Princess Prices have jumped A LOT!

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Just now, scottca075 said:

In case people have not noticed, everything is and will be going up in price. Businesses, not just cruise lines, that have been closed or had limited capacity, have had to take costly steps to stay viable. Those costs have to be recouped some how to pay off the debt they accrued while they were closed/limited.

 

They also have to take more costly steps to reopen; those costs too have to be recouped.

 

Will there be discounts in 2022? Maybe if the ships don't fill up, but people who are used to scheduling trips 2 years out may have to become more flexible if price is important.

Add to it the $15.00 an hour starting pay. Hello a $9.95 BigMac

[LACruiser88]

1 minute ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Add to it the $15.00 an hour starting pay. Hello a $9.95 BigMac

So true!  In the past, we were happy to get out of Costco for under $150, now we are happy at $300! 

[mcrcruiser]

1 hour ago, franktown said:

Gold is actually down a tiny amount so far this year and is up just about 7% from last June.

Gpld will continue to rise because the dollar is weakening & inflation is increasing .silver will tag along with gold or even exceed it;s rise in percentages  .Take a look at  what prices are in dealer stores or Hitco on line ,a huge Canadian  retailer of precious metals 

[Ombud]

I've booked 3 of these recently, 2 under current promotion, but the replacement cruises for canceled March 2020 spiked. I still monitor but I think until the FCC 'out there' is used up prices will go up

 

3 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

Gpld will continue to rise because the dollar is weakening & inflation is increasing .silver will tag along with gold or even exceed it;s rise in percentages  .Take a look at  what prices are in dealer stores or Hitco on line ,a huge Canadian  retailer of precious metals 

A good friend lost his house way back when (Hunt brothers) so I steer clear of metals & commodities (other than holding Morgan & complete Peace $ because I think they're 'pretty.' Not an investment)

 

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Ombud
Typo

[mcrcruiser]

47 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I've booked 3 of these recently, 2 under current promotion, but the replacement cruises for canceled March 2020 spiked. I still monitor but I think until the FCC 'out there' is used up prices will go up

 

A good friend lost his house way back when (Hunt brothers) so I steer clear of metals & commodities (other than holding Morgan & complete Peace $ because I think they're 'pretty.' Not an investment)

 

 

I have been a coin collector for over 50 years & traded at coin shows . The mogan dollar collection is more valuable than Peace dollars & a larger collection . U am missing the most expensive morgan dollar ,can;t afford the pricing ever .My set os MS 64 & up with all the Carson City mint Morgans in MS 65 

The Hunt fiasco was them trying to corner the silver market . Today it is very different ,The weakening of the US  dollar(reserve currency of the world still ) plus inflation is  driving bullion precious metals higher  . Inflation in general is not  good for the stock market  ;but ,the precious metals do shine with inflation &  the US dollar is weakening against the leading foreign currencies like the Euro & British pound .See the web site XE.com for all money conversions of values 

 

 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

26 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

I have been a coin collector for over 50 years & traded at coin shows . The mogan dollar collection is more valuable than Peace dollars & a larger collection . U am missing the most expensive morgan dollar ,can;t afford the pricing ever .My set os MS 64 & up with all the Carson City mint Morgans in MS 65 

The Hunt fiasco was them trying to corner the silver market . Today it is very different ,The weakening of the US  dollar(reserve currency of the world still ) plus inflation is  driving bullion precious metals higher  . Inflation in general is not  good for the stock market  ;but ,the precious metals do shine with inflation &  the US dollar is weakening against the leading foreign currencies like the Euro & British pound .See the web site XE.com for all money conversions of values 

 

 

I have looked at a lot of coins over the years and neve became  collector. I might start now. Ay 75 I might still have some time to collect. My young grand son tells me he has Pokemon cards worth $2000.00 a card. he says he will not sell them. I say sell now before they are worth nothing. What do I know? Give me a break. All the baseball cards I tossed. Just chewed the gum.

[memoak]

4 hours ago, MishelleMcc said:

90 here already!  😜

We are supposed to hit 90 tomorrow. A bit hot for us urban folk

 

 

 

 

 

[rbtan]

On 5/28/2021 at 9:42 PM, MishelleMcc said:

Has anyone noticed the price jump?  We booked a Dec 2022 Hawaiian cruise back in Jan 2021.  Price for a Lido balcony cabin right next to ours is now $3,300 (2pax) more ($1,650 pp).

 

I've been cruising off & on since late 80's and NEVER seen a jump like this!  I am grateful that I booked when I did BUT what about everyone else?  It feels like price gouging!

 

Will the pricing "Adjust" (like the stock market) or is this sustainable?

Pent up demand. The other thing, is that big time T/A's book large blocks of cabins. At a certain point they will have to release them if not filled. That's when prices drop. One can either "cancel & rebook" (where you may lose out)or you can demand better OBC. The OBC is the job of your T/A to handle. We booked Oceania next Jan. for about $3500PP for a sea view room. With that, you get a floor to ceiling window & full bath tub & shower. That cabin is quite a bit higher now. We have in the past been offered an upgrade. Depending on the price if offered again we'll either accept or reject it. I had hoped for a good deal in Cub Class on the "Circle the Caribbean" trip in 2023. Wasn't impressed the the price spike as you've described. Found a Sky Suite on Celebrity Equinox for considerably less. The fact we would dine in Laminae helped sell the deal. I love the staff on Princess(their best asset, I feel) The food, however has a lot to be desired at times. Grand Class is not as good as Royal Class in my opinion.I'll still watch for changes, as 2023 is a long way off.

[Iamcruzin]

12 hours ago, pms4104 said:

Nothing will stop them ... even once the FCCs are used up, the prices will continue to hold high or rise and their offerings (food in particular) will continue to diminish in quality.  And, yes, as long as bookings continue to roll in, Princess has no incentive to re-assess their operations.

It's been a downward spiral since I started cruising in 1986 across all lines.  The effects of Covid and the introduction of the mega ships is just going to accelerate it even faster As others have said the port experience is starting to diminish. On my last cruise in 2019 Royal Caribbean's private Island Labadee was a better experience than the over crowded port shops and beaches. 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Iamcruzin

[Ombud]

13 hours ago, pms4104 said:

Nothing will stop them ... even once the FCCs are used up, the prices will continue to hold high or rise and their offerings (food in particular) will continue to diminish in quality.  And, yes, as long as bookings continue to roll in, Princess has no incentive to re-assess their operations.

As a vegetarian who travels with a vegan I disagree. I can remember about a decade ago when we were served a slab of warmed tofu several nights in a row. Seems no one knew how to cook vegan. Finally we just opted for baked potato, steamed veggies, (him=hot tofu, me = cheese( and made our own stuffed potatoes. Finally they realize vegans can have fruit plates for dessert & salads can be served naked with herbs / balsamic / olive oil. Now he gets a choice of  wonderful dishes each evening. And they don't even blink an eye when I have to order ahead (allergy). In fact I had a great Head Waiter who said 'trust me' on the Melbourne->NZ voyage and he never disappointed. And I never repeated a main dish (13 night cruise)

 

So IMHO the food has vastly improved

 

To each their own

[Pizzasteve]

4 hours ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

I have looked at a lot of coins over the years and neve became  collector. I might start now. Ay 75 I might still have some time to collect. My young grand son tells me he has Pokemon cards worth $2000.00 a card. he says he will not sell them. I say sell now before they are worth nothing. What do I know? Give me a break. All the baseball cards I tossed. Just chewed the gum.

Baseball cards are mostly junk, but specific original pokemon cards are well worth keeping. I almost bought Magic the gathering cards for a few hundred dollars when I first played ("power nine, original set) years ago (because I think like you...cardboard), but they now can sell for up to 100,000 per card, if mint.  If millions of people want something and the original prints were few....supply and demand.  Sold about 20 cards for $1500 because generally agree.  Still, he should co sider haveping them profressionally graded and sealed.  My most expensive MTG card is still over $1000 and predicted to rise.

 

I dont need the money and selling is time consuming, but those Poke cards will have at least a decade as their suitors age and accumulate.  Baseball card fans have been dying (sadly) so collections and cards to sell exceed demand.

Edited June 1, 2021 by Pizzasteve

[pms4104]

56 minutes ago, Ombud said:

As a vegetarian who travels with a vegan I disagree. I can remember about a decade ago when we were served a slab of warmed tofu several nights in a row. Seems no one knew how to cook vegan. Finally we just opted for baked potato, steamed veggies, (him=hot tofu, me = cheese( and made our own stuffed potatoes. Finally they realize vegans can have fruit plates for dessert & salads can be served naked with herbs / balsamic / olive oil. Now he gets a choice of  wonderful dishes each evening. And they don't even blink an eye when I have to order ahead (allergy). In fact I had a great Head Waiter who said 'trust me' on the Melbourne->NZ voyage and he never disappointed. And I never repeated a main dish (13 night cruise)

 

So IMHO the food has vastly improved

 

To each their own

Indeed, food can be subjective ... but I have been quite disappointed in the offerings my last couple of sailings ... perhaps it's all about my expectations.

[mcrcruiser]

8 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Gpld will continue to rise because the dollar is weakening & inflation is increasing .silver will tag along with gold or even exceed it;s rise in percentages  .Take a look at  what prices are in dealer stores or Hitco on line ,a huge Canadian  retailer of precious metals 

Correction it is Kitco.com  ,Typo 

[vjmatty]

8 hours ago, Ombud said:

As a vegetarian who travels with a vegan I disagree. I can remember about a decade ago when we were served a slab of warmed tofu several nights in a row. Seems no one knew how to cook vegan. Finally we just opted for baked potato, steamed veggies, (him=hot tofu, me = cheese( and made our own stuffed potatoes. Finally they realize vegans can have fruit plates for dessert & salads can be served naked with herbs / balsamic / olive oil. Now he gets a choice of  wonderful dishes each evening. And they don't even blink an eye when I have to order ahead (allergy). In fact I had a great Head Waiter who said 'trust me' on the Melbourne->NZ voyage and he never disappointed. And I never repeated a main dish (13 night cruise)

 

So IMHO the food has vastly improved

 

To each their own

 

This is one area where I find Celebrity wins out over Princess.  Their MDR has a separate vegetarian menu every night, and the buffet has a listing  on each item regarding whether there is sugar, gluten, meat or dairy. With me being a vegetarian also, and hubby gluten-free, it was very helpful. 

[John99]

Based on recent job postings on Indeed and Zip Recruiter (see below) --  Ship Crew job postings are very active for Princess.  In fact, Norwegian has more job postings than Princess.  A look at UK Indeed shows many posting for cruise jobs as well.  European river cruises are not far behind.  This thread has mentioned that “costs” are going up in many areas.  I agree.  With this many job openings -- do you think the applicant(s) has Princess between a rock and a hard spot?   They maybe their asking for more money in their contracts which will drive the costs higher?

 

Below are current job postings for Princess Cruise Lines:

Junior Assistant Cruise Director

Stage Crew

Youth Staff

Nurse

Bar Department

Entry-Level Retail

Housekeeping

Restaurant Department

3rd Engineer

Computer System Specialist

Staff Photographer

Deck Department Senior Watch keeping Officers

Assistant Cruise Director

Technical Department Senior Watchkeeping Officers

Junior Assistant Purser

Assistant Production Manager-Audio                                               

2nd Electro-Technical Officer

Staff Accountant

Hotel Services Engineer

Assistant Production Manager-Lighting

Stewarding

Security Officer

Nurse

Paramedic

Second Plumbers

Junior Assistant Food & Beverage Manager

Assistant Food & Beverage Manager

 

 

[franktown]

11 minutes ago, John99 said:

Based on recent job postings on Indeed and Zip Recruiter (see below) --  Ship Crew job postings are very active for Princess.  In fact, Norwegian has more job postings than Princess.  A look at UK Indeed shows many posting for cruise jobs as well.  European river cruises are not far behind.  This thread has mentioned that “costs” are going up in many areas.  I agree.  With this many job openings -- do you think the applicant(s) has Princess between a rock and a hard spot?   They maybe their asking for more money in their contracts which will drive the costs higher?

 

Below are current job postings for Princess Cruise Lines:

Junior Assistant Cruise Director

Stage Crew

Youth Staff

Nurse

Bar Department

Entry-Level Retail

Housekeeping

Restaurant Department

3rd Engineer

Computer System Specialist

Staff Photographer

Deck Department Senior Watch keeping Officers

Assistant Cruise Director

Technical Department Senior Watchkeeping Officers

Junior Assistant Purser

Assistant Production Manager-Audio                                               

2nd Electro-Technical Officer

Staff Accountant

Hotel Services Engineer

Assistant Production Manager-Lighting

Stewarding

Security Officer

Nurse

Paramedic

Second Plumbers

Junior Assistant Food & Beverage Manager

Assistant Food & Beverage Manager

 

 

NCL CEO said last week that staffing is one of the biggest obstacle to start cruising again.  He said staffing will probably what dictates when each ship will be able to resume cruises.   Indicated that some cruises might have to be delayed.  I'm sure Princess has the same problem.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

21 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

It's been a downward spiral since I started cruising in 1986 across all lines.  The effects of Covid and the introduction of the mega ships is just going to accelerate it even faster As others have said the port experience is starting to diminish. On my last cruise in 2019 Royal Caribbean's private Island Labadee was a better experience than the over crowded port shops and beaches. 

 

You think Crystal, Seabourn, Cunard, Oceania and Viking are down? I don't even think Princess, HAL, NCL, Celebrity and RCI are down. Cruising is different than it used to be, but cruising in 1986 was different from my transpacific voyages in the early 1960s and South Pacific trips in that same time frame.

[Iamcruzin]

44 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

You think Crystal, Seabourn, Cunard, Oceania and Viking are down? I don't even think Princess, HAL, NCL, Celebrity and RCI are down. Cruising is different than it used to be, but cruising in 1986 was different from my transpacific voyages in the early 1960s and South Pacific trips in that same time frame.

I can only speak to Princess, Celebrity and RCI. There have been many changes from amenities, food, room accommodations and service. Some are good some are not so good.  The larger ships have contributed to the decline in food, service and itineraries.  It's impossible to provide the same standards they provided when the passenger count went from 2000 to 6000 and is still climbing

[KeepCalmBearOn]

2 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I can only speak to Princess, Celebrity and RCI. There have been many changes from amenities, food, room accommodations and service. Some are good some are not so good.  The larger ships have contributed to the decline in food, service and itineraries.  It's impossible to provide the same standards they provided when the passenger count went from 2000 to 6000 and is still climbing

 

The largest Princess ship is 3,660 passengers; the largest Celebrity is 3,373. And while it is true RCI does have mega ships at 6,780, they also have 8 ships at 2,700 or less.

 

I like that I can choose different experiences.

[hapster85]

Booked an Alaskan cruisetour for June 2022 on Sapphire, mini suite, back in December, shortly after itineraries were released. Prices crept up slowly after that. About a month ago, I noticed a big increase. Currently up by more than $1700 total.

 

Glad we booked when we did. I've been becoming more and more confident it will actually happen. 

[Iamcruzin]

18 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

The largest Princess ship is 3,660 passengers; the largest Celebrity is 3,373. And while it is true RCI does have mega ships at 6,780, they also have 8 ships at 2,700 or less.

 

I like that I can choose different experiences.

I agree but the small ships seem to be getting sold off across the 3 lines.  I won't sail on anything larger than the Quantum class on RCI which is even too big for my wife.  

[Steelers36]

24 minutes ago, hapster85 said:

Booked an Alaskan cruise-tour for June 2022 on Sapphire, mini suite, back in December, shortly after itineraries were released. Prices crept up slowly after that. About a month ago, I noticed a big increase. Currently up by more than $1700 total.

 

Glad we booked when we did. I've been becoming more and more confident it will actually happen. 

I am not least bit concerned about 2022.  A whole year from now.

[Ombud]

5 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I can only speak to Princess, Celebrity and RCI. There have been many changes from amenities, food, room accommodations and service. Some are good some are not so good.  The larger ships have contributed to the decline in food, service and itineraries.  It's impossible to provide the same standards they provided when the passenger count went from 2000 to 6000 and is still climbing

Well .... subjective.  The largest Royal Class Princess ships are 3660 not 6000. Vegetarian and vegan options have expanded.  Eating raw / minimal spices has improved. If you don't like the 6000 pax ship you're used to, try another line. They're vastly different and the smaller ones (Viking, Uncruise, Windstar) can still dock in small ports. No point spending money on something that doesn't measure up JMHO 

[mcrcruiser]

IMO ,After this pent up demand to cruise/travel subsides  & those FCCs are used up  either prices will drop or there will be pax price resistance forcing the cruise lines to adjust  their selling prices .

We too like smaller vessels  vs mega ships . The perfect size for us is the Pinacle Class ,about 100,000 gross tons  ,Koningsdam was the first of this class .We have sailed  Anthem of the Seas & just too many people with over loaded ports .We have a booking on ruby for Alaska next year & even there it is a big ship .  Fortunately we have been to Alaska 5 times prior & we selected this cruise because of going once again up Glacier Bay ;which we haven't seen since 2000 our first Alaska cruise aboard 47000  ton Carnival Jubilee . 

Food is a subjective subject ;but ,we find the food just as good or better now 

[Iamcruzin]

6 hours ago, Ombud said:

Well .... subjective.  The largest Royal Class Princess ships are 3660 not 6000. Vegetarian and vegan options have expanded.  Eating raw / minimal spices has improved. If you don't like the 6000 pax ship you're used to, try another line. They're vastly different and the smaller ones (Viking, Uncruise, Windstar) can still dock in small ports. No point spending money on something that doesn't measure up JMHO 

I realize that the largest Princess ship is 3660 passengers. I was making a statement about cruising in general. The 6000 passenger load from NCL and Royal Caribbean has a large effect on port traffic. Ports are much more crowded if they are calling on the same port which diminishes that experience.