Sail of the Year pricing increase?

[jdk-atlga]

All: I just checked on the pricing for my "already booked" 2025 Barcelona-Rome in May. The price has gone up by $1750/pp for the exact same V3. Unfortunately, this increase seems to be the norm now as SS has also introduced new "essential" pricing to strip everything away that was previously provided. In price review, my 2026 Antartica trip has gone up by over $10k for two. I believe that the industry is now starting significantly raise prices across the board to make up for all the debt piled in during the pandemic.

Best, jdk

[MarciAnn]

  I booked my Antarctic Cruise in the February sale and I believe I got a really good price plus a $1000 shipboard credit.  it is now about 25% more (with a claimed $2000 OB credit).  Only  guaranteed suites where they select the cabin are available now on that cruise so I doubt  the price will go down as I assume the ship is almost filled.  Seabourn  has sales throughout the year on selected sailings that I would assume are not selling as well.  That’s when you can get the deals.

[robertmartha]

MarciAnn - true about the last minute sales...but if you need to fly to the destination - you'll get dinged by the airfare in most cases 😔.

 

Agree with JDK - I think the lines are still banking on pent up demand...but at some point.....enough is enough. Time will tell.

[skybluewaters]

4 hours ago, robertmartha said:

Hoping that on May 1st when this current promo ends the prices will return to what they were 

 

That may be similar to waiting for Microsoft stock to return to 2010 values.

 

If the current price is at all "reasonable" to you, you might be best off just booking it now and not getting aggravated as the price continues to increase.  It might be hard to swallow at first, but at least you'll have more time to enjoy the anticipation phase of your trip.

[Vineyard View]

I sure hope that after this current promotion, prices might settle back down a bit. I am not counting on it, but I am sure hoping. We had to cancel a cruise next month due to medical. Looking at the same itinerary for April 2025, and the pricing has gone to $1,414 per person per day, from $1,022 per person per day. That is pretty huge in my estimation. 
Yes, a couple other lines I am watching have certainly increased their prices as well. It’s happening everywhere. These price points, and this steep % increase over a 12 month period, for these geographies, could tend to push customers down market. It may very well be a pie a in the sky wish that prices go back down, but current pricing might be out of reach for some comfort levels. 

[Robisan]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

Looking at the same itinerary for April 2025, and the pricing has gone to $1,414 per person per day, from $1,022 per person per day.

Acknowledging that some places can only or best be seen by ship and the advantage of seeing multiple places w/o packing/unpacking, nevertheless one could put together many extremely luxe land-based travel itineraries for that kind of money (and less) that allow multiple days per location at the finest hotels, Michelin level dining, private tours, limousine transfers, etc. Plus you never have to worry about missing "all aboard" deadlines after just mere hours per location and most of it can be cancelled within days of the travel date without penalty.

 

Perhaps there will continue to be enough cruise addicts and/or people for whom money is no object to remain successful, but IMHO the cruise business structure, especially at the high end, is dated and out of touch with online generations currently reaching and becoming an ever increasing percentage of the retirement travel market.

[Sunprince]

5 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

the pricing has gone to $1,414 per person per day, from $1,022 per person per day

I can guarantee that for $2000 - $2800 US$ per night, that I can find a much more luxurious and better land holiday than on a Seabourn ship.  Maybe it’s time to give up that cruise for a while and experience some of the best hotels/resorts around the world.

[texanaust]

1 hour ago, Sunprince said:

I can guarantee that for $2000 - $2800 US$ per night, that I can find a much more luxurious and better land holiday than on a Seabourn ship.  Maybe it’s time to give up that cruise for a while and experience some of the best hotels/resorts around the world.

 

Agreed.  The food and accommodations on land will be much, much better. 

 

This pricing will stick around only if they are loading up their ships.  Up until a couple of months ago, SB was aggressively discounting, so this is very much a change.  I doubt that suddenly we are back in economic boom times again...it certainly doesn't feel that way.   

[markandjie]

1 hour ago, Sunprince said:

I can guarantee that for $2000 - $2800 US$ per night, that I can find a much more luxurious and better land holiday than on a Seabourn ship.

 

We did an African safari in Kenya and Tanzania with per day prices in that range for incredible accommodations, though for three (and not including airfare). One of the most amazing trips of my life. Same for a trip to Maldives.

 

Lots of places to see and not all can be adequately seen from a cruise ship. 

 

7 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Yes, a couple other lines I am watching have certainly increased their prices as well. It’s happening everywhere.

 

We got a brochure for Lindblad/NatGeo. Prices for Arctic and Antarctica appear higher than SB. I don't get it. 

[markandjie]

Interesting thread on the SS board:

 

[2SailingNomads]

I can say after just booking a Maui trip where an ocean view hotel room after taxes,+ all the b.s. charges for a room key, internet, fresh air etc. are included comes to over $1200 a day - and not at the 4 Seasons which would have not been as good a view and over $2K a day - add in $80 a day rental car, parking at $40 per night(plus tax) plus food and drink a cruise is looking better from a price perspective. Just sayin..

[Vineyard View]

10 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

I can say after just booking a Maui trip where an ocean view hotel room after taxes,+ all the b.s. charges for a room key, internet, fresh air etc. are included comes to over $1200 a day - and not at the 4 Seasons which would have not been as good a view and over $2K a day - add in $80 a day rental car, parking at $40 per night(plus tax) plus food and drink a cruise is looking better from a price perspective. Just sayin..

Hawaii used to be a ‘go to’ easy trip from where we live. We crossed that destination off our list years back for these reasons. Hawaii is not, in our opinion, worth these prices. 
 

Some of the itineraries we are looking at need to be done by ship, but the one I shared pricing on we could see and enjoy immensely (Adriatic) by land for the most part. Europe would offer excellent options at a lower price point than this, no doubt. When we stayed in Venice last Spring we had a lovely suite, with fantastic balcony overlooking the Lagoon, without worrying about what we spent on food and drink for way less than these prices. So, it does have us talking. We enjoy all the advantages of land travel that Robisan, Sunprince, & texanaust point out. The big advantage on cruising is the unpacking once, and visiting places more difficult to navigate by land. 
 

Markandji, absolutely agree!  We too, have those stamp to memory, get into your heart safari memories. One of the best ever trips. And yes, we’ve said a couple times “we could go on another safari” for these prices! 
 

But damn. We do love to cruise! 

Edited March 23 by Vineyard View

[sfvoyage]

I've mentioned this before, but for me, cruising makes perfect sense for coastal expedition voyages such as Antarctica, Arctic, Galapagos, and other island-hopping destinations.

 

For other travel involving more in-depth exploration and adventure, it goes without saying that land-based travel is more suitable.  After all, how much can one see and experience in a day or a half day at a port, rushing around from one place to another and rushing back in time before the ship leaves?

 

The worst is when people get off the ship for an overnight (or multi-day) overland journey and then rejoin the ship.  Talk about trying to fit a square peg in a round hole!

 

After all, most of the world's treasures, monuments and attractions are inland and not quickly or easily accessible from the coasts.

 

So for me, cruising is mostly a lifestyle and is mainly about relaxing, enjoying life at sea, and socializing with other guests and crew.  I don't bother running around doing and seeing everything at a port - I reserve that on land trips.

Edited March 23 by sfvoyage

[QuestionEverything]

3 hours ago, sfvoyage said:

I've mentioned this before, but for me, cruising makes perfect sense for coastal expedition voyages such as Antarctica, Arctic, Galapagos, and other island-hopping destinations.

 

For other travel involving more in-depth exploration and adventure, it goes without saying that land-based travel is more suitable.  After all, how much can one see and experience in a day or a half day at a port, rushing around from one place to another and rushing back in time before the ship leaves?

 

The worst is when people get off the ship for an overnight (or multi-day) overland journey and then rejoin the ship.  Talk about trying to fit a square peg in a round hole!

 

After all, most of the world's treasures, monuments and attractions are inland and not quickly or easily accessible from the coasts.

 

So for me, cruising is mostly a lifestyle and is mainly about relaxing, enjoying life at sea, and socializing with other guests and crew.  I don't bother running around doing and seeing everything at a port - I reserve that on land trips.

Excellent assessment.

While I like cruising, I am rather done with it as the main areas to be seen via ship are done now.

Have 4 Globus and Trafalgar tours booked. There are many critical areas that can only be done in detail via the land, as you noted.

We also have numerous private vehicle trips booked.

I do note more threads and postings regarding cruise customers who are booking more land trips for many reasons; some are due to the eroding situations/high costs of cruising, that includes my household and many friends.

Any one on CC is blessed to be able to travel, in any way they deem best.

To each their own.

 

[Vineyard View]

3 hours ago, sfvoyage said:

I've mentioned this before, but for me, cruising makes perfect sense for coastal expedition voyages such as Antarctica, Arctic, Galapagos, and other island-hopping destinations.

 

For other travel involving more in-depth exploration and adventure, it goes without saying that land-based travel is more suitable.  After all, how much can one see and experience in a day or a half day at a port, rushing around from one place to another and rushing back in time before the ship leaves?

 

The worst is when people get off the ship for an overnight (or multi-day) overland journey and then rejoin the ship.  Talk about trying to fit a square peg in a round hole!

 

After all, most of the world's treasures, monuments and attractions are inland and not quickly or easily accessible from the coasts.

 

So for me, cruising is mostly a lifestyle and is mainly about relaxing, enjoying life at sea, and socializing with other guests and crew.  I don't bother running around doing and seeing everything at a port - I reserve that on land trips.

 I completely agree with you - the immersive experience of traveling on land far exceeds a day or two in port. We love partaking in those options. We did so more in the past than recent years. With all these changes in travel price structures,  I am starting to look at the possibility of a country/region specific area in Europe on land in three different regions. I am also looking a two other cruise lines as well as SB, where I was pretty set on SB prior to this latest increase.
When we do cruise, we don’t take ship excursions….we prefer DIY or Private, and we ALWAYS carve out time to just sit in a local place, drink a local beer or wine along with local cuisine, and just take it all in, without a time limit. I realize from experience that it is not the same as DIY land travel. We also prefer DIY land over tour land travel, however. 
As the years go by, land travel can present challenges that weren’t a big deal before (schlepping bags from hotel to hotel, on and off trains, ferries, etc). So I guess there are certainly tradeoffs as tours are going to assist with that, but if we decide on land next year, we will DIY with home bases as we’ve done in the past.  
I just looked at one of the itineraries I had a screenshot on from Feb 25, for sailing late May ‘2025. It’s gone up again! Almost $6k more now on a 14 day itinerary. Ugh. 

Questioneverything, you nailed it. We are all very fortunate here on CC to have had, and to plan, the travel memories that we do! 

[Sunprince]

We are booked on a 25 day Seabourn Istanbul to Dubai cruise in 2025. Got an incredibly great price when we booked via our UK TA, which includes business class air out of London. We booked a V3 and waitlisted for a Penthouse.  We were recently notified that the waitlist cleared for a Penthouse, but at the price of over 17,000 pounds sterling!  We paid less than 30% of that amount including the business air for the V3.  Needless to say we stuck with the V3. The original Penthouse price was much less than half the current 17,000£ price, 

[Isr45]

7 minutes ago, Sunprince said:

We are booked on a 25 day Seabourn Istanbul to Dubai cruise in 2025. Got an incredibly great price when we booked via our UK TA, which includes business class air out of London. We booked a V3 and waitlisted for a Penthouse.  We were recently notified that the waitlist cleared for a Penthouse, but at the price of over 17,000 pounds sterling!  We paid less than 30% of that amount including the business air for the V3.  Needless to say we stuck with the V3. The original Penthouse price was much less than half the current 17,000£ price, 

The cruise you refer to was the one discussed on the boards that was offered at a ridiculously low price for the Penthouse when first advertised. The pricing now is the more realistic price that it would have been expected to be advertised at. 
I have booked this type of bargain in the past - it invariably increases and corrects in price later. Be glad you have a bargain on your V3 😀

[kahuna21]

On 3/22/2024 at 2:27 AM, robertmartha said:

kahuna21 - agree with you about booking once sailings are released..... kicking myself that I did not book our sailing prior to this latest "promotion"....$1500 increase per cabin. Hoping that on May 1st when this current promo ends the prices will return to what they were 

We booked a 2025 cruise in December. Now, just three months later, the quoted price is more than 20% higher than we paid. I don’t understand what they are doing. If this continues, it will tilt our scale to Oceania. 

[jdk-atlga]

I'm reminded of the story of the "Goose that lay the golden egg," with the significant price increases across the "luxury" lines. At this rate (or rates), I believe that they are jeopardizing a significant portion of their customers. While we can probably afford the increases, the new higher prices are raising the "value equation" to where alternatives ("premium" cruise lines, land ventures, etc.) look more appealing, even if we have to luggage hop around. I know that, for the first time in a long time, I'm seriously considering these alternatives.

Best, jdk 

[Sunprince]

15 hours ago, Isr45 said:

The cruise you refer to was the one discussed on the boards that was offered at a ridiculously low price

Yes, I know. I was part of those discussions.  I thought it was a mistake, but was happy to take advantage of it.  I doubt it will ever be repeated.  

[Isr45]

2 hours ago, Sunprince said:

Yes, I know. I was part of those discussions.  I thought it was a mistake, but was happy to take advantage of it.  I doubt it will ever be repeated.  

I wouldn’t say it wouldn’t be repeated - odd fares do come up - particularly when new season is launched 😀

I have a 30 day med cruise this summer in a Penthouse Spa for £9999 per person before travel agent and FCD discounts booked on launch day. Within 3 days of booking it went to £25000 a person, which is the more realistic price.

I also found a 14 day Penthouse Spa in Far East for February 24 for £4999 a person ( before discounts) which I booked. Only took a day on that one to move to £11200 a person.

[Vineyard View]

1 hour ago, Isr45 said:

I wouldn’t say it wouldn’t be repeated - odd fares do come up - particularly when new season is launched 😀

I have a 30 day med cruise this summer in a Penthouse Spa for £9999 per person before travel agent and FCD discounts booked on launch day. Within 3 days of booking it went to £25000 a person, which is the more realistic price.

I also found a 14 day Penthouse Spa in Far East for February 24 for £4999 a person ( before discounts) which I booked. Only took a day on that one to move to £11200 a person.

Wow. This is really Interesting. When do the new season launches generally occur with SB? 

[Isr45]

3 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Wow. This is really Interesting. When do the new season launches generally occur with SB? 

Winter 25 launched late Jan 24.

I booked this summer when it launched in March 23.

[Sunprince]

4 hours ago, Isr45 said:

I wouldn’t say it wouldn’t be repeated - odd fares do come up - particularly when new season is launched 😀

I have a 30 day med cruise this summer in a Penthouse Spa for £9999 per person before travel agent and FCD discounts booked on launch day. Within 3 days of booking it went to £25000 a person, which is the more realistic price.

I also found a 14 day Penthouse Spa in Far East for February 24 for £4999 a person ( before discounts) which I booked. Only took a day on that one to move to £11200 a person.

This is good to know. Thanks for mentioning it. I didn’t realize that some new releases were priced lower initially.  May I ask how you monitor this? Via notification from your TA, Seabourn email or through your own search?

[Breckski]

On 3/23/2024 at 11:34 AM, sfvoyage said:

I've mentioned this before, but for me, cruising makes perfect sense for coastal expedition voyages such as Antarctica, Arctic, Galapagos, and other island-hopping destinations.

 

For other travel involving more in-depth exploration and adventure, it goes without saying that land-based travel is more suitable.  After all, how much can one see and experience in a day or a half day at a port, rushing around from one place to another and rushing back in time before the ship leaves?

 

The worst is when people get off the ship for an overnight (or multi-day) overland journey and then rejoin the ship.  Talk about trying to fit a square peg in a round hole!

 

After all, most of the world's treasures, monuments and attractions are inland and not quickly or easily accessible from the coasts.

 

So for me, cruising is mostly a lifestyle and is mainly about relaxing, enjoying life at sea, and socializing with other guests and crew.  I don't bother running around doing and seeing everything at a port - I reserve that on land trips.

Agree with most of what you say, but not sure about the most of world's treasures, etc being inland.  Water was so very important to the establishment of towns in early civilizations and obviously these early towns grew.  If including river cruises, I'd say the majority of attractions are accessible by cruise - an hour or two away.

 

With that said, we prefer land-based trips as you certainly get a more in-depth experience.  We normally use cruises places where land travel is overly burdensome.  But we did take a river cruise a couple of years ago and liked it more than we expected.  The "hotel" moving to a new location while we slept was pretty convenient.