What do you consider a good price?

[Bound4Bermuda]

Obviously costs will vary tremendously based on cabin type and itinerary, not to mention demand, but with all of the posts about the sales not really being sales, I'm just curious what everyone thinks is a good deal.

 

I'm doing the 12-night Mediterranean Venice cruise on Brilliance, inside cabin. "Sticker price" is $2,141 pp, but with the Wow sale, we got it at $1,498 plus $100 OBC pp. Then add $155.40 gratuities, $118.79 taxes and port fees, $63 transfers, $891.75 excursions, and $915.13 airfare, that comes out to $3,642.07 pp or $7,284.14 total. We had guesstimated such a trip to Europe would be about $8,000, so we think this is about right--and a pretty good deal considering it includes 8 tours. It's definitely cheaper than if we tried to hit 8 different cities on our own!

 

Good deal, right? Or not? Tell me why you think so. What do you consider a reasonable cost?

 

 

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[Clarea]

I don't have a rule of thumb for inside staterooms. However, for balconies, I look for $100 per person / per day, before taxes and gratuities. A good deal on a JS for us would be $150 per person / per day. So the inside would have to be significantly less than $100pppd for me to consider it a good deal.

Edited February 24, 2016 by clarea

[FSUNole]

I don't have a rule of thumb for inside staterooms. However, for balconies, I look for $100 per person / per day, before taxes and gratuities. A good deal on a JS for us would be $150 per person / per day. So the inside would have to be significantly less than $100pppd for me to consider it a good deal.

 

I also look at the when/where specifics for the cruise.

[jonj]

For us, a good price would be based on what we would normally pay at a hotel of our preference on land and how much we would spend on food daily. If the cruise comes close to that or a bit over since entertainment is also included then it is a good deal for us. For European cruises we also include what it would cost us for transportation between the cities we are visiting and we also find that not having to pack and unpack adds value to a cruise price too

Edited February 24, 2016 by jonj

[fragilek]

doing 9 nights on med cruise in large (new OV cabins) in early Sep for $2300 that includes taxes, service, and select drinks pack - I think that's an OK deal that's $128 pp/day but includes drinks service and port. but was hoping for $100 :D

Edited February 24, 2016 by fragilek

[Funbobby68]

100.00 bucks a day PP , give or take 20 depending on cabin ect . That's after any deals , and I never take into account OBC if any to justify paying more , just because if we want to go somewhere out of the normal I have airfare to contend with as well

[sparklies70]

I say as long as it's less than you'd pay to spend that many nights in hotels in the various ports you're visiting, it's a good deal. Time of year, popularity, and ship also matter.

 

I just booked 10 nights on Serenade OTS for January 2017, cabin 1024, for $130 pp/pd INCLUDING taxes & gratuities. I feel like that's an incredible price for the Southern Caribbean.

[jstewie23]

I typically look for a JS since it's 4 of us (2 kids). If I can get that for under $5K (which includes taxes/fees), then I think it's a good deal. We typically sail on the "newer" ships, so I expect to pay more on those by default.

[molly361]

I never used to factor in the OBC offers when calculating a price per day but there have been so many now that I do factor them in now.

 

For example we have a 4 night OV booked for 2017 at $810 total but it has $276 OBC which is a lot for a 4 day cruise.

 

That said, like Bob I call anything at around $100 per day per person for a balcony a good deal. I factor in taxes and the balcony discount to get that number.

 

It seems though that it is getting harder to find cruises at that rate.

 

OP $7284 for 12 nights , food lodging and excursions sounds good to me

Edited February 24, 2016 by molly361

[Biker19]

$3300 (with port fees and Select drink package) for a 10 day Med cruise in a GS cabin seemed like a good deal, even though initially I had an inside cabin for the same cruise for $1500 (without the drink package).

Edited February 24, 2016 by Biker19

[fragilek]

$3300 (with port fees and Select drink package) for a 10 day Med cruise in a GS cabin seemed like a good deal, even though initially I had an inside cabin for the same cruise for $1600 (without the drink package).

 

wow- is that for the cabin or each

[Dianka25]

I don't have a rule of thumb for inside staterooms. However, for balconies, I look for $100 per person / per day, before taxes and gratuities. A good deal on a JS for us would be $150 per person / per day. So the inside would have to be significantly less than $100pppd for me to consider it a good deal.

 

Bob is that your rule of thumb for Caribbean cruises too?

[Tripper10]

I say as long as it's less than you'd pay to spend that many nights in hotels in the various ports you're visiting, it's a good deal. Time of year, popularity, and ship also matter.

 

I just booked 10 nights on Serenade OTS for January 2017, cabin 1024, for $130 pp/pd INCLUDING taxes & gratuities. I feel like that's an incredible price for the Southern Caribbean.

 

Hotel prices and land based trips is irrelevant for comparison to a cruise price. Time of year, popularity, cruise line and ship is what matters.

[Clarea]

Bob is that your rule of thumb for Caribbean cruises too?

Yes, I should have mentioned that was for typical 7-day Caribbean cruises. Some cruises can be much less per day, like transatlantics, or odd one-way cruises. A recent Rhapsody cruise from Dubai to Venice comes to mind. Some cruises can be much more per day, such as Alaska cruises.

[papaflamingo]

A "good deal" is whatever YOU think it is. Prices change all the time. Your ability to go, especially to Europe, changes all the time. For me, a "good deal" is a "feeling." If I see a cruise, at a price I think is ok, I book it. If the price goes down, great. If it goes up, fine. You'll know. I don't EVER consider tips, port charges, plane flights, as those are pretty much "fixed" costs. However OBC and C & A discounts do affect price.

Anyway, cruise prices are pretty high this year. So your cruise, if it's what you want and what you can afford, is a "good deal" based on todays prices. Would I do it? I doubt I'd pay that much for an inside cabin. But we did a 10 night Greek Isle cruise last Sep. and it was $1591 plus port charges, tips, etc. per person for a JS. THAT was a good deal in my opinion. But that was Sep., a time when kids were back in school, etc. So, I guess what my point is, is that no one can really tell you what's a good deal. Only you can determine that. If you think you are paying too much, then you might want to reconsider. Remember though, you can book it and cancel anytime before final payment. As an example, by final payment, the JS on my cruise was over $3000 per person.

Edited February 24, 2016 by papaflamingo

[Biker19]

wow- is that for the cabin or each

 

Cabin.

[fragilek]

Cabin.

 

that's a great price

[cruizinnoon]

Agreed that whatever you feel is a good price is what you should pay. We are doing some cruising over the Memorial Day holiday and those price points aren't the same as if we did them in low season. Great thing about cruising is that you can adjust the price of the same vacation by choosing a different room type. To me "of the Seas" in an interior beats "on the couch" at my house any day.

 

 

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[Biker19]

that's a great price

 

It is one of those very rare times when booking on the UK site was a lot cheaper than the US site.;)

[goneclear]

$4,300 to $4,800 for two people in a GS, inclusive of gratuities and insurance for a 7 night cruise.

[gadaboutgal]

A good price is whatever you think is good. As for a great price: 7 day Jewel of the Sea Mediterranean/Turkey cruise from Rome July 2016 in an oceanview cabin for base fare $540 per person with $75 obc. :D Of course, this was booked August 2015 before Royal started raising the price of all their cruises to a minimum $100 a night inside cabins.

[sparklies70]

Hotel prices and land based trips is irrelevant for comparison to a cruise price. Time of year, popularity, cruise line and ship is what matters.

 

It's not at all irrelevant. If I'd pay less to see all of those places on a cruise versus on a land-based trip with all other thing being equal and still derive the same enjoyment, it's very much relevant.

Also, notice I began my original post with "I say," meaning it's MY opinion. Doesn't need to concur with yours.

[Bound4Bermuda]

Hmm. All good points. It sounds like I'm paying more than typical for an inside cabin. However, I am paying a lot less than hotels would cost in these cities (Barcelona, Nice, Florence, Rome, Venice [2 days], Bologna, Dubrovnivk, Kotor), so if I was coming from the perspective of focus on the ship, it's not a "deal," but I'm coming from the perspective of focus on the ports, so it is for me.

 

 

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[Bmorecruiser021]

I don't have a rule of thumb for inside staterooms. However, for balconies, I look for $100 per person / per day, before taxes and gratuities. A good deal on a JS for us would be $150 per person / per day. So the inside would have to be significantly less than $100pppd for me to consider it a good deal.

 

 

I'm with bob, I try to never pay more then $100 pp per day, that includes everything. For example DW and I are going on a 12 day cruise on grandeur next winter. Ticket price was something around $1100 pp (for a large interior) add insurance, gratuity, and port fees / taxes it came to grand total of $2589.64. BUT we also got $40O OBC (combined on board booking bonus with the current WOW sale) so i subtract that $400 from $2589.64 and get $2189.64. Divide that by number of nights (12) the again by number of pp (2) and I get around $91 pp per day and that make me happy. Others we have sailed with have a price point lower; $90, $75, one couple we met would only sail for $50 a day[emoji50], but $100 a day is what works for my family and whatever category cabin that gets us we are happy with :)

[Beachammo]

I'm also in the Bob camp.....

 

I try to stay around $100pp per day for an aft ocean balcony cabin and $125pp per day for a JS. Really never considered an interior or OV. Would never pay a premium for the others (GS or OS) as when I'm in the cabin.....I'm on the balcony.

 

And my aft balcony is larger than the suites balcony anyways.....