Is there usually this much of a price increase each year?

[tlynk]

There's a reason our last 2 cruises were on Celebrity Of course we're also doing the MDAS out of NYC in 2 weeks....

Jim

Did you enjoy your Celebrity cruises? I'm considering sailing with them in 2019.

 

[cruiser21]

Losing money? By the time Silvers and the general public get to book, prices have been driven up by people that are just "thinking" about a cruise. Maybe Disney needs to start with a NON-refundable deposit. Disney knows exactly what they are doing by starting the feeding frenzy around their opening day.

Do that many people really book opening day anymore? Its seems like it's usually a few months before prices start to go up. I've never booked opening day, and I've never paid more than opening day prices.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Do that many people really book opening day anymore? Its seems like it's usually a few months before prices start to go up. I've never booked opening day, and I've never paid more then opening day prices.

Well, enough people do that cause up to 1 hour+ wait times when calling.

Often, the "special" cruises (ones that don't happen often - Hawaii, TransAtlantic, and Panama Canal) could see price increases by the next day (and occasionally within hours), because enough people booked them on opening day.

 

[cruiser21]

That's it, it's supply and demand and we see where the demand is right now. You guys have to continue to get the word out and drive up demand on Carnival and Royal, etc, and away from DCL and maybe the prices will come down and be on par with the other lines.

I saw a list on Cruise critic with the 10 most popular ships. DCL didn't even make the list. Disney has a very small market in the cruise industry. It's almost a cult following. There's just enough DCL loyalists to fill 4 ships, but in the big scheme of things they are just a blip in the cruise industry.

 

[cruiser21]

Well, enough people do that cause up to 1 hour+ wait times when calling.

Often, the "special" cruises (ones that don't happen often - Hawaii, TransAtlantic, and Panama Canal) could see price increases by the next day (and occasionally within hours), because enough people booked them on opening day.

Hawaii didn't sell. It took a few months for the TA's to go up. I think you need to watch the prices more. I've waited an hour on hold on a normal day...that's nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I was hoping to do a anniversary cruise with my husband next Feb. Fantasy SWDAS. If I am looking at past threads/price trackers and the new thread for opening day prices it seems to be almost $1000 increase for 2 adults.

For example the Feb Eastern cruise over Valentines day. Last year for 2 adults category 9D started at $3150. This year it looks like it is about $3800 and that is with OBB.

I knew prices went up each year but I wasn't expecting that.

I was originally going to book the Feb one and see what Alaska prices looked like and compare but that way this is looking I will be lucky if I can even get the Feb cruise to work out.

Yes. DCL prices are obscene.

 

[JW9DVC]

Hawaii would sell really well now. I think.

 

[cruiser21]

Hawaii would sell really well now. I think.

why?

 

[darnheather]

That's it, it's supply and demand and we see where the demand is right now. You guys have to continue to get the word out and drive up demand on Carnival and Royal, etc, and away from DCL and maybe the prices will come down and be on par with the other lines.

As long as people love Disney, as long as little girls want to meet princesses, as long as little boys want to meet Darth Vader, as long as none of the other lines offer the entertainment and family value people are not going to jump ship.

 

[AquaDame]

I saw a list on Cruise critic with the 10 most popular ships. DCL didn't even make the list. Disney has a very small market in the cruise industry. It's almost a cult following. There's just enough DCL loyalists to fill 4 ships, but in the big scheme of things they are just a blip in the cruise industry.

No, they didn't but Disney does hold several of the best cruise overall spots on CC including #1 for both large and medium ships (they don't have small) with their other two coming in #5 and #4 on their lists... I feel like that is as impressive as being deemed "popular" on the other list.

They sure seem to act like they aren't just barely filling their ships with 3 more on the way... we'll know soon enough if that was folly. Cult or not, Disney is a worldwide powerhouse and they know how to leverage their reputation (and that of the IPs they acquire) very well.

Hawaii didn't sell. It took a few months for the TA's to go up. I think you need to watch the prices more. I've waited an hour on hold on a normal day...that's nothing out of the ordinary.

PC has already supposedly sold out of cat V (or at least a cruiser was told so within the first couple of hours) on the PC for 2019. In some cases it really goes quickly, though those few instances really do seem to cause a lot of unnecessary frenzy since the majority of dates and cats are fine to wait on. I *really* didn't have a lot of quotes to add to the opening day list for platinum but I've only done them and gold seperately once before and this one didn't have anything new to speak of so we'll see how the next couple of releases go.

I've been hearing that with Mexico and now the Caribbean being off the table for a lot of people (crime for the first and damage for the second) a lot more people are looking to Hawaii. Jetblue supposedly is just looking into less flights to PR and maybe more to islands further south instead. Southwest is going to start flights from the west coast to Hawaii soon and I heard that Hawaiian might get some small planes on their routes are well to offer more nonstops from more places. Currently you almost have to go to Oahu first and transfer. I'm not sure it would translate well to a one-way cruise with so many sea days being more popular but hey to some maybe it would be more inviting than in the past?

 

[JW9DVC]

why?

Seems to be a lot that would cruise since the economy has picked up so well in the last 11 months.

 

[cruiser21]

No, they didn't but Disney does hold several of the best cruise overall spots on CC including #1 for both large and medium ships (they don't have small) with their other two coming in #5 and #4 on their lists... I feel like that is as impressive as being deemed "popular" on the other list.

They sure seem to act like they aren't just barely filling their ships with 3 more on the way... we'll know soon enough if that was folly. Cult or not, Disney is a worldwide powerhouse and they know how to leverage their reputation (and that of the IPs they acquire) very well.



PC has already supposedly sold out of cat V (or at least a cruiser was told so within the first couple of hours) on the PC for 2019. In some cases it really goes quickly, though those few instances really do seem to cause a lot of unnecessary frenzy since the majority of dates and cats are fine to wait on. I *really* didn't have a lot of quotes to add to the opening day list for platinum but I've only done them and gold seperately once before and this one didn't have anything new to speak of so we'll see how the next couple of releases go.

I've been hearing that with Mexico and now the Caribbean being off the table for a lot of people (crime for the first and damage for the second) a lot more people are looking to Hawaii. Jetblue supposedly is just looking into less flights to PR and maybe more to islands further south instead. Southwest is going to start flights from the west coast to Hawaii soon and I heard that Hawaiian might get some small planes on their routes are well to offer more nonstops from more places. Currently you almost have to go to Oahu first and transfer. I'm not sure it would translate well to a one-way cruise with so many sea days being more popular but hey to some maybe it would be more inviting than in the past?

I was looking at most booked ships not the best reviews. I was pointing out what a small fish in the sea DCl is to other cruise lines.
There's not a lot of cat v rooms. I don't think that's a good indicator. The longer lower cost per day cruises have been selling faster especially with platinum cruisers. I would expect the pic cruises to sell well, but that doesnt mean all cruiser go up in price like certain people on here like to lead people to believe. It varies week to week. Some cruises are popular and some are not.
I'm not sure how Southwest adding service to Hawaii would benefit cruises. Hawaii has lots of airlines flying there and it's always been a popular destination. We have non stops from Phoenix to Kona and Maui. That's nothing new.

 

[owensjro]

Did you enjoy your Celebrity cruises? I'm considering sailing with them in 2019.

We did. Our cruise to Alaska (2 years ago) wasn't as good as our Med cruise (this year) but obviously it wasn't anything to discourage us since we booked again The way we started looking at it is that there are two types of cruises...one where the ports are the main focus and the other where the ship is the main focus. When the ports are the main focus (like Alaska and the Med) the ship itself is less important, at least to us. That said, the Celebrity Reflection in the Med was a very nice ship with plenty of activities, good food, and excellent service overall. We were pleasantly surprised.

 

[mevelandry]

I booked for Mazatlán. Plan is DL in 2019. I feel since I “just” made Platinum I should go get my free Palo meal. But I imagine I will just find a Carnival sailing to Mazatlán and fork over $$ to eat in the specialty restaurant and save myself a few thousand dollars.

That is if you don't like the Dining Room food... DH and I have had excellent experiences there.

 

[mevelandry]

More selective can mean cheap also. We always hear about the price being so high. Yet. Again. People are willing to pay. If you are not in the ship of it. Then go about your business. Disney isn’t doing anything wrong with the price.

What you call "cheap" I call "smart".

 

[richmo]

Yeah, DCL has pretty much priced themselves out for us. We did a Royal Caribbean last year and really enjoyed it and doing another next year out of Bayonne, so we won't even need air/hotels for that one. Royal may not be quite the level of service as Disney, but its close.

I still hope to do a DCL on occasion and my hope is when the three new ships come online that the demand gets spread out a bit. Nice to hope, but I know not to count on it.

 

[mevelandry]

As long as people love Disney, as long as little girls want to meet princesses, as long as little boys want to meet Darth Vader, as long as none of the other lines offer the entertainment and family value people are not going to jump ship.

Yes but kids don't pay for the cruise: parents do.

 

[MUN]

It doesn't matter. If the 3,800 was with a credit then without the credit it would be about 4,100-4,200, which is 1,000 more than the one at 3,100 without a credit. If the 3,100 had a credit then it would be 2,800 compared to 3,800 (with credit) which is STILL 1,000 difference. No?

I didn't think you were the OP.

 

[starbird]

Do that many people really book opening day anymore? Its seems like it's usually a few months before prices start to go up. I've never booked opening day, and I've never paid more than opening day prices.

Trying to move my placeholder reservation to a March 2019 date as Gold. Been on hold for over 45 minutes. So it sounds like quite a few still do.

 

[kaseyC]

Trying to move my placeholder reservation to a March 2019 date as Gold. Been on hold for over 45 minutes. So it sounds like quite a few still do.

That doesn't necessarily mean folks are booking. Until booking is opened up to the public, calling is the only way to find out the prices of the newly released sailings. It seems we are seeing more discounted rates (GT, FLR, Military, Interline and CM) more frequently on even the more popular itineraries which indicates to me that either people aren't booking or they are cancelling bookings before final payment.