These cruise prices are insanely high!!

[SUgwoz]

15 minutes ago, Noskill said:

The way I tend to look at cruise pricing is could I get a land vacation cheaper.  Currently I have 5 cruises booked for this year at an average price of $164 per night (inclusive of port fees, taxes and tips).  I can't get a decent hotel room in a good location for that price let alone food and entertainment.  Cruising is still a fantastic value relative to other options.

That is my mindset, descent hotel is going to run $150/night in most cases.  Want a hotel room with an ocean view now you are looking at $250/night on the low end.  Food you can skip meals, eat only fast/cheaper options and spend $30-50/day per person.  If you are including snacks, appetizers, sit down restaurant meals, desserts, you are looking closer to $100/person on the low end.  Food costs is what really eats up vacation budgets, particularly for families.  

[gizbug]

Doesn’t RCL bring down prices with big sales in January/February months? Last year they did and I repriced a Thanksgiving day cruise that I had a deposit in and saved big….

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, gizbug said:

Last year they did

 

What they did in the past does not indicate what they will do in the present or future.

[QuestionEverything]

44 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I couldn't get a land vacation for cheaper that would take me to multiple locations in the same week.

Now of course RC is moving towards a "the ship is the destination" approach, but there are still plenty that sail because they're going somewhere (even if any given "somewhere" isn't overly attractive)

True, but for some people like me - I need a deep dive into locations that a 1 day or even an overnight can not provide. Hence cruises are not an option despite the price.

It depends on the consumers objective of course - and we all have different objectives. So one mode of travel does not work for all.

I use personal land tours with guides, land tours just with family that allow for many day exploration of a urban area or rural. 

Price is a minor consideration in our travel - it is meeting the objectives that is the priority and we analyze the options to achieve our objectives. 

Since cruising is more "superficial" in terms of stops, it does not serve us well.

There are some exceptions like South America, Greenland, Baltic, all of which I have done.

But to each their own.

Enjoy your cruises.

[DrivesLikeMario]

What's up is supply & demand.  Many ships for AK this season are just about sold out.  It's crazy, but everyone seems to want to cruise there this summer.  I've had a heck of a time finding just 1 berth for 1 person on a few different ships.

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

There was a C&A sale for Diamond and above shortly before my Allure cruise in October. OTW cabanas were surprisingly something like $1749 and Beach Club cabanas were a few hundred less.

I know many of the prices are ship dependent but that is a pretty good deal compared to full price. I must have missed that one and I check just about everyday for trends.

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I know many of the prices are ship dependent but that is a pretty good deal compared to full price. I must have missed that one and I check just about everyday for trends.

 

It was a new, weird type of sale at the time that I don't remember anyone seeing or mentioning again except maybe once.

 

And yes, they were good deals. When my wife and I sail alone, it's frugally (we don't spend a penny on CocoCay except to tip on our voucher drinks). When I saw that sale I remember telling her how I wish it was an extended family cruise... when we're a party of 8 including some less frugal family members who would have jumped at those prices but wouldn't pay the usual $3000+ prices you normally see.

[Biker19]

6 hours ago, gizbug said:

Doesn’t RCL bring down prices with big sales in January/February months? 

Prices depend on demand and that time frame is usually low demand, hence lower prices. If the price will go down, it usually happens inside final payment. 

[Mike07]

On 1/9/2024 at 1:21 AM, Tree_skier said:

I find it weird that people who don’t want to cruise continue to post on cruising message boards. 

 

 

Just commenting that I have never been on RCI nor does the line interest me, yet here I am reading and replying to you.

 

This is not meant as an insult to you or anybody else that chooses RCI to cruise on.

[coaster]

Found better pricing per day on Celebrity over Royal on our 2 cruises from Tampa last year. Same ownership, but it pays to check both lines.

[Mick B]

Hi,

Yes, to a degree, cruise prices can be and are high, but then again at this moment in time, with everything going on in the world, so is just about everything.

 

Firstly, if you are lucky enough to have enough money that the price of a holiday does not bother you then that's fine. There seems to be plenty of people still travelling first class on planes, booking grand suites, paying for specialty restaurants, paying for cabanas in CocoCay, booking cruises ion the newest ships at peak season and the list of spending your money on the things you want to do in life goes on and on etc. After all, it's your money and your choice what to do with it.

 

Lastly, if you are someone like, me and my wife, mid to late fifties and not bothered about the frills of things and just want to have a good holiday at a reasonable price and see the world, then there are a whole list of cruises that can be done from various ports in both the US and Europe on slightly older ships during periods where the weather may not be the hottest, but still enjoyable. Booking an inside cabin and not spending money on additional things like chops grill and spa treatment etc can mean having money left to spend on other things such as another cruise.

I always said to my wife that she has 2 choices, 1 cruise a year in a suite/balcony or 2 cruises in an inside and for nearly 20 years we have done the insides.

 

We plan ahead around 2 years in advance and try to rotate where we go and what class of ship we sail on where available.

In 2022 we did Barcelona to Copenhagen and also Southampton to Bayonne. Last year we Did Ravenna to Barcelona. This year we are doing FL to Southampton and next year Southampton to the Canneries. Each one of these cruise was booked when the price was cheapest and each ship is non-oasis class but each one has different layouts and plenty to do.

The reason why in 2023, 20-24 and 2025 we are only doing 1 cruise a year instead of 2 is not because of the cruise price going up, not because we are in a suite instead of an inside cabin, but because of the even bigger increase in the cost of flights, hotels and restaurants that were needed both ends of our holidays almost doubling the cost of the cruise, so instead of having 2 7 day cruises a year, we are having 1 12-15 day cruise a year to cut down on the cost of getting to and from the ship.

 

Like I said, everything is going up, and in some cases things are getting cut back a bit too, but in the scheme of things, I still believe that the daily cost of cruise compared to other destinations can be and is great value. I do not believe you have to spend that much extra once onboard to be able to have an enjoyable experience. However, like I said, if you have the money to splash out then so be it, but if you don't, then there is still plenty to do onboard that doesn't cost a thing (yet!).

 

Mick.

 

[exm]

On 1/10/2024 at 8:36 AM, Engineroom Snipe said:

I have not seen any sales or discounts on the $3,499 over water cabanas at all on any of my cruises since August of last year.

 

I am still enjoying the memories when I booked one of these for $999 during my August 2021 cruise out of Nassau. What a time that was!

[exm]

On 1/10/2024 at 10:58 AM, smokeybandit said:

I couldn't get a land vacation for cheaper that would take me to multiple locations in the same week.

Now of course RC is moving towards a "the ship is the destination" approach, but there are still plenty that sail because they're going somewhere (even if any given "somewhere" isn't overly attractive)

 

We used to fly to all-inclusive resorts in Punta Cana a lot. Basically fly JFK-PUN, 7 days all-inclusive. So similar to a cruise with the drink package. Financially, flying is very expensive, especially with a family of 5. Now you can make an argument if you cruise out of Florida you also have to fly. We only fly non-stop, sorry! True. However, when I do a (local) cruise out of NY that's no longer the case.

 

I did a mock booking for the same time as my upcoming RC cruise.$7,599.10, for 5 people, 2 rooms, all-inclusive, non-stop flights. Not bad, but is that much cheaper?

[Mick B]

That's another thing...

Memories!

Anyone who has done loads of cruises can always have the memories of those good old days.

Anyone new to cruising probably won't know what they were missing anyway as what they are going to get now is what they may think was the the norm.

We have plenty of videos we made plus a load of photos from each cruise to remember them by.

 

And that's another thing when booking a cruise, the C&A scheme. If you are lucky enough to be Diamond and above and don't drink that much so that you don't need a drinks package, then that's even more money you can save.

 

Also researching your own tours rather than paying much more via the cruise line for basically the same thing can save money too - although I would always suggest doing the cruise operated tour if venturing miles from the ship when its not in port that long to avoid missing the ship.

 

There are so many things you can do to cut down the price of a cruise holiday if you are on a budget, or would rather invest the saved money in another cruise - which is what we would do.

 

Mick.

 

 

 

[onthewater51]

I agree prices are high, but what is really surprising me is the difficulty finding decent cabins, regardless of the price.

 

We've been looking at different trips and have searched out as far as possible.  Cruises are filling up so fast and despite the prices, people are booking.  I can't really blame any business charging high prices when demand exceeds supply.

 

 

[Bocker3]

I've been noticing the increasing prices at RC, but everything is getting more expensive, so didn't think all that much about it (except for the crazy ICON prices).  However, I am now thinking that, perhaps, RC may be going a bit nuts.  I booked (in Jan 2023) an 8nt Western Caribbean cruise on Freedom for Mar 1, 2025.  I thought I got a pretty good deal - $3248.02 for a JS, with a Refundable deposit.  Well, our plans changed and I cancelled this cruise on Tuesday.  Just to see how much it now costs, I did a mock booking yesterday - that same cabin is now going for over $12,400 for a Refundable deposit!  So, what they would have been paid $3248 for, they will now get almost 4x that amount.

That is pushing it a bit too far, IMO.  Inflation is not up that much.  One could sail Oceania or Silverseas for that price.

 

Mike

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, Bocker3 said:

I've been noticing the increasing prices at RC, but everything is getting more expensive, so didn't think all that much about it (except for the crazy ICON prices).  However, I am now thinking that, perhaps, RC may be going a bit nuts.  I booked (in Jan 2023) an 8nt Western Caribbean cruise on Freedom for Mar 1, 2025.  I thought I got a pretty good deal - $3248.02 for a JS, with a Refundable deposit.  Well, our plans changed and I cancelled this cruise on Tuesday.  Just to see how much it now costs, I did a mock booking yesterday - that same cabin is now going for over $12,400 for a Refundable deposit!  So, what they would have been paid $3248 for, they will now get almost 4x that amount.

That is pushing it a bit too far, IMO.  Inflation is not up that much.  One could sail Oceania or Silverseas for that price.

 

Mike

I wasnt even aware you could still book a JS with a refundable deposit? Comparing to a refundable fare might not be a good comparison ...but I agree prices are up for cruises. 

 

Cpi numbers came in today with hotels and airfare up.  They dont track cruise prices but if hotels and airfare are up why wouldnt cruisefares?

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 minutes ago, Bocker3 said:

I've been noticing the increasing prices at RC, but everything is getting more expensive, so didn't think all that much about it (except for the crazy ICON prices).  However, I am now thinking that, perhaps, RC may be going a bit nuts.  I booked (in Jan 2023) an 8nt Western Caribbean cruise on Freedom for Mar 1, 2025.  I thought I got a pretty good deal - $3248.02 for a JS, with a Refundable deposit.  Well, our plans changed and I cancelled this cruise on Tuesday.  Just to see how much it now costs, I did a mock booking yesterday - that same cabin is now going for over $12,400 for a Refundable deposit!  So, what they would have been paid $3248 for, they will now get almost 4x that amount.

That is pushing it a bit too far, IMO.  Inflation is not up that much.  One could sail Oceania or Silverseas for that price.

 

Mike

There were three cruises I booked in the 4th quarter of 2022 for 2023. Everyone of them were a minimum of 300% more at 120 days before the actual cruises (and going up during the last three months which is expected during a high-demand revenge travel year.)

[SUgwoz]

12 minutes ago, Mick B said:

Anyone new to cruising probably won't know what they were missing anyway as what they are going to get now is what they may think was the the norm.

There seems to be a consensus that people new to cruising had never heard of cruising until it became more expensive and they changed direction on amenities/services. Reducing some(fine dining, housekeeping procedures), enhancing others (activities on ships, private islands). 

 

Is it not possible that said new cruisers did not find the previous product attractive for their needs, and find the new one more attractive. 

 

It could be better marketing, but I would think many of the people that are booking Icon now wasn't doing so for the Royal of 10-20 years ago. 

[Bocker3]

4 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I wasnt even aware you could still book a JS with a refundable deposit? Comparing to a refundable fare might not be a good comparison ...but I agree prices are up for cruises. 

 

I compared a Refundable fare to a Refundable fare - how could that not be a good comparison.  Apples to Apples.

 

I don't recall exactly, but I think I paid $400-$500 more for the refundable.  Now the extra cost for Refundable is a little over $4,000.  So, they are certainly doing a bit extra to discourage buying a refundable cruise.

 

 

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I wasnt even aware you could still book a JS with a refundable deposit? Comparing to a refundable fare might not be a good comparison ...but I agree prices are up for cruises. 

 

Cpi numbers came in today with hotels and airfare up.  They dont track cruise prices but if hotels and airfare are up why wouldnt cruisefares?

You are correct with your information and I would expect cruise fares to use the business models of supply and demand.

 

I have noticed that off-peak airfares are starting to show weakness compared to last year. Maybe the shoulder seasons might come back on cruise lines and I am standing by for a bit. I understand raising prices but if you looked at the CPI compounded since the January before the pandemic (2020), a 2020 $2000 cruise would cost about $2400, not almost double.

 

Business is business and prices do not come down until the customer stops buying. I got it. My choice, pay the price or not cruise. I do like to cruise, just at the right price point.

[Engineroom Snipe]

4 minutes ago, Bocker3 said:

I compared a Refundable fare to a Refundable fare - how could that not be a good comparison.  Apples to Apples.

 

I don't recall exactly, but I think I paid $400-$500 more for the refundable.  Now the extra cost for Refundable is a little over $4,000.  So, they are certainly doing a bit extra to discourage buying a refundable cruise.

 

 

You are spot on about how many cruisers were only paying $400-$500 more for refundable fares, especially for suites. Many cruisers would deposit on multiple suites knowing that they were only going to pick one or worse yet, "see how they feel" at the time and pull multiple or all cruises before the final date and get a full refund.

 

I am not saying anyone did anything wrong. A refundable deposit is just that. They did what they were allowed to do.

 

RCI might have been having a hard time filling in those empty suites 91 days before the ship leaved the dock.

 

One must read the contract carefully regarding suites today because the terms and conditions have changed concerning deposits which are much different than when you used them.

[firefly333]

41 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

You are correct with your information and I would expect cruise fares to use the business models of supply and demand.

 

I have noticed that off-peak airfares are starting to show weakness compared to last year. Maybe the shoulder seasons might come back on cruise lines and I am standing by for a bit. I understand raising prices but if you looked at the CPI compounded since the January before the pandemic (2020), a 2020 $2000 cruise would cost about $2400, not almost double.

 

Business is business and prices do not come down until the customer stops buying. I got it. My choice, pay the price or not cruise. I do like to cruise, just at the right price point.

Cherry picking a date to compare isnt really accurate. I'm sure other dates tell another story. We all know cruise prices have fluctuated widely over the last 10 years. I dont see cruise prices rising thr way they were, seems to have slowed down. Noticed when price checking new sale is offering a big wad of obc to book. $150 obc on a rather cheap mariner 7 day cruise.

 

My condo hoa just went from 475 to 680.

 

Allstate raised car insurance from 1100 to 1500 in the last 6 months. Called progresso 659 same coverage. Cancelled after over 30 years loyalty. Obviously this is to see how many like me will stay loyal no matter how much they go up.

 

Talking heads of course totally divided on fed rate cuts. Some think 6 cuts faster faster. Some think maybe 2 or 3 this year but many things still going to make this last percent sticky. 25 of 50 states are raising minimum wage this year. Deficit. Military spending. On and on. Inflation less but not near dead. I'm in the inflation isnt dead camp.

 

I do hope you are right and air fare quits rising. 

[Pinballs83]

Newish cruiser... Here is my story. My parents took me on a few cruises when I was young.  They where fine and everything.  Never really put much thought into going on one as a younger adult.  Was more into music festivals and crap like that.

 

As adult nearing 40 I did one with my parents early in 2023.  Had a great time.  I am so damn busy all the time it is nice to have everything taken care for you.  no cleaning, cooking, etc.. loved it.  So I booked a solo cruise on Oasis.  Had such a great time.  Now I'm cruisin pretty much once a month through 2024 and probably 2025.  My business has gotten to the point it can run itself while I am gone for a week a month.  I busted my ass the last ten years with little to no vacations to get to this point.  So yeah, its expensive now, but so is everything else.  It can be easy $200 a night just to sleep at a hotel and that doesn't even cover food.  I still see a lot of value in cruising and you can find deals.

Not that long ago I got a studio balcony for a 7d 2024 alaska cruise for $1200.   I am not seeing deals like that for 2025 though, in fact the studio balcony rooms are more than the normal balcony ones solo.  Hunt around.  Keep track of things in a notebook if you are looking for deals.

 

Here is a deal for you... Look at some of the winter cruises out of NJ.  Yeah, you are not going to be using the pool deck on the first and last day, but its value for an oasis class.  Same goes with being willing to cruise out of Galveston.  Limited Itinerary, but I love oasis class, so Harmony should be fine.

Edited January 11 by Pinballs83