Nickels and Dimes

[dakrewser]

Good article in today's SF Chronicle about the cruise industry and the outlook (especially the outlook for prices and costs) for 2005 -

Bill Due for building spree -- guess who's going to pay? (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/09/TRGOQAMKQ21.TMP)

-dave

[ryansmemom]

Thanks, Dave. Very informative.

Linda

[CaptData]

Good article but did you notice what was below, :) Hooland America on Sale, NCL deep discounts.

[jhannah]

Interesting story. It will be fun to watch and see what happens this year.

[ruthiegirl]

looks like we will be digging deeper. pretty soon I'll need a longer shovel. However in the resort city of Wildwood NJ a decent no frills hotel can cost up to 200 dollars so IMHOP a cruise is worth a few more "nickles and dimes" Thanks for the info Dave you seem to be up on all this.

[OCruisers]

Dave .... Would love to hear your thoughts on this article!

Happy Sailing! OCruisers :)

[obriendan]

Thanks for the link to this interesting article.

[ekerr19]

I read two similar articles this week. I am afraid prices are going to continue to rise. I ahve been looking at another cruise for 2005 - 2006 and the prices are unbelievably high. According to our TA, we may not see the 45 - 58% discounts we've grown accustomed to.

We made the final payment for our 3/20 Volendam cruise on 1/4/05 and immediately following the due date - the price increased dramtically.

Things are not looking well for those of us who have been able to book 2 cruises per year because of the great pricing. We have to book for all four of us, so we must also consider air, hotels, shipboard accounts, etc.

[jhannah]

According to our TA, we may not see the 45 - 58% discounts we've grown accustomed to ... Things are not looking well for those of us who have been able to book 2 cruises per year because of the great pricing.
Exactly! And this creates a real Catch-22 for the cruise lines. If we have to book fewer cruises, how/where will they make up the difference? I know costs go up, and we should all naturally expect to pay more as time goes on. But, at the end of the day, there's just so much most of us can take.

[ekerr19]

Exactly! And this creates a real Catch-22 for the cruise lines. If we have to book fewer cruises, how/where will they make up the difference? I know costs go up, and we should all naturally expect to pay more as time goes on. But, at the end of the day, there's just so much most of us can take.

We will be back to one cruise for the family per year. There is just no way to justify the cost - we can budget only so much for each 10-day vacation.

We are looking at the 10-day Mexican Riviera, RT from San Diego on 12/17/05 (San Diego air is usally pretty reasonable for us - and the flight is not too long) but the published prices... Wow! :eek: We would be looking at about $9K just for the cruise! We are bringing our 24-yr. old son and booking 2 cabins, but the boys take an inside guarantee! I know it's a holiday sailing, but we've gotten pretty good pricing on these in the past.

I will have to wait and see what the TA comes back with... but I'm not holding my breath.

[RuthC]

Thanks for the link, Dave. It made for interesting reading.


We've gotten quite used to low-low prices, and are still getting used to the nickle and dimeing, and the service charge to help defray the cost.
The time will have to come for prices to rise to pay for it; this can't go on forever.

I do have to wonder, though, what will happen when prices do go up? Will the nickle and dimeing end, as the price will be more reflective of the actual cost? Or will we be paying a fair per diem for our cruises, but still be saddled with the "extra" fees?
Or will the concept of the "all-inclusive" cruise go the way of the dinosaurs?

Time will tell.

[jcrandle]

Another take on this.... I just found the ticket for my first cruise on the Carnival Holiday in July, 1986. DW and I, two kids, and mother-in-law in an inside cabin for a total charge of $3950. That was about $800 per person. In today's dollars, that was considerably more. DW and I are currently booked on the Conquest for the 1/16 cruise for an inside at $670 pp. IMO cruising is still one of the real price performers, as long as you spend your money judiciously on the extras.

[pingsplace]

Dakrewer,

Thanks for keeping all of us updated!:)

[RuffinReady]

My DW and I did a B2B on the Royal Princess (outside no balcony) for 32 days from FLL to Varapriso for a combined cabin fare only of $2300 p/p in November 2001 :) It broke down as $1400 p/p from Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires and only $900 p/p on to Varapriso. I don't think that we will see that type of fare again, although we did go from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton in 8 days as part of a B2B2b also on the Royal Princess (still outside no balcony) for cabin fare only of $659 p/p in May 2002 (cheaper than flying!)

To see how fares have gone up already look at our booking on the Prinsendam (outside no balcony) for May 2005 for a cabin fare only of $4268 p/p. This is for 26 days from NYC to Athens.

The per day for the South American cruise was $143.75 p/p, the transatlantic was only $82.38 p/p. The Prinsendam will be $164.15 p/p. That is somewhat apples and oranges in comparing the two ships, but it is still inexpensive for a great vacation compared to the alternative.

I wonder what late 2005 and 2006 will have to offer. :eek:

Ruffin

Bahama Star (long time ago!)
S.S. France (Transatlantic -1965)
S.S Atlantic (Transatlantic, Mediterranean - American Export Lines - 1966)
Europa (Caribbean - 1969 - North German Lloyd)
Statendam (Caribbean - 1975)
Sunward (Bahamas - c. 1980)
Song of America (Caribbean - 1988)
Crown Princess (Alaska - 1999)
Crown Princess (Baltic - 2001)
Royal Princess (B2B to South America - 2001)
Royal Princess (B2B2B; Transatlantic, France, Belgium, Holland; Gt.Britain-2002)
Galaxy (Caribbean - 2003)

Prinsendam (B2B; Transatlantic NYC to Athens – May 2005)

[Orcrone]

DW prefers AIs instead of cruises. With prices of cruises going up the AIs become more cost competitive. So I think she's behind it all.

[RuffinReady]

Orcrone, what is an AI?


Ruffin

[elmorejj]

AI stands for All Inclusive resort holiday. We do a couple of these each year (going to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic in March) and love them. We use 5 star upscale resorts where everything is included, food, drinks, tips, excursions, transfers etc. and find the prices work out much cheaper than cruising. I still will take a couple of cruises a year, but not as many as in the past......jean :cool:

[RuffinReady]

:eek: I made an error when I said that the South American cruise of 18/14=32 days was only $143.75 p/p. It was that price COMBINED. So it was only $71.88 p/p! Of course I got the email offering that cruise from Princess only 30 days after 9/11. We were able to get our shots and visas from the Brazilian Embassy and make other plans in only a month. Then two weeks later I got the email to go the extra 14 days for only $999.00 p/p. I couldn't pass it up. So here in simple form is a listing of the three cruises for those who might be interested.

11/01-FLL to Varapriso via Buenos Aires 18+14=32 (18/14@32) days for $71.88 per day p/p.
5/02-FLL to Southampton-8+12+12=32 days for $117.94 per day p/p.
5/05-NYC to Athens-14+12=26 days for $164.14 per day p/p.

Ruffin

Bahama Star (long time ago!)
S.S. France (Transatlantic -1965)
S.S Atlantic (Transatlantic, Mediterranean - American Export Lines - 1966)
Europa (Caribbean - 1969 - North German Lloyd)
Statendam (Caribbean - 1975)
Sunward (Bahamas - c. 1980)
Song of America (Caribbean - 1988)
Crown Princess (Alaska - 1999)
Crown Princess (Baltic - 2001)
Royal Princess (B2B to South America - 2001)
Royal Princess (B2B2B; Transatlantic, France, Belgium, Holland; Gt.Britain-2002)
Galaxy (Caribbean - 2003)

Prinsendam (B2B; Transatlantic NYC to Athens – May 2005)

[stanjj111]

Thanks for the lead. The article was interesting.

[dakrewser]

DW prefers AIs instead of cruises. With prices of cruises going up the AIs become more cost competitive. So I think she's behind it all.

But when you wake up in the morning, your hotel is still in the same place!

:rolleyes: -dave