Is Cruising Still the Great Value it once was????

Crazy to think but I am finding that the cost of a week long cruise is beginning to get very expensive. For example:

2010 2 Passengers, 7 Night Pride of America Hawaii Aft Balcony $1,652

2011 2 Passengers, 7 Night Spirit Carribbean Balcony $1,326

2012 2 Passengers, 7 Night Star Caribbean Balcony $1,426

2013 2 Passengers, 7 Night Allure of Seas Caribbean Balcony $1,852

2014 2 Passengers, 7 Night Getaway Caribbean Balcony $1,994

2015 2 Passengers, 7 Night Adventure of Seas Caribbean $1,997

2016 3 Passengers, 7 Night Getaway Caribbean Balcony $2,995

Even if we were 2 passengers on the 2016 sailing our cost would be around $2,500!!!

It seems that cruise prices have jumped up and even worse the 3rd and 4th person in a stateroom costs have doubled!!!

So my question is: Is a cruise vacation for 2 - 4 people really worth around $3,000????

We went to the Riviera Maya this past December and our cost for the entire week including meals, entertainment, transportation and spending money was far less than $3,000 for the 4 of us. And we were in a 3,000 sq ft luxury condo at the Grand Luxxe residence club.

I have to be honest, we are seriously considering a decrease in the number of cruises we take. I'm just not seeing the value in a cruise that I once did...

Opinions???

Mixing one heck of a lot of apples and oranges there...

First of all, your all inclusive, like so many others, is in a location where costs are far lower than the cruise line industry faces.

Second, you are comparing prices over a major recession, where the cruise industry lost a lot of money trying to fill ships.

Thirdly, your 2016 ship is a brand new ship that can charge premiums because people "need" to be on a new ship, just like the Allure and Oasis have done. I am sure you can get cheaper fares elsewhere.

Lastly, have costs gone up? Yes, they have. Not sure why they would be expected to go down. Why are they going up? Too many reasons to list, but a simple, cover all bases statement would be the economy is improving and so is demand.

Mixing one heck of a lot of apples and oranges there...

 

First of all, your all inclusive, like so many others, is in a location where costs are far lower than the cruise line industry faces.

Sorry but our resort in Mexico was not AI. We could also compare it to our timeshare in Maui that is not AI and costs us far less than $3,000 a week. And costs there are at the top of the list.

 

Second, you are comparing prices over a major recession, where the cruise industry lost a lot of money trying to fill ships.

If you look at our balcony on the Getaway back when it was ONLY 3 months old it was nearly $600 less and we were long out of the recession 10 months ago...

 

Thirdly, your 2016 ship is a brand new ship that can charge premiums because people "need" to be on a new ship, just like the Allure and Oasis have done. I am sure you can get cheaper fares elsewhere.

Again, same ship much higher price - see comment above.

 

Lastly, have costs gone up? Yes, they have. Not sure why they would be expected to go down. Why are they going up? Too many reasons to list, but a simple, cover all bases statement would be the economy is improving and so is demand.

I can give you one great reason why costs should go down - fuel prices have been cut in half.

I'm not sure I buy your demand argument either. NCL and RCCL have been adding ships like it's going out of style. Not to mention all of the Euro lines that have been coming over offering cruises. It just strikes me that pricing has jumped in the past 6 months and the 3rd and 4th guest prices doubled over this same period.

The price of oil has gone down. However, cruise lines (and the airlines) have long term fuel contracts with prices set for periods of time. They don't go to the pump every day and see the prices drop, or raise, like we do.

Delta just reported a 15% drop in their fuel costs for last year. Given the expenses of operating an airline, that doesn't translate to much change in air fares.

Your all inclusive doesn't have the costs of feeding or housing their employees like a cruise line does, not does it have the fuel cost of moving that resort every day.

Yes, our first few cruises were $500/wk--but that was interiors.

We are paying $500 each for OV for 5 days this trip--BUT this includes the drink package ($250+ value each) plus tips ($60 value each) , so this is a better deal than when we started 10 years ago...

There are still deals to be had...you just have to be flexible with rooms, dates, itineraries, ships as well as look for good promos.

It seems you are beginning to miss the point of my argument... All I am saying is that the VALUE of a cruise is not the same as it has been in the past. And you clearly don't understand that I am not speaking about any ALL INCLUSIVE resorts either. Neither the Grand Luxxe or our timeshare in Maui are ALL INCLUSIVE. They are only a place to stay. You still have to buy your food, drinks etc...

All I am saying is a cruise was a great way to save money. I don't see it as that any longer. The Grand Luxxe we stayed at is a high-end LUXURY resort and yet it was much less expensive to spend a week there than on a cruise.

I guess if you wanted to cram 4 people into an inside cabin a cruise will then be a great value. I just have no interest in paying that kind of money for a 128 square foot closet.

If you take our 2016 cruise for example. The cruise cost is almost $3,000. Then you add our on-board spending for the week which typically ends up around $1,200 after on-board credits. Then add shore excursions and tips which typically tally around $200 per port. Then add spending at those ports and you are somewhere in the $5,500 range for the entire trip not including airfare.

That's a lot of money for a one week trip!

Compare that to the Grand Luxxe for example:

Our 3,000 sq ft luxury villa had 2 bedrooms, 2 living rooms and 3 full baths and a pool on one of it's 3 balconies! We traveled with a couple we know and split the $2,000 cost. Our meals and drinks were about $200 per day and we didn't try to keep it to a budget. Our spending for the entire trip which included Cirque Du Soliel tickets, trips to Cozumel, Tulum, X-Caret, Chichen Itza and Isla Mujeres as well as many trips to Playa Del Carmen totaled about $900. Not to mention we had a butler, two concierges and morning and evening cleaning service where they cleaned any dishes/glasses we used and even folded any clothes we left laying around.

That comes to $3,300 for the entire trip not including airfare.

So my point is the value of a cruise isn't what it used to be. And don't try to say that the cruise offers great entertainment value. The Grand Luxxe offers daily shows and activities for free. Even our timeshare in Maui offers a free Luau for the guests twice a week. Everyone offers some form of entertainment. Cruises have to offer a bit more because you are a captive audience stuck on the ship. It's not like you can drive off to go somewhere else for the day.

So again, my point is that I don't feel a cruise offers the same value it used to. I'm not saying they are not fun or that I am never going to go on a cruise again. The fact is some of my best vacation friends and memories have come from cruising! I'm just saying we are now going to spend more time going on more conventional vacations as they offer the better value.

Yes, our first few cruises were $500/wk--but that was interiors.

We are paying $500 each for OV for 5 days this trip--BUT this includes the drink package ($250+ value each) plus tips ($60 value each) , so this is a better deal than when we started 10 years ago...

There are still deals to be had...you just have to be flexible with rooms, dates, itineraries, ships as well as look for good promos.

And I do agree with you that there are some bargains out there. No doubt. Just like there are bargains out there for conventional vacation. I'm just seeing a significant increase in rates in general. The fact that they doubled the 3rd and 4th guest pricing must increase their revenue by leaps and bounds. Especially in the large suites that can hold as many as 8.

Is Cruising Still the Great Value it once was????

There are too many variables. I will look from the perspective that, when is the next time I want to do the family vacation, and for that particular period, what options (cruise or land) are there and compare among them what's best value to us at that time.

Attempt to answer your question ... in my case, I compared between my first cruise in 2009 and most recent cruise last Christmas (which cost less than half of the first one) and, YES, cruising still a great value it "once" was to us. Obviously they were of completely different line, ship, itinerary, timing of the booking, timing of the cruise, and cabin category. I am not comparing apples to apples, so I suppose my conclusion doesn't really mean much. :rolleyes:

Our onboard account will be nowhere near $1200 (especially since our drink package was part of our promo), we don't do shore excursions (tho we may spend a few $ in port for cab, drinks, etc, but not much)

We have never spent anywhere near $5500 for a week on a cruise including all expenses!! (Even on DCL our cost for 5 of us in a family balcony Xmas week was not close to $2750 each)

For us is a cruise a great value--absolutely. We like to hit several ports. (I don't think an all-inclusive is for me). We like the wide variety of activities available on the ship. We like getting to know various servers/bartenders.

I guess it is about what you spend $ on that is important.

For us, a room is to sleep & shower--I just need a clean safe place to lay my head for a few hours/nt. (just like in Vegas--I COULD pay for a nicer room, but WHY when I can get one that is just fine for free?). And sometimes we decide we want to spend a few $ more for a balcony...truly depends.

So, YES, a cruise is still a great value, depending on your wants.

Out of 9 cruises, we have paid about $500 each for 4 of them (one of those was a 5 day)....my parents paid for 2...his parents paid for 1...and we have won 2 (each of us won a poker tournament on a cruise which won us a week long cruise).

Last year we booked the Constellation 5 day balcony & were able to go up several classes for $20 each for the week. (from entry level balcony to top level balcony before a suite)

So the ones we have paid for have been terrific values--and of course the ones we haven't have been darn good values, too!!:rolleyes:

And we are teachers, so have very specific times we can cruise, otherwise we would probably have even better deals to speak of!

ANY cruise is better than working!

Out of 9 cruises, we have paid about $500 each for 4 of them (one of those was a 5 day)....my parents paid for 2...his parents paid for 1...and we have won 2 (each of us won a poker tournament on a cruise which won us a week long cruise).

 

Last year we booked the Constellation 5 day balcony & were able to go up several classes for $20 each for the week. (from entry level balcony to top level balcony before a suite)

 

So the ones we have paid for have been terrific values--and of course the ones we haven't have been darn good values, too!!:rolleyes:

 

And we are teachers, so have very specific times we can cruise, otherwise we would probably have even better deals to speak of!

 

ANY cruise is better than working!

ANY cruise is definitely better than working! Unless you are on a Carnival cruise ship that breaks down... lol.

The free drink package promo is relatively new and only applies to balcony or higher bookings (some ocean view too). I can't expect that promo to last long. I think they are only doing it to make people aware that it exists. But it certainly does help in getting more value out of the cruise! I spoke with a representative at NCL who said they raised their rates prior to the free drink package promo. The fact is they don't give you anything for free... nor should they.

Our invoice at the end of the cruise is usually due to drinks and the DW's time at the spa.

ANY cruise is definitely better than working! Unless you are on a Carnival cruise ship that breaks down... lol.

 

The free drink package promo is relatively new and only applies to balcony or higher bookings (some ocean view too). I can't expect that promo to last long. I think they are only doing it to make people aware that it exists. But it certainly does help in getting more value out of the cruise! I spoke with a representative at NCL who said they raised their rates prior to the free drink package promo. The fact is they don't give you anything for free... nor should they.

 

Our invoice at the end of the cruise is usually due to drinks and the DW's time at the spa.

I think you are correct. This got me thinking which is always a good thing. I cruise last minute rates which I noticed are higher quite a bit. :(

I think you are correct. This got me thinking which is always a good thing. I cruise last minute rates which I noticed are higher quite a bit. :(

Good point! We've met people who booked last minute and gotten inside staterooms for as low as $199 per person plus taxes and port charges. It's been a couple of years since we've heard anything like that.

ANY cruise is definitely better than working! Unless you are on a Carnival cruise ship that breaks down... lol.

 

The free drink package promo is relatively new and only applies to balcony or higher bookings (some ocean view too). I can't expect that promo to last long. I think they are only doing it to make people aware that it exists. But it certainly does help in getting more value out of the cruise! I spoke with a representative at NCL who said they raised their rates prior to the free drink package promo. The fact is they don't give you anything for free... nor should they.

 

Our invoice at the end of the cruise is usually due to drinks and the DW's time at the spa.

If nothing else...we would have had a story for years!

We booked the promo through a TA, which allowed us to book an OV (Celebrities site said balcony or higher). I actually think this may be the wave of the future...

BUT there has been a noticeable change in the number of bartenders & servers on Celebrity ships (assuming comments here are reliable)--servers non-existent at pool, only 1 bartender at pool bars, etc. We learned to just pop in to an inside bar to grab a drink!

If nothing else...we would have had a story for years!

 

We booked the promo through a TA, which allowed us to book an OV (Celebrities site said balcony or higher). I actually think this may be the wave of the future...

BUT there has been a noticeable change in the number of bartenders & servers on Celebrity ships (assuming comments here are reliable)--servers non-existent at pool, only 1 bartender at pool bars, etc. We learned to just pop in to an inside bar to grab a drink!

We just got off of the RCCL Adventure of the Seas on Sunday and we bought the drink package. We were told you have to wait 12 minutes in between drinks or they won't serve you. I didn't notice it being enforced but who knows...

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We just booked (almost last minute) 7 days on RCL Navigator of the Sea for Feb 22nd. I originally booked one of the virtual display rooms at $399.00 each, with the current promotion of 50% off the second person.

I was offered an upgrade to an ocean view that we did not take. With prepaid gratuties, taxes and fees it came to $940.08. As has happened in the past, I suspect we'll be offered a balcony cabin at a considerably discounted price. depending on the deck and location, we will probably accept that upgrade.

Of course, this cruise week is way 'off season', but we like it that way...Stephen

We started cruising relatively recently and consider it excellent value . Like other posters , we are tied to

the school year schedule and being in Canada we wish (NEED) to go South during Spring break .

Comparing a cruise with quality all-inclusives resort vacation is an interesting exercise .

No a cruise is not all-inclusive but neither are these resorts. Even there golf ,excursions , spa treatments

and gambling are extra . I can't answer whether cruising is "Still the great value it once was".

I can say it is currently is the best value for us .

It seems you are beginning to miss the point of my argument... All I am saying is that the VALUE of a cruise is not the same as it has been in the past. And you clearly don't understand that I am not speaking about any ALL INCLUSIVE resorts either. Neither the Grand Luxxe or our timeshare in Maui are ALL INCLUSIVE. They are only a place to stay. You still have to buy your food, drinks etc...

 

All I am saying is a cruise was a great way to save money. I don't see it as that any longer. The Grand Luxxe we stayed at is a high-end LUXURY resort and yet it was much less expensive to spend a week there than on a cruise.

 

I guess if you wanted to cram 4 people into an inside cabin a cruise will then be a great value. I just have no interest in paying that kind of money for a 128 square foot closet.

 

If you take our 2016 cruise for example. The cruise cost is almost $3,000. Then you add our on-board spending for the week which typically ends up around $1,200 after on-board credits. Then add shore excursions and tips which typically tally around $200 per port. Then add spending at those ports and you are somewhere in the $5,500 range for the entire trip not including airfare.

 

That's a lot of money for a one week trip!

 

Compare that to the Grand Luxxe for example:

 

Our 3,000 sq ft luxury villa had 2 bedrooms, 2 living rooms and 3 full baths and a pool on one of it's 3 balconies! We traveled with a couple we know and split the $2,000 cost. Our meals and drinks were about $200 per day and we didn't try to keep it to a budget. Our spending for the entire trip which included Cirque Du Soliel tickets, trips to Cozumel, Tulum, X-Caret, Chichen Itza and Isla Mujeres as well as many trips to Playa Del Carmen totaled about $900. Not to mention we had a butler, two concierges and morning and evening cleaning service where they cleaned any dishes/glasses we used and even folded any clothes we left laying around.

 

That comes to $3,300 for the entire trip not including airfare.

 

So my point is the value of a cruise isn't what it used to be. And don't try to say that the cruise offers great entertainment value. The Grand Luxxe offers daily shows and activities for free. Even our timeshare in Maui offers a free Luau for the guests twice a week. Everyone offers some form of entertainment. Cruises have to offer a bit more because you are a captive audience stuck on the ship. It's not like you can drive off to go somewhere else for the day.

 

So again, my point is that I don't feel a cruise offers the same value it used to. I'm not saying they are not fun or that I am never going to go on a cruise again. The fact is some of my best vacation friends and memories have come from cruising! I'm just saying we are now going to spend more time going on more conventional vacations as they offer the better value.

WOW. $5500. Last Cruise I went on I paid about 1100-1200 total including cruise and money spent. Your list is seriously bloated. Plenty bargains are out there. Cruising is a great value, imo

We have just done our first ever cruise and for us it is by far the cheapest way to have a fabulous holiday. Granted we are retired and can pick and choose when we go, and can go last minute too.

In January we did an MSC cruise (inside cabin) around the Canary Islands and up to Morroco 7 days for €435 (equiv to $385) each and this included the full 24 hour drinks package and tips. We couldn't stay in a decent hotel for a week for that.

I do understand that for those who work, especially for those tied to school holidays, that the prices are horrendous and cruising is then a luxury holiday, but if you are free to go as and when you will then you are cruisin for a bargin

LynnA1955

Did you mean €385 equiv to $435 US funds ?

If you think balcony is too pricey, downgrade. Inside cabin is very affordable on most cruises.

I think your problem is being budget-conscious, but electing to demand a balcony.

To digress, current macroeconomic trends are creating a wealth gap; there are relatively more very wealthy people than before, at the expense of shrinking the middle class and growing the lower class. How does that play out for cruise ships? Anything luxurious is going to be peddled at high rates to the growing ranks of the rich that can afford them.

Perhaps more people are also taking fewer vacations but splurging on the time they do take away from work.

Inside gets you 98% of the benefits of a balcony cruise; cruising is so so much more about the ports and the ship than it is about sitting in your room. Spend your money as you see fit.

LynnA1955

Did you mean €385 equiv to $435 US funds ?

Sorry my mistake, I did the conversion the wrong way round doh! I meant $495 us dollars

We sailed on the NCL Jade last Dec in a 2 bedroom penthouse suite and squeezed in 6 pax (4 adults and 2 kids).

It was great value!