Caribbean Pricing 2026

[sweep2907]

Just been looking at starting prices for Caribbean inside cabin and shocked to see they all around £1900pp now. Has this been a big increase in recent weeks as I am sure I saw £1400pp when itineraries came out. I wonder if the large increase could be due to having to pay more to source a better airline than Maleth? What I am being quoted for balcony now on Britannia is not far off what I paid for a suite on her pre covid.

[majortom10]

Since COVID prices of cruises on all cruise lines have greatly increased. Not helped by high inflation since COVID and high food prices we have all suffered.

[molecrochip]

Specifically, cruises are selling well with expectations that most will sell out - so no need to sell cheaply.

Demand exceeds supply therefore prices increase.

Edited March 31 by molecrochip

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, sweep2907 said:

Just been looking at starting prices for Caribbean inside cabin and shocked to see they all around £1900pp now. Has this been a big increase in recent weeks as I am sure I saw £1400pp when itineraries came out. I wonder if the large increase could be due to having to pay more to source a better airline than Maleth? What I am being quoted for balcony now on Britannia is not far off what I paid for a suite on her pre covid.

They are at the level they started at in 2022.  Currently the Cunard QE fly cruises from Miami are by far the better deal.  For example 8 January 2026 - Balcony cabin 21 nights one night Miami stay with London flights Cunard fare with $330obc for two people is £7308.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, sweep2907 said:

Just been looking at starting prices for Caribbean inside cabin and shocked to see they all around £1900pp now. Has this been a big increase in recent weeks as I am sure I saw £1400pp when itineraries came out. I wonder if the large increase could be due to having to pay more to source a better airline than Maleth? What I am being quoted for balcony now on Britannia is not far off what I paid for a suite on her pre covid.

We don't book early any more after getting conned twice. We book a few months before the sail date. If prices don't drop to a reasonable level...we'll, plenty of alternatives.

[daiB]

11 minutes ago, zap99 said:

We don't book early any more after getting conned twice. We book a few months before the sail date. If prices don't drop to a reasonable level...we'll, plenty of alternatives.

But did you book on day one anything else is not early. I have still not had my price I paid on day one beaten for any cruise, up to 5 per year. It got close just after COVID but it is now back to pre 2020 conditions.

[daiB]

1 hour ago, sweep2907 said:

Just been looking at starting prices for Caribbean inside cabin and shocked to see they all around £1900pp now. Has this been a big increase in recent weeks as I am sure I saw £1400pp when itineraries came out. I wonder if the large increase could be due to having to pay more to source a better airline than Maleth? What I am being quoted for balcony now on Britannia is not far off what I paid for a suite on her pre covid.

Which confirms what I have said for a long time, the best prices are to be had on day one of the booking process. Eg a deluxe cabin on Britiannia, the one which on Princess would be a mini suite, 2 weeks to the Canaries in Oct 25. I paid less than £100 pppn. Price now up to over £140 pppn.

[zap99]

52 minutes ago, daiB said:

But did you book on day one anything else is not early. I have still not had my price I paid on day one beaten for any cruise, up to 5 per year. It got close just after COVID but it is now back to pre 2020 conditions.

No we didn't book on day one, but still fairly early. Once we cancelled, lost our deposit, rebooked the same cabin and saved over £400. Next time it  dropped £800 the day after we paid the balance.  The latest cruise we booked 3 months ago, that was after a price drop and got more OBC.  I don't book early any more.

[daiB]

6 minutes ago, zap99 said:

No we didn't book on day one, but still fairly early. Once we cancelled, lost our deposit, rebooked the same cabin and saved over £400. Next time it  dropped £800 the day after we paid the balance.  The latest cruise we booked 3 months ago, that was after a price drop and got more OBC.  I don't book early any more.

Fairly early will not give you the best prices. Prices for some cruises go up on the afternoon of day one. However if you do not book on day one then you are correct to wait as the prices will peak between 18 month and 6 month before the sail date. If there is a drop it would come after the balance payment date. But even then rarely will it go below the price we pay and of course you have to take what is left.

Edited March 31 by daiB

[zap99]

11 minutes ago, daiB said:

Fairly early will not give you the best prices. Prices for some cruises go up on the afternoon of day one. However if you do not book on day one then you are correct to wait as the prices will peak between 18 month and 6 month before the sail date. If there is a drop it would come after the balance payment date. But even then rarely will it go below the price we pay and of course you have to take what is left.

We normally have a few different cruises on mind with different companies. We watch to see if one gets to an acceptable price. If not lots of nice hotels at lower prices than a cruise.

[david63]

I thought that I had read somewhere that there has been a change to the pricing policy and that now the price will never fall below the opening price

[daiB]

1 hour ago, david63 said:

I thought that I had read somewhere that there has been a change to the pricing policy and that now the price will never fall below the opening price

That may be wishful thinking. I think it may have been talked about but it may not be a policy which is sustainable long term

[sweep2907]

4 hours ago, david63 said:

I thought that I had read somewhere that there has been a change to the pricing policy and that now the price will never fall below the opening price

Yes Princess announced that. I know Ludlow said prices would increase but 35% is a hefty one for basic inside. It one to keep eye on as personally I like booking day one as long as I know the prices will only go up.

[Presto2]

We've already booked for 2025 and are happy with what we paid. We like to book early as we know the cabins we want.

It's like anything really. How many of us have purchased something and then seen it at half the price in the sale?

Holidays are no different.

[Dobbers]

Booked Caribbean for 2026 for our 40th anniversary, booked early as we wanted an aft balcony. Looking back this is £1400 more than we paid in 2020 (cancelled due to covid) For us we’re happy with what we have booked, we can spend romantic evenings on the balcony watching the wake and getting covered in soot 😊

[Presto2]

30 minutes ago, Dobbers said:

Booked Caribbean for 2026 for our 40th anniversary, booked early as we wanted an aft balcony. Looking back this is £1400 more than we paid in 2020 (cancelled due to covid) For us we’re happy with what we have booked, we can spend romantic evenings on the balcony watching the wake and getting covered in soot 😊

That made me laugh ... we love our adt cabin any cruise line and any ship. We even put up with the soot. Enjoy

[Bazrat]

On 3/31/2024 at 11:18 AM, daiB said:

But did you book on day one anything else is not early. I have still not had my price I paid on day one beaten for any cruise, up to 5 per year. It got close just after COVID but it is now back to pre 2020 conditions.

Same here we booked our Christmas cruise whilst onboard ship, the price is yet to be beaten

[doog442]

On 3/31/2024 at 9:20 AM, sweep2907 said:

Just been looking at starting prices for Caribbean inside cabin and shocked to see they all around £1900pp now. Has this been a big increase in recent weeks as I am sure I saw £1400pp when itineraries came out. I wonder if the large increase could be due to having to pay more to source a better airline than Maleth? What I am being quoted for balcony now on Britannia is not far off what I paid for a suite on her pre covid.

 

I've just quoted our Arvia aft cabin, same Caribbean cruise and date that we had in Jan this year (booked March 23) and the 2026 price is showing a 52.75% increase (this taking into account OBC as well) - no drinks package.

 

These prices are exceeding decent land based all inclusive hotels on spectacular beaches territory with top shelf unlimited drinks. Their strength recently has been undercutting that particular market hence the recent very good value offerings. That said I don't blame them for making hay while the sun shines and /or perhaps the market is changing. 

Edited April 1 by doog442

[sweep2907]

I totally understand increase in prices but issue is they aren't selling many caribbean holidays 2025 and beyond at this moment in time due to uncertainty over who will operate the flights.

 

With the current impasse, these holidays will remain high prices and no takers. If I'm paying £2k I want to know who is flying me there as that price is 35% higher than any offering P&O have put out there before for the lower end of the market. Don't mind P&O upping prices but their product is nowhere near worth the pricing they are quoting.  

[Megabear2]

46 minutes ago, sweep2907 said:

I totally understand increase in prices but issue is they aren't selling many caribbean holidays 2025 and beyond at this moment in time due to uncertainty over who will operate the flights.

 

With the current impasse, these holidays will remain high prices and no takers. If I'm paying £2k I want to know who is flying me there as that price is 35% higher than any offering P&O have put out there before for the lower end of the market. Don't mind P&O upping prices but their product is nowhere near worth the pricing they are quoting.  

Our January 2024 cruise on Britannia in a deluxe balcony with premium economy was £7,300. This was a rebooking from Arvia which had been made on release for 22 December 2023 so over Christmas.  That cruise was priced at £7,100 for an overlooked deck 12 corner balcony without premium economy flights.   If we hadn't been transferring it would have been far cheaper in a normal balcony with sofa but we needed the price above Arvia.

 

We have booked Britannia December 2024 a few months back and our identical deluxe cabin with premium economy flights is £7,600 with £360obc. 

 

Although we won't be travelling with P&O for 2026 I've just priced it: drum roll £9,358 without premium economy flights, with £420obc!  

 

 

 

Edited April 1 by Megabear2

[daiB]

2 hours ago, doog442 said:

 

I've just quoted our Arvia aft cabin, same Caribbean cruise and date that we had in Jan this year (booked March 23) and the 2026 price is showing a 52.75% increase (this taking into account OBC as well) - no drinks package.

 

These prices are exceeding decent land based all inclusive hotels on spectacular beaches territory with top shelf unlimited drinks. Their strength recently has been undercutting that particular market hence the recent very good value offerings. That said I don't blame them for making hay while the sun shines and /or perhaps the market is changing. 

If the price has gone up by that amount then the cruise is selling very well. The price is set y the computer algorithm which compares actual bookings with expected. If the actual is way above expected then there is a hiker in the price. Going back to what I said before this cruise has been on sale since the middle to late October 23. This is going into the highest point in the booking period. Prices are driven by sales… nothing else.

[daiB]

3 hours ago, sweep2907 said:

I totally understand increase in prices but issue is they aren't selling many caribbean holidays 2025 and beyond at this moment in time due to uncertainty over who will operate the flights.

 

With the current impasse, these holidays will remain high prices and no takers. If I'm paying £2k I want to know who is flying me there as that price is 35% higher than any offering P&O have put out there before for the lower end of the market. Don't mind P&O upping prices but their product is nowhere near worth the pricing they are quoting.  

And you know this ..How. If prices are going up then the cruises are selling. The prices are based solely on supply and demand. The company has used this system for many years.

[terrierjohn]

9 hours ago, sweep2907 said:

I totally understand increase in prices but issue is they aren't selling many caribbean holidays 2025 and beyond at this moment in time due to uncertainty over who will operate the flights.

 

With the current impasse, these holidays will remain high prices and no takers. If I'm paying £2k I want to know who is flying me there as that price is 35% higher than any offering P&O have put out there before for the lower end of the market. Don't mind P&O upping prices but their product is nowhere near worth the pricing they are quoting.  

I doubt that which charter airline is to be used is a high priority for the majority of P&O cruisers, I know it figures highly on here  but we are a tiny fraction of the total number of Caribbean fly cruise passengers, most of whom are more than happy that P&O offer such a good service at way below schedule flight prices.

[bobstheboy]

On 3/31/2024 at 11:25 AM, daiB said:

Which confirms what I have said for a long time, the best prices are to be had on day one of the booking process. Eg a deluxe cabin on Britiannia, the one which on Princess would be a mini suite, 2 weeks to the Canaries in Oct 25. I paid less than £100 pppn. Price now up to over £140 pppn.

We've had this debate previously. I have had two cruises since Covid reduce after pre registering and booking early on day one. One dropped in price, 10% discount and 800 OBC and free parking, even after losing my £150 pp deposit I saved £1200. It was an onboard offer.

[daiB]

4 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

We've had this debate previously. I have had two cruises since Covid reduce after pre registering and booking early on day one. One dropped in price, 10% discount and 800 OBC and free parking, even after losing my £150 pp deposit I saved £1200. It was an onboard offer.

There were some price drops due to COVID but we are getting back to where we were before the pandemic. As far as I could tell none of our cruises since COVID have been reduced, although I have to admit I did not look to closely for the first 3/4 as we were so glad to get back to cruising. BTW i have just checked and got a shock, we have done 13 cruises since the start of cruising again.