Yes but this is about hotels for a UK holiday versus cruise ships. Sorry but I don't think 30 mins from Hornchurch on a specific date qualifies as typical.
We wanted to stay overnight this time last year in North West, but noticed it was Eurovision in Liverpool. Oops no cheap deals for 50miles of Liverpool.
Prices are supply and demand . Pre Covid there was just over 600,000 thousand hotel rooms in UK (excluding air bnb etc) . This fell by up to 50,000 due to covid, the government has also taken 50,000 off the market. So prices have gone up. Would be even more but for the expansion of air bnb etc
Hence the cheapest cruise prices are very good value compared to hotel, but at top end even P&O suites prices still plenty of exceptional UK hotels for that money. Unless you want a holiday in Central London. (Nightmare)