Price of cruising is much higher this last year on all lines

[shof515]

Can you provide where you got this info?

 

if the ship has issues sailing full every sailing, carnival will relocate the ship to a different market that can fill the ship up

[Galatz]

If you travel during peak travel, when kids are out of school, yes the cost has gone up. If you book interior rooms when kids are in school its dirt cheap! I just booked for November 2017, a 7 day cruise, the week after thanksgiving. I prefer interior rooms (I want it pitch black when I nap, and I want motivation to leave my room other times). I booked this 7 days cruise for 409 a person. Even with all the taxes and fees its $1,098.54 for two people. What other vacation can you do that with?

 

During peak travel times people will pay more, and as long as the boats keep leaving at or near capacity, they will keep those prices high.

[Tapi]

If you travel during peak travel, when kids are out of school, yes the cost has gone up. If you book interior rooms when kids are in school its dirt cheap! I just booked for November 2017, a 7 day cruise, the week after thanksgiving. I prefer interior rooms (I want it pitch black when I nap, and I want motivation to leave my room other times). I booked this 7 days cruise for 409 a person. Even with all the taxes and fees its $1,098.54 for two people.

 

 

You don't need to wait until the dead of the low season and book the lowest category to find a good deal. We are traveling this summer during the kid's vacation. 7 night cruise, balcony stateroom, for a grand total of $1,357 for FOUR passengers, all taxes included. And the balcony was cheaper than the interior because they had a special 2 for 1 promo on the balconies but not the interiors.

 

If someone limits their search to the same cruise line, ship or departure port, it may be harder to find good deals. But with some flexibility, the deals are there to be found.

[Trumpster]

MSC has cheaper fares than many and prices are similar to last year, however, the Divina, while a good cruise, was not as "fun" a family cruise as our last two on Carnival or NCL or as elegant as Celebrity.

 

Certainly my kids did not enjoy the Divina as much as other ships. Having no forward view on Divina, unless you're in the Yacht Club and having no deck that goes all around the ship kind of sucked.

 

Here she is with us last week in San Juan where she did an overnight, which would have been really cool!

 

 

 

 

 

I did however snag the Magic for next year in a Spa Balcony cabin for less than I paid for it this year. So in this case next years costs are not up for us currently.

 

I have watched the Vista's prices skyrocket however.

[Tapi]

MSC has cheaper fares than many and prices are similar to last year, however, the Divina, while a good cruise, was not as "fun" a family cruise as our last two on Carnival or NCL or as elegant as Celebrity.

 

 

 

Certainly my kids did not enjoy the Divina as much as other ships.

 

 

I'm adjusting my expectations accordingly with our upcoming sailing, but for comparison purposes, the MSC Divina was $1,357, while the Carnival Magic was $2,800 sailing the same week, also on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Hard to overlook that deal! At those prices, I'm willing to give them a try at least once. Hopefully my kids will be happy enough with the activities and one waterslide on the Divina, and won't be looking too closely at the water park on the NCL Escape in Miami or the one on the Carnival Magic in San Juan, which we will see along our itinerary! [emoji85]

Edited May 4, 2016 by Tapi

[Trumpster]

I'm adjusting my expectations accordingly with our upcoming sailing, but for comparison purposes, the MSC Divina was $1,357, while the Carnival Magic was $2,800 sailing the same week, also on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Hard to overlook that deal! At those prices, I'm willing to give them a try at least once. Hopefully my kids will be happy enough with the activities and one waterslide on the Divina, and won't be looking too closely at the water park on the NCL Escape in Miami or the one on the Carnival Magic in San Juan, which we will see along our itinerary! [emoji85]

 

 

LOL... get them off the ship in San Juan and to the forts! ;)

 

You will have a good time, and they should enjoy the kids club, as it's not an afterthought on MSC like it is on Celebrity and Hal, but its Not Carnival, Royal or NCL.

 

Do you fly or drive to Miami?

 

Escape just doesn't interest me for some reason.

[Tapi]

Do you fly or drive to Miami?

 

 

 

Escape just doesn't interest me for some reason.

 

 

We will be flying. Longest drive we'll take with the kids is Port Canaveral (7 hours). Anything longer than that and all hell breaks loose and any money saved by driving isn't worth it. [emoji85]

 

I've never been on NCL but I would really like to try the Escape, Getaway or Breakaway. I didn't take a closer look at the Escape this time because of itinerary and pricing. It's doing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary as well, but only one port interested me. For our week of travel, the Escape was closer to $3,500. Because of its mediocre itinerary (which includes Nassau) I couldn't justify the price. Yes, we will be stopping in Nassau when we sail on the Divina, but at 1/3 of NCL prices, I can suck it up! [emoji3]

Edited May 4, 2016 by Tapi

[cruising maniac]

what hasn't the price gone up on? have you bought meat? eggs? bread?

 

Gas prices. That should make a difference in cruise prices but it hasn't yet.

[John Reid]

I'm not posting this to suggest better fares on one line over another, just to show what was out there.

 

Sailing Saturday.

Oasis of the Seas

Superior Ocean Balcony for 2

$1,582.62

With taxes, port fees, and gratuities.

 

Hard to beat.

 

I cruise solo every December. My last two were on Freedom (Carnival) and Conquest (both six days).

 

This year I got a much better value on Holland America for the same week. Seven days and a great itinerary.

 

Yes, in general rates are up for all lines I check. But there are still deals out there.

[John Reid]

what hasn't the price gone up on? have you bought meat? eggs? bread?

 

Well, since you asked. . .

 

electronics (TV's, computers, etc.), limes, Schmidt's potato rolls, Fiber One bars, the toll on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, lawnmowers, the price of my next four cruises, cottage cheese, Southwest flights to Florida and Las Vegas, and Neosporin.

[Trumpster]

We will be flying. Longest drive we'll take with the kids is Port Canaveral (7 hours). Anything longer than that and all hell breaks loose and any money saved by driving isn't worth it. [emoji85]

 

I've never been on NCL but I would really like to try the Escape, Getaway or Breakaway. I didn't take a closer look at the Escape this time because of itinerary and pricing. It's doing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary as well, but only one port interested me. For our week of travel, the Escape was closer to $3,500. Because of its mediocre itinerary (which includes Nassau) I couldn't justify the price. Yes, we will be stopping in Nassau when we sail on the Divina, but at 1/3 of NCL prices, I can suck it up! [emoji3]

 

 

Yeah, the Escape's eastern ports are pretty mediocre. I enjoyed our Getaway and Breakway trips but I like the Breeze and Magic better as ships.

 

Escape has more people in not a significantly larger footprint of the "Away" ships. Reviews of Escape have improved from a rocky start but still, those eastern ports really do nothing for me.

 

Divina is a beautiful ship, quite elegant, very stylish, very Italian.

[Earthworm Jim]

I guess what I'm trying to say will the prices eventually drive business away.

 

And when that day comes, the cruise lines will offer lower prices to fill the ships. But as it is right now they are filling the ships at higher prices, so what is their incentive to reduce prices?

[saharaga]

That's what we're doing as well. 4 cruises currently booked with Carnival and only one is a balcony cabin. The rest are oceanview. We always booked balconies but the prices have gotten a little crazy.

 

we have found ourselves booking ocean view and occasionally inside cabins now, where in the past we booked balconies. we don't feel like we are missing anything because we always spent most of our time on deck anyway and only used the balconies coming in to port and for early morning coffee. this way we can still take the same number of cruises that we enjoy.

 

Beverly

[Trumpster]

I guess it's all relative! I took a Disney Dream cruise right after Easter of 2016 for three of us in a verandah room' date=' 4 nights for $3500.

This winter I booked a 7 night Disney Fantasy for just me and my husband, middle of March (not around Easter) for $4500. If I booked it now it would be $5500 due to Star Wars day at sea.

I got to thinking, my kids are grown and although I love Disney, I already have a picture with Capt. Mickey. So I canceled it and booked a 7 night Carnival Magic for $2600 in a spa balcony room.

Some of you might think that is a ripoff, but for me it is one heck of a deal![/quote']

 

Not me, I get it, I would take a Magic spa Balcony for that price in an instant.