2017 Prices for 7 Day Alaska - WOW

[qsuzi]

Current startling price increase of $2,000 per person, SY category, for 7 day RT Alaska from Seattle in 2017. This is a substantial increase over 2015 and 2016 prices for the same itinerary. Even with major increased demand it's hard to understand that much of an increase.

[Keith1010]

It all comes down to what the public will pay. If the demand is down then the price will go down.

 

Keith

[Cruiser Andi]

Wow! I just looked and it is a huge increase. As you said, the demand has been high this season. With prices that high, I know I won't be going next year.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We were looking at Alaska for 2017 -- yup -- the prices are higher.

Only time will tell if the prices go down.

[SilvertoGold]

HAL must think the troubles in Europe will continue for quite a while.

 

Safe homeporting cruises like Alaska and Can-New England have some wild pricing even now with the season closing in.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I was speaking to the FCC on New A in February, and she indicated that exceptional interest in Koningsdam has increased interest in all of HAL. I'm booked on a Koningsdam charter in February, but otherwise prices are far too high to sail in one of its new single outside cabins. Here's a comparison:

 

I'm sailing to the Baltics in September 2017. I'm sailing Norwegian Getaway in a studio cabin for a total cost of less than $2,000 for 9 nights. That includes free booze. Koningsdam is doing a 14 night sailing to the Baltics at the exact same time. And yes, the HAL itinerary is 5 nights longer, I get that. But the price for an interior on K-dam is $4,373 and for an oceanview the price is $4,899. Before taxes and port fees. No free booze.

 

I want to sail HAL to someplace like the Baltics, but I can't afford to. :( Unfortunately prices are up for all of the lines even as they add capacity.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Cruiser Bruiser

[sail7seas]

I agree there may be some influence of expected down numbers of sales for Europe. I'm starting to speculate it won't take much more terrorism or fear of it for some cruise lines to put at least one ship back in the Caribbean for the summer. I loved when HAL did summer Caribbean cruises. They were great.

[sail7seas]

I was speaking to the FCC on New A in February, and she indicated that exceptional interest in Koningsdam has increased interest in all of HAL. I'm booked on a Koningsdam charter in February, but otherwise prices are far too high to sail in one of its new single outside cabins. Here's a comparison:

 

I'm sailing to the Baltics in September 2017. I'm sailing Norwegian Getaway in a studio cabin for a total cost of less than $2,000 for 9 nights. That includes free booze. Koningsdam is doing a 14 night sailing to the Baltics at the exact same time. And yes, the HAL itinerary is 5 nights longer, I get that. But the price for an interior on K-dam is $4,373 and for an oceanview the price is $4,899. Before taxes and port fees. No free booze.

 

I want to sail HAL to someplace like the Baltics, but I can't afford to. :( Unfortunately prices are up for all of the lines even as they add capacity.

 

FCC's have one job on the ships and that is to sell cruises and sell HAL. I don't always put a lot of faith in much they say. I stopped even spending time with them as I knew they were sometimes giving incorrect information. I don't think they did it on purpose but I knew what they said, in a few cases, was not accurate.

 

[joepeka]

I agree there may be some influence of expected down numbers of sales for Europe. I'm starting to speculate it won't take much more terrorism or fear of it for some cruise lines to put at least one ship back in the Caribbean for the summer. I loved when HAL did summer Caribbean cruises. They were great.

 

Totally agree - I do wish HAL would do summer Caribbean itin's again. It's been pretty much only Carnival and RCI sailing the Caribbean during the summer for years.

[sail7seas]

We used to love when HAL would put their new ship in the Caribbean for their first summer in the fleet. We sailed a number of the "S" and "R" ships in the Caribbean when they were very new. We usually booked b-to-b and had great time. :)

[Kathyfromstl]

I'm booked for a July 2016 cruise to Alaska in SY category room. I just checked prices for next July and this category is $1500 pp higher next summer without E4 and OBC. Wonder if all the groups booking is causing prices to rise for the remainder of the rooms. I also noticed that the Westerdam is not going to Alaska next summer. Will it be in dry dock next summer getting it's upgrades?

[sail7seas]

I'm booked for a July 2016 cruise to Alaska in SY category room. I just checked prices for next July and this category is $1500 pp higher next summer without E4 and OBC. Wonder if all the groups booking is causing prices to rise for the remainder of the rooms. I also noticed that the Westerdam is not going to Alaska next summer. Will it be in dry dock next summer getting it's upgrades?

 

I don't know where Westerdam is scheduled to be but doubt she'd be in dry dock the whole summer.

 

[sapper1]

I just checked and the price for the first cruise of the season on the NA next year for an SS cabin is the same price per person as we paid for two people for the second cruise of the season this year on the NA. That is a 100% increase in price

Amazing.

We were considering that cruise for next year. Time will tell if we do it.

[Scrapnana]

I'm booked for a July 2016 cruise to Alaska in SY category room. I just checked prices for next July and this category is $1500 pp higher next summer without E4 and OBC. Wonder if all the groups booking is causing prices to rise for the remainder of the rooms. I also noticed that the Westerdam is not going to Alaska next summer. Will it be in dry dock next summer getting it's upgrades?

 

Westerdam is going to be doing the Med during the summer of 2017.

[Scrapnana]

Current startling price increase of $2,000 per person, SY category, for 7 day RT Alaska from Seattle in 2017. This is a substantial increase over 2015 and 2016 prices for the same itinerary. Even with major increased demand it's hard to understand that much of an increase.

 

 

 

I think HAL will need to adjust today's prices. I just checked Princess. For a seven day cruise from Vancouver (same date as the HAL departure), I could get a suite on Princess for $200 more than an oceanview on HAL. For a solo traveler starting price for a balcony on Princess would be $2998 on HAL it is $5998. HAL is going to lose many customers if they don't fix this disparity.

[OVgirl]

The Caribbean cruises for next winter are still showing the same pricing as the View and Verandah sale. I think HAL better start updating their pricing without the promo.

Guess they just might be too busy with the new ship sailing.

[AZNative2000]

As we are planning for Alaska 2017, we have discussed the situation with our PCC at HAL. She says, they are creating the prices for the Land/Sea packages and to not pay any attention to the online prices until "the second week of March". She said we should be able to book by then. And we are looking for Land/Sea and the prices on the site are way high even for Land/Sea.

 

Currently, one of the online TAs is showing prices for July 2017 at almost the same prices as 2016. So, you can always search various TAs or wait a week to see if HAL's site clears up.

 

Cheers!

Edited March 6, 2016 by AZNative2000

[NoobCruise]

I've been doing dummy bookings for Alaska for June 2017 and I'm confused because I literally have 2 dummy bookings open at the same time, for the same cruise, for corner aft wraps on the same deck, opposite corners and there is a huge huge price difference. I thought nobody could charge less than HAL, that they can just sweeten the pot with OBC, dinners etc

 

If I book through the HAL site, for 2 passengers in 8140 (aft-wrap) on the Noordam for June 4th the price is $11,430

 

If I book using one of the big online travel sites for 2 people in 8147 (opposite corner aft-wrap) on the Noordam for June 4th, the total price is $6450

 

Why the difference? Screenshots attached, dummy bookings done just minutes apart

Edited March 6, 2016 by NoobCruise

[NoobCruise]

Here's the 2nd attachment on HAL site

 

I've been doing dummy bookings for Alaska for June 2017 and I'm confused because I literally have 2 dummy bookings open at the same time, for the same cruise, for corner aft wraps on the same deck, opposite corners and there is a huge huge price difference. I thought nobody could charge less than HAL, that they can just sweeten the pot with OBC, dinners etc

 

If I book through the HAL site, for 2 passengers in 8140 (aft-wrap) on the Noordam for June 4th the price is $11,430

 

If I book using one of the big online travel sites for 2 people in 8147 (opposite corner aft-wrap) on the Noordam for June 4th, the total price is $6450

 

Why the difference. Screenshots attached, dummy bookings done just minutes apart

Edited March 6, 2016 by NoobCruise

[Lizzie68]

I think HAL will need to adjust today's prices. I just checked Princess. For a seven day cruise from Vancouver (same date as the HAL departure), I could get a suite on Princess for $200 more than an oceanview on HAL. For a solo traveler starting price for a balcony on Princess would be $2998 on HAL it is $5998. HAL is going to lose many customers if they don't fix this disparity.

 

Princess has some really good deals from Vancouver this year as well and for a Vancouver-Hawaii-Vancouver next month. Very tempted.

Edited March 6, 2016 by Lizzie68

[Lizzie68]

I just checked and the price for the first cruise of the season on the NA next year for an SS cabin is the same price per person as we paid for two people for the second cruise of the season this year on the NA. That is a 100% increase in price

Amazing.

We were considering that cruise for next year. Time will tell if we do it.

 

I'm counting on you to join us, so I hope it comes down. I figured it would, because HAL just has too much competition for Alaska. Princess has become very popular from Vancouver.

[sail7seas]

As we are planning for Alaska 2017, we have discussed the situation with our PCC at HAL. She says, they are creating the prices for the Land/Sea packages and to not pay any attention to the online prices until "the second week of March". She said we should be able to book by then. And we are looking for Land/Sea and the prices on the site are way high even for Land/Sea.

 

Currently, one of the online TAs is showing prices for July 2017 at almost the same prices as 2016. So, you can always search various TAs or wait a week to see if HAL's site clears up.

 

Cheers!

 

Thanks for this post.

Good information.

 

[mek]

Princess has some really good deals from Vancouver this year as well and for a Vancouver-Hawaii-Vancouver next month. Very tempted.

 

There are always great deals for Alaska. I have no idea why anyone would want to book a 2017 cruise this far in advance and pay inflated prices.

[NoobCruise]

There are always great deals for Alaska. I have no idea why anyone would want to book a 2017 cruise this far in advance and pay inflated prices.

 

Because we want a specific group of cabins over specific dates. If we wait to book, we may not get the group of cabins we want. And on our previous Alaska cruises, we got lower prices by booking so far out. The prices only went up after we booked.

[sapper1]

There are always great deals for Alaska. I have no idea why anyone would want to book a 2017 cruise this far in advance and pay inflated prices.

 

Two years ago we took the Zuiderdam through the Canal to Vancouver and then stayed aboard for the first cruise to Alaska. We booked over a year in advance so we would not have to change cabins in Vancouver. We like SS cabins and there is a limited number of them. They sell out quickly.

 

If a person wants late fixed dining it's best to have a request in far in advance as well.

 

It has generally been my experience that, at final payment, the price of the cruise has gone up from our booking price, even though the price may drop after final payment. On the few occasions that the price has dropped prior to final payment, our agent has been able to secure the lower price for us.

 

We had our upcoming Hawaii/Tahiti cruise booked over a year in advance and by final payment the price was several thousand dollars more than we had booked at. The good private tours being organised on the roll call were filled many months ago and the newcomers are on wait lists.

 

Waiting for a last minute cruise deal is not a good option where I live as there are limited flights out of here on very small planes. Flights for the spring break period start to fill up by September or October.

 

Last, but not least, the planning is a good part of the fun for me. I love sorting out all the details.

 

Having said all that, though, I am not interested in a cruise that costs 100% more than the same cruise on the same ship in the same cabin category--- just one year later. I may book it and hold it to get the cabin I want but may not follow through.

 

I do realise that my upcoming Alaska cruise is booked in Canadian dollars at a 10% exchange rate being charged by HAL and that they are now charging 30% for Canadian dollar bookings. Taking that into account, there is still a whopping increase in the cost of the cruise.