Prices for cruises are on the rise amidst one of the busiest "wave seasons" on record
If you're looking to book a cruise, now would be the time as prices are on the rise during one of the busiest booking seasons on record for many of the world's major cruise lines.
Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support and Service told travel agents during a conference call last week that the company is seeing some of its strongest bookings ever. "In the past when the cruise industry has had a strong wave like we're experiencing now, pricing goes up and we don't see all that dilution in current pricing and we're not seeing that now," she said. "If anything we're seeing prices go up."
Royal Caribbean Blog was on the agents' call and is the source of this quote.
"We have been having record booking day after record booking day," Royal Caribbean Group President Michael Bayley said on the call. "It's been absolutely unbelievable and it just seems to get better and better."
Wave season is when cruise lines offer their largest discounts and see their highest bookings. The period typically falls between January and March as travelers make their plans for the busy summer vacation season. With record bookings, many summer cruises are already at sky-high prices or booked up all together.
There are still plenty of deals to be had but with stateroom inventory shrinking, prices are on the rise, particularly for summer 2023. Sailings the week of the United States' Independence Day are extremely tight on available rooms with prices climbing daily.
Another factor impacting rising prices could be the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most cruise lines took on massive amounts of debt as ships laid idle with no passengers for over a year. With a renewed interest in travel, now is the time for these companies to recover some of that lost income.
If you're interested in learning more about taking a cruise vacation of your own, CruiseNReview would love to help you plan your next adventure. Click here to fill out our booking form to get started with a free consultation.
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