Price comparison from 2021 to 2022

[bobpell]

We would have paid $6185.42 Canadian for a 7 day Eastern Caribbean jaunt in a signature suite commencing Feb. 28, 2021. We cancelled outside of final payment date cause of Covid.

Asked TA for a quote for same suite starting Feb. 27, 2022  sojourning the same route and was surprised at $10,316.40 Cdn!!

those that go will be paying for Rotterdam!!

Gob Smacked Bob

 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

You don't think there will be costs for Covid updates, and capacity restrictions? For recovery of losses from the shutdown?

[cruisemom42]

Not to mention that the prices of many things do increase, year on year....

[Cruise Suzy]

For our February 2021 7-day Tropical Caribbean cruise vs the same itinerary for February 2022, the difference was $230 per person. Same Verandah stateroom on both.

[KAKcruiser]

Don't forget that prices usually start out high and then go down.

[bobpell]

Hope you are right KAKcruiser!!

A $4,000 increase in one year will drive prospective customers to investigate Carnival Corps. competitors.

 

Was there not a sign up somewhere on this site that would alert you to price decreases?

Bob

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Prices have to go up. 

[iancal]

I believe that the price differences that far out are meaningless.

 

There are two prices.  The target price that the cruise line wants and the price that the customer is willing to pay.

 

Ultimately the price will be determined by the competition and by demand.  If another cruise line is offering a similar experience for thirty or forty percent less demand will fall.  Then prices will fall.   We have seen this in spades on Med cruises over a number of years.

 

And if they do not fall, and you think the value is not  present then keep your wallet in your pocket or select an alternate travel option.

 

We have done numerous late booking cruises.  One thing we learned was that if we walk away from a cruise opportunity because of price or the absence of a balcony cabin another better opportunity will come along in short order.

Edited November 1, 2020 by iancal

[KirkNC]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Not to mention that the prices of many things do increase, year on year....

Not 60% 😳

[Taters]

It's early, and prices will come down in time.  For people like me, who suddenly finds herself cruiseless for the first time in 26 years after the recent Zuiderdam/Volendam switcheroo , it is tempting to get something booked.  However, in looking at prices for 2022, DH and I decided that we'll wait it out.  (We do not care to cruise on Volendam due to the lack of hydro pool.)

 

The day after my cruise was presto chango'd I received a Casino offer - another one - and so I imagine that once cruising is real again, I will continue to receive these.  There are a lot of people out there who aren't going to book at these inflated prices.  I still believe that HAL wants my business, though.

[iancal]

Pricing like this is just one of several reasons why we are not so called 'loyal' to any one cruise line.

 

We select based on our perceived value.  For us this is a combination of itinerary, ship, cruise line, price etc.  Sometimes all of that plus a very attractive one way cruise air fare. 

 

The market is competitive.   We have never seen any reason to pay over the odds for any cruise or travel product.

Edited November 1, 2020 by iancal

[AtlantaCruiser72]

6 hours ago, bobpell said:

We would have paid $6185.42 Canadian for a 7 day Eastern Caribbean jaunt in a signature suite commencing Feb. 28, 2021. We cancelled outside of final payment date cause of Covid.

Asked TA for a quote for same suite starting Feb. 27, 2022  sojourning the same route and was surprised at $10,316.40 Cdn!!

those that go will be paying for Rotterdam!!

Gob Smacked Bob

 

 

2/28/21 was on Eurodam with 52 total Signature Suites and 64 Neptune Suites - 116 total Suites (excluding Pinnacle).  By Contrast the 2/27/22 sailing is on the Rotterdam which has 14 Signature Suites and 45 Neptunes. - 59 total suites (excluding Pinnacle).  This is the reason for the higher fare on Rotterdam - far fewer Signature and Neptune Suites on Pinnacle Class ships mean they have higher fares vs other ships in the fleet on similar routes. 

 

Rotterdam (and her siblings in the Pinnacle Class) has a large # of Vista Suites (104 in total), which Signature and Vista Class vessels do not have any of at all.

 

I compared Rotterdam 2/27/22 7nt Eastern in Signature Suite category SS with Have it All - $7748.00 USD to Nieuw Amsterdam 2/26/22 7nt Southern in an SS with Have it all - $4878.00 USD.  Thats $2870 USD difference.  A Vista Suite on Rotterdam, category A with Have it All, was $4748.00 USD, so just slightly less that an SS on Nieuw Amsterdam.  Now lets also compare two standard Verandahs for the same sailing.  Rotterdam 2/27/22 Have it All category V - $3708.00 USD.  Nieuw Amsterdam 2/26/22 Have it All category V - $3438.00 USD, a $270.00 USD difference.  So yes, Rotterdam is selling at a premium, but a LOT of that for the Signature Suites has to do with the relatively few # as compared to the Nieuw Amsterdam. 

 

Simple supply/demand at work.

Edited November 1, 2020 by AtlantaCruiser72

[DaveOKC]

11 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

 

 

2/28/21 was on Eurodam with 52 total Signature Suites and 64 Neptune Suites - 116 total Suites (excluding Pinnacle).  By Contrast the 2/27/22 sailing is on the Rotterdam which has 14 Signature Suites and 45 Neptunes. - 59 total suites (excluding Pinnacle).  This is the reason for the higher fare on Rotterdam - far fewer Signature and Neptune Suites on Pinnacle Class ships mean they have higher fares vs other ships in the fleet on similar routes. 

 

Rotterdam (and her siblings in the Pinnacle Class) has a large # of Vista Suites (104 in total), which Signature and Vista Class vessels do not have any of at all.

 

I compared Rotterdam 2/27/22 7nt Eastern in Signature Suite category SS with Have it All - $7748.00 USD to Nieuw Amsterdam 2/26/22 7nt Southern in an SS with Have it all - $4878.00 USD.  Thats $2870 USD difference.  A Vista Suite on Rotterdam, category A with Have it All, was $4748.00 USD, so just slightly less that an SS on Nieuw Amsterdam.  Now lets also compare two standard Verandahs for the same sailing.  Rotterdam 2/27/22 Have it All category V - $3708.00 USD.  Nieuw Amsterdam 2/26/22 Have it All category V - $3438.00 USD, a $270.00 USD difference.  So yes, Rotterdam is selling at a premium, but a LOT of that for the Signature Suites has to do with the relatively few # as compared to the Nieuw Amsterdam. 

 

Simple supply/demand at work.

Very true that you cannot compare pricing of Rotterdam (or Koningdam) categories.  For one thing, HAL adjusted their thinking on Neptunes and Signatures and significantly reduced the number of them (I think they were offering upsells far to often for their liking).  

 

Personally, I like the Vista class ships, as I could book a Signature cabin for a decent price (IMO) and very often get a good upsell to a Neptune.  Further, I am happy with the Signature if that is what I ended up with.  I guess this ploy is now a thing of the past!

 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Just now, DaveOKC said:

Very true that you cannot compare pricing of Rotterdam (or Koningdam) categories.  For one thing, HAL adjusted their thinking on Neptunes and Signatures and significantly reduced the number of them (I think they were offering upsells far to often for their liking).  

 

Personally, I like the Vista class ships, as I could book a Signature cabin for a decent price (IMO) and very often get a good upsell to a Neptune.  Further, I am happy with the Signature if that is what I ended up with.  I guess this ploy is now a thing of the past!

 

 

The Vistas in particular, with the large # of Signature and Neptune Suites, are way too "premium heavy" as compared to other vessels in their size/market, hence all the upsells we hear about on them.  The Signature Class Ships corrected this a bit, but not enough, by having all deck 8 midship cabins be standard Verandahs instead of Signature Suites.  The Pinnacle Class are more in line from a premium cabin/standard cabin mix for a Mainstream Premium brand like HAL.

[bobpell]

I couldn't pay over $10,000 cdn for seven days at sea

I moved back one day, Feb. 26, 2022, and got a Signature Suite on the Nieuw Amsterdam with a savings of $4,000

If I owned a new ship...Rotterdam... I would offer a tremendous deal to entice customers to see my new creation, not gouge them into running to my competition

I am titillated at the saving which includes the Have It all package

God I hope a vaccine comes this upcoming year, somehow my martinis don't taste the same my wife says

Thanks for all your input

"Just the facts" Bob

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Cruse pricing is a strategic way for the cruise lines to make it a profit center 

Not every one calls when a price goes down, If they call it gives the Cruise line  a chance to upsale / up grade  a cabin . offer a different promo,  sell something  transfer's,  air  insurance, Spa  and more, The  want the customer  to call, In sales it is called a fish on the hook .

[Hlitner]

I think nearly all the cruise lines (including HAL) have been playing a smoke and mirrors game with their customers.  Most folks are aware that the cruise lines have pulled out "all the stops" to encourage customers to accept generous Future Cruise Credits (FCCs) if their cruise was cancelled.  The obvious intent was to discourage folks from requesting cash refunds while giving them an incentive to book a future cruise.  But then the cruise lines increased the prices of most future cruises which, in effect, devalued the benefit of the FCCs.  So if one accepted a 125% FCC (in lieu of a 100% refund) they later discovered that the FCC bought them less then they had on their cancelled cruise.    Seems like a good business strategy for most cruise lines :).

 

Hank

[iancal]

That is one of the reasons why we have absolutely no inclination to shop for, let alone book a cruise.  

 

The current forward cruise market is an artificial market designed by the cruise industry to encourage bookings.  We feel that it is meaningless in terms of ships, itineraries, and price.   We have zero intention of playing the FCC game.  Too many unknowns and the odds very much favor the house as it were  IMHO.   

Nor does the concept of potentially waiting months for a refund with multiple follow up calls turn our crank.

 

We are happy to wait and see what shakes out in terms of industry players, what the on board environment will be, what ports and what itineraries will be available.  Our last requirement will be a market that has returned to a certain degree of normalcy.  Until then...thanks but no thanks.  We like to know and understand exactly what we are buying.

 

Carnival's YE is Nov 30,  RCI's is Dec. 31 I believe.  I expect more announcements from both between the close and the announcements of those respective results.  It would surprise me if we  see any significant return to cruising before March and quite likely longer.

Edited November 3, 2020 by iancal