Pricing

[xpcdoojk]

So we have done two Avalon River cruises, and a bunch of ocean cruises.  First river cruise was on Avalon from Bucharest to Budapest... in 2014 it was expensive in a deck two French balcony about $5000 for 6 nights.  Got a deal on a River cruise on a newer ship from Nuremberg to Remich Luxembourg in 2015 just before Paris Bombing.  It was about $4000 for a panorama suite for 7 nights.  When I try to book something similar now it seems to be a couple of thousand more.  I know the economy is much better, but is this the experience people are finding now.  Ocean cruises don’t seem particularly more expensive, as we have done a bunch during the interval.

 

Curious.... I booked the reasonably priced one in July for a November sailing and I am looking 1-2 years ahead, currently.

 

jc

[doverboy]

As river cruises get more popular and people book months in advance and departure dates are sold out prices have been increasing. This is due to a smaller fleet available even with new ships entering the inventory. Remember that many river boats hold less than 200 people vs an ocean cruise which can hold thousands with larger ships being built

[xpcdoojk]

I understand, but river cruises were extremely over priced (IMHO) a few years ago, and while I enjoyed them very much, I can’t imagine paying the prices they are wanting now.  I am lucky that we are still quite able to do independent travel, so for now I, personally, can’t pull the trigger on one.  

 

Just wondering what other people are feeling these days.

 

JC

[Roz]

Xpc, I've noticed the same thing, which is why I currently don't have any river cruises booked. 

 

Roz 

[pontac]

We wait for deals. This month, as well as big discount we got business class air-travel.

 

We only booked next month because of a short notice unbeatable deal 

[DanL]

Yes river cruising more popular, as is ocean cruises. But Viking launched 7 new ships this year alone and Riviera (that we are going on in Oct) launched ~5 in last 2 years.  Some lines offer better prices, maybe without the frills but we are going on a ship less than a year old.

[acwmom]

I've noticed the same. If you're flexible enough to book with a few months notice, you can score some good pricing. By this time of year, Uniworld has, in the past, started discounting the following season's cruises, but they haven't, and a lot of them aren't anywhere near selling out. 

 

Like Roz, I don't have a river cruise booked (do have a booking on Crystal Serenity, for 2020) and have been looking at Amadeus and Crystal River (which is very competitive, actually)

 

Robin

[xpcdoojk]

I agree with these posts. I think the only way I will book a river cruise right now, would be at relatively the last minute.  I have, as I said, only sailed on Avalon, and I know they have launched several new ships in the last few years.  I get emails from other lines, and I know that more ships have been launched.  I am surprised that the supply hasn’t kept the prices down, but I guess people really enjoy these vacations, and are keeping them full at what I consider insane pricing.

 

jc

[AF-1]

Depending on where you live; booking last minute may raise the price of airfare; especially when you live in the US and have to fly to Europe.  It already costs more to fly; because you sail out of one city and end up in another; so you have to buy a multi-

city airline ticket.  

[acwmom]

47 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Depending on where you live; booking last minute may raise the price of airfare; especially when you live in the US and have to fly to Europe.  It already costs more to fly; because you sail out of one city and end up in another; so you have to buy a multi-

city airline ticket.  

Actually, I haven't found it to be more expensive to fly into one city and out of another. In some cases, it's even less! I've often thought about booking airfare first, since several cruise lines have itineraries that leave from the same port, on the same day, and wait for the discounts to come. Worst case, we do a land trip, if the discounts don't happen.

 

Robin

[Roz]

50 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Depending on where you live; booking last minute may raise the price of airfare; especially when you live in the US and have to fly to Europe.  It already costs more to fly; because you sail out of one city and end up in another; so you have to buy a multi-

city airline ticket.  

 

That used to be the case, but more and more I'm finding it to be less of a problem.  For instance, last year I flew from Nashville to Amsterdam and then Basel to Nashville and only paid $651.  

 

Roz

[AF-1]

I am looking at river cruise with AmaWaterways.  Fly into Zurich and out of Amsterdam.  So I have to book multicity; verses round trip.  The price right now is $420 cheaper for round trip verses multi city

[Hoyaheel]

RT Zurich or RT AMS? In the past when I've priced various things, I just find Zurich an expensive place to fly. And AMS is cheap. 

 

For most of my travels, I haven't found multi-city trips to be more expensive than RT options either. Unless the RT is to a very cheap air travel city. In some cases, booking the RT ticket to that destination and then booking a separate flight (or train or whatever) is a cheaper option than a multi-city air booking. I explore all my options 🙂

 

I've always found river cruising quite expensive. Yes, yes, I know so much is included. But as noted, it's expensive over time, compared to what it used to be 😉 

 

That said, we're booking on Avalon on the Mekong in August - husband said he'd fly to Asia (I won't pay for business class and he hates to fly coach 😉 I made a reservation before he could change his mind!

[xpcdoojk]

7 hours ago, Hoyaheel said:

RT Zurich or RT AMS? In the past when I've priced various things, I just find Zurich an expensive place to fly. And AMS is cheap. 

 

For most of my travels, I haven't found multi-city trips to be more expensive than RT options either. Unless the RT is to a very cheap air travel city. In some cases, booking the RT ticket to that destination and then booking a separate flight (or train or whatever) is a cheaper option than a multi-city air booking. I explore all my options 🙂

 

I've always found river cruising quite expensive. Yes, yes, I know so much is included. But as noted, it's expensive over time, compared to what it used to be 😉 

 

That said, we're booking on Avalon on the Mekong in August - husband said he'd fly to Asia (I won't pay for business class and he hates to fly coach 😉 I made a reservation before he could change his mind!

 

That is a long plane ride.  I have flown first class only for insignificant flights, because I had an upgrade.  I have never flown intercontinental in first class.  I have learned to book slightly more expensive flights where you have more leg room, etc.  It is still torturous, but the price for FC flights to places like Cambodia or Vietnam are just stupid priced.  LIke doubling the price of an already over priced trip.  

 

That said, I splurged on our last trip with 42 hours awake and in the process of flying to get to Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland Australia.  We stayed in a Point Suite on the Island at about $850AUD a night with $900AUD helicopter ride to and from.  I guess I would pay for a really nice hotel room versus a semi-comfortable seat on an airplane.  I am a bit spoiled, as I do a lot of private jet travel for work, and nothing spoils you like that. But to pay the insane price for FC just seems silly.

 

jc

[Hoyaheel]

I have done a lot of travel to China in economy - for work - so it doesn't bother me. I mean, it does, but I'd much rather go than not go, so I suck it up and get a massage upon arrival. My husband gets super cranky when he can't sleep and nothing special on arrival will help him. The first time I got him to China with me, we bought 3 seats in comfort+ and that was good enough for him (3 seats in C+ still cheaper than one business class seat 😉  We're doing premium select to ICN and then business class on Vietnam air for the intra-Asia flights for the August trip. Hoping it'll be good enough for husband because I have more Asia trips I'd like to make!

 

The river cruise itself is quite reasonable, given it's a "shoulder" season for the Mekong.

Edited June 26, 2019 by Hoyaheel

[xpcdoojk]

Vietnam and Cambodia are very cheap.  Even the river cruises are not stupid priced.  We considered one, but ended up doing an Ocean cruise with stops in Vietnam.

 

All I can say about Singapore and Vietnam is it is hot, in any season.

 

jc

[Hoyaheel]

28 minutes ago, xpcdoojk said:

Vietnam and Cambodia are very cheap.  Even the river cruises are not stupid priced.  We considered one, but ended up doing an Ocean cruise with stops in Vietnam. 

 

All I can say about Singapore and Vietnam is it is hot, in any season.

 

 

We did SIN-HKG on Azamara in 2016, the river cruise & visit to Siem Reap are the follow-up 🙂 We don't cruise a ton - usually to try a new area and see where we'd like to visit again....

 

And yes, very hot & humid.

[xpcdoojk]

Cruising is the best for an easy way to visit a new place for the first time.  Then figuring out what you like and returning later is the payoff.

 

jc

[sumiandkage]

It's not a perfect science, but you can sometimes still find reasonable long haul coach award tickets at short notice even when cash prices are very high 

[TMLAalum]

On 6/25/2019 at 3:13 PM, AF-1 said:

I am looking at river cruise with AmaWaterways.  Fly into Zurich and out of Amsterdam.  So I have to book multicity; verses round trip.  The price right now is $420 cheaper for round trip verses multi city

 

Think outside the box-  

That $420 savings by booking r/t could be spent on a train or plane ride back to either Zurich or Amsterdam plus a night or two in town. EasyJet's one-way fares are usually under $100 US even with the add-ons of paying for checked bag (must be under 44 lbs or 20 kg) and seat selection.

[AF-1]

I have looked at one way price from AMS to ZRH.  Nothing cheap enough or has a schedule that works for me.  So I will stay with multi city itinerary.  Not a big deal; plus Flight home is one stop AMS-DTW-CVG.  

Edited June 27, 2019 by AF-1

[xpcdoojk]

4 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

 

Think outside the box-  

That $420 savings by booking r/t could be spent on a train or plane ride back to either Zurich or Amsterdam plus a night or two in town. EasyJet's one-way fares are usually under $100 US even with the add-ons of paying for checked bag (must be under 44 lbs or 20 kg) and seat selection.

 

We found a cheap USA to Paris roundtrip flight in 2015 at relatively last moment about 3 months pre trip using miles came to $177 USD for both of us.  Then got from Paris to Prague on Easy Jet for 143 euro including a checked bag for each of us and our backpacks.  Heck, I spent 100 euro for the cab when the river cruise ended in Remich Luxembourg as we didn’t want to do the cattle tour with Avalon to Paris (cutting the cruiseline post and pre cruise and doing your own thing, you can save a small fortune our pre-cruise hotel in Prague at a nicer hotel than the Avalon hotel I paid $50 a night booking a 5 star on priceline and Marriott points for Paris), and rented a car for several nights driving to Verdun and the Loire Valley, before dumping the car in Versailles and then taking local train into downtown Paris.

 

jc