Allura - Big increase in fares in 2026

[MarkWiltonM]

I was checking the newly released fares for Allura in the Caribbean in 2026. Last September, we booked a B3 on Allura for 12 nights at $4,049 pp with a $400 pp shore excursion credit. That cruise is in November 2025 and visits the ABC islands, St. Barts, Tortola, Grenada, and St. Lucia. 

 

Looking at January 2026 fares, a B3 for a somewhat less desirable itinerary (in our view) for 12 nights is $5,349 pp with only a $300 pp shore excursion credit. That cruise visits San Juan, Tortola, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Guadeloupe, Antigua (no St. Barts or ABC islands; our favorites). For my spouse and me combined, that's an increase of $2,600 with $200 less shore excursion credit.  

 

Glad we booked early when the 2025 itineraries for Allura were released. We have a Celebrity cruise booked for early 2026 that I suspect we'll keep because we can't afford the new Oceania fares.     

Edited April 10 by MarkWiltonM

[Snaefell3]

Just back from the grocery store.  Wish I could have "booked my milk early".  😉 

[ak1004]

I suspect we will see similar increases on all lines not just O. Check out current Celebrity prices on the new ships. 

[clo]

34 minutes ago, ak1004 said:

I suspect we will see similar increases on all lines not just O. Check out current Celebrity prices on the new ships. 

Well, if that's true then we're pretty solid that cruising has had our time for a while. European, Asian, etc. trains are looking better. @Hlitner did you say y'all did a great Japan train trip? 

[vaitape]

13 minutes ago, clo said:

Well, if that's true then we're pretty solid that cruising has had our time for a while. European, Asian, etc. trains are looking better. @Hlitner did you say y'all did a great Japan train trip? 

We'd be very interested in a train trip in Japan as well!

 

[Yesimapirate]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

I suspect we will see similar increases on all lines not just O. Check out current Celebrity prices on the new ships. 

If they're filling ships why wouldn't you increase prices?  They'll only drop when bookings drop.

[clo]

25 minutes ago, Yesimapirate said:

If they're filling ships why wouldn't you increase prices?  They'll only drop when bookings drop.

And there's no doubt in my mind that they are or will be going for a different clientele. The millennials would be my bet.

[Hlitner]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Well, if that's true then we're pretty solid that cruising has had our time for a while. European, Asian, etc. trains are looking better. @Hlitner did you say y'all did a great Japan train trip? 

Not really a train “trip” but we did take a few bullet trains.  All nice, spotless, and you can set your watch by the schedule.

[Lorna Doone]

November fares are cheaper than January fares.  So increase is not as great as it first appears but is still expensive.

[QuestionEverything]

They can charge what they want.

Hotels, restaurants, airlines.

It is up to the consumer, each of us, to decide if we wish to purchase their product offering at said price today.

I am not an "obedient consumer" and I have 0 cruises booked at this time.

On cruising, the price and offering and consistency of the product is not there for me.

Expanding my travel offerings; vehicle trips, land trips.

It is up to you.

It is obvious the cruise lines think that there are many existing "obedient consumers" and "new cruisers" who will fill all their new builds. 

When a company takes you for granted, it will not end well for the consumer.

Time will tell.

 

 

[ak1004]

43 minutes ago, QuestionEverything said:

They can charge what they want.

Hotels, restaurants, airlines.

It is up to the consumer, each of us, to decide if we wish to purchase their product offering at said price today.

I am not an "obedient consumer" and I have 0 cruises booked at this time.

On cruising, the price and offering and consistency of the product is not there for me.

Expanding my travel offerings; vehicle trips, land trips.

It is up to you.

It is obvious the cruise lines think that there are many existing "obedient consumers" and "new cruisers" who will fill all their new builds. 

When a company takes you for granted, it will not end well for the consumer.

Time will tell.

 

 

 

We booked a hotel in Barcelona for May 2020 at $1,210 CAD. Today the same hotel for the same period is $1,950. That's a 60% increase.

 

Business class flight with Air Canada to Europe was around $3,500 CAD before Covid. Today you will be lucky to find a light to any European destination for less than $5,500-6,000.

 

Do they take their customers for granted?

 

This is just the new reality. When you compare cruise prices with comparable land tours, cruises still win, big time, if you compare apples to apples. So price wise, I don't think there is a better value than a cruise. 

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, ak1004 said:

We booked a hotel in Barcelona for May 2020 at $1,210 CAD. Today the same hotel for the same period is $1,950. That's a 60% increase.

 

Is that per night?

[ak1004]

39 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

Is that per night?

No 3 nights.

[ronrick1943]

It's everybody's choice...you decide if the cruise or trip mis worth it or not.  But with fuel cost, food and labor-prices are going to go up.  If you work would you take less or do you expect a pay increase........

[Redtravel]

You cannot compare prices for a November cruise to a January cruise.  I like cruising in the Caribbean in January.  I wouldn’t cruise there in November. It’s still hurricane season.  November weather is often very wet.  January is usually sunny.

[MarkWiltonM]

1 hour ago, Redtravel said:

You cannot compare prices for a November cruise to a January cruise.  I like cruising in the Caribbean in January.  I wouldn’t cruise there in November. It’s still hurricane season.  November weather is often very wet.  January is usually sunny.

 

We take two Caribbean cruises a year and space them out so the first is in November/December and the second is in March/April. Been doing this for many years, and living in South Florida for 20 years. We usually book toward the end of November or beginning of December. Although hurricane season officially ends at the end of November, November hurricanes are rare. 

[MEFIowa]

A good reminder to...

 

1) Watch for sales.

 

2) Compare the expensive Allura or Vista cruises to the less expensive most similar or identical itineraries on the R- and O-class ships.

 

Can't for the life of me see paying to sail on Allura if Riviera was doing the same or similar cruise for thousands less. We did the W. Caribbean on Rivera and the E. on Sirena.

[MEFIowa]

Just opened the O brochure I received in today's mail. Pushing the "Free Pre-Cruise Hotel Stay" deal thru May 31st. Saw a couple of "bargains":

 

11/27/24 Marina 10 nights in the E. Caribbean. Miami to Miami. $2999 veranda (no airfare) or $2199 inside stateroom (no airfare).

 

And Nautica. Either Miami to Cartagena or Cartagena to Miami. Both 12/2024. 10 nights. $2999 veranda or $1899 inside stateroom (both no airfare).

[ORV]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

And Nautica. Either Miami to Cartagena or Cartagena to Miami. Both 12/2024. 10 nights. $2999 veranda or $1899 inside stateroom (both no airfare).

I have both of these booked as a Combo cruise that gives me two credits. D Category, no air. My price is $1800 cheaper than the current sale for the whole 20 days. I also have $250 SBC per segment for booking them while onboard. I also have the simply more perks plus the Club perks. 

 

Thanks for the sale info though. 

[Lastdance]

I am in a holding pattern with O, due to the fact that our first cruise isn’t until May of 2025.  However, since I do enjoy new ships, no Caribbean and don’t use ship’ excursions, the available future cruises just give me a huge pause.  

🤷‍♀️.   I also feel that pricing for most things in life have gone a bit wack-a-doodle!  However, supply and demand still owns the market for cruising.  Waiting for price drops and sales is as good as the idea of jumping onboard later, but then airfare pricing can be a lot more...just pros and cons!  Get less from more is in the driver’s seat.  Inflation is alive and well, so time will tell.

Edited April 12 by Lastdance

[MEFIowa]

23 hours ago, ORV said:

I have both of these booked as a Combo cruise that gives me two credits. D Category, no air. My price is $1800 cheaper than the current sale for the whole 20 days.... 

We booked our Aug-Sept 2024 Baltic cruise on Sirena in May 2022. So that allowed us to do cruise-only and avoid SM and the price increases since then, though our 2 cruises didn't make it on the 2023 Extraordinary Saving Sale.

 

The current price for one cruise is $3499 PP, for a G. Exactly $1000 more PP. The other, an F, now $3849, up exactly $900. So combined increase $1900 PP.

[Lastdance]

On 4/10/2024 at 12:27 PM, clo said:

And there's no doubt in my mind that they are or will be going for a different clientele. The millennials would be my bet.

You are correct, as there has been a surge in the 70 percentile for gen X and millennials; however, my research has not provided the itineraries such as European/Caribbean etc.  TBD!  Edit:  Okay, looks like Caribbean, Asia(surprise) the Atlantic coast and Baltic...hmm.

Edited April 12 by Lastdance
Edit to add information

[MEFIowa]

On 4/11/2024 at 7:13 AM, Redtravel said:

You cannot compare prices for a November cruise to a January cruise.  I like cruising in the Caribbean in January.  I wouldn’t cruise there in November. It’s still hurricane season.  November weather is often very wet.  January is usually sunny.

Weather generalizations rarely are uniformly accurate.

 

We had 10 magical days on Sirena in the E. Caribbean 11/19-29/2022. Fantastic weather.

 

And 20 magical days on Riviera 10/30-11/19, 2024 in the Med. More fantastic weather.

 

In both cases, we were usually one of the few, if only, cruise ships around. So that meant the locals wanted to see us. Lines short, places not crowded. Fares less expensive.

[clo]

1 hour ago, Lastdance said:

You are correct, as there has been a surge in the 70 percentile for gen X and millennials; however, my research has not provided the itineraries such as European/Caribbean etc.  TBD!  Edit:  Okay, looks like Caribbean, Asia(surprise) the Atlantic coast and Baltic...hmm.

 

And WFH could be a factor...actually already is. Keep us posted .

[Lastdance]

3 hours ago, clo said:

 

And WFH could be a factor...actually already is. Keep us posted .

Exactly...so much more flexibility!