Current Mediterranean pricing comparison

Being shocked by current 2018 prices for Med cruises, I thought I'd check out recent history. We've cruised in the Eastern Med area in early October three times in four years. Here's what we paid, with prices for the nearest equivalent 2018 cruise alongside: All per person.

All including classic drinks .....................................2018 comparison

2014 12 Eastern Med----A2....£1550 inc grat ........£3035 inc grat & classic

2016 11 Adriatic Malta---2C....£1258 + grat ........£2739 inc grat & classic (10 nts)

2017 12 Israel/ Med------2C....£1395+ grat .........£2595 inc grat &classic

I was going to do a £/day comparison; there seems little point.

Incidentally, we're with Cunard for October 2018; 14 nights in Ocean View for £1239 + grats, but no drinks package!

Stuart

Looking at an A2 on the 12 night trip I make that £506 per couple per night.

That buys hotels and restaurants in a completely different league to what you'd experience on an S class AQ / Blu trip.

I appreciate a cruise includes travel, but as you don't spend anywhere near enough time in port to see a particular city in the Med, then it shows me that cruising is not good value for money. I think you could easily find considerably better accommodations and restaurants well within that budget, even flights or train rides between cities could be factored in too.

following

I can understand how one can have sticker shock with this comparison..

bon voyage on whichever line you choose....

Looking at an A2 on the 12 night trip I make that £506 per couple per night.

The Adriatic in a 2C is even more at £548 per couple per night, being only 10 nights!

Stuart

The Adriatic in a 2C is even more at £548 per couple per night, being only 10 nights!

Stuart

P

following

I can understand how one can have sticker shock with this comparison..

 

bon voyage on whichever line you choose....

The Adriatic in a 2C is even more at £548 per couple per night, being only 10 nights!

Stuart

I can understand how one can have sticker shock with this comparison..

 

bon voyage on whichever line you choose....

P

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I got what I believe is a great rate for October 19th on the Constellation (11 night) at $366/night for a couple with gratuity and internet, and $350 shipboard credit in a veranda stateroom deck 6, with the extra large balcony! Purchased in December 2017

Looking at an A2 on the 12 night trip I make that £506 per couple per night.

 

That buys hotels and restaurants in a completely different league to what you'd experience on an S class AQ / Blu trip.

 

I appreciate a cruise includes travel, but as you don't spend anywhere near enough time in port to see a particular city in the Med, then it shows me that cruising is not good value for money. I think you could easily find considerably better accommodations and restaurants well within that budget, even flights or train rides between cities could be factored in too.

Aqua prices have gone out of sight. For the 12N Iberian Peninsula cruise in Sept 2019 an A2 is now $900 pp more than a 1B. (I compare A2 vs 1B since that is what I would pay for A1 vs 1A with the loyalty upgrade.)

I love the Blu, but at that price difference, with specialty dinner packages, I could have dinner each evening in three specialty restaurants - except I would probably burst after the second one on the first night!

We have been looking at 2019 suite prices for the Med and they also seem to be inflated at present...An S class RS in the Med can be double what it is in the Caribbean....all down to supply and demand I guess!

We will keep watching....

Timing seems to be everything with Celebrity pricing. We booked a 2B on the Reflection 07/30/18 sailing for $2,800 CDN per person including 2 perks. Same cabin today is $3,400 CDN ($600 more).

2 years ago a cruise I was interested in was $3,900 per person but eventually dropped to $2,200 per person.

Important to watch pricing and book what you are comfortable with.

They are really high right now but 2017/18 wasn’t far off at some point and then had a pretty big drop. I’m hoping it’s the same way for next year. I got a pretty decent deal on Reflection’s Lisbon to Barcelona in Conciege. Keep your eyes peeled for sales.

Aqua prices have gone out of sight. For the 12N Iberian Peninsula cruise in Sept 2019 an A2 is now $900 pp more than a 1B. (I compare A2 vs 1B since that is what I would pay for A1 vs 1A with the loyalty upgrade.)

 

I love the Blu, but at that price difference, with specialty dinner packages, I could have dinner each evening in three specialty restaurants - except I would probably burst after the second one on the first night!

Hi, this is what we did last cruise, booked the specialty restaurant package for about 10 of 14 nights, just want to warn you that if you have the package, your reservations in Tuscan & Murano are treated very differently than if you book that day, you're allowed two time availabilities, with either 6 or 8:30 :loudcry: the "prime times" around 7 are kept available for those who walk up & pay full price or near it. (plenty of open tables at 7 each evening) We managed to fool them on one or two days by walking up at 7 but they soon realized we had a package so, no bueno ;) Silk Harvest & the Sushi restaurant were no problem. We spoke with someone "in the know" & yes, this is a policy on longer cruises.

We're back in Blu next cruise, for the hassle free 7pm dining... if we ended up in a non AQ or suite in the future, I would call the captains club to book the package, & ask to make my 7pm reservations the first day they are available, & if they say it's booked with only the 6 & 8:30 I would cancel the package. It was ridiculous eating at 6 when it was still daylight at 10:30 at night. :D

high prices coupled with bundling of drink packages have seriously driven up prices. We have gone to booking only transatlantics or repo cruises that are cheap and don't bundle.

high prices coupled with bundling of drink packages have seriously driven up prices. We have gone to booking only transatlantics or repo cruises that are cheap and don't bundle.

Yeah, the bundling has made prices higher, but the $900 pp difference between 1B and A2 is not associated with the perk bundling since the same perk is included in both cabin classes.

We have been looking at 2019 suite prices for the Med and they also seem to be inflated at present...An S class RS in the Med can be double what it is in the Caribbean....all down to supply and demand I guess!

 

We will keep watching....

Inflated is an understatement. I was interested in the July 2019 from Southampton to the Med but price for 3 in an RS is currently £20,000 and PH is £26,000. I might spend that on a once in a lifetime holiday but not the Med.

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Inflated is an understatement. I was interested in the July 2019 from Southampton to the Med but price for 3 in an RS is currently £20,000 and PH is £26,000. I might spend that on a once in a lifetime holiday but not the Med.

 

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The snag is we in the U.K. see ‘once in a lifetime’ cruises as visiting Bora Bora or Easter Island...Much of the rest of the world see a holiday of a lifetime as a pre or post cruise stay in the U.K. with a couple of B2B cruises from Southampton...

Having cruised from Southampton this year and reflecting on the ease and money saved from no flights I can also see why it is appealing to the local market too....

Supply and demand....