Edge pricing finally starts to soften!

[Mynki]

The attached screenshot is from a large UK based TA. It's for a one week sailing onboard Edge in an Aquaclass room. It's an A2 cabin of which there are currently 21 showing as available. The pricing with the current UK offer includes port fees and taxes (as do all advertised UK fares), the classic beverage package and $300 OBC. For £934 ($1201) per person it looks like Edge fares are finally becoming a little more reasonable than they were this time last year! 

[rimmit]

The Apex was even cheaper.  USD for a family of 4, with KSF offer and two perks before the beverage package increase it was gonna be $3200 USD for a week on the apex at the end of Nov over the US thanksgiving break and we almost booked it,  but after reading all the reviews decided against going on an edge class ship.  

 

Seems a lot of shine but no substance. We prefer a more traditional cruise experience.  I suspect the pricing is dropping quickly now that more people are attune to the issues of the edge class ships.

[Mynki]

Just now, rimmit said:

The Apex was even cheaper.  USD for a family of 4, with KSF offer and two perks before the beverage package increase it was gonna be $3200 USD for a week on the apex at the end of Nov over the US thanksgiving break and we almost booked it,  but after reading all the reviews decided against going on an edge class ship.  

 

Seems a lot of shine but no substance. We prefer a more traditional cruise experience.  I suspect the pricing is dropping quickly now that more people are attune to the issues of the edge class ships.

 

The price I quoted was for an aqua class room. There are much cheaper options on the same sailing for insides, OV's and lower class verandahs for sale too. :) 

[rimmit]

2 minutes ago, Mynki said:

 

The price I quoted was for an aqua class room. There are much cheaper options on the same sailing for insides, OV's and lower class verandahs for sale too. 🙂

 

The public clearly has caught on that the edge is not “all that”. It took about two full years before the solstice started softening if I remember right.  I didn’t go on the solstice till July 2010, about two years after it launched.  

 

Definitely look at at the Apex it may be even cheaper based on date,  as we compared the edge to the apex and strangely the apex was lower sometimes.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 minutes ago, rimmit said:

 

Definitely look at at the Apex it may be even cheaper based on date,  as we compared the edge to the apex and strangely the apex was lower sometimes.

 

For sure. I was looking at Feb break cruises and the Apex is less than the Edge. Sadly it's the Western, which is the itinerary I'm doing this year. But still...

[Cruise a holic]

I think it is because some of the staterooms aren't great- the infinite balcony cabins aren't perhaps as popular as Celebrity would have thought.  Having been on the ship in a Infinite veranda- they weren't nearly as good as a true balcony cabin- and actually seemed smaller- also the S3 sky suites had obstructed views.

 

While we enjoyed the ship, we have booked an S2 which was a nice cabin- albeit missing a coffee table. So in room dining isn't easy- no real table either on balcony.  I thought when they removed the huge rocking chair from the sky suite (well done), they would add a coffee table.    Many people prefer the layout of the S class ships.

Edited October 28, 2019 by Cruise a holic

[prim8keeper]

I think part of it is also the overall increase in competition within the cruise industry. Sure, Edge was shiny and new last year, but if you are looking to sail on the latest and greatest and not loyal to one line you have plenty of other options. I was reading at an article this morning about the new ships that are coming out over the next few years and it was insane in the overall number/size of some of them. I just don't see how the demand is there given that all these ships seem to just go to the same places. As it is there are stops in the Caribbean and Europe where the number of tourist clearly outnumber the locals.

[grandgeezer]

1 hour ago, Mynki said:

The attached screenshot is from a large UK based TA. It's for a one week sailing onboard Edge in an Aquaclass room. It's an A2 cabin of which there are currently 21 showing as available. The pricing with the current UK offer includes port fees and taxes (as do all advertised UK fares), the classic beverage package and $300 OBC. For £934 ($1201) per person it looks like Edge fares are finally becoming a little more reasonable than they were this time last year! 

The current pricing for this cruise, according to their website, is $1616 p.p. for two perks and including all taxes and fees.

[Mynki]

13 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

The current pricing for this cruise, according to their website, is $1616 p.p. for two perks and including all taxes and fees.

 

Suggest you reread the very first sentence of my opening post. As I've stated countless times on here booking in the UK can be cheaper than booking in the US and vice versa. As you've quoted a price in US $ I assume you've looked at the US Celebrity site. Some of us understand the world is bigger than just one country. 😉 

[jojo1966]

i looked on  the celebrity US site with my vpn thing on - and the cruise we have booked for november  20 is loads more expensive on the US site than it is for us on the UK one 🙂

[mickey89]

Are there any North American’s that book via the U.K. and take advantage of the better deals ?

[phoenix_dream]

6 hours ago, prim8keeper said:

I think part of it is also the overall increase in competition within the cruise industry. Sure, Edge was shiny and new last year, but if you are looking to sail on the latest and greatest and not loyal to one line you have plenty of other options. I was reading at an article this morning about the new ships that are coming out over the next few years and it was insane in the overall number/size of some of them. I just don't see how the demand is there given that all these ships seem to just go to the same places. As it is there are stops in the Caribbean and Europe where the number of tourist clearly outnumber the locals.

One wonders where it will all stop.  Right now some Caribbean ports are so packed with people that you can barely walk around.  Even Grand Cayman is now building a pier that will allow the megaships to visit.  Last time we were there, there were 5 ships in port (none bigger than S class) and the streets were so crowded with people we just went back to the ship.  I am not a beach person but I can only imagine what some of the popular beaches are becoming - wall to wall people.  The nice, calm, relaxing part of cruising is going by the wayside.  I'm glad I'm old enough to have experienced it back before the insanity of floating resorts took over the industry.

[NMTraveller]

Is there a reason Americans could not book from the Celebrity UK site if a cruise was less expensive there?

I realize that we would be paying in a different currency, but the CC would handle the conversion.

Edited October 29, 2019 by NMTraveller

[chemmo]

RS still over £14,000 on Apex in November for 7 nights.

RS on Reflection 11 nights in November £11,900

 

I think I’ll keep looking...

Edited October 29, 2019 by chemmo

[BulldustHHH]

I swear companies behave as if VPNs don't exist, or they assume the typical passenger is too dim to figure them out. How about they make prices consistent globally so that people stop feeling like they're being ripped off? I know, it's so crazy it might work!

[villauk]

9 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

One wonders where it will all stop.  Right now some Caribbean ports are so packed with people that you can barely walk around.  Even Grand Cayman is now building a pier that will allow the megaships to visit.  Last time we were there, there were 5 ships in port (none bigger than S class) and the streets were so crowded with people we just went back to the ship.  I am not a beach person but I can only imagine what some of the popular beaches are becoming - wall to wall people.  The nice, calm, relaxing part of cruising is going by the wayside.  I'm glad I'm old enough to have experienced it back before the insanity of floating resorts took over the industry.

 

 

And what do X do: redeploy another ship there 🙄.

[villauk]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

RS still over £14,000 on Apex in November for 7 nights.

RS on Reflection 11 nights in November £11,900

 

I think I’ll keep looking...

 

 

I dread to ask what the Iconic Suite pricing was 🙈? Another new car perhaps 🤣?

[taylortime05]

5 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Is there a reason Americans could not book from the Celebrity UK site if a cruise was less expensive there?

I realize that we would be paying in a different currency, but the CC would handle the conversion.

 

I'd love to know the answer to this.   I'm always looking for the best price.

[teecee60]

17 hours ago, rimmit said:

The Apex was even cheaper.  USD for a family of 4, with KSF offer and two perks before the beverage package increase it was gonna be $3200 USD for a week on the apex at the end of Nov.  I suspect the pricing is dropping quickly now that more people are attune to the issues of the edge class ships.

 

16 hours ago, Mynki said:

 

The price I quoted was for an aqua class room. There are much cheaper options on the same sailing for insides, OV's and lower class verandahs for sale too. :) 

 

A well known cruise consolidator in the US is selling the December 1st cruise for $636pp inside/ $726pp OV/ and $766 balcony. (numbers are base fare with taxes and tips extra) I'd say that proves that the allure of Apex is GONE. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by teecee60

[mrsgoggins]

57 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

 

I'd love to know the answer to this.   I'm always looking for the best price.

 

Beware!  If you booked via Celebrity UK then your cruise, and fare price would be fixed with no opportunity to cancel or re-fare should the price drop without losing your deposit.  An exception is if you book on board and then you have the ability to move your deposit to another sailing.

 

US terms allow a lot more flexibility.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Beware!  If you booked via Celebrity UK then your cruise, and fare price would be fixed with no opportunity to cancel or re-fare should the price drop without losing your deposit.  An exception is if you book on board and then you have the ability to move your deposit to another sailing.

 

US terms allow a lot more flexibility.

That was going to be my response. I think (we) Americans are far too accustomed to being able to cancel or make changes with cruises and would not be happy to be locked into something with no options to change without losing a lot of money. (Definitely including myself in that. My TA would 100% back me up on that. Haha!)

[villauk]

5 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

US terms allow a lot more flexibility.

 

 

Exactly, and that’s the one thing to remember with the U.K. bookings - once you're in, you’re in - no flexibility. And even more so if you book a GTY: no moving to another cabin in the same category if you don’t like what you’re allocated.

[Mynki]

21 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Beware!  If you booked via Celebrity UK then your cruise, and fare price would be fixed with no opportunity to cancel or re-fare should the price drop without losing your deposit.  An exception is if you book on board and then you have the ability to move your deposit to another sailing.

 

US terms allow a lot more flexibility.

 

This is very true. Though with a sail date of December 1st as in the example it doesn't matter as you're well past final payment date. 

[Mynki]

1 hour ago, teecee60 said:

 

 

A well known cruise consolidator in the US is selling the December 1st cruise for $636pp inside/ $726pp OV/ and $766 balcony. (numbers are base fare with taxes and tips extra) I'd say that proves that the allure of Apex is GONE. 

I suspect that's a company we have used ourselves. I also suspect those prices are their block bookings they need to sell. I've seen this before. 

 

They had a sky suite on Edge for just $1200 base fare recently which does prove that E class are no longer as appealing as they were two years ago. 

 

I I do wonder if the heavily repeated itineraries are not helping also. 

[ipeeinthepool]

5 minutes ago, Mynki said:

They had a sky suite on Edge for just $1200 base fare recently which does prove that E class are no longer as appealing as they were two years ago.  

 

For many of us the E class wasn't appealing 2 years ago and nothing has happened to change our perspective.   It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next year or two.  The S class ships can still command a higher premium today, maybe the public is voting that they didn't like the revolution.