Wow, Celebrity is really hiking prices for 2021 cruises!

[terrydtx]

In May we booked our May 2021 12 day Greek cruise from Venice on the Infinity in Aqua Class with the 4 perks package. We have some friends who want to book a cabin next to ours on the cruise. With the same 4 perks package the fare is now $1219pp more than what we booked 3 months ago.  In fact the "best fare" with no perks is still higher, $400pp more than what we booked.  The ship is not very booked so what is going on with Celebrity? Our TA tried to get some kind of deal for our friends but nothing was offered. This seems to me to be no way to entice people to cruise again next year.

Edited July 14, 2020 by terrydtx

[C-Dragons]

It's called “dynamic pricing”.

The greater the demand, in this case the more cabins sold,  the higher the prices go.
It's always been this way. It's exacerbated by all the lift and shift activity. X doesn’t need to entice people to cruise next year, they're ready and waiting...

Edited July 14, 2020 by C-Dragons

[ChucktownSteve]

With all the lift and shift plus the cruise lines sidelining some of their ships (or downright eliminating them) there's bound to be an anticipated lack of inventory by the time the ships sail.  That's probably what Celebrity is counting on IMO.

[4774Papa]

9 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

In May we booked our May 2021 12 day Greek cruise from Venice on the Infinity in Aqua Class with the 4 perks package. We have some friends who want to book a cabin next to ours on the cruise. With the same 4 perks package the fare is now $1219pp more than what we booked 3 months ago.  In fact the "best fare" with no perks is still higher, $400pp more than what we booked.  The ship is not very booked so what is going on with Celebrity? Our TA tried to get some kind of deal for our friends but nothing was offered. This seems to me to be no way to entice people to cruise again next year.

Under normal conditions (no COVID-19), we have found that booking early (soon after the cruise is released) that fares are usually as good as they will be except sometimes for those last minute post final payment prices.   Since we don't cruise the Caribbean and have to fly overseas to our cruise, we can't afford to wing it until the last weeks.

 

I don't know if there is a pent up demand for cruises for 2021.  Perhaps Celebrity has done some market research and thinks that demand will uphold high prices.

 

We booked prior to the COVID crisis a TA cruise from Rome to Tampa for October 2021 and have seen the prices go up significantly, even prior to the crisis.   We are hoping that there will be a vaccine by then.

[Fouremco]

6 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

It's called “dynamic pricing”.

The greater the demand, in this case the more cabins sold,  the higher the prices go.
It's always been this way. It's exacerbated by all the lift and shift activity. X doesn’t need to entice people to cruise next year, they're ready and waiting...

I agree that this is normally the case, but in this instance, the OP says that the ship "is not very booked." Maybe it's an "anticipatory" price rise. 😷

[pl281]

I also find it depends on the "special of the moment" I've been watching our December 2021 cruise which we moved to from this year.... 

 

For the Sky Suite it had been between 5100-5400 - Now it is showing as 5800, but what I've also noticed is when you get to the end of the checkout it ends up within about $1000 (total) regardless of the week - it's like they raise the base price but then discount it back down - this may vary by type of cabin

[Life Buoy]

A number of retailers move the price up only to reduce it to a lower level at a later date. Makes people who've been tracking prices think that they are getting a bargain.They also might be planning to cruise with a reduced number of passengers and that might be reflected in the  prices.

[GeorgesGal]

There are also those pesky FCC's out there where you can book for almost no addl. $$.  Between the Lift and Shift and the FCC's, no more money coming in if the prices aren't raised, and don't forget, the cruise lines have most likely already spent the income from those cancelled cruises.

[pumpkin 11]

5 minutes ago, Life Buoy said:

A number of retailers move the price up only to reduce it to a lower level at a later date. Makes people who've been tracking prices think that they are getting a bargain.They also might be planning to cruise with a reduced number of passengers and that might be reflected in the  prices.

I'm not sure I buy that first part. 

 

Yesterday there was a BIG price reduction, but seems today things have gone up back to where they were before.

[mnocket]

There is no reason to believe that cruise prices will not trend higher upon reopening.  The cost of business has risen for the cruise lines for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the need to repay the huge loans they have taken on in order to survive the shutdown. 

 

The "value" proposition of cruising will be forever changed.  What this means will vary among individuals.

Edited July 14, 2020 by mnocket

[hcat]

Hoping  there will eventually be a post mask happy hour sale!

Prices fluctuate so much with X ,  eventually fatigue sets in.

 

If we can't use our fcc on Connie in Jan 2021, or apply it to APEX in Jan 2022, we will get a  suite on a short cruise to use it up....W Carib or Bahamas and be done with it. 

[sptrout]

You may have to look beyond 2021 in to 2022. I booked 10 days on the Reflection in an SS1 cabin for less than $4k pp (including 4 perks), for the first week in January 2022. Lowest price that I have seen in a long time for a corner aft cabin.

[DrKoob]

Here's a wrinkle to consider. Rumors in the industry are that Infinity along with Constellation will leave the fleet before they ever come back from the Covid crisis and move to Pulmantar (RCL's Spanish cruise line). Pulmantar sent all three of their current ships (two old RCL ships and X's Horizon) to be stripped for salvage and transferred their crews to Infinity and Connie. Those two ships were then sent to Athens and are currently anchored offshore there. Athens is where Pulmantar has done some of their previous makeovers on ships that have joined their line. 

 

If this is the case, then they may just be pushing the pricing higher because they know it will be an S-class ship on those itineraries.

 

My experience is exactly the opposite of the original poster. We had a cruise that was cancelled for this summer and took the 125% FCC. The new cruise (exactly the same cruise) we booked for summer 2021 was less expensive than our 2020 had been. There is enough left over to take another cruise in Alaska, the Pacific Coast or put it towards something longer. 

 

Jim

Edited July 14, 2020 by DrKoob

[George C]

I am looking at sky suite on edge for 2600 per including 4 perks seems like a good deal this is for April .

[taylortime05]

21 minutes ago, DrKoob said:

Here's a wrinkle to consider. Rumors in the industry are that Infinity along with Constellation will leave the fleet before they ever come back from the Covid crisis and move to Pulmantar (RCL's Spanish cruise line). Pulmantar sent all three of their current ships (two old RCL ships and X's Horizon) to be stripped for salvage and transferred their crews to Infinity and Connie. Those two ships were then sent to Athens and are currently anchored offshore there. Athens is where Pulmantar has done some of their previous makeovers on ships that have joined their line. 

 

If this is the case, then they may just be pushing the pricing higher because they know it will be an S-class ship on those itineraries.

 

My experience is exactly the opposite of the original poster. We had a cruise that was cancelled for this summer and took the 125% FCC. The new cruise (exactly the same cruise) we booked for summer 2021 was less expensive than our 2020 had been. There is enough left over to take another cruise in Alaska, the Pacific Coast or put it towards something longer. 

 

Jim

 

I have a 5 night cruise booked on the Infinity Mar 15 2021 in a suite.  I was considering using the lift & shift to move this cruise to 2022.  I got such a great deal on this cruise that 125% FCC wouldn't be enough to rebook to another ship or sail date.   If Infinity leaves the fleet do you think they will give options to move to another ship and sail date?  That's the only way I don't lose out on the great deal I got.  I need to decide if I should move to 2022 or not.  

[DrKoob]

10 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

 

I have a 5 night cruise booked on the Infinity Mar 15 2021 in a suite.  I was considering using the lift & shift to move this cruise to 2022.  I got such a great deal on this cruise that 125% FCC wouldn't be enough to rebook to another ship or sail date.   If Infinity leaves the fleet do you think they will give options to move to another ship and sail date?  That's the only way I don't lose out on the great deal I got.  I need to decide if I should move to 2022 or not.  

 

I definitely think that if she does leave the fleet, they will replace her on some routes with an S-class ship. But to be honest, having to cancel and rebook 5 day cruises is probably not going to be a real high priority. 

[hcat]

2 minutes ago, DrKoob said:

 

I definitely think that if she does leave the fleet, they will replace her on some routes with an S-class ship. But to be honest, having to cancel and rebook 5 day cruises is probably not going to be a real high priority. 

Our Connie cruise is longer but  doubt all ports will be accepting her...

[ABoatNerd]

So what is the exact product that people on this board are purchasing?

[miched]

I booked a cruise on Sunday July 12 , 2020 for a cruise in Feb 2021.   Today July 14 the cruise is now $500 more pp for the same category with the same perks. 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[K.T.B.]

With people aching to cruise again in 2021 and beyond, cruise lines currently be like...

 

[crusinthrough]

3 hours ago, George C said:

I am looking at sky suite on edge for 2600 per including 4 perks seems like a good deal this is for April .

 

Even better deacon the Apex for April 2021; S3 for $2005 pp (pre tax) with 4 perks.  S2 is $2400 pp (pre tax) with 4 perks.  Taxes/fees/port charges are $141 pp. 

[crusinthrough]

3 hours ago, taylortime05 said:

 

I have a 5 night cruise booked on the Infinity Mar 15 2021 in a suite.  I was considering using the lift & shift to move this cruise to 2022.  I got such a great deal on this cruise that 125% FCC wouldn't be enough to rebook to another ship or sail date.   If Infinity leaves the fleet do you think they will give options to move to another ship and sail date?  That's the only way I don't lose out on the great deal I got.  I need to decide if I should move to 2022 or not.  

 

I got the same good deal on the March 15th cruise.  I agree that the 125% wont cover another sailing.  I did a L&S to 2022.  The biggest downfall for me is that this was going to be a post dry dock sailing with all the upgrades.  Without the upgrades the Infinity is a bit on the older side.  I am hoping maybe by 2022 things would have improved and the upgrades added. 

[taylortime05]

17 minutes ago, crusinthrough said:

 

Even better deacon the Apex for April 2021; S3 for $2005 pp (pre tax) with 4 perks.  S2 is $2400 pp (pre tax) with 4 perks.  Taxes/fees/port charges are $141 pp. 

 Did you get this deal today?  I was looking and can't find it.

[taylortime05]

14 minutes ago, crusinthrough said:

 

I got the same good deal on the March 15th cruise.  I agree that the 125% wont cover another sailing.  I did a L&S to 2022.  The biggest downfall for me is that this was going to be a post dry dock sailing with all the upgrades.  Without the upgrades the Infinity is a bit on the older side.  I am hoping maybe by 2022 things would have improved and the upgrades added. 

 

What sail date did you move to?  I think I am going use L&S to move to April 11 of next year.   Also, I'm thinking about booking a cruise on the EDGE that departs the same date the Infinity is back at Miami port.  We would need to get from Miami port to Ft. Lauderdale airport.  

 

Thanks

 

Sue 

[crusinthrough]

3 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

 Did you get this deal today?  I was looking and can't find it.

 

I got It yesterday on Apex 4/24/2021.  It was the least expensive of all the 2021 E class Caribbean sailings. I check prices daily but have not looked today.  Pricing may have gone back up today.