Is Celebrity getting a lot more expensive?

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

The "issue" is actually, Is Celebrity getting a lot more expensive?

Guess I should have clarified....not 'issue', but 'comment'.  mea culpa.

[LGW59]

54 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Interesting topic, we discovered the Retreat last year by booking a Sky Suite and absolutely loved the experience and now only book SS on Celebrity cruises. We did a NCL Haven in 2019 and thought it was too overpriced for what we got. On 3 Celebrity Retreat cruises now we never felt that way. A Sky Suite gives us everything we want in a cruise, a bigger cabin, a real butler, a private dinning venue, a private lounge with bartenders, premium drinks package, premium Wi-Fi, all gratuities and generous OBC. We are looking at doing a South American cruise in 2025 and Celebrity and Oceania have a very similar itinerary we like. When we compare pricing with a Celebrity SS, the cost would only get us a standard Veranda cabin on Oceania. The Oceania Veranda cabin has none of the Retreat benefits I mentioned above, so in reality it would be much costlier. We have did an Oceania cruise in 2018 and I will admit the food and restaurants were much better than Celebrity, but that is about the only benefit we can see, so most likely Celebrity will be our choice for this cruise.

Have to say that I agree about Retreat experience on Celebrity, it is just amazing, esp. on my most recent cruise on Edge TA.  Everything about it, service, food, Eden, Le Grand Bistro, Retreat Lounge, all awesome.  Now I am looking at a Med. cruise in May 2023 and comparing Edge to Oceania Vista.

 

Edge 7 nights - SS $10,468; CS $11,762 and of course both include wifi, premium drinks (we do not drink alcohol) tips and $300 OBC

 

Vista 7 nights - $7,598 PH suite (which seems to be in the middle of a SS and CS on Celebrity); choice of $200 OBC OR 2 shore exs OR house select bev package

 

While I LOVE the Edge and the Celebrity Retreat experience...for us and for this itin I just can't see paying $3000 more because there is absolutely no way any on-board spend we do will cost anywhere near that.  

[NJRonbo]

2024 cruise, same itinerary, now $600 more than it was in 2023.  And this is with the current sale offer that has been running for the past few months.

 

It has definitely gotten too expensive.

[aggiejd2000]

This past July, we wanted to see if stepping up to suites was worth it on E-Class and I booked the least expensive one I could find for 2023 that fit our schedule.  It was for July 2023, 7NT in a Magic Carpet Sky Suite out of Rome.  I got it for $6740 with an extra $250 OBC on top of the usual $600 OBC from booking in the Retreat.  Now, that same cabin is $9660.  For next summer, that same itinerary, with $200 OBC is a whopping $10,476!  We are already debating about whether we're going to go on the July 2023 one.  $1000/nt is pretty steep already.  I can't imagine paying even more than that.

[tfred]

1 hour ago, jagoffee said:

I agree that Oceania’s food and restaurants are amazing, but the beverage package is weak.  

 

food is very good.  The specialty variety restaurants are excellent.  Italian, French and Asian and they are great.  The MDR is pretty good but no better than Celebrity in reality.  Luminae is excellent but the food choices are what they are 

 

Beverage package is weak but they were allowing pax to bring on just about anything they wanted to drink without being confiscated - including hard liquor

[john1970]

I am booked on the Australian wine cruise in February 23. I paid about £1650 PP for Aqua class All inclusive. The 2024 and 2025 cruises are around £3000 PP for the same cabin grade. I understand that the other cruises are on the Edge and I am on the Eclipse and I know inflation is high. I still don't know if this pricing is realistic. I guess only time will tell if people are willing to pay these prices. In the UK we don't have refundable deposits and the ability to re price isn't the same as the US. I will be waiting to see how prices settle in the future.

[ALANG]

Looks like Celebrity is doing the same as Steve Wynn did in 2008 when he opened up very expensive clubs and properties during the Great Recession in Las Vegas.  Many said he was nuts.  He said  "There are always enough people that price doesn't matter and want certain experiences and they will pay".  He was proven correct, so basically if you don't want to play, just know there are enough that will play.  

[t18c97]

Disney has raised the base ticket prices, hotel prices, food prices, and started charging for many things that used to be free and the parks are jammed full of people. They've alway figured that they will just keep raising prices until folks stop coming, which hasn't happened yet.

[NMTraveller]

Yeah but Celebrity ships are not full and they are losing money.  They are giving away free cruises...

[t18c97]

5 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Yeah but Celebrity ships are not full and they are losing money.  They are giving away free cruises...

Didn't know they're not filling the ships yet. I know a RCCL cruise next month from Galveston on the Allure is sold out except for a few staterooms. 

[jagoffee]

19 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Yeah but Celebrity ships are not full and they are losing money.  They are giving away free cruises...

Why do you that they are giving away free cruises?  

[terrydtx]

6 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Why do you that they are giving away free cruises?  

Good question, I want to find where to get these 'Free" cruises.

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Good question, I want to find where to get these 'Free" cruises.

Gamble.  They are giving them away to the lower tiers in the Blue Chip club.  You don't have to gamble much.

 

For HAL, I have no idea as I have not gambled on HAL but I get the offers every month.

 

They hope that these people will spend some money on the ship.

Edited December 15, 2022 by NMTraveller

[D C]

33 minutes ago, t18c97 said:

Disney has raised the base ticket prices, hotel prices, food prices, and started charging for many things that used to be free and the parks are jammed full of people. They've alway figured that they will just keep raising prices until folks stop coming, which hasn't happened yet.

We quit vacationing at Disney when the prices went up and the product quality went down.  Celebrity is taking the same approach, but with ships that are rarely full.   They must assume that they can maximize $ per guest and sail with fewer people.  

[jagoffee]

6 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Gamble.  They are giving them away to the lower tiers in the Blue Chip club.  You don't have to gamble much.

 

For HAL, I have no idea as I have not gambled on HAL but I get the offers every month.

 

They hope that these people will spend some money on the ship.

I am not an expert, but doesn’t the Blue Chip Club pay Celebrity for the cruises that they give or discount to their members?  I find it hard to believe that all the money that is lost gambling is not much more profitable than Cruise margins.  Hardly free to the cruisers IMO.

[grandgeezer]

4 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

I am not an expert, but doesn’t the Blue Chip Club pay Celebrity for the cruises that they give or discount to their members?  I find it hard to believe that all the money that is lost gambling is not much more profitable than Cruise margins.  Hardly free to the cruisers IMO.

We’ve never dropped a penny in the casino yet we’ve been notified four times about getting the free cruise.

[NMTraveller]

8 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

I am not an expert, but doesn’t the Blue Chip Club pay Celebrity for the cruises that they give or discount to their members?  I find it hard to believe that all the money that is lost gambling is not much more profitable than Cruise margins.  Hardly free to the cruisers IMO.

Think of someone that takes out a $20 and perhaps loses $10.  Those are the lower tiers.

If someone is gambling thousands I understand them being comped, but not the lower tiers in normal times.

Edited December 15, 2022 by NMTraveller

[jagoffee]

1 minute ago, grandgeezer said:

We’ve never dropped a penny in the casino yet we’ve been notified four times about getting the free cruise.

You never gamble in the casino on board a Celebrity ship?  If not, why do they offer you a free cruise?

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

Think of someone that takes out a $20 and perhaps loses $10.  Those are the lower tiers.

If someone is losing thousands I understand them being comped, but not the lower tiers in normal times.

Does the Blue Chip Club pay Celebrity for the cruises?

[NMTraveller]

3 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Does the Blue Chip Club pay Celebrity for the cruises?

I have no idea.  I suspect that Celebrity is just trying to fill their ships to a reasonable level and hoping that they spend some money on board.

Why would the Blue Chip Club pay Celebrity for low level gamblers?

 

 

[LGW59]

58 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Yeah but Celebrity ships are not full and they are losing money.  They are giving away free cruises...

My Edge TA in October/November 2022 (which I absolutely loved) had 1600 passengers, I believe ship capacity is 3000ish.

[Cruise Junky]

2 hours ago, jagoffee said:

Why do you that they are giving away free cruises?  

I’ve had at least six different offers of a free cruise in the past 4 months.  They are literally giving them away with the left hand while the right hand is selling them at a premium to the people that will pay it.  

[C4HCG]

We just got a quote for a June 2024 Italy, France, Spain cruise, Concierge class and for 9 days all included £4.3k which works out at £477 per night. Wow! First time we have looked to sail in Europe and only looking to do it as we have a special wedding anniversary that month and by choice would have done the Caribbean but on those days the Reflection which is now the summer Caribbean ship is doing the ABCs which we’ve done this year and not our favourite itinerary. If we are patient is there a chance of sales or will the ship likely sell out?

[barneyboy]

18 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

We just got a quote for a June 2024 Italy, France, Spain cruise, Concierge class and for 9 days all included £4.3k which works out at £477 per night. Wow! First time we have looked to sail in Europe and only looking to do it as we have a special wedding anniversary that month and by choice would have done the Caribbean but on those days the Reflection which is now the summer Caribbean ship is doing the ABCs which we’ve done this year and not our favourite itinerary. If we are patient is there a chance of sales or will the ship likely sell out?

Is that each or for 2?  We’re doing a similar 9 night cruise in September ‘23 on Reflection and paying about the same price for 2.  

[hawkesbaynz]

The Apex ex-Southampton cruises are ridiculous in 2024. However yesterday I booked a 12 night ex-Barcelona SV on the Ascent for £2500 ($3090). All included. Cheaper day rate than a Beyond Med. Cruise last September. Happy with that. Some patchy pricing out there.

 

@LGW59 the Oceania product is great but if you like shows and bands it is lacking. Older clientele too. Food is great. Fabulous itineraries. 

 

[C4HCG]

1 hour ago, barneyboy said:

Is that each or for 2?  We’re doing a similar 9 night cruise in September ‘23 on Reflection and paying about the same price for 2.  

It’s for 2. By comparison the Caribbean cruise we’re doing next September is £2700 for 8 nights, same class of cabin.