What's Happened??

[miched]

Sometimes it depends o the date of the cruise and the TA

 

I booked a AQ1 for Nov 23 of this year, got the drink pack, $300 OBC, gratuities plus another $100 SBC., under $5000.

 

Booked the same cruise a year later it was a lot more. Why? Don't know. I guess it is because they can, as you have the choice of booking it or not it is up to you. The facts are if you don't there are many that will.

 

Many people are realizing that a cruise is a fantastic deal and no matter what land prices are also going up, and don't really give all of the bnemfits of a cruise.

 

I use to do AI and found that cruises offered better return for the money spent, when it no longer does that I will persue other options.

 

It is a cut throat world and relies on supply and demand.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[Sloop-JohnB]

We are living proof that the concept works. We're booked on Reflection in March on one of these packages, and it is our first cruise -- I imagine our experience will dictate whether or not we repeat.

 

According to our TA this Canadian plan was something of a gamble. Before these charters the cost of flights was a serious drag on sales in Canada.

 

Hi EG1,

 

As I see this is your first post...

 

A BIG Welcome to Celebrity & Cruise Critic (CC)

 

Stay tuned to this Board, lots to be learned off of CC

 

Be sure and also check out the New Cruisers Board - Ports of Call Board - and the Roll Call for your sailing (look to the very top of this page, above the first post where it says... NEW - Find Your Celebrity Roll Call

 

Other wonderful resources...

 

* Celebrity's own Website (lots of great info especially the FAQs section)

 

* Celebrity Cruise Brochures (download or order a hard copy... Read it all... Easy breezy cause it is a great read with pictures)

 

* Check out the Official Tourism Websites for the Destinations... Countries / Islands & Cities you'll be going to

 

* Check out CCs sister website TripAdvisor. Again a great resource for Tourism Info, Reviews and help. Their Forums have wonderful Destination Experts & Locals available to answer Questions first hand. Stuff you can learn fom those folks is priceless IMO

 

Hope this helps,

 

Look forward to seeing you around the boards, cause the more you learn the better vacation you can have IMO (lol and learn tricks to save time & money)

 

Cheers!

[Sloop-JohnB]

Leaving in two weeks for 23 nights on Century for $799pp with $250 OBC. :)

 

All three of the below listed cruises on Celebrity Constellation, inside cabin. OBCs through online site + shareholder benefit.

 

11 night Black Sea, R/T Istanbul, 14 Oct. Still at $549pp with $25 + $200 OBC.

 

11 night Med, Istanbul Israel Rome, 25 Oct. Still at $599pp but with only $200 OBC.

 

16 night T/A, Rome Morocco FLL, 5 Nov. Price hike to $979pp with $75 + $250 OBC.

 

38 nights b2b2b on Celebrity for under $2,100 with $750 of OBC. :eek:

 

Delta Airlines, Houston to Istanbul, on 12 Oct. through Choice Air $335.22!!!

 

Similar prices on one way air to IST from Atlanta, Miami, and Minneapolis. ;)

 

Yowzer... What a deal.

 

And that airfare is totally obscene !! :eek:

 

Currently in my life, I am not one to book an Inside Cabin.

 

But then the majority of my vacations these days or land vacations or drive to cruises... And I am not on a fixed income

 

In a few years when we are retired and looking to maximize our vacation experiences around the globe, as well as our time & money, I imagine I'll be more open to the experience

 

Plus on a trip like the 38 day B2B2B as outlined I would imagine most of those to be once in a lifetime Destinations... So I would not be "holed up" in my cabin... I'd be ashore, or up top maximizing the experiences / scenery

 

Then ya, cabin category is going to take a back seat to other concerns

 

Let's hope I can find such a sweet deal for myself after I retire.

 

Cheers!

[BCHappyGal]

Leaving in two weeks for 23 nights on Century for $799pp with $250 OBC. :)

 

All three of the below listed cruises on Celebrity Constellation, inside cabin. OBCs through online site + shareholder benefit.

 

11 night Black Sea, R/T Istanbul, 14 Oct. Still at $549pp with $25 + $200 OBC.

 

11 night Med, Istanbul Israel Rome, 25 Oct. Still at $599pp but with only $200 OBC.

 

16 night T/A, Rome Morocco FLL, 5 Nov. Price hike to $979pp with $75 + $250 OBC.

 

38 nights b2b2b on Celebrity for under $2,100 with $750 of OBC. :eek:

 

Delta Airlines, Houston to Istanbul, on 12 Oct. through Choice Air $335.22!!!

 

Similar prices on one way air to IST from Atlanta, Miami, and Minneapolis. ;)

 

We're with you on thsi cruise as a B2B2B'er too!!!

And what a steal we got. I booked this cruise over 18 months ago in an OV then watched the prices and have taken advantage of some drops and doen some upgrades... In other words I am onboard in a mixture of cabins - inside - OV & Aqua Class and I paid less than $100 per day. Now having said that this itinerary is being a very hard sell for X due to all the politiacl unrest in the area.

 

Currently you can book a suite for just over $100 a day on the Holyland portion of thsi cruise. - Veranda cabins for under $100 per day!

 

I book a lot of repositioning cruises as they are definitely the most economical - but I am flexible as to dates so I can shop around for the most economical date for a sailing.

 

REmember "X" is not in business to be our "Cruising Fairy Godmother" and give us cheap deals - they are in business to make a buck or two! Consequently they work to fill the ships at the maximum dollar...

Having said that I find I get my best deals by booking 18+ months in advance - as soon as an itinerary comes out and then sitting back and watching the prices - always taking advantage of sales if it benefits me and of course I can always cancel right up till 90 days before sail date without penalty.

[CathyCruises]

In Spring 2013 we were able to do a 15 night TA for $699 in a balcony with $250 shareholder OBC.

 

In Spring 2015, the same ship, 14 night cruise, we considered ourselves lucky to get a balcony for $1049 and think it's a deal. . .no drinks packages, just much higher pricing.

 

The economy is better and those of us who were fortunate to cruise during the tough times at bargain basement prices have had to readjust our thinking. . .or stay home :eek:

[teecee60]

I for one will be looking forward to hearing about your trip when you get back. What a great trip and what a great price. Sailing in an inside would be so worth this trip. Have fun!

 

We're with you on thsi cruise as a B2B2B'er too!!!

And what a steal we got. I booked this cruise over 18 months ago in an OV then watched the prices and have taken advantage of some drops and doen some upgrades... In other words I am onboard in a mixture of cabins - inside - OV & Aqua Class and I paid less than $100 per day. Now having said that this itinerary is being a very hard sell for X due to all the politiacl unrest in the area.

 

Currently you can book a suite for just over $100 a day on the Holyland portion of thsi cruise. - Veranda cabins for under $100 per day!

 

I book a lot of repositioning cruises as they are definitely the most economical - but I am flexible as to dates so I can shop around for the most economical date for a sailing.

 

REmember "X" is not in business to be our "Cruising Fairy Godmother" and give us cheap deals - they are in business to make a buck or two! Consequently they work to fill the ships at the maximum dollar...

Having said that I find I get my best deals by booking 18+ months in advance - as soon as an itinerary comes out and then sitting back and watching the prices - always taking advantage of sales if it benefits me and of course I can always cancel right up till 90 days before sail date without penalty.

 

Unfortunately I will NOT be on the Connie. I just posted that itinerary as an example of an incredibly good deal that is available right now on a Celebrity cruise. I will be enjoying the 23 night transpacific on Century for the $799pp price, that I booked just a few weeks ago. My Choice air flight from Sydney to LAX at the end of the cruise was only $619pp.

 

I will have just enough time to do laundry and repack before flying to Rome to pick up the 15 night Reflection transatlantic that I got for $649pp with $350 OBC.

 

If you can avoid being sucked in my slick marketing hype, you can cruise Celebrity for $35-$45 per night, and that's BEFORE figuring in OBC that amounts to 20% to 30% of the already ridiculously low prices. I do it all the time. :cool:

 

If you need a $100/day balcony, or a $300/day suite, to sit in, while you've got a half billion dollar ship, 3,000 people to meet, and stunning scenery, as well as great food and fun entertainment to enjoy... different strokes. ;)

[purpletequila]

I'm a long time Celebrity cruiser (made the Elite status!! :) but haven't sailed since the Reflection last January. Now looking to book a Caribbean cruise and am finding a significant increased in prices. Even the older M class ships which was always cheaper are higher than the S class. I usually book Concierge for 7-10 days. Is it gas prices? It looks like the further from Florida the more expensive regardless of which ship. In 14 years I've only cruised one other line but now need to at least check others. I'd like to go further than St Thomas and St. Martin and for more than seven days but the prices seemed to have skyrocketed. And I see "RF Canada" has bought out a number of cruises. Any idea what RF Canada is?

 

I read an article in a travel magazine recently where one of the business side guys for one of the major lines had said that the days of "cheap" cruising are coming to an end. His comments were specific to the Caribbean. He stated that sometime in either 2015 or 2016, consumers would see significantly higher prices as cruise lines reduce the number of ships they place there in favor of moving newer and larger ships to international markets.

 

I can try and find the piece for you if you like but no guarantees that I will. :)

[purpletequila]

I found one of them.

 

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-24/carnival-foresees-an-end-to-the-era-of-cheap-caribbean-cruises

 

The gist of it:

"The Caribbean capacity surge should begin to abate in the final three months of 2014, Carnival executives predicted. By 2015—especially in the summer—Carnival expects cruise lines to decrease the number of ships in the Caribbean, which is expected to lead to higher prices in the region."

[eg1]

Hi EG1,

 

As I see this is your first post...

 

A BIG Welcome to Celebrity & Cruise Critic (CC)

 

Stay tuned to this Board, lots to be learned off of CC

 

Be sure and also check out the New Cruisers Board - Ports of Call Board - and the Roll Call for your sailing (look to the very top of this page, above the first post where it says... NEW - Find Your Celebrity Roll Call

 

Other wonderful resources...

 

* Celebrity's own Website (lots of great info especially the FAQs section)

 

* Celebrity Cruise Brochures (download or order a hard copy... Read it all... Easy breezy cause it is a great read with pictures)

 

* Check out the Official Tourism Websites for the Destinations... Countries / Islands & Cities you'll be going to

 

* Check out CCs sister website TripAdvisor. Again a great resource for Tourism Info, Reviews and help. Their Forums have wonderful Destination Experts & Locals available to answer Questions first hand. Stuff you can learn fom those folks is priceless IMO

 

Hope this helps,

 

Look forward to seeing you around the boards, cause the more you learn the better vacation you can have IMO (lol and learn tricks to save time & money)

 

Cheers!

 

Many thanks for the welcome! I have been lurking the forums for a few weeks now since we decided to book for next Spring.

 

If nothing else I've come to the conclusion that we'll definitely need the Premium drinks package... :D

[QE2_Fan]

Unfortunately I will NOT be on the Connie. I just posted that itinerary as an example of an incredibly good deal that is available right now on a Celebrity cruise. I will be enjoying the 23 night transpacific on Century for the $799pp price, that I booked just a few weeks ago. My Choice air flight from Sydney to LAX at the end of the cruise was only $619pp.

 

 

 

I will have just enough time to do laundry and repack before flying to Rome to pick up the 15 night Reflection transatlantic that I got for $649pp with $350 OBC.

 

 

 

If you can avoid being sucked in my slick marketing hype, you can cruise Celebrity for $35-$45 per night, and that's BEFORE figuring in OBC that amounts to 20% to 30% of the already ridiculously low prices. I do it all the time. :cool:

 

 

 

If you need a $100/day balcony, or a $300/day suite, to sit in, while you've got a half billion dollar ship, 3,000 people to meet, and stunning scenery, as well as great food and fun entertainment to enjoy... different strokes. ;)

 

 

Some sweet deals you've scored for sure, including airfares!! Could I ask though how you scored the awesome obc amounts, as for those low cabin rates I would expect to get more than $100. And being in an inside cabins, it wouldn't qualify for PYP obc either.??

 

In any case, enjoy your bargains!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[teecee60]

Unfortunately, the transatlantic leg of the Connie cruise I quoted above, just shot up to $1249pp.

 

 

 

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-24/carnival-foresees-an-end-to-the-era-of-cheap-caribbean-cruises

 

The gist of it:

"The Caribbean capacity surge should begin to abate in the final three months of 2014, Carnival executives predicted. By 2015—especially in the summer—Carnival expects cruise lines to decrease the number of ships in the Caribbean, which is expected to lead to higher prices in the region."

 

I have only been on Carnival once (8 night Mexico on Splendor from LA) and would have no problem going again... but only on SELECTED SHIPS/LONGER ITINERARIES.

 

They HAVE to do SOMETHING... sometimes I wonder how Carnival stays in business. Splendor (large, beautiful, spotlessly clean) has last minute deals out of NYC of $179pp for 7 nights to Canada. :eek:

 

8 nights Caribbean from Port Canaveral on newly refurbished Sunshine for $219pp. :cool:

 

 

Some sweet deals you've scored for sure, including airfares!! Could I ask though how you scored the awesome obc amounts, as for those low cabin rates I would expect to get more than $100. And being in an inside cabins, it wouldn't qualify for PYP obc either.??

 

In any case, enjoy your bargains!!

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

Online sites can offer lower fares AND small OBC amounts, that are combinable with shareholder benefit OBC. ($250 for 14 nights or more)

 

Shareholder benefit IS a little less, but takes the place of the PYP OBC.

 

"Elite" loyalty level on Celebrity offers free happy hour drinks every night, which reduces the "need" for the beverage package.

 

I booked next April's 14 night Silhouette T/A to Amsterdam for $699pp with $200 OBC from the site, and another $250 OBC from shareholder benefit. People are paying more JUST FOR THE DRINKS PACKAGE than I paid for the entire 14 night cruise. :rolleyes:

Edited September 2, 2014 by teecee60

[ptrpanpens]

An inside cabin? They would have to pay ME to book one of those. Having a closed-in box with no natural light for a room is not my idea of a vacation. I put too high a value on my total vacation experience to be cooped up in one of those. Ugh! :p

 

Current prices Celebrity constellation 11 day Holy Land cruise October 2014

 

Veranda $999 pp

Concierge 1,099 pp

Aqua 1,199 pp

Suite $1,649 pp

 

So you dont need to be cooped up to get a great deal. Where else can you find an 11 day european cruise on a ship like Celebrity's for those prices, esp the suite? Nowhere..thats where.:D:D