Is it just me or have Spring cruise prices gone way up? I wish I had booked earlier this Summer....

[minnie00]

Oasis in Feb/March....$3400 for a balcony cabin 🙄 and that is not Spring break. just frustrated....and it seems like

our Diamond $200 doesn't help. :/

[firefly333]

10 minutes ago, minnie00 said:

Oasis in Feb/March....$3400 for a balcony cabin 🙄 and that is not Spring break. just frustrated....and it seems like

our Diamond $200 doesn't help. :/

Often the diamond discount is less than the $650 off so there is nothing further if you are booking direct. That's why so many use a TA for group rates.

 

Everything is up. I'm just getting around to mentally accepting moving next year, which meant moving cruises and started that a couple months back. It is hard knowing some booked for half what I just booked at but took me a while to pull myself together. I've got quite a few if booked directly would cost what you see. I hate paying what I'm booking at, but other than not booking, it is what it is. Prices are doubling and even tripling. 

 

Maybe tell yourself you got some good deals after covid to balance things out. Losing customers at these nose bleed prices. Instead of FOMO, buying because of fear of missing out, buying for fear prices go higher.

[Ourusualbeach]

31 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Often the diamond discount is less than the $650 off so there is nothing further if you are booking direct. That's why so many use a TA for group rates.

 

Everything is up. I'm just getting around to mentally accepting moving next year, which meant moving cruises and started that a couple months back. It is hard knowing some booked for half what I just booked at but took me a while to pull myself together. I've got quite a few if booked directly would cost what you see. I hate paying what I'm booking at, but other than not booking, it is what it is. Prices are doubling and even tripling. 

 

Maybe tell yourself you got some good deals after covid to balance things out. Losing customers at these nose bleed prices. Instead of FOMO, buying because of fear of missing out, buying for fear prices go higher.

Up to $650 off  is only suites in longer cruises.  Balconies on a 7 day is $100

[minnie00]

2 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Often the diamond discount is less than the $650 off so there is nothing further if you are booking direct. That's why so many use a TA for group rates.

 

Everything is up. I'm just getting around to mentally accepting moving next year, which meant moving cruises and started that a couple months back. It is hard knowing some booked for half what I just booked at but took me a while to pull myself together. I've got quite a few if booked directly would cost what you see. I hate paying what I'm booking at, but other than not booking, it is what it is. Prices are doubling and even tripling. 

 

Maybe tell yourself you got some good deals after covid to balance things out. Losing customers at these nose bleed prices. Instead of FOMO, buying because of fear of missing out, buying for fear prices go higher.

so we are not getting the $200 off for Diamond? because of the current deal? I noticed the price doesn't change anymore once I put my account info in...that. stinks 

[minnie00]

if anyone wants to send me a message on TA they use...I would be curious. thanks

[HicksRA]

Royals new motto.
Ask for the moon. You can always come down if not enough suckers bite.

I guess we’ll see if there’s an over abundance of suckers out there. 

[Jerseygirl1416]

Prices are about 80% higher than what I’m used to paying for an oceanview balcony for cruises out of Cape Liberty. I won’t be booking anymore cruises until prices come down. We cruise this October and paid about 20% more than usual and that’s my limit. I have nothing else booked and will explore other vacation options. 

[Mapleleafforever]

Prices for everything are up and not coming down anytime soon. 

[amby6063]

We’re going on Symphony 6 night in January. Booked a gty balcony for 4 people at $3055. That night the price jumped to $3500 and now it’s around $4200 for the exact same reservation. Huge increase, glad we booked when we did, don’t think we’ll see any price drops before final payment. 
 

on the other hand we booked Alaska on Quantum for next April, and between 2 cabins there’s already been 3k in price drops we’ve been able to take advantage of. 

[TwoMisfits]

I went to check my Mem week cruise on Symphony - it's sold out for Interior and Oceanview, so you can imagine what current pricing is for that cruise...

 

I went ahead and paid my balance in full a few weeks ago b/c I knew it would never get cheaper.  Now, I guess I'll have my room if they oversold the cruise...

 

Edit to Add: I think this is one time that my Key purchase will pay off.  It's gonna be a mob scene cruise if they are already this sold out this far out...

Edited August 23, 2023 by TwoMisfits

[ONECRUISER]

4 hours ago, Mapleleafforever said:

Prices for everything are up and not coming down anytime soon. 

Agree, not just Cruises almost everything everywhere. Gas here is double what I paid 2 1/2 yrs ago. Shoot House we ordered/Built last Fall just 9 months later same house, same subdivision 2 blocks over is 27% higher, and that doesn't include the much higher interest rate now. Few Decades ago I couldn't afford take my Kids on a Cruise during Summer or Spring Break, back then passenger 3-4 was higher then passenger 1-2.

[texangal39]

Booked Icon of the Seas back in Dec 2022 for a fall 2024 Sailing in the Infinite Ocean View Balcony for $4,713.00 for myself and DD. Some of my friends decided to join us and tried to book the same cabin type. Unbelievably that same cabin type for a party of 2 is now a mind blowing $10,150.00 as of today!! WITW is going on with these prices! At these prices, I don’t think my friends will be joining us unless they take a significant downgrade in cabin type. We are all usually in a OVB, so this is a bummer.

Edited August 27, 2023 by texangal39

[cruiseguy1016]

On 8/23/2023 at 4:51 PM, minnie00 said:

so we are not getting the $200 off for Diamond? because of the current deal? I noticed the price doesn't change anymore once I put my account info in...that. stinks 

 

If I am price checking and have to manually enter my C&A number for the booking, the discount does not show up and the price is the same as a non-Diamond person. However, if log into my account and then do a mock booking, my C&A number auto-fills on the booking and it shows a lower price with the balcony discount displayed.

[onthewater51]

On 8/23/2023 at 5:00 PM, Jerseygirl1416 said:

Prices are about 80% higher than what I’m used to paying for an oceanview balcony for cruises out of Cape Liberty. I won’t be booking anymore cruises until prices come down. We cruise this October and paid about 20% more than usual and that’s my limit. I have nothing else booked and will explore other vacation options. 

I am right there with you.  My wife and I have one booked next year but we aren't booking anything else unless prices come down a bit to something reasonable.  My feeling is this, just because we can afford something doesn't equate to a willingness to pay for it.   

 

This morning I looked at a 2024 Caribbean cruise on GOS.  It was over 3K per person for a balcony. Thats close to 7K a couple after taxes and fees. We love GOS and have sailed her many times going back to '96 when she was new, but I won't pay that for a ship that old.  

 

We have an RV and have been campers for many years.  We now plan longer trips.    As much as we love cruising, there's a lot to see and do out in this world that doesn't involve cruising and is far more affordable. We just returned from 25 days touring Tuscany and Ireland on our own for not much more that that GOS cruise.  Nope...won't be cruising for now at least

[HaveWeMetYet]

On 8/23/2023 at 4:07 PM, Mapleleafforever said:

Prices for everything are up and not coming down anytime soon. 

Airline, hotel, and car rental prices are dropping in most markets. Credit card activity for travel is definetly dropping, at least for future travel. 

Cruises will drop in price also. It will just take longer since people plan this type of vacation so far in advance.

[smokeybandit]

37 minutes ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

Airline, hotel, and car rental prices are dropping in most markets.

I have not noticed this at all

[mramella]

In October of 2022, we booked our Icon March 9th, 2024 cruise for roughly $7k total for 2 cabins (one balcony and one inside room). 4 people total (wife, our two teenage boys and me). Same cabins now are nearly $20k total. Yep, you read that right! Nearly 3 times what we paid back in October of 2022. Insane!!! I would never, ever pay 20 large.

Edited August 27, 2023 by mramella

[cynt]

We're cruisers and Disney World fans. Disney prices are crazy expensive now too. We haven't been to Disney since our covid trip October 2021. Greatest trip EVER!

 

DH gambles so right now we're just booking his free casino cruises and paying taxes and port charges. 

 

We're taking a Family Alaskan cruise July 2024 but the prices are stupid crazy. I usually book our group cruise directly through Royal but I'm seriously thinking about using a big box online cruise agency to get more perks than normal since it's so expensive. And I'm going with whoever is the cheapest Princess,  Celebrity or Royal - North bound. Anything round trip from Seattle is crazy. Even adding additional airfare plus cruise fare for traveling into Vancouver and out of Anchorage is cheaper than a r/t from Seattle cruise fare. 

[cynt]

1 hour ago, mramella said:

In October of 2022, we booked our Icon March 9th, 2024 cruise for roughly $7k total for 2 cabins (one balcony and one inside room). 4 people total (wife, our two teenage boys and me). Same cabins now are nearly $20k total. Yep, you read that right! Nearly 3 times what we paid back in October of 2022. Insane!!! I would never, ever pay 20 large.

 

That's CRAY CRAY!

[Jasukkie]

I have one cruise coming up soon and nothing booked beyond that. I would book something for the winter season but I'm feeling a combination of been there/done that on repeating ports, and sticker shock at the price. I understand it's a business but I view my own vacation budget that way too.The value for the price has to be there.

[seasidemama]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:46 PM, TwoMisfits said:

I went to check my Mem week cruise on Symphony - it's sold out for Interior and Oceanview, so you can imagine what current pricing is for that cruise...

 

I went ahead and paid my balance in full a few weeks ago b/c I knew it would never get cheaper.  Now, I guess I'll have my room if they oversold the cruise...

 

Edit to Add: I think this is one time that my Key purchase will pay off.  It's gonna be a mob scene cruise if they are already this sold out this far out...

 

Rooms are not sold out. This is just Royal's new marketing strategy. They are holding back rooms to give the appearance of sold out ships a year out. Makes people book what they think are the last available. Then more get release at higher and higher prices.  I've been watching a few cruises for next year on Symphony, for months all they had were guarantee balconies. Now some of the sailings are releasing actual cabin numbers at about 50% more - and the guarantee were already almost twice what I paid for the Oasis last year for this year's summer sailings when choosing my own cabins.

 

Up to the consumer to vote with their wallet. Lets see what 2024/2025 brings. 

[seasidemama]

It's not just spring. It's across the board. I booked a January anthem sailing about six months ago. Prices are now almost double what I paid and that's with the KSF promotion. Pricing Odyssey for 2025 and those are even higher yet. I certainly won't be booking any more at these prices and am shopping other lines who offer much more for far less.

[seasidemama]

1 hour ago, cynt said:

 

That's CRAY CRAY!

 

that's an understatement

[seasidemama]

On 8/23/2023 at 2:16 PM, minnie00 said:

Oasis in Feb/March....$3400 for a balcony cabin 🙄 and that is not Spring break. just frustrated....and it seems like

our Diamond $200 doesn't help. 😕

 

Diamond $200 can't help with the current prices. You would need a Diamond $2,000 discount and even then you would still be paying through the nose... 😁

[smokeybandit]

17 minutes ago, seasidemama said:

shopping other lines who offer much more for far less.

Well if you find that mythical line, let us know