Has the cost of cruising really gone up

[starfish216]

I recently booked the Pride for a May 2015 sailing and paid under $2000 for and 8E balcony. (Well I actually paid significantly under $2000 thanks to a casino offer.)

Anyway you can still book a balcony without the offer for around $2000

 

Having sailed on her before I decided to look for my old sailing documents. The rates for sailing on August 17, 2002 (which was less than other summer dates) for an 8K Balcony for two with port taxes came to $2369.20 - it was leaving from Port Canaveral doing a Western Caribbean cruise.

 

Thirteen years later to be paying less for the same balcony is not too bad.

 

Yes there have been plenty of cut backs, gone are the days of the Midnight Buffet and Calypso Band poolside.

 

It's difficult to think of anything from 2002 that would cost less today.

 

Although it seems like the rates keep getting higher in actuality we are paying less now than for a weeks vacation than we did 13 years ago.

[ASchaff]

I am paying more for my interior cabin this coming October than I did for my balcony back in 2008. My balcony was also during the high season. I think it depends entirely on the cruise, port, itinerary and booking times.

[cbreit]

I wish there was a "like" button to click on here...

[eponym]

I am paying more for my interior cabin this coming October than I did for my balcony back in 2008. My balcony was also during the high season. I think it depends entirely on the cruise, port, itinerary and booking times.

 

and as a company adds capacity, they increase their economies of scale across most operating costs. They would rather sail full.

[forwardcabin]

Looking ahead to April 2016, per person rates for balconies on comparable 7-day cruises are $100 more than April 2015. Carnival is apparently anticipating higher costs for cruises one year from now. Perhaps they figure they could lower rates later if necessary, but if the higher prices stick and cruisers pay them anyway thus keeping demand up, then they are already in place.

[rooster1961]

I noticed increase too. Last year 8 day East $579pp OV in July, this year 8 day Southern $809pp OV in May and on the East, I changed from a later date and got that price 2 weeks before leaving

Edited April 10, 2015 by rooster1961
forgot something

[Warm Breezes]

I paid $1313 total for our Carnival Splendor 7 night Balcony Room for 2 that is sailing in 2 days. I paid $1500 total for our first Carnival Cruise on the Carnival Inspiration 5 Night Inside Room for 4 in Nov. 2005. Our last Carnival cruise was a 6 night Balcony Room for 2 on the Carnival Freedom in 2013 for $1250.

 

IMHO the answer to your question is no, the cost of cruising has not gone up for us. If anything it has gone down with inflation, plus we no longer spend money onboard for pictures like we did at first and our excursion costs have gone down significantly too since we don't do as many as we did when we first started cruising.

[spinnaker190]

Noticed this as well, my first two cruises were a eastern carib and a western carib, I paid between 600-800$ for these, both oceanview cabins and just myself sailing, both taken in winter-spring. my 3rd-4th cruises were taken in summer-fall and same iten's but now I paid 1000-1500$ for the same iten's and oceanview cabin.

[djcass4199]

I think part of it is because the Triumph fiasco becoming a thing of the past and cruise prices stabilizing back to more normal levels. Just my two cents.

[Tapi]

Heck, we paid more for our cruise on the Tropicale in an OV back in 1994 than for our Dream cruise in a BL!

[dadroy]

I recently booked the Pride for a May 2015 sailing and paid under $2000 for and 8E balcony. (Well I actually paid significantly under $2000 thanks to a casino offer.)

Anyway you can still book a balcony without the offer for around $2000

 

Having sailed on her before I decided to look for my old sailing documents. The rates for sailing on August 17, 2002 (which was less than other summer dates) for an 8K Balcony for two with port taxes came to $2369.20 - it was leaving from Port Canaveral doing a Western Caribbean cruise.

 

Thirteen years later to be paying less for the same balcony is not too bad.

 

Yes there have been plenty of cut backs, gone are the days of the Midnight Buffet and Calypso Band poolside.

 

It's difficult to think of anything from 2002 that would cost less today.

 

Although it seems like the rates keep getting higher in actuality we are paying less now than for a weeks vacation than we did 13 years ago.

 

Last time I checked, Enron stock is also very low. We sort of get what we pay for.

[Xclusive]

I think it has a lot to do with timing of the year and when you book your cruise. We normally dont book our cruises til within 90 or so and always seem to find great deals than booking in advance. For example, we are going on the Dream in May out of New Orleans for a 7 day and we got a Vista Balcony for $499pp (family of three).

 

Just my .02 cents!

[N7786W Flyer]

I'll go back even further.

 

I have my documentation from a 1980 NCL Cruise on the MS Skyward. For those of you who may not remember, the Skyward was a 16,000 ton vessel (about 1/5 the size of a Fantasy class ship) that carried about 800 passengers.

 

There was no ice cream machine, no room service, a very small (slots only if I remember correctly) casino, a single tiny pool, no buffet (except the midnight buffet) and certainly no warm chocolate melting cake :)

 

Long story short, we paid $900/person for a 7 day Caribbean cruise 35 YEARS AGO and that rate was not unusual for that ship/time. That same $900 is worth over $2500/person today if inflation is factored in.

 

Yes, while there have been some cut backs recently, if viewed in a larger context, you have to see that there have also been tremendous improvements in the cruise experience as a whole...and this has been accomplished while at least maintaining or, in most cases, actually lowering the cost of the product.

 

Garnett

[BallFour4]

1976 Carnival Mardi Gras for 7 nights was $1100 for a week. We just sailed in an aft wrap for the same on the Magic.

It's supply and demand, not some dolt comment about Enron.

[lucigo]

I miss living close to Mobile and being able to get dirt cheap prices on the Holiday. We took our kids at Christmas-time for around $200 each, and the day we came home got a call from our PVP that there was a sailing the next week for $99.

 

As far as more short term, I am leading up a Norfolk cruise in Oct 2015 and the prices have gone up $800 per cabin (for 2) to book now.

[Frank12]

The answer definitely depends on your time frame.

Yes, cruises are more expensive now than they were a year or two ago but are much cheaper than "back in the day" (80's and 90's).

[cruzn buckeye]

I think it has a lot to do with timing of the year and when you book your cruise. We normally dont book our cruises til within 90 or so and always seem to find great deals than booking in advance. For example, we are going on the Dream in May out of New Orleans for a 7 day and we got a Vista Balcony for $499pp (family of three).

 

Just my .02 cents!

looking at Breeze, in September, hurricane season when prices are usually lower, 6 days in regular balcony, aft, which is usually lower than mid, 568pp for 3. Seems high to me for hurricane season...and only 6 days and 3 ports...

[carrieluvsgreg]

I think it just depends on your flexibility in schedule. We paid $1200 (taxes and port fees included) in 2003 for an interior guarantee. Last year we had an interior on the spa deck of the dream for almost the same price and it included the spa up charge.

[sjn911]

I'll go back even further.

 

I have my documentation from a 1980 NCL Cruise on the MS Skyward. For those of you who may not remember, the Skyward was a 16,000 ton vessel (about 1/5 the size of a Fantasy class ship) that carried about 800 passengers.

 

There was no ice cream machine, no room service, a very small (slots only if I remember correctly) casino, a single tiny pool, no buffet (except the midnight buffet) and certainly no warm chocolate melting cake :)

 

Long story short, we paid $900/person for a 7 day Caribbean cruise 35 YEARS AGO and that rate was not unusual for that ship/time. That same $900 is worth over $2500/person today if inflation is factored in.

 

Yes, while there have been some cut backs recently, if viewed in a larger context, you have to see that there have also been tremendous improvements in the cruise experience as a whole...and this has been accomplished while at least maintaining or, in most cases, actually lowering the cost of the product.

 

Garnett

 

Agree...I think it is amazing..even as a solo..what shopping and for me booking 90 or less can do...would love the ES price drops but it is a head ache for work as it comes in for me...better for me to just wait until money is where I want it and get last minute deals so far...

 

My friend that sells cruises took that ship and so many like it...she loved that size...now it is well earned and Crystal and luxury all the way...LOL...sarah

[klepton]

There are a few things to consider:

 

1) Cruise fare

2) Total cost of cruising

 

Cruise Fare:

It completely depends on what point in time in the past you are comparing it to. There are many factors that affect cruise fare prices, not the least of them being the economy. I started cruising in early 2009, and have been pretty steady since then. For me, cruise fares have gone up dramatically over the years. For someone who started cruising in 2005, they'd probably say cruise fares have finally "gotten back to normal" after the down economy.

 

Total cost of cruising:

For most people, this is probably at its highest level historically. The cruise lines are very good at getting people to spend more and more onboard, or even pay a lot in extras before they board (beverage packages, dining reservations, etc). Automatic gratuities are up, taxes/port charges are generally up, shore excursions are generally more expensive, and there are many more ways to spend money onboard than there used to be. More specialty restaurants, more things to buy for kids (think Build-a-Bear), higher minimums at casino tables, etc. Add to that for people who need to fly to the embarkation port, flight prices are on average the highest they've been this millennium. The good news is that you can control a lot of this by choosing to consume less onboard.

 

Then there's the topic of value, are you getting as much for your money as you were in the past. This is entirely subjective, but I believe most people would say that with the decreases in entertainment quality, decreases in food quality for the free options, etc. Most would say you aren't' getting as much now for your cruise fare as you used to.

 

All that said, there are sweet spots for sure, you just need to find them. Look for itineraries out of ports that are more expensive to get to (i.e. San Juan). Also keep an eye out for factors that can drive prices down. One of my favorites was the "Please Please sail with Carnival after our 'raw sewage at sea' cruise" event they were running the summer of 2013. The chances of another cruise from hell were extremely low, but Carnival had to drop prices considerably to fill their ships.

 

Anyway, that's my long-winded $.02

[PittsburghGirlee]

Yes...yes....yes!!!

[cruising maniac]

I absolutely thinks prices are higher. We can usually book a balcony for about 100 per person per day. Our next cruise in 8 months on the Breeze for 8 nights is currently 1200 per person. I really hope it comes down before November.

[richs52]

I'm paying the same for a cruise today that I did 10 years ago, and still getting a great product. Certainly has not gone up for me.

[VASOXFANN]

Long term, no.....I think the cost for 2 on my first cruise, in an OV on RC in 1995, more than the cost for the 2 of us on our last 3 cruises COMBINED :eek: It wasn't cheap cruising in the 00's either.

 

Short term, like over the past year, yes. It hasn't risen to past levels, but there's been a noticeable increase.

Edited April 11, 2015 by VASOXFANN

[Whenisdinner]

Their largest single operating cost (fuel) is a fraction of what it was a few years ago.