97% increase in cruise fare from 2012 to 2013

[Pudo]

I am still trying to wrap my head around the price increase. I spoke to my TA and they very diplomatic said, "Yes, there has been a lot of sticker shock booking this year for 2013". Any DCL rep I speak with claims they have not heard anyone else mention such high increases between 2012 and 2013.

We will be sailing on our 10th and 11th DCL cruise in 2012 so we are pretty well versed with the booking process. We always book early, often "Day 1" (the day the rates come out).

In Oct 2010 we booked 2 Cat 4As for a 7 day Eastern in August 2012 on the Fantasy with 3 adults and 1 child. Insurance: Yes, Air: No, Ground Transportation: No at a cost of $7,600.

In Oct 2011 we wanted to duplicate the above. Comparing apples to apples the cost of ONE Cat 4A is now $7,400.

Somebody please explain to me how DCL can for all intents and purposes raise their price in 12 months 97%.

We are BIG DCL fans, but they have lost their MINDS!!!

For the first time ever, we will be canceling a cruise (2013) since the cost doesn't justify the purchase. If DCL's "product" had increased in value by 97% then perhaps we would consider it but we are not spending $8 on a gallon of milk nor will we pay double for a Cat 4A.

DCL you better get your head out of your...

 

[krispykreme97]

Am I missing something? $7600 vs $7400 anyhow much more than I will pay for any cruise.

 

[Florida Dreamin']

They've gotta pay for those new ships somehow.

 

[kaseyC]

Am I missing something? $7600 vs $7400 anyhow much more than I will pay for any cruise.

Yes you are. The $7600 was the total for two Cat. 4As and the $7400 in 2013 was for one Cat. 4A?

 

[Britster18]

I just booked a 7 night Eastern, Cat. 8C, Fantasy, Jan./2013, for 5 of us (2 adults, 3 kids) for 5000.00 thought that was TOTALLY reasonable. It is, however, the cheapest cruise I've seen for a 7 nighter.

 

[kcashner]

2 cabins vs. one cabin for essentially the same price?

The only thing I can figure is that cat 4 is a top dollar cabin. I don't think I could justify it for 4 people, let alone 2. Right now, I can do a week in a balcony cabin for 1/3 of that amount...but not on the new ships.

Bottom line--I can't fault DCL for starting with high prices for premium cabins. If they can get people to pay it, that's to their benefit. If they can't, they can always fill the ships at lower rates.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

2 cabins vs. one cabin for essentially the same price?

The only thing I can figure is that cat 4 is a top dollar cabin. I don't think I could justify it for 4 people, let alone 2. Right now, I can do a week in a balcony cabin for 1/3 of that amount...but not on the new ships.

Bottom line--I can't fault DCL for starting with high prices for premium cabins. If they can get people to pay it, that's to their benefit. If they can't, they can always fill the ships at lower rates.

I agree. We often book two connecting rooms in a lower category for less than the cost of one Cat 4.

And as a PP mentioned, the Cat 8's are great for families of 5 if you don't mind cramming close together for a week.

Out of curiousity, I went online to DCL and looked at our cabins that we booked in October 2010 for June 2012. I compared the same cruise for the same week one year later in June 2013 with the same cabin type and the price is 19% more than what we paid. That's quite a jump, but no where near 97%. YMMV

 

[pixie08]

I just compared my 2010 magic 7 night to a fantasy 7 night and there was only like a 5% increase! Of course this was for a 9a For two people, and maybe that has something to do with it. Considering it is 3 years later and a brand new ship thats not so bad imo. No way near what has been posted.

 

[Pudo]

Back in 2010, I thought getting two adjoining Cat 4As for $7,600 was not bad. That choice was sold to me by my TA. She said the square footage of a Cat T was about the same as 2 Cat 4s so save the money and give up the concierge service. I agreed and still think it was a good decision.

When the rates came out for 2013 last October I expected to pay more, but double is just insane.

 

[malacajo]

We are paying $4000 for a cat 9B in September...I was jumping for joy over this price, unfortunately I'm afraid it's the last DCL cruise that we can afford, they are going through the roof.

 

[lbgraves]

We haven't seen that much of an increase in the past couple years. I expected more and when I initially went to book a cat 9A for a late June 7 night that includes July 4th it was a bit over $6000. The week before in 2011 was a bit over $4000 in a cat 8. These were both with the 10% OBB discount. I think the fact that it was over a holiday weekend increased the cost to 50% more.

However -- we aren't actually going on either one of these cruises. I transferred the 2011 to the MV over spring break, which at $5800 for a cat 8 with no discount was much less than I had expected to pay for a MV and the amount for spring break time was expected. I ended up booking spring break for 2013 in a cat 5 for $3100!!!! These are all for 2A2K. This is less than we have EVER paid for a 7-night cruise on DCL. So in our case we will be cruising in 2013 in a higher category for 52% LESS than we are cruising in 2012.

 

[Wadekind]

June 1 2013, Fantasy Cat 11c 2 adults booked opening day $1,680.00
Same dates today $2,800.00. Close to 80%

 

[lbuher]

We haven't seen that much of an increase in the past couple years. I expected more and when I initially went to book a cat 9A for a late June 7 night that includes July 4th it was a bit over $6000. The week before in 2011 was a bit over $4000 in a cat 8. These were both with the 10% OBB discount. I think the fact that it was over a holiday weekend increased the cost to 50% more.

However -- we aren't actually going on either one of these cruises. I transferred the 2011 to the MV over spring break, which at $5800 for a cat 8 with no discount was much less than I had expected to pay for a MV and the amount for spring break time was expected. I ended up booking spring break for 2013 in a cat 5 for $3100!!!! These are all for 2A2K. This is less than we have EVER paid for a 7-night cruise on DCL. So in our case we will be cruising in 2013 in a higher category for 52% LESS than we are cruising in 2012.

Just to clarify, was your cat 5 booking over spring break 2013 part of the computer glitch that let people book that week for WAY less than what it was supposed to be?? Because if so, that's not really a fair comparison?

 

[Tinknalli]

If you booked 2 persons per cabin in 2 cabins you pay full boat for each person last year. Are you booking 4 in the one cabin or 2 this year? If you are booking 4 in the one cabin this year you pay a little less for 3rd and 4th passenger, but in each case you are paying for 4 passengers. Are you comparing the price per passenger when you say a 97% increase or the price per cabin. There's a big difference.

 

[ssatterly]

I paid $3600 for 3 in a 5E cabin I didn't think that was too bad. On the Fantsay In Oct 2013

 

[Pudo]

June 1 2013, Fantasy Cat 11c 2 adults booked opening day $1,680.00
Same dates today $2,800.00. Close to 80%

I understand that rates increase dramatically after opening day. What I am comparing is day one prices in 2010 for 2012 cruise versus 2011 day one prices for 2013 cruise.

If you booked 2 persons per cabin in 2 cabins you pay full boat for each person last year. Are you booking 4 in the one cabin or 2 this year? If you are booking 4 in the one cabin this year you pay a little less for 3rd and 4th passenger, but in each case you are paying for 4 passengers. Are you comparing the price per passenger when you say a 97% increase or the price per cabin. There's a big difference.

You are correct, 2 in each for 2012 and all 4 in one in 2013. I am just comparing the price to book two rooms versus one, everything else was the same so the fact that 3rd and 4th pays less that further exacerbates the disparity.

 

[mca]

We have a march 2013 booking for 4 people in a cat 4 at $4720.

 

[krispykreme97]

Yes you are. The $7600 was the total for two Cat. 4As and the $7400 in 2013 was for one Cat. 4A?

Thank for clearing that up for me! Now I'm shocked and appalled lol! My motto is just get on the boat so I can't comprehend how some people pay $10,500 for the same cruise I pay $3000 for which is a stretch being that I only been on 2 three day cruises one on the wonder and one on the dream and only paid $1600 for a family of 4 well the second cruise it was only 3 and it was $1400 with 10% discount and under $100 deposit I put down on the first one.

 

[lbuher]

I didn't keep all my notes from opening day in 2011, so I can't give exact numbers. But I do know that I was disappointed enough in the fares for the Dream that I knew we wouldn't be sailing again in 2013. We have a dummy date booked, but the only way we will be able to use it is if the newness of the new ships wears off and DCL is forced to offer some specials to fill them. We will only sail out of PC because that's the only port we can drive to, and we are oddballs in that we prefer a 4 day over a 7 day - so that pretty much leaves us with the Dream as our only option.

So..... unless the prices for the Dream come back down to within reason (and for us, that means fairly close to what we paid for the Wonder in 2010 or the Dream in 2011), we probably won't be sailing DCL again. Unfortunately. I would pay a little more than what we have paid in the past, but not what they are charging now!!

 

[Tinknalli]

I understand that rates increase dramatically after opening day. What I am comparing is day one prices in 2010 for 2012 cruise versus 2011 day one prices for 2013 cruise.



You are correct, 2 in each for 2012 and all 4 in one in 2013. I am just comparing the price to book two rooms versus one, everything else was the same so the fact that 3rd and 4th pass less that further exacerbates the disparity.

But there is the issue. Cruises are priced per passenger, and not per cabin. To get a true percentage of the increase you need to compare the cost of one full paying passenger from one year to the next.