In 2020, the entire cruise industry seemed like it might face bankruptcy. Cruises were not allowed in most of the world as the Covid pandemic made gathering people in enclosed spaces something that simply wasn't a good idea.
At the time, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regulated the cruise industry sailing from U.S ports, and it would not budge on its no-sail order. Even when it finally relented in July 2021, allowing cruises under a heavy set of conditions, the industry was in a very dark place.
Related: Royal Caribbean makes a major change in strategy
When Royal Caribbean (RCL) began what it called its "Royal Comeback," it slowly brought ships back to sail with very limited capacities. Those limits hardly mattered as demand wasn't there, and requiring vaccines limited the potential audience.
It seemed, at least for a while, that people had lost their taste for cruising. But, when vaccine mandates were dropped and Covid became something that made vaccinated people sick — but was generally not a deadly risk, customers started to look at cruising again.
Royal Caribbean, Carnival (CCL) , MSC Cruises, and other cruise lines were still struggling, but passengers were coming back. That created a cycle of goodwill where people saw their friends and family sail safely and in 2023, the industry had largely returned to 2019 levels.
That was great news for Royal Caribbean, but the continued success of the company has actually led to some bad news for its loyal customers.
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Demand is driving Royal Caribbean prices higher
Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty shared some very positive sales trends during his company's first-quarter earnings call.
"Booking is consistently outpaced last year throughout the entire first quarter and through April, even though we have significantly fewer staterooms left to sell, leading to higher pricing for all of our key products," he said.
Cruise prices are demand-based, so as cabin supplies go down, prices generally rise.
Liberty made it clear that the cruise line's strengths were numerous.
"Booking strength has been prevalent on both our existing hardware as well as on our industry-leading new ships. We see strong demand across all products and markets. North America continues to be extremely robust where approximately 80% of this year's guests are sourced," he added.
The CEO said that the success of the remodeled Perfect Day at CocoCay private island has been a driver in the Caribbean. He also made it clear that Royal Caribbean's success has not been limited to the Caribbean.
"European bookings are outpacing last year's levels at higher prices and Alaska has been performing particularly well with year-over-year yield growth. We are also pleased to return to the high-yielding China market this month with Spectrum of the Seas and to add Ovation of the Seas to Tianjin in 2025 as we rebuild our China business," he added.
Can you still get a Royal Caribbean deal?
Prices for Royal Caribbean cruises have gone up, but there are deals to be had. In general, the best deals are on less popular sailings and on older ships.
For example, the 4-day Monday through Friday sailings on Allure of the Seas out of Port Canaveral and Freedom of the Seas, which sails out of Miami, are generally much cheaper on a per night basis than 7-day sailings and the 3-day Friday through Monday sailings on those same ships.
Even the upcoming new Utopia of the Seas has lower prices for its 4-day Monday through Friday itineraries (on a per-night basis) than many ships.
Related: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
If you want a deal, however, the best bet is to use a travel agent — someone who works in the industry full-time and not as a hobbyist. Those agencies often book blocks of cabins well in advance to lock in lower prices. They also get access to promotions and know which sailings the cruise lines are struggling to sell.
Finding a cheaper cruise is harder, but not impossible. Flexibility also matters a s summer, and school vacations almost always are higher priced than sailings when kids are in school
Related: Get the best cruise tips, deals, and news on the ships from our expert cruiser
