Cruise pricing

Just doing a bit of searching and I thought I would get some opinion.

These are direct from the cruise line websites.

17th December 2011 for 2 people

10 nights Pacific Dawn South Pacific

Balcony Cabin

$5,398. Total $540 per day

23rd December 2011 for 2 people

9 nights Carnival Spirit Mexican Riviera

Balcony Cabin

$2,966 Total $329 per day

I can't wait for the Spirit if the same pricing applies when she gets here.

At last some value for money cruising on a true superliner that is relatively new.

It will be interesting won't it?

I regularly cruise at less around $100 per day...and I have never booked an inside! (Until the Radiance cruise to nowhere) Diamond Princess 17 nights last December was a minisuite for $2000pp plus onboard perks as well as our platinum perks.

Do your research..know what the cabin is worth. It helps if you can be flexible..obviously school holidays, Christmas etc. are always dearer.

Got a verandah suite on the Voldenam during the January school holidays...family got upgraded for $199 x 2 from ocean view to balcony for total price of just over $2000pp.

I would not pay $300 or even $250 a day for a cruise...not that I am lousy I just want to cruise more often, the less I pay the more often I can do it.

Find a good agent who will alert you to specials and "flash" sales. Use a cruise specialist and they are rarely found in your local shopping centre. Join your roll call and get to know regular cruisers who will share deals with you.

Happy hunting.:)

$540 per day??? or even $329 per day???

If you pay that, I know where there is a large bridge that I can sell you.

Barry

I actually found both those cruises for cheaper fares than quoted above. I'd bet my bottom dollar, however, Carnival Spirit fares will not be that cheap in Australia - unfortunately.

There's not much point in quoting an American-based cruise against an Australian/New Zealand-based cruise.

$540 per day??? or even $329 per day???

 

If you pay that, I know where there is a large bridge that I can sell you.

Barry

:D:D:D

He has quoted for two people not, as usually done, per person. :rolleyes: Even so, I would do a lot more research.

When researching my next cruise, I found that pricing for my RCI cruise was similar to a P&O cruise. Both for same time, same room category.

The RCI cruise is on Radiance 12 nights / 7 ports, the P&O cruise is on Pearl 9 nights / 4 ports.

For me, the RCI cruise seemed like a better deal as I preferred to cruise on Radiance and the RCI itinery is my ideal South Pacific itinery. P&O does have some great cruising deals, but sometimes it pays off to check other cruiselines too to compare and get the best value for your money.

P&O does have some great cruising deals, but sometimes it pays off to check other cruiselines too to compare and get the best value for your money.

ABSOLUTELY - and equally important to compare "apples with apples". There are some really good deals out there - and there are a number of factors which turns a "Glossy brochure price" into a "good deal". Sometimes, depending on our personal circumstances, we have to pay Brochure price and at other times we get a deal. Personally, we NEVER pay brochure prices - and I believe this quoting of prices is a bit silly - because basically there is no price for anything these days - what there is , is a price a business wants and a price that a particular customer is willing to pay.

P&O does have some great cruising deals, but sometimes it pays off to check other cruiselines too to compare and get the best value for your money.

 

ABSOLUTELY - and equally important to compare "apples with apples". There are some really good deals out there - and there are a number of factors which turns a "Glossy brochure price" into a "good deal". Sometimes, depending on our personal circumstances, we have to pay Brochure price and at other times we get a deal. Personally, we NEVER pay brochure prices - and I believe this quoting of prices is a bit silly - because basically there is no price for anything these days - what there is , is a price a business wants and a price that a particular customer is willing to pay.

I agree that quoting an amazing special in another part of the world and comparing it with brochure price here is misleading and in fact rather pointless.

In August 2008 we went on a 16 night cruise on the Pacific Sun. Well ahead of the cruise we jumped on a special price of $1,195 twin share for an inside cabin. A few weeks before the cruise, several TAs had a special that was around half that price, and aa further $100pp cheaper if one person in the cabin was over 55. I remember that several people on the forum grabbed that price. We were philosophical - win some, lose some.

The point I am making is that someone overseas could have pointed to that special price and complained that their cruises are more expensive. BTW, I do realise that we don't get a lot of cruises that cheap, but then we don't have as many cruiselines or ships competing for business as there are out of USA.

The thing about the pricing that REALLY gripes me is the 40% off rubbish plastered all over the print advertising. 40% off a price that no one EVER pays. It is misleading and totally false...

This bogus form of advertising is actually outlawed in Australia and yet no one seems to have taken the cruise industry on about it.

It not too hard to work out an average price per day per the cabin category you like...that pretty much makes it easy to compare different cruise lines. Take into account OBC etc. and obviously your starting point would be the itinerary.

Of course you will quickly form preferences for different ships/cruise lines and sometimes will be willing to pay more to sail on your preference.

Hi

I purposely chose these cruises as they are Christmas cruises.

Yes I priced the per day price for the cabin for 2.

These are not Brochure prices, the brochure price for the P&O cruise was way more than the price I used.

I don't know anyone who has ever paid the brochure price.

The Spirit price was the price that most people would have paid through the cruise site it is not a special, in fact if you try various super special 40% off sites they can be dearer.

I doubt if you would get a Christmas cruise for $100 a day this side of Afganistan.

I don't think that comparing overseas prices with ours pointless, most good cruise blogs do.

Where is the difference in overheads for them, the ships are registered generally in ports that none of them go to much, if not at all.

No it is VERY relevant.

The whole point of the original post was to highlight how much we pay over and above what the cruise is worth.

Just watch the price for the same type of cruise for Spirit when it is announced.

That is why so many cruise lines are coming here, the profits are greater.

As for travel agents, well the less said the better there.

All the best

P

Anyone notice the Celebriting Honolulu to Sydney inside quad for under $1500?

Hi

I purposely chose these cruises as they are Christmas cruises.

Yes I priced the per day price for the cabin for 2.

 

These are not Brochure prices, the brochure price for the P&O cruise was way more than the price I used.

I don't know anyone who has ever paid the brochure price.

The Spirit price was the price that most people would have paid through the cruise site it is not a special, in fact if you try various super special 40% off sites they can be dearer.

 

I doubt if you would get a Christmas cruise for $100 a day this side of Afganistan.

 

I don't think that comparing overseas prices with ours pointless, most good cruise blogs do.

Where is the difference in overheads for them, the ships are registered generally in ports that none of them go to much, if not at all.

No it is VERY relevant.

 

The whole point of the original post was to highlight how much we pay over and above what the cruise is worth.

Just watch the price for the same type of cruise for Spirit when it is announced.

 

That is why so many cruise lines are coming here, the profits are greater.

 

As for travel agents, well the less said the better there.

 

All the best

P

Love Thied

.

Twitter is a good source for finding good cruise prices.

There was a deal posted by the magazine thats about cruising and passengers (that's about the least cryptic I can make it!).

It was for a cruise on the Legend sailing in Asia, amazing prices.

There are several reasons why we can't take advantage of last minute specials.

The first and most important being I am very Jack Nicholsonesque and have to have things very organised. Even to the extent of having booked our cruise in Jan 2013 about 3 months ago.

The second being I have school age kids and my wife works in a school, so its school holidays only for us.

Another is that we like cruising in a crowd and it is very difficult trying to get last minute deals for 2 or 3 families.

If you add all these things together the $100 a day cruise is unobtainable at the moment but rest assured when the kids are older we will take advantage.

We have been cruising for a number of years and know the value of cabins and know when a special is not a special.

Just as an aside does anyone know anyone who has paid the full price shown in the brochures, there must be someone!

Have a great day

Just doing a bit of searching and I thought I would get some opinion.

These are direct from the cruise line websites.

 

17th December 2011 for 2 people

10 nights Pacific Dawn South Pacific

Balcony Cabin

$5,398. Total $540 per day

 

23rd December 2011 for 2 people

9 nights Carnival Spirit Mexican Riviera

Balcony Cabin

$2,966 Total $329 per day

 

I can't wait for the Spirit if the same pricing applies when she gets here.

At last some value for money cruising on a true superliner that is relatively new.

It will be interesting won't it?

The difference in pricing is market driven, not ship driven. I seriously doubt you'll see that kind of price on the Spirit in Australia.

The difference in pricing is market driven, not ship driven. I seriously doubt you'll see that kind of price on the Spirit in Australia.

Hi,

I think it's always better to quote cabin or room prices when travelling the US and I am pretty sure we won't get cabin prices anywhere near those I was quoted but we should.

Cabin prices per day for cruises out of the US are always much cheaper, what's more the cruise companies are making enormous profits there.

Our prices are typically at least 50% dearer, why? because they can.

Now I realise that the particular cruise to the Mexican riviera has not been Carnival's most profitable and that is the reason they are relocating the Spirit, but the per day cabin prices for all Carnival ships are about the same.

I don't know if you have ever cruised down here but historically Carnival cruise lines have brought so called "new" ships down here that are actually ships that are too old for the US or UK market, they paint them up, put some extra berths in and then charge top dollar for the cabins.

Even the Royal Caribbean ships that are based down here would be considered past their useful sell by date over there.

The Spirit is the first ship that can be called new that will be based here and it will be interesting to see firstly how they price it and secondly whether this heralds the start of Carnival rebranding P&O Australia and getting rid of their old ships, especially the Pacific Sun which is a very old ship indeed.

Have a great day

Cabin prices per day for cruises out of the US are always much cheaper, what's more the cruise companies are making enormous profits there.

More inaccurate, sweeping generalisations - both the above are wrong.

1. Sometimes their prices per day are cheaper, and sometimes ours are. There's no rule that it has to be one or the other, but a factor of the market.

2. As for enormous profits, just look at the latest statement, just released from Carnival. Profit of $152m, against revenue of $3.4b. An "enormous profit" of 4.47%. You must consider your returns of 6% from an online savings bank account out of this world.

Our prices are typically at least 50% dearer, why? because they can.

While your statement of being "at least 50% dearer" is again incorrect, your conclusion is odd. Did you offer to discount your wage 50% when you were offered/negotiated a wage? Or did you just accept it "just because you could?"

I fail to understand why a cruise line should underprice its cruises so that they sell out in a few months and leave many other potential cruises annoyed that none are available! What is the reasoning behind such a suggestion?

Now I realise that the particular cruise to the Mexican riviera has not been Carnival's most profitable and that is the reason they are relocating the Spirit, but the per day cabin prices for all Carnival ships are about the same.

Again, incorrrect. There's a significant range in pricing per day (basically, a range of 3x the cost of the lowest just comparing insides). However, there is less overall variation than other cruise lines - but that's because they don't travel to the wide variety of destinations that others do. A more homogenous market means less variation of prices.

I don't know if you have ever cruised down here but historically Carnival cruise lines have brought so called "new" ships down here that are actually ships that are too old for the US or UK market, they paint them up, put some extra berths in and then charge top dollar for the cabins.

Sigh. Where to begin? Carnival US don't even operate here. There is an independent subsidiary here so it's not just a matter of reallocating as part of their fleet.

This is the second time a Carnival ship has been deployed out of the US after Europe.

Even the Royal Caribbean ships that are based down here would be considered past their useful sell by date over there.

If you're going to make things up, couldn't you make them have a smidgen of credibility?

Older ships within the RCL fleet than those operating here, have been and still are operating in the US. Many in the US were very sad at the recent loss from them of Radiance, and Rhapsody before that. Apparently they don't have as demanding expectations as some...

Mr BigM

Why do you take things so personally and assume that your opinion is right.

You can come up with all sorts of figures and I am in business and we never show a profit, does any company really??

everything I wrote is correct.

I am not going to get in a long dialogue with you, please just leave off will you and let us get on with it.

Mr BigM

 

Why do you take things so personally and assume that your opinion is right.

 

You can come up with all sorts of figures and I am in business and we never show a profit, does any company really??they only have to google that and find out how true that is

 

everything I wrote is correct.

 

I am not going to get in a long dialogue with you, please just leave off will you and let us get on with it.

i agree

Speaking from experience-American cruises definitely are cheaper. I have done 9 cruises out of the US the shortest one being 7 days, the longest 15. I have never paid more than 599 each, twin share for any of them. I have never been able to find the same deals here. The oldest ship I've ever been on would be about 6 years old.

Speaking from experience-American cruises definitely are cheaper. I have done 9 cruises out of the US the shortest one being 7 days, the longest 15. I have never paid more than 599 each, twin share for any of them. I have never been able to find the same deals here. The oldest ship I've ever been on would be about 6 years old.

Anyone who has ventured overseas and cruised will know this fact also, thanks for the backing.

I don't want to turn this into a knock P&O Aust. thread because there are a lot of good things about P&O Aust. but the Pacific Sun is at least 25 years old, has obvious mechanical and aesthetic shortcomings yet they still charge TOP DOLLAR.

Anyway have a great day

Paul

everything I wrote is correct.

That was the issue - that you made sweeping generalisations that aren't correct, and were shown not to be.

As you claim that companies are falsifying records so as to not show a profit yet are making "enormous profits", and that RCL's ships operating here would have been sold off in the US, when they have older ships operating there as just two of your claims, clearly you believe you are always right despite what the facts show. Thanks for confirming that. However, if you're going to make such false accusations on a public discussion forum, don't expect others to stay quiet about it.

Cruise pricing?

One thing I have never, never been able to understand about cruise pricing is...

Why oh Why do they come out with a brochure price,

and then quote an early booking price?

Surely once they quote the early booking fare, thats the price they are looking for...

If they want people to book early, why don't they use the same strategy as the airlines?

ie . Cheapest prices when the itineraries come out and then up the price as it gets closer to sailing.....

rather than this ridiculous situation of booking early , so you get everything tee'd up and organised ,

and then sit back and watch the price you have paid drop like a stone,

and have to go through all the hassle of cancelling and rebooking.

The brochure (full) price is just like full economy air though. Airlines also always offer full economy and a number of other fares (until sold out), but they also have advance purchase fares that are cheaper, just like cruises. Most people will take the cheapest in either form, but the 'full fare' is there for those who want its extra benefits (more take the full air fare than the full cruise fare though, as the air benefits are greater than the cruise benefits, and the cruise market doesn't get business travellers like airlines do).

That was the issue - that you made sweeping generalisations that aren't correct, and were shown not to be.

 

As you claim that companies are falsifying records so as to not show a profit yet are making "enormous profits", and that RCL's ships operating here would have been sold off in the US, when they have older ships operating there as just two of your claims, clearly you believe you are always right despite what the facts show. Thanks for confirming that. However, if you're going to make such false accusations on a public discussion forum, don't expect others to stay quiet about it.

Mr BigM

Every statement you made in reply to my post was incorrect except one, you picked up quite rightly that I stated that it was Carnival cruise lines and not as I should have written Carnival Corp.

Other than that

Cruises are cheaper out of the US

Royal Caribbean send their older vessels here because they are considered outdated and have been superceded.

Royal caribbean are in a very heathy financial state, how else could they afford to launch the Oasis and the Allure in the last 18 months?

Carnival's cabin prices are about the same throughout the fleet.

I would do some research if I were you before having a go.

You seem to think you know a lot about everything in the cruise industry and are very keen to comment on anyone else's in a rather rude fashion, perhaps you need a holiday. Maybe a cruise in the US? They are cheaper over there.

Cruise pricing?

 

One thing I have never, never been able to understand about cruise pricing is...

 

Why oh Why do they come out with a brochure price,

 

and then quote an early booking price?

 

Surely once they quote the early booking fare, thats the price they are looking for...

 

If they want people to book early, why don't they use the same strategy as the airlines?

 

ie . Cheapest prices when the itineraries come out and then up the price as it gets closer to sailing.....

 

rather than this ridiculous situation of booking early , so you get everything tee'd up and organised ,

 

and then sit back and watch the price you have paid drop like a stone,

 

and have to go through all the hassle of cancelling and rebooking.

 

 

 

We have actually cancelled and rebooked a couple of times,

I agree it's nonsensical

Paul