Icon pricing off the chain.,

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I just did two mock bookings online for a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise for an ocean view balcony in October 2024. On Jubilee, Carnival’s newest ship, the cost is $2,366.30 for an ocean view balcony. On Icon, RCI’s newest ship (not including Utopia since she won’t be doing 7 day cruises), the cost is $7,624.68 for an ocean view balcony. So Icon is over three times more expensive than Jubilee for the same cabin type to the same part of the Caribbean. That is a huge difference in my book. I could be wrong, but at some point I think a significant number of people who want to sail on the newest ships are going to decide the experience on RCI is not worth paying over three times more than Carnival. 

Well on rcl I do group pricing, then balcony discount then solo discount. I've seen group pricing 3k ish for icon. I am in a group where TAs post group pricing... though I'd use my own TA..

 

A balcony on harmony with group rates was $300 less than a inside on jubilee.. I only was checking Galveston. I'm sure you can get a balcony for way less on kcon with group price. I saw 3 rates, top was $3,700 for I think was called surfside balcony. New area? The other 2 were less. 

 

If I wasnt a solo maybe carnival would be cheaper but not with DP340 added in. .. though now I'm moving to florida so checking PC and mardi gras slightly less than newer jubilee. 

[soremekun]

19 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Well on rcl I do group pricing, then balcony discount then solo discount. I've seen group pricing 3k ish for icon. I am in a group where TAs post group pricing... though I'd use my own TA..

 

A balcony on harmony with group rates was $300 less than a inside on jubilee.. I only was checking Galveston. I'm sure you can get a balcony for way less on kcon with group price. I saw 3 rates, top was $3,700 for I think was called surfside balcony. New area? The other 2 were less. 

 

If I wasnt a solo maybe carnival would be cheaper but not with DP340 added in. .. though now I'm moving to florida so checking PC and mardi gras slightly less than newer jubilee. 

I wish I knew which group that is that you're in.

[firefly333]

Just now, soremekun said:

I wish I knew which group that is that you're in.

Hopefully we meet up and I can say in person. Any TAs planned? I think that's my next cruise I'm booking. A few out of Galveston then PC and ft Lauderdale and some TAs. 

[soremekun]

10 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Hopefully we meet up and I can say in person. Any TAs planned? I think that's my next cruise I'm booking. A few out of Galveston then PC and ft Lauderdale and some TAs. 

A transatlantic interests me but I couldn't last that long in the air (flying there or back home).  I absolutely hate flying.  I wish I could be unconscious during flights. I fly fairly often but just cannot shake this flight anxiety.

[Engineroom Snipe]

Many good ideas and opinions happening right now.

 

Time will tell.

 

I do not need to stoke the flames of debate further.

 

I enjoy reading the opinions and projections.

 

Good stuff.

[Engineroom Snipe]

8 minutes ago, soremekun said:

A transatlantic interests me but I couldn't last that long in the air (flying there or back home).  I absolutely hate flying.  I wish I could be unconscious during flights. I fly fairly often but just cannot shake this flight anxiety.

I flew on an aircraft that engineers described as "1,700 moving parts flying in synchronicity" on a routine basis fifty years ago.

 

Crank the throttle to full RPM, get a go light and pull on the collective. Hang on to what-ever you can hold.

 

It was a "Bell UH-1 Iroquois". A ship you hated to jump off of and one you longed to jump back on.

 

God bless those pilots and crews,......, they had nerves of steel.

 

I had some awful airsickness on some flights as they dodged enemy fire thankful that somehow they did not feel the same.

 

I can appreciate your hate of flying, I still do not like to fly,  but somehow they were there for me.

 

Very humble...

[Tree_skier]

37 minutes ago, soremekun said:

A transatlantic interests me but I couldn't last that long in the air (flying there or back home).  I absolutely hate flying.  I wish I could be unconscious during flights. I fly fairly often but just cannot shake this flight anxiety.

I know a way to travel unconscious 

 

🍷🍷🍷

🥃🥃🥃

Edited February 14 by Tree_skier

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I know a way to travel unconscious 

 

🍷🍷🍷

🥃🥃🥃

That works too!

 

🤣

[erby2283]

So when I was shopping for our 2024 cruise in Oct 2022, I made a list of ships/itineraries I was looking at and sent it to my TA.  He then came back with group pricing he had.  Now keep in mind, this is for 3 adults and that the NCL pricing includes drinks but as you can see, the Icon pricing was cheaper than Oasis and both NCL cruises at the time.  😲 My point is don't assume you'll never be able to afford what you want - keep checking for group rates and yes, you may possibly have to book far in advance. 

 

I know you can't see my full spreadsheet the pricing goes 1st passenger, 2nd passenger, 3rd passenger, taxes and port fees, and then for NCL drink package for first two adults, total price. All were ocean view balconies. 

Edited February 14 by erby2283

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Well on rcl I do group pricing, then balcony discount then solo discount. I've seen group pricing 3k ish for icon. I am in a group where TAs post group pricing... though I'd use my own TA..

 

A balcony on harmony with group rates was $300 less than a inside on jubilee.. I only was checking Galveston. I'm sure you can get a balcony for way less on kcon with group price. I saw 3 rates, top was $3,700 for I think was called surfside balcony. New area? The other 2 were less. 

 

If I wasnt a solo maybe carnival would be cheaper but not with DP340 added in. .. though now I'm moving to florida so checking PC and mardi gras slightly less than newer jubilee. 

I have always booked my own cruises, but maybe I need to look into TAs/group pricing. 
 

The surfside area is the family area on Icon that basically replaced the boardwalk area on Oasis class ships. We didn’t spend any time there last week with the exception of one time when we went there to ride the merry go round, which pales in comparison to the merry go rounds on Oasis class ships. 
 

Living in Florida is great for cruising. I have lived here since 2012 and can drive to 4 ports in 3.5 hours or less. I have never cruised out of Jacksonville and doubt I ever will. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

4 minutes ago, erby2283 said:

So when I was shopping for our 2024 cruise in Oct 2022, I made a list of ships/itineraries I was looking at and sent it to my TA.  He then came back with group pricing he had.  Now keep in mind, this is for 3 adults and that the NCL pricing includes drinks but as you can see, the Icon pricing was cheaper than Oasis and both NCL cruises at the time.  😲 My point is don't assume you'll never be able to afford what you want - keep checking for group rates and yes, you may possibly have to book far in advance. 

 

I know you can't see my full spreadsheet the pricing goes 1st passenger, 2nd passenger, 3rd passenger, taxes and port fees, and then for NCL drink package for first two adults, total price. All were ocean view balconies. 

Very good comparison but I might disqualify the New York Cruise because many people will have to add-on a Miami airfare if they can drive from the North East. It is very dependent on where you are coming from.

 

Good facts.

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I have always booked my own cruises, but maybe I need to look into TAs/group pricing. 
 

The surfside area is the family area on Icon that basically replaced the boardwalk area on Oasis class ships. We didn’t spend any time there last week with the exception of one time when we went there to ride the merry go round, which pales in comparison to the merry go rounds on Oasis class ships. 
 

Living in Florida is great for cruising. I have lived here since 2012 and can drive to 4 ports in 3.5 hours or less. I have never cruised out of Jacksonville and doubt I ever will. 

Yes,

 

Florida has many cruise options......

 

Enjoy.

 

🙂

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, soremekun said:

I wish I knew which group that is that you're in.

So do I.

[erby2283]

7 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

Very good comparison but I might disqualify the New York Cruise because many people will have to add-on a Miami airfare if they can drive from the North East. It is very dependent on where you are coming from.

 

Good facts.

Very true - but I live in Charlotte so I pretty much have to fly anywhere to cruise. I paid $350 airfare to FLL and I thought that was high.😄

 

My friends I am traveling with live in CT so I was looking at cruises all over. We figured go big or go home. Either way, someone was flying. lol

Edited February 14 by erby2283

[LobsterStalker]

1 hour ago, soremekun said:

A transatlantic interests me but I couldn't last that long in the air (flying there or back home).  I absolutely hate flying.  I wish I could be unconscious during flights. I fly fairly often but just cannot shake this flight anxiety.

2 words to get you started

..Airport Lounge !

 

Cheers

[nhraformula00]

Wife just booked the 2 of us for October 19-26, 2024 for a Total price of $ 2,300, Guarantee Inside room. Every website you look at including R.C. is $ 1,800 or more P.P. But there is only 1 with deep discounts for a few weeks here and there that just came out 2 weeks ago. Wish I could divulge where we booked, but it is not allowed. Check all sites and you might find it.

[SUgwoz]

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I just did two mock bookings online for a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise for an ocean view balcony in October 2024. On Jubilee, Carnival’s newest ship, the cost is $2,366.30 for an ocean view balcony. On Icon, RCI’s newest ship (not including Utopia since she won’t be doing 7 day cruises), the cost is $7,624.68 for an ocean view balcony. So Icon is over three times more expensive than Jubilee for the same cabin type to the same part of the Caribbean. That is a huge difference in my book. I could be wrong, but at some point I think a significant number of people who want to sail on the newest ships are going to decide the experience on RCI is not worth paying over three times more than Carnival. 

I would think sailing out of Galveston vs. Miami impacts prices. On top of that Carnival ship is closer to the size of the Quantum class while having the capacity of an Oasis Class. More cabins to sell on a smaller ship should be cheaper. 

[RobInMN]

2 hours ago, soremekun said:

A transatlantic interests me but I couldn't last that long in the air (flying there or back home).  I absolutely hate flying.  I wish I could be unconscious during flights. I fly fairly often but just cannot shake this flight anxiety.

Retire.

Drive to port

TA

B24B

TA

Drive home.

😁

[PhillyFan33579]

30 minutes ago, SUgwoz said:

I would think sailing out of Galveston vs. Miami impacts prices. On top of that Carnival ship is closer to the size of the Quantum class while having the capacity of an Oasis Class. More cabins to sell on a smaller ship should be cheaper. 

I agree with you that there are a lot of factors to consider when comparing ships from different cruise lines. Your last point is probably a significant factor in why Carnival cruises are significantly lower than RCI cruises, unless you get a group rate as others have mentioned (and something I plan to look into at some point in the near future). 

[Hoopster95]

9 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

As noted by many on CC, the older smaller ships might become dispensable if their profit margins become less per passenger then the big ships.

 

 

Older ships are 100% profitable... they have zero debt. I asked Capt Mathias about this last year on Rhapsody. I also asked this question on 3 separate Capt Corners a few months ago (during "Discovery Project" discussion) with regard to capital cost depreciation of the newer ships vs. older ships which have already been fully depreciated. The older ships are "paid off".

 

Their problem is their life span and cost of operating... like an old car with 250,000 miles, if the engine blows up, do you replace a $5000 engine into a car that's worth only $1000? Same with a older ship. At some point keeping that ship healthy, running and especially modernized & up to current clientele standards won't make sense. For now, keep changing the oil and cross fingers (& toes)

[Germancruiser]

Let the dust settle and book in a while- the prices will go down.

[nhraformula00]

3 hours ago, nhraformula00 said:

Wife just booked the 2 of us for October 19-26, 2024 for a Total price of $ 2,300, Guarantee Inside room. Every website you look at including R.C. is $ 1,800 or more P.P. But there is only 1 with deep discounts for a few weeks here and there that just came out 2 weeks ago. Wish I could divulge where we booked, but it is not allowed. Check all sites and you might find it.

Icon Of The Seas

[Crazy planning mom]

7 hours ago, erby2283 said:

So when I was shopping for our 2024 cruise in Oct 2022, I made a list of ships/itineraries I was looking at and sent it to my TA.  He then came back with group pricing he had.  Now keep in mind, this is for 3 adults and that the NCL pricing includes drinks but as you can see, the Icon pricing was cheaper than Oasis and both NCL cruises at the time.  😲 My point is don't assume you'll never be able to afford what you want - keep checking for group rates and yes, you may possibly have to book far in advance. 

 

I know you can't see my full spreadsheet the pricing goes 1st passenger, 2nd passenger, 3rd passenger, taxes and port fees, and then for NCL drink package for first two adults, total price. All were ocean view balconies. 

That price for Icon isn't bad.  One thing about your price comparison chart.  The dates are different.  The April dates fall during Passover when many NY schools are closed.  

[ChutChut]

10 hours ago, erby2283 said:

So when I was shopping for our 2024 cruise in Oct 2022, I made a list of ships/itineraries I was looking at and sent it to my TA.  He then came back with group pricing he had.  Now keep in mind, this is for 3 adults and that the NCL pricing includes drinks but as you can see, the Icon pricing was cheaper than Oasis and both NCL cruises at the time.  😲 My point is don't assume you'll never be able to afford what you want - keep checking for group rates and yes, you may possibly have to book far in advance. 

 

I know you can't see my full spreadsheet the pricing goes 1st passenger, 2nd passenger, 3rd passenger, taxes and port fees, and then for NCL drink package for first two adults, total price. All were ocean view balconies. 

Interesting. If we eliminate port fees (because they all charge different amounts) and drink packages, the Oasis is the most expensive, followed by the Joy and then the Icon. It appears all fares are somewhat inflated except for Carnival. This is really helpful. Thanks!

[ChutChut]

9 hours ago, nhraformula00 said:

Wife just booked the 2 of us for October 19-26, 2024 for a Total price of $ 2,300, Guarantee Inside room. Every website you look at including R.C. is $ 1,800 or more P.P. But there is only 1 with deep discounts for a few weeks here and there that just came out 2 weeks ago. Wish I could divulge where we booked, but it is not allowed. Check all sites and you might find it.

That's still pretty inflated for an inside cabin. I used to get 10-day inside for two people for $1,800 (inclusive of tax/fees).