Goldenco Posted July 7 #1 Share Posted July 7 I assume that since Celebrity now assumes it is "upscale" it has jacked up the prices to where they are pricing us out of the market. We are Zenith, but will look at other cruise ships such as Princess. Its been fun, but it's over for us. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlbecker1 Posted July 7 #2 Share Posted July 7 All cruise lines have raised their prices. We always purchase a Veranda room and I feel that Celebrity is very competitive with other lines and the Zenith benefits are amazing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted July 7 #3 Share Posted July 7 4 minutes ago, Goldenco said: I assume that since Celebrity now assumes it is "upscale" it has jacked up the prices to where they are pricing us out of the market. We are Zenith, but will look at other cruise ships such as Princess. Its been fun, but it's over for us. Agree with you. Even though Double Zenith we haven't booked a single Celebrity Cruise this year. We have found some great cruises on Cunard, Oceania and SilverSea. Many of the recent flip flops, prices and food quality/selection have been the main drivers. I believe Celebrity still has a good product but seem to be driving us away in lieu of RCL younger families with shorter cruises and private Island. Sorry but no interest. 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Cruiser 6143 Posted July 7 #4 Share Posted July 7 They have certainly priced me out of the suites I used to purchase. Then there was the insane solo supplement business which seems to have sort of disappeared. If I find a price I'm willing to pay without an excessive single supplement, I'll still book, but I'm spending more of my travel dollars elsewhere. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lastdance Posted July 7 #5 Share Posted July 7 Suites are very high, actually, too high IMHO, so not worth it to me. When I can book Oceania on the new ship Vista for 9,000(TA) and Ascent is 16,000+ for their TA, something is just a wee bit strange. Yes, some non-suite cabins can be found at decent prices. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saab4444 Posted July 7 #6 Share Posted July 7 (edited) In Europe Celebrity is significantly cheaper than Royal Caribbean in most cases I haved checked in the past months (balcony cabins, not Suites) Edited July 7 by Saab4444 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolebludger Posted July 7 #7 Share Posted July 7 We cruised in the Retreat in CS and RS some right before the pandemic and found it to be a great deal compared to other cruises with the same benefits and inclusions. Then the rate increases and perk cuts sent us back to Regent. Now Regent has done much the same thing, pricing us out of the market. I think the problem is that cruise lines (as foreign corporations) received no pandemic bail out money. So RCCL (owns Celebrity) and NCLH (owns Regent) had to borrow a lot of money during the pandemic shut-down at 10% plus interest because their bonds were rated as junk by the market. Now the lines are stuck with sky high interest payments and are scrambling to avoid default. We may not be doing any new bookings for a while. We started cruising 30 years ago in mass market lines, and tie of the lines, crowds, and such. If we are no priced out of the lux experience we want, it is time to stay home. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George C Posted July 7 #8 Share Posted July 7 I booked MSc yacht club after seeing some outrageous prices on celebrity suites. But a few months ago I did see some reasonable prices on a E class that was actually less than my yacht club . 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Click Posted July 7 #9 Share Posted July 7 Prices are driven by supply and demand. We are leaving for Iceland in a month to sail on Eclipse for 12 nights. When I booked it last year the prices, even for a veranda were really high but it is a bucket list thing for me so I bit the bullet and booked. 6 months later the volcano started erupting and a lot of people bailed and I saw the price drop 55% make the cruise almost a bargain. Thankfully I have a great TA who worked with me through two re-bookings to save me a lot of money. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mac_tlc Posted July 7 #10 Share Posted July 7 We have also started looking elsewhere, but there are some decent suite prices to be found on X. Not as low as Covid-era, but better than a year ago. We have a SS on Beyond in December for less than $390 pppd. Xcel in 2026 was the same when we booked it. Not now. We are looking at Equinox TA or Silly Repo next Spring. Both are relatively decent. We are E+, but that is irrelevant unless the price is competitive. All lines have done the same thing. Royal's suites are obscene, especially Icon (How about over $20K for an Owners Suite for 2?) and Wonder. Silversea recently raised prices a lot. We were looking at an SS for a Spring TA. It was $8500 for two a few months back, now its $14,000. We booked the Oceania Vista TA for Fall 2025 in a PH2 for $9100 for 2, now its $11,600. MSC Yacht Club prices have increased in the past six months. Probably as a result of all the other cruise line jumpers. I guess my point it that it isn't just X with the price increases. Some decent prices can be found but it takes some hunting nowadays. mac_tlc 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Lena11033 Posted July 7 #11 Share Posted July 7 I think you need to look around. I've compared prices for next year compared to what I paid a few years ago and its about the same. But all cruise lines are playing a moving game with prices, I have a MSC cruise booked for next year and its quite a bit more than what I paid last year. My NCL cruise for Italy next year I cancelled was actually more than Celebrity. But then I am not looking at suites especially for port intensive cruises and being a solo traveller. I've looked at some of the luxury lines and they just aren't worth the prices for me - especially as I then have to add flights on as they don't include flights to where I live. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Les43 Posted July 7 #12 Share Posted July 7 It’s certainly worth keeping an eye on prices We had booked a CS on Connie late June 2025 but last wkend found that a RS was cheaper on the early June sailing. We moved the reservation and tonight the price has increased by £600 for the RS and over £1k for the CS! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PTC DAWG Posted July 7 #13 Share Posted July 7 3 hours ago, Goldenco said: I assume that since Celebrity now assumes it is "upscale" it has jacked up the prices to where they are pricing us out of the market. We are Zenith, but will look at other cruise ships such as Princess. Its been fun, but it's over for us. Fascinating..what hasn’t gone up? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NutsAboutGolf Posted July 7 #14 Share Posted July 7 (edited) 6 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said: Fascinating..what hasn’t gone up? Not really the right question to ask, the question to ask is what pricing has increased over the rate of inflation? From the sailings we've looked at, X seems to have at least doubled in price over the past year for balconies and AQ Edited July 7 by NutsAboutGolf 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldenco Posted July 7 Author #15 Share Posted July 7 7 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said: Fascinating..what hasn’t gone up? What hasn't gone up? The number of sailings per year that I used to do with Celebrity. It's down to 1 left then that's it. 3 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C4HCG Posted July 7 #16 Share Posted July 7 10 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said: Not really the right question to ask, the question to ask is what pricing has increased over the rate of inflation? From the sailings we've looked at, X seems to have at least doubled in price over the past year for balconies and AQ A valid question to ask, as is yours. I am not surprised any company in the hospitality industry is trying its luck with higher than inflation price increase, COVID hit them hard. My main worry during that time was would Celebrity still exist after it. Thankfully yes and we still find them value for money and have just short of 7 weeks until we sail with them again and can’t wait. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booklady26 Posted July 7 #17 Share Posted July 7 We are Elite Plus and have considered X to be our favorite cruise line for many years. We do not stay in suites on any cruise line except for MSC's Yacht Club. We live in Florida and cruise 4-5 times a year to the Caribbean and don't want to spend mid 5 figures on vacations every year. We have bitten the bullet and have paid the increased prices that all cruise lines are charging because we love to cruise. We have always felt that Celebrity offered a great product for what they charged. However, they no longer offer good value for the money. Their "always included" no longer even includes tips. Their "premium" drink package is a joke. On our last cruise in March my husband's favorite single malt scotch was no longer on the premium package and the wine selections are also dismal. They haven't changed their MDR menus in years except for giving you fewer choices than you once had. The entertainment on S-class ships has also not changed in years. The specialty restaurant prices have increased so much that I won't even use OBC to book them. The shrinkflation has gotten to a point where we have been looking at other cruise lines, such as Princess, which offer better value for what they charge, even though those prices have also increased. Case in point. We are booked on the Ascent for a 7 night cruise in December (not a holiday cruise). Cost for a sunset verandah is $4,107 with AI and non-refundable deposit. We will only book SV's on E-class ships because we don't like the infinite verandahs. Tips were still included in AI when it was booked. I also purchased the beverage package upgrade and specialty dining at Eden and Fine Cut last August using OBC during a very good sale and before prices were increased. Total cost for these add-ons was $340. Total cost is $4,447. We are also booked on the new Sun Princess in November (not Thanksgiving) for 7 nights. We are in a cabana mini suite, which is a new cabin category which includes a private cabana with it's own TV, couch and table between the stateroom and the full size balcony. We have also purchased their "Princess Premium" package which includes REAL premium beverages (including husband's scotch!), tips, unlimited wifi on 4 devices per person, 2 specialty dinners per person, unlimited casual dining (sit down pizzeria, Irish pub, sushi, etc. normally subject to a $14.99 cover charge per person), unlimited digital photos and a few other little perks. The total cost for this is $3,690 with a refundable deposit. Granted, this was a freaky thing where the cost of a standard balcony was the same price when I booked it. Even if we booked the balcony, it would still be a better deal than the Ascent. It's not about how much is charged, but what you get for your money and Celebrity is sorely lacking in value. 11 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Georgia_Peaches Posted July 7 #18 Share Posted July 7 I can't think of a single thing that hasn't increased in price...Not...One...Thing... But I shop around and I think I have been able to find some decent deals...not like in the past, but decent enough for me to keep checking in with Celebrity when I start cruise planning. Our November cruise is on MSC in the Yacht Club...we are paying $6k for 7 nights in a YC deluxe veranda....two years ago we paid $4800 for the same type of cruise... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFree Posted July 7 #19 Share Posted July 7 The prices seem to us, too, to have gone up beyond the pace of inflation. I think our last 6 Celebrity cruises have been in a Sky Suite, but in the last couple of years, we have felt priced out of the market. Which is not to say that you can't occasionally find a deal. We just canceled a cruise for November, but Judy was able to find a real deal on a Sky Suite on one particular Asia sailing. This is a bucket list cruise for her, so we grabbed it. Every other sailing of the same or reverse cruise for a couple of months was either sold out in the Retreat, or double to triple the price. Tom & Judy 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LB_NJ Posted July 7 #20 Share Posted July 7 The prices on cruising seems to have gone up faster than some non-cruise based vacation options so seriously considering looking at other alternatives that give more value for the money. I am also taking into account that the quality of the cruise has gone down. E.g., food. l agree it is not just Celebrity but the other cruise lines as well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFree Posted July 7 #21 Share Posted July 7 4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said: Agree with you. Even though Double Zenith we haven't booked a single Celebrity Cruise this year. We have found some great cruises on Cunard, Oceania and SilverSea. Many of the recent flip flops, prices and food quality/selection have been the main drivers. I believe Celebrity still has a good product but seem to be driving us away in lieu of RCL younger families with shorter cruises and private Island. Sorry but no interest. Hi Jim - we have always enjoyed following your travels. I still hope to bump into you someday, maybe either on Celebrity or on Oceania. Tom & Judy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted July 7 #22 Share Posted July 7 3 minutes ago, LB_NJ said: The prices on cruising seems to have gone up faster than some non-cruise based vacation options so seriously considering looking at other alternatives that give more value for the money. I am also taking into account that the quality of the cruise has gone down. E.g., food. l agree it is not just Celebrity but the other cruise lines as well. And airfare. And hotels. And rental cars. And restaurants... Yes, Celebrity's prices have gone up. Probably cruising in general. Enough that we're taking a tactical pause until at least 2026. But hotel rooms in Manhattan that I could get (with some work) at AAA for $250-300/night plus tax are now routinely $450-600/night plus tax. Same hotel. Likely as not less service. Airfare isn't really worth comparing because it's so dynamically priced, but it's up. And fewer options into some of the small markets near my family. I've seen rental cars almost double what they were even two years ago. I feel like Celebrity had a unique niche in the market with its Retreat product. The AI everyone started hating should have been another niche in their market segment. I suspect there's significant pressure from RCG and its BOD to pay off debt now rather than gradually. But, if they sell the Retreat at the prices they're charging, they're not wrong. And if I were on the BOD or an institutional investor, I'd be asking why they didn't do it earlier. Assuming it lasts..,. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldenco Posted July 7 Author #23 Share Posted July 7 7 minutes ago, markeb said: And airfare. And hotels. And rental cars. And restaurants... Yes, Celebrity's prices have gone up. Probably cruising in general. Enough that we're taking a tactical pause until at least 2026. But hotel rooms in Manhattan that I could get (with some work) at AAA for $250-300/night plus tax are now routinely $450-600/night plus tax. Same hotel. Likely as not less service. Airfare isn't really worth comparing because it's so dynamically priced, but it's up. And fewer options into some of the small markets near my family. I've seen rental cars almost double what they were even two years ago. I feel like Celebrity had a unique niche in the market with its Retreat product. The AI everyone started hating should have been another niche in their market segment. I suspect there's significant pressure from RCG and its BOD to pay off debt now rather than gradually. But, if they sell the Retreat at the prices they're charging, they're not wrong. And if I were on the BOD or an institutional investor, I'd be asking why they didn't do it earlier. Assuming it lasts..,. Just a question: What is RCG? The stock symbol is RCL. I assume BOD is Board of Directors. BTW, The AI concept is not just Celebrity; e.g. Norwegian has The Haven. I think you are incorrect in that the BOD wants the loans paid off quickly. I think the new CEO want to show record revenue. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wineaux007 Posted July 7 #24 Share Posted July 7 14 minutes ago, Goldenco said: Just a question: What is RCG? The stock symbol is RCL. I assume BOD is Board of Directors. BTW, The AI concept is not just Celebrity; e.g. Norwegian has The Haven. I think you are incorrect in that the BOD wants the loans paid off quickly. I think the new CEO want to show record revenue. RCG = Royal Caribbean Group. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldenco Posted July 7 Author #25 Share Posted July 7 (edited) 1 minute ago, Wineaux007 said: RCG = Royal Caribbean Group. Thanks! That makes sense, but I've not heard the term before. Edited July 7 by Goldenco add info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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