Price of Cruise Keeps Going Up

[Tom O.]

It has been my experience in the past, that when a cruise is first announced, the prices quoted are very high, but they go down as the sailing date approaches. We like to book well in advance so we have a better selection of cabins. Then we look for reductions in prices and ask our TA to try to get us the lower price.

Last November I booked an 11 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the N. Amsterdam that sails in January 2017. Since then I have been checking for lower prices on that cruise. But the prices just keep going up. Just last week there was an increase of $400 pp for a balcony cabin. This was on top of a $100 increase earlier this summer.

So it looks like we won't be getting any lower price breaks on this cruise. Now, I am just glad I booked so far in advance.

I must assume that this cruise is selling well and HAL is anticipating it to be sold out well in advance. This is good news for HAL. I was wondering if this was the experience with other HAL cruises too, or perhaps my cruise is just proving to be very popular.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I noticed that when HAL came out with the newest Explore4 program either the end of July or beginning of August, the prices for a couple of cruises that we were looking at went up. The increase is to cover the cost of the Explore4 program.

[RMLincoln]

I wonder if there are perks now attached to the higher prices?

 

Our current booking was part of the Anniversary Sale, but we were able to book it without the "sale" perks which would have cost us each $970 for $650 worth of perks. Now the Explore 4 package is being attached to many cruises, mostly in 2017. That could have something to do with it.

 

Good for you to get a good price in advance, plus your choice of cabins! Enjoy, m--

[kazu]

It has been my experience in the past, that when a cruise is first announced, the prices quoted are very high, but they go down as the sailing date approaches. We like to book well in advance so we have a better selection of cabins. Then we look for reductions in prices and ask our TA to try to get us the lower price.

Last November I booked an 11 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the N. Amsterdam that sails in January 2017. Since then I have been checking for lower prices on that cruise. But the prices just keep going up. Just last week there was an increase of $400 pp for a balcony cabin. This was on top of a $100 increase earlier this summer.

So it looks like we won't be getting any lower price breaks on this cruise. Now, I am just glad I booked so far in advance.

I must assume that this cruise is selling well and HAL is anticipating it to be sold out well in advance. This is good news for HAL. I was wondering if this was the experience with other HAL cruises too, or perhaps my cruise is just proving to be very popular.

 

I actually am starting to wonder if HAL is doing some EBS (Early Booking Savings) again? Our cruise in March (30 days) was very reasonable IMO when we booked. Prices have jumped enormously on this cruise and jumped again with Explore4 (of course). Even though it's a Euopean cruise I have to surmise that it is either (a) selling well or (b) the price when we booked was a type of early savings.

 

Prices should come down a bit after Explore4 but they have a long way to go to get down to the level of what they were when we booked. Currently now a $4,000 Cdn difference for NS!

[IRL_Joanie]

It has been my experience in the past, that when a cruise is first announced, the prices quoted are very high, but they go down as the sailing date approaches. We like to book well in advance so we have a better selection of cabins. Then we look for reductions in prices and ask our TA to try to get us the lower price.

Last November I booked an 11 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the N. Amsterdam that sails in January 2017. Since then I have been checking for lower prices on that cruise. But the prices just keep going up. Just last week there was an increase of $400 pp for a balcony cabin. This was on top of a $100 increase earlier this summer.

So it looks like we won't be getting any lower price breaks on this cruise. Now, I am just glad I booked so far in advance.

I must assume that this cruise is selling well and HAL is anticipating it to be sold out well in advance. This is good news for HAL. I was wondering if this was the experience with other HAL cruises too, or perhaps my cruise is just proving to be very popular.

 

Same experience as yours. Next cruise is same except for ours is November 2016.

 

Our experience to date has been the same as you described, except for the fact, in our experiences, the prices usually start the dropping within a week or so AFTER final payment date. Only once have I seen a price drop, in our category, 1 month before Final Payment Date. We always book Neptune Suites now, but our first few cruises were in VA's, VF's and Signature Suites.

 

Joanie

[serendipity1499]

It has been my experience in the past, that when a cruise is first announced, the prices quoted are very high, but they go down as the sailing date approaches. We like to book well in advance so we have a better selection of cabins. Then we look for reductions in prices and ask our TA to try to get us the lower price.

Last November I booked an 11 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the N. Amsterdam that sails in January 2017. Since then I have been checking for lower prices on that cruise. But the prices just keep going up. Just last week there was an increase of $400 pp for a balcony cabin. This was on top of a $100 increase earlier this summer.

So it looks like we won't be getting any lower price breaks on this cruise. Now, I am just glad I booked so far in advance.

I must assume that this cruise is selling well and HAL is anticipating it to be sold out well in advance. This is good news for HAL. I was wondering if this was the experience with other HAL cruises too, or perhaps my cruise is just proving to be very popular.

 

January is a peak month & the New Amsterdam is a fairly new ship compared to the other HAL ships.. I noticed a small reduction in price for our Oct. cruise on the Zeiderdam to the Carib but do not expect prices to go down further any time soon.. Plus it looks like the Caribbean is doing so much better than European cruises at this time..

 

Agree you probably did a wise thing by booking early..Hope you enjoy your cruise..

[Tom O.]

I noticed that when HAL came out with the newest Explore4 program either the end of July or beginning of August, the prices for a couple of cruises that we were looking at went up. The increase is to cover the cost of the Explore4 program.

 

That explains it. The Explore 4 deal would add to the cost. I am glad I booked before the Explore 4 was added, as it is little value to me. While I would enjoy eating in the PG, I have no use for the beverage package. I drink a little, but my wife is a teetotaler.

I would rather add packages individually that I want, rather than end up paying for a package that I cannot use.

[RocketMan275]

That explains it. The Explore 4 deal would add to the cost. I am glad I booked before the Explore 4 was added, as it is little value to me. While I would enjoy eating in the PG, I have no use for the beverage package. I drink a little, but my wife is a teetotaler.

I would rather add packages individually that I want, rather than end up paying for a package that I cannot use.

 

It's very easy to avoid paying for promos that have no value to you. Ask for the no-promo fare.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

There are Web sites that will monitor the price.

[ski ww]

We are also booked on this cruise. There was a price drop last month & I posted it on the roll call. Since then they have gone up again. Just this week one of the roll call members posted that they got a better price on their cabin. We also don't care for the Explore 4 package as the cost is not worth it to us. See you on board.

Allan & Marlane

[HELENPSL]

In July 2015 we booked a SE Asia cruise for Feb. 2017. The price was a bit high but we wanted a specific cabin so we booked it. Shortly after there were 2 price drops which lowered the price considerably. As of last week, the price had gone up on the Vista suites by $2950 per person. As of now, the Lanai, Vista and Neptune categories are sold out. I'm still a believer in booking early and watching for the price drops. If they come - great. If not, then we got what we wanted and we're happy.

 

Helen

[Snooksi]

I am sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam for 9 nights during Christmas. I had tracked this cruise since May and just couldn't decide if I wanted to vacation during Christmas or not. After the 4th price drop (since May) last Friday, I finally took the plunge and I am so glad I did. The price then increased last night at midnight by $1000 (for the 3 of us). Apparently, I booked at precisely the perfect time because I am still in shock at what a great deal I paid for 3 of us in a balcony cabin on deck 8 for 9 nights during CHRISTMAS!! WOO HOO!!! We are spending Christmas in the Caribbean this year!!!!!! Sooooooo excited and this will be our first HAL cruise!!

[sail7seas]

If you found the price agreeable qhen you book which presumably you must have, seeing you booked. Is it not agreeable still?

[Hlitner]

Our response to the OP is simply, it depends on the cruise. For sure, some cruises (that book well) will see prices increase as unsold inventory is reduced. On the other hand, if a cruise is not selling well there will be price reductions (sometimes huge) in order to sell unsold inventory and help in maximizing onboard revenue. The problem here on CC (not just on the HAL boards) is folks use anecdotal info (often based on 1 or two experiences) to project an entire policy. So, for example, we could offer an recent anecdote (our actual experience) where we were able to snag a Zuiderdam balcony for a 24 day European cruise..for a total price (including taxes, fees) of less then $4800. And on top of that price we were able to get several hundred dollars of OBCs. But our recent experience does not mean that HAL prices go down at the last minute (we booked that Zuiderdam cruise inside the final payment period)....but simply means that a specific cruise had a "fire sale" to unload inventory. We had actually wanted to book the cruise after ours....but prices on that voyage had been increasing. This is why we have long posted that for those of us who sometimes enjoy grabbing last minute bargains....it is necessary to keep lots of flexibility regarding dates, ships and even cruise lines.

 

So now, DW wants me to find a shorter cruise (no more then 14 days) in late October or 1st week of November. It would nicely fit between other trips (and another cruise) and we often have lots of fun grabbing last minute things. So I will soon start to look...but will be looking at all cruise lines (we have cruised on 14 lines), river cruises, AIs, or perhaps a fly-drive trip to Europe. Perhaps we will find a great deal on HAL...or maybe it will be Princess. We agree that the excitement of a last minute trip does not fit everyone's lifestyle (or anxiety level)...but for those that have the time....it can be amazing fun.

 

Hank

[sandij]

We usually book a year or so out and this time we booked the NA for a January sailing and recently checked the prices and they were indeed 3 to 4 hundred dollars higher than we paid. So glad we booked early and got the limited cabin we wanted. I too don't drink and would not have wanted the Explore 4 package.

[Tom O.]

If you found the price agreeable qhen you book which presumably you must have, seeing you booked. Is it not agreeable still?

 

I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining. We were happy with the original booking price, and we were thrilled that we booked early enough to get an aft balcony.

But, my experience in the past is that there are often price drops, which we are usually able to take advantage of. So I always keep checking for these drops. I was surprised to find increases instead of drops and was wondering what was different.

Since we have a limited budget, any savings I can stir up, allows us to spend more on something else.

We are happy that we planned ahead and got a decent price from the get-go.

Looking forward to this cruise.

[Moonlight Beach]

Deleted

Edited August 29, 2016 by Moonlight Beach

[sapper1]

I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining. We were happy with the original booking price, and we were thrilled that we booked early enough to get an aft balcony.

But, my experience in the past is that there are often price drops, which we are usually able to take advantage of. So I always keep checking for these drops. I was surprised to find increases instead of drops and was wondering what was different.

Since we have a limited budget, any savings I can stir up, allows us to spend more on something else.

We are happy that we planned ahead and got a decent price from the get-go.

Looking forward to this cruise.

 

I think most people realized that you weren't complaining and were merely making an observation. I have noticed the same trend over the last few years. We book our cruises very far out and the price almost inevitably rises after a few months. It has made us firm converts to the idea of booking very early.

 

There was a time when you could often pick up a price drop at final payment but that doesn't seem to happen any more. This is not a complaint---merely an observation. I find our cruise prices agreeable as booked or we wouldn't be booking them.

[blizzardboy]

It has been my experience in the past, that when a cruise is first announced, the prices quoted are very high, but they go down as the sailing date approaches. We like to book well in advance so we have a better selection of cabins. Then we look for reductions in prices and ask our TA to try to get us the lower price.

Last November I booked an 11 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the N. Amsterdam that sails in January 2017. Since then I have been checking for lower prices on that cruise. But the prices just keep going up. Just last week there was an increase of $400 pp for a balcony cabin. This was on top of a $100 increase earlier this summer.

So it looks like we won't be getting any lower price breaks on this cruise. Now, I am just glad I booked so far in advance.

I must assume that this cruise is selling well and HAL is anticipating it to be sold out well in advance. This is good news for HAL. I was wondering if this was the experience with other HAL cruises too, or perhaps my cruise is just proving to be very popular.

 

you picked a very popular itinerary in the beginning of "high season". We booked a Neptune for the mid-Jan 2016 departure of this cruise aboard the Oo'dam when it first opened for booking and it doubled in price by sail date.

[avian777]

... Last November I booked an 11 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the N. Amsterdam that sails in January 2017. Since then I have been checking for lower prices on that cruise. But the prices just keep going up. Just last week there was an increase of $400 pp for a balcony cabin. This was on top of a $100 increase earlier this summer... I must assume that this cruise is selling well and HAL is anticipating it to be sold out well in advance. This is good news for HAL. I was wondering if this was the experience with other HAL cruises too, or perhaps my cruise is just proving to be very popular.

 

We booked the 11-day Southern Caribbean cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam last January (to get our preferred Suite) and also got a very good fare that has gradually gone up as (I think) the cruise has sold out. IMO fare increases/decreases are a function of how well or poorly a cruise is selling.

Smooth sailing ...

[CruiserBruce]

We booked a 21 day sailing on KDam next March, in an SB, back in early January. A month ago, two SIL decided to join us for the first 10 days (its a B2B) of our cruise. They are paying $200 per person less for 10 days, in an SB, than we are for 21 days. The cruise before and after (which is the second half of our cruise) has been sold out in the suites for a couple of months.

 

We booked an SC GTY on Eurodam for it's repositioning cruise in Oct 2017. The price went up $600pp about 2 weeks after we booked, coinciding with Explore4 being added.

Edited August 29, 2016 by CruiserBruce

[sail7seas]

I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining. We were happy with the original booking price, and we were thrilled that we booked early enough to get an aft balcony.

But, my experience in the past is that there are often price drops, which we are usually able to take advantage of. So I always keep checking for these drops. I was surprised to find increases instead of drops and was wondering what was different.

Since we have a limited budget, any savings I can stir up, allows us to spend more on something else.

We are happy that we planned ahead and got a decent price from the get-go.

Looking forward to this cruise.

 

 

Yes, of c ourse, we all like a price cdrop if we are lucky enough to get one. Good luck. Hope you hav e a pleasant surprise.

[summersigh]

It has been my experience in the past, that when a cruise is first announced, the prices quoted are very high, but they go down as the sailing date approaches. ..............Now, I am just glad I booked so far in advance.

I must assume that this cruise is selling well and HAL is anticipating it to be sold out well in advance.

All of the cruise lines use computer algorithms that determine the price and price changes of each cabin. Humans basically do not orchestrate the price changes - the specifically programed algorithms do it. We've been seeing, on all of our cruises, that the prices for specific cruises have gone up as time passes

[SLOTheta]

For our 12 day July Mediterranean cruise, we booked 5 months in advance without Explore 4. It wasn't offered. A month before our cruise, the price increased without any extras and then sold out.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[jabcruiser]

We booked 11 Day Panama Canal Sunfarer for Nov '16 in early May. Promo then included prepaid daily gratuities (hotel service charge), 2- $50 beverage cards, 200 min internet, and $300 each cabin credit in SS. Rate was as cheap as have ever seen for this cruise even without any incentives. Have checked periodically since then and has consistently run $200 to $300+ more . Glad booked when I did. Received HAL email indicating special Mariner rates. Had already been watching this cruise, checked rates and incentives and booked right away. Plenty of SS to choose from.

Jane

Jane