Cost of Celebrity cruises

[C 2 C]

2 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Today, Celebrity announced kids sail free. That will likely increase fares. Somebody has to pay for the kids. 

 

You mean the cruisers who don't want to cruise with kids?

[Stateroom_Sailor]

2 hours ago, Arno. said:

I did not look at the balcony rate but the info is there by clicking on the sailing #

Here is the balcony rate:  Sorry I only looked at the OV rate since the free stuff has a considerable price tag.

There is no way we would ever pay $700 or more per day for a stateroom.  We don't have $21,000 to spend for a month in the Caribbean.  It's bad enough that we have to pay a third more because of our Canadian sized dollar for any cabin.  Some of us just took the wrong career path.  We pick the ship and cabin that will give us room and board for a month at a  time in the Caribbean for $9,999. (US$)

 

Celebrity includes

choose THREE of the following offers:
1. An additional $300 per cabin onboard credit (for a total per cabin onboard credit of $350), or
2. FREE pre-paid gratuities for two, or
3. A FREE Classic Beverage Package for two, which includes select alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages onboard, or
4. Unlimited Internet access for two.

 

 

I can see suites going up in price, with the addition of the retreat, but what are you getting in an OV, that's worth $700 more per day?

 

Then again, in areas with hight traffic of first time cruisers, prices are still low.  The Millennium in 2014, end of Alaska shoulder season, was $650 for an inside, $1,000 OV, $1,800 veranda.  In 2020, the price hasn't gone up one penny.

[Redtravel]

21 minutes ago, Arno. said:

 

You mean the cruisers who don't want to cruise with kids?

I like kids. I don’t mind paying for them when I bring my kids and grandkids. When any cruise line announces kids sail free, I opt out.  It just changes everything. Free kids fill cabins to capacity. Those extra cruisers make a cruise crowded. It is obvious that Celebrity is not looking for repeat older cruisers. I am not dead yet. There are lots of great options without kids. Viking ocean has no kids.

[arsenalboy]

I am UK based and am seeing huge increases on prices.

 

We are on the Silhouette in May ex Southampton for 14 night Baltic cruise.

 

I booked a Concierge C2 in January and paid a total of UK £4100 to include classic drinks only. At the time there were only 3 concierge cabins left. I thought I had paid a "full" price.

 

I have followed with interest the pricing a few times a week and it has gradually crept up. Currently a Concierge is £7138 to include drinks, gratuities and some OBC. To me this is a ridiculous price?

 

But even stranger is that you can get a S2 Sky suite for £7198.

 

Also, over the last 2 months, Concierge cabins have been sold out but a few days later there are many available.

 

What is going on with pricing and availability?  

[Tourist1292]

If you go to certain warehouse club site to check the cruise price, they have the perks separated for most classes even when Celebrity is offering "free perks" which are not actually free. Don't be fooled by the bundled price.

[wrk2cruise]

And isn't their current "sale" "cruise only price" (no perks).

[Pier290]

25 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

And isn't their current "sale" "cruise only price" (no perks).

Yep

[smith6]

Our last 10 cruises have been with Celebrity we usually book on board for the following year. This year we were on a Feb cruise and went to book another Feb cruise for the following year and were quoted over $3,000 more for the exact same cruise. Same balcony same itinerary etc. As a result we didn't book anything and will not book anything at these inflated prices. We will be looking elsewhere. Too bad for Celebrity we really did enjoy cruising with them but we don't appreciate being gouged.

[Pier290]

2 minutes ago, smith6 said:

Our last 10 cruises have been with Celebrity we usually book on board for the following year. This year we were on a Feb cruise and went to book another Feb cruise for the following year and were quoted over $3,000 more for the exact same cruise. Same balcony same itinerary etc. As a result we didn't book anything and will not book anything at these inflated prices. We will be looking elsewhere. Too bad for Celebrity we really did enjoy cruising with them but we don't appreciate being gouged.

I don't blame you!!! That's ridiculous

[goofysmom99]

I always book a future cruise or two when I'm onboard (refundable $100).  I recently moved one of them to an upcoming TA after final payment.  When I'd looked at booking it onboard last year, the price was $2000 higher.  Instead, I booked a distant future cruise that I had no intention of taking, planning to move it to something else when the price was right.

 

Price isn't the only thing that fluctuates.  About once/wk I do a dummy booking for every one of my booked future cruises.  A few weeks ago for Nov 2020 Caribbean cruise, my usual military discount of $200 jumped to $500 ($600 for a suite).  The booked fare didn't change but my net fare certainly did.  The price-watching websites can't track senior, military, and state discounts so you have to do your own due diligence.

Edited March 8, 2019 by goofysmom99

[smith6]

13 minutes ago, Pier290 said:

I don't blame you!!! That's ridiculous

I know Celebrity was voted one of the cleanest cruise lines I didn't realize that included cleaning out their  customers bank accounts

[DebInAntigua]

3 hours ago, Arno. said:

 

You mean the cruisers who don't want to cruise with kids?

 

Like me. I really hope the lack of water slides and higher parent pricing keeps our fall cruises from filling up with children with this promo!

[DebInAntigua]

2 hours ago, Redtravel said:

I like kids. I don’t mind paying for them when I bring my kids and grandkids. When any cruise line announces kids sail free, I opt out.  It just changes everything. Free kids fill cabins to capacity. Those extra cruisers make a cruise crowded. It is obvious that Celebrity is not looking for repeat older cruisers. I am not dead yet. There are lots of great options without kids. Viking ocean has no kids.

 

Unfortunately, we already booked air and moved to non refundable cruise pricing. Both of our fall cruises are included in the Kids Free promo. Very unhappy about this direction. 

[cruiseflyer38]

It seems to me that Celebrity is in a state of total confusion.  The Celebrity of the past has been destroyed and the new Celebrity is  schizophrenic.

[itzmered]

Every cruise I book I compare a similar itinerary on Princess, Celebrity and Royal. The last few we have chosen celebrity because we get more for our $$$ than we do on the other lines. Yes celebrity has gone up but so have all of the rest 

[villauk]

6 hours ago, itzmered said:

Every cruise I book I compare a similar itinerary on Princess, Celebrity and Royal. The last few we have chosen celebrity because we get more for our $$$ than we do on the other lines. Yes celebrity has gone up but so have all of the rest 

 

 

That can can depend on the ship chosen. Edge’s pricing in Europe has been off the stratosphere from the start! Now they are offering every perk under the sun to fill the ship: 4 free perks,  Edgciting deals, free child places, free cruises to casino players - too bad many looked elsewhere when they saw that initial pricing. If the ship was sold out, pax wouldn’t be upgrading to suites so easily either. So, it does depend on ship and itinerary.

[Islandbuoy]

In the end , supply & demand prevails. Royal & X  have pretty elaborate algorithms used to sense them.

Also in the end they have to be competitive. I'm sure that they don't see themselves competing with Royal. I bet they do monitor Hal & Princess very closely . Not sure how MSC fits in with new ships entering the market--seems like supply is increasing,even with X's own ships.

Pricing model seems to be  a decent price a year out , then higher price at the six month out point-thru final pay. Then whack the hell out of prices ,and add perks as neccessary.

 

I 'm a florida senior which generally rules out perks. I like to book on board--but that causes me not to be able to cancel and rebook after final pay date. From now on going to do open passage so I can wait. This will work unless going with friends , when have to have a certain date.

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, Islandbuoy said:

In the end , supply & demand prevails. Royal & X  have pretty elaborate algorithms used to sense them.

Also in the end they have to be competitive. I'm sure that they don't see themselves competing with Royal. I bet they do monitor Hal & Princess very closely . Not sure how MSC fits in with new ships entering the market--seems like supply is increasing,even with X's own ships.

Pricing model seems to be  a decent price a year out , then higher price at the six month out point-thru final pay. Then whack the hell out of prices ,and add perks as neccessary.

 

I 'm a florida senior which generally rules out perks. I like to book on board--but that causes me not to be able to cancel and rebook after final pay date. From now on going to do open passage so I can wait. This will work unless going with friends , when have to have a certain date.

Be really careful of Open Passage. We did that several years back and won't ever do it again.  Each time we tried using it, we were told it couldn't be combined with the current promotion.  We finally came to the point after three years that all we wanted was for X to apply the money we paid for the Open Passage to our current booking without any of the promised extra benefit.  X wouldn't do that either.  Finally after 5 years of the inability to use it, our TA (X's largest travel partner) was able to get X to refund our money to the credit card we'd used to purchase it. 

[C 2 C]

6 hours ago, Islandbuoy said:

 

I 'm a florida senior which generally rules out perks. I like to book on board--but that causes me not to be able to cancel and rebook after final pay date. From now on going to do open passage so I can wait. This will work unless going with friends , when have to have a certain date.

Celebrity no longer offers open passages.  They now tell you onboard to book a future cruise and reassign it to a date you like later on.  However some cruise agencies will charge you for switching a booking, a threat that made me move from the agency I once used frequently.

[C 2 C]

15 hours ago, itzmered said:

Every cruise I book I compare a similar itinerary on Princess, Celebrity and Royal. The last few we have chosen celebrity because we get more for our $$$ than we do on the other lines. Yes celebrity has gone up but so have all of the rest 

 

This is a comparison of Jan 2020 for an inside cabin.  (other categories have "free" perks added which affects the price).

I use this agency's website because it allows a comparison between cruise lines, length of cruise, departure ports etc that I have not found elsewhere.  I am not suggesting that this is the agency to use for bookings.

 

 

[yvrdave]

 

Hi Arno, not quite sure how to read your chart but we usually find good deals for the Caribbean.  Last year, we did 9 cruises and found good deals for inside, outside, balcony and even a Royal Suite.  Quite often they were just a month or 2 before the cruise when prices are 'adjusted'.  Example, we just booked a B2B on the 'new' Millennium in May for a balcony at the same rate the OV was just a few days ago plus $200 OBC.  The ship was only about 70% full so prices were lowered substantially. 

 

Not crazy about the Edge but hope the Millie is better than ever.

 

[Chiefdog]

On 3/7/2019 at 7:02 PM, poinsettiaplate said:

Is it just me or does it seem like Celebrity is hiking the prices of their cruises?  Especially those longer than a week, those in the Caribbean, and those in 2020?

Yep! They are refurbishing every ship in their fleet to reflect the Edge. I am monitoring the Summit, which we have cruised on twice before. I noticed the prices are higher after each dry dock. The one in 2012 was also high. Bayonne seems to be the highest priced port, even higher than NY. 

[Chiefdog]

On 3/9/2019 at 2:24 PM, Arno. said:

 

This is a comparison of Jan 2020 for an inside cabin.  (other categories have "free" perks added which affects the price).

I use this agency's website because it allows a comparison between cruise lines, length of cruise, departure ports etc that I have not found elsewhere.  I am not suggesting that this is the agency to use for bookings.

 

 

 

On 3/10/2019 at 4:15 AM, yvrdave said:

 

Hi Arno, not quite sure how to read your chart but we usually find good deals for the Caribbean.  Last year, we did 9 cruises and found good deals for inside, outside, balcony and even a Royal Suite.  Quite often they were just a month or 2 before the cruise when prices are 'adjusted'.  Example, we just booked a B2B on the 'new' Millennium in May for a balcony at the same rate the OV was just a few days ago plus $200 OBC.  The ship was only about 70% full so prices were lowered substantially. 

 

Not crazy about the Edge but hope the Millie is better than ever.

 

I don't understand why they are charging higher prices per room if you add perks. When you compare the prices for a room with or without them, it is no great deal to take the. We got 2 free perks on a cruise a few years back, and Celebrity did not charge a higher price for our room to get them! What's up?

[Cruise Junky]

Our next two are on HAL just can’t justify Celebrity’s prices. Love Celebrity and we’re not cheap vacationers, but the value does not equal the asking price. 

[Chiefdog]

On 3/9/2019 at 8:07 AM, Islandbuoy said:

In the end , supply & demand prevails. Royal & X  have pretty elaborate algorithms used to sense them.

Also in the end they have to be competitive. I'm sure that they don't see themselves competing with Royal. I bet they do monitor Hal & Princess very closely . Not sure how MSC fits in with new ships entering the market--seems like supply is increasing,even with X's own ships.

Pricing model seems to be  a decent price a year out , then higher price at the six month out point-thru final pay. Then whack the hell out of prices ,and add perks as neccessary.

 

I 'm a florida senior which generally rules out perks. I like to book on board--but that causes me not to be able to cancel and rebook after final pay date. From now on going to do open passage so I can wait. This will work unless going with friends , when have to have a certain date.

Why as a senior do you not get perks? I looked at resident rate and they only lower the price by $40 per person. If the cruise I am looking at doesn't give a decent discount, I will do a land vacation this year. Over 500 of their cabins were unfilled as of the end of March and the price isn't budging for a May cruise.