Is Celebrity getting a lot more expensive?

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

7 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

How it is that they're luring in the wider audience? (and, what defines this target group?)

 

Tom

Offering the Retreat (at least the Iconic and EVs are of interest to me), while still offering non-Retreat options for nearly any budget seems a broader brush.

 

Not arguing with you. Just my own observation that the appeal seems like a good business decision.

 

I hope it works for them, though I do have some concerns about service and food quality in their top restaurants and Retreat, based upon so many CC member criticisms.

 

I'll withhold judgment until after my two cruises on this line in January and August. 

 

Peace to all...

Edited December 11, 2022 by 4-2-N-8

[SusieAV8R]

5 hours ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

For our recent B2B (7 nighters) on the Reflection, I managed a Blue Chip Club rate of just over $5,000/wk for a RS.

 

I was looking at the Edge for Feb (a 10 night) and a S3 was going for $11k (the RS, $19k). The folks at Blue Chip knocked down the $11k to $6.5K, but obviously I'd be missing out on a couple of perks. I had it on hold for 24 hours, and let it go -- when it popped right back on their website, that same S3 was now over $13k... with the "75% off second guest, blah, blah,...".

 

I ended up going with a 7 night aft corner excel suite on the Mardi Gras for $2,500 which includes CHEERS.

 

Yes, the experience will be a different one - but I think I can manage, especially with all the balcony space that suite has (daybed, loungers, jacuzzi tub, etc).

 

With our recent Reflection sailing, I just passed 1,500 tier credits. With the price of their suites of late, I'm not so sure now that I'll ever make Zenith (or really care, lol) !

 

Tom

It would be more useful to us readers if you all indicted whether this was P.P. or total.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

4 minutes ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

Offering the Retreat (at least the Iconic and EVs are of interest to me), while still offering non-Retreat options for nearly any budget seems a broader brush.

 

Not arguing with you. Just my own observation that the appeal seems like a good business decision.

 

I hope it works for them, though I do have some concerns about service and food quality in their top restaurants and Retreat, based upon so many CC member criticisms.

 

I'll withhold judgment until after my two cruises on this line in January and August. 

 

Peace to all...

 

I do think it smart to offer a wide range of options. The broader net they can cast, the better!

However, as they seem to be raising the bar for their suites, particularly the top ones, higher and higher (well beyond the "rate of inflation" 😉 ), I find myself considering alternatives - both different categories, and different lines. I find myself getting nothing more for my dollar, while the required "dollar level" goes off logarithmically !

 

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

2 minutes ago, SusieAV8R said:

It would be more useful to us readers if you all indicted whether this was P.P. or total.

 

Total - if I post something, it's ALWAYS total.. unless I specifically state pp (just for reference). But, yes, it helps to state that !  🙂
 

Tom

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

14 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

I do think it smart to offer a wide range of options. The broader net they can cast, the better!

However, as they seem to be raising the bar for their suites, particularly the top ones, higher and higher (well beyond the "rate of inflation" 😉 ), I find myself considering alternatives - both different categories, and different lines. I find myself getting nothing more for my dollar, while the required "dollar level" goes off logarithmically !

 

Tom

I can appreciate that.

 

As a comparison I made, my Celebrity EV for next year Med cruise is now $40K (I booked slightly south of that price). My Carrib cruise booking next month comes in at around $30k.

 

In my prior example, private yacht charter, each of four couples could do so for around $60K. Prices can go up or slightly down from there, but that's around Iconic stateroom pricing.

 

However, private yacht charter is literally all in (save end charter tips/shoreside expenses, excursions). No seapass card. All in. Completely controlled by the group chartering.

 

Just a comparison.

 

Again, another angle where some might find reasonable to try Celeb. I'll speak for myself, I do like the restaurant variety coupled with privacy and security of the Retreat. The EV appears to have a nice veranda. I'm looking forward to trying it.

 

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay open to what the world offers...

Edited December 11, 2022 by 4-2-N-8

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

8 minutes ago, 4-2-N-8 said:

I can appreciate that.

 

As a comparison I made, my Celebrity EV for next year Med cruise is now $40K (I booked slightly south of that price). My Carrib cruise booking next month comes in at around $30k.

 

In my prior example, private yacht charter, each of four couples could do so for around $60K. Prices can go up or slightly down from there, but that's around Iconic stateroom pricing.

 

However, private yacht charter is literally all in (save end charter trips/off shore excursions). No seapass card. All in. Completely controlled by the group chartering.

 

Just a comparison.

 

Again, another angle where some might find reasonable to try Celeb. I'll speak for myself, I do like the restaurant variety coupled with privacy and security of the Retreat. The EV appears to have a nice veranda. I'm looking forward to trying it.

 

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay open to what the world offers...

 

Pros and cons for both (private charter vs. top suite). With a private charter, if that was in my wheelhouse, I think I might miss the dynamics of a larger ship (interesting crowds, shows, etc). Perhaps one day I can do a comparison !

 

Have a great time. 🙂

 

Tom

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

Just now, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Pros and cons for both (private charter vs. top suite). With a private charter, if that was in my wheelhouse, I think I might miss the dynamics of a larger ship (interesting crowds, shows, etc). Perhaps one day I can do a comparison !

 

Have a great time. 🙂

 

Tom

TY, and good luck to you.

[barneyboy]

12 hours ago, Obobru said:

We just booked our first cruise with Celebrity and it doesn't look in any way luxury, maybe that's people wanting to think they have a higher status in life. 

 

We only paid £2950 for 12 night Scandinavian cruise inside room with $400 OBC. That's just £245 a night with AI which would be impossible to find on a luxury line. We have been with Disney a few times and don't pay anywhere near that for the same room category and I wouldn't call Disney Luxury more premium and I expect Celebrity to be on a similar level for food/ship quality but not entertainment. If people are finding the prices are rising I can't imagine what bargains were had in the past!

There are a lot of good deals on the Scandinavian cruises from Southampton at the moment. We are paying about £400 less for 12 nights in July than we are paying for 9 nights Mediterranean cruise in September. We are also getting $850 OBC on the Scandinavian cruise compared to $300 on the Med cruise. 
There weren’t many balcony cabins left on the Silhouette when we booked so it can’t be down to slow bookings. 

[TeeRick]

We are sailing next month in a CS on Equinox.  We are using the last of our FCC's so it was like "lost money" paying for most of this cruise.  Yes I understand that it was still our money that was paid out in the past for cruises that got cancelled.  But now I agree that The Retreat/Suite prices are pretty ridiculously expensive.  I am wondering how many people (like us) are reserving suites with stored up FCC's even at these prices?  It seems from most reports here that Celebrity ships are sailing with near 100% suite occupancy.  In fact we struggled to find suite options at least in the first half of 2023.  When the FCC's are finally a thing of the past will the Retreat/Suite prices come back to Earth?  And with E-Class having more overall suites and with 4 E-Class ships (including Ascent) in the fleet, can Celebrity maintain these prices?

[TeeRick]

18 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

The CS on Celebrity is never a great value (on any class) in my opinion. 

Yes agree but it depends on your needs.  We book a CS since it is the least expensive suite on Celebrity with a separate bedroom.  My dw and I have very different sleep patterns.  We have a better cruise (especially longer trips) with an enclosed BR configuration.  I have seen others posting this here on CC as well.  I do wish the CS would offer a bit more than a Sky Suite in terms of what is included with the more expensive price.  Maybe even a few Specialty Dining nights or something like that.  

[jagoffee]

17 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

We are sailing next month in a CS on Equinox.  We are using the last of our FCC's so it was like "lost money" paying for most of this cruise.  Yes I understand that it was still our money that was paid out in the past for cruises that got cancelled.  But now I agree that The Retreat/Suite prices are pretty ridiculously expensive.  I am wondering how many people (like us) are reserving suites with stored up FCC's even at these prices?  It seems from most reports here that Celebrity ships are sailing with near 100% suite occupancy.  In fact we struggled to find suite options at least in the first half of 2023.  When the FCC's are finally a thing of the past will the Retreat/Suite prices come back to Earth?  And with E-Class having more overall suites and with 4 E-Class ships (including Ascent) in the fleet, can Celebrity maintain these prices?

Good questions.  Hopefully not at this level, but I suspect prices will remain relatively high.  Celebrity offers a very nice overall suite experience and even better at the RS and above level.  Hard to beat.  In a suite, I believe the suite experience is significantly better than even a Regent experience.  (And of course Oceania as well). Very smart strategy by Celebrity. Personally I think the Retreat package pushing Celebrity to a different level compared to their normal competitors. Different comparison at the non suite experience.  

Edited December 11, 2022 by jagoffee

[NMTraveller]

I don't see the price hikes???

 

I just look at the S class ships and they looked like they are priced in a normal range.  For E class why pay more for less (unless in a suite)?  E class has always been priced higher.

 

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by NMTraveller

[LGW59]

26 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I don't see the price hikes???

 

I just look at the S class ships and they looked like they are priced in a normal range.  For E class why pay more for less (unless in a suite)?  E class has always been priced higher.

 

 

A 10 day Med cruise CS on Infinity in May 2023 is $24k, if that's not a hike and is the new "normal"...

[drakes2]

27 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I don't see the price hikes???

 

I just look at the S class ships and they looked like they are priced in a normal range.  For E class why pay more for less (unless in a suite)?  E class has always been priced higher.

 

 

This past January booked a Celebrity solo inside cabin on the Edge for $1200 was a Western Caribbean 7 nights with no obc.  Booked the same cruise for next month with one less sea day so 4 islands instead of 3. This is on the Sky Princess paid $676 for inside solo cabin plus $250 USD onboard credit.  

[NMTraveller]

13 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

A 10 day Med cruise CS on Infinity in May 2023 is $24k, if that's not a hike and is the new "normal"...

That is for a suite with limited supply.

 

I just contacted my TA to reprice a Celebrity cruise for next Christmas at a lower rate.

 

Let's not forget that Celebrity is giving away some of these rooms for free to the Blue Chip Club to lower tiers.  The non suites are not fully booked.

Edited December 11, 2022 by NMTraveller

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 hours ago, drakes2 said:

This past January booked a Celebrity solo inside cabin on the Edge for $1200 was a Western Caribbean 7 nights with no obc.  Booked the same cruise for next month with one less sea day so 4 islands instead of 3. This is on the Sky Princess paid $676 for inside solo cabin plus $250 USD onboard credit.  

Was the $1200 CAD for the cabin ? 
$675 solo is a great price 

[drakes2]

28 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Was the $1200 CAD for the cabin ? 
$675 solo is a great price 

Yes it was CAD plus 250 US obc equals approximately 350 cad assuming FX rate of 1.40. Plus the itinerary is Cozumel, Costa Maya,  Roatan and Belize. On the Edge this past January we only went to the first 3 Islands.  Sky Princess is a beautiful ship our friends in Florida were on her for their Thanksgiving and loved it.   I heard the Atrium is magnificent.  I think the inside cabins are slightly smaller than the E class deluxe but who cares, I'm never there. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

4 hours ago, drakes2 said:

Yes it was CAD plus 250 US obc equals approximately 350 cad assuming FX rate of 1.40. Plus the itinerary is Cozumel, Costa Maya,  Roatan and Belize. On the Edge this past January we only went to the first 3 Islands.  Sky Princess is a beautiful ship our friends in Florida were on her for their Thanksgiving and loved it.   I heard the Atrium is magnificent.  I think the inside cabins are slightly smaller than the E class deluxe but who cares, I'm never there. 

Might have to start looking a Princess, both CCL stock when it was under $10 , and wife the beening a vet , we could get some nice OBC 😁

[deliver42]

We were just on the Beyond last week. We priced a 7 day Eastern for April, 2024, in an IV and it came to

 over $4100.00 for a 7 day. We priced a Reflection for the same timeframe, for an 8 day Eastern in a V1 balcony, and booked it for $3100.00 with $350.00 OBC and the All In. By the way, we love the S Class ships.

[drakes2]

10 hours ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Might have to start looking a Princess, both CCL stock when it was under $10 , and wife the beening a vet , we could get some nice OBC 😁

I was surprised to receive that much OBC for an inside cabin and at such a great price. The only downfall is you are allowed one bottle of wine per person. Any additional is subject to a $15 corkage fee so I plan on taking two bottles. Anxious to compare  the two lines especially the  wine offerings. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

21 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

I was surprised to receive that much OBC for an inside cabin and at such a great price. The only downfall is you are allowed one bottle of wine per person. Any additional is subject to a $15 corkage fee so I plan on taking two bottles. Anxious to compare  the two lines especially the  wine offerings. 

 

We've taken 1 Princess cruise, ten years ago. Two things which rather irked me and, though minor, probably explain why we've yet to return...

 

1> In their steakhouse (can't recall the name), we requested sparkling water at the beginning of the meal. When they brought the bottle (our food order had yet to be taken), they requested our ship card to run a separate charge for the water to be settled then. I was like "can't this all be put on our tab, and signed for at the end of the meal"?  Very odd...

 

2> We didn't have any kind of drink package, frankly I'm not sure they offered one back then, so when I ordered a Grey Goose and Diet Sprite (not what I order any longer!), I was charged for the mixed drink and then also charged for a can of soda, since they didn't have Diet Sprite in their soda guns. Can't say I've ever ordered a mixed drink AND been charged extra for the mixer before! 

 

Ok, like I said, minor things, but... !

 

Tom

[chisoxfan]

50 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

We've taken 1 Princess cruise, ten years ago. Two things which rather irked me and, though minor, probably explain why we've yet to return...

 

1> In their steakhouse (can't recall the name), we requested sparkling water at the beginning of the meal. When they brought the bottle (our food order had yet to be taken), they requested our ship card to run a separate charge for the water to be settled then. I was like "can't this all be put on our tab, and signed for at the end of the meal"?  Very odd...

 

2> We didn't have any kind of drink package, frankly I'm not sure they offered one back then, so when I ordered a Grey Goose and Diet Sprite (not what I order any longer!), I was charged for the mixed drink and then also charged for a can of soda, since they didn't have Diet Sprite in their soda guns. Can't say I've ever ordered a mixed drink AND been charged extra for the mixer before! 

 

Ok, like I said, minor things, but.

 

Tom

Wow, tough crowd.  After four Princess cruises we also had what we felt were serious issues with a Panama cruise and had a 'run in' with Princess management. We moved them to the very bottom of our 'list'  but just completed a pleasant 15 night on Enchanted Princess. Price, itinerary, were best for us and we are glad we approached with an open mind to give them another shot. Things are changing so quickly in this Industry (pricing, perks, new ships) I think it wise to be flexible. JMHO

[Jeremiah1212]

22 hours ago, LGW59 said:

A 10 day Med cruise CS on Infinity in May 2023 is $24k, if that's not a hike and is the new "normal"...

 

That's not a normal price. That's the price for one of few remaining suites on an almost sold out cruise. It doesn't look like the CS is even available anymore. 

 

For the same May/June time frame you could do...

Reflection 9 night in a Celebrity Suite for 14k 

Reflection 10 night in a Signature Suite for less than $18k 

Infinity 9 night in a Royal Suite for $17k

Constellation 10 night in a Celebrity Suite for $16.5k

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

On 12/10/2022 at 5:14 PM, 4-2-N-8 said:

...

 

If a chartered yacht in Med or Carrib for 7 nights comes in at $250k-$300k (but for four couples), this is my definition of luxury (and true customized itinerary). This pricing isn't bad on a per couple ...

 

Your post came to mind when I read THIS earlier today. Granted, this raises the bar just a skosh, but - since it accommodates up to 32 people !

 

Tom

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

25 minutes ago, Tom-n-Cheryl said:

 

Your post came to mind when I read THIS earlier today. Granted, this raises the bar just a skosh, but - since it accommodates up to 32 people !

 

Tom

Check Iconic pricing on various cruises versus private charters and you see those private charters (with the right number of people on the charter) are downright cheap!!! 😅