2011 cruise prices

[GAMOM4]

I am in the process of trying to book a cruise for my son's senior trip. I have been watching the prices for about 4 or 5 weeks now - and I'm really surprised at how expensive they are. Last year I booked our cruise (of course it was for August and not June) but we went on the same ship - the Fascination and the price is over $200.00 more. Do you think that prices will begin to drop? I called my PVP today and he said that they prices are probably as low as they are going to go. I am looking at the Fascination on June 6th - oceanview (I would really like to be in the same room we were in last month U162). The prices is over $500.00 a person right now. Just wondering if any of you thought I should wait a month or so to book the cruise or go ahead and book it now.

[firefly333]

Iv been seeing prices going up on my cruises for the last month, nothing going down. I think prices seem to be up from a year ago. Last year, end of August there were some terrific bargains to fill the ships last minute, none this year. (Im talking unpublished, only from Carnival last minute rates last August and Sept I got from my PVP).

[mgm61]

I've been checking on mine to see the price and it is over $350 now. Glad I did the ES. First time we booked a cruise. Last time (our first) it was all done for us. I've read around here that if you book and it goes down either ask for sbc or cancel and rebook.

[jbanana1]

I booked in mid Aug. for Fascination on Jun 30, 2011. Prices have been the same. I first tried to book the Sensation but the Main and Upper levels all sold out of insides and only a few left on Riviera. Fascination was a little cheaper so it turned out for the best.

 

If you are going to book ES I'd go ahead and book then if price goes down you can get OBC and if price goes up, you've got the lower rate.

 

I have two sons, 20 and 18 at the time of our cruise. The 18 yr. old is a senior this year. Wish you could go on our sailing so my son would have a few more his age!

[Bobby_Mac]

I think that rather than hitting us with the fuel surchargel, they are adding it to the price of the booking along with other losses they anticipate.

[zqvol]

I am in the process of trying to book a cruise for my son's senior trip. I have been watching the prices for about 4 or 5 weeks now - and I'm really surprised at how expensive they are. Last year I booked our cruise (of course it was for August and not June) but we went on the same ship - the Fascination and the price is over $200.00 more. Do you think that prices will begin to drop? I called my PVP today and he said that they prices are probably as low as they are going to go. I am looking at the Fascination on June 6th - oceanview (I would really like to be in the same room we were in last month U162). The prices is over $500.00 a person right now. Just wondering if any of you thought I should wait a month or so to book the cruise or go ahead and book it now.

 

Go ahead and book now. Whatever fare category you select you will get all price drops up until final payment and if you can book ES you get price drops up until 2 days prior to sailing. IMO the prices have been artificially low and are likely to rise instead of drop over the next few months (but individual sailings may buck the general trend).

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

Hey there,

 

I have learned & experienced that cruise fares for June don't drop, and if they do drop, it's not by much! Unfortunately for me, June is really the only time of year I can go on vacation. June is a real hot time to vacation because it's summer, kids are out of school, weddings/honeymooners, graduation, ect.

[gtalum]

I suspect the cruise lines, along with most other businesses, are gambling that the US and world economies will be strengthening significantly in 2011 vs 2010. Prices are up for a lot of things next year.

 

If their gamble is incorrect, you may see some great deals up closer to the time of your trip. if you know you want to go that week, book now with ES and watch for price drops. As has been noted, summer cruises usually don't drop in price, though.

[Synthetic]

I suspect the cruise lines, along with most other businesses, are gambling that the US and world economies will be strengthening significantly in 2011 vs 2010. Prices are up for a lot of things next year.

 

If their gamble is incorrect, you may see some great deals up closer to the time of your trip. if you know you want to go that week, book now with ES and watch for price drops. As has been noted, summer cruises usually don't drop in price, though.

 

Exactly the opposite, actually - they are digging into people now because the prediction is a double dip recession due to the election and the jobless rate.

 

They are 'bird in the hand'ing the customer base...

[KnATL]

I am in the process of trying to book a cruise for my son's senior trip. I have been watching the prices for about 4 or 5 weeks now - and I'm really surprised at how expensive they are. Last year I booked our cruise (of course it was for August and not June) but we went on the same ship - the Fascination and the price is over $200.00 more. Do you think that prices will begin to drop? I called my PVP today and he said that they prices are probably as low as they are going to go. I am looking at the Fascination on June 6th - oceanview (I would really like to be in the same room we were in last month U162). The prices is over $500.00 a person right now. Just wondering if any of you thought I should wait a month or so to book the cruise or go ahead and book it now.

 

My son has a group of friends (and parents) booking the same trip...from GA as well!

[halos]

I suspect the cruise lines, along with most other businesses, are gambling that the US and world economies will be strengthening significantly in 2011 vs 2010. Prices are up for a lot of things next year.

 

If their gamble is incorrect, you may see some great deals up closer to the time of your trip. if you know you want to go that week, book now with ES and watch for price drops. As has been noted, summer cruises usually don't drop in price, though.

 

Exactly the opposite, actually - they are digging into people now because the prediction is a double dip recession due to the election and the jobless rate.

 

They are 'bird in the hand'ing the customer base...

 

LOL...amazing how people view things so differently.

 

 

OP: Prices are up...why??? Because they were so low before that it wasn't likely to stay that way for long. The cruise lines cut and cut back until they could cut no more in order to keep prices low. I imagine that the feedback was that people were starting to notice (in a negative way) the cuts. So now, they won't cut anymore, but will increase the rates. That fuel surcharge that some people RANTED over (because they wanted it built into the cruise fare) is now in the cruise fare.

We were all VERY spoiled with those phenomenal rates. When I booked my last cruise my DH said, "Wow! A bit pricey, isn't it?"

I laughed.

I think he expected those $75 pp/pd balcony cabins to last forever.....

Obviosuly he is not the one that does the shopping around my house. :p

 

My baseline has always been that if I could keep my balcony cabin between $125 and $150 PP/pd, I thought that was reasonable and fair. The prices are still well within that range....and you can sometimes still do much better than that.

[gtalum]

Exactly the opposite, actually - they are digging into people now because the prediction is a double dip recession due to the election and the jobless rate.

 

They are 'bird in the hand'ing the customer base...

 

If it were only Carnival with their ES pricing, I might agree. However, price increases for future services are occurring across the board. I'm not saying their gamble is correct, but they're all gambling. Only one group is "predicting" a double-dip recession, and that's because their careers depend on it. ;)