A little tidbit on cruise prices over the years

[EBFURR]

Mrs CruzJunkie does a really good job of keeping up our photo albums and related mementos so when we were looking back at our early cruise vacation scrapbooks I found this invoice for our first cruise back in 1994 on the Majesty of the Seas. It was a 7 day western Caribbean (yes, 7 days on the Majesty and we were darn happy about it!). MJ was a sister to Sovereign and Monarch which were the newest and largest afloat back then. The cabins were, and are, tiny but we had no basis for comparison and we were more than pleased. Note that this was an outside deck 3 cabin @ $1541.50 per person! This did include round trip airfare, port transfers, and the note says cruise insurance also but I think that was in the neighborhood of $45 per person. You could have them drop the airfare and transfers but it really did not take off as much as you would think. Compare that to today's prices for even a balcony cabin and you can see that the cruise it self was more expensive even without factoring in inflation for 20+ years. We also have our sea pass bill and it looks like beer was $2.30 which was below most land based bars of the day and mixed drinks were in the $4-5 range. There were no "pay as you go" dining options and all food was included (with a midnight buffet every night). The MDR food and experience was more similar to dining in the extra cost venues today. Really, it was much more "all inclusive" in those days but also much more expensive to book. Contrast that to today where cruises cost as much or less per night than a good hotel. The trade off is that many things are much more a la carte these days so to get what you got then you pay more than the booking price. Still, you can book a cruise and enjoy very good food and drink for less money than back then. If you want more "wow" you just pony up some extra for it but you are probably still coming out ahead or just as well at least.

 

I post this as a reminder to those (including myself) who tend to complain about the "nickle and dime" extra charges these days. Sure, they charges continue to add up but the base cost continues to stay low so you have a choice. In the "good old days" you had no choice. You paid up front but you did get more for it. I would have to say that I would pay more up front in order to get what we got back then - better MDR food & service, lower bar prices, etc. That said, what I would be willing to pay for up front might not match up to what someone else would choose. The current system lets us choose for ourselves the level at which we are happy. For example, instead of the new $7.95 room service charge they could just raise the fares by $25-30 per person to cover the costs but then everyone pays for room service whether they use it or not.

 

A copy of our invoice:

 

[ONECRUISER]

My first cruise: Sovereign in 1988, $3400 total 2 passengers for deck 2 small porthole. And these ships didn't even have Balcony one. Not even counting inflation, I got a 10 nite on Serenade Aft Balcony Dec 2016 for $2000 total...

Of course back then soda pop with meals was free...

[Toddcan]

What would find fascinating is how the price has changed since the 1980's all the way through to today - but with data points every 1-2 years - not just the price then and now. From what I've read, 9/11, 2001 cause a major downward cost shift in almost all travel related expenses, including cruises. 2009-2009 market crash also forced prices downwards

 

Another relevant piece of data would be to publish the number of cabins for sale (on all ships combined) for each of those years too. Supply/demand is certainly a factor.

 

Personally, I have noticed that there was a sweet spot in cruising prices from 2006 (our first cruise)until about 2012. During those 5-6 years, it was common to find balcony cabins in peak season(summer, Spring break, but NOT Christmas) for under $100pp/night. Now - I have to look at the off-off seasons to see pricing like that.

 

Yet, I have found the opposite with all inclusive land vacations - in my experience, they have been steady, or even declining since 2012. For us, it's a roll of the dice on which vacation is less expensive - all in.

[vacationlover_mn]

I wish I had kept the receipt for our first cruise on Carnival, back in '98. We got a "fancy room" (some sort of suite with balcony), but no special "suite perks". I am pretty sure that we paid at least $7000.... and really, when I look back, I don't miss any of the extra's from back then - midnight buffet, chocolate on pillow, chocolate buffet...

[EBFURR]

I wish I had kept the receipt for our first cruise on Carnival, back in '98. We got a "fancy room" (some sort of suite with balcony), but no special "suite perks". I am pretty sure that we paid at least $7000.... and really, when I look back, I don't miss any of the extra's from back then - midnight buffet, chocolate on pillow, chocolate buffet...

 

I have to admit that we really liked those little chocolate on the pillow things. It was more about the gesture than the actual candy though. Never went to the midnight buffet except to look a couple of times. We did like that they would bring the whole basket of bread (or two if a large table) and leave it. It would be replaced if it got low. Now you have to wait for the "bread guy" to come around. Not so sure that is worth $2k though.

[kknorr0320]

I prefer the piecemeal pricing. What we want changes from cruise to cruise, and depends on who we're with. The cruise we take with the kids isn't the same as the one we take alone isn't the same as the one we take with friends. We know what costs what, and I always factor those things in to my cost. My husband isn't a foodie, and I'm a little bit of one but I don't need 4 star meals, so I'm happy not to subsidize someone who does. On the other hand, some cruises we buy a drink package, other times we barely drink, and I'm happy not to subsidize others' drinking or have them subsidize mine. Any time I've priced an all inclusive it's always been much more. The fact I live in Florida and don't have to fly to take a cruise probably plays a role in that. I like being able to customize the vacation I want vs the one someone else thinks I want.