Cruising is more expensive.

[JulieRose]

Oh that's good. I don't drive (live in NYC so it's my feet and the subway), so I don't know what gas is doing now. :)

 

Hah! same here in Philly. I have no clue what gas costs. I haven't owned a car in a very long time.

[monctonguy]

Can you fly out of Maine was less money. We live in Ontario but we choose to fly out of Buffalo to save quite a bit of money. We drive right by Toronto Pearson airport to get to Buffalo

 

I flew out of Maine back in 2013 it was cheaper..no longer. They don't have the kinda pricing out of Bangor that you would get out of Buffalo...I wish!!

 

I can fly out of any airport in Atlantic Canada, all the same prices....somewhere around $600ish give or take.

 

For those that walk everywhere.....I am sure at some point you must walk past a gas station or watch the news or read the internet...so you know roughly what gas prices are like....I don't even live or drive in your state or country and I know roughly was gas prices are down there.

Edited December 22, 2015 by monctonguy

[RealNorwegianCruiser]

Higher prices on vacations/cruising is just a healthy sign for a better economy in general.

 

I choose higher prices on cruises and gas, before recession and higher unemployment any day!

 

Cruising/vacation is luxury, not a necessity after all..

[wilmingtech]

Try cruising with 4 kids :)

 

We find it slightly cheaper to book a single room for 6 then to book 2 rooms. Problem is that most ships don't have a room for 6.

 

I'd plum try a website that compares cruise prices and look at the historical pricing to help plan when to buy. Using that we were able to book a deal last May with NCL that had Pay for 1 and 2 and guests 3-8 sail free (pay for taxes and port fees only)

 

Because of that we were able to get a suite on NCL Jewel for less than a family oceanview on the Freedom.

 

Not saying to jump ship but I think waiting for the right time is helpful as well as looking at other lines you wouldn't normally think to cruise. We always have to book at the slowest time of the year to get the cheapest prices (Post Turkey day or January) and I'm grateful that I'm able to make my own schedule to do that.

 

-Sean

[molsonschooner]

I flew out of Maine back in 2013 it was cheaper..no longer. They don't have the kinda pricing out of Bangor that you would get out of Buffalo...I wish!!

 

I can fly out of any airport in Atlantic Canada, all the same prices....somewhere around $600ish give or take.

 

For those that walk everywhere.....I am sure at some point you must walk past a gas station or watch the news or read the internet...so you know roughly what gas prices are like....I don't even live or drive in your state or country and I know roughly was gas prices are down there.

 

that's too bad about the flights. This past September we flew from Buffalo to Fort Lauderdale return for 600 US for 2 people

[Paul65]

12+ yr cruising family here with 17 cruises trying to plan another cruise for Summer 2016. As a new family of 3, we are in the process of adopting a now almost 9yo son who's been with us for 15months. We were able to take a Bermuda cruise in 2015 without a passport, but for 2016 he will be adopted and with a passport we can choose from more itineraries.

 

I've been pursuing the choices for RCL for 2016 and they seem much more costly than ever before, even with the BOGO and discounts they are more expensive.

 

We used to drop a few hundred for flights and $800-1,000pp and have our trip more affordable. Now with 3 of us and increased prices on cruises and flights I can't find much of anything less than $4,000-5,000 total.

 

End Rant.

 

It seems like $4000 for three people is not much different from "a few hundred for flights and $800-1000pp." Maybe up a little bit, but not tremendously.

 

But if you're looking at a different time of year (since you now have a school-aged kid with you), that may be part of the difference. Just speculating there, though.

 

I can say that my upcoming cruise is not noticeably different in cost from the previous couple.

[bobmacliberty]

It's hard to compare cruising with land vacations, but I think cruising prices (or more specifically Royal prices) have gone up more in the last few years than land vacations (including airfare for both). Cruising used to be a great deal for us but with 2 balcony cabins, it's now more expensive than 2 rooms at an all-inclusive in Punta Cana or the Mexican Riviera. It's less expensive though than Atlantis or Beaches or Disney (for most on property hotels). All depends on what experience you want and what you're willing to pay. This is all based on RCI. I haven't price shopped other cruise lines (yet).

[BettyPC]

We have been doing Carnival and RC - we have our RC booked - will check Carnival later in 2016 - see how their prices are.

[JulieRose]

For those that walk everywhere.....I am sure at some point you must walk past a gas station or watch the news or read the internet...so you know roughly what gas prices are like....I don't even live or drive in your state or country and I know roughly was gas prices are down there.

 

Sure I see it on occasion but I pay no attention. Being that I haven't bought gas in more than a year, the price really doesn't affect me much. Public transportation costs don't vary on a daily basis like gas does. Also, if you take a walk through midtown Manhattan or center city Philadelphia (or pretty much any other big city) you will be surprised on how few gas stations are actually around. They would much rather build a high rise than waste the space on something flat like a gas station.

[mac_tlc]

Sometimes it's hard to compare apples to apples.

 

Here is some actual data over the past three years -- same ship, same week of the year, same occupancy, same cabin type:

 

Freedom of the Seas - 8/10/2014 - JS - triple - $4054, with $340 OBC - booked 11 months prior

Freedom of the Seas - 8/9/2015 - JS - triple - $4187, with $310 OBC + a few other things - booked 12 months prior

Freedom of the Seas - 8/7/2016 - JS - triple - $4492, with $355 OBC - booked 16 months prior

 

From 2014 to 2016 , approximately a 5% annual rate of increase, although most of that between 2015 & 2016.

All three either did, or have, increased substantially since we booked.

 

mac_tlc

[SelectSys]

Remember there is inflation and for awhile airlines were losing money.

 

To me cruising is still more cost effective than doing a similar type of vacation on your own.

 

Keith

 

I agree, cruising still reflects a good value to me compared with the alternatives. Good resort hotels are easily $300 / night these days and that includes nothing else.

 

The airline industry has shown a lot of supply growth restraint and that has increased my costs too.

 

I was looking at Anthem, but at 2,400pp for balcony even for a 9night is outrageous. Even then for 90% of the weeks I looked at they didn't have any balconies for 3people.

 

The new ships are always more expensive and the fact that their is not much local competition increases the yield for the cruise line.

 

Here is some actual data over the past three years -- same ship, same week of the year, same occupancy, same cabin type:

 

Freedom of the Seas - 8/10/2014 - JS - triple - $4054, with $340 OBC - booked 11 months prior

Freedom of the Seas - 8/9/2015 - JS - triple - $4187, with $310 OBC + a few other things - booked 12 months prior

Freedom of the Seas - 8/7/2016 - JS - triple - $4492, with $355 OBC - booked 16 months prior

 

From 2014 to 2016 , approximately a 5% annual rate of increase, although most of that between 2015 & 2016.

All three either did, or have, increased substantially since we booked.

 

mac_tlc

 

Compared to health care cost increases that looks great!

 

Bottom line is that demand is increasing and supply in the short run is relatively static. Why do you think RCCL is returning the Empress to the US market.

Edited December 23, 2015 by SelectSys

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Sure I see it on occasion but I pay no attention. Being that I haven't bought gas in more than a year, the price really doesn't affect me much. Public transportation costs don't vary on a daily basis like gas does. Also, if you take a walk through midtown Manhattan or center city Philadelphia (or pretty much any other big city) you will be surprised on how few gas stations are actually around. They would much rather build a high rise than waste the space on something flat like a gas station.

 

Exactly! The only gas stations I'm aware of in NYC are over close to the West Side Highway, and I'm not over there very much at all (less so now that I'm not running along the WSH each weekend). I sometimes hear it mentioned on the news, but I also don't pay attention to it since it doesn't pertain to me.

 

Now an MTA fare hike? My ears totally perk up over that! (Something that people who don't live here or travel here often would let just slip by them if they heard.)

[JulieRose]

Exactly! The only gas stations I'm aware of in NYC are over close to the West Side Highway, and I'm not over there very much at all (less so now that I'm not running along the WSH each weekend). I sometimes hear it mentioned on the news, but I also don't pay attention to it since it doesn't pertain to me.

 

Now an MTA fare hike? My ears totally perk up over that! (Something that people who don't live here or travel here often would let just slip by them if they heard.)

Everyone here is freaking out that they're phasing out tokens in the new year. My husband has a car and rarely takes public transportation so i doubt he even knows that its happening. I don't smoke so i have no idea what a pack of cigarettes costs either because it doesn't affect my day-to-day. Its all perspective.

 

(BTW, my husband says gas is about $2.50/gallon. Thats cheap compared to the last time i bought any.)

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[Biker19]

 

I'd plum try a website that compares cruise prices and look at the historical pricing to help plan when to buy.

 

Thank you for that - I may switch price monitoring sites.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Biker19

[KeywestK]

Have you looked at sailing from Bayonne, NJ or Baltimore MD to Bermuda? No need to fly. The latter will be significantly cheaper due to the older ship. But that also means less bells and whistles.

 

ETA: I misread what you originally wrote and thought you were looking for a Bermuda sailing. That being said, I would still look at itineraries from ports you can drive to at least curb that cost. HTH!

 

Even though the ships sailing out of Bayonne and Baltimore are older, those are not inexpensive sailings by any means. RCI's cruises to Bermuda are seasonal, and for that reason, along with supply and demand, the pricing is never cheap. The only cheap cruise I ever took out of Baltimore was on Carnival, and, well, I guess that's the reason it was so cheap;):)

[Biker19]

[quote name='KeywestK']Even though the ships sailing out of Bayonne and Baltimore are older, those are not inexpensive sailings by any means. [/QUOTE]
Anthem is RCI's newest ship (from Bayonne). ;) Edited December 23, 2015 by Biker19

[ladytaekwondo]

Lots of price increases with every cruise line

[KeywestK]

[quote name='Biker19']Anthem is RCI's newest ship (from Bayonne). ;)[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the update. Since I moved from MD, I'm not keeping up with the northern homeports;):)

[Laney219]

[quote name='KeywestK']Even though the ships sailing out of Bayonne and Baltimore are older, those are not inexpensive sailings by any means. RCI's cruises to Bermuda are seasonal, and for that reason, along with supply and demand, the pricing is [I]never[/I] cheap. The only cheap cruise I ever took out of Baltimore was on Carnival, and, well, I guess that's the reason it was so cheap;):)[/QUOTE]

Cheap is relative.
Anthem is new.
This thread is mundane.
So I am taking the cue.

Unsubscribe and delete
Is the motto for me.
Merry Christmas to all and to all happy New sea!

[countess5]

[quote name='Keith1010']Remember there is inflation and for awhile airlines were losing money.

To me cruising is stil more cost effective than doing a similar type of vacation on your own.

Keith[/QUOTE]

I have to agree with you.I always tell people when I look at cost I break it down on a per day basis. When you look at what a cruise provides on daily basis the cost per day to me is competitve with other vacations.
Food, entertainment, transportation to different ports, accommodations, pool, ETC. I understand flights can be high but the cruise it's self on a per day basis is a bargain.
Cost is always relivent to each person.

[rusty nut]

We are currently booked on the least expensive 7 day cruise we've taken in 20 years. We'll be on Harmony in Jan. 2017.

[bthom70]

I was able to get a better priced sailing on MSC for Jun 2016. I'm working it out now with another family we are traveling with. 2nd, MSC will recognize your Diamond/Elite Status.
I'll have more to weigh in on after June 2016, but for now I'm soured to Royal and Celebrity due to pricing and itineraries