How Much Did Cruises Cost "Back In The Day"?

[oo ee oo ee baby]

In 1982, I paid $1050 per person, double occupancy, for a porthole cabin on the Carnivale. It was a cabin that was in the very front of the ship, and oversized due to the location, a hidden gem. I seem to remember inside cabins being in the $700 - $800 range.

[Surfwench]

$350.00 per person OV Riviera Deck December 12th 1999 7 Day Western Caribbean out of Tampa, (including New Orleans). :p

[BallFour4]

Cabin on my 7 night graduation cruise aboard the Mardi Gras in June 1976 was $3100 for four people. We were packed in the room and my parents never saw me.

 

Cabin aboard the Magic for two on the 11/4/12 sailing for two is $1493 on Carnival's website.

 

$2,000 of 1976 dollars would be worth: $8,064.52 in 2012

 

$2,000 of 2012 dollars would be worth $496.00 in 1976

 

$2400 for 2 at a moderate or low cost (on site) Disney property for 7 nights with tickets.

 

5 nights on the Triumph from Galveston in 27 days? $1368.00 or $136.80 per person, per day!

 

It's a bargain to cruise now, even with the cutbacks.

 

 

.

 

[Blk Cherry Mojito]

I didn't know if they had gone up, down or stayed the same. I always thought of cruising as what I saw on the Love Boat :D It seemed glorious and exotic!

 

We LOVE to cruise and DH even more so, even tho I had to trick him into coming the first time :D:D:D:D

 

You always hear people say how much stuff use to cost. i.e. a tank of gas etc. Thanks everyone for playing!

[CRUZBUDS]

You should post the old doc's, most don't do not even remember doing the true doc dance when you would get your doc's in the mail! Just black out the personal stuff.

 

My 1st cruise was on the Celebration in 1987 and we paid $1200.00 for an ocean view cabin on the Riviera Deck.

 

I'll put scanning it on my list of things to do..... It is a long list ;)

 

It was a real portfolio, among other things, it was the first time you saw what shore excursions were available. On the Tropicale there were just a few for the three ports. I was shocked when I found the list.

 

There was no Internet :eek:

[SueG]

I paid 3100 for a suite on the festivale ( Nice large balcony, not like you get now) out of San Juan(7 nights) and 6 nights at a hotel and airfare. Not bad.

[Texarribean Chick]

In September 1996, we paid $996.pp including taxes and port fees and airfare from Houston to Miami for an interior (shared by 3) on the Main Deck of the Sensation. Western Caribbean itinerary.

[a way we go]

southward ncl,1978 $620 outside no air fare,hooked ever since.

[juniorsmom]

Including airfare, it cost us $2000.00 for the tiniest porthole on the lowest deck on the Carnivale in 1981.

[Havingfun2010]

Hello All,

 

We didn't start cruising until 2009 (and that was because I booked a cruise THEN told DH we were going and I couldn't cancel) :p

 

I just paid almost $2000 for an INTERIOR on the Breeze for next spring, that made me wonder how much a cruise would have cost me on The Mardi Gras or The Carnivale etc.?

 

This is a really tough question to answer. My first cruise 23 years ago was about the same price. However, the personal attentions, staff ratio, emplyee committments to your complete satisfaction, plus the outstanding food, which I have pictures of is no comparison to the poor service and food choices CCL has today. You would never see a hamburger on the menu for dinner. Other items were much cheaper, such as adult beverages. Everyone went to the captain's party, not just past guests. So it's tough to compare, because you are definitely not getting the same quality as in the past.

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

Cabin on my 7 night graduation cruise aboard the Mardi Gras in June 1976 was $3100 for four people. We were packed in the room and my parents never saw me.

 

Cabin aboard the Magic for two on the 11/4/12 sailing for two is $1493 on Carnival's website.

 

$2,000 of 1976 dollars would be worth: $8,064.52 in 2012

 

$2,000 of 2012 dollars would be worth $496.00 in 1976

 

$2400 for 2 at a moderate or low cost (on site) Disney property for 7 nights with tickets.

 

5 nights on the Triumph from Galveston in 27 days? $1368.00 or $136.80 per person, per day!

 

It's a bargain to cruise now, even with the cutbacks.

 

 

.

 

 

I think this is the best perspective post. If you spend the same $2000 today ($8000 equiv) you could have the same service just on a high end line. That would be apples to apples in my opinion.

[Another ship trip]

I tend to keep everything from old cruises though I can't always lay my hands on it but I found some invoices in old photo albums. Prices compared to inflation are MUCH BETTER than they were "in the day." I think this is because they built mega-ships and through volume and marketing, there are able to offer fares that are much cheaper.

 

Back in the day, we were poor church mice and had to scrimp for cruises. Now we are are just over fed mice and addicted to cruises.

 

Here are two invoices I found:

 

SS NORWAY June 4, 1988 from Miami t ST. Maaren, ST. John, St. Thomas, Private Island,

7 day cruise and probably included air which was common back then.

 

We had the TINIEST cabin available upper and lower, but we wanted to cruise. Less than 100 square feet.

My passenger ticket shows FARE: 1868.00 PORT CHARGE: 70.00 (no taxes shown)

TOTAL FARE: $1938.00 (two people in upper and lower)

 

I found an invoice for a Celebrity cruise in 1995 that we took with my parents. It was the only cruise I went on with my dad and it was special since it was 5 of us. My best memory of that cruise is my dad laughing so hard at a show that he could barely catch his breath--he was having a great time. I miss Dad.

 

CELEBRITY HORIZON December 16, 1995 7 day Southern Caribbean from San Juan, Puerto Rico to: Catalina Island, Barbados, Martinique, Antigua, St. Thomas, and San Juan

 

Not sure if it included air but shows Air/Sea. This is for 3 people as we now had an almost 4 year old. We had out outside cabin with large picture window and upper berth for child.

CRUISE COST 3030.00, PORT TAX 355.50,

TOTAL FARE 3385.50 (two adults, one child, outside cabin) probably included air, can't remember. We used a discounter for this cruise out of Miami. They got our business for about 8 or 10 years until some years ago, cruiselines stopped letting them do it. Once they stopped, we stopped using TA's until we found new discounts.

 

I have a cruise next week on a mega ship and we paid about 3200.00 for three. no air.

 

The food was awesome and lots of gourmet on Celebrity. Cruise ships weren't a cattle call back then, with two to four thousand people. That is also probably why they cost more. Remember the ice carvings all over the place and the many carvings at midnight buffets? If felt classy back then!! Good times!

[conchead]

Cruises cost less now than 20 years ago and people

are crying about all the cutbacks....smh :rolleyes:

[Another ship trip]

They did include airfare then too though. My first couple of ships were about 16,600 tons total--corks in the water!

 

Current ships are about 75,000-140,000 tons. The bulk of that extra space is passenger cabins so they can have more buying customers.

[cruzn buckeye]

My first cruise was in 1993 on the Carnival Fantasy, at which time she was the ripe ol age of 2. this cruise was 649pp INCLUDING PORT CHARGES AND ALL FEES, AND ALSO INCLUDED AIRFARE AND CARNIVAL TRANSPORTATION TO THE SHIP. My Sept. cruise is a 7 day on the Liberty... cost... 1081 total for the cabin with 2 passengers including taxes and port charges. Not including air.

My best deal was in 2001, the 9/11 tragedy actually happend while we were on this cruise. It was on the Destiny. Balconys on this ship, when it first came out, were over 1500 pp. Of course, this was Carnivals first ship with balconys. I was checking out cruise deal board on this website. And found 7 day southern on the Destiny for a little over 1000pp, including AIRFARE FROM OHIO TO SAN JUAN... Keeping in mind this 1000 fare, was already a great deal considering what those cabins were running about 4 months prior. Airfare at this time was running about 500 pp to San Juan... I am sure I will never get this great a deal again...

[miched]

Don't have the actual figures but it was more than I could afford "back in the days". Very few people ever thought about taking a cruise because they were so expensive and the dress code didn't help. The cabins were very small and not many had balconies.

 

Cruising today has been made more available to the masses.

 

When comparing prices disposable income also has to be addressed and because things appeared to be cheaper then the problem was families didn't have the money and at that time couldn't afford all of the luxuries that many think they are entitled to today.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We did an inside cabin on the celebrity Meridian in 1991 seven days to Bermuda $1600 for two from Philly.

 

Bill

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Smiling Cruiser]

Our first cruise, a three-nighter on the Carnavale-July 2, 1989 cost approx. $1000.00 for 2 adults and 2 kids, including airfare. We had a cabin with a porthole. Landed in sunny Miami at noon, and by the time we got to the luggage carousel 5 minutes later, it was dark and raining. On the ship the band played in the lounge and one of the NY Boys got onstage to teach the steel band "louie, louie". They started a conga line (surely some of you remember those)throughout the ship. It's been a cruising love affair ever since.

[mousey]

I know this is off-topic, but when I saw the year 1967 I just had to say this. I love the music, the cars, the whole atmosphere of the late 60's. Just this morning I was watching you tube videos of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Monkees, and Paul Revere and the Raiders.. Friends sometimes say I was born ten years too late!

 

I also tried to find videos and photos of cruises those years - I found one from the 60's but thats it..by chance do you have any photos of that cruise that you could scan and post here?

 

I've never posted picture before. I'll have to have someone show me how to do it. Yes, I do have pictures from that trip. I look so goofy and so very young! I was only 19 at the time.

 

OMG! My three girlfriends and I partied with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap! They played at a local club in Miami where I used to live (I live in CA now) after their Miami Beach concert and came by our table to say hi to us. We went with them after their gig to party with them. When I saw that we were going to party at their fancy hotel I bailed! I was in my early 20s and didn't want to party at any hotel with anyone...even if they were famous! The hotel was in Miami Beach and I found a taxi and told the guy I only had $10 and would that get me home...he said yes and took me all the way to my home in Miami Springs. Later I found out that that cab ride really should have been way more expensive. I guess the driver felt sorry for me!:D I told my DS (17) this story and he said "Mom, you were such a geek! Who the heck would party with a band called Gary Puckett and the Union Gap...wait don't tell me...did they wear costumes like those from the Civil War?" When I said that sometimes they did but not the night we saw them...he was like..."Mom, really? You would party with such losers." Needless to say he wasn't impressed with my brush with a famous band!:D I guess I won't tell him that I met Davy Jones the lead singer for the Monkees one time in a Hollywood restaurant when I first moved to CA. LOL

 

Sorry to go off topic, just wanted to respond to the poster.:)

[mavis2222]

Apr 2001 I took a 17 day cruise to west coast from Miami on NCL Wind. Had a outside cabin on main deck that slept 3. Cost.. 500.00..

[mavis2222]

My very first cruise was on Oceanic Big Red Boat. It was a travel agent rate of 35.00 a day per person for 4 days. They had the "flaming" baked alaska plus they did the "Limbo" with it on there heads going under a pole in the middle of the dining room. Dont see that anymore.. that was Jan 1998.

[Another ship trip]

I was on the premier big red boat too in 1998 but not for 35.00 a night! We did get a good rate and upgraded to a suite at the pier. This was the worst boat ride ever. there were rough seas and we were tossed and tossed all over the sea and people were tossing their cookies all over the boat. They cancelled shows and main dining one full day, the ship was so bad. Young son got hungry so we braved our way to the buffet, running into walls all the way. Got there, got a plate and he threw up all over the buffet (empty thankfully). We turned around without any food and went back to our cabin to lay in bed, our heads dunking down and our legs in the air. we felt like we would be thrown from our bet about every other roll. that was horrendous. Luckily it lasted only one day but nausea even with a patch is just terrible. Our price was good, but not for the experience the ship endured! I think that ship went under shortly after our cruise. We sailed in March 1998 I believe.

[e150club]

We found our Doc's a few weeks ago. Mardi gras 4/28/85 Upper deck ell shaped porthole cabin [u-74] $2996.00 for two w/airfare NY to Miami and bus transfer to port.

[mavis2222]

I was on the premier big red boat too in 1998 but not for 35.00 a night! We did get a good rate and upgraded to a suite at the pier. This was the worst boat ride ever. there were rough seas and we were tossed and tossed all over the sea and people were tossing their cookies all over the boat. They cancelled shows and main dining one full day, the ship was so bad. Young son got hungry so we braved our way to the buffet, running into walls all the way. Got there, got a plate and he threw up all over the buffet (empty thankfully). We turned around without any food and went back to our cabin to lay in bed, our heads dunking down and our legs in the air. we felt like we would be thrown from our bet about every other roll. that was horrendous. Luckily it lasted only one day but nausea even with a patch is just terrible. Our price was good, but not for the experience the ship endured! I think that ship went under shortly after our cruise. We sailed in March 1998 I believe.

I agree.. its a old ship and had no stabilizer and thrusters. they used tugs to move ship in and out of port. It was a first cruise for us and my Sister as a travel agent at time got us on it cheap. I was on it about a yr later for about same price witha suite.. If you see my sig, I was on quite a bit of generic ships from those days when travel agents got good rates for family members. Not so much anymore..