New dates-New pricing

[edpeeks]

With the release of new sail dates in 2017-18 it looks like we will be going from aft balconies to inside rooms! My TA recently told me that cruise prices have been low the past few years and are going to "correct". We have been able to get aft balcony for around $2500 (Royal, 10 day, Oct.), now the essentially same cruise will be in the mid $4K. next year.

Oh well!

[Amtrack Springfield]

Those balcony's are in high demand. "They are running sales with big OBC and they are moving the prices up.

[Cruise Raider]

With the release of new sail dates in 2017-18 it looks like we will be going from aft balconies to inside rooms! My TA recently told me that cruise prices have been low the past few years and are going to "correct". We have been able to get aft balcony for around $2500 (Royal, 10 day, Oct.), now the essentially same cruise will be in the mid $4K. next year.

Oh well!

 

We usually sail in whatever room affords us a place to sleep for $100 a day per person. If that gets us a balcony, then great ... if not, inside rooms still get you on the ship. Funny thing is, we've been using that pricing for 2 decades and still seem to be able to sniggle our way onto a balcony now and then. The thing is, for the popular itineraries in prime season, the prices will most likely remain higher but if you go on the shoulder season or a route that is less in demand, prices will most assuredly drop.

 

What I have noticed going up up up is the taxes, port charges, other fees and government charges. We have little control over that, I guess.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Do not know about US prices, but the new rates here in UK are just silly,

 

three times what I will pay, so might be booking cruises just weeks before

 

sailing to get great rates, like we have just done.

 

yours Shogun

[geocruiser]

I have all so found the rates to be high. I have one Princess cruise book for 1/17, but I may look at other lines for some of our other cruises. I do understand some of a price increase, but not double the price and may be no increase in services.

Edited May 22, 2016 by geocruiser

[Zooguy]

We booked a month on the Regal for Jan-Feb 2017. Made the booking ourselves direct In December 2015. Prices have gone up about 44% since then and the OBC promotion is gone.

I'm going to see how 2018 looks if available.

Edited May 22, 2016 by Zooguy

[PescadoAmarillo]

Do not worry yet about 2017-18 pricing. It's far too early to have a feel for where pricing will be. I booked a slew of cruises when they opened for booking, and DH knows not to even ask about pricing anymore. First, it would give him a heart attack and second, they will only stay the same or drop, and most likely will drop quite a bit, unless it's a unique itinerary.

[Zooguy]

Do not worry yet about 2017-18 pricing. It's far too early to have a feel for where pricing will be. I booked a slew of cruises when they opened for booking, and DH knows not to even ask about pricing anymore. First, it would give him a heart attack and second, they will only stay the same or drop, and most likely will drop quite a bit, unless it's a unique itinerary.

 

 

I just looked at the Royal/Regal pricing for 2018. Almost all of the balcony cabins we wanted are already sold, and the price is $1000 per person above my 2017 price.

I'm going to take your advice and wait to see what happens.

[geocruiser]

Do not worry yet about 2017-18 pricing. It's far too early to have a feel for where pricing will be. I booked a slew of cruises when they opened for booking, and DH knows not to even ask about pricing anymore. First, it would give him a heart attack and second, they will only stay the same or drop, and most likely will drop quite a bit, unless it's a unique itinerary.

 

What I am finding with winter prices for Caribbean cruise is that lots of the cabins are booked. On our Regal 1/8/17 cruise there was not one mid ship balcony cabin open on deck 8. Do you think that Princess is holding back these cabins?

[paul929207]

Carnival Corp has been reporting higher sales at higher average price every quarter for a year or more. It was bound to show up in our prices

[Mary Ann 2]

I'm with you. I can't even find anything to book for next summer due to the much higher prices. Guess it will be a year just to travel in Europe not cruise....

[232271]

I am looking at Princess Alaska and I agree, the prices have GONE UP quite a bit from this year! :eek:

[jimmieg]

Supply and demand. Just saw a 7 night Royal this summer in the Med for under $700 (balcony) with free grats and OBC.

Meantime, Alaska is higher than last few years and getting lots of dates with more limited cabins.

They will ultimately find the sweet spot that makes a profit and fills the cabins. The more flexible (date/cabin) you are, the better the savings.

[moki'smommy]

It will all shake out and then we'll see what the rates/sales actually do. Many people book cabins when the rates/dates come out and find later that they have to cancel or move their date. After having to do this a couple times, I've quit booking far in advance.

 

There's no way to know if they are holding back cabins or not. Totally possible.

[muggo11]

I keep an eye out for cruises with low rates via **********. Easy to find the routes with lowest balcony rates, etc.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Chris86]

With the release of new sail dates in 2017-18 it looks like we will be going from aft balconies to inside rooms! My TA recently told me that cruise prices have been low the past few years and are going to "correct". We have been able to get aft balcony for around $2500 (Royal, 10 day, Oct.), now the essentially same cruise will be in the mid $4K. next year.

Oh well!

 

In my opinion the cruise tactic devalues there product. How is mid 4k for a 10 night sailing value on a premium/ mass market ship. Understandable it gives people a sense of a saving when they eventually pay $1500 to 2k for it. But constantly reducing rates leaves a bad taste. Im sure we would all prefer upfront reasonable rates with slight discounting and promotions. Sorry princess and cruise industry dramaticaly increasing your brochure price isnt going to entic everyone to double there budget. Particularly when everyone can see the same itinerary this year is a third of the price.

[riclop]

With the release of new sail dates in 2017-18 it looks like we will be going from aft balconies to inside rooms! My TA recently told me that cruise prices have been low the past few years and are going to "correct". We have been able to get aft balcony for around $2500 (Royal, 10 day, Oct.), now the essentially same cruise will be in the mid $4K. next year.

Oh well!

 

Agree there prices have gotten ridiculous so bye Princess.

[Cruise Junky]

Agree there prices have gotten ridiculous so bye Princess.

 

I totally agree. There's a decent 14 day med cruise that caught our eye but it's $4,600 Cdn pp. I booked a good Celebrity cruise whilst onboard 2 weeks ago for $3,000 Cdn pp (really big balcony compared to Royal) and I got a drink package and $500 OBC. Princess aren't on the same planet. There's an extra 3 days on a royal but for that price difference there has to be more than three days!! Why would I even wait for a price reduction, I'll just go elsewhere.

[PescadoAmarillo]

What I am finding with winter prices for Caribbean cruise is that lots of the cabins are booked. On our Regal 1/8/17 cruise there was not one mid ship balcony cabin open on deck 8. Do you think that Princess is holding back these cabins?

 

Is the cruise available as a logical (B2B) booking? If so, it's very possible that Princess has blocks of rooms reserved to be booked one way but not the other. When I book an entire season, I have no idea what I'm going to encounter. The cabin we want may be available for three single bookings, then a logical, then a single, then two logicals. I have to book it however it is made available to keep the same cabin.

[jennybenny]

We usually sail in whatever room affords us a place to sleep for $100 a day per person. If that gets us a balcony, then great ... if not, inside rooms still get you on the ship. Funny thing is, we've been using that pricing for 2 decades and still seem to be able to sniggle our way onto a balcony now and then. The thing is, for the popular itineraries in prime season, the prices will most likely remain higher but if you go on the shoulder season or a route that is less in demand, prices will most assuredly drop.

 

What I have noticed going up up up is the taxes, port charges, other fees and government charges. We have little control over that, I guess.

 

So glad I'm not the only one! That used to be my measure, the $100 per day mark. However, with holiday cruises, that gets thrown out the window, but I do feel that at $100 per day people are getting an incredible deal!!

 

I have noticed prices inching up, hopefully it won't price us out of cruises altogether. If it does it will mean less cruises, I'm sure we won't go away from them completely.

 

Right now the goal is one cruise per year (one land vacation per year) and anything more is a bonus (we've been lucky with the bonus vacations!), but I'm just happy to be able to vacation with the family.

Edited May 23, 2016 by jennybenny

[geocruiser]

Is the cruise available as a logical (B2B) booking? If so, it's very possible that Princess has blocks of rooms reserved to be booked one way but not the other. When I book an entire season, I have no idea what I'm going to encounter. The cabin we want may be available for three single bookings, then a logical, then a single, then two logicals. I have to book it however it is made available to keep the same cabin.

 

I just checked what you said about it being a B2B (14 night). I checked the B2B leaving on my sail date 1/8/16 on Regal, and there is not a balcony cabin for sale any where on any floor! I can't believe that they are sold out mid ship this early.

[Cruise Junky]

I just checked what you said about it being a B2B (14 night). I checked the B2B leaving on my sail date 1/8/16 on Regal, and there is not a balcony cabin for sale any where on any floor! I can't believe that they are sold out mid ship this early.

 

Princess has a habit of holding back cabins for different segments. A few years ago there was a TransAtlantic that could be booked as a 15 or 17 day cruise. Not a single Caribe balcony was released for the 15 day but wide open for the 17.