Increasing air fares got you down? Maybe it’s time to relax and take a cruise.

According to several members on the Cruise Critic forums, current cruise ticket prices are amongst the lowest they have ever seen – as low as $199 for a 7-day cruise in some instances.

But why are cruise prices so low, particularly when airline prices seem to be moving in the opposite direction? Theories abound.

People without jobs, adequate paying jobs, cannot afford even $200 (actually $400 for 2 or with single supplement) plus transportation to/from the port plus on board expenses (a minimum of about $80 each for HSC) – and they certainly cannot afford to take time off work. … Vacations are one of the first casualties ~bcd2010

I think the worthless media created a perfect storm right before the election with their over the top ebola coverage. People were afraid to get on a plane and/or cruise ship. When the fervor died (immediately after the election) airfares for holiday travel were skyrocketing. ~pamelabrown53

I’m in the camp of too much supply. Airline prices are going up, hotel prices are going up. Why not cruise ships? Too much capacity/competition. ~cruisemom42

I think the price of air travel is a big issue here. We snagged an unbelievable price for a holiday cruise but almost had to mortgage the house to arrange our air. In fact, due to the price of air we actually chose our second choice itinerary. ~arzz

Though I must admit limited knowledge when it comes to the cruise industry (though I have read the very interesting book, “Devils on the Deep Blue Sea“, and I have stayed at Holiday Inn Express’s before), my money would be on cruisemom42’s hypothesis – over supply.

Then again, some cruisers seem to think these super-low prices are unique to Holland America Line (HAL), which begs the question; what’s wrong with Holland America?

HAL is overpricing their cruises for those of us that do advance book and not dropping them soon enough. Thus they end up with folks who live in Florida or are retirees with greater flexibility. As a result, they’re perpetuating their reputation of catering towards an older demographic and dis-incentivizing continued loyalty for those of us coming from a distance or with more limited vacation time.

 

I’m not sure who is managing their pricing or marketing, but the executive management may want to reappraise their performance and continued employment in that role. Their data analytics appear a bit faulty as well. ~maraena

Whatever the reason, with cruise prices this low it’s all the more tempting to give one a try, particularly if you have the flexibility to travel on short notice. And if you can use miles to book the ticket then the overall trip expense is reduced even further. And if you’re lucky you might get the ship practically to yourself (of course, the accuracy of that statement depends on your definition of “lucky”).

Not that I’m recommending getting away from the family for the holidays, but if you’re looking for an excuse anyway, “We found a once-in-a-lifetime cruise offer” isn’t the worst I have heard.

Read the thread in its entirety: Bad Economy Or Too Many Ships?