Exorbitant Price Increase to Hawaii

[sailing sue]

I booked a 10 day sailing from Vancouver to Hawaii in Jan. 2020 which is sailing in Sept. 2021.  The cost for this cruise was $5,000 (I am a solo traveler). I checked the price today and the cruise is now $11,000!!!! How is this possible that the cruise price  went up so much. I am shocked!! (Cruise prices are in CAN $).

[Oceangoer2]

11 minutes ago, sailing sue said:

I booked a 10 day sailing from Vancouver to Hawaii in Jan. 2020 which is sailing in Sept. 2021.  The cost for this cruise was $5,000 (I am a solo traveler). I checked the price today and the cruise is now $11,000!!!! How is this possible that the cruise price  went up so much. I am shocked!! (Cruise prices are in CAN $).

Did you call your TA?  My understanding is.....If your Jan. '21 cruise has been cancelled by X, this cruise should be replaced at the price you paid with existing perks, if it's the same cruise length, cabin category.  Or are you letting us know what you WOULD have paid if you were booking today?  Yes...shocking increase.

Edited November 25, 2020 by Oceangoer2

[danv3]

Kind of a moot point unfortunately, as this cruise is going to be canceled to comply with the CDC sailing rules.  

 

But I think we're all going to be shocked by what cruise fares look like in late 2021 and beyond.

[ipeeinthepool]

Don't book at these prices, take the refund.  When cruising resumes, prices will come down to be in line with the competition.

[hcat]

Unless you can lift and shift to something comparable, take a refund. No guarantee FCCs will be useful if Cruise line does not survive or it  files to re -organize ( if they can where they are flagged).

 

Rules for travel to  Hawaii are very strict these days. Not sure a  how Hawaii  cruise on X could fit a 7 day format  unless it's one way....ours was 15 days RT.

 

When they  open up cruising,  they may snag new cruisers or others who are chomping at the bit to get on a ship...best to be patient!

 

.  We are hoping by Jan 2022, there will be no reasons for X to cancel our  Reflection cruise..10 days(?)..hope to use up our big FCC.

[Arizona Wildcat]

2 hours ago, sailing sue said:

I booked a 10 day sailing from Vancouver to Hawaii in Jan. 2020 which is sailing in Sept. 2021.  The cost for this cruise was $5,000 (I am a solo traveler). I checked the price today and the cruise is now $11,000!!!! How is this possible that the cruise price  went up so much. I am shocked!! (Cruise prices are in CAN $).

The price is immaterial since TAs have been informed cruises longer than 7 days before November of 2021 are either modified or cancelled.   Also announced on Cruise Hive.

[sanger727]

I think that these sailings are especially volatile due to the fact that they only occur twice a year. We booked a 12 night sailing from Hawaii to Vancouver for April 2018. We booked it over a year out. When we booked the price was a bit under $2,000 a person. I watched and as we approached final payment date the price only went up and ended up over $4,000 a person. Prior to sailing the prices came back down again. 

[bigbenboys]

We have done this cruise with Celebrity 3 times now. Two times in the pass 5 years. The cruise prices for Hawaii/Vancouver or Vancouver/Hawaii do go up fast. One of the reasons we book as soon as they are released. Prices seem higher than normal, but this is not normal times.

[miched]

I booked a Sky Suite for $2200 pp for 10 days with all the perks plus another $600 OBC.    The same cruise is now $8000 pp for the Sky Suite.  I don’t care.   Why worry about it?   You got a good deal and so did I.   That is why I booked it 

 

If they charged you for the increase it would be a issue.   

 

Happy Cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Wine-O]

13 hours ago, bigbenboys said:

We have done this cruise with Celebrity 3 times now. Two times in the pass 5 years. The cruise prices for Hawaii/Vancouver or Vancouver/Hawaii do go up fast. One of the reasons we book as soon as they are released. Prices seem higher than normal, but this is not normal times.

Yeah, because they have a lot of FCC's dangling out there that people have to use.  I think they are raising prices so they can eat up some of that FCC and still make a profit.  People will book at the high prices because they have to use the FCC's.  🍷

[saphir]

i will be on the same cruise in September 2021. I used the Lift & Shift and kept the same price I paid for 2020.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Suddenly the NCL Pride of America is looking worth over-looking all its faults!  Seriously, nowhere near Celebrity quality – but 7 day cruises!  Take the Specialty Dining package to avoid the MDR and the Beverage Package, and it's tolerable.  [Don't spring for a suite, because the butlers are useless.]

[Doubt It]

I just posted on another Hawaii thread. Book a land vacation, far better value for the money and realistic and see the real Hawaii. The commuter shuttle between islands is good value and easy. If you wish to see Hawaii, why spend many days at sea?

[LGW59]

On 11/25/2020 at 8:10 AM, sailing sue said:

I booked a 10 day sailing from Vancouver to Hawaii in Jan. 2020 which is sailing in Sept. 2021.  The cost for this cruise was $5,000 (I am a solo traveler). I checked the price today and the cruise is now $11,000!!!! How is this possible that the cruise price  went up so much. I am shocked!! (Cruise prices are in CAN $).

then just don't book it.

[ipeeinthepool]

6 hours ago, LGW59 said:

then just don't book it.

 

Thanks for the sage advice.  I'll bet they never thought of that.

[LGW59]

On 11/28/2020 at 10:02 PM, Doubt It said:

I just posted on another Hawaii thread. Book a land vacation, far better value for the money and realistic and see the real Hawaii. The commuter shuttle between islands is good value and easy. If you wish to see Hawaii, why spend many days at sea?

well I am thinking many of us cruise to spend days at sea.

[sanger727]

On 11/28/2020 at 10:19 PM, LGW59 said:

then just don't book it.

 

Um... the post you quoted said they had already booked it at the lower price... So what exactly is the point of this response. This particular cruise does have wild price swings and it's reasonable to be confused about that.

[Doubt It]

16 hours ago, LGW59 said:

well I am thinking many of us cruise to spend days at sea.

Hi LGW59.

I ask, what is the priority for those that want to book a cruise to Hawaii? Is it the sea days or to see Hawaii. Hence my earlier post.

Hawaii is a complex geographical area with amazing variety of dry and rain forest situations. I just think that one can not see the real Hawaii without spending real time there. So wondering the value of a cruise versus a customized land vacation.

To each their own of course.

[Fouremco]

34 minutes ago, Doubt It said:

Hi LGW59.

I ask, what is the priority for those that want to book a cruise to Hawaii? Is it the sea days or to see Hawaii. Hence my earlier post.

Hawaii is a complex geographical area with amazing variety of dry and rain forest situations. I just think that one can not see the real Hawaii without spending real time there. So wondering the value of a cruise versus a customized land vacation.

To each their own of course.

I think that the same could be said of any cruise destination, a dedicated land vacation will always provide greater exposure. If we were to apply your logic, we would never get to board a cruise ship. You ask if the priority of people who book Hawaiian cruises is to see Hawaii or to enjoy sea days, and my answer is "Why can't it be both?"

 

DW and I have enjoyed land vacations in Hawaii in the past, but when we started thinking about visiting again, asked ourselves "Why not take a cruise?" That way we could double our enjoyment. Sure, our island time would be less, but we do love to cruise. Additionally, it was easy enough to add a number of days in Hawaii at the end of the cruise. Unfortunately, all the planning was for nought, as that booking was for April of this year and the cruise was cancelled.

[MarinerBoy]

On 11/28/2020 at 7:02 PM, Doubt It said:

I just posted on another Hawaii thread. Book a land vacation, far better value for the money and realistic and see the real Hawaii. The commuter shuttle between islands is good value and easy. If you wish to see Hawaii, why spend many days at sea?

Actually the most coveted vacations to Hawaii are water based not land based.  Being on a cruise/yacht or boat sailing around Hawaii is seen as the best way to spend your time there. Hawaii special air and sea breeze has been known for its medical health benefits - did you know Hawaii is one of only 2 states that has never reached over 100 degrees in temperature? This perfectly moderate climate is ideal air to breathe while on the open seas.

 

Also, Hawaii land based activities are not as fun as people think- it rains a lot, the cities are busy with locals, its basically a series of normal, urban centers in a sub-tropical environment. The true beauty of Hawaii is from afar, its the landscape, its the climate, its the Aloha vibe- all the reasons why Hawaii cruises are actually the most expensive cruises $/per day on any cruise line, its truly the best way to see Hawaii. Please take your statement back that Hawaii is a land based destination, dont believe it.

[LGW59]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I think that the same could be said of any cruise destination, a dedicated land vacation will always provide greater exposure. If we were to apply your logic, we would never get to board a cruise ship. You ask if the priority of people who book Hawaiian cruises is to see Hawaii or to enjoy sea days, and my answer is "Why can't it be both?"

 

DW and I have enjoyed land vacations in Hawaii in the past, but when we started thinking about visiting again, asked ourselves "Why not take a cruise?" That way we could double our enjoyment. Sure, our island time would be less, but we do love to cruise. Additionally, it was easy enough to add a number of days in Hawaii at the end of the cruise. Unfortunately, all the planning was for nought, as that booking was for April of this year and the cruise was cancelled.

Agree with you both Fouremco and Doubt it.  For a first ever visit to Hawaii I just think land trip is the way to go.  There is just so so much to do and see and I don't feel 7 or 8+ hours in a port gives the time needed.  Fortunately we have been able to travel to many places in the world on land vacations and cruise vacations.  Do I prefer one over the other, really difficult to say.  Though we do only take 1 cruise/year, always 12 - 14 days to take the benefit of sea days.  We do land based vacations to Europe once/year for 2 weeks as well, it's wonderful because so much of Europe can be traversed by the fabulous rail system.  So yes, it can definitely be both and for us that is how we like it.  Others may have done tons of land based vacations and now they just want the relaxation that the cruise truly is.   

[Doubt It]

4 hours ago, Fouremco said:

I think that the same could be said of any cruise destination, a dedicated land vacation will always provide greater exposure. If we were to apply your logic, we would never get to board a cruise ship. You ask if the priority of people who book Hawaiian cruises is to see Hawaii or to enjoy sea days, and my answer is "Why can't it be both?"

 

DW and I have enjoyed land vacations in Hawaii in the past, but when we started thinking about visiting again, asked ourselves "Why not take a cruise?" That way we could double our enjoyment. Sure, our island time would be less, but we do love to cruise. Additionally, it was easy enough to add a number of days in Hawaii at the end of the cruise. Unfortunately, all the planning was for nought, as that booking was for April of this year and the cruise was cancelled.

Well you fellow Ottawa Senators fan! No movement yet on that important file. My sister in Ottawa says the stadium is dead.  Yikes, they want to tear down the stadium in Toronto, it is 30+ years old, that is something, one of the first moveable roofs in professional sports. Good graciousness, who is going to pay for another stadium for professional sports?

 

Really to each their own in the end, vacation wise.

Cruises are really the best for the coastal experience - Alaska, Baltic, SA, Norway, SE Asia (done them all) but cruises do not compete as well on the more urbanized coastal situations, especially in Europe with as LGW59 says, is that amazing rain system. Take the train, add in the land vacation and customized touring with car and driver, and well, cruises can not compete in my opinion with only the 7-9 hrs in port, same as doing a real tour of Hawaii, if you want the real Hawaii, do the land based.

 

It depends what a person wants at the time - is it relaxation (cruise of course) or emersion into the area (land based). There is no right or wrong at all. 

 

 

 

[Fouremco]

24 minutes ago, Doubt It said:

 

It depends what a person wants at the time - is it relaxation (cruise of course) or emersion into the area (land based). There is no right or wrong at all. 

Holiday planning for us starts with using a sliding scale with pure relaxation at one end and emersion in all aspects of a country or region at the other end. While we enjoy vacations lying at both ends of the scale, we are more inclined these days to look at something closer to the middle. More often than not, we try to incorporate both elements when cruising, relaxing but taking full advantage of the opportunity to visit new areas. Last summer's 14-night Norwegian Voyage of the Midnight Sun was a good example, with ample opportunity for both. While a land vacation of the same would have provided a more immersive vacation, the visits to 11 ports certainly provided excellent exposure to Norway and its people. 

 

As you rightly say, there's no right or wrong.