What's going on with RCCL Pricing

[firefly333]

2 mornings ago supposedly suite prices dropped that morning. People upgraded from a balcony to suites for no extra or almost no extra, then the price went away.

 

I saw mike say he found a decent peice on oasis, molly or someone had a great 7 day but Mike said he couldnt go that long. There are clearly people finding deals last  minute. I've seen them posted. 

 

 

 

 

 

[OCSC Mike]

9 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

There are clearly people finding deals last  minute. I've seen them posted.

 

Yep, my Allure for the end of the month was booked like a month out. Ellen's (Molly) Wonder was similar.

 

There will be some good deals in tomorrow's GGG sale if the prices from the flier actually appear.

[YoupDeBoer]

We had two offers open for 4 Inside Cabins for a total of 13 people for departure in August 2024.
NCL was €15.1k excl 150 FAS per adult.
The offer for RCL was €16.3k and drinks way more expensive compared to NCL.
So we decided to go with NCL as we found the initerary also slightly more attractive (both Greek Isles).

Five days ago, before I would lift the option for NCL I did a mock booking on RCL when I saw they had some actions for 3rd/4th person in the room etc. In the morning I was able to choose rooms but distracted by work did the mock booking again in the afternoon. Only GTY cabins were left but with a huge discount. Offer was €10.4K now. So changed our option to GTY cabins. The day after did the same booking again and only GTY cabins (3/4 persons) available but again €700 cheaper. So changed our option again for a total of €9.7k (including the gratuities). We must have been lucky as now I cannot find 3 (3 person) GTY cabins anymore. For us it was a huge discount of 6.6k which came out of nowhere. Of course we have now the uncertainty of not knowing our cabin numbers but with only one sea day on this 7 night cruise we will not spend much time in our rooms. But when they give these discounts it makes you wonder if the initial offer was not way too high...

Edited October 9, 2023 by YoupDeBoer

[seadog67]

This reminds me of an interview Piers Morgan did back in 2008-2009 in a show about Las Vegas. Leading up to the Housing Crisis, Vegas was going along nicely but reasonably, then during the year and a half of the worst of the recession, Piers was interviewing the owner of the Planet Hollywood resort and asking how they were handling the worst downturn in years. The owner says we are giving away rooms free basically to get people in to spend money. 

 

Piers then asks him what happens when the economy improves and demand resumes, and the owner says flatly, I will rip their jugular's out, meaning you will pay through the nose, which is kinda what happened several year later as the recession waned.

 

Currently RCL is going for our Jugular's, until we sequel and demand lightens up,  but I think they feel they also have a great product with their ships compared to other lines and figure when the rides over they can lower the prices back some and demand by people who like their ships will remain or come back.

 

 

 

[Pandamonia]

I think 2024 is going to be a tougher year for companies than they expect. 

 

They have jacked prices up for worse products and services and people will learn not to bite. 

 

Royal want 460 GBP for a Ultimate dining package which was nearly 40GBP per day. If you ate in speciality dining in Izumi you would actually lose money on this package. They sold only 6 of these on my previous Anthem Cruise at 300GBP which went to 460 GBP 2 weeks before sailing. 

 

They really have no idea what they are doing with pricing and i was told by the ship that its Miami that does the pricing and the ship just has to live with it. Its not based on any logic or intelligence its more just based on a whim i think. 

[irishgal432]

Royal is going after 1st time cruisers who have no idea about costs.  As an example my dd bf parents booked a cruise for the first time last summer.  They booked an interior room through the website and added the drink package, 2 wifi and udp, and beach bed at Coco Cay  and a hefty Royal Up to a balcony.  I asked them to send me their invoice so I  could look at it.  By the time I looked at it they were able to upgrade to a balcony at no cost to them, cancel the drink package since only one person drank, and cancelled the Coco Cay beach bed and 1 wifi package as they were only concerned about needing the internet in case of emergency, and cancelling the UDP since this was their first cruise , let them do the dining room first.

 

 

[deliver42]

I' too, think the pricing will come home to roost. They've gone overboard. Maybe they'll still get first timers, but i think the veteran cruisers, such as myself, will stay away in droves. This also holds true for Celebrity that eliminated tips from the All Included and the OBC for suites. I have to think Jason Liberty, he of the bean counters society, that's now CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group has his fingers in all of this. Please bring back Richard Fain, who actually gave a damn about the passengers.

[neverbeenhere]

A Pepsi used to be a nickel.

 

I am hoping that the new ships and their bevy of staterooms will have the effect that more supply should have on prices. But, we shall see.

 

We are currently sailing Princess that seems to still have some good pricing.  It is missing a Diamond Lounge.  Oops, Crown Lounge.

Edited October 10, 2023 by neverbeenhere

[deliver42]

Princess and HAL have some pretty good prices.

[SUgwoz]

With RCCL targeting families the prices for cruises around holidays and summer breaks are spiking higher.  Though deals can be found, Balcony guaranteed on a 6 Night Symphony of the Seas cruise in November is $1412. Oasis of the Seas 7 Night in December $1600.  Harmony of the Seas 7 Nights for $1600 in Jan 2025. 

[firefly333]

48 minutes ago, SUgwoz said:

With RCCL targeting families the prices for cruises around holidays and summer breaks are spiking higher.  Though deals can be found, Balcony guaranteed on a 6 Night Symphony of the Seas cruise in November is $1412. Oasis of the Seas 7 Night in December $1600.  Harmony of the Seas 7 Nights for $1600 in Jan 2025. 

Adventure OTS I recently booked. While I see someone got $750 for a balcony and now its 1k for a solo inside  .. still not horrible for 6 days over xmas. I saw others booked for the price, though would have preferred a newer ship, the price was right. Xmas 2024 .. 

 

I added the 8 day before doing eastern to some new ports and april southern 8 day 2025, not great but nice ports. Ask for group pricing, not retail. Should have booked sooner, as I keep reading these were really great prices when first released. 

 

Everyone has a different idea what's too high. 

 

My 8 day out of Galveston oct 12 inside balcony peaked and the price has been dropping. Coco cay from texas still quite popular. I'm seeing prices coming down, not going up. 

[molly361]

47 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Adventure OTS I recently booked. While I see someone got $750 for a balcony and now its 1k for a solo inside  .. still not horrible for 6 days over xmas. I saw others booked for the price, though would have preferred a newer ship, the price was right. Xmas 2024 .. 

 

I added the 8 day before doing eastern to some new ports and april southern 8 day 2025, not great but nice ports. Ask for group pricing, not retail. Should have booked sooner, as I keep reading these were really great prices when first released. 

 

Everyone has a different idea what's too high. 

 

My 8 day out of Galveston oct 12 inside balcony peaked and the price has been dropping. Coco cay from texas still quite popular. I'm seeing prices coming down, not going up. 

I'm on the AD for Xmas with you next year.  My balcony solo is $800 but I booked it pretty much as soon as it came out.  Had the AD for this Christmas as well at a really great price but decided to go with a 4 day on the Allure for more money.  No wonder I'm not rich😱

[Ourusualbeach]

55 minutes ago, molly361 said:

I'm on the AD for Xmas with you next year.

I'll wave.  We are on for NYE

[GetToLivin]

Date flexibility, which I know everyone doesn't have, seems even more essential now -- but I have been able to find more "reasonable" pricing this way. Then, after I book, I shop up until the final payment and this year I have saved almost 6k on two cruises by doing this. I check pricing nearly every single week and it has REALLY paid off in savings by simply catching these price drops.  

 

That said, I'm trying to make the NYE cruise our one annual family trip due to kids being off school, and I haven't booked a thing for 2024 because the pricing is outrageous. This is where the ability to be flexible just isn't there and the sticker shock is setting in. For new cruisers, maybe they don't know better and maybe that's their target while they ride this wave. But I've been cruising since 2004 and while I understand increasing over time, the price gouging is almost offensive.  

[orville99]

On 10/9/2023 at 2:15 PM, RoyalC said:

Going Gone sale just posted- prices are higher for the sale than the current rates- over $200 per person on Explorer in December I was watching. Even the Nov. Panama cruise is higher. I guess since these prices do not post during sale times anyway it should not change but who knows.  

Is that the Panama cruise next month? If so, OV cabins are now booking for more than we paid for a balcony cabin when we booked.

[orville99]

On 10/9/2023 at 2:15 PM, RoyalC said:

Going Gone sale just posted- prices are higher for the sale than the current rates- over $200 per person on Explorer in December I was watching. Even the Nov. Panama cruise is higher. I guess since these prices do not post during sale times anyway it should not change but who knows.  

Is that the Panama cruise next month? If so, OV cabins are now booking for more than we paid for a balcony cabin when we booked.

[RMcoolX]

On 10/9/2023 at 8:28 AM, LuCruise said:

I do wonder though when they release the next group that covers Dec 2025 and spring 2026, that the starting price will be closer to what we are seeing as current prices.

Any idea when they will finally release these dates? Is this normal for them to wait so long to do so?

 

Although I've primarily been a Carnival cruiser, I do have one Royal cruise under my belt and I have two booked. Royal is typically priced higher than Carnival, but I have noticed that the Spring Break cruises out of Galveston have been cheaper if you jump on them early. 

 

Overall, however, prices have jumped on Carnival in terms of percentage just as much as RCCL or any other similar cruise line. It is simple folks...supply and demand. Us nuts (to include me) are not deterred by the crazy prices, so they just keep on raising them on us. I'll sure be glad when YOU ALL start taking land-based vacays so that I can start affording balconies again, because now I have to give consideration to inside cabins to be able to keep this up! lol

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, RMcoolX said:

Any idea when they will finally release these dates? Is this normal for them to wait so long to do so?

 

Although I've primarily been a Carnival cruiser, I do have one Royal cruise under my belt and I have two booked. Royal is typically priced higher than Carnival, but I have noticed that the Spring Break cruises out of Galveston have been cheaper if you jump on them early. 

 

Overall, however, prices have jumped on Carnival in terms of percentage just as much as RCCL or any other similar cruise line. It is simple folks...supply and demand. Us nuts (to include me) are not deterred by the crazy prices, so they just keep on raising them on us. I'll sure be glad when YOU ALL start taking land-based vacays so that I can start affording balconies again, because now I have to give consideration to inside cabins to be able to keep this up! lol

Its typical. I think I've seen over a dozen times people ask when will Caribbean april 2025 on be released and laugh when ourusualbeach keeps calmly posting each and every time nov/dec .. time after time after time the same answer. Lol. 

 

I do find a different pattern with rcl and carnival. Rcl comes out lower usually, but last minute carnival usually lower. Just a different rhythm. Soon we will know if rcl will come out lower with deals, or just go for broke price wise. Like they did with icon. 

[OCSC Mike]

7 hours ago, RMcoolX said:

Any idea when they will finally release these dates?

 

 

[travelberlin]

The advertised prices for some cruises make you believe that there are good deals. By the the time you finalize your booking with the taxes, fees  and gratuities, you realize that you are not getting a low price. Iff you want to upgrade your experience to a better cabin, drinks and better dining, then you notice that you might us well start comparing with premium cruise lines, where those additions are already included in the cruise price from the beginning.

 

[RMcoolX]

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

 

 

[BecciBoo]

On 10/11/2023 at 5:37 AM, GetToLivin said:

check pricing nearly every single week

I check every day 😂

[BecciBoo]

2 hours ago, travelberlin said:

taxes, fees

These have been steadily going up, at least on my screen!  Alaska is phenomenally high, higher than an inside fare!  I've check several cruises with insides under $400 but the fees are over that....eek

Edited October 13, 2023 by BecciBoo

[deliver42]

I booked a Caribbean cruise in Jan, 2025 through a TA with a group rate on the new Celebrity Ascent with the All Included (including gratuities) for the same price that Royal wanted on the Wonder with no perks other than my Diamond perks. The Wonder was for 2024.

[firefly333]

30 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

I booked a Caribbean cruise in Jan, 2025 through a TA with a group rate on the new Celebrity Ascent with the All Included (including gratuities) for the same price that Royal wanted on the Wonder with no perks other than my Diamond perks. The Wonder was for 2024.

I'm sure a lot of us me included would still book wonder if both the same price. I'm D + solo. I get 5 free drinks, more than enough for me, enough obc to cover my solo tips and then some, bogo and plan on using it every week I'm onboard and my free 2 days of wifi. Plus with the group rate and balcony discount then solo discount its probably less than the price you are using. 

 

So might also depend on your loyalty level and discounts which is better. All I need is free wifi and it would be perfect. Am I paying more yes, but I think wow every time I go into the grocery store too. Maybe ya all can do something about higher grocery store prices while you are at it.

 

Or maybe it depends on if you are a drinker .. having the drink pkg included doesnt tempt me but for you might. I dont want or need more free drinks.