Am I wrong or does or seem cruise prices are higher?

[dogchopper]

Our upcoming cruise was all over the place price wise, but I hung in there, kept checking and just after final payment prices went down for a very short time. I have a $260. OBC waiting on me :)

I sure hope that's what happens to me:)

 

So, less than $350 a person for a balcony room on a 7-nighter? Any secrets you want to share with us on how to achieve this?? :D

That just made me giggle :rolleyes:

[Earthworm Jim]

I have 2 cruises booked, one in December and one in January. I booked them both with early saver. So far I've only seen HUGE price increases, not decreases. Both of the cruises are off peak times and I really thought they would go down but so far I'm very wrong .

I just assumed (and we all know that's never a good idea:rolleyes:) that we gas prices so low that the prices would go down some.

I will enjoy my cruises either way but I was really wanting to get some OBC

 

The good news is this means you booked it at the right time, while the cruise was at it's cheapest!

[Linerguy]

So, less than $350 a person for a balcony room on a 7-nighter? Any secrets you want to share with us on how to achieve this?? :D

 

Apparently I didn't explain it well enough.....for each of us it was less than half of the $1394, which is $697, plus taxes. I think it came to about $650 per person, plus the tax. Still a bargain in my book.

 

Sorry for the confusion.

 

My point is that, even if rates are slowly creeping up, sailing with Carnival is still a lot less expensive than in the past. I have a feeling that, if rates ever returned to when an inside on one of their oldest ships would bring nearly $1400, there would be a lot less people on these message boards.

[Indiansbaseball]

Hope so too....just keep checking...every day !

[crusinpsychRN]

Haven't had a price drop in a long time. The Paradise costs about $100 more per cruise than Inspiration did when she was in Tampa and Paradise wasn't in as good condition. It has had dry dock, looks better but I can't see the hike and it happened right away when it came here.

[dmdiver]

Our balconies in January ran us about $350pp on Magic deck 8. That's the best deal I've ever gotten. Only downside was that the water was too cold for me in the ports (yes, I'm a bit of a sissy when it comes to water temps). The weather was perfect, though - not sweltering hot, just very pleasant.

 

I love to get price drops, but in the end, if I was willing to pay the fare when I booked, I don't complain about not getting a price drop. I just check prices and if I get one - bonus!

[dogchopper]

Our balconies in January ran us about $350pp on Magic deck 8. That's the best deal I've ever gotten. Only downside was that the water was too cold for me in the ports (yes, I'm a bit of a sissy when it comes to water temps). The weather was perfect, though - not sweltering hot, just very pleasant.

 

I love to get price drops, but in the end, if I was willing to pay the fare when I booked, I don't complain about not getting a price drop. I just check prices and if I get one - bonus!

I have a cruise booked in January and I am hoping for some price drops so I can upgrade to at least an ocean view.. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

[RiotAct]

Apparently I didn't explain it well enough.....for each of us it was less than half of the $1394, which is $697, plus taxes. I think it came to about $650 per person, plus the tax. Still a bargain in my book.

 

Sorry for the confusion.

 

My point is that, even if rates are slowly creeping up, sailing with Carnival is still a lot less expensive than in the past. I have a feeling that, if rates ever returned to when an inside on one of their oldest ships would bring nearly $1400, there would be a lot less people on these message boards.

 

ahhh, gotcha, that would make more sense!

[Retired_to_Cruise]

The price of our cruises have gone up. Our first cruise, all balconies and suites are sold out. I blame this on the fact that it wasn't selling and they gave away a lot of free cruises on that sailing.

 

Really stinks to hear someone say, I am sailing on this cruise for free when I booked ES, paid full price and now can't get a price drop due to Carnival giving away free cruises to fill the ship. Really puts a negative towards Carnival for me.:mad:

 

And how can you prove that they gave away a lot of free cruises? And if you believe all of the stories that you "hear someone say" then you must be disappointed all the time. And finally, have they called you up and told you that you have to pay the increase in the price over what you actually paid? Didn't think so! So your price has not changed, but you are mad because it has not gone down for you. Interesting.

[curious_st]

It seems that the prices on all of Carnival cruises that I am interesting in booking keeps rising. I have seen some cruises decrease in price, but the ones I am eyeing seem to be on a steady increase. And, the Carnival service provided seems to be sliding down at the same time.

 

There are still cheap cruises to be had, but once I factor in flying to Miami, for instance, I could have chosen a higher cost cruise at a different port that is driving distance and come out cheaper.

[Towel Critter]

OP, it s not your imagination. I wish a had a list of prices for hurricane season 2014 to compare to this year. I believe the difference would be more than significant. As others have said, cabins must be selling well at the moment. I think I am safe in predicting this will not remain the case though, with the current trend in rising prices. For many, the new prices will prove to be out of their budget. For the remainder - those who can pay the higher prices without blinking an eye - many of them will eventually come to the realization that they can pay the same price, or a little more, and cruise with a higher end cruise line on a ship with lots more bells and whistles and higher quality entertainment. When those two things happen Carnival will have to lower prices back down to where they should be for their particular product, even if it means more cutbacks. At least I hope so. If not, I and many, many others who don't have an endless supply of money to spend on vacations will be vacationing on land in the near future. This coming from a long time Carnival customer. I am not one of the Carnival detractors appearing regularly on this board.

[summersigh]

We normally book 7-8 months ahead. We always book a balcony cabin. We're finding that on ALL the lines we've sailed in the last few years the prices have only increased since booking - CCL, HAL and RCCL

 

From the CC boards for all 3 cruise lines I know a few years ago there were rumblings/complaints that folks who booked early got screwed on the prices while those who booked in the last month or 2 scooped up the good deals. I wonder if this trend is in response to that?

[Towel Critter]

We normally book 7-8 months ahead. We always book a balcony cabin. We're finding that on ALL the lines we've sailed in the last few years the prices have only increased since booking - CCL, HAL and RCCL

 

From the CC boards for all 3 cruise lines I know a few years ago there were rumblings/complaints that folks who booked early got screwed on the prices while those who booked in the last month or 2 scooped up the good deals. I wonder if this trend is in response to that?

 

That's certainly a thought, I suppose. I'm not even seeing any last minute deals currently though. By last minute, I mean within a month of sailing. The last cruise I booked went up drastically the last two weeks before sailing. I tend to think they are raising prices just to see if the market will bear it. I hope it does not, and in Carnival's case, I don't think their market will bear it over a long period of time. They would have to do some serious upgrading to continue filling rooms long term at some of their current prices.

 

Some like to equate Carnival with Walmart, or Target, and I think that's fair in some regards. I wonder what would happen to Walmart and Target if they raised their prices to near that of Macy's? I think we know the answer to that. Most would reach the logical conclusion that if they are going to have to pay $_______ for a blouse, or pair of slacks, or whatever, they may as well pay a tiny bit more and buy it at Macy's.

[dogchopper]

We normally book 7-8 months ahead. We always book a balcony cabin. We're finding that on ALL the lines we've sailed in the last few years the prices have only increased since booking - CCL, HAL and RCCL

 

From the CC boards for all 3 cruise lines I know a few years ago there were rumblings/complaints that folks who booked early got screwed on the prices while those who booked in the last month or 2 scooped up the good deals. I wonder if this trend is in response to that?

Well I did book early but I still want to see the prices go down.

 

That's certainly a thought, I suppose. I'm not even seeing any last minute deals currently though. By last minute, I mean within a month of sailing. The last cruise I booked went up drastically the last two weeks before sailing. I tend to think they are raising prices just to see if the market will bear it. I hope it does not, and in Carnival's case, I don't think their market will bear it over a long period of time. They would have to do some serious upgrading to continue filling rooms long term at some of their current prices.

 

Some like to equate Carnival with Walmart, or Target, and I think that's fair in some regards. I wonder what would happen to Walmart and Target if they raised their prices to near that of Macy's? I think we know the answer to that. Most would reach the logical conclusion that if they are going to have to pay $_______ for a blouse, or pair of slacks, or whatever, they may as well pay a tiny bit more and buy it at Macy's.

Yeah I agree, if I have to pay more I want more for my money ...

[wilmingtech]

So, less than $350 a person for a balcony room on a 7-nighter? Any secrets you want to share with us on how to achieve this?? :D

Check NCL Mexican Rivieras. They are 399pp with 3rd and 4th person free for an inside. And only 499 for 11 days out of San Diego with 3rd and 4th free. That's 250 per person for 11 days.

 

Balconys on the 7 day start at 649 3rd and 4th free as well. Great prices for families on the west coast looking to cruise...

[Rainbowfalls]

I have noticed that too. We book in the off season, December normally but decided on Jan this time just based upon everyones schedule with work. Which I thought would be a good thing because last few years that I was price watching the price in Jan seemed to be even better then December. So far we have received only 2 price drops which were not much at all one literately was a 5 dollar price drop and 1 obc for 30 dollars.

 

I keep checking daily though just in case, was so excited about a week two weeks ago when there was a sale cause it showed 189 for January with obc but it was for the 10th. :(

 

Still hoping the price drops at least some even if it's last minute sales. I know I will be looking up to the two day mark lol.

[dioxide45]

I know that we are cruising for less this year than we cruised for even back in 2009 and 2010. We have only been cruising since 2009. Perhaps we are just more savvy now and can find the better deals, but our November cruise on the Magic had price drops that brought the price down by about $200pp since we booked. Though it now looks like our category is sold out. It is by far our cheapest 7 night cruise to date.

 

We scored a great deal on the Paradise 5 night in April 2015 for less than $100pp. The taxes and port fees were almost as much as the cruise fare. That was not even last minute.

 

I do think that fares are up over last year, though we didn't cruise in 2014. We cruised on the Dream in 2012 and that was half the price of what it was when we sailed on her in 2010. It does also seem that fare drops are rarer these days. Overall bookings are up and the cruise lines will continue to increase the prices to maximize profits. It is how capitalism works.

[Drazil65]

You should only book the price you are satisfied with paying at the time and if there is a price drop then "bonus" for you. Price drops should not be expectations in booking, maybe hopes/wishes, but never expectations. ;)

[BlueRiband]

All Carnival brands use the POLAR booking system. It has powerful algorithms which constantly adjust pricing according to booking demand. Strong demand equals higher pricing. And it's not unusual to see disparities in pricing along cabin categories. Strong demand for one subcategory can push the price higher than the one above it. (Right now the strong US dollar versus other currencies is making it cheaper for Americans to vacation out of the country.)

 

You mentioned that you sail Carnival for value for your dollar. What you have right now might be the best it's going to get. Nobody here knows what economic or geopolitical events will affect pricing by the time you sail.

 

For those reasons its' not a good idea to book with the expectation that the price must go down. If not getting a price drop or OBC will negatively affect your enjoyment of your cruise you might want to consider cancelling while you can do so without penalty.

[dogchopper]

I have noticed that too. We book in the off season, December normally but decided on Jan this time just based upon everyones schedule with work. Which I thought would be a good thing because last few years that I was price watching the price in Jan seemed to be even better then December. So far we have received only 2 price drops which were not much at all one literately was a 5 dollar price drop and 1 obc for 30 dollars.

 

I keep checking daily though just in case, was so excited about a week two weeks ago when there was a sale cause it showed 189 for January with obc but it was for the 10th. :(

 

Still hoping the price drops at least some even if it's last minute sales. I know I will be looking up to the two day mark lol.

Yeah I have one booked in January and I keep seeing price drops but never for mine, but I will keep looking :o

 

You should only book the price you are satisfied with paying at the time and if there is a price drop then "bonus" for you. Price drops should not be expectations in booking, maybe hopes/wishes, but never expectations. ;)

I am happy with the prices I paid for my cruises. Of course I will be HAPPIER with some OBC but I'm still happy either way

[SMSACE6]

I ended up going with NCL for my 2016 cruise. It was too good a deal for me to pass up. Bear in mind, I cruise solo, so those studio cabins for one, sometimes do, but not always equal double price in the cheapest Carnival room. However this time, it not only came to less by over 100.00, but Norwegian is giving me a better exchange rate on the canadian dollar. .84 cents to the us dollar, as opposed to .75c or less that I will get from the bank. Also, this will be on a new ship with all the bells and whistles.

 

I am really excited about next year's cruise, but it does not lessen my excitement for my upcoming cruise on the Victory next month. I am just looking forward to a change for next year, plus it is at a very good price IMO.:)

[BallFour4]

We've had the benefit of living close to Galveston and have cruised on all but one line that served the port. Here has been our experiences.

 

Carnival was the most expensive at the onset. Cruising on the Celebration was not considerably less than Royal's Majesty or Splendour of the Seas.

 

The Ecstasy was about the same daily cost, but holiday and summer cruises were even more expensive. When the Conquest came here after hurricane Katrina all the prices rose. Royal upped their game with a Voyager class ship and the prices rose for 4-5 and 7 night trips.

 

We cruised from Miami, Boston, Ft Lauderdale and Tampa for a lesser price than Galveston for a few years. All the while I ignored the costs of other vacations like Disney, skiing, flying to Nassau and visiting Atlantis, etc. Those prices have skyrocketed.

 

The cost of cruising has risen independent of fuel increases and decreases. The lines buy on futures, and lock in contracts for fuel well in advance. They don't experience the profit windfall if crude drops suddenly.

 

All the other commodities have increased needed to provision a ship. Those costs have never turned down in the past twenty years. Economics tells us the cost to move 2-5k passengers to and from a floating vacation has risen on an annual basis. How the line moves that cost around, and how they compensate for the expense varies.

 

Casino, shore excursions, alcohol, spa treatments, etc make up the revenues needed per day, per passenger.

 

We cruised 4 times last year and 3 so far this year. All 7 cruises were less than what I paid to sail on the Rhapsody or Conquest a decade ago, regardless of time of year.

 

.

Edited September 20, 2015 by BallFour4

[RoyalVisit]

There are still lots of great deals if you keep checking. We booked the Carnival Glory 10 night cruise on Jan 23, 2016. When we booked, the gurantee rates for interior were $379, Oceanview $449, Balcony $799 plus port. This was during a 36 hour flash sale so we received an email from Carnival and booked it a few hours later. I checked today, balconies and suites are sold out, interior guarantee is now $599, Oceanview $699. Sailing must be close to selling out so it really does depend on popularity with a particular sailing, the ongoing sales and how closely you are monitoring the prices. Good luck!

[aflyingbuttress]

yes i have noticed that on my cruise on the pride 10/18/15. the price is $570 higher(for 2 people) then what i paid for my interior room 6 months ago.

 

i checked the rates 2 weeks ago. and between then and now they have gone up $310 in that short span.

 

I'm on this same sailing and have also noticed the prices go up significantly than when I booked a little over a month ago. When I booked though, the balcony was listed as $40 or so lower than the interior, which was surprising. The whole price was lower than other ships sailing out of the Norteast around the same time.

[Beth C]

As a relative newbie to cruising the prices have become quite reasonable in the past few years depending on which cruise line itinerary and ship you choose. Our first cruise was 7 night Oasis of the seas at an insane price of $1800pp for an inside... The past couple years we've sailed for double the length and at a 1/4 to 1/2 of the price.

 

This years upcoming Glory Journey cruise - solo for 10 nights was only $798 + fees... Can't beat that (and a nice little pot of casino cash thrown in sweetens the deal immensely).