Rivals P&O Cruises and Royal Caribbean International have issued identical lead-in prices as part of their ‘wave’ New Year peak season booking campaigns.
Both lines are promoting a £699 per person starting rate. The Royal Caribbean rate applies to two departures.
The first is an 11-night Spain and Canary Islands cruise on Independence of the Seas from Southampton on September 28 based on two people sharing an inside cabin. The itinerary covers Vigo, Lisbon, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Funchal and La Coruña.
A June 19 seven-night Mediterranean fly-cruise on Grandeur of the Seas from Palma calling at calling at Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga and Gibraltar also leads in at £699. The deal includes flights from Heathrow.
The P&O Cruises’ offer includes a £100 per person discount for a seven-night departure from Southampton on new superliner Azura on April 1 to Vigo, Lisbon, Bilbao and Brest.
The UK line’s campaign pushes the value of cruising with discounts and up to £1,000 on board spending money.
P&O Cruises is seeking to differentiate itself by highlighting what it describes as British pub priced drinks on board, free childcare, no automatic gratuities and free shuttle buses in ports where it is not possible to walk into the nearest town.
Royal Caribbean is urging both the trade and consumers to book early in order to take advantage of prices that will only last for a limited period of time – as 2011 cruises fill up, prices will increase to reflect demand.
The US line, which broke with tradition by scrapping early booking discounts for the wave period, is offering a seven-night fly-cruise from Dubai on Brilliance of the Seas on November 28 at a starting rate of £859.
Seven-night Caribbean fly-cruises on the world’s largest ship Allure of the Seas start at £1,249 based on a September 25 departure.
P&O Cruises’ 14-night Mediterranean sailings start at £1,199 on Oceana departing on October 26 including a £200 per person discount.
A 15-night Caribbean transatlantic sailing from Southampton leads in at £1,249 based on an October 28 departure.
P&O Cruises’ managing director Carol Marlow said: “All the little extras which turn out to be not so little need to be considered.
“P&O Cruises passengers can enjoy free childcare, pub priced drinks, free shuttle buses and no automatic gratuities which, on many other cruise lines, can really add up.
“These benefits can really help agents when enticing their customers to book now to get the best value from their cruise holiday.”