MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Volatile cruise market: regular lines with rebates of up to 19%, but premiums can be 60% higher

Family favorite Disney Cruise Line leads in low prices for January 2019, with luxury line Regent Seven Seas close behind

Good news: prices for many cruises in January 2019 are significantly lower than they were a year ago. However, there are major differences by cruise line. While the analysis found that the average cruise price per day actually increased by around 3% – from US$ 397 to US$ 407 per person per night – it also showed substantial price discounts for certain cruise lines.

Family favorite Disney Cruise Line leads in low prices for January 2019, with luxury line Regent Seven Seas close behind.

Disney Cruise Line is among the cruise lines offering cabins at significantly cheaper rates as compared to the same time last year. Whereas a customer had to pay US$ 317 per day for a January 2018 cruise if booked by late November 2017, for the same period one year later there are cabins available at US$ 220 per day – a whopping 31% less.

Some luxury lines are also offering significant savings compared to January 2018. Regent Seven Seas is offering cabins for just shy of 30% off last year’s prices, while even Seabourn offers 25% lower prices than the same time last year.

Mainstream cruise lines offer better prices in the new year by around 10% in many cases.

In the mainstream cruise market, Costa Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Holland America Line are offering between 5 and 18% savings compared to last year on individual available cabins, whereas Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean remain at virtually at the same level of deals. Carnival Cruises actually offers fewer bargain cabins available at an average increase of 7%.

However some premium and luxury lines increasing prices by up to 60% compared to last year.

Crystal Cruises and Windstar are both offering roughly price reductions of around 10%, but not all premium and luxury cruise lines are offering discounts. Oceania is maintaining stable prices, and Azamara Club Cruises and Cunard are both offering January prices at around a 10% price increase.

Silversea Cruises, Ponant, and Viking Cruises all seem to have a higher occupancy demand, meaning that all three lines have increased prices this year, Silversea and Ponant by over 20% and Viking by a massive 60%.