These cruise prices are insanely high!!

[LobsterStalker]

On 12/28/2023 at 10:11 PM, alfaeric said:

On 12/28/2023 at 7:52 PM, QuestionEverything said:

I have cruised since 1989 on RCL, Celebrity and Oceania.

I will not be cruising going forward.

Booked on 3 customized land tours.

There is a big world out there and, with few exceptions (Iceland, Panama Canal, South America etc) a land tour gives one a much more in-depth visit to our history and geography.

If you want a superficial trip, cruise is OK.

If you want to learn about the world, land travel is best.

_______________________________

RCL plans to distract their passengers with all manner of entertainment etc so you will not notice the downgrading. Watch out. 

Expand  

Did it really take you 34 years to figure that out?  

 

That was obvious on my first cruise 23 years ago.  But that's not why we cruise.

 

FWIW, you can do South America a whole lot better not on a cruise- it's a huge continent.  Let alone Iceland.  The only "destination" that is really unique to cruising is the canal and the various fjords that are only accessible from sea.

That was my thought exactly when reading this . 

Sad actually , when someone decides to make a change and then suddenly wants to make others feel " less than ". Especially when they spent a good portion of life doing the same thing they are now disparaging .

JMHO

[tvo7]

I think after long thought. cruising has gotten out of my price range.  Why? Not only has the price gone up even with picking guaranteed interior room, but those gratuities.  

 

7 day cruise, 1000 a person.  Add in 126 dollars of gratuities in per person for a week trip.  I thought it might be a whole lot cheaper to use my hyatt points, and get all inclusive hyatt ziva for points and no tipping required unless you want too.

[Tree_skier]

I find it weird that people who don’t want to cruise continue to post on cruising message boards. 

[FamilyCruiserUK]

I agree cruising has gone up but it can still be affordable as well. There are deals out there and you can also cut back on what you spend onboard. 

Obvious examples.

1, Seach for dates that suit you, keep away from peak periods.

2, controversial but only stating an option and not telling people what to do. Remove Graturites.

3, No drinks package. Drink the free drinks, coffee, water, etc. or buy the odd drink.

4, No wifi package. 

5, No speciality restruant. Just eat in MDR or Buffet.

6, If dates not an issue book last minute. Always the best deals in uk with P&O and MSC.

7, keep to cheapest room and grade. Inside for us and let royal pick room. 

 

You can still have a blast, still on a cruise, still visiting destinations, still going to same MDR, still seeing same shows. 

 

There is no need to cruise and spend lots onboard. I could go on but like anything got to decide whats really important to spend your money on. 

 

[tvo7]

I do that already.  Only thing extra I spend is wifi package for my business and kids and bags of 4 dollar popcorn.  Lol

 

I do not pay anything extra and feel like the value is not as good as land based cancun trip.  Before, yes, I was cruise addict and I thought value was good.  Now not so much.  

[smokeybandit]

7 hours ago, tvo7 said:

7 day cruise, 1000 a person. 

Are you only looking at newer ships?

[smokeybandit]

6 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

I find it weird that people who don’t want to cruise continue to post on cruising message boards. 

Because they do actually cruise. They just like to complain, too.

[grandgeezer]

On 1/2/2024 at 5:15 PM, LobsterStalker said:

That was my thought exactly when reading this . 

Sad actually , when someone decides to make a change and then suddenly wants to make others feel " less than ". Especially when they spent a good portion of life doing the same thing they are now disparaging .

JMHO

Do you think it could be that the current product offered is not nearly the same product that it was when they were doing all the cruising? Some of us aren’t willing to lower are standards and pay dramatically more $$$.

[SUgwoz]

22 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Do you think it could be that the current product offered is not nearly the same product that it was when they were doing all the cruising? Some of us aren’t willing to lower are standards and pay dramatically more $$$.

Then its a priority to relay that to others and/or convince them they should do the same? 

[OCSC Mike]

50 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

Some of us aren’t willing to lower are standards and pay dramatically more $$$.

 

And some of us have enjoyed recent cruises as much as cruises from years ago and don't feel we're paying "dramatically more." Everyone has their own experiences, opinions, and preferences.

[grandgeezer]

1 hour ago, SUgwoz said:

Then its a priority to relay that to others and/or convince them they should do the same? 

It’s not a priority, I don’t give a rat’s a- - what other people do with their money. I voice my opinion because I have a lot of experience, though all pre-shutdown, and will continue to do so.

You may not feel you aren’t paying dramatically more but you aren’t getting the same quality product you did before. If that’s alright for you, be my guest to continue. For some of us it’s not.

[Another_Critic]

2 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

It’s not a priority, I don’t give a rat’s a- - what other people do with their money. I voice my opinion because I have a lot of experience, though all pre-shutdown, and will continue to do so.

You may not feel you aren’t paying dramatically more but you aren’t getting the same quality product you did before. If that’s alright for you, be my guest to continue. For some of us it’s not.

 

So all of your experience is pre-shutdown, but yet you say (without experience), "you aren't getting the same quality product you did before".  ?????

[SUgwoz]

2 hours ago, grandgeezer said:

It’s not a priority, I don’t give a rat’s a- - what other people do with their money. I voice my opinion because I have a lot of experience, though all pre-shutdown, and will continue to do so.

You may not feel you aren’t paying dramatically more but you aren’t getting the same quality product you did before. If that’s alright for you, be my guest to continue. For some of us it’s not.

Hopefully you are spending equal amount of time contacting Royal to voice those opinions.

[QuestionEverything]

15 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

 

So all of your experience is pre-shutdown, but yet you say (without experience), "you aren't getting the same quality product you did before".  ?????

People are entitled to post their analysis and opinion.

I may disagree, but Everyone, is entitled to their analysis and opinion.

I have cruised since the lockdown on Oceania, most recently in August on Insignia Iceland and Greenland, Canada and the Cape Cod Canal, mostly the Viking route. The product and service is NOT the same; quality, quantity, reliability, frequency as before the lockdown, yet prices are considerably higher. 

Not every consumer is willing to keep booking and downplaying the changes in cruising. Also some cruisers are reducing cruising and adding in land vacations and RV, high end SUV purchases etc.

Like every industry today, it is changing quickly and pricing is but one reason why. 

That provokes consumers to make choices and, these days, make more complaints about a company's product offering.

I am not automatically booking cruises anymore, the consistency and product is continuously eroded.

For example; I recently took possession of a magnificent Porsche Macan. The product I ordered 8 months ago, made in Germany, taken across the ocean and across land, was 100% the product specification and price, that I contracted for 8 months ago.

So.......if I contract a specific cruise experience, why do the cruise lines think they can downgrade, substitute, not have the service, have the excursions sold out etc. Oh and then quote the "cruise contract", like many people on CC do. My Porsche contract did not contain language that they can unilaterally change any element of my purchase.

Therein is the problem for me.

 

[OCSC Mike]

12 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

People are entitled to post their analysis and opinion.

 

And others are entitled to respond to those opinions.

[exm]

On a side note, my deluxe drink package is 30% off today at my upcoming Wonder sailing. Haven't seen this price at all. Might be just 'my' sailing but it's worth checking out if you have an upcoming cruise.

[OCSC Mike]

12 minutes ago, exm said:

On a side note, my deluxe drink package is 30% off today at my upcoming Wonder sailing. Haven't seen this price at all. Might be just 'my' sailing but it's worth checking out if you have an upcoming cruise.

 

There's a sale on the DBP and Hideaway Beach Passes until tomorrow. The prices vary but it's there for my next 3 Wonder sailings (March, June, July).

 

Hideaway Beach is $26.99 for March... too bad I have no interest.

Edited January 9 by OCSC Mike

[tvo7]

Any sale on the overwater cabana at coco cay , the ones that go for 3k?

[amindu]

On 12/29/2023 at 9:42 AM, SUgwoz said:

Agreed, I take trips that require a lot of planning and coordination which ends up being a great experience seeing the world.  I cruise for the opposite.  Usually there is a day where I essentially do nothing.  While on a trip to Japan, I am likely walking 25k+ steps everyday not wasting any time.

 

That's a big part of the growing demographic they are targeting.  For families, cruises mean available food, kid's are perfectly happy with pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders, fruit.  Parents don't have to go find a restaurant and spend $10/meal.  Activities always available for different ages, can split up easily.  Always close to room to be able to change/rest/ect.

 

The money being spent on Icon class and Oasis class is for amenities targeting families, not focusing on fine dining/adult only oriented experience.  Veteran cruisers will be disappointed that they are paying for amenities that they will not use.

You are spot on. Before 2019 we cruised and did destinations. Post Covid and with a 4 yr and 2 yr old my wife has absolutely no interest in destination for the exact reasons you mentioned.  We book 2-3 cruises a year and only on oasis class. 

[QuestionEverything]

17 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

And others are entitled to respond to those opinions.

Agreed indeed.

Critical thinking and analysis is what moves humans to create options, products indeed.

[Engineroom Snipe]

23 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Because they do actually cruise. They just like to complain, too.

I resemble that remark!

 

😜

[Engineroom Snipe]

13 hours ago, tvo7 said:

Any sale on the overwater cabana at coco cay , the ones that go for 3k?

I have not seen any sales or discounts on the $3,499 over water cabanas at all on any of my cruises since August of last year.

[Noskill]

The way I tend to look at cruise pricing is could I get a land vacation cheaper.  Currently I have 5 cruises booked for this year at an average price of $164 per night (inclusive of port fees, taxes and tips).  I can't get a decent hotel room in a good location for that price let alone food and entertainment.  Cruising is still a fantastic value relative to other options.

[smokeybandit]

I couldn't get a land vacation for cheaper that would take me to multiple locations in the same week.

Now of course RC is moving towards a "the ship is the destination" approach, but there are still plenty that sail because they're going somewhere (even if any given "somewhere" isn't overly attractive)

[OCSC Mike]

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I have not seen any sales or discounts on the $3,499 over water cabanas at all on any of my cruises since August of last year.

 

There was a C&A sale for Diamond and above shortly before my Allure cruise in October. OTW cabanas were surprisingly something like $1749 and Beach Club cabanas were a few hundred less.

Edited January 10 by OCSC Mike