Cruise price increases $600 in one month??

[DaddyBytes]

We booked the 9Nt Southern Caribbean Adventure Cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida Nov 15, 2004. Just over a month ago we booked at $828 for an inside cabin. It is now $1409! That is in an increase of almost $600 in one month!

 

Can someone explain to me why this happens? What should I read into this? Cruise is in high demand? There are only a few rooms left? What would account for such a drastic increase in price so quickly? Is this typical?

 

Thanks.

[Clarea]

Unique and limited itinerary. Supply and demand.

[jonbgd]

Our price on the Nav has gone up a $1000 in 3 weeks:eek:

[dacsmom]

My price on the Oasis has done the same thing. It may go down some too, you never know.

[cb at sea]

They can charge what they want....you got lucky to book cheaply!

[zombiehunter]

My thinking is that these two big winter storms/cold snaps we had made people want a tropical vacation. The percieved value of cruising be what it is, spiked demand so naturally supply compensated.

[SPacificbound]

We booked the 9Nt Southern Caribbean Adventure Cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida Nov 15, 2004. Just over a month ago we booked at $828 for an inside cabin. It is now $1409! That is in an increase of almost $600 in one month!

 

Can someone explain to me why this happens? What should I read into this? Cruise is in high demand? There are only a few rooms left? What would account for such a drastic increase in price so quickly? Is this typical?

 

Thanks.

 

You were smart to book early! :)

[kruzerci]

I believe it. Those long Caribbean cruises out of Port Canaveral on Explorer look like they're selling like hot cakes.

[lovecruising2006]

We booked the 9Nt Southern Caribbean Adventure Cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida Nov 15, 2004. Just over a month ago we booked at $828 for an inside cabin. It is now $1409! That is in an increase of almost $600 in one month!

 

Can someone explain to me why this happens? What should I read into this? Cruise is in high demand? There are only a few rooms left? What would account for such a drastic increase in price so quickly? Is this typical?

 

Thanks.

 

It seems unfair, but I think its just like airfares these days, the person you sit next to on a flight may have paid WAY more than you..........same seat, just purchased at a different time.

Cruise lines I think do the same, I think if it is a popular cruise, then they only offer maybe a few cabins for the least expensive, then a few more for the next price and so on.....frustrating for us on a budget.

We usually try looking on all the websites and seeing what each has to offer, then book quite a ways ahead of time, sometimes a year ahead, sounds crazy, but we have saved doing this way...

This last time we booked, I actually called the cruise line themselves and got a good rate (Mar22-Apr3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice- New Zealand to Australia):rolleyes:

[Big_G]

Not surprised at all. That's a great itinerary for a Voyager Class. The only reason we haven't done a Southern Caribbean again is Adventurer leaves from San Juan and the flights did us in. They're right when they say your lucky to book early. We'd love a 9 nighter out of Port Canaveral. Might have to look at the 2015 sailings. Thanks for the tip. ;)

[krev]

Just checked the price of the cruise we're booked on and it's gone up as much as $2000 depending which site I look on. I booked this last March and we don't go until Sept. (16nt Med). I've been trying to figure out when is the best time to book, looks like the earlier the better??

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[miccheck]

We booked the 9Nt Southern Caribbean Adventure Cruise from Port Canaveral, Florida Nov 15, 2004. Just over a month ago we booked at $828 for an inside cabin. It is now $1409! That is in an increase of almost $600 in one month!

 

Can someone explain to me why this happens? What should I read into this? Cruise is in high demand? There are only a few rooms left? What would account for such a drastic increase in price so quickly? Is this typical?

 

Thanks.

 

2004!? Can I borrow your time machine?

 

Sorry, someone had to. :)

[notsomadhatter]

I'd been eyeing those itineraries since they were announced, several months before our first Royal cruise. When they added the additional sailings in January/February 2015 it really made me think hard.

 

We booked one a few days ago since the prices on that second wave are still reasonable. November and December have skyrocketed!

[Merion_Mom]

2004!? Can I borrow your time machine?

 

Sorry, someone had to. :)

 

You made me laugh out loud, Sherlock! Good catch. ;) :D

[papaflamingo]

Supply and demand. We booked Legend last year for next month. Balconies were $1699. A friend wanted to go but decided to wait until our Allure cruise a couple months later to get the OBC. She was also convinced the prices would go down. Within about 2 weeks they went up $300 per person. By two months later they were up nearly $1000 per person. Finally they went to $3200, now at $3300. It's a smaller ship, a great itinerary, and people book it. RCCL is out to make a profit, not give away free cruises. Like the airlines, they raise fares on popular cruises, lower on less popular. Every empty cabin is a loss, just like an airline seat. So they price to fill the ship. If you see a cruise that you want, and you are happy with the price, then book it. You can always get a lower rate if it's before final payment. If you wait, like our friends, you stay home. We leave in 5 weeks for an 11 night in a JS and they will be staying home, only because they wanted a $150 OBC.

[debshomespun]

We are booked on Explorer 11/15/14 cruise and the price has skyrocketed since we booked. Got a corner aft at a great price. I'm happy!

[JasonV1]

Very common.

 

Here is a small sample from the price tracking site I use. This is one of the inside categories from my upcoming Allure cruise. These are all the price changes for a single category (one of the insides in this case) for the last 6 months (removed the dates). I would expect another 3-5 price changes between now and the 3/30 sail date. The price on the bottom is the current price, and the lowest price shown occurred in October, and even then only for a day.

 

$ 1,029

$ 869

$ 919

$ 869

$ 789

$ 869

$ 819

$ 919

$ 1,019

$ 949

Edited January 22, 2014 by JasonV1

[impatientlywaiting]

Just checked the price of the cruise we're booked on and it's gone up as much as $2000 depending which site I look on. I booked this last March and we don't go until Sept. (16nt Med). I've been trying to figure out when is the best time to book, looks like the earlier the better??

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

We booked our April trans-Atlantic the day it opened. Within a week it was over a $1,000 more per person. :D

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Very common.

 

Here is a small sample from the price tracking site I use. This is one of the inside categories from my upcoming Allure cruise. These are all the price changes for a single category (one of the insides in this case) for the last 6 months (removed the dates). I would expect another 3-5 price changes between now and the 3/30 sail date. The price on the bottom is the current price, and the lowest price shown occurred in October, and even then only for a day.

 

$ 1,029

$ 869

$ 919

$ 869

$ 789

$ 869

$ 819

$ 919

$ 1,019

$ 949

 

Lowest in October, right? Probably the government shutdown! I noticed our cruise (Not RCI) went to rock bottom prices during the early part of the shutdown (likely due to a lot of people cancelling bookings who's earnings were on hold maybe?) anyway we scored airfare that week for $242 incl tax pp roundtrip! It's all gone up since then, and our cruise which is almost to PIF date has gone up $400 since we booked. I suspect as soon as PIF is here, if there are unsold rooms, they will offer a guarantee sale though. Stinks if you bought just before then, though! Definitely a lot to be said for booking early (or else jumping on a deal last minute if you are flexible).

[PSCruiser]

Booking early almost always snags you a good deal. If not, just cancel before final payment.

[Harley-Davidson_Family]

Also keep in mind that the Explorer is only doing (2) 9 night Southern Sailings out of Port Canaveral in 2014. That's enough to drive the price up. Again, supply and demand.

[dz9yvr]

This is the old mark it up before the sale trick.

[negc]

They can charge what they want....you got lucky to book cheaply!

 

Actually, they can only charge what the market will bear unless they want to sail with empty cabins. Supply and demand is the determining factor in what they can and will charge.

[bling19572010]

Do you mind sharing your tracking site?? Thanks.

[franl24fan]

I booked the Quantum for 12/1/14 in early June 2013, shortly after it opened for booking. I wanted to try the Category L inside with virtual balcony. I thought the rate was not bad for a new ship and as a solo I was only charged 1.6 surcharge, so I booked it. After thinking about sailing out of NJ the Monday after Thanksgiving I was going to cancel before final payment. However, I was just doodling around and the same cabin would now be about $1800 more for a solo, not only did the per person rate jump by $800, but the new solo pricing charges me a full double rate. So I am rethinking cancelling :-). With the new solo pricing this may be the last RCL cruise that will be a good value for me.