Has Carnival pricing more than doubled?

[firefly333]

OP that's the same price I got when I booked and used that date. He used the cheapest august date 8/27. You didnt say when in august.

 

Prices are just up right now. There are no deals. I'm hoping prices drop once people see the protocols and lots post no way they are doing this or that. We will see if they cancel.

[SNJCruisers]

3 hours ago, scpirate said:

They pay 3 times more for the privilege.

No, sorry, you're wrong and I know from first hand experience.

[Mosljam1]

John i don't know how you got that price. I am booked on a 5 day my grand suite for me and wife was around 2500.with gratuities insurance etc.   I have 4 rooms  1 grand suite 3 balconies 9 people  for around 9 grand all gratuities and insurance  and ftf for the 3 balconies 

[SNJCruisers]

5 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Bella, it was about $500`less .....

500 more for 4 people is worth it.  With Bella, you're not even guaranteed MDR seating.  Aurea has anytime dining.  Fantastica has main and late seating.  Bella also has main and late, but not guaranteed, so you could be relegated to a sanctioned waiter area of the buffet area.  If you don't believe me go over to the MSC boards.  I know this from first hand experience on the Seaside in January of 2018.  As usual, you get what you pay for.

[tallnthensome]

2 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

500 more for 4 people is worth it.  With Bella, you're not even guaranteed MDR seating.  Aurea has anytime dining.  Fantastica has main and late seating.  Bella also has main and late, but not guaranteed, so you could be relegated to a sanctioned waiter area of the buffet area.  If you don't believe me go over to the MSC boards.  I know this from first hand experience on the Seaside in January of 2018.  As usual, you get what you pay for.

I misspoke , it was $500 less than Aurea. It was thousands less than Fantastica. We don’t use room service ..... So there was no benefit. We had Bella on the Seaside in April 2018 and had no problem getting early seating . 

[naxer]

I don't have the math, but I usually book 18 months or more out, solo and with friends, and I have stopped due to the cost.  This isn't to say that I won't eventually book, but I'm not doing it right now.  

[tallnthensome]

1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

I misspoke , it was $500 less than Aurea. It was thousands less than Fantastica. We don’t use room service ..... So there was no benefit. We had Bella on the Seaside in April 2018 and had no problem getting early seating . 

Sorry, I had it right the first time 

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

They are cranking out the ships with their aggressive marketing campaign which began about 5 years ago with the Seaside.  They have 4 classes on their ships, Bella, Fantastica, Aurea and Yacht Club.  Since the Yacht Club is like the Havana area on steroids, eventhough you could get rock bottom cheap Bella pricing, the Yacht Club policy would not be your cup of tea.

For instance,  if someone comes into your elevator and they are Yacht Club, whatever floor they wish to go to has priority. If you're on 2 and wish to go to 7, they get on 4 and wish to go to 11, you will go to 11 and then go to 7.  Not making this up. RF wrist bands. 

Easy solution if you consider this a major problem---use the stairs.

[Jasonsterling]

Prices are up some in the near term and decreasing as you move outward but not that high I'd say unless you're planning something in the next two-three months. I booked for NYE and then two more out from there and thought the rates were good for the dates involved and the cabin. Not great, not a steal but good.  

[ProgRockCruiser]

8 hours ago, Madhatter12 said:

I did a mock booking for 8/6/2022

Well, the OP is going to have to specify what type of balcony and what date, since it appears it is generally possible to book at a much more reasonable price.

[richfret]

Got me curious so I did a mock booking so I could compare my January 8, 2022 cruise pricing on the Horizon in a window cabin with a February 8, 2023 Horizon cruise (Same basic details).  My 2022 price is $1,769.64 and the 2023 price would be $2,003.74 (Includes taxes in both quotes).  Both were for a single person booking.  That's not bad so I am tempted to also book the 2023 cruise.  You can see, I am an optimist.

[bingomamma19]

16 hours ago, john91498 said:

I did a mock booking for Aug 2022 for a 7 day cruise out of Long Beach, CA. The final price for a balcony was $6,200 for 4 people in the same room. That's over double what I paid in 2018 for the exact same cruise...

I just looked at a 7 day for aug 2022 --Panorama for August 13th  ..   4 people in a room..$3518

 

Not sure what you were pricing?    

[firefly333]

33 minutes ago, bingomamma19 said:

I just looked at a 7 day for aug 2022 --Panorama for August 13th  ..   4 people in a room..$3518

 

Not sure what you were pricing?    

To me even that's high. My oasis march 2023 for the cheapest balcony, solo during spring is over $2200. and I think that's too high. Getting into what I call major money. At $3500 lol I think I'd stay home. True my booked cruises add up to more, but getting lots more for that price. I've quit booking.

 

I'm going to wait for last minute deals and hope people cancel. Prices have gotten to where I'm going to do something else. They are definitely up from what I'm willing to pay for cruising. All lines are up. I'd sit on my hands. Maybe people are booking now because they are afraid later prices will be even higher. I may be cruising a lot less in the future. 

[bingomamma19]

28 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

To me even that's high. My oasis march 2023 for the cheapest balcony, solo during spring is over $2200. and I think that's too high. Getting into what I call major money. At $3500 lol I think I'd stay home. True my booked cruises add up to more, but getting lots more for that price. I've quit booking.

 

I'm going to wait for last minute deals and hope people cancel. Prices have gotten to where I'm going to do something else. They are definitely up from what I'm willing to pay for cruising. All lines are up. I'd sit on my hands. Maybe people are booking now because they are afraid later prices will be even higher. I may be cruising a lot less in the future. 

We usually sail end of March...i have one on the Mardi Gras for Aug 28th this year...mardi gras next March then a great deal on the Dream next november--that one was $932 for 4 in a balcony with 200 obc and drinks on us.   It was a casino deal, but i was surprised they were offering such a great deal a few weeks ago.

 

So, we are set for a few years with booked cruises....hopefully everything settles back down soon

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, bingomamma19 said:

We usually sail end of March...i have one on the Mardi Gras for Aug 28th this year...mardi gras next March then a great deal on the Dream next november--that one was $932 for 4 in a balcony with 200 obc and drinks on us.   It was a casino deal, but i was surprised they were offering such a great deal a few weeks ago.

 

So, we are set for a few years with booked cruises....hopefully everything settles back down soon

I dont get casino deals. Not to be mean, but hearing someone else got a great deal I cant get is part of what has pushed me to rcl. I still have more loyalty pts on carnival but my most recent cruises seem given over to gamblers. Carnival says they are a family cruise, but more and more they seem to be a gamblers cruise. Yes I know all lines give deals to gamblers  it's just not as obvious or seems as big of a percentage.

 

2020 rates were still low, but not in 2021.

[bingomamma19]

11 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I dont get casino deals. Not to be mean, but hearing someone else got a great deal I cant get is part of what has pushed me to rcl. I still have more loyalty pts on carnival but my most recent cruises seem given over to gamblers. Carnival says they are a family cruise, but more and more they seem to be a gamblers cruise. Yes I know all lines give deals to gamblers  it's just not as obvious or seems as big of a percentage.

 

2020 rates were still low, but not in 2021.

Well...i do bring my mom and 15 year old DD...so still a family cruise  LOL

 

This was the first great deal we have received in a few years.    We did RCL on the Allure, but didnt like it at all.    We love the Carnival experience and value..even when we are paying regular prices.

 

Our Mardi Gras this coming August is 2400 for 3 people in a Havana Cabana room and our March cruise next year on the Mardi gras is 3400 for an Ocean suite..so we still do book regular priced rooms.  Plus we are Platinum on Carnival, so i like the few perks that gives us.

 

I say book where ever makes you happy 🙂

Edited May 20, 2021 by bingomamma19

[d12j28]

13 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I dont get casino deals. Not to be mean, but hearing someone else got a great deal I cant get is part of what has pushed me to rcl. I still have more loyalty pts on carnival but my most recent cruises seem given over to gamblers. Carnival says they are a family cruise, but more and more they seem to be a gamblers cruise. Yes I know all lines give deals to gamblers  it's just not as obvious or seems as big of a percentage.

 

2020 rates were still low, but not in 2021.

You obviously missed this thread under the casino forum. 166 pages long about casino offers on RCL. LOL!

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2142470-offers-received-from-club-royale-royal-caribbean/

[firefly333]

Just now, d12j28 said:

You obviously missed this thread under the casino forum. 166 pages long about casino offers on RCL. LOL!

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2142470-offers-received-from-club-royale-royal-caribbean/

I made sure to post that I'm aware ALL cruiselines give casino rates, but onboard my cruise has not been as impacted as on carnival. My last carnival was 800 plus priority guests and it was some big casino tournament. Over 800 priority isnt priority to me. 

 

I posted just because if I say carnival I keep hitting so many gambling cruises it takes away from my experience .someone says other lines have gambling rates too ...so I made sure I put that in to stop the usual posts to tell me the same thing. 

 

I'm entitled to my opinion, carnival seems to be having more and more casino cruises or I'm very unlucky. My friend who came last cruise says she wouldnt do carnival again. She couldnt even hardly get near a machine in the casino to gamble. She said she might be willing to do rcl next time but she was a no on carnival. I'm kind of a no, but as I said I've walked off my last couple of carnival thinking this isnt for me. 800ish priority isnt priority for guest services where that line is longer than the regular lines lol, or tenders etc. People cant stand if you are critical of carnival, I get it. You got defensive. 

 

[IntrepidFromDC]

18 hours ago, john91498 said:

I did a mock booking for Aug 2022 for a 7 day cruise out of Long Beach, CA. The final price for a balcony was $6,200 for 4 people in the same room. That's over double what I paid in 2018 for the exact same cruise...

No, Carnival pricing hasn't more than doubled ON AVERAGE.  Maybe the $600obc's and the slew of "free balcony" cabins for Player's Club members are causing them to temporarily raise rates elsewhere?  I snapped up 2 panorama deck extended balcony cabins for this Sept. and Oct. for $200 plus taxes and port fees only and I will be happy to donate a grand or two to the casino to pay for the cabins.  😁

[d12j28]

30 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I made sure to post that I'm aware ALL cruiselines give casino rates, but onboard my cruise has not been as impacted as on carnival. My last carnival was 800 plus priority guests and it was some big casino tournament. Over 800 priority isnt priority to me. 

 

I posted just because if I say carnival I keep hitting so many gambling cruises it takes away from my experience .someone says other lines have gambling rates too ...so I made sure I put that in to stop the usual posts to tell me the same thing. 

 

I'm entitled to my opinion, carnival seems to be having more and more casino cruises or I'm very unlucky. My friend who came last cruise says she wouldnt do carnival again. She couldnt even hardly get near a machine in the casino to gamble. She said she might be willing to do rcl next time but she was a no on carnival. I'm kind of a no, but as I said I've walked off my last couple of carnival thinking this isnt for me. 800ish priority isnt priority for guest services where that line is longer than the regular lines lol, or tenders etc. People cant stand if you are critical of carnival, I get it. You got defensive. 

 

Didn't get defensive at all. As I've said before, we usually try and avoid the premier and ultra cruises on Carnival just because they are so packed. I was just referring to where you said other cruise lines don't seem to be as obvious.  

[asalligo]

My March 2022 cruise has increased from 2556 to 2969.

My April 2023 cruise has increased from 4515 to 4815.   

[Eli_6]

I know that the July and early August cruises (before school starts) are very high right now but if you wait until Sept/Oct, they go down significantly.  I think it is all the people wanting to go as soon as the ship sets sail.  

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, d12j28 said:

Didn't get defensive at all. As I've said before, we usually try and avoid the premier and ultra cruises on Carnival just because they are so packed. I was just referring to where you said other cruise lines don't seem to be as obvious.  

I did some ultra cruise. If one is not a gambler where would I find a list of these cruises so they could be avoided? The last few I've done on carnival were bad enough I'm starting to say carnival isnt for me, only for gamblers.

 

I was saying due to real experiences ... not some thread, I'm finding I dont enjoy carnival as much. I dont know how to avoid these ultra cruises, but it wasnt fun. Priority had no meaning. Belize was a tender port and again same as customer service, boarding ... too many priority to not be a zoo. Boarding was late, they had to open two more sections for all the priority. It was just too crazy for me, not like how carnival used to be. Maybe I'll find it just as bad on rcl, but I'm ready to do more rcl. Only rcl and carnival out of Galveston for those who will be quick to say well do another line. 

[balcony bound]

4 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

I did some ultra cruise. If one is not a gambler where would I find a list of these cruises so they could be avoided? The last few I've done on carnival were bad enough I'm starting to say carnival isnt for me, only for gamblers.

 

I was saying due to real experiences ... not some thread, I'm finding I dont enjoy carnival as much. I dont know how to avoid these ultra cruises, but it wasnt fun. Priority had no meaning. Belize was a tender port and again same as customer service, boarding ... too many priority to not be a zoo. Boarding was late, they had to open two more sections for all the priority. It was just too crazy for me, not like how carnival used to be. Maybe I'll find it just as bad on rcl, but I'm ready to do more rcl. Only rcl and carnival out of Galveston for those who will be quick to say well do another line. 

We also avoid Ultra and Premier cruises.  Since we get invites, we generally know which ones they are but several times they turned into Premier cruises after we booked.  Our PVP generally knows which ones and I always double check with him prior to booking.

 

I totally agree with you that they diminish the cruise experience from embarkation to debarkation!

[Eli_6]

20 hours ago, john91498 said:

I did a mock booking for Aug 2022 for a 7 day cruise out of Long Beach, CA. The final price for a balcony was $6,200 for 4 people in the same room. That's over double what I paid in 2018 for the exact same cruise...

FYI, you can stay in a Havana on the Vista for cheaper than that for August and last time I checked they still had a 4 person available.