Why are prices so HIGH now?

[joeyancho]

I am usually a RCCL cruiser, but due to the economic slow down money is tight. I found way lower rates on Carnival than RCCL. Plus they gave us a huge discount due to the fact that DW is an air traffic controller. The balcony rooms on Carnival were less than insides on RCCL.

[Earthworm Jim]

Just my opinion, but you're comparing your Carnival cruise to a RCCL cruise.

 

More than that, he's comparing a November cruise (low season) to a summer cruise (high season). That's apples and oranges.

 

It you want to compare apples to apples, look at the November 14, 2009 sailing of the Triumph. The rate they show for a suite on Carnival.com is currently $1389, much less than the $1995 you just paid for November 2008.

[Earthworm Jim]

We are in a recession and possibly a depression...

 

Wait a minute, we aren't even officially in a recession yet. That takes two consecutive quarters of negative growth, and we've only had one so far. (Though another one in the 4th quarter is probably a forgone conclusion)

 

One definition of a depression is when the Gross National Product decreases by more than 10%. GNP was down 0.3% in the third quarter, so this is a long, long, way away from a depression at this point.

 

(W)hy are there no bargains out there from the cruise lines to insure their ships sail fully booked? ...Why aren't there fire sale cruise prices like you hear of with the automobile dealers in an attempt to sell cars?

 

Apparently, because the cruise lines can fully book their ships without decreasing prices any more than they have. It wouldn't surprise me if they dropped a little more in the upcoming months though. If the economy stays weak there may not be as many people with money to spend on a cruise.

 

The prices I have seen for cruises appear to be much much higher than a year ago?

 

As I said in another post, because you were comparing November rates on Carnival to June rates at RCCL. Compare the rate you got on Carnival to the rate you'd get next November on Carnival and I think you'll see the prices are very good indeed.

[JordanLovesCruisin]

Hi

 

This question may not be new, but I will ask it anyway.

 

We are in a recession and possibly a depression...folks are losing their jobs by the thousands...many of us have seen about fifty percent of our life savings disappear...so...my question is...why are there no bargains out there from the cruise lines to insure their ships sail fully booked? The prices I have seen for cruises appear to be much much higher than a year ago? Why aren't there fire sale cruise prices like you hear of with the autombile dealers in an attempt to sell cars?

 

What is it that I am missing?

 

Please advise if you can explain this to me or if you think my obervation is not correct.

 

Mark:confused:

 

I wouldn't even be thinking about a cruise if money was that tight.

Just my two cents.

 

PS. There are some wonderful cruise prices out there right now. Search a little harder :)

[zqvol]

Hi

 

This question may not be new, but I will ask it anyway.

 

We are in a recession and possibly a depression...folks are losing their jobs by the thousands...many of us have seen about fifty percent of our life savings disappear...so...my question is...why are there no bargains out there from the cruise lines to insure their ships sail fully booked? The prices I have seen for cruises appear to be much much higher than a year ago? Why aren't there fire sale cruise prices like you hear of with the autombile dealers in an attempt to sell cars?

 

What is it that I am missing?

 

Please advise if you can explain this to me or if you think my obervation is not correct.

 

Mark:confused:

 

Sorry, but last week I got the same cabin that we had last year on the Legend, basically the same week (last part of July, first of August) for $400 pp less than I paid last year. Prices to me are really low right now.

[ruskatab]

I am usually a RCCL cruiser, but due to the economic slow down money is tight. I found way lower rates on Carnival than RCCL. Plus they gave us a huge discount due to the fact that DW is an air traffic controller. The balcony rooms on Carnival were less than insides on RCCL.

 

 

My hubby is an air traffic controller also and we love the interline rates on Carnival except for they took the discount away for 9A's and suites. Too bad RC doesnt give the FAA employees the discount also.

[Dan16]

Another vote for great deals being available now. Just priced the Alaska cruise we took on the Radiance last year and found the same cabin, for the same week, $400 pp cheaper. Hmmm;)

[jessemon]

Yep...It is like a fire sale right now if you are looking at something in the next few months. Thinking of booking a 4 nighter tomarrow on the Destiny in a 1A by myself for $300.....Can't beat that with a stick.....

[pe4all]

Our Christmas cruise quad balcony has gone down about $1400 since we booked almost 2 years ago. Even with paying the "new" fuel surcharge we didn't have when we originally booked, still have a hefty obc - first ever!

[Earthworm Jim]

I wouldn't even be thinking about a cruise if money was that tight.

 

Where did the OP ever say money was tight for him? He just said the economy stinks so he thought he'd get a deal.

[Love2Cruise - IL]

DH, DS and I booked a balcony on the Carnival Freedom for May 17, 2009 (6 days) and got a better price than we paid for an inside room May 2008 (7 days). Even with 1 less day, we save money and upgraded from an inside to a balcony. Granted the week we go is the last week before high family cruising season starts, but it is still a deal and it's 6 months away.

[trock]

Hi

 

This question may not be new, but I will ask it anyway.

 

We are in a recession and possibly a depression...folks are losing their jobs by the thousands...many of us have seen about fifty percent of our life savings disappear...so...my question is...why are there no bargains out there from the cruise lines to insure their ships sail fully booked? The prices I have seen for cruises appear to be much much higher than a year ago? Why aren't there fire sale cruise prices like you hear of with the autombile dealers in an attempt to sell cars?

 

What is it that I am missing?

 

Please advise if you can explain this to me or if you think my obervation is not correct.

 

Mark:confused:

 

 

I guess you are looking out of the NYC port area??

There are great cruise prices out there if you are willing to sail out of Florida or elsewhere.. Nothing is really dropping out of NYC.. I know I have been looking.. We are booked for the Miracle in May...

We booked last June and the price has only gone up, from what I have seen...

 

If you are willing to sail out of state there are great bargains to be had

Good Luck

[firefly333]

here is an example...RCCL Liberty of the Seas...7 nights on June 6 out of Miami

 

Balcony Staterooms total cost 2 people

 

D1 $2,939

D2 $2,739

E1 $2,639

E2 $2,539

 

I am comparing these rates to the $1,995 I just paid on my Nov 9 sailing off Carnival Triumph which was for a suite....to me there seems to be a large difference in prices...I would think June 6 is not prime time for a Caribbean cruise out of Miami???

 

On the other hand you could have gotten a balcony guarantee on Voyager in April for $699 pp. Even with taxes it would be less than $2K total.

 

Yes, of course June is prime time, summer is the most expensive time other than new years, christmas and spring break week.

 

Iv seen RCL cheaper than Carnival, sometimes one is cheaper and sometimes one is a little more, it varies. My cheapest 7 day was on RCL for $349 a year and a half ago.

[Kurbanfan]

Iv seen RCL cheaper than Carnival, sometimes one is cheaper and sometimes one is a little more, it varies. My cheapest 7 day was on RCL for $349 a year and a half ago.

 

 

Yep we are sailing on the Mariner in May. We have a balcony cabin cheaper then the Splendor for the same week..........same itinerary.......

[GoinCruisin]

here is an example...RCCL Liberty of the Seas...7 nights on June 6 out of Miami

 

Balcony Staterooms total cost 2 people

 

D1 $2,939

D2 $2,739

E1 $2,639

E2 $2,539

 

I am comparing these rates to the $1,995 I just paid on my Nov 9 sailing off Carnival Triumph which was for a suite....to me there seems to be a large difference in prices...I would think June 6 is not prime time for a Caribbean cruise out of Miami???

 

I don't think you could compare 2 more different products if you tried... you are comparing a cruise on a ship built in 2007 that is 154K tons in the height of summer, peak cruising time, to a ship built in 1999 that is 100K tons during the end of hurricane season in off season. Perhaps if you compared 2 sailings that were at least somewhere in the general vicinity of similar, you may not see such a great difference.

[JordanLovesCruisin]

Where did the OP ever say money was tight for him? He just said the economy stinks so he thought he'd get a deal.

 

Sorry, I quoted his post, but I had read where someone else had said that money was tight.

 

I did not mean him, sorry to have confused you, thanks for correcting me :)

[CRUISEMAMMA]

I think the problem is airfare not necc cruise fare. If we were not paying air we would be much happier cruisers more often

[GoinCruisin]

Heck, I just priced airfare from Raleigh to LAX... $250... hasn't been that low in a long time, I'm happy!!! :) Hope they keep coming down... My flight last month RT to FLL from RDU ended up being less than $130... again, very happy :)