There are great deals out there

[richard1s]

I have no idea what is going on with the cruise industry these days but whatever it is, customers are really benefiting from it. It seems that many ships sail full but yet some of the deals offered are amazing - competition must be intense.

 

Our first cruise was in 2001 on the RCL Voyager of the Seas; it cost us about $3,600 for a tiny balcony cabin and at the end of the cruise, we had an impressive bar bill to pay and of course, cash gratuities

 

Yesterday I booked a January Celebrity cruise for just about the same price for an S1 suite and it included two drink packages, paid gratuities and a $300 OBC.

 

And RCL performs well financially, the stock has appreciated about 50% in one year. Despite the incredible deals being offered, cruise lines are still coming up with new and innovative ways to entertain, dazzle and exceed expectations.

 

It is a great time to be cruising.

[Orator]

I have no idea what is going on with the cruise industry these days but whatever it is, customers are really benefiting from it. It seems that many ships sail full but yet some of the deals offered are amazing - competition must be intense.

 

Our first cruise was in 2001 on the RCL Voyager of the Seas; it cost us about $3,600 for a tiny balcony cabin and at the end of the cruise, we had an impressive bar bill to pay and of course, cash gratuities

 

Yesterday I booked a January Celebrity cruise for just about the same price for an S1 suite and it included two drink packages, paid gratuities and a $300 OBC.

 

And RCL performs well financially, the stock has appreciated about 50% in one year. Despite the incredible deals being offered, cruise lines are still coming up with new and innovative ways to entertain, dazzle and exceed expectations.

 

 

It is a great time to be cruising.

 

There are some very good deals in the Caribbean, but few elsewhere. Review Richard Fain's conference call for details. The stock has gone South since the earnings report and weakness in the Caribbean is a major factor.

[teecee60]

Celebrity Constellation April 9th, 13 night transatlantic to Rome in an ocean view cabin for $519pp with $300 OBC. :eek:

 

Celebrity Silhouette April 19th, 14 night transatlantic to Amsterdam in a balcony cabin for $649pp with $375 OBC. :D

 

Celebrity Infinity March 1st, 14 night Buenos Aires to Santiago in an inside cabin for $849pp with $375 OBC. :)

 

Celebrity Reflection April 11th 16 night transatlantic to Rome in an inside cabin for $769pp with $375 OBC.

 

Royal Caribbean Vision OTS April 11th, 15 nights to Barcelona in an inside cabin for $449pp with $350OBC.

 

Celebrity Millennium April 26th, 17 night Shanghai to Vancouver in an balcony cabin for $999pp with $400 OBC.

 

How much better a deal do you want? :confused:

Edited February 18, 2015 by teecee60

[CathyCruises]

I think those are military rates with shareholder OBC. Great rates--if you qualify. Even the basic rates are pretty darn good, especially if you qualify for senior specials.

[Cruise Junky]

Celebrity Constellation April 9th, 13 night transatlantic to Rome in an ocean view cabin for $519pp with $300 OBC. :eek:

 

Celebrity Silhouette April 19th, 14 night transatlantic to Amsterdam in a balcony cabin for $649pp with $375 OBC. :D

 

Celebrity Infinity March 1st, 14 night Buenos Aires to Santiago in an inside cabin for $849pp with $375 OBC. :)

 

Celebrity Reflection April 11th 16 night transatlantic to Rome in an inside cabin for $769pp with $375 OBC.

 

Royal Caribbean Vision OTS April 11th, 15 nights to Barcelona in an inside cabin for $449pp with $350OBC.

 

Celebrity Millennium April 26th, 17 night Shanghai to Vancouver in an balcony cabin for $999pp with $400 OBC.

 

How much better a deal do you want? :confused:

 

An inside on Allure's April TA went for $399 the other day :eek:

[teecee60]

Is that from a major travel agent, or a special deal? Can't seem to find any of those.

 

Some online sites buy blocks of cabins and specialize in rock bottom prices, others tend to specialize in returning part of their commission in added perks like free gratuities or even more OBC. Search for "discount cruises" or "90 day ticker" or "last minute cruise deals." Spend a little time, save a LOT of money.

 

A LOT of people have the mistaken idea that online sites can't offer, and you can't get, prices any lower than what is on the cruise line web site. That is COMPLETELY incorrect. I made the mistake of booking directly with the cruise line ONCE. I won't EVER do that again because I overpaid on the cruise fare AND I missed out on extra OBC. :(

 

It takes only a quick a 2-3 minutes a day to save THOUSANDS. ;)

 

If you have some flexibility, and can avoid buying into the marketing hype of 1-2-3-GO and the ridiculously inflated prices, book after final payment. Use the shareholder benefit and use Choice Air for DIRT CHEAP flights even in the last few days before a sail date.

 

I have done 9 Celebrity cruises, for over 140 nights, at an average cost of $42/night, and that is before figuring in the more than $2,500 dollars of total OBC I have received.

 

 

I think those are military rates with shareholder OBC. Great rates--if you qualify. Even the basic rates are pretty darn good, especially if you qualify for senior specials.

 

The price on Vision OTS, Constellation and Millennium were not military rates, the others were. (At least at the moment when I checked the prices to post here) Some times the rates listed are for "over 55" or "state resident" rates. ;)

Edited February 18, 2015 by teecee60

[beentothere]

Celebrity Constellation April 9th, 13 night transatlantic to Rome in an ocean view cabin for $519pp with $300 OBC. :eek:

 

Celebrity Silhouette April 19th, 14 night transatlantic to Amsterdam in a balcony cabin for $649pp with $375 OBC. :D

 

Celebrity Infinity March 1st, 14 night Buenos Aires to Santiago in an inside cabin for $849pp with $375 OBC. :)

 

Celebrity Reflection April 11th 16 night transatlantic to Rome in an inside cabin for $769pp with $375 OBC.

 

Royal Caribbean Vision OTS April 11th, 15 nights to Barcelona in an inside cabin for $449pp with $350OBC.

 

Celebrity Millennium April 26th, 17 night Shanghai to Vancouver in an balcony cabin for $999pp with $400 OBC.

 

How much better a deal do you want? :confused:

 

I see, she sits on your lap and you hunt while she pecks.....

 

The prices fluctuate sometimes rather wildly so prices as above likely exist only for short periods. I have seen many of them. You have to be vigilant.

Some do seem better than I have ever seen, but I have seen some that certainly are in those ball parks.

 

I was able to snag a couple of cruises with fares as above in c2 plus for the price of an interior.

[grayjay]

Celebrity Constellation April 9th, 13 night transatlantic to Rome in an ocean view cabin for $519pp with $300 OBC. :eek:

 

Celebrity Silhouette April 19th, 14 night transatlantic to Amsterdam in a balcony cabin for $649pp with $375 OBC. :D

 

Celebrity Infinity March 1st, 14 night Buenos Aires to Santiago in an inside cabin for $849pp with $375 OBC. :)

 

Celebrity Reflection April 11th 16 night transatlantic to Rome in an inside cabin for $769pp with $375 OBC.

 

Royal Caribbean Vision OTS April 11th, 15 nights to Barcelona in an inside cabin for $449pp with $350OBC.

 

Celebrity Millennium April 26th, 17 night Shanghai to Vancouver in an balcony cabin for $999pp with $400 OBC.

 

How much better a deal do you want? :confused:

 

It depends on what you are looking for! The cruises you mention are transatlantics or other repositioning cruises which traditionally offer rather low fares. On the other hand quite a lot of cruises have risen enormously in regard to prices, for example Norway, some other parts of Europe etc. When I compare prices I regularly find that the cruise lines have included the cost of the promotional packages onto the cruise fare. You can be lucky again if you are offered a military , resident or senior discount, but then you won't get the promos.

Another thing I've noticed is that it is quite often possible to snag a very good deal for an inside cabin or an oceanview. It seems to me that quite a lot of people try for balcony cabins now which makes the prices rise again.

A last thing I've noticed recently is that prices have a tendency to fall if the cruise is in a region with political troubles - the Black Sea for example.

[SNJCruisers]

What do you consider a great deal? And where are they?

How about 879 for an OV cabin anytime between Labor Day and Thanksgiving in 2016 on the new 163,000 ton NCL Escape? This includes their drink package promotion, which of course they stole from X. But, it also includes 3rd and 4th in the cabin for free, only paying taxes. So a family of 4 can cruise for about 2250 on the biggest and best that NCL offers, Mom and Dad get free booze and the kids get free soda.

[richard1s]

What do you consider a great deal? And where are they?

 

I thought the point of my comment was clear enough. As I mentioned, fourteen years after my first cruise, I am paying about the same price, for the same destination (Caribbean). But now I am getting a much larger room with all the perks, free drinks, paid gratuities and $300 onboard spending. That seems like a significantly better value to me; but maybe I am over simplifying.

 

Also, even with the recent slip in RCL stock, it is still up 50% since last year; YOY EPS is up 40% - that seems like pretty good performance to me.

[DinaS]

I have no idea what is going on with the cruise industry these days but whatever it is, customers are really benefiting from it. It seems that many ships sail full but yet some of the deals offered are amazing - competition must be intense.

 

Our first cruise was in 2001 on the RCL Voyager of the Seas; it cost us about $3,600 for a tiny balcony cabin and at the end of the cruise, we had an impressive bar bill to pay and of course, cash gratuities

 

Yesterday I booked a January Celebrity cruise for just about the same price for an S1 suite and it included two drink packages, paid gratuities and a $300 OBC.

 

And RCL performs well financially, the stock has appreciated about 50% in one year. Despite the incredible deals being offered, cruise lines are still coming up with new and innovative ways to entertain, dazzle and exceed expectations.

 

It is a great time to be cruising.

 

Have you considered that you significantly overpaid on your very first cruise because you didn't have access to all of the information you do today?

 

I believe there are also MANY more cruise ships now than there were in 2001. That means more choice, more competition and more deals.

 

There are lots of factors to take into consideration.

[Iamcruzin]

 

 

 

It takes only a quick a 2-3 minutes a day to save THOUSANDS. ;)

 

If you have some flexibility, and can avoid buying into the marketing hype of 1-2-3-GO and the ridiculously inflated prices, book after final payment. Use the shareholder benefit and use Choice Air for DIRT CHEAP flights even in the last few days before a sail date.

 

There are a lot of "Ifs" here. I Don't have share holder benefits. I Have a full time job so I can't book last minute. The benefits of the marketing hype is saving me over 1200 combined for the two of us. The $200 price discount doesn't come close to what I'm saving with the all inclusive package. Unless there is a TA who is selling a C2 to Bermuda for $700 per person with the AI package I'll stick with the market hype.

[CathyCruises]

I totally agree with the original premise. I started cruising in 1982, paid $900 for an inside 'closet' on NCLs Southward 7 day Caribbean cruise.

 

We are booked on the Silhouette TA, nonobstructed balcony, for $1049, 14 day cruise, included prepaid Grats and $100 OBC, net cabin price just over $800. If I had waited until after FPD I could have gotten it even cheaper but I am thrilled with my cabin location. So is that a great deal?? You bet!!

[BETELVE]

The final sailings of the Century, March 22 and April 5, from Singapore to Dubai and Dubai back to Singapore are offering singles as low as $599 and outsides for $799. The balconies and suites are also greatly reduced. Air (from L.A. at least is also decent at about $1400 round trip.

[richard1s]

Originally Posted by DinaS

Have you considered that you significantly overpaid on your very first cruise because you didn't have access to all of the information you do today?

 

Overpaid, really? Did I overpay when I bought a 25” Sylvania color TV in 1978 for about $600 when now, I can buy so much more for so much less? The market sets the price and now conditions favor the passenger; that’s my only point.

[maggie.1008]

Cruises in the US are $$$. Look at Hawaii, Pacific Coastal and New England Fall cruises. I wish they would do more of these. I think many of us are tired of long air flights.

[RickT]

I fully agree with the OP.

 

I'm cruising for less $ today and getting more perks than I did when I started cruising.

 

I chaulk this up to:

 

1) Stronger Canadian Dollar (OK, it just tanked so maybe the end of that)

2) I am a much more savy cruiser now and know to look for deals and avoid the "popular" aka expensive time of year

3) More competition in the cruise industry which is increasing the chance of finding deals

 

I can list examples but the best would be doing our first baltic cruise about 8 years ago and paying $2,000 for a category 12 inside cabin on the Millie with NO perks, to paying only $1,900 last year for our second baltic cruise on the Connie in an outside cabin, free classic drink package and a $300 shipboard credit. Both were in August so would consider that peak season for the Baltic.

 

I'll enjoy this run while I can.... if annual inflation every catches up with the cruise industry I am in trouble :eek:

[baldercash]

Yes there still are deals out there but it appears as though the Cruise lines and the large online wholesalers have some agreement in place that is changing the market place.

 

Trans Atlantic and Caribbean cruises being discounted is not unusual but most of the cruises that are desirable are steep and they don't seem to discount as heavily as before and initial price is higher to start.

 

I have been watching Trans Panama canal trips for 2 years and even when discounted I don't consider $1900.00 for an OV a good price this is at 50% off and some of the Panama cruises don't even get listed at 90 days out. They used to go for as low as +80% off after 90 days.

 

I am sitting on 2015 X South American cruises and will likely cancel them as they are just an outrageous price. I cruised there 10 years ago with X for a much better price.

 

We are doing Serenade April 19th from Nola to Boston our friends booked it over a year ago on board a cruise and we were not able to get within $800.00 of a D2 and that is with a lot of effort.

Yet they booked the Serenade Oct 19th from Quebec City to Ft Lauderdale and I stumbled upon a deal that got us a D1 for $1500.00pp less then theirs. OV are about $900.00 but the ship shows full we sailed the same route on Princess with a inside in 2012 with some OBC for $500.00.

There are cruises over a year out showing all balcony categories sold out but when you speak with an agent they can find a cabin this is a change I have not encountered before.

 

We booked the Eclipse Mardi Gras cruise in 2017 as we want to be parked on the wharf for 3 days in Nola and that was pricey my agent gave $300.00 OBC on top of the 123 not much as this was a full price for CC which shows sold out of CC and above and balconies have gone up $900.00 since booking when last I checked.

 

We are looking at doing Alaska on the cheap this year but the 90 day out OV and insides are pricey and then we have to consider we won't get on any ship excursions and most private tours will be booked so we get a sail cheaper but then what?

 

You can sail insides and OV last minute cheap but we don't want to do them unless we have a very port intensive cruise and we only sail Tran Atlantic"s and repositioning cruises to get to or from somewhere. So if we sail to Barcelona we stay in Europe for a few weeks or last year over a month. We are doing 4 days in front and after our Nola to Boston cruise the hotels are almost the price of the cruise.

 

The market has and is changing and I don't think for the best if one is a thrifty cruiser.

We are thinking of going back to just spontaneous last minute cruising and not care where we stay on the ship as long as we get a OV or above.

Edited February 19, 2015 by baldercash

[bar_20]

Yes there still are deals out there but it appears as though the Cruise lines and the large online wholesalers have some agreement in place that is changing the market place.

 

Trans Atlantic and Caribbean cruises being discounted is not unusual but most of the cruises that are desirable are steep and they don't seem to discount as heavily as before and initial price is higher to start.

 

I have been watching Trans Panama canal trips for 2 years and even when discounted I don't consider $1900.00 for an OV a good price this is at 50% off and some of the Panama cruises don't even get listed at 90 days out. They used to go for as low as +80% off after 90 days.

 

I am sitting on 2015 X South American cruises and will likely cancel them as they are just an outrageous price. I cruised there 10 years ago with X for a much better price.

 

We are doing Serenade April 19th from Nola to Boston our friends booked it over a year ago on board a cruise and we were not able to get within $800.00 of a D2 and that is with a lot of effort.

Yet they booked the Serenade Oct 19th from Quebec City to Ft Lauderdale and I stumbled upon a deal that got us a D1 for $1500.00pp less then theirs. OV are about $900.00 but the ship shows full we sailed the same route on Princess with a inside in 2012 with some OBC for $500.00.

There are cruises over a year out showing all balcony categories sold out but when you speak with an agent they can find a cabin this is a change I have not encountered before.

 

We booked the Eclipse Mardi Gras cruise in 2017 as we want to be parked on the wharf for 3 days in Nola and that was pricey my agent gave $300.00 OBC on top of the 123 not much as this was a full price for CC which shows sold out of CC and above and balconies have gone up $900.00 since booking when last I checked.

 

We are looking at doing Alaska on the cheap this year but the 90 day out OV and insides are pricey and then we have to consider we won't get on any ship excursions and most private tours will be booked so we get a sail cheaper but then what?

 

You can sail insides and OV last minute cheap but we don't want to do them unless we have a very port intensive cruise and we only sail Tran Atlantic"s and repositioning cruises to get to or from somewhere. So if we sail to Barcelona we stay in Europe for a few weeks or last year over a month. We are doing 4 days in front and after our Nola to Boston cruise the hotels are almost the price of the cruise.

 

The market has and is changing and I don't think for the best if one is a thrifty cruiser.

We are thinking of going back to just spontaneous last minute cruising and not care where we stay on the ship as long as we get a OV or above.

 

Do hotels in New Orleans charge the same price for a weeks stay during the week of Mardi Gras as they do a month later? Of course not. Why? Supply and demand. If you're the only game in town you can charge whatever you want. I am betting that N.O. cruise sells out at it's current rate. There will be plenty of cruisers willing to pay the current rate.

 

As more and more baby boomers are retiring, they have the time to take longer cruises. They are looking beyond the 7 day experience in the Caribbean. Unfortunately there aren't as many Panama Cannel cruises or ones to South America as there are to the Caribbean. Again the pricing is a case of supply and demand.

[DinaS]

Originally Posted by DinaS

Have you considered that you significantly overpaid on your very first cruise because you didn't have access to all of the information you do today?

 

Overpaid, really? Did I overpay when I bought a 25” Sylvania color TV in 1978 for about $600 when now, I can buy so much more for so much less? The market sets the price and now conditions favor the passenger; that’s my only point.

 

You overpaid if you spent $600 on that TV, and someone else got it for $500 - no matter what it would cost today.

 

MY point was that back when you first started cruising, there were also not as many ways to find bargains online as there are today.

[marco]

Yep....we booked awhile back for a June cruise to Bermuda. 3 weeks ago, TA called to say the price went down $250 pp. She called this AM to tell us it went down another $200.

[yorky]

Can't say I see many fantastic deals for us UK cruisers unless you take the chance on a last minute deal. Think prices are up a good bit over the last five years, probably around the 20% mark if you include flights. I saved on our Cruise in November by booking individual elements myself. The TA I've used in the past wanted £2200 per person for the package and I've got that down to £1600 with an inside direct with Celebrity, BA flights with just my own transfers to add. We are adding a couple of nights pre cruise and one night post cruise in Miami using our Avios points built up with mostly BA. I could probably have done the above for £1200 not many years ago.

[phoenix_dream]

There are certainly deals out there, but I can tell you for sure that on the cruises I am pricing (Caribbean, Alaska, and Panama Canal) the cabins are much, much pricier than they were a few years ago. It is easy to list a bunch of TA's or other repositioning cruises with rock bottom prices as examples of bargains, but they have always been bargains compared to many others. The popular cruise prices are skyrocketing lately from what I have seen. I no longer sail inside or outside (once I had a balcony that was it:)) so perhaps there are bargains there. But for balcony or above, no way.

 

Are cruises overall cheaper than when I started cruising in 1992? Yes, no doubt. But back then there was little competition so they charged those prices because they could. Perhaps that is what the person meant who said the OP might have overpaid. In that sense, they (we) did. Also, they did not have the advantage the current cruise conglomerates have of bulk pricing. Additionally, ships were much smaller so their cost per square foot was much higher than it is now. Put four times as many passengers on a cruise ship and you need maybe 2 1/2 times as much space for venues such as bars, restaurants, etc., and maybe 3 times as much staff. A definite savings per square foot for the cruise lines.

 

So is it a good time to cruise, financially? Compared to twenty years ago, absolutely. Compared to five years ago, perhaps on limited or less popular sailings. Certainly not on the cruises I am taking.

Edited February 19, 2015 by phoenix_dream

[yorky]

I have no idea what is going on with the cruise industry these days but whatever it is, customers are really benefiting from it. It seems that many ships sail full but yet some of the deals offered are amazing - competition must be intense.

 

Our first cruise was in 2001 on the RCL Voyager of the Seas; it cost us about $3,600 for a tiny balcony cabin and at the end of the cruise, we had an impressive bar bill to pay and of course, cash gratuities

 

Yesterday I booked a January Celebrity cruise for just about the same price for an S1 suite and it included two drink packages, paid gratuities and a $300 OBC.

 

And RCL performs well financially, the stock has appreciated about 50% in one year. Despite the incredible deals being offered, cruise lines are still coming up with new and innovative ways to entertain, dazzle and exceed expectations.

 

It is a great time to be cruising.

 

The cruise lines are making more money that's for sure buts it's easy to see how. Mega sized cruise ships with thousands on board as against less than 1000 when I started cruising, constant upselling when on board, lowering of food costs then selling supplements for most of the specialist food venues on board. One of my first cruises with Princess it was a case of how many top quality lobsters would you like tonight sir ? Try getting that quality in the MDR now. Crew members also seem to have far more work to do working longer and longer hours, a programme over here in the UK not that long ago went behind the fancy facade and it showed just what crew had to do and what they worked for, not pretty.

[richard1s]

The cruise lines are making more money that's for sure buts it's easy to see how. Mega sized cruise ships with thousands on board as against less than 1000 when I started cruising, constant upselling when on board, lowering of food costs then selling supplements for most of the specialist food venues on board. One of my first cruises with Princess it was a case of how many top quality lobsters would you like tonight sir ? Try getting that quality in the MDR now. Crew members also seem to have far more work to do working longer and longer hours, a programme over here in the UK not that long ago went behind the fancy facade and it showed just what crew had to do and what they worked for, not pretty.

 

There is no question that this is a factor; and I definitely agree there has been a general downgrade of the total product in order to economize; food quality in particular has suffered. The cruise ship dining experience is a shadow of what it was when we started in 2001. In our recent experiences, dining ranges from the occasional bright spot to downright inedible - and that includes the extra cost venues.

 

This factor, combined with the increase in passenger density that some others have mentioned, is a significant factor in price points offered. The major lines lines have homogenized their product in order to remain competitive.

 

But I will go back to my original premise and stand by it; we have 3 cruises booked, all suite level - west coast RCL (repositioning), HAL Canada/New England and Celebrity Caribbean out of SJ, and each is offering incentives that were unheard of 15 years ago, at least in my experience.