In 2020, the entire cruise industry seemed on the verge of bankruptcy. Cruises were not allowed in most of the world because the COVID-19 pandemic made gatherings of people in closed spaces simply not advisable.
At the time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulated the cruise industry sailing from U.S. ports and did not budge on their no-sail order. Even when they finally relented in July 2021, allowing cruises under a strict set of conditions, the industry was in a very dark place.
Related: Royal Caribbean makes a major strategy shift
When Royal Caribbean (LCR) He began what he called his “real comeback,” slowly getting ships back on the water with very limited capacities. Those limits didn’t matter much because there was no demand and the vaccine requirement limited the potential audience.
It seemed, at least for a while, that people had lost their taste for cruising. But when vaccine mandates were lifted and COVID became something that made vaccinated people sick, though it was generally not a life-threatening risk, customers began to consider cruising again.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival (CCL) MSC Cruises and other cruise lines were still struggling, but passengers kept coming back. That created a cycle of goodwill as people saw their friends and family safely sailing, and by 2023 the industry was largely back to 2019 levels.
That was great news for Royal Caribbean, but the company's continued success has actually brought with it some bad news for its loyal customers.
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Demand is driving up Royal Caribbean prices
Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty shared some very positive sales trends during his company's first-quarter earnings call.
“Bookings have been consistently ahead of last year's pace throughout the first quarter and into April, even though we have significantly fewer staterooms left to sell, leading to higher pricing for all of our key products,” he said.
Liberty made it clear that the cruise line's strengths were numerous.
“The strength of bookings has prevailed both on our current hardware and on our new industry-leading ships. We see strong demand across all products and markets. North America remains extremely strong, where approximately 80% of this year's guests are coming from,” he added.
The CEO said the success of the refurbishment of Perfect Day at CocoCay Private Island has been a driving force in the Caribbean. He also made it clear that Royal Caribbean's success has not been limited to the Caribbean.
“European bookings are exceeding last year's levels at higher prices and Alaska has performed particularly well with year-over-year yield growth. We are also delighted to return to the high-yield Chinese market this month with Spectrum of the Seas and to add Ovation of the Seas to Tianjin in 2025 as we rebuild our business in China,” he added.
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Can you still get a deal with Royal Caribbean?
Royal Caribbean cruise prices have gone up, but there are deals to be had. Generally, the best deals are on less popular cruises and older ships.
For example, 4-day Monday-Friday sailings on Allure of the Seas departing from Port Canaveral and Freedom of the Seas departing from Miami are generally much cheaper per night than 7-day sailings and 3-day Friday-Monday sailings on those same ships.
Even the upcoming new Utopia of the Seas has lower prices for its 4-day Monday-Friday (per night) itineraries than many other ships.
Related: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
However, if you're looking for a good deal, your best bet is to go through a travel agent, someone who works in the industry full-time and not as a hobbyist. These agencies often book blocks of cabins well in advance to get lower prices. They also have access to promotions and know which cruises are having trouble selling.
Finding a cheaper cruise is more difficult, but not impossible. Flexibility is also important, as summer and school holidays are almost always more expensive than cruises when children are in school.
Related: Get the best cruise tips, deals and news from our cruise experts.
