PRICING GONE CRAZY???

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, bikerunner said:

and this is why so many people are over their heads on this   its basic economics   supply vs demand.  

And global inflation as well.

[Z-Bird]

4 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Hi!!  A few random notes for you….

Finding travel agents that offer group pricing can involve some research and surfing.

Cruise Critic is not the place to find them since specific mention of travel agents or agencies or websites is not permitted.

Get quotes from a number of different agents for a particular sailing that you are interested in.  Compare their offers against pricing on Celebrity’s website.  Possibly let the agents know they are competing for your business because sometimes they will match another agent’s offer.  

Join and follow private groups on social media that relate to Celebrity and The Retreat to find travel agents offering deals.  Sometimes these groups are moderated by travel agents, so they post deals in the group.

By using a TA you will relinquish control of your booking, but that has never been an issue for me.  

Ask friends, family, and fellow cruisers who they book with.
If an agent that you have reached out to for a quote responds timely, thoroughly, and professionally to your emails and messages, that is a good sign you have found one that is eager to earn your business.

I never book direct unless Celebrity’s direct price is astonishing.

If I book direct I transfer the booking to my preferred travel agent within 30 days for additional on board credit from her.

Hopefully this helps and falls within Cruise Critic guidelines.

Thank you very much for this thorough and thoughtful response.  

[drakes2]

4 hours ago, Stem to Stern said:

Hi!!  A few random notes for you….

Finding travel agents that offer group pricing can involve some research and surfing.

Cruise Critic is not the place to find them since specific mention of travel agents or agencies or websites is not permitted.

Get quotes from a number of different agents for a particular sailing that you are interested in.  Compare their offers against pricing on Celebrity’s website.  Possibly let the agents know they are competing for your business because sometimes they will match another agent’s offer.  

Join and follow private groups on social media that relate to Celebrity and The Retreat to find travel agents offering deals.  Sometimes these groups are moderated by travel agents, so they post deals in the group.

By using a TA you will relinquish control of your booking, but that has never been an issue for me.  

Ask friends, family, and fellow cruisers who they book with.
If an agent that you have reached out to for a quote responds timely, thoroughly, and professionally to your emails and messages, that is a good sign you have found one that is eager to earn your business.

I never book direct unless Celebrity’s direct price is astonishing.

If I book direct I transfer the booking to my preferred travel agent within 30 days for additional on board credit from her.

Hopefully this helps and falls within Cruise Critic guidelines.

I haven't booked with a TA since Hawaii in 2022. At that time it was much cheaper even though it was in USD which is converted to CAD. I got all inclusive and Celebrity could not price match.  Since then the prices are equal and at times Celebrity once the FX is factored in becomes cheaper plus they throw in 2 bottles of really excellent wine probably saving another couple hundred. I always check online TAs prior to booking but recently Celebrity has come ahead. 

[Stem to Stern]

8 minutes ago, Z-Bird said:

Thank you very much for this thorough and thoughtful response.  

My pleasure.

[tfred]

RCG CEO Jason Liberty said there is a price gap of 20% between what hotels charge and what cruises charge.  In other words he thinks that cruises are priced 20% lower than they should be 

 

Icon of the Seas is at a 132% load factor and could stuff a few more pax in there. 

 

These aren't the statements of any company that is going to lower prices anytime soon.  If you see a cruise that you want to take book it and hope that it goes down sometime - maybe. 

 

It also says that customers are happy with the product overall as future bookings are high. 'Where's my prime rib, chocolate buffet and free drinks?" legacy customers should take note before they exit by the gang plank.......

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Our November 2025 TA is At $132 USD pp. for a balcony , with the classic package and wifi , taxes and port fee in a group 

sound pretty reasonable to me 

[PTC DAWG]

4 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Our November 2025 TA is At $132 USD pp. for a balcony , with the classic package and wifi , taxes and port fee in a group 

sound pretty reasonable to me 

No doubt..

[foodsvcmgr]

The last couple years Celebrity and most of their competitors have offered the lowest pricing at the introduction of new itineraries or at least well in advance in an attempt to generate earlier bookings.

Look at 8 day ABC itineraries for 2026,

$1300 pp for Balcony and $1600 pp for Aqua.

Those are not exorbitant prices IMO.

And regardless of when you book, it’s the Suite prices that are the most out of hand.

[RICruisegal]

16 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

ABC itinerary is one that books fast and increases in price on all lines. There aren't many sailings and it's a very desired itinerary.  I have never seen any reductions or last minute deals  for those even after final payment. You need to book when it opens.

I didn't realize this as this is our 1st ABC cruise. Our past 3 Celebrity cruises kept going down in price and I repriced them up to final payment, so I expected the same. Oh well. We have the budget for it and I am really looking forward to it.

[Iamcruzin]

1 minute ago, RICruisegal said:

I didn't realize this as this is our 1st ABC cruise. Our past 3 Celebrity cruises kept going down in price and I repriced them up to final payment, so I expected the same. Oh well. We have the budget for it and I am really looking forward to it.

ABC has been on my bucket list since before Covid. I am just getting back to cruising now as the last two years we have been busy selling our home in NY and building one in Florida. We are finally settled. All that time I was watching pricing for that itinerary.

 

I had a great one picked for this year on Princess it was a 12 day reposition cruise from Ft Lauderdale to NY. It called on ABC, St Kitts and Puerto Rico. The price was incredible with all included drinks wifi and tips. It was cheap because it was on the Island Princess an old ship and it was a reposition cruise. One of a kind itinerary. Unfortunately it was a bad week for my wife to take off from work.

 

To get back to cruising I picked up a 4 night cruise for a good price on Reflection. It is shoulder season and hurricane season so the price reflects that. It is going to Key West and Bimini. we haven't been to either of those. I booked this a month before final payment was due with a Florida residents rate and now the price has gone up and we are at 66 days before sailing. Still plenty of rooms left. 

[RICruisegal]

34 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

ABC has been on my bucket list since before Covid. I am just getting back to cruising now as the last two years we have been busy selling our home in NY and building one in Florida. We are finally settled. All that time I was watching pricing for that itinerary.

 

I had a great one picked for this year on Princess it was a 12 day reposition cruise from Ft Lauderdale to NY. It called on ABC, St Kitts and Puerto Rico. The price was incredible with all included drinks wifi and tips. It was cheap because it was on the Island Princess an old ship and it was a reposition cruise. One of a kind itinerary. Unfortunately it was a bad week for my wife to take off from work.

 

To get back to cruising I picked up a 4 night cruise for a good price on Reflection. It is shoulder season and hurricane season so the price reflects that. It is going to Key West and Bimini. we haven't been to either of those. I booked this a month before final payment was due with a Florida residents rate and now the price has gone up and we are at 66 days before sailing. Still plenty of rooms left. 

We originally wanted to do the repo in Oct 2025 from Boston to FLL. This year it is stopping in Bermuda. Next year it is not. So way too many sea days for us. So we booked it out of FLL.

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

48 minutes ago, RICruisegal said:

We originally wanted to do the repo in Oct 2025 from Boston to FLL. This year it is stopping in Bermuda. Next year it is not. So way too many sea days for us. So we booked it out of FLL.

 

How could there be too many  seadays ? 🤔😁

[3dog]

9 hours ago, bikerunner said:

and this is why so many people are over their heads on this   its basic economics   supply vs demand.  

Don’t forget: what the market will bear.

Popular itineraries will start with a higher price and only come down if demand is lacking (or not at all if marketing data shows higher demand will eventually come).

[robbinsca]

Haven’t seen this mentioned by anyone else but the OP may have booked before the transparency pricing rules went in to place. By the time you add port fees and taxes, etc., the pricing is going to go up a few hundred dollars on the Celebrity website.

 

Have prices increased, probably, just not quite as much as you think.

[PhillyFan33579]

On 7/25/2024 at 3:40 PM, RICruisegal said:

I booked the Silhouette in December 2023 for a Nov 2025 going to the ABC islands. Original price for a prime veranda with military rate was $2628 & I rebooked during a sale for $2428. This class is now boking at $3078!!! My experience is the pricing usually comes down, but this keeps going up, diff of $640. This will be my sister and her husband's first cruise and it was a stretch for her. I told her the price usually goes down, don't worry. Lol. Grateful we booked early!

 

The current demand for cruises is sky high, resulting in the high prices being charged by all cruise lines these days. Personally I have only been booking cruises well over a year in advance, when the prices are relatively on the low side.