Can someone explain?

[ISABELLA]

I cruise often and had done several TAs over the years, but never have seen pricing like for this one. We booked TA on Reflection April 13, 2017 last year. I checked pricing today and see over 600 cabins from insides to suites are still available. The lowest price for inside is about $3600/ cabin, lowest balcony price - $4700 , which is 30% higher that we paying. NO PERKS.

Why are prices so high? I don't see the demand for this sailing at these prices. Usually AQ is all sold out by now, but they have almost 100 cabins available at current price almost $6000.

Maybe I am missing something......

[Cruise Junky]

Because it comes with a time machine? ;). When is the actual sail date? Prices are nuts. We paid $1499 for our upcoming Solstice cruise and the current price is $3849 for a 10 day cruise pp

[FlorenceItaly]

I cruise often and had done several TAs over the years, but never have seen pricing like for this one. We booked TA on Reflection April 13, 2017 last year. I checked pricing today and see over 600 cabins from insides to suites are still available. The lowest price for inside is about $3600/ cabin, lowest balcony price - $4700 , which is 30% higher that we paying. NO PERKS.

Why are prices so high? I don't see the demand for this sailing at these prices. Usually AQ is all sold out by now, but they have almost 100 cabins available at current price almost $6000.

Maybe I am missing something......

 

When I see very high pricing like this, I almost always see very low pricing after final payment.

[helen haywood]

Ditto. I used to price cruises year round and summer Caribbean prices were always higher than before or after. So I stopped looking. Then I needed/wanted a cruise in June and looked, after final payment, lo and behold!, I CAN afford to cruise in the summer. Dropped quite a bit after final!

 

 

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[richsea]

I think it may be because TAs have become so popular with the same passengers year after year. It's almost like a club that cruises together. I think the cruise lines realized this & decided that if they're so popular, let's see just how popular & keep increasing the fares until the ships stop filling.

It used to be they did not include perks because the fares were so low; not so anymore, but they still do not include perks.

When you think of it, they have to get the ships across the pond, so maybe it's best to stop booking & see what happens. I agree that after final payment, if there are a lot of rooms left, the prices should come down. We've changed booking strategy from booking early, to booking close to sail date on most of our sailings, because prices are way up across the board, not just TAs.

[easyboy]

Experienced it too. Booked early 2016 for our Sept 2017 cruise to get our preferred cabin. Got perks with OBCs. Price today higher with no perks and OBC.

 

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[missm]

Maybe they are trying to maximize their return on suites since they tend to sell out early on popular routes such as TAs and TPs. They jack those prices up early and then fill the rest of the ship with more value-conscious passengers. Also, there may be a certain small percentage of folks who book a cabin and never check for price reductions since it can be time-consuming to do so.

 

Whatever their overall strategy, they do try out lots of different ideas to boost bookings. Seems like none of them seem to last for long, though; whatever happened to the $25/pp deposits? Haven't seen those for a year or so.

[ISABELLA]

I perfectly understand "after final payment" strategy - done it myself, but X is having these crazy high prices for sometime now with almost no booking activity. Most likely prices will be falling soon. Just wonder if someone has a better idea... I guess, time will tell.

Thank you all.

[ECCruise]

It is simple: TAs have become trendy. Trendy=crazy prices. 22 TAs done with 2 more booked (at decent, early prices) but those will be the last. Insane to pay $4700 for a TA. Suite prices are beyond insane. $12,000 for a Sky Suite? On a TA? Egads!

[dodger1964]

They will probably follow RCL and start charging non-refundable deposits on some of the higher end rooms.

[ThursdaysChild]

In December 2016, on the day it announced, I booked the Nov 2018 Eclipse Transatlantic for Barcelona to Buenos Aires, AQ cabin, for $2549 plus tax per person dbl occ. I've been watching prices. That same A2 cabin is now $3700 per person! I've already cut back on my Celebrity cruises due to the combination of outrageous prices, and the constant erosion of the special touches that made Celebrity my first choice for vacations since 2009. From 2 to as many as 4 cruises with Celebrity per year, many of them at single occupancy 200% fare, I'm down to none this year and may only take 1 of 2 booked for next year. IMHO, Celebrity has stopped being Celebrity.:(

[hapster85]

Because it comes with a time machine? ;). When is the actual sail date? Prices are nuts. We paid $1499 for our upcoming Solstice cruise and the current price is $3849 for a 10 day cruise pp

Read that twice myself. Glad I'm not the only one it confused. Lol

[ORV]

I cruise often and had done several TAs over the years, but never have seen pricing like for this one. We booked TA on Reflection April 13, 2017 last year. I checked pricing today and see over 600 cabins from insides to suites are still available. The lowest price for inside is about $3600/ cabin, lowest balcony price - $4700 , which is 30% higher that we paying. NO PERKS.

Why are prices so high? I don't see the demand for this sailing at these prices. Usually AQ is all sold out by now, but they have almost 100 cabins available at current price almost $6000.

Maybe I am missing something......

 

What cruise are you looking at? Did you mean 2018 as the 2017 is passed? It appears you are quoting the price for two.

[kencr]

I was looking at London to Lauderdale this Oct, on Equiox only 2 rooms available on my TA web site ,Aqua class and $6600 pp cabin

 

Another reason for crazy prices there used to 4 ship doing TA in spring and fall. Now only 3 ships.

[ISABELLA]

What cruise are you looking at? Did you mean 2018 as the 2017 is passed? It appears you are quoting the price for two.

Reflection - April 13, 2018 and pricing is for 2 people. I have booked it last year 2D for $3398 / 2 people including port charges, today price is $4679.00 - simply crazy price for TA with no perks and over 600 cabins are still available.

Just as comparison : TA on Silhouette November, 2015 , we had AQ1 for $3789/ cabin ( it was an upgrade from AQ2)

[hcat]

In December 2016, on the day it announced, I booked the Nov 2018 Eclipse Transatlantic for Barcelona to Buenos Aires, AQ cabin, for $2549 plus tax per person dbl occ. I've been watching prices. That same A2 cabin is now $3700 per person! I've already cut back on my Celebrity cruises due to the combination of outrageous prices, and the constant erosion of the special touches that made Celebrity my first choice for vacations since 2009. From 2 to as many as 4 cruises with Celebrity per year, many of them at single occupancy 200% fare, I'm down to none this year and may only take 1 of 2 booked for next year. IMHO, Celebrity has stopped being Celebrity.:(

 

Looks like a special TA itin from Barcelona to Buenos Aires so it seems like you got an OK price...and in hindsight a good price.

 

I agree 100 % with the remainder of your post about booking fewer cruises each yr with X & Celebrity no longer being Celebrity.......sad but true. Hoping Edge offers something special enough for us to book beyond 2019.

[4774Papa]

I think it may be because TAs have become so popular with the same passengers year after year. It's almost like a club that cruises together. I think the cruise lines realized this & decided that if they're so popular, let's see just how popular & keep increasing the fares until the ships stop filling.

It used to be they did not include perks because the fares were so low; not so anymore, but they still do not include perks.

When you think of it, they have to get the ships across the pond, so maybe it's best to stop booking & see what happens. I agree that after final payment, if there are a lot of rooms left, the prices should come down. We've changed booking strategy from booking early, to booking close to sail date on most of our sailings, because prices are way up across the board, not just TAs.

We like TA cruises now, since we have done cruises all over the World and don't wish to repeat those. With a TA, we can plan a nice land trip and save on one way airfare, then take a TA home. Also, TA cruises are cheaper and pricing is not bundled with drinks packages that we don't want.