Caribbean 2023 Pricing

[wowzz]

This topic was touched on in the thread about laundry, but rather than hijack that thread,  I thought I'd start a new one.

It's been some years since I priced up a Caribbean cruise, so I did some dummy bookings for January 2023. Just a normal balcony cabin, select fare, is coming in at around the £6000 mark for the two of us ! Is it me, or does that seem expensive ?

By comparison, the same cabin grade on Princess, complete with Princess Plus (so all drinks included) is around £4000. Obviously air fare and a pre-cruise hotel is required, but even so, the overall cost will still be lower, and one could argue,  the quality of the cruise will be better.

Feel free to call me a mean old sod - I won't be offended! 

[bee-ess]

18 minutes ago, wowzz said:

This topic was touched on in the thread about laundry, but rather than hijack that thread,  I thought I'd start a new one.

It's been some years since I priced up a Caribbean cruise, so I did some dummy bookings for January 2023. Just a normal balcony cabin, select fare, is coming in at around the £6000 mark for the two of us ! Is it me, or does that seem expensive ?

By comparison, the same cabin grade on Princess, complete with Princess Plus (so all drinks included) is around £4000. Obviously air fare and a pre-cruise hotel is required, but even so, the overall cost will still be lower, and one could argue,  the quality of the cruise will be better.

Feel free to call me a mean old sod - I won't be offended! 

I noticed that as well, 22/23 is more expensive than 23/24 for the Caribbean , don't really know why.

[yorkshirephil]

13 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

I noticed that as well, 22/23 is more expensive than 23/24 for the Caribbean , don't really know why.

Maybe they are considering the pent up demand and all the FCC's lots of us are holding. Plus P&O fluid pricing model sometimes makes prices expensive. Only time will tell how well it works out.

[Bazrat]

We booked on board for next year's TA in October on ariva ?  the price was below £4000

[jake 26]

4 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

We booked on board for next year's TA in October on ariva ?  the price was below £4000

6K seems high. The TA is always significantly cheaper than the post Christmas Caribbean.

Even cheaper if you're going by bus. 😁😁, sorry, couldn't resist it!

 

[Jennizor]

Wowzz, we paid £4921 for our recent December cruise with the same criteria.

[wowzz]

2 minutes ago, Jennizor said:

Wowzz, we paid £4921 for our recent December cruise with the same criteria.

December is normally slightly cheaper than after Christmas,  so that seems a reasonable price.

[terrierjohn]

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

This topic was touched on in the thread about laundry, but rather than hijack that thread,  I thought I'd start a new one.

It's been some years since I priced up a Caribbean cruise, so I did some dummy bookings for January 2023. Just a normal balcony cabin, select fare, is coming in at around the £6000 mark for the two of us ! Is it me, or does that seem expensive ?

By comparison, the same cabin grade on Princess, complete with Princess Plus (so all drinks included) is around £4000. Obviously air fare and a pre-cruise hotel is required, but even so, the overall cost will still be lower, and one could argue,  the quality of the cruise will be better.

Feel free to call me a mean old sod - I won't be offended! 

Princess  used to offer flight and overnight hotel accommodation inclusive prices, has that now ceased?

[wowzz]

8 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Princess  used to offer flight and overnight hotel accommodation inclusive prices, has that now ceased?

Only 300 days beforehand, so too early for next winter. The flights can be good deals, but the hotels are normally pricey.

[Ardennais]

How many nights are we talking about? 35, 28, 14?

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

How many nights are we talking about? 35, 28, 14?

Just a plain and simple 14 nights.

[Cruisemeister2002]

3 hours ago, bee-ess said:

I noticed that as well, 22/23 is more expensive than 23/24 for the Caribbean , don't really know why.

I suggest this may be due to so many cancellations for this years Caribbean cruises and people like myself switching them to 2023. Therefore making few cabins available. We switched very recently due to a huge itinerary change and although on the Ventura again couldn't get the same cabin.

[Gettingwarmer]

54 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Princess  used to offer flight and overnight hotel accommodation inclusive prices, has that now ceased?

Yes, I think some time ago. You now arrange flights and hotels separately on their website.

[bobstheboy]

I paid £5400 for a balcony in a good position, pre release, Arvia 23 nights, Jan 23, Southamption to Antigua, premium return seats, £280 obc, which I think is reasonable.

[Megabear2]

Booked release date for 30 December 2022, deluxe balcony flights from London at £6,600 for 2.  Wanted to change to Christmas cost for bog standard balcony £7,138.

 

It gets worse. Looked at the 35 night Ventura for 1 person, outside cabin £10,400.  Also select price on current sailings is approximately £1990 extra to the saver.  I'd happily take the Saver on Azura but dodgy on Britannia but I just might go for it.

 

Our Christmas cruise just passed took Saver fare at £1,999 each for inside but of course given the big upgrade to my favourite cabin (which is one booked 30 December this year). If we had booked that it was £2,890 each.  There were no reductions in the final 4 weeks on sale which I think impacted the numbers on board dramatically.

 

By way of comparison I looked at single balcony cabin on QE Panama canal 33 nights and with flights on Cunard fare with OBC quoted £5900.

[seapals2]

The select pricing is usually a good deal given the amount of onboard credit applied.  However we got caught with a recent cruise with a saver fare that dropped dramatically in the weeks after we had paid our balance.  We were set to lose over £3000 on our original payment.  The select fare remained reasonably stable but obviously no one would pay such a huge difference just to select a particular cabin.  

in the end we managed to get a transfer to a Med cruise in October .. we have a suite for very little more so we feel we have got value for money.  Of course there is no way of knowing if the cruise drops in price again but not as likely with a Southampton sailing.  
I know these are very uncertain times and if you want a gamble and the risk feels less than the reward a saver discounted fare will give you a great deal right now.  No one can know what will happen next year we’re all hoping things return to normal soon.  
 

[Ardennais]

4 hours ago, wowzz said:

Just a plain and simple 14 nights.

Wow, the prices you mentioned are really high for 14 nights! I think we paid something similar for our 35 nighter with balcony early 2020 (I was going to type ‘last year’ but I realised in the nick of time that it was actually two years ago!). My photos tell me that we were in Willemstad on 17 Jan, 2020 and today we’re in freezing Wales. 

[paulatsea]

The prices for P&O this year and next seem almost double what we used to pay in 2019 (before the thing)  for select price balcony.

[Megabear2]

Select is no longer a good option. Unfortunately the saver fare prices on Iona and Britannia currently available until April seem to offer only the very worst cabin options, ie the very forward ones or the dodgy decks.

 

Not much better for Caribbean 2022 either.

[wowzz]

Looking at some of the prices quoted,  Princess are becoming ever more attractive! 

[terrierjohn]

5 hours ago, Gettingwarmer said:

Yes, I think some time ago. You now arrange flights and hotels separately on their website.

Our last fly cruise on Princess was back in 2009 so things have  obviously changed since then.

[Zombatar]

We are booked on Britannia Feb next year select, deluxe balcony and premium flights but that is coming out at £7490 for two. We booked that last April. Given that it looks likely that Covid restrictions will still be around then we are probably going to cancel anyway.

 

Peter

[wowzz]

7 minutes ago, Zombatar said:

We are booked on Britannia Feb next year select, deluxe balcony and premium flights but that is coming out at £7490 for two. We booked that last April. Given that it looks likely that Covid restrictions will still be around then we are probably going to cancel anyway.

 

Peter

When pricing reaches that sort of level,  some  of the smarter boutique type hotels become competitive.  I guess it is a matter of how much of a premium people want to pay to be on a cruise.  

[Megabear2]

This page has made me have a rethink on my December cruise 2022.  It was booked with only a £47 cash deposit as the balance was made up of "apology" money from P&O for past mess ups in 2019 and 2020.  Because these monies were going to expire December 2021 we booked this cruise as the furthest away at the time and to keep the £300 valid.

 

A previously cancelled and rebooked Caribbean with my sister for November is in place but P&O would not apply the "apology" to that one. 

 

We are very tempted to just cancel December and ride the flow for a rebooking at some point.  

 

We checked with Virgin Holidays for 31 December to Antigua Sandals Grande AI. The price is currently £4,300pp. Yes, more than our £7,000 but absolutely everything included.

[wowzz]

13 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

This page has made me have a rethink on my December cruise 2022.  It was booked with only a £47 cash deposit as the balance was made up of "apology" money from P&O for past mess ups in 2019 and 2020.  Because these monies were going to expire December 2021 we booked this cruise as the furthest away at the time and to keep the £300 valid.

 

A previously cancelled and rebooked Caribbean with my sister for November is in place but P&O would not apply the "apology" to that one. 

 

We are very tempted to just cancel December and ride the flow for a rebooking at some point.  

 

We checked with Virgin Holidays for 31 December to Antigua Sandals Grande AI. The price is currently £4,300pp. Yes, more than our £7,000 but absolutely everything included.

I'd go with the Sandals option. Looks fantastic,  and a major step up in  quality from a P&O cruise. By the time you factor in drinks,  speciality dining etc on P&O,  the cost differential will not be that much.