Hugh Difference

[deliver42]

I just priced a cruise on the Quantum for Alaska, 2025, and it's just about $1000.00 higher than the cruise on the Ovation booked, same dates in 2024 with a better itinerary. I guess after this cruise, I can cross Royal off my list, which is a shame since I'm diamond. The  cruises are in September, and I booked the Ovation almost 1 year ago.

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

I just priced a cruise on the Quantum for Alaska, 2025, and it's just about $1000.00 higher than the cruise on the Ovation booked, same dates in 2024 with a better itinerary. I guess after this cruise, I can cross Royal off my list, which is a shame since I'm diamond. The  cruises are in September, and I booked the Ovation almost 1 year ago.

When cruises were released last year, harmony for dec 2024 was quite a bit higher than dec 2023. .. not just when dec 2023 came out but when the new ones were released. It does seem they are building in a increase. Same as last year. Making it less and less attractive to book ahead.

[Husky1987]

What?  When did this happen?  How come no one has talked about cruise pricing going up on here before?

[loman]

When looking at other lines you should factor in that your diamond benefits are more than

$ 400.00 USD per person per week ( adding in a few specialty coffees in the Crown Lounge ).

Although RC seems to be gouging , There still may be some value left. 

If you feel they arent beneficial then i would look at other lines for sure.

 

[Eddie Wilson]

6 hours ago, loman said:

When looking at other lines you should factor in that your diamond benefits are more than

$ 400.00 USD per person per week ( adding in a few specialty coffees in the Crown Lounge ).

 

 
I agree with your math.  I am guessing you calculated that at $14 per drink at 4 per day for 7 days.  
 

My personal diamond benefit is most likely the lowest, near $50 per week, but that is not a complaint, I just don’t drink much.  I think on an 11 night cruise once I had one beer.  
 

So RCL most likely loves patrons like me, but I cruise for peaceful adventure of getting away and getting out of the frigid cold.  
 

As for Quantum in Alaska, yes they can get pricy, but you can find good deals here and there.  We did a Princess and Quantum out of Seattle this year, and Q was less.

[link99]

Same here. Ovation End of May 2024 deck 6 Obstructed View $1200 more over 2025 on Quantum same timeframe.

[BecciBoo]

19 hours ago, loman said:

There still may be some value left

I check other lines weekly, don't see much benefit over RCCL. not much difference in pricing either... And their ships can't compare with ours IMHO.  Different strokes....

[deliver42]

I had no problem with the Alaska prices for this year, and I'm booked on the Ovation next year at a little over $3000.00 for 2 in a balcony. In 2025, that goes for another thousand. No wonder they're making record profits.

[firefly333]

4 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

I had no problem with the Alaska prices for this year, and I'm booked on the Ovation next year at a little over $3000.00 for 2 in a balcony. In 2025, that goes for another thousand. No wonder they're making record profits.

Record revenue, no profit yet, still in the red. Took on all that debt. 

 

Maybe do a carnival brand like princess who is known for alaska? 

[nelblu]

20 hours ago, firefly333 said:

When cruises were released last year, harmony for dec 2024 was quite a bit higher than dec 2023. .. not just when dec 2023 came out but when the new ones were released. It does seem they are building in a increase. Same as last year. Making it less and less attractive to book ahead.

I'm looking at Harmony in early December and it's a manageable $150 higher than the one I'm sailing this December.  Cruises sailing from Galveston are much cheaper than sailing from other ports.  By the way, it dropped some $235 than when I did a mock booking a few months ago.  This was for a CP balcony.

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I'm looking at Harmony in early December and it's a manageable $150 higher than the one I'm sailing this December.  Cruises sailing from Galveston are much cheaper than sailing from other ports.  By the way, it dropped some $235 than when I did a mock booking a few months ago.  This was for a CP balcony.

I'm confused for when you are looking. I'm hoping to move to PC fall 2024. Cancelled my dec 2024 on harmony and recently booked adventure out of pc 8 and 6 day dec 2024. I hear adventure came out so cheap, wish I'd booked sooner. Hoping for better deals from florida to come. So much to do by then, I'm trying to not think (and worry). I think its molly I saw also doing xmas on adventure. Hard to remember them all.

 

I WAS booked harmony dec 2024, but cancelled and moved it. Crossing my fingers it all comes together.

[orville99]

20 hours ago, loman said:

When looking at other lines you should factor in that your diamond benefits are more than

$ 400.00 USD per person per week

It really becomes significant once you get to Pinnacle - between just the free internet and the 6 drinks/day, it works out to between $1,250 and $1,750 for a 7 night cruise - depending on what you are drinking🍺🍹🍷

Edited November 2, 2023 by orville99

[nelblu]

7 minutes ago, orville99 said:

It really becomes significant once you get to Pinnacle - between just the free internet and the 6 drinks/day, it works out to between $1,250 and $1,750 for a 7 night cruise - depending on what you are drinking🍺🍹🍷

As a D+ with 340 points I estimate that my C&A benefit is more than $1G when one considers, the balcony and solo discount, 5 drinks, 2 days of internet, BOGO, free wash and fold, 2 bottles of wine, and many other benefits.

[nelblu]

22 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I'm confused for when you are looking

Sorry, December 2024 vs December 2023,

Edited November 2, 2023 by nelblu

[George C]

We are booked on harmony at end of this month in grand suite, same week next year is about ten percent more , which I think is reasonable.

[orville99]

6 minutes ago, nelblu said:

As a D+ with 340 points I estimate that my C&A benefit is more than $1G when one considers, the balcony and solo discount, 5 drinks, 2 days of internet, BOGO, free wash and fold, 2 bottles of wine, and many other benefits.

Absolutely. A back of the envelope calculation that the overall C&A benefit with those additional perks included on the cruises that we have booked between now and April 2025 is somewhere between $25,000 and $35,000.

[orville99]

2 minutes ago, George C said:

We are booked on harmony at end of this month in grand suite, same week next year is about ten percent more , which I think is reasonable.

A 10% increase is more typical of a financial environment (for RCL) that is settling into a more normal state. It will be interesting to see what the summer 2025 - Spring 2026 itinerary prices look like when the start opening in two weeks. Since we booked our summer 2024 - Spring 2025 cruises when they were released, we should have an apples to apples comparison.

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Absolutely. A back of the envelope calculation that the overall C&A benefit with those additional perks included on the cruises that we have booked between now and April 2025 is somewhere between $25,000 and $35,000.

It would be hard to me to put a value. Maybe 2 mixed drinks a week. Fresh OJ yes! Some soda. Maybe a coffee or two. 2 days of wifi also hard to value. Pinnacle seems unreachable. I do still miss the perks on other lines. 

[skittl1321]

MSC will match your status if you've never done a match with them before, so you can keep your diamond status.  You'll probably miss a lot of the things you are used to on royal, but the cruise will be cheaper.  (I loved MSC, personally, but I suspect it is very different than Royal overall.)

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, skittl1321 said:

MSC will match your status if you've never done a match with them before, so you can keep your diamond status.  You'll probably miss a lot of the things you are used to on royal, but the cruise will be cheaper.  (I loved MSC, personally, but I suspect it is very different than Royal overall.)

I wrote for a status match twice and no answer. I've read typical that customer service at msc is lacking. Maybe some day, others I'd do first. I'd like to try HAL. I hear their food is good.

[skittl1321]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

I wrote for a status match twice and no answer. I've read typical that customer service at msc is lacking. Maybe some day, others I'd do first. I'd like to try HAL. I hear their food is good.

Oh that's a bummer. We had our status match within 2 days, and our military discount applied within 3 hours of emailing.  

[FamilyCruiserUK]

11 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I wrote for a status match twice and no answer. I've read typical that customer service at msc is lacking. Maybe some day, others I'd do first. I'd like to try HAL. I hear their food is good.

Never had any issues with MSC tbh. Status match via their website was quick and easy tbh.

Again do not expect the level of service on MSC compared to royal, MSC you get left alone a lot more.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

41 minutes ago, nelblu said:

As a D+ with 340 points I estimate that my C&A benefit is more than $1G when one considers, the balcony and solo discount, 5 drinks, 2 days of internet, BOGO, free wash and fold, 2 bottles of wine, and many other benefits.

As with any C&A its subjective. I dont drink anymore or need internet when away (peace and quiet) so id rather they have a pick and choose benifit. Instead of free drinks/internet etc have that amount reduced from the cruise price etc. Let me choose what benifits suit my circumstances..

[nelblu]

10 minutes ago, FamilyCruiserUK said:

As with any C&A its subjective. I dont drink anymore or need internet when away (peace and quiet) so id rather they have a pick and choose benifit. Instead of free drinks/internet etc have that amount reduced from the cruise price etc. Let me choose what benifits suit my circumstances..

Not in my case.  Just the solo supplement and balcony discounts are identifiable in $ savings and not subjective.

[firefly333]

11 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Not in my case.  Just the solo supplement and balcony discounts are identifiable in $ savings and not subjective.

Love the solo and balcony savings. Dont get that elsewhere. Cant book cheaper elsewhere and thats not counting the perks. Even carnival is a step up in costs. I didnt suddenly become loyal, the prices couldnt be beat so I booked more rcl lately. 

 

Even 2 days of free wifi is nice.