Celebrity price rises for 2014

[welshfamily]

We have just returned from an 11 day cruise around the Eastern Med.on the Reflection. We took flights and transfers with Celebrity. We traveled Aqua and booked early. Whilst on board we received several quotes which quite honestly shocked us. On returning home I asked for a second quote from Celebrity Uk to confirm the price. The exact same cruise even down to the same air carrier and cabin is £852 ($1278 ) more expensive. This price even includes a 'special offer ' flight price which is £90 cheaper than we paid this year.

We have been on 8 cruises with Celebrity over the past 5 years but at these prices I fear Celebrity has lost it's way.

We would not receive onboard credit or qualify for a 'free ' drinks package.

Has anyone else noticed a huge increase.

[helpthejuggler]

Yes the prices for 2014 are much higher at the moment. We would not consider booking early at these rates. Prices change but if they don't there are other cruise ships and non-cruise alternatives.

 

Don't book anything you feel is overpriced.

 

2014 will be a different game. The signs were there in 2013. You just need to figure out the new rules.

[Christine Frances]

The one of a kind 14 nt British Isles (Aug/14) cruise we booked on board the Silhouette in June has already risen $300 pp - I will always book far out if it is an itinerary I really want to do. I am not yet at the stage where we book 30 days out and just go "somewhere" lol Booking early gives us the best options for airfare as well.

[Bababooey Land]

Yes prices are higher. But the prices in 2013 were artificially too low due to the recession and excess capacity. RCL (Celebrity) has cut capacity to Europe in 2014. So you have a global economy that is slowly getting better coupled with decreased # of cabins available for 2014. Prices will most likely be higher than last year for European Sailings.

[boogs]

Yes prices are higher. But the prices in 2013 were artificially too low due to the recession and excess capacity. RCL (Celebrity) has cut capacity to Europe in 2014. So you have a global economy that is slowly getting better coupled with decreased # of cabins available for 2014. Prices will most likely be higher than last year for European Sailings.

 

2014 prices are higher throughout the entire cruise industry, not just on Celebrity.

[Toronto Guy]

Wait it out. They are artificially high due to the Pick your Perk promotion(s). There will be plenty of space left come next summer.....and I'll bet now that it will be pretty much the same pricing next year as it was this year.

[Bababooey Land]

2014 prices are higher throughout the entire cruise industry, not just on Celebrity.

 

Agree.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[The_Big_M]

Agreed with helpthejuggler, and others. Also, it's not specific to Europe. Same issue elsewhere such as here in Australia.

[patrickmoran]

Our June 2014 cruise has already dropped $300 pp and now we can add a perk!:D The Nov 2014 Carib cruise that we will book this week is the same price as 2013 plus we get a perk.:)

[Project_gal]

We have just returned from an 11 day cruise around the Eastern Med.on the Reflection. We took flights and transfers with Celebrity. We traveled Aqua and booked early. Whilst on board we received several quotes which quite honestly shocked us. On returning home I asked for a second quote from Celebrity Uk to confirm the price. The exact same cruise even down to the same air carrier and cabin is £852 ($1278 ) more expensive. This price even includes a 'special offer ' flight price which is £90 cheaper than we paid this year.

We have been on 8 cruises with Celebrity over the past 5 years but at these prices I fear Celebrity has lost it's way.

We would not receive onboard credit or qualify for a 'free ' drinks package.

Has anyone else noticed a huge increase.

 

We always book "early" but for us early is when the cruises first open. For the 2014/15 season, that was this Spring. We have only seen the prices rise on our cruises since we booked. This seems to have been a combination of demand and a worstening exchange rate.

 

If you book when cruises are released as we do, recently there has always been a Captain's Club offer - discount or OBC. We do not get the later offers such as beverage package but, by then, the prices have risen so we would not have been better off.

 

Each year, I look at the prices of the previous year and budget for 10% increase. Then we find that the cruises are always cheaper than we expected. The only time prices seem expensive is for the new itineraries - e.g. Black Sea in 2013 and Burma in 2014/15. Surprisingly, I watched the Black Sea cruises for some time and the prices never fell so, it seems, Celebrity gets the princing right most of the time.

 

Just my experience, yours may be different! It's what works for us. We like the long period of anticipation. I am sure that some people snap up last minute bargains but, by then, the category of rooms we want are usually long gone.

 

Sue

[Priya2]

We don't have much experience yet. We had our first cruise last year and just booked our second one for 7th December 2014, 14 nights on the

Eclipse, Sunset Aft balcony stateroom (one of those with the larger balcony) category SV. Just over £1500 each. That seemed very good value to us, so we were happy. Then our TA rang us back and said the classic drinks package was included, so we were even happier :)

 

I'm now wondering, would more experienced cruisers not see this as good value? I also find the long period of anticipation is part of the pleasure. :)

[zoncom]

Aside from the fact its too early to book 14 I have always found the extreme highest prices ON ship.

[Xcitdcruiser]

I'm amazed. We booked our cruise for $1k each (w 123 offer). The same cabin is now selling for ...wait for it... $2350!!

 

Unsure whether I got lucky, but certainly booking future cruises makes me nervous!

[h2dcruise]

You can always book now and call later and have them adjust the price before final payment date or give you a free upgrade after final payment date. We did both of those...

[librarylady19]

We booked a 7 night European cruise for June 2014 at $1649 pp for a C1. We recently switched to an Azamara 7 night Athens to Rome cruise in May as it worked out to be a better deal overall - due to a category upgrade, $1000 airfare credit and all the perks included (plus we get reciprocity for our Elite status).

 

Never thought we could afford Azamara and really looking forward to a new experience.

[vulcan1971]

We booked a 7 night European cruise for June 2014 at $1649 pp for a C1. We recently switched to an Azamara 7 night Athens to Rome cruise in May as it worked out to be a better deal overall - due to a category upgrade, $1000 airfare credit and all the perks included (plus we get reciprocity for our Elite status).

 

Never thought we could afford Azamara and really looking forward to a new experience.

 

I hope you do a review similar to your Reflection review with pictures and all. You have a large fan following. ;-)

 

Sent from my Samsung Note II on the T-Mobile 4G LTE network using Tapatalk Beta 4

[Andy]

We booked a 7 night European cruise for June 2014 at $1649 pp for a C1. We recently switched to an Azamara 7 night Athens to Rome cruise in May as it worked out to be a better deal overall - due to a category upgrade, $1000 airfare credit and all the perks included (plus we get reciprocity for our Elite status).

 

Never thought we could afford Azamara and really looking forward to a new experience.

 

Hi Sandi,

 

I truly hope you will enjoy Azamara as much as we have. It's a wonderful cruise line. We hope to sail on Quest in 2014... at least that's part of my wish list :). If I can help with any Azamara information, please feel free to email me.

[Andy]

Yes prices are higher. But the prices in 2013 were artificially too low due to the recession and excess capacity. RCL (Celebrity) has cut capacity to Europe in 2014. So you have a global economy that is slowly getting better coupled with decreased # of cabins available for 2014. Prices will most likely be higher than last year for European Sailings.

 

Unless I've missed something over the past week or so, Celebrity is about the only major cruise line that has not cut European capacity for 2014. Unless something changes, it seems their Europe cabin count for 2014 will be the about same as 2013.

[Bababooey Land]

Unless I've missed something over the past week or so, Celebrity is about the only major cruise line that has not cut European capacity for 2014. Unless something changes, it seems their Europe cabin count for 2014 will be the about same as 2013.

 

RCL Corp. typically does not breakout Celebrity in that much detail. Although I know that RCL as a whole has cut back European capacity. I have not done an in depth analysis of Celebrity European 2014 vs 2013. just a quick visual scan looks like on at least 3 ships they have cut back at least 1 sailing in Nov 2014. Sailings in 2013 ended in Mid - to End Nov. 2014 they seem to mostly end in October - Beg of Nov. I am not sure about the start of the season if it gained or lost any sailings. The # of Celebrity Ships in Europe next season looks to be the same.

 

But with capacity cut in most cruise lines..coupled with a slightly better global economy..hopefully flattish airline pricing. and factoring in that many people, including myself have not been to Europe in a few years due to the economy, etc,etc..that at some point that has to be some kind of demand!! 2014 could be the perfect storm. only time will tell.

 

as other posters have mentioned, it may make sense to hold a room at the current pricing your only cost is a 100% refundable deposit....because you really dont know where pricing will go from here. the pricing on my July 5th 2014 cruise has been flat to higher on all cabins since I booked a few months ago. in fact the 3th and 4th person price rose significantly from the time I booked.

[dorisis]

Yes the prices for 2014 are much higher at the moment. We would not consider booking early at these rates. Prices change but if they don't there are other cruise ships and non-cruise alternatives.

 

Don't book anything you feel is overpriced.

 

2014 will be a different game. The signs were there in 2013. You just need to figure out the new rules.

 

High prices to be followed by special sales!

[neverbeenhere]

NEWS, a large hamburger chain raised it's prices for 2014.

[shipshape sam]

We raised prices most years as was appropriate if we also felt we had increased the value proposition, which is in most cases subjective.

 

Our bigger issue and one Celebrity faces is the issue that most passengers don't use all features, thus do not see the benefit of the price increase.

[The_Big_M]

We raised prices most years as was appropriate if we also felt we had increased the value proposition, which is in most cases subjective.

 

Our bigger issue and one Celebrity faces is the issue that most passengers don't use all features, thus do not see the benefit of the price increase.

 

The other issue is when people see the value proposition fall e.g. with the food cutbacks and MDR particularly.

[librarylady19]

Hi Sandi,

 

I truly hope you will enjoy Azamara as much as we have. It's a wonderful cruise line. We hope to sail on Quest in 2014... at least that's part of my wish list :). If I can help with any Azamara information, please feel free to email me.

 

Hi Andy,

I am very excited to try Azamara. I have been following and posting there but it's not as active as this forum. I really do appreciate the participation of blogging officer Bill Leiber and even CEO Larry Pimentel though (and the awesome host too of course ;)).

[librarylady19]

I hope you do a review similar to your Reflection review with pictures and all. You have a large fan following. ;-)

 

Sent from my Samsung Note II on the T-Mobile 4G LTE network using Tapatalk Beta 4

 

Well, if you insist;). Actually taking a break from cruising until the Azamara cruise as we are taking a trip to London and Belgium next month for our 10th wedding anniversary. Very excited!!