I am shocked at the prices for cruises in 2023!

[Jimbo]

Don't forget people, there are other fish in the sea. No one says you have to always cruise on Royal Caribbean.

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

Don't forget people, there are other fish in the sea. No one says you have to always cruise on Royal Caribbean.

I'd take my chances on the S.S. Minnow any day!

[TheHawk1]

Yes prices for cruises are high, as are hotels, airlines, rental cars, etc. it seems almost everyone in the travel industry is gouging customers now to make up for lost time during Covid. Just wait until the predicted recession comes along later in 2023. I’m sure you’ll see prices start to drop again to more reasonable numbers soon enough.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

Don't forget people, there are other fish in the sea. No one says you have to always cruise on Royal Caribbean.

Carnival jubilee and ncl prima out of Galveston are worse than rcl. I think they both have lost their minds. I'm not paying those prices. And people whining about rcl excursion prices, holy moly batman. I looked at my 14 day carnival dream, aruba curacao, columbia, costa rica and panama and excursions look double what rcl charges and no sales. 

 

I'm waiting for them to price more sensibly. Rcl is still cheaper for me than carnival. I'm suddenly loyal to royal and not because I dont want to try the others. Maybe 2024 I'll go on cruise strike after dream. 

[NoShoes2]

15 hours ago, oldmom said:

Guess I have not been paying attention to this. We normally cruise once a year or every other year or so on RCCL. We are Diamond- finally in 2019. I have been able to get a balcony room for 7 nights on a Oasis ship at a "great price" , for years now. We go off season-early December -early May, etc. We got a great price in May 2022 ( also tested positive for COVID 2 days after) on Harmony. We have been busy with a family member passing away and having to pack up their house and all the stuff that goes along with that. SO-finally started looking for cruises for 2023.WOW! The "great price" is at least $1000-$1500 more than I have ever paid for the cheapest sailing week!! I knew inflation was bad-but I did not expect this much an increase from 2022. These are for 7 day cruises on an Oasis ships. I know the other ships are cheaper-but ? Wondering if this price will continue? We have done interiors to save money before-but these are pricey also now. Just sort of bummed.

I'm sure that they are anticipating fuel prices to remain high. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

11 hours ago, lcpagejr said:

I was on same cruise... Thats why DBP is still a bargain... if you drink alcohol vs beer... breakeven price is less than 5 drinks a day.... I estimate I average 8 drinks a day....and before you tell me to enroll in AA... Mimosa with breakfast, drink with lunch, 2 drinks in afternoon , drink before dinner, 2 drinks with dinner, 1-2 after dinner.  Never a hangover because its spread out all day. 

When I was younger, I could easily see myself doing the same thing. Time and health have dictated a bit more restraint on my total allotment per day. I do not judge as long as your behavior onboard does not negatively affect others around you. 

 

Reasons to enjoy your DBP:

 

1. You do not have to worry about a DUI when vacationing on-board ship.

2. You can try a different cocktail and not worry if you 'have-to' drink it.

3. They also include non-alcoholic drinks for hydration.

4. No surprises on your final bill.

[Engineroom Snipe]

16 hours ago, oldmom said:

Wondering if this price will continue? We have done interiors to save money before-but these are pricey also now. Just sort of bummed.

The prices for Oasis of the Seas cruise for September 2022, rivalled some of the cheapest I have ever seen when advertised around June 2022.  There were still covid testing requirements and vaccination requirements at that time.

 

As soon as the vaccination and testing protocols were lifted (there still a few so check their website for specific cruises), demand increased and so did the prices. I saw $600 to $1000 jumps in spacious balconies on a November 2023 cruises from June 2022 to August 2022.

 

I cannot predict the future. I believe that going into 2024, you might see some of the pent-up cruise demand subside a bit. If we have a moderate recession, there might be cancellations before the 90 days before cruise refunds. This also tends to bring the prices down.

 

Until the demand goes down, the prices will remain as high as the cruise line can keep them and the cabins full.

 

An example, I booked an 8-day GTY inside for two under $1000 (not including gratuities or parking) in October this year. The travel date is April 20, 2023. There were many inside cabins available in my category. Today, there are only 7 cabins left in my category and they are going for $1390 for a GTY.  This happened within 60 days.  I consider that a huge demand factor.

[Thisguylikestocruise]

If you think RCL is high, take a look at Airbnb. A lot of he listings on there are insanely high. Everything is more expensive compared to 2-3 years ago. 

[zeroed]

Met a pinnacle who said demand is high right now because of all the people having to use their FCC. Royal is using the demand level to estimate prices they can get for 2023 bookings. As demand wanes perhaps prices will come down some. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

4 minutes ago, Thisguylikestocruise said:

If you think RCL is high, take a look at Airbnb. A lot of he listings on there are insanely high. Everything is more expensive compared to 2-3 years ago. 

I completely agree with Airbnb prices being high and they do not include food with the contract.  The original poster has not cruised during the pandemic or looked at prices recently. I would feel the same going into an automotive dealership after not buying a car within the last 5 years. 😬

 

[LuCruise]

Definitely...prices have gone way up.  It's not just Royal  There is a similar post on the Disney boards about the parks.  Also, airlines, hotels, and even groceries etc.  They all took a bit hit  very hurt during covid.

 

But I agree with your post. As an example, we booked Odyssey for Dec 2023 when it was released.  Even back then with the prices, we selected 2 interior rooms (virtual) as moving up to a balcony option was too much if we wanted two rooms.  When I do a price check on our rooms today,  it is $3512 more than our booking!  That's nuts.  (It is holiday time so not expecting it to be cheap but how much it has gone up since we booked is crazy).

 

Similarly, we booked Icon for following December.  For this one, we "had to" stick with one interio room for the four of us (Central Park Interior with a window at least).  And even that cost is double what we would normally pay.  It's a mix of new ship + holiday + making up for lost revenue.

Edited November 29, 2022 by LuCruise

[John&LaLa]

11 hours ago, wreckem2013 said:

Well, it seems with Allure and then Harmony RCCL has decided to do the same ports every week, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Roatan. Maybe they did this before now I don’t know as I haven’t sailed out of Galveston in awhile but they used to offer other ports on 7 nighters. Western Caribbean out of Florida usually have 4 ports instead of 3 which is another reason Galveston is cheaper besides Allure being the least updated Oasis class ship.

 

Location

 

Less available options sailing from Galveston

 

And Oasis ships can't tender like Freedom and Voyager Class 

[John&LaLa]

9 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Carnival jubilee and ncl prima out of Galveston are worse than rcl. I think they both have lost their minds. I'm not paying those prices. And people whining about rcl excursion prices, holy moly batman. I looked at my 14 day carnival dream, aruba curacao, columbia, costa rica and panama and excursions look double what rcl charges and no sales. 

 

 

I can't imagine how much excursions will be on UWC 😱

[Jimbo]

11 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I can't imagine how much excursions will be on UWC 😱

By the time you leave that ship you may be have to apply to be a Crew Member half way through to be able to pay off your Sea Pass Bill before they let you off.

 

Can you cook? Heard the food has been lacking lately from reading other threads. Hope things approve by the time you go, but one never knows.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Jimbo

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, zeroed said:

Met a pinnacle who said demand is high right now because of all the people having to use their FCC. Royal is using the demand level to estimate prices they can get for 2023 bookings. As demand wanes perhaps prices will come down some. 

Lol well if they were pinnacle for sure experts.

 

I've booked more than normal and I only took 1 fcc. Long since gone. I think sitting home during covid people want to get out more. .. though I'm not a pinnacle so just a opinion. I'm hoping to move to florida closer to a port where it's easier to jump on cruises.

[dada2199cc]

I wish Royal would raise prices more.  Maybe even significantly more.

My reasoning:

1. Ships at 120% occupancy are not pleasant for anyone.  Crew are overworked, on-board things to do are overcrowded.  A ship at 90% would be much much more pleasant overall.
2. Higher profitability per passenger means the cruise lines would be more likely to adapt some of their outdated services to provide better ones for passengers.  I'm thinking IT/website/app specifically, but also Diamond events, etc.
3. Fewer chair hogs as occupancy drops.
4. Better quality food as you're serving fewer people.
5. Less wear and tear.

 

I know their goal is occupancy+profit, but I'd rather pay 20% more if it meant 20% fewer people on a sailing.  My regular sailing partner and I are contemplating just booking 2 staterooms each cruise already, just to add a little dent to the number of folks sailing.

[ONECRUISER]

10 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Carnival jubilee and ncl prima out of Galveston are worse than rcl. I think they both have lost their minds. I'm not paying those prices. And people whining about rcl excursion prices, holy moly batman. I looked at my 14 day carnival dream, aruba curacao, columbia, costa rica and panama and excursions look double what rcl charges and no sales. 

 

I'm waiting for them to price more sensibly. Rcl is still cheaper for me than carnival. I'm suddenly loyal to royal and not because I dont want to try the others. Maybe 2024 I'll go on cruise strike after dream. 

Agree. My situation with combination C&A/Solo/Mil Discounts & Benefits other Cruise Lines can't typically beat rates I get on Royal. Now 20-30yrs ago I could find Cheapest Rates on NCl & Carnival...

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

6 minutes ago, dada2199cc said:

I wish Royal would raise prices more.  Maybe even significantly more.

My reasoning:

1. Ships at 120% occupancy are not pleasant for anyone.  Crew are overworked, on-board things to do are overcrowded.  A ship at 90% would be much much more pleasant overall.
2. Higher profitability per passenger means the cruise lines would be more likely to adapt some of their outdated services to provide better ones for passengers.  I'm thinking IT/website/app specifically, but also Diamond events, etc.
3. Fewer chair hogs as occupancy drops.
4. Better quality food as you're serving fewer people.
5. Less wear and tear.

 

I know their goal is occupancy+profit, but I'd rather pay 20% more if it meant 20% fewer people on a sailing.  My regular sailing partner and I are contemplating just booking 2 staterooms each cruise already, just to add a little dent to the number of folks sailing.

I agree with this logic and I, too, subscribe to it.

 

I'll always pay a premium for superior service and reduced wait time.

 

 

[Engineroom Snipe]

11 minutes ago, dada2199cc said:

I wish Royal would raise prices more.  Maybe even significantly more.

My reasoning:

1. Ships at 120% occupancy are not pleasant for anyone.  Crew are overworked, on-board things to do are overcrowded.  A ship at 90% would be much much more pleasant overall.
2. Higher profitability per passenger means the cruise lines would be more likely to adapt some of their outdated services to provide better ones for passengers.  I'm thinking IT/website/app specifically, but also Diamond events, etc.
3. Fewer chair hogs as occupancy drops.
4. Better quality food as you're serving fewer people.
5. Less wear and tear.

 

I know their goal is occupancy+profit, but I'd rather pay 20% more if it meant 20% fewer people on a sailing.  My regular sailing partner and I are contemplating just booking 2 staterooms each cruise already, just to add a little dent to the number of folks sailing.

Interesting point of view but it seems a majority of new first-time cruisers are very price conscious. I wonder why you would not consider more inclusive cruise lines considering your price point of four cabins for two people.

 

I mention first-time cruisers because they still represent (according to C&A meet and great events) about 50% of each cruise I have attended.

 

[dada2199cc]

Just now, Engineroom Snipe said:

Interesting point of view but it seems a majority of new first-time cruisers are very price conscious. I wonder why you would not consider more inclusive cruise lines considering your price point of four cabins for two people.

 

I mention first-time cruisers because they still represent (according to C&A meet and great events) about 50% of each cruise I have attended.

 

 

Oh, it's just a wish list for me.  I doubt it'll ever happen.

 

The higher end inclusive cruise lines are strictly service focused, which is great -- but I love having a lot of restaurant options, etc.

 

New cruisers are super important as the current "age range" of cruisers (boomers) are getting to the point where they likely won't be cruising as much.  So I understand the logistics of marketing!

 

I just would love to pay more to reduce occupancy by 15-20%.

[ONECRUISER]

1 minute ago, dada2199cc said:

I wish Royal would raise prices more.  Maybe even significantly more.

My reasoning:

1. Ships at 120% occupancy are not pleasant for anyone.  Crew are overworked, on-board things to do are overcrowded.  A ship at 90% would be much much more pleasant overall.
2. Higher profitability per passenger means the cruise lines would be more likely to adapt some of their outdated services to provide better ones for passengers.  I'm thinking IT/website/app specifically, but also Diamond events, etc.
3. Fewer chair hogs as occupancy drops.
4. Better quality food as you're serving fewer people.
5. Less wear and tear.

 

I know their goal is occupancy+profit, but I'd rather pay 20% more if it meant 20% fewer people on a sailing.  My regular sailing partner and I are contemplating just booking 2 staterooms each cruise already, just to add a little dent to the number of folks sailing.

30+ yrs ago Cruising was Called Newlyweds and Nearly Dead's and typical of that Royal wasnt a Family Line. At 22yrs old there was only 2 on whole Ship younger then Wife and I. Was also rare have more then handful percent Cabins that held more then 2.  Royal price was $3700 for 2 of us on a 7nite OV Deck 2 tiny Porthole Cabin. My Kids/Grands love larger Oasis/Quantum Class Ships but last 2 Decades I almost always go on longer 10+ niters and on Radiance Class. At most typically have had 1700-2050 passengers on Ships that hold 2400, this even PreCV. Nice, quiet, many SOLO like me, less Families and under 50 Kids the norm. In 4 weeks last month I only once had anyone sit in Chair next to me...

[neverbeenhere]

De do do do, de da da da
Is all I want to say to you

 

Well, not all.

I'm with you 100%, Raise the Roof. (Not going to happen for a few years)

[Engineroom Snipe]

7 minutes ago, dada2199cc said:

 

Oh, it's just a wish list for me.  I doubt it'll ever happen.

 

The higher end inclusive cruise lines are strictly service focused, which is great -- but I love having a lot of restaurant options, etc.

 

New cruisers are super important as the current "age range" of cruisers (boomers) are getting to the point where they likely won't be cruising as much.  So I understand the logistics of marketing!

 

I just would love to pay more to reduce occupancy by 15-20%.

I would consider it but wonder how the cruise lines could be held responsible if they break the agreed upon limits of the original passenger allotments.

[dada2199cc]

4 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I would consider it but wonder how the cruise lines could be held responsible if they break the agreed upon limits of the original passenger allotments.

 

Just like the hotel and restaurant industry, almost everyone knows that 100% occupancy leads to more unhappy customers.

 

My view is RCL is purely maximizing profit right now for 3 stages: (a) pay down debt, (b) prove there's demand so they can issue new debt at a lower rate, and (c) continue being able to build more boats.

 

I feel once the markets/industry stabilize, they will probably raise prices in order to reduce occupancy so that customers are happier -- but it might be 3-4 years away.

[dada2199cc]

2 minutes ago, ONECRUISER said:

30+ yrs ago Cruising was Called Newlyweds and Nearly Dead's and typical of that Royal wasnt a Family Line. At 22yrs old there was only 2 on whole Ship younger then Wife and I. Was also rare have more then handful percent Cabins that held more then 2.  Royal price was $3700 for 2 of us on a 7nite OV Deck 2 tiny Porthole Cabin. My Kids/Grands love larger Oasis/Quantum Class Ships but last 2 Decades I almost always go on longer 10+ niters and on Radiance Class. At most typically have had 1700-2050 passengers on Ships that hold 2400, this even PreCV. Nice, quiet, many SOLO like me, less Families and under 50 Kids the norm. In 4 weeks last month I only once had anyone sit in Chair next to me...

 

We are huge fans of longer cruises.  My favorite ones were 12 days.

 

My cruising partner only gets about 22 vacation days off a year -- hopefully in 5 years we will change that situation!

 

We are in our 40s, so we're not quite at the point where we can just live on the ships full time.  YET!