Why is Liberty so much cheaper?

[DaytonCruiser]

Royal is always twice the price.

 

This is a good example of great pricing on Royal out of SJ.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264251

[Budget Queen]

Although the claim above that cruise lines "don't care what airfare costs", it can, and does impact cruise sales. this is an example of supply and demand. People, like some of the above- aren't going to pay the high fares to fly there, but they may rethink, if the cruise price drops low enough?

[Mr2Scents]

This is a good example of great pricing on Royal out of SJ.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264251

 

Have to keep my eye out. I love the southern islands that the Liberty goes to but Id love to explore more. We found airfare from Cleveland to San Juan for a little more than $400. Not ideal, not the best rate ever, but acceptable to me. Since we have to fly anywhere we're going I'd rather fly to San Juan and begin my cruise already in the Caribbean.

[BaseballMomof4]

Although the claim above that cruise lines "don't care what airfare costs", it can, and does impact cruise sales. this is an example of supply and demand. People, like some of the above- aren't going to pay the high fares to fly there, but they may rethink, if the cruise price drops low enough?

 

True, and that is why Carnival pulled out of Europe for a few years.

[aztekpm]

Cruised on the Liberty out of PR in May, everything about it was my favorite cruise to date. We got fabulous airfares via Jet Blue out of Buffalo. Southwest also has good seat sales to PR at times, just keep checking.

 

We splurged and stayed in the Sheraton at the port ... almost cost us as much as the cruise! There were other, much more affordable options, but like I said we splurged for location & experience.

[spiritkat090909]

....

As a former loyal to Royal cruiser now that i've expanded my horizons i'm shocked at the price differences in cruises...

 

People claim Royal Caribbean is a "better product" but there's no one that can convince me that it's 300% better! Royal has priced themselves out of my market...

 

Me too....I TOTALLY agree with you!

[evandbob]

Me too....I TOTALLY agree with you!

 

I'm going on Celebrity Summit as a solo and I booked an inside cabin for less than the same week's fare on Liberty, go figure.

[RobJenn]

We just booked 2/28-3/6 2016, Flying from Ft. Lauderdale into San Juan.. $228 each, round trip.. (On Southwest)..... The cruise was so inexpensive, that even with the airfare it was still less than a lot of others that we looked into..

[evandbob]

When I was playing around in August doing some wishful thinking about a vacation all of the planets aligned and we were able to book an early December cruise from San Juan. I checked Celebrity and Royal as well. I could get a balcony on the Liberty for $150 less than an inside on Royal and $200 less than an inside on Celebrity. I wanted to book the Summit because of the itinerary but just couldn't pull the trigger on over $800.00 for an inside. This is the second time we are doing this itinerary. The balcony for a week won out over an inside or ocean view. The southern islands you get to see out of San Juan are worth the worth the flight from Cleveland in my opinion.

 

I'll be on the Summit in 3 weeks (Dec 5) and when I booked Celebrity was less than Carnival for this solo passenger. Flights to San Juan are not that expensive from NY's JFK, and since it's a 10pm sailaway, no hotel is needed pre cruise.

 

I'm posting this because it always pays to shop around and compare. I just completed my 24th Carnival cruise yesterday and the Summit will be just my 2nd Celebrity sailing.

[luvndabass]

I have to agree that the prices are cheaper for cruises out of San Juan in comparison to some/most cruises out of other ports. But you really need to consider flight and hotel cost. In my current experience, for my family of 4, the flights and hotel costs significantly made this relatively inexpensive cruise cost more than my family's last vacation that included 3 nights stay at Universal hotel/ parks and an Exotic Western Carib cruise on dream. I purchased this cruise for my family for this christmas and the price of the cruise was awesome!. We live in Toronto, Canada and for better flight prices, have flown Southwest out of Buffalo (driving the 11/2 hours was worth it). Our round-trip flights for cruises out of Florida have always cost us less than $200pp in fact, I've always prided myself on getting the best deals simply for the bragging rights! Needless to say our round trip flights for this cruise were $650pp (crappy flights with lay-overs) and that was flying out of Toronto because it was still less than Southwest out of Buffalo (considering our current CAD dollar). Hotel costs $200/night plus additional cost for resort fee and additional persons (and that's probably not a great hotel by many people's standards) I am not complaining just stating my reality and I am only suggesting that you do your homework before you purchase. When I booked the cruise back in Feb./15, I couldn't check out the flight costs and the costs at Christmas are ridiculously higher than at other times during the year. I chose this trip because I wanted to do this itinerary and I wanted to do something memorable with my family over Christmas (it has been a tough year) I knew that it was going to be expensive even with the awesome cruise price and I was right. I am very excited and looking forward to our cruise, but this may be our one and only Christmas cruise. We will cruise on other dates!:) JMO!

[buddylover]

This is a good example of great pricing on Royal out of SJ.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2264251

 

Don't believe everything you read!! In January we did a B2B on both RCI and CCL.....we paid almost 50% more for the RCI leg (both doing Southern Caribbean) than the CCL Valor leg. Both were 7 day cruises and quite comparable with the exception of price. If RCI starts dropping prices (due to supply and demand) then most likely so will CCL....and CCL will still be lower than RCI at the same time. What was the cost of a comparable cabin on CCL at the same time as Ken posted his pricing above??? You don't mention that!

 

The Liberty is a Conquest class ship (but even newer than the Valor) and the pricing is due to "supply and demand".....simple. RCI is typically more $$ than CCL even from ports in FL and elsewhere. Airfare DOES play in the total "supply and demand" picture.....when a customer looking at a lower priced vacation has to factor in airfare, the sales may lag with an expensive airfare, thus lower prices are needed to fill the ship.....whereas the customer who can afford to pay appreciably more $$$ may not care about the cost of airfare to SJ (i.e, the RCI pax already paying more for a comparable cruise).

Edited November 17, 2015 by buddylover

[Stinger-pr]

Well being local in PR I can tell you some other factors. First, I work in the hospitality industry and have had the opportunity to chat with passenger and crew members of both lines and as far as I've been able to learn is that Carnival usually sails full or close to it most of the times (this is with most sleeping berths occupied, not just two persons per room) and that, contrary to RCCL, they pick up (and drop off) more passengers at Barbados as well (which is more expensive than starting and ending in SJ). All cruise line that home port here either permanently or temporary cater to different pockets. At any given point there will be a Carnival, RCCL, Disney (for a few months), NCL (also a few months) and Celebrity (temporary as well).

 

In the case of Carnival and RCCL which home port year round, you hace to take into account another factor: advertising. RCCL advertises EVERYWHERE here. They are the dominant cruise line at ANY travel agency here and you can find (partnered with some agencies) ads in newspapers and even on huge digital billboards (those cost a pretty penny!). Carnival basically sells itself here with almost no exposure whatsoever. Those advertising bucks have to come from somewhere!!

 

But we'll see if that balance keeps. Once Carnival swaps the Liberty for the much older and smaller Fascination the boom days for Carnival might take a hit. Lots of heat here from cruisers about that swap, especially since prices are looking to be more expensive than Liberty's. Locals that I've talked to and who cruise frequently are not thrilled either.

[SeaGoingDAD]

We are looking to book a Christmas cruise. The Liberty out of San Juan is half as expensive as any other Carnival cruise that week, and almost half as expensive as Royal Caribbean cruises out of San Juan that week.

 

What am I missing or should be worried about?

 

Ships that sail out of San Juan are hard to fill because of the expensive airfare. It would be half as expensive as an RCCL cruise because it offers half as much. Rccl is still a full service, full entertainment, fully staffed, and complete entertainment cruise line.

[jimbo5544]

Ships that sail out of San Juan are hard to fill because of the expensive airfare. It would be half as expensive as an RCCL cruise because it offers half as much. Rccl is still a full service, full entertainment, fully staffed, and complete entertainment cruise line.

 

 

I hope you get your commission for the rccl commercial, if it were only true.....

[KPfromCT]

But we'll see if that balance keeps. Once Carnival swaps the Liberty for the much older and smaller Fascination the boom days for Carnival might take a hit. Lots of heat here from cruisers about that swap, especially since prices are looking to be more expensive than Liberty's. Locals that I've talked to and who cruise frequently are not thrilled either.

 

Agreed!!!!

I have no IDEA what Carnival was thinking putting an OLD ship down there. I was ready to book Liberty for next summer and then they replaced her with a dinosaur. Not happening. We ended up booking Magic out of PC.:D:D

[KPfromCT]

Ships that sail out of San Juan are hard to fill because of the expensive airfare. It would be half as expensive as an RCCL cruise because it offers half as much. Rccl is still a full service, full entertainment, fully staffed, and complete entertainment cruise line.

 

Really?:rolleyes:

[Anneschmera]

I am going out of San Juan 12/13 and was very happy they were cheaper. Liberty has great reviews and a great itinerary. I paid my airfare and hotel with reward points and only paid $996 for 2 for a balcony. I am a happy camper. I planned the money I saved for onboard spending and more expensive tours and still saved over prior cruises. I also bought gift cards through AARP and saved money for onboard spending and tours. This is my Christmas present to myself and am loving how much I saved and counting the days until we leave 24 and counting

[jimbo5544]

I am going out of San Juan 12/13 and was very happy they were cheaper. Liberty has great reviews and a great itinerary. I paid my airfare and hotel with reward points and only paid $996 for 2 for a balcony. I am a happy camper. I planned the money I saved for onboard spending and more expensive tours and still saved over prior cruises. I also bought gift cards through AARP and saved money for onboard spending and tours. This is my Christmas present to myself and am loving how much I saved and counting the days until we leave 24 and counting

 

Sailed on the Liberty 4 times, and love her. We also love the southern itinerary, let us know your thoughts when you return.