I dont consider myself cheap

[schmoopie17]

2 hours ago, cincicruisers said:

 

To pre order 12 shrimp sent to your room is $50.  Crazy

 

Imagine how expensive they would be if they were giant, instead.

[graphicguy]

3 hours ago, cincicruisers said:

I agree that everything has gone up but some things are crazy expensive.  
 

Two examples

The Vibe was $79 when we went in 2020.  I think it’s up to around $250 now.

 

To pre order 12 shrimp sent to your room is $50.  Crazy

 

I watched Vibe price rise.  Fact is, NCL kept raising the price, and it still sold out.  It still sells out, at current Vibe prices.

 

Once the Vibe gets to the price point where they don’t sell out, prices will drop!

 

Not sure I would get a dozen shrimp from room service.  There are better venues and cheaper options for a dozen shrimp!

Edited January 13 by graphicguy

[seemoreroyals]

15 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I watched Vibe price rise.  Fact is, NCL kept raising the price, and it still sold out.  It still sells out, at current Vibe prices.

 

Once the Vibe gets to the price point where they don’t sell out, prices will drop!

 

Not sure I would get a dozen shrimp from room service.  There are better venues and cheaper options for a dozen shrimp!

 

Even at its current price vibe is still worth it IMO. I just can't say enough how great the experience is while in the vibe.  My fear with the vibe is not the price going up further but increasing occupancy.  As it is now it is never crowded.  Almost seems kind of empty at times.  Great place to relax or read a book.

[IAcruising]

20 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Once the Vibe gets to the price point where they don’t sell out, prices will drop!

 

I don't understand what people don't understand about supply and demand. It's a pretty simple concept.

 

[complawyer]

hey flaham, thank you (not) for your enlightened input. Im quite aware that if i dont like the price i have the option of not booking. my point was i have been cruising exclusively with ncl since 2010, have over 25 cruises under my belt, and we are diamond status. i was just commenting that for what ncl is now charging, it's almost pricing me out of the market. i even get a 10% military discount and my wife an additional 10% CAS discount. while it makes the total cost slightly more tolerable, it's still much higher than it's been in years past

we were lucky enough to book a 2 bedroom suite on t he star this april from rio to lisbon for under $6,000. for 17 days, i consider that a steal. 

 

looking ahead to other potential cruises, i cant find anything going any where that can match this or even come close.

 

so thank you for your sage post (sarcasm intended)

[complawyer]

hey flaham, thank you (not) for your enlightened input. Im quite aware that if i dont like the price i have the option of not booking. my point was i have been cruising exclusively with ncl since 2010, have over 25 cruises under my belt, and we are diamond status. i was just commenting that for what ncl is now charging, it's almost pricing me out of the market. i even get a 10% military discount and my wife an additional 10% CAS discount. while it makes the total cost slightly more tolerable, it's still much higher than it's been in years past

we were lucky enough to book a 2 bedroom suite on t he star this april from rio to lisbon for under $6,000. for 17 days, i consider that a steal. 

 

looking ahead to other potential cruises, i cant find anything going any where that can match this or even come close.

 

so thank you for your sage post (sarcasm intended)

[jules181]

This is what I've noticed. Prices have increased for peak travel periods and high demand itineraries. 

 

If you have flexibility with dates, just want to get on the ship and don't care where you go, there's incredible value to be found.  

 

I've been taking 3+ cruises per year since the restart because the prices are so low compared to other vacation options such as the Mexican/Carribean all inclusive. 

 

The value has been unbeatable.  Repositioning cruises, translatlantics, even Carribean/Mexican itineraries at the right time. 

 

I've been on 4 different cruise lines and had the same experience all around but still find the best value is with NCL.  Probably have two 12+ night cruises in the plans this year. Could see about sneaking in a third. 

 

There's no better value if you're flexible. 

[Liljo22]

4 hours ago, david_sobe said:

Its not just NCL.  There is a HUGE demand for cruises which has increased prices.  No matter how high they go people still book.  The ICON of the Seas just arrived in Miami and the cheapest interior cabin is $1800 per person!!!!!!  You used to be able to book 2 in a balcony cabin for that price.  Celebrity just jacked up their solo cruise prices.  It gets crazier because the prices are at an all time high yet the cruise lines are cutting back galore.  NCL now only has one major show and has went back in time and re-introduced cruise ship entertainment i.e. cruise ship workers.  Nothing makes sense in this world anymore because when I see the prices of the houses in my neighborhood are selling for and everyone in new $65k cars, I wonder where everyone is getting this money from.   I just booked the most expensive cruise of my life but its not until 2026 which gives me 2 years to pay it off.

I have been watching pricing on the Icon OTS and it’s crazy.  For a balcony for my family of 4 its $16k.  I just paid $4,300 for the Prima.  

[SeaShark]

4 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

Yes, and rest assured it has nothing to do with financial means in our case.

 

Yeah? And? That's one case. What about all the others?

[david_sobe]

1 hour ago, Liljo22 said:

I have been watching pricing on the Icon OTS and it’s crazy.  For a balcony for my family of 4 its $16k.  I just paid $4,300 for the Prima.  

I know its crazy.  There is so much buzz about the ship and all of its wow factors. Its sold out which makes the prices go crazy.

[ctkathchick]

4 hours ago, yakcruiser said:

There are still deals to be had. It just might not be the itinerary you would like, or the dates you would like, or maybe the cabin category you want. Supply and demand. Or we could go the other direction and have the government create a Department of Cruise, where a bunch of bureaucrats would determine what you pay for a cruise.

No thanks they have helped enough for a lifetime

 

[Rob_H]

We mostly go on long cruises, and b2b (and b2b2b and beyond).  So for us the key metric is total cost per cabin per night.  Lower cost means more cruises.

 

During 2018 and 2019, our budget was a total cost (including port fees and service charges) of US$200 per cabin per night ($100 per person), inside.  Sometimes the service charges or a special cruise that worked just right would push it a little over, but most of the time we could keep to that.

 

In 2022 and 2023 we've had 25 cruises on Norwegian.  A few have been within our pre-Covid budget, but most have not.  We've had to increase our budget to $300 total price per cabin per night ($150 per person).  With this budget we've been able to get some fantastic cruises to exotic places, so it's still well worth it and a great deal.  But, yes, the prices are now higher.

 

The price of shore excursions on NCL is another issue, we've been fully priced out of that market, just not worth it.  And honestly we've had much more fun doing things more independently, so don't miss them.

 

 

[CYoung87]

As a single cruiser, researching the prices or cruising has only reinforced my decision to cruise with NCL. I know most are looking at cruising with 2 or more per room, but as a solo, only NCL has offered reasonable rates. Additionally, for the cost of the drinking package, compared to what is offered, I feel that NCL has cornered the market on offerings to solo cruises who drink.....and love the thermal spa. BTW, the thermal spa beats the Vibe in my opinion as an adult-only area to relax. 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We cruise a lot and NCL is our choice of cruise lines, although we cruise CCL a lot due to casino free cabin offers.   Our home port is Galveston,although we can drive to NOLA n seven hours.   I was delighted whenNCL returned to Tx so we didn’t have to drive to NOLA.  But the prices have risen significantly  recently.   In December we sailed the Regal Prince for half of what the Prima cost and we found the experience superior to NCL.    We are Diamond on NcL and still had a superior experience at half the price,   I enjoy the NCL experience and the perks that go with Diamond level, but honestly. Don’t see it being worth what we paid for and received on Princess. I am booked on three more NCL cruises abroad and use WP to upgrade from IN to BA but for Galveston cruises the prices are way better than NCL.   It will take me a boatload of point to reach Ambassador but for the free cruise I can get that by saving up nmy WP points.  My devotion yo NCL is waining a bit after experiencing another lines hospitality'.  I’ve always been an NCL decree but lately I’m broadening my views.

[Travelling2Some]

Prices are higher and airfare to Europe is just as bad as last year.  There are some reasonable cruise fares out there on older ships.  We booked a Croatia/Italy cruise on Celebrity Constellation for less than half the price of a comparable cruise on the Viva.  We're doing the Viva anyway after the Constellation on a S2S but the cost is giving me buyer's remorse and I would cancel if not for my husband's strong and specific desire to sail on the Viva.  Not value for money and I won't book another at these rates.

[Travelling2Some]

6 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

Yes, and rest assured it has nothing to do with financial means in our case.

Agreed.  Just because you can afford something doesn't mean you don't find it a waste of money or not good value for money.  I'd rather leave it to my kids or support a favorite charity than feel the money was wasted on something not worth it.

[Travelling2Some]

Sorry, double post.

Edited January 14 by Travelling2Some

[#55worktoplay]

2 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

I have been watching pricing on the Icon OTS and it’s crazy.  For a balcony for my family of 4 its $16k.  I just paid $4,300 for the Prima.  

I was looking at same ship, top of the house suite for one week 54,000.00 pp or something close to that. 

[complawyer]

i really didnt expect this much feed back. thank you all

[phillygwm]

I especially see this on the Prima-class ships.  I book through CAS and it's rarely an issue for the other ships but I can't get anything more than a discount for Prima.  Also, they won't waive single supplement, as they do on the others, but that's less of an issue now that they're setting aside more singles cabins.  As Viva and others come online and the novelty wears off, I expect this will subside a bit.

 

Ultimately, it's all supply and demand.  There are cheap cruises out there, perhaps just not where/when you want to go.

[seemoreroyals]

@phillygwm We were surprised that we got free balcony cabin on Prima cruise from CAS.  Wife is 7 star CET player but we rarely gamble in casino.  When I say free we still had to pay fees, tips, etc and vibe passes but it was an unexpected bargain.  Still I am surprised we were able to get this in what at the time was their newest ship.

 

 

[phillygwm]

35 minutes ago, seemoreroyals said:

@phillygwm We were surprised that we got free balcony cabin on Prima cruise from CAS.  Wife is 7 star CET player but we rarely gamble in casino.  

 

Nice!  I was trying for the Iceland/Norway run and got shot down.  I might have considered it if they at least waived the supplement but, alas, no.  As I mentioned in another post, supply vs. demand so I get it.  That one is still on my bucket list...maybe 2025 🙂

Edited January 14 by phillygwm

[mugtech]

We got an apartment in Baguio City in the mountains of central Luzon for $346/month. Temperature in the 70's during the day and down to 60F at night.  Can get three large spring rolls for $1.40, same price for two tuna pies at Jollibee.  Our rent includes all utilities, smart tv and wifi.  We cancelled a cruise are enjoying the Philippines at a much cheaper rate.  We are frugal.

[complawyer]

phillygwn.

 

thats the whole idea. i have always said the in terms of itinerary choices, you can't beat norwegian.i acknowledge there are cheaper cruises, but in the places i want to visit,  ncl  takes the cake. the problem now is the prices are outrageous

[crazycatlady82]

Prices have definitely risen on all cruise lines. We decided to take a Christmas cruise in 2024 due to how Christmas 2023 went and compared prices across NCL, Carnival, Princess and Celebrity. NCL was the cheapest 7 day, and some of Carnival’s 5 days were more expensive than the 7 day. 
 

There are deals to be had out there though, but it takes monitoring and flexibility.