UK release of 2011 - Having a laugh?

[rdsqrl]

It works out to be $1900 per person for a 17-day cruise. That's hardly highway robbery. I'd be delighted to pay prices that cheap on a per-person basis. Your entire family is paying only 30% more than I would be paying myself sailing as a solo.

[captainron]

Just for fun I looked at this cruise in AUD for 4 people

 

Inside lowest grade AUD $11244.62

GBP 6782.02

USD 10429.07

 

Balcony cat AC AUD $16584.12

GBP 10002.46

USD 15381.30

 

You thought the prices were high for you.

 

 

Ah well you could almost say those prices are criminal...but then again remember how the great land down under was originally settled. :rolleyes: Cheers to all my Aussie mates.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[diecastaussie]

Ah well you could almost say those prices are criminal...but then again remember how the great land down under was originally settled. :rolleyes: Cheers to all my Aussie mates.

 

Ciao for now!!!

Hi CaptainRon,

 

Unfortunately the Australian cruise prices are criminal, but the criminals are all in American or European cruise line head offices. Cruise lines such as Princess, HAL, RCCL, Cunard, P&O, MSC etc., all have policies that restrict Australians from booking cruise with TAs outside of Australia, online or otherwise. This creates an artificial monopoly situation allowing Australian TAs to quote fares that can be almost double for the same cabin category on the same cruise as you can see being offered on overseas websites.

We are trying to book a 23 night cruise on Diamond next May and Princess Australia is quoting AUD$7043pp. for a Minisuite. Strangely Princess America quotes AUD$1153pp less at US$5494pp (AUD$5890) for the same cabin category and a well known US online cruise TA is currently quoting US$3397 (AUD$3687) but insists that he cannot accept my booking for 3 cabins (or possibly more - wife's 60th) because I live in Australia and doing so would be contrary to Princess policy.

To some extent I can accept that the US based online agent has lower overheads and is prepared to work on a lower margin but when the difference is almost double for the same product it becomes hard to see any justification. Of greater concern is the almost 20% difference for the same product on the 2 official Princess websites. This just pure CRIMINAL!

[rkmw]

Hi CaptainRon,

 

Unfortunately the Australian cruise prices are criminal, but the criminals are all in American or European cruise line head offices. Cruise lines such as Princess, HAL, RCCL, Cunard, P&O, MSC etc., all have policies that restrict Australians from booking cruise with TAs outside of Australia, online or otherwise. This creates an artificial monopoly situation allowing Australian TAs to quote fares that can be almost double for the same cabin category on the same cruise as you can see being offered on overseas websites.

We are trying to book a 23 night cruise on Diamond next May and Princess Australia is quoting AUD$7043pp. for a Minisuite. Strangely Princess America quotes AUD$1153pp less at US$5494pp (AUD$5890) for the same cabin category and a well known US online cruise TA is currently quoting US$3397 (AUD$3687) but insists that he cannot accept my booking for 3 cabins (or possibly more - wife's 60th) because I live in Australia and doing so would be contrary to Princess policy.

To some extent I can accept that the US based online agent has lower overheads and is prepared to work on a lower margin but when the difference is almost double for the same product it becomes hard to see any justification. Of greater concern is the almost 20% difference for the same product on the 2 official Princess websites. This just pure CRIMINAL!

 

hi diecast, if the US TA is the one i'm thinking of they will take bookings for Carnival but not the other ones you mentioned....there are some out there but we cant mention names as its against the rules

 

rkmw

[seb530]

hi diecast, if the US TA is the one i'm thinking of they will take bookings for Carnival but not the other ones you mentioned....there are some out there but we cant mention names as its against the rules

 

rkmw

 

I can understand the need for "no advertising" but does leave some of in the lurch when looking for US TAs - unless "hints" are allowed sss

[seb530]

OK, spent a fair bit of time looking around and P&O are doing various price discounts for kids between 50% & 100% so most likely will need to look at another line.

 

Sadly, Princess has simply priced themselves out of my budget certainly next year but it will be interesting to keep an eye on price movements!

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Hi CaptainRon,

 

Unfortunately the Australian cruise prices are criminal, but the criminals are all in American or European cruise line head offices. Cruise lines such as Princess, HAL, RCCL, Cunard, P&O, MSC etc., all have policies that restrict Australians from booking cruise with TAs outside of Australia, online or otherwise. This creates an artificial monopoly situation allowing Australian TAs to quote fares that can be almost double for the same cabin category on the same cruise as you can see being offered on overseas websites.

We are trying to book a 23 night cruise on Diamond next May and Princess Australia is quoting AUD$7043pp. for a Minisuite. Strangely Princess America quotes AUD$1153pp less at US$5494pp (AUD$5890) for the same cabin category and a well known US online cruise TA is currently quoting US$3397 (AUD$3687) but insists that he cannot accept my booking for 3 cabins (or possibly more - wife's 60th) because I live in Australia and doing so would be contrary to Princess policy.

To some extent I can accept that the US based online agent has lower overheads and is prepared to work on a lower margin but when the difference is almost double for the same product it becomes hard to see any justification. Of greater concern is the almost 20% difference for the same product on the 2 official Princess websites. This just pure CRIMINAL!

 

"There is movement at the station" -

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3847

[Johnsanders]

Thanks Eileen

 

That's a really interesting article. Hope it applies to us in the UK.

 

Jim

[seb530]

Thanks Eileen

 

That's a really interesting article. Hope it applies to us in the UK.

 

Jim

 

Agreed, particularly interesting is the fact there is no legislation against booking in the U.S and that the cruise lines deny they would prevent boarding.

 

Also like CCLs approach of a single pricing across the globe

[Colo Cruiser]

Princess 2011 cruises just released to UK customers and captains circle can book from today.

 

Went to see TA and was utterly shocked at the pricing - 17 days iin June onboard Grand Princess, 2 adults and 2 kids, inside cabin lowest grade - £5113 or $7669!!!! This price is CRUISE ONLY - no air fare etc...

 

Balcony coming in at an eye watering £7356 or $11000!!!

 

At these prices, will need to wait and see if the price drops - cant imagine they can fill the ship at that price. If the prices dont and continue to stay at that level then its the end of travelling with Princess for me I am afraid. I do think Princess has just priced themselves out of the market so I do expect prices to drop a fair bit.

 

Reasoning? According to the princess rep, when I called they are no longer offering child pricing or discounts.

 

Slightly better is 11 days at the start of June, again CRUISE ONLY, for £2804 or $4000... still a lot more than cruises have cost over the past few years.

 

Its sad and it reminds me why I don't fly United Airlines.:eek:

[peg bundy]

were you able to get child pricing or child discounts in the past? As i know that it isn't available to us her in the u.s. And has never been, as far as i have heard. Just curious.

i booked last year for this year for the 5th june med crusie 14 nts and it cost me £2300 for a family of four in a inside cabin on plaza deck with free transport by coach to southhampton and $200 obc this is my first cruise so dont no if i got a good deal or not i think i got my two children free not sure if that was a gimmick or not and i really paid something for them never cruised before

[DiRon]

Just priced your specific cruise on my favorite discount web-site here in the U.S. and came up with:

 

$8,327 USD for 4 people in cheapest inside cabin (including taxes and fees but no air)

 

$12,250 USD for 4 people in cheapest balcony cabin (including taxes and fees, but no air).

 

Prices for 3rd and 4th persons were discounted but not by 50% - more like 35%)

[terrierjohn]

Sadly, Princess has simply priced themselves out of my budget certainly next year but it will be interesting to keep an eye on price movements!

Sadly over the last 2 years Princess seems to have priced itself out of everybody's budget, and their prices are now significantly higher than Celebrity, or P&O and RCCL. Which is strange since most US cruisers comment that Celebrity's prices in the US are way higher than Princess.

It is also quite strange how P&O prices have changed over the last 4/5 years, it is probably due to the current weakness of Sterling, but they are currently amazingly competitive, and some of their special prices are way cheaper than anything else at present.

[lancashire_cruisers]

We've just booked our first Princess cruise for July next year on Ruby Princess for 3 of us (me, DH, and 11 year old DD) and paid just a shade over £3,500 for cruise only which I don't think is too bad.

 

We normally cruise with P&O and found the price for the Princess cruise to be comparable and we also got a child discount plus a bit of OBC too.:D

 

Debbie:)

[Not an Essex Girl]

HI

 

I too have been looking at cruises for next year and have also found that princess prices to be a lot more than what we are paying this yr.

 

This yr for a 12 night med cruise we are paying just over £4000 next yr for a 12 night med cruise is is £5000 this is a balcony cabin.

 

We are seriously thinking of perhaps not cruising next year as the prices seem to be a lot dearer.

 

I have noticed that p&o cruises this year are now going at a lot cheaper than they was - so thinking perhaps to wait till next year to book rather than booking early.

 

With all the cruise lines that are out there Princess do seem to be out pricing them selves.

 

 

 

Tina

[manxstaff]

I have just booked next years Princess cruise (2011) during school summer holidays and got a fairly decent deal from my TA, going the same time as this year and it's only increased by a couple of hundred pounds in total which i expect with rising costs in fuel and foodstuffs etc.

Got to say they get us a great deal every year, never seen it cheaper than we have paid.

[badgerdee]

[quote=Billy and Charlie's Mum;24318097]"There is movement at the station" -

[URL]http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3847[/URL][/quote]

Velly interesting. Thanks for the link.

To my delight, one of the huge US Internet Vacations sites To Go to when planning a cruise is now selling Royal Carribean and Celebrity to Aussies again.

Sadly, Princess is not.

[seb530]

[quote name='badgerdee']velly interesting. Thanks for the link.

To my delight, one of the huge us internet vacations sites to go to when planning a cruise is now selling royal carribean and celebrity to aussies again.

Sadly, princess is not.[/quote]

lol! ;)

[seb530]

[quote name='manxstaff']I have just booked next years Princess cruise (2011) during school summer holidays and got a fairly decent deal from my TA, going the same time as this year and it's only increased by a couple of hundred pounds in total which i expect with rising costs in fuel and foodstuffs etc.

Got to say they get us a great deal every year, never seen it cheaper than we have paid.[/quote]

is this a JUNE/JULY/AUG holiday? I have seen October which seems reasonable pricing!

[wishful thinking]

[quote name='badgerdee']Velly interesting. Thanks for the link.

To my delight, one of the huge US Internet Vacations sites To Go to when planning a cruise is now selling Royal Carribean and Celebrity to Aussies again.

Sadly, Princess is not.[/quote]


Hope this will include us in the UK too. Come on Princess - I need to book 2 cruises for next year but not at UK prices!