Substantial fare increase. Why?

[IPB4IGO]

The fare for our 28-day B2B Panama Canal cruises in January has increased from around $15,000 to over $20,000 since we booked in February.

 

Anybody care to speculate on the reason for this?

 

-- 

Dave

[dmcfad2]

Because they can. LOL

[dmcfad2]

I have a holiday cruise booked in December and it just went down $250 per person. 😀

[KirkNC]

$16 billion in debt added to CCL over the last fifteen months.

[Taters]

Because they can. 

 

Last September I booked a 17 night South America cruise on Westerdam in March, 2022 with no perks, forward veranda cabin on deck 8, for $1592.  That same cabin category is now $2306 per person, and the cruise doesn't appear to be selling well. 

 

I think they just assume people want to cruise so badly that they're willing to pay more.

[DaveOKC]

It seems to me that HAL has increased fares, now that we are getting closer to actually sailing.  It is hard to judge though, since HAL is now including so many "perks".  You need to do an apples to apples comparison.

[Mary229]

Are you comparing the same fare categories?   The Have It All is now the standard and that started just a few months ago

[idiebabe]

They've been on "Pause" since March, 2020, they have many passengers who are booking Cruises with FCC from cancelled Cruises who received 25% more than what they paid for their original Cruise, cost of food, etc. went up, fuel has gone up....the list is long! 

[IPB4IGO]

39 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Are you comparing the same fare categories?   The Have It All is now the standard and that started just a few months ago

Yes. I am comparing the fare for SS cabins without the Have It All perks. 

[CruiserBruce]

Huge amount of FCC to absorb. 15 months of shutdown. Significantly increasing demand (see "Huge amount of FCC to absorb", plus eagerness to get back on ships.)

[Mary229]

I can’t imagine then why yours increased.  I booked my cruise last December (2020) and check periodically and it is basically the same price.  I have seen substantial increases from spring 2020 but not since January 

[nocl]

Because at this point they are not dealing with the marginal passenger that are focused on price, but instead of those that are anxious to cruise, that have already committed funds (being held as FCCs) to cruising.  They are also limited in the number of ships that will be sailing so you do not have the normal cruise market at this time.

[pxn748]

We have a cruise in June of 22 that has gone up $350 per person since we booked last March.

[DaveOKC]

28 minutes ago, pxn748 said:

We have a cruise in June of 22 that has gone up $350 per person since we booked last March.

How much a % increase?  Are the perks the same?

 

[iancal]

HAL, like all other cruise lines, is a 'for profit' corporation.

 

Like all other businesses they will charge what the traffic will bear.

 

Why would one expect them to behave in a different manner?

[Storylady]

3 hours ago, IPB4IGO said:

The fare for our 28-day B2B Panama Canal cruises in January has increased from around $15,000 to over $20,000 since we booked in February.

 

Anybody care to speculate on the reason for this?

 

-- 

Dave

Demand. There is only one stateroom left in SS category, we know several people who are on the World Cruise, who have placed a hold for your cruise as they suspect the World will be cancelled.

[Mary229]

4 minutes ago, Storylady said:

Demand. There is only one stateroom left in SS category, we know several people who are on the World Cruise, who have placed a hold for your cruise as they suspect the World will be cancelled.

Maybe I am looking at the wrong cruise but it is $4000 for 14 days not $10000.  This is SS

[kdakda]

I've posted about this before, and this is an update:

Booked a VD aft balcony January 2021 for an 11 night Southern Caribbean Wayfarer cruise in January 2022 on the Nieuw Statendam for $4728 total for two.   It includes Signature Beverage Package, one night specialty dining, and gratuities for both of us.

That cruise is now $5992 total and included NOTHING.  

Neptune Suites have been sold out for several months.

Guess that's the cruise to be on.   Be there, or be square.

[IPB4IGO]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Maybe I am looking at the wrong cruise but it is $4000 for 14 days not $10000.  This is SS

Currently, the fare for the two of us for the B2B cruises is $20,208. That includes taxes and port fees. When we booked it was $15,012. 

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[Mary229]

5 minutes ago, IPB4IGO said:

Currently, the fare for the two of us for the B2B cruises is $20,208. That includes taxes and port fees. When we booked it was $15,012. 

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

Gotcha, I thought you were quoting per passenger. 

[iancal]

HAL needs to 'run out' all those FCC's and discounted gift cards.  Of course fares will go up.  I suspect that they will level off when demand is down a little and when FCC's are time expired.

 

There is no free lunch.  It is just business.

Edited June 18, 2021 by iancal

[esimon]

because of Covid -   you do realize they couldn't operate for a year.  

 

[Storylady]

12 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Maybe I am looking at the wrong cruise but it is $4000 for 14 days not $10000.  This is SS

OP is doing back to back cruises of 14 days each. Price for 14 days for one person is approximately $5000. At least that is what I thought I saw for SS category. 28 days per person is $10,000.

Edited June 19, 2021 by Storylady

[NCTribeFan]

Econ 101 - Supply and Demand

 

Been saying this for a year. With the pent-up demand plus the decrease in ship inventory (across all mainstream lines), it's to be expected.

 

Whether prices will "normalize" once all ships are back at sea sailing at near capacity remains to be seen.  Prices tend to not do that as long as demand stays relatively high. 

 

This is exactly why I've opted for FCCs for my multiple cancelled cruises (HAL, Carnival, MSC).  And why I rebooked something almost immediately after a cancellation.

 

Except for the most recent cancellations - April MSC (had a 4+7 B2B booked).  To rebook the 7 night leg on a similar itinerary in early December, the price for the cheapest inside cabin is only $50 less than for the balcony cabin I had for April.  To rebook the same cabin would cost me quite a bit more, even after applying the FCC.  I have not rebooked, hoping prices will come back down.  No rush, since I've pretty much filled up my cruise calendar for the next 2 years with re-bookings.

 

OTOH - I've been receiving "free" casino offers from HAL and Carnival (first time ever from Carnival and I've sailed them 30 times).  So, they must want to put people on the ships so they'll spend money in the casino.  I booked 10 nights on Eurodam for November for $200 in an inside with $200 OBC.

Edited June 19, 2021 by NCTribeFan

[Florida_gal_50]

38 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

Econ 101 - Supply and Demand

 

Been saying this for a year. With the pent-up demand plus the decrease in ship inventory (across all mainstream lines), it's to be expected.

 

Whether prices will "normalize" once all ships are back at sea sailing at near capacity remains to be seen.  Prices tend to not do that as long as demand stays relatively high. 

 

This is exactly why I've opted for FCCs for my multiple cancelled cruises (HAL, Carnival, MSC).  And why I rebooked something almost immediately after a cancellation.

 

Except for the most recent cancellations - April MSC (had a 4+7 B2B booked).  To rebook the 7 night leg on a similar itinerary in early December, the price for the cheapest inside cabin is only $50 less than for the balcony cabin I had for April.  To rebook the same cabin would cost me quite a bit more, even after applying the FCC.  I have not rebooked, hoping prices will come back down.  No rush, since I've pretty much filled up my cruise calendar for the next 2 years with re-bookings.

 

OTOH - I've been receiving "free" casino offers from HAL and Carnival (first time ever from Carnival and I've sailed them 30 times).  So, they must want to put people on the ships so they'll spend money in the casino.  I booked 10 nights on Eurodam for November for $200 in an inside with $200 OBC.

So there must be plenty of supply when these free casino offers come up constantly.  Doesn’t explain the high prices.  I’ve seen people post about free casino offers on a cruise I’m interested in and the price is very high for me to book. I’m not paying those prices when others are getting it for free.  Let’s see how that works for them.

Edited June 19, 2021 by Florida_gal_50