wrap up just the couple of things we couldn't do in IST and ATH on our immersion land trip this past May..Ephesus was super expensive to do on land travel from IST, so we saved it for a cruise and check out that port time...Also, fabulous port times for all the Greek Islands...with our 3 days in the Naples Region that should cover quite a bit and then of course the icing on the cake with Israel and Egypt

You seem like the traveler that goes for the ports of call, but if you can have luxury along the way even better..

the following should make you laugh on the extreme we were considering for an itinerary

here's what we had actually booked before we did this AZ booking

Costa Cruises...7 days and it went to Malta, Tunisia and Egypt

We figured that we've had our share of crazy, land adventures it cant be that bad!

July or August :eek:...oh boy I feel for you..you're gonna bake! :)

[shoshona2]

Hi Miriam,

 

Yes, you are right. We really got a bargain on our June cruise to Iceland. We realized that it was a one time only bargain and really enjoyed it. Of course, the people we met aboard the ship really made it a wonderful cruise. Hope you two are doing well. We just came back from a Tauck tour to Egypt and Jordan with a 3 day Nile Cruise. It was wonderful so we booked a river cruise on the Rhine and Moselle for next summer.

 

Sheila

[suec12]

We switched a booking for a 2010 fall cruise from O to Azamara about a month ago because A was about $1000 less. The itinerary was similar including Istanbul, Athens, some Greek islands. Now the prices are almost the same, there has been an increase of about $450 per person. I had been very happy to find Azamara cruises, upscale, not luxury, reasonable price - I was ready to sail this line for many years of happy travel.

 

Maybe the Dec. 8th big news will be.........the 2010 brochures are finally ready!

 

Got to go cook the turkey - happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[little britain]

Another price increase on my March 2011 cruise - price now gone up in total by £444pp on a SV since I booked - that is around $710pp

 

The 2010 brochures have been out in UK for about a month now.

[almostnewtocruise]

Hi Miriam,

 

Yes, you are right. We really got a bargain on our June cruise to Iceland. We realized that it was a one time only bargain and really enjoyed it. Of course, the people we met aboard the ship really made it a wonderful cruise. Hope you two are doing well. We just came back from a Tauck tour to Egypt and Jordan with a 3 day Nile Cruise. It was wonderful so we booked a river cruise on the Rhine and Moselle for next summer.

 

Sheila

 

Sheila, good to hear from you..

I agree, our Iceland cruise was great from every aspect - the ship, its crew (!), the itinerary, the price.. and yes, the passengers .. We liked it so much that we booked another one for May 2010 that includes 2 nights in London. How about joining us?? (you'll be in Europe anyway)

 

As to price - we booked during the "October sale". It didn't seem that cheap then, and we hoped that the final price will get lower. So far it didn't happen.. The price only goes up, so "our" price seems now like a "good deal". And that's really the thing, isn't it? How can one evaluate a product that doesn't really have an "absolute value"?

As there is never a cruise that is EXACTLY the same (different line, slightly different itinerary , slightly different dates) - there is only the value that it has FOR YOU.. Are those differences big enough, important enough to pay more.. and if so - how much more will you be ready to pay for them..

Anyway.. I am very curious to hear those great December News!

Miriam

[meow!]

our Iceland cruise was great from every aspect - the ship, its crew (!), the itinerary, the price.. and yes, the passengers ..

Presumably you are referring to your voyage this last July. We are hoping for one in 2011 (not yet published by Azamara). For our future reference, would you be so kind as to tell us about that last voyage of yours: how many days, which port to which, what fare for which category (and do you remember how much for a basic balcony), and whether it included airfare or shipboard goodies? Thank you kindly.

[almostnewtocruise]

Presumably you are referring to your voyage this last July. We are hoping for one in 2011 (not yet published by Azamara). For our future reference, would you be so kind as to tell us about that last voyage of yours: how many days, which port to which, what fare for which category (and do you remember how much for a basic balcony), and whether it included airfare or shipboard goodies? Thank you kindly.

 

Actually it started on June the 6th.. 12 days . I don't remember the exact final price but it was closer to $4500 than to $5000 - for a verandah cabin (not the "lowest" kind), with prepaid gratuities and $200 OBC (no airfare) , but I doubt very much if something like that will ever happen again..

We booked at a much higher price (including daily fuel supplement that was canceled later) and the prices kept "diving".. (as I said - I don't think we'll ever see prices like that again.. )

 

Here is (again!) the link to our photos from that cruise

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gigiush/collections/72157620808689529/

 

(If you are interested also in reading about it, I posted some comments about each ports on Roll Calls Board - thread Best of Italy June 2009 posts #1680 and #1681 - as they too were interested in Iceland for a "reunion cruise")

 

I hope it helps ..

Miriam

[shoshona2]

Hi Meow,

 

We were on the same Iceland cruise starting June 6th for 12 days as Miriam and her husband. We first started in an aft cabin on deck 7 for about $3,900 a person (170 sq. feet with veranda) but when the rates started to fall and they wouldn't lower the Sunset cabins' price, we switched to the same size cabin on the 6th deck mid ship with a veranda and paid $2,200 including tips and some shipboard credit. Our friends were able to upgrade to a huge aft cabin on the 7th deck for an unbelievable price. But, I'm sure those days are over now!!! We were thrilled when the price dropped, met some wonderful people aboard and had a first class cruise with a wonderful crew. We enjoyed the food as well!

 

Sheila

[meow!]

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