What's going on with RCCL Pricing

[grandgeezer]

2 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

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

Alaska fees have been higher since we first went there in 2005. It is due to an environmental fee added to the rest.

[erby2283]

I wanted to cruise the Mediterranean again (have only been once) and scoured RC prices for a year.  Since I care more about the itinerary than the ship, I finally decided on a 10-day Carnival cruise next September.  Got an extended balcony for $1306 p/p.  I've sailed both lines before and while I think the food might be a tad better on RC, I don't mind cruising on either brand.  Would have loved for it to be on RC as my status is higher but oh well....I'll pay more for airfare than my cruise. 🫢

[Tree_skier]

Deals are out there still.  Back in May after pricing was well and truly going crazy I managed to score a deal Harmony to turn my 1 week into a B2B.  My TA still had group space available and I got a CP balcony cabin, with taxes and fees for two people, for ~$1400. I think there was $50 OBC on top of that.

 

I think it was @GetToLivin that said it earlier, flexibility is key.  If you aren't locked into a specific week or specific ship or port there still seem to be decent prices.  The acceleration of pricing also seems to have topped out and has crept back a little.  I've got 8 cruises on the books and track pricing on all 8 of them.  Of course with pricing the way it is there isn't any possibility I'll see a price drop but I track just the same.  And pricing has definitely come down some 

[MississippiMom]

On 10/9/2023 at 3:21 PM, smokeybandit said:

Brilliance out of New Orleans

I, literally, just stumbled across the fact that Brilliance will be sailing out of NOLA in part of 2024 and 2025.  That’s our nearest port, and the prices are incredibly good at the moment.  I’m guessing they are trying to entice some Carnival-regulars over.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

Deals are out there still.  Back in May after pricing was well and truly going crazy I managed to score a deal Harmony to turn my 1 week into a B2B.  My TA still had group space available and I got a CP balcony cabin, with taxes and fees for two people, for ~$1400. I think there was $50 OBC on top of that.

 

I think it was @GetToLivin that said it earlier, flexibility is key.  If you aren't locked into a specific week or specific ship or port there still seem to be decent prices.  The acceleration of pricing also seems to have topped out and has crept back a little.  I've got 8 cruises on the books and track pricing on all 8 of them.  Of course with pricing the way it is there isn't any possibility I'll see a price drop but I track just the same.  And pricing has definitely come down some 

Can you fly to new orleans... they are right some deals. JS price was good. Even for a 1 bedroom imo good. Older ship but full suite. Nov 2024 I think was the date. I hope to be moved but even I'm tempted. That's a price for 1 pax, not pp. JS solo $1641 for that date. Plus 1 set of fees and taxes. Dont know if our TA has better price or how suites work. 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by firefly333

[backsbanny]

The crazy prices are on Icon at this moment but fortunately there are a lot of agencies that have very good group rates available. I scored an oceanview for 2 people with tax 2400 usd which is a great price for a brand new ship. We just need to look more than we used to in order to get a good rate not only at RCL but on any line at the moment

[SUgwoz]

Just repriced an Icon sailing for this spring, $348 price drop. 

[SRF]

On 10/8/2023 at 11:36 PM, baldilocks said:

Us Boomers are facing inflation with very small COLA raises. 

 

I am getting a whopping 3.2% on SS and 2.2% on my retirement. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

 

I am getting a whopping 3.2% on SS and 2.2% on my retirement. 

 

Like Charlie Brown, on the Charlie Brown Holloween Special, "All I got were rocks.."

 

Join the FERS crowd!

[ReRe71]

9 hours ago, erby2283 said:

I wanted to cruise the Mediterranean again (have only been once) and scoured RC prices for a year.  Since I care more about the itinerary than the ship, I finally decided on a 10-day Carnival cruise next September.  Got an extended balcony for $1306 p/p.  I've sailed both lines before and while I think the food might be a tad better on RC, I don't mind cruising on either brand.  Would have loved for it to be on RC as my status is higher but oh well....I'll pay more for airfare than my cruise. 🫢

We have Oasis booked for the Mediterranean in September 2024, paid around $2800 for a balcony. I, too, am afraid airfare will be much more than the cruise 😩

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 minute ago, ReRe71 said:

We have Oasis booked for the Mediterranean in September 2024, paid around $2800 for a balcony. I, too, am afraid airfare will be much more than the cruise 😩

International airfare is a big wildcard combined with having to book a hotel for the day before in case something happens to your flight. This is a HUGE consideration when going anywhere let alone overseas.

 

I understand your concern.

[Gardener5b]

We have a transatlantic booked for 11/24.  Within the past 5 days, we've had 2 price drops totaling almost $1000.   It pays to keep checking.

[ReRe71]

16 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

International airfare is a big wildcard combined with having to book a hotel for the day before in case something happens to your flight. This is a HUGE consideration when going anywhere let alone overseas.

 

I understand your concern.

Yeah and we definitely are not blindsided as we knew it would be high, it’s just the pricing is astronomical. We’ve booked our hotel (arriving 3 days prior in Barcelona). 

[frank808]

1 hour ago, ReRe71 said:

We have Oasis booked for the Mediterranean in September 2024, paid around $2800 for a balcony. I, too, am afraid airfare will be much more than the cruise 😩

Just book business class roundtrip 😜

[ReneeFLL]

8 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Deals are out there still.  Back in May after pricing was well and truly going crazy I managed to score a deal Harmony to turn my 1 week into a B2B.  My TA still had group space available and I got a CP balcony cabin, with taxes and fees for two people, for ~$1400. I think there was $50 OBC on top of that.

 

I think it was @GetToLivin that said it earlier, flexibility is key.  If you aren't locked into a specific week or specific ship or port there still seem to be decent prices.  The acceleration of pricing also seems to have topped out and has crept back a little.  I've got 8 cruises on the books and track pricing on all 8 of them.  Of course with pricing the way it is there isn't any possibility I'll see a price drop but I track just the same.  And pricing has definitely come down some 

Are all of these with a TA? If so, aren’t those prices set in stone thru the TA or do you check on Royals site to see if they go lower than what the TA has?

[Itried4498]

Princess is running one of the strongest sales I've seen in awhile,  Many (but not all) of their holiday fares are cheaper than they were even pre-Covid.  

 

I'm a firm believer that people spent their Covid savings and prices will begin to at least stabilize.  IMO, we'll see far more deals in 2024 than 2023.  

[OCSC Mike]

35 minutes ago, Itried4498 said:

IMO, we'll see far more deals in 2024 than 2023.  

Low bar, lol, but I hope you’re right.

[travelberlin]

7 hours ago, Gardener5b said:

We have a transatlantic booked for 11/24.  Within the past 5 days, we've had 2 price drops totaling almost $1000.   It pays to keep checking.

When the price drops how do you benefit from the new price after booking? Are those price drops not for new bookings only?

[Ourusualbeach]

5 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Are all of these with a TA? If so, aren’t those prices set in stone thru the TA or do you check on Royals site to see if they go lower than what the TA has?

If Royals price drops below the group rate they can be adjusted to the lower price prior to final payment just like any other booking through Royal (for North American bookings).  I think Treeskiers point was that the group rates are so low that there is no way that Royals price will ever drop to that level.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

When the price drops how do you benefit from the new price after booking? Are those price drops not for new bookings only?

While it may say new bookings only in some fine print Royal will allow you to get your booking repriced up until final payment date.  Just call whoever you booked your cruise with whether that is direct with Royal or a TA.  This applies to bookings made on the US or CAD website or through a US or CAD travel agent.

[SRF]

On 10/14/2023 at 1:04 AM, ReneeFLL said:

Are all of these with a TA? If so, aren’t those prices set in stone thru the TA or do you check on Royals site to see if they go lower than what the TA has?

 

I use an independent TA and she checks daily.  If there is a price change in my favor, she gets it and applies it.  I don't have to do anything.

[vacationlover_mn]

I often book trips as soon as they are released on the site.  I was SO hoping Icon suites would be reasonable for 2026, but OMG, so high!!!  When I checked the day they were released, it was over $17,000 for what I wanted, hundreds more than a comparable 2025 cruise 😞. I was hoping I’d catch an amazing deal, like what I did for wonder when I booked 2025 way in advance.  

[OCSC Mike]

2 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

it was over $17,000 for what I wanted, hundreds more than a comparable 2025 cruise

 

Not trying to be an ass, but "hundreds more" for something that costs $17000 isn't a huge increase, percentage wise.

 

When my interiors that often cost under $1000pp are hundreds more, that's a big increase.

 

I'd love to be wrong but I'm not expecting any "amazing deals" when the rest of the 2025-26 cruises are released in the coming months. And I'm not talking about Star which I expect to be have ridiculous prices. I'm just looking for what I considerable reasonable prices at this point.

[boscobeans]

Look for an agent that is part of a major consortium which purchases large blocks of staterooms on cruises well into the future.

Sometimes the prices they offer are outrageous.

Many offer deposit dates that are a month or two into the future as well.

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by boscobeans