I'm Stunned by the Price of an Upper Suite on a Three Night Cruise on Ascent...

[zitsky]

1 minute ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

This is such a good point.  I prefer the front of the plane myself and priced out business class airfare for a Med cruise only to find it at around 10-12K pp/rt.  Last time we flew to Italy in Business class we paid $4500 pp/rt and that was tough for me to swallow...but we did it.  Looking back, it seems like a bargain now.  Included Business class airfare for over seas travel was a big factor in booking with Regent...other lines.

Which cruise companies include business class air other than Regent?

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

17 minutes ago, zitsky said:

Which cruise companies include business class air other than Regent?

 

Yah, I didn't say that right. What I meant was Regent includes Business class airfare while other lines offer airfare for an additional charge, albeit discounted, but not automatically included.  If other cruise lines automatically include air in the total fare, I don't know who they are.  As it is, if one doesn't want the Regent air, they can take a $2500 credit off the cruise fare instead.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[Dolebludger]

To clarify, Regent includes business/first air ONLY on what it defines as "intercontinental" legs that go beyond North America (the Caribbean is considered  to be in North America -- go figure). There are some limited specials from time to time on Regent that include all air business/first, but far from on all cruises. So even if you book Regent with "free business/first air" your flight legs within North America (as defined) will be economy.  We have a Regent cruise booked this March that embarks in San Juan and disembarks in Miami. Regent includes air only from their "gateway" airports. In my case this means Denver or Dallas. Getting to one of those is on us.We can upgrade the air from and to either of these gateway airports from economy to business/first for $1200 pp which we are doing. We will probably chose Dallas as our "gateway" because Denver has been a real mess lately. Another example of Regent's air inclusion would be our cruise a few years ago that embarked in Tahiti and disembarked in Lima Peru. In this case, we had to pay for air to Denver. Regent paid for air to LAX but it was economy. From LAX to Tahiti the Regent provided air was business/first. Upon return, Regent provided a direct flight from Lima to Denver, and it was business/first.

 

Silversea has an option that includes air at a higher cruise fare. We have not cruised Silversea under this program, but supposedly it covers air from and to my home city (Durango CO) and even transportation to my home airport -- and back. But it is economy air which can be upgraded for an additional-additional charge. 

 

I wish the matter of cruise line provided air was not so complicated, but it is. I wish some cruise line would include business/first from Durango to and from wherever I need to go -- but nobody does. I can do without the ride to and from the Durango airport. I can easily do that myself.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Dolebludger

[NMTraveller]

10 hours ago, RichYak said:

Maybe I'm missing something. If the quoted "discount" is a discount to "brochure rate", which is meaningless, what is the relevance of "most heavily discounted"?

They are most heavily discounted as they are all past final payment with more than a few cabins to sell.  The cruise lines either sell them or the unsold cabins sail empty.

 

Too me the brochure rate is meaningless.  The site may say that you are saving 90% off of the brochure rate,  yet you are saving 50% off of the cruise average price.

 

Regarding price.  What price could you use?  At least on Celebrity the price changes every week with a sale,  then a different sale,  then yet another different sale.  So it seems to me that brochure price is the only price that is consistent?

Edited October 27, 2023 by NMTraveller

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

Too me the brochure rate is meaningless.  The site may say that you are saving 90% off of the brochure rate,  yet you are saving 50% off of the cruise average price.

What are you basing this on? Does it say somewhere on the site that the 90 day ticker deals are 50% off the average price?

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

Too me the brochure rate is meaningless.

 

1 hour ago, NMTraveller said:

So it seems to me that brochure price is the only price that is consistent?

By your own admission, consistency doesn't equate to meaningful. In this case, I agree. That metric is completely meaningless.

[NMTraveller]

37 minutes ago, RichYak said:

What are you basing this on? Does it say somewhere on the site that the 90 day ticker deals are 50% off the average price?

I am basing it on my own observations.  You can argue if you want that they are only 30% off of the average price or 40% or 60%.  But they are discounted nonetheless.  It is rather obvious to the casual observer.  My estimate is roughly 50% for the ones that I have an interest in.

 

But you are missing the point.  Where else do you find a comprehensive list of highly discounted cruises?

 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by NMTraveller

[RichYak]

6 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Where else do you find a comprehensive list of highly discounted cruises?

CruisePlum. I get to choose the metrics, not some "90 day ticker" that doesn't disclose the math behind the selection process.

[RichYak]

The fares for the "highly discounted 90 day ticker" Ascent sailing on 12/24/23 are:

Inside: $1208

Outside: Sold out

Balcony: $1679

Suite: $6531

 

The fares for the 12/10/23 sailing on the same ship with the same itinerary are:

Inside: $767

Outside: $849

Balcony: $999

Suite: $3770

 

I think we may also have different definitions for "highly discounted"

[NMTraveller]

25 minutes ago, RichYak said:

CruisePlum. I get to choose the metrics, not some "90 day ticker" that doesn't disclose the math behind the selection process.

OK.  I agree.  I do like CruisePlum better.

 

The selection process for the 90 day ticker is that they have to have cabins available after 90 days.  Therefore the name.

Edited October 27, 2023 by NMTraveller

[NMTraveller]

13 minutes ago, RichYak said:

The fares for the "highly discounted 90 day ticker" Ascent sailing on 12/24/23 are:

Inside: $1208

Outside: Sold out

Balcony: $1679

Suite: $6531

 

The fares for the 12/10/23 sailing on the same ship with the same itinerary are:

Inside: $767

Outside: $849

Balcony: $999

Suite: $3770

 

I think we may also have different definitions for "highly discounted"

We are talking about a holiday cruise on their newest ship...

 

Prime time and prime ship.

 

First two weeks of Dec. sailing prices are always historically low.

 

Normally new cruise ships are sold out.  This does not seem to be the case for Ascent.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by NMTraveller

[markeb]

Why does the size of the discount matter? Serious question. What would matter to me is absolute cost, not the cost relative to some arbitrary starting point. 

 

A $5000 cruise is a 50% discount off of a $10,000 "book value", whatever the book is.

It's a 20% discount off of a $6250 book.

I'm paying $5000 either way. That's the number that actually seems to matter since that's what's coming out of my bank account.

 

The "heavily discounted" metric is how Joseph A. Bank (for instance) stays in business...

 

I really don't play this game, but I'd find it much more relevant to search for the absolute fare and where that number intersects my willingness to pay, I'd buy. Getting a 50% discount is just about bragging about how well I did on the price. To me. 

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

We are talking about a holiday cruise on their newest ship...

 

Prime time and prime ship.

 

First two weeks of Dec. sailing prices are always historically low.

 

 

The cheapest inside fares are only 57% higher for the holiday cruise than 12/10 sailing. What a bargain! You can't possibly be serious.

 

"Prime ship": I'm comparing to the same ship.

[RichYak]

12 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

The selection process for the 90 day ticker is that they have to have cabins available after 90 days.  Therefore the name.

So literally every cruise that has a final payment date at 90 days is eligible. Not exactly an exclusive group.

[Dolebludger]

This thread is about fares for cruises in The Retreat,— am I wrong?  If not, I contend that fares for the Retreat are way too high, considering the competition. Now, if you want to book inside, ocean view, or basic balcony, the fares look competitive. But for the Retreat, fares are too high to be competitive. And that’s all I have.

[NMTraveller]

31 minutes ago, RichYak said:

The cheapest inside fares are only 57% higher for the holiday cruise than 12/10 sailing. What a bargain! You can't possibly be serious.

 

"Prime ship": I'm comparing to the same ship.

I would compare Christmas cruises to Christmas cruises.

 

For example I paid $2k more for my 2022 Apex Christmas cruise..

 

It NOW looks like Celebrity does not have new ship pricing?  Every time I have sailed on a brand new ship the price has been higher than that of the other ships (and the prices kept on rising until fully booked)...  The new ships did not show up on the 90 day ticker.  For non-suites I am seeing softer pricing than I have seen before.

 

Now back to our regularly scheduled program of why are suite prices so high 🤣

Edited October 27, 2023 by NMTraveller

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

The fares for the "highly discounted 90 day ticker" Ascent sailing on 12/24/23 are:

Inside: $1208

 

The price for the Apex is $2501 for an inside for the 2023 Christmas cruise 12/23.  More than a 50% discount on a newer ship (Ascent)...

 

Starting to like the 90 day ticker as well as Cruise Plum.  It is a different perspective.

Edited October 27, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Gracie115]

Oceania includes Economy air in their fares.  Business is more of course.

[kirtihk]

On 10/22/2023 at 11:09 PM, buncosquad said:

For an EV, that is $3K per night. That seems very reasonable when compared to a stay, for example, in a Mandarin Oriental, a Shangri-La, or a Four Seasons.

 

Plus, an EV includes all meals and "transportation."

 

Celebrity is clearly appealing to those who want real service, real suites, and a genuine premium service.

 

And you'd be on their newest ship.

 

If it appealed to everyone, that's clearly what they want. Every company wants that. But, they don't need too many to afford it, rather just enough who can afford it.

 

Seems logical and similar to pricing models used by luxury land based hotels.

You might go for $6,500 (door-to-door without air option) on Silversea 2026 World cruise 15- night segment.

[kirtihk]

On 10/23/2023 at 10:00 AM, PTC DAWG said:

I don't see the comparison of cruising to land based resorts myself.  Totally different experience.  

 

That said, the prices are what they are.  Brand new ship, one of the first if not the first sailing with passengers...not sure what folks expect..

They expect to book a few cruises like this one and then proceed right away to welfare.

[kirtihk]

14 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Yah, I didn't say that right. What I meant was Regent includes Business class airfare while other lines offer airfare for an additional charge, albeit discounted, but not automatically included.  If other cruise lines automatically include air in the total fare, I don't know who they are.  As it is, if one doesn't want the Regent air, they can take a $2500 credit off the cruise fare instead.

It is not $2,500; it is different amount for each itinerary (from $300 round trip for economy domestic destination flights to over $8,000 for international business class).  Also, air discount might be taken for each way individually (I do not know whether it is half for each way or a specific amount depending on embarkation/disembarkation city).

[Georgia_Peaches]

4 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

It is not $2,500; it is different amount for each itinerary (from $300 round trip for economy domestic destination flights to over $8,000 for international business class).  Also, air discount might be taken for each way individually (I do not know whether it is half for each way or a specific amount depending on embarkation/disembarkation city).

Still learning...thanks!  From what I've read so far, $2500 seems to be the going credit for over seas...good to know it can change based on itinerary.

[kirtihk]

18 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Still learning...thanks!  From what I've read so far, $2500 seems to be the going credit for over seas...good to know it can change based on itinerary.

For our December 2024 Cape Town to Dubai cruise the non-air discount is $5,600 per person round trip.

[PTC DAWG]

19 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

I'm on that 1/21/24 Ascent in an SS for about $735 per night for 2 as are a bunch of other folks who jumped on the deal last October. 

 

mac_tlc

I’m right with you on that sailing…$600 OBC also.. not to mention the full boat AI. 

[CtinaontheSea]

We made a decision to try an Explora Journeys cruise. We were comparing the Retreat with a similar Europe itinerary (and Oceania). It's port intensive and the ship seems to be a better option for rest and relaxation.

 

The retreat started at >14k for the Magic Carpet Sky and we reserved a Villa on the Explora II for about the same price.

 

I realize it's a new ship and we are early 50s and haven't had much exposure to smaller ships. We are well versed in Royal, Celebrity, Holland, and NCL suite products, and they were always fine for our needs. Now if we fall in love with a smaller and exclusive ship, we will probably try other cruise lines. 

 

You are not alone noticing Celebrity pricing.