Apples to apples comparison

[Peachypooh]

For the past 5 years we have been cruising on the Jewell class ships in the Haven. We have been on the Pearl 3 times, Gem once and Jade once. When I went to make a reservation for our next adventure I was somewhat taken aback at the price increases. So....I decided to go back and look at my records and look at what the same itinerary/same week same ship for some of them would be. (all prices are rounded and do not include any extra perks). Alaska $7000 for two people now $10,500. Bahamas $8000 now $9300( not too bad but it's only been a year). Then I decided to look at the Bliss for one week in the Haven...for a comparable cabin to what we got $19,998!! I can only assume that most people are now booking lower cost cabins and hoping to win the upgrade advantage bids. Any experience with this??

[Laszlo]

The Economy is doing excellent!

[Cyclops32]

We were on the Escape this time last year and it was almost half of what our Bliss cruise is in about 3 weeks. Both are Haven bookings. We got the Bliss Haven a bit cheaper at about 7500-8000 range per person but we also booked it about 18 months out

 

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[Jetsterkitty]

The Bliss prices are INSANE. They must be trying to pay that thing off. ;) lol

[Laszlo]

My wife and I cruise for the first time in June of 2011 on the Gem to Bermuda. We had a Haven Courtyard cabin. The total for the week was $3100....And we got $400 OBC

[Moby0215]

Supply and demand

 

 

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[tgloersen]

We got a Haven Forward H8 on Bliss for $6500 all in. End of November sailing.

[newmexicoNita]

What can anyone say,but this is supply and demand as well as perks. Every time new perks or promos are added the price of the cruise is going to increase at least some 5 years ago, UBP and UDP was not in place for one thing. Also port charges have increased a lot. NCL can't control that. Now to be honest, we too are also feeling the pinch and deciding to be content with lower class cabins

[Stace894]

Even the Non-Haven Cabins have almost doubled. Sailed with just myself and my husband 3 yrs ago,, cost about $1500 for inside room for the two of us.. I have a cruise for Oct 2019 reserved. Booked 18mos in advance... Total cost $3200 for inside. Still debating to keep the booking or not.

[Peachypooh]

What can anyone say,but this is supply and demand as well as perks. Every time new perks or promos are added the price of the cruise is going to increase at least some 5 years ago, UBP and UDP was not in place for one thing. Also port charges have increased a lot. NCL can't control that. Now to be honest, we too are also feeling the pinch and deciding to be content with lower class cabins

 

Hi Nita,

I think that we are going to go for the two bedroom family suite (non-Haven)in a Jewell class ship next time. We will be giving up the forward view but then again I can't justify the higher prices.

[IrieBajan54]

A few years ago, FDR told investors that his objective was to get passengers to spend at least $50 more. Guess it is working. :)

[dcipjr]

Even the Non-Haven Cabins have almost doubled. Sailed with just myself and my husband 3 yrs ago,, cost about $1500 for inside room for the two of us.. I have a cruise for Oct 2019 reserved. Booked 18mos in advance... Total cost $3200 for inside. Still debating to keep the booking or not.

 

Honestly, those who say they save money by booking way out, I just don't see it. I almost always see better prices within 90 days of the sail date.

 

Is this a 7 day cruise? I'd personally imagine $3200 would normally buy a balcony on a 7-day cruise.

[biker@sea]

A few years ago, FDR told investors that his objective was to get passengers to spend at least $50 more. Guess it is working. :)

 

And THAT is Why we have all but Stopped cruising NCL.

 

My Platnuime plus money can wait till FDR leave's NCL.

 

Just Sayin

[Linda the Book Lover]

Yes, the prices are outrageous. I booked a spa balcony with my DD for her birthday and feel like we got a pretty good deal. I am Platinum so we still get a few little things even booked in a balcony. We are happy with our spa angled balcony cabin. The better deal is with my DH and our YC cruise on MSC. Way cheaper than our past Haven/Suites. I am hoping I can talk my DD into trying MSC YC. ;)

[BirdTravels]

For the past 5 years we have been cruising on the Jewell class ships in the Haven. We have been on the Pearl 3 times, Gem once and Jade once. When I went to make a reservation for our next adventure I was somewhat taken aback at the price increases. So....I decided to go back and look at my records and look at what the same itinerary/same week same ship for some of them would be. (all prices are rounded and do not include any extra perks). Alaska $7000 for two people now $10,500. Bahamas $8000 now $9300( not too bad but it's only been a year). Then I decided to look at the Bliss for one week in the Haven...for a comparable cabin to what we got $19,998!! I can only assume that most people are now booking lower cost cabins and hoping to win the upgrade advantage bids. Any experience with this??

Supply and demand. Havens to Alaska on the Bliss sell out at retail prices.

 

The most common email on the Bliss Haven “Unable To Confirm Your Upgrade Advantage Request”

[Ronin23]

For the prices they are charging for the Haven, you can cruise luxury lines such as Seabourn etc. I know where I would rather put my money.

[bluesea777]

The Economy is doing excellent!

 

I spit my wine over my monitor :D

[tallnthensome]

For the prices they are charging for the Haven, you can cruise luxury lines such as Seabourn etc. I know where I would rather put my money. ��

I know! I don't get it? You could sail luxury lines for that price. To me, it's lunacy .... I just shake my head. I don't think "wow, the Haven" ..... I think "you paid how much for this small area and on NCL? Seven Seas, Crystal, Regent .... Not getting the "best room at the Holiday Inn" on NCL for those prices.

[Cyclops32]

I know! I don't get it? You could sail luxury lines for that price. To me, it's lunacy .... I just shake my head. I don't think "wow, the Haven" ..... I think "you paid how much for this small area and on NCL? Seven Seas, Crystal, Regent .... Not getting the "best room at the Holiday Inn" on NCL for those prices.

To me the luxury lines are to stuffy and formal. I love the Haven because you get the best of both worlds. Private luxury but then can walk out to a huge shop and all it offers all of which you can do what you want when you want and how you want.

 

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[bluesea777]

Okay … last year March 2017 it was my DH's 70th and I bid LOW for an upgrade to Haven on Breakaway. Won the bid and got the "worst" Haven cabin (15100, lol). We ended having a great week there since it was DH's 70th, but frankly we would not spend full price for Haven. Fast forward a few months later we got a mini-suite on Getaway TA (14 days) and did bid for an Haven Spa suite but did not get it. We ended up having a ball on the ship outside of Haven and were glad we did not win the bid to get into Haven.

 

It's us.

[Cyclops32]

Okay … last year March 2017 it was my DH's 70th and I bid LOW for an upgrade to Haven on Breakaway. Won the bid and got the "worst" Haven cabin (15100, lol). We ended having a great week there since it was DH's 70th, but frankly we would not spend full price for Haven. Fast forward a few months later we got a mini-suite on Getaway TA (14 days) and did bid for an Haven Spa suite but did not get it. We ended up having a ball on the ship outside of Haven and were glad we did not win the bid to get into Haven.

 

It's us.

What made 15100 so bad?

 

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[littlelulu01]

Our first Ncl sailing was a two bedroom Haven Alaska on the Pearl in 2013. Total cost for husband and I was $3883 (that included taxes and port fees)and the room came with $50 obc. No free at sea. We paid a nominal fee for speciality dinners and had melt in your mouth filet mignon, excellent lobster. The food was definitely a notch above what we’ve recently had onboard, the room was great and we were subsequently hooked. husband went from swearing he’d never cruise again to loving the experience. I remember the garden villa was around 8k.

 

Pricing on travel in general has definitely increased since about 2015 when the economy recovered. Deals can still be had with last minute travel on sailings not selling well or if you book way off. Since you really can’t predict what’s not going to sell well I’ve moved to the camp of book as far out as possible at a price you are comfortable with.

 

In 2015 I took a 2 week med cruise with my kids. In January of this year I booked my kids the same category on the same ship (better itinerary this time). October, 2019 sailing is only a couple hundred more than the May, 2015 sailing. That’s factoring in the ubp gratuity now paid vs free back then. The 2019 sailing has the distinctive voyage credit in addition to free at sea. YMmv on that perk but it’s a nice added little bonus for double shore excursion credit on potentially 11 ports. I thought the Haven suite on the same sailing was on the verge of reason and so booked husband and In the Haven for the same sailing. I’m thankful I didn’t wait- all Haven and non Haven suites are already gone and we don’t sail for another year and a half! The good enough deals definitely don’t stick around long but they are still out there. The room I booked for adult kids has really increased in price since I booked. I assume if any cancellations on suites they will go back into the booking pool at a much higher rate.

 

The Bliss had some decent deals initially.

[casofilia]

We have a relatively fixed income and the added extra cost of having to travel from New Zealand to the Northern Hemisphere to cruise. We cruise 50-60 days twice a year Inside rather than paying big money for a 10 day Suite cruise once a year.

 

You take what you are comfortable with.

[newmexicoNita]

Hi Nita,

I think that we are going to go for the two bedroom family suite (non-Haven)in a Jewell class ship next time. We will be giving up the forward view but then again I can't justify the higher prices.

I totally agree. Everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with. For those who say they can sail luxury for the cost of the haven, that might be true, but we can sail NCL or other mass marketed lines without needing the haven to be honest.

 

I think what so many of us are having trouble with is realizing travel costs have sky rocketed period. It has nothing to do with FDR or any other management leader. All any of us have to do is price hotel rooms compared to 5 or so years ago. How about the cost of land tours, like Caravan for instance. Not many years ago they offered places like Costa Rico for as little as $1000 a person. Now the same tour is about $1500.

[Peachypooh]

I totally agree. Everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with. For those who say they can sail luxury for the cost of the haven, that might be true, but we can sail NCL or other mass marketed lines without needing the haven to be honest.

 

I think what so many of us are having trouble with is realizing travel costs have sky rocketed period. It has nothing to do with FDR or any other management leader. All any of us have to do is price hotel rooms compared to 5 or so years ago. How about the cost of land tours, like Caravan for instance. Not many years ago they offered places like Costa Rico for as little as $1000 a person. Now the same tour is about $1500.

 

You are so right about the hotel rooms. When we first retired and did some road trips we were able to get budget hotels for around $50 per night and the mid-priced ones for around $65. We just got back from a road trip out west and our cheapest hotel room was $150 and the most expensive $289. And we are talking about chains like Best Western and Fairfield Inn not Ritz Carlton! As for cruises when we took a cruise right after we retired. It was a Sky Suite on the Celebrity Mercury. It came with a Butler and for the two of us it was $1800. Don't know what a comparable cabin would be on the Pearl but it was bigger than a mini suite.