Terpnut

I'm not at all looking at close-in bookings, I'm looking into next fall, where those that plan far out are looking, and booking and filling higher category cabins for their annual vacations, as opposed to last minute fill-in vacations this winter.. There's a Connie in November, and Infinity in 2017 I'm watching.

I was interested in which sailings you were referring only because you asserted that all the concierge-class and above were sold out due to 123Go AI. This was totally at odds with every sailing I've followed. Perhaps you are looking at more exotic and/or shoulder season itineraries.

 

As you note, I have a special interest in watching inventory "close-in", so I can tell you that, with very very few exceptions, most cruise ships after final payment are nowhere near full (some are probably only half-full) and have plenty of inventory of all types and categories. So while I may not be able to dissuade you from booking early, I do wish to be clear that, post-final-payment, there are generally plenty of staterooms and almost always at a better net value than booking prior to final payment--promo or no promo.

 

And finally, I disagree with your characterization that my vacation strategy is somehow only useful for "fill-in" or last-minute vacations. If you have followed any of my previous posts, you would know that my late cruise booking strategy (i.e. book only after final payment) is quite consistent with my long-term trip planning. Like others, I plan my big vacations 12-24 months in advance. As with most people, I book my air a few months early and book my hotels well in advance. The ONLY difference is that I DON'T book the actual cruise until 14-60 days out (for all the reasons I have previously noted). It is a simple matter to book your airfare and hotels to "box" your cruise sailings and book accordingly. This strategy saves hundreds of dollars per trip.

But now the current all-inclusive 123, this is exactly what's happening, I'm following a few cruises between now and 2017, and a couple have already sold all concierge and above, likely due to the all-in plan.

 

People who in the past would book a veranda because they found no real benefit to concierge cabins for the increased fares are saying, "well for $50 more I'll go concierge now that I can get all 3 perks".

 

The all inclusive 123 perks (you get all 3: beverage package, OBC and gratuities) require concierge and better cabins to book, otherwise you pick only 1.

I'm not sure which specific sailings you are following but I haven't seen that happen with any Caribbean or Europe sailing I am following. For example, take a look at any number of February or March 2015 Caribbean sailings (all well past final payment) and you will see plenty of availability for ALL categories--including aqua and concierge-class. So 123Go AI did little to help move all this inventory because IMHO the early booking fares were simply too high.

 

As to your point about concierge class previously not offering much for $50pp more, this was perhaps valid a long time ago, but current pricing with 123GO AI already factors the promo in so there really isn't any true incentive to book concierge or aqua-class from a purely financial perspective. IOW, it is not true that a C3 is only $50 pp more than a 1A--the actual fares are much further apart! Case in point for 3/28 Reflection sailing:

 

A2 for $1349 including 123Go AI 3 perks

C2 for $1299 including 123Go AI 3 perks

C2 for $1099 with no promo

2C for $949 including 123Go w/only 1 perk

2C for $799

 

As you can see from the above, the concierge class is not a slam-dunk. Many people might prefer the regular verandah with no promo and pocket the $500 pp. Perhaps they don't drink. And if you do drink alot, the 2C for $949 with a drink package seems to be the best value amongst them! Alot depends on how you value a specific perk or set of perks, but everything is priced and bundled with a promo, and tiered incrementally to move every category evenly. So I don't think 123Go favors moving premium staterooms!

But what they are doing, is selling the premium cabins up front first, leaving cheaper cabins to the end, so people will perceive value as time goes on, having ability to book cheaper OV and Veranda cabins near the end, versus finding a lot of premium Concierge AQ and suite cabins left on offer.

 

In essence they have pushed the guaranteed number of cabins they would sell into all premium cabins, leaving space in the cheaper cabins, automatically generating higher fares, and having better ability to sell left cabins to bargain hunters. The have pushed their ADR (Average Daily Rate) up even if they don't sell any more cabins than last year.

I'm not sure what you mean by "premium cabins up front first", but early bookers don't fill all the suites, aqua-class and concierge-class, so late bookers have plenty of premium choices in suites, aqua-class, concierge-class and sunset verandahs at fire sale prices, while the early bookers pay a premium for that Cat 1A hump cabin. The only saving grace for early bookers is that they can often upgrade but oftentimes they paid so much that they can't upgrade because you can only do it if there is a higher category stateroom for $1 more! So in the end, who gets both the best stateroom and paid the least?

Other than Trans Atlantic cruises ,do you feel that you get a better price deal with Celebrity ,when booking the cruise after final payment ?

Yes, I would guess that for 90% of sailings, you will get your best stateroom at the best price by booking 14 to 60 days prior to sailing.

It really depends on when you're cruising. On high demand cruises, such as the Caribbean during spring break, the chances of getting a lower price are very low and the chances of prices going up even more are high. That is because these cruises typically sell out so the cruise lines don't have much inventory to sell.

 

If you are cruising during a time period when demand for your itinerary is low then the chances are better that the cruise will not sell out. If this happens the cruise line will probably discount their inventory of cabins to sell them before the sail date.

 

This is a simple supply and demand situation and is no different than what the seller of any goods would do - particularly if those goods become no good after a certain date.

The supply and demand situation is highly favorable for the buyer for the overwhelming majority of cruise sailings. Very few cruises, even peak season cruises over spring break or Alaska or Europe in the summer, sell out and most of them will have a fire sale after final payment. From my experience, I would only book early for Christmas/New Year holiday and exotic locale sailings, but almost NEVER for Caribbean, Alaska or Europe.

GENERALLY this is the case. It depends on the 123 dates and timing, one may get lucky and find a cruise that gets just under the existing deadline. 123 promos tend to have start dates that are 2-3 months from the date they come on offer, thus ruling out immediate bookings.

 

Also sometimes the fares are of a discounted code that itself excludes the addition of perks. Sometimes fares will decrease but NOT be of a discount nature that excludes 123, if you can find one of those early on in the 123 Promo period, you MAY get the 123, but if you wait, you will likely find a further discounted cabin fare, sans 123.

 

I'd say in 95% of close-in cruises, 123 won't apply due to the timing of the offer.

 

Current 123 in USA says cruises must be booked Jan 14-Feb 28 for cruises departing March 2015-April 2017. So it's possible you could have booked Jan 14 a cruise end of march and got it, but if you book next month for one that leaves in early march, it is too late to apply.

X's current 123Go promo applies to March 2015 sailings so it's perfect for those of us waiting for spring break deals AND wanting the promo! :)

 

I'm seeing the new All-in 123 as their way of lessening post final payment discounts and filling ships sooner.

 

I think what they are doing is getting people to fill higher cabin categories sooner (several cruises I am watching already have all Concierge Aqua and suites sold, even out in 2017) for premium pricing, thus leaving nothing but relative bargain priced lesser cabins people will flock to, thus ships will fill sooner.

 

This ALSO allows them to raise the fares on remaining lesser cabin inventory to some extent, and perhaps this rise on lesser cabin fares will make up for discounting others, and although they may sail with some empty cabins, they will have same revenue, but save the expenses associated with the cabin food, cleaning etc...) thus be ahead bottom-line.

 

I also think the cruise lines have figured people are going to cruise, no matter, and some are just waiting toll the end to book, so perhaps they figure keeping fares steady post final pay,went, people are still gonna book them, sure some wont' but many plan a vacation and are taking it none-the-less, albeit unhappy they didn't get the bargain they are used to getting. And certainly I think week out, they will sell anything to anyone for any price, look for lots of local discounting then....

 

Will be interesting to see how it works. I think it will be successful in the Caribbean, where people can get easy flight to, less so though in Europe and other destinations.

You're absolutely right that 123Go is being used as a prop to keep fares high, to try to move more inventory and to do it all sooner. Unfortunately what I think is happening is that the early bookers are paying more while the cruise lines don't really sell that many more staterooms. And the post-final-payment discounting is just as heavy as it has been for the past several years. And they NEVER sail with empty staterooms because they just put them on fire sale a week or two prior to sailing at the lowest possible prices!

 

As I wait to book our spring break cruise, I can see that various ship inventory is no better, and perhaps even worse, than in any past spring break period despite 123Go having been available for most of the previous several months. I just think there is way too much supply and way too little demand for cruises at the early booking price points--even with perks. I used to value a cruise at $180-$200 per person per day for a peak season cruise (i.e. spring break, summer, etc.). Now, my expectations are to never pay more than $100-$120 per person per day for a peak season cruise for a good verandah stateroom! In 2013, we paid just $110 per person per day for a nice C3 in Europe for a July sailing. The game has changed for the savvy.

Glad it all worked out. Could you explain a little better? :confused:

 

When did your parents originally book? After the call, did they have to pay an additional $200 to get the 123?

 

And I have learned something new! I didn't know there was a Concierge Class customer experience number. :cool: Where did you find that? I always call the Captains Club. Perhaps I should try the number you called.

I think what ailetoile is referring to is, for the extra $200 fare, her parents got the 123Go AI promo versus the current regular, low discounted fare. Using pricing for our 3/28 Reflection sailing (as just an example), we currently have a choice of:

 

1. C2 for $1299 pp with 123Go AI (i.e. all three perks), OR

2. C2 for $1099 pp with no promo

 

And Aqua-class is only $50 pp more for each.

 

So while I don't have their specific booking info, my guess is that they booked the regular low fare for their concierge-class stateroom and X allowed them to pay the additional $200 pp for the 123Go AI as per my example above. Hope this sounds right and helps. :)

Hello everyone, first time posting. We are considering a Baltic cruise on princess 6 27 15 out of Southampton. Can anyone tell me where I can find where we wil dock in each port? We are excited but very nervous as we have never cruised outside the carribean. How do we find the currency accepted? Thanks for all the help

 

Travelinyolo

Since you didn't post your specific itinerary or ports, I will just say that most port authorities post their cruise ship schedules, including three important pieces of information for planning your day: (1) your ship's specific port and pier/dock location, (2) what other ships are in port with you and (3) when each ship is scheduled to arrive and depart. I recommend you use Google to search "[city name] port authority".

 

As to currency, UK, Sweden, Russia and Denmark use their own currency: sterling, krona, ruble, and krone, respectively. Everyone else (including Estonia and Finland) uses Euros. Again, use Google to search "[country name] currency" to get specific answers including exchange rates. Except for Russia, it's easy to get currency at each port location or in each city using ATMs. For Russia, you can't travel independently without a visa so you'll have to do a private tour and they will help care of currency exchange.

Also, to anyone who has cruised both Princess and Celebrity - AND has a good memory - Princess has you pick up your luggage first and then go through customs but I could have sworn that from the Eclipse last year we went through customs first and THEN got our luggage.

Anyone know????

Regardless of the cruise line (or airline or country), one always picks up their luggage first and then proceeds to customs. Remember that the entire point of any country's customs (i.e. border protection or control) is to check/verify that you and all the things you are bringing into that country are legitimate, so you must ALWAYS have all your things with you before clearing ANY country's customs.

Is there time to do Vasa and Gamla Stan in 7 hours, say?

We did the Vasa, walking/shopping/lunch in Gamla Stan, and the Royal Palace in a little over 6 hours. Of course this all assumes you are docked in either Skeppsbron or Stadsgården, and NOT Frihamnen or Värtahamnen.

Terpnut - As I wrote in my previous post, the rules are different for this cruise. No upgrades without losing incentives. There is another thread that I started a few days ago and a couple of TA's confirmed what happscmom and I are saying.

 

The rate for my stateroom has only dropped $100pp, but to upgrade to a SS, I would be giving Celebrity $650pp more. They will not let me upgrade without losing my incentives, even though I would be giving them another $1300! :rolleyes:

 

I think perhaps we are going in circles at this stage, but at the risk of beating a dead horse, my point again is that there are NO firm rules with Celebrity based on my experience. Virtually anything can be booked or changed, or negotiated with X given the right TA, customer service rep or circumstances. I'm not saying that everyone can upgrade and keep their promo after a promo is over. But anything is possible. I was told last year I could not upgrade and keep my promos--yet I did. I was also told that one cannot book a guarantee and get an immediate and specific stateroom assignment--yet I did. Kids are not allowed to have the Classic Beverage package and yet one of my teens actually successfully got it added for free to her card! :rolleyes:

 

In summary, what X says is absolutely not allowed or possible is sometimes allowed or possible! What I have learned over the years is that computer systems are flaky and reps are inconsistently trained, so service and results will always vary. So if you are persistent, or just plain lucky, many things can be done if you keep an open mind and ask/try.:)

Has anyone seen both the Vasa Museum and the Solar Boat museum in Egypt?

Everyone recommends the Vasa as a must-see, but looking at the website it seems similar to experience (though obvious differences in era, purpose of the ship, history of the area) to the Solar Boat that we saw in Egypt. I don't think I want to go see Vasa because it seems so similar a museum experience to me.

 

So if you have seen both, did you think Vasa was worth going to see? If so, why?

I think only you can answer your own question. If Vasa is merely another miraculously-recovered, mostly-intact, nearly-perfectly-preserved old ship for you, then there are certainly other sites and attractions for you in Stockholm. For those interested or fascinated in maritime history, there can never be too many museums like this. Sooooo, what are the things that interest YOU? Or let me ask the question a different way: if you were to go back to Giza, Egypt, would you consider a second visit to the Solar Boat museum? If not, then skip the Vasa. If so, then go to the Vasa!

And to get your excited about Tallinn:

 

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ricksteves/a-walking-tour-of-tallinn-5779/?no-ist

Thank you Terpnut - we are on the 5/3 sailing so will be in Stockholm on 5/11 I believe.

Good (or lucky) choice! Congratulations, you probably just saved yourself a few dollars and 30-45 minutes of transfer time! And you'll be right at one of the HOHO waterbus stops if you elect to use that. In addition, as you'll be right across the harbor from old town so the sail-in and view from your ship will be beautiful! Enjoy! :)

We are going on the Silhouette out of Amsterdam. Tallin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Frederica? and Warenmunde (Berlin) We do not plan on trekking into Berlin.

If you care to know where you will dock in Stockholm, you will need to provide the sailing date too. Silhouette uses both Stadsgården (good) and Frihamnen (terrible):

 

Vessel Arrival Berth Vessel type Status

CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE 2015-05-11 kl. 09:00 S167 STADSGÅRDEN Cruise ship Expected

CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE 2015-05-27 kl. 09:00 F638 FRIHAMNEN Cruise ship Expected

CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE 2015-06-29 kl. 09:00 F638 FRIHAMNEN Cruise ship Expected

CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE 2015-07-11 kl. 09:00 S167 STADSGÅRDEN Cruise ship Expected

CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE 2015-08-04 kl. 09:00 S167 STADSGÅRDEN Cruise ship Expected

CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE 2015-08-30 kl. 09:00 F638 FRIHAMNEN Cruise ship Expected

 

I hope you picked the right itinerary! LOL

Folks, for Stockholm, it's not possible to give anyone else advice on sightseeing options, including HOHO options, if you don't first specify which ship you sailed and where your ship docked. Skeppsbron is right in old town so one can just walk everywhere. Stadsgården is right across the harbor from the old town with easy and direct access to the HOHO boat that does the loop. But if your ship docks at Frihamnen or Värtahamnen, you are practically in the suburbs with few good transportation options.

happyscmom - I thought we established the upgrade question on that other thread.

 

The reason we cannot upgrade our category and keep the 123 is because the old promo is gone and the new promo does not include our sailing. March cruises were left out of the new promo. If the new promo was valid for our sailing, we would be able to make changes and keep the incentives.

 

Personally, I think we should be able to pay extra and upgrade, along with keeping our incentives. I don't understand why Celebrity is turning down more money from consumers. Their loss!

Actually the cruise line will always be happy to take more money from you to upgrade. The reason you can't do it is probably because the cruise fare now is much lower than whatever you already paid. Otherwise you can pay more to upgrade because the current promo is irrelevant to whether you can keep the old one when you upgrade.

 

As to the OP, she should be able to move to a different stateroom within the same category for no additional charge and keep your promo. This seems like an easy request to satisfy.

 

What I have learned over the years is that there are few absolutes in the cruise business, and nearly anything can be done at any time if you have the right travel agent, talk to the right customer service person, and/or have the right timing. As just two examples, I have personally (1) upgraded after final payment and did not have to give up the promo, and (2) booked guarantees and got an immediate assignment of my requested staterooms.

 

So the bottom line is that nearly anything is possible depending on the skill, ability and perseverance of your TA, the willingness and cooperation of the customer service rep you get, how desperate the cruiseline is in general on that day, the alignment of the planets and stars, etc. The key is to make a compelling case to the cruiseline as to why they should do it and that it would be mutually beneficial. :D

 

Good luck! :)

Talinn, Estonia: Charming, historic, easy to access from the dock, very walkable, lots to see and relatively untainted by tourism.

I guess the best advice then would be to explore different options.

A taxi was $25 (we did it once) and the shuttle was $8/pp.

As I said, we stay on Fort Lauderdale Beach so it's further than the 17th street hotels.

 

To the OP - sorry for highjacking the thread. :o

I also have to pile-on to disagree with your advice about using the paid hotel shuttles. 99% of the time, they are a rip-off. And BTW, a taxi from any 17th street hotel near that north port entrance should have been only $15-$20 so someone gave you a bad estimate--probably the hotel? :rolleyes:

 

For both Port Everglades and Miami, taxis are MUCH faster and more convenient because there is less waiting for fixed pickup times and no stopping at all the other passenger's terminals! And they are almost always cheaper for three or more travelers. Even if there are only two of you, a taxi is perhaps just a few bucks more. Or if you don't want to spend more for all that convenience, find another couple (either the evening before, or find someone in the morning at breakfast or the lobby) to share the ride!

Have you bought the aifare before booking a cruise? Was thinking of rolling the dice. Book airfare to Miami or Fort Lauderdale and wait to see how low the cruise price would go. I figured if you book during the slow cruise season one might get a good deal.

The last 5 cruises I've taken I've booked the airfare first since I wait until after final payment to book the cruise. I book the airfare because there's more of a certainty that the price of the airfare will increase while I'm waiting for the after final payment price drops. When I book the airfare I already know what cruise I want to take and what price range I'm willing to pay for it. Whenever I see the cruise price drop into my range, usually around the 30 day mark, I pull the trigger. If you are open to multiple cruise lines, itineraries and you don't mind where you end up on the ship then it's really not that big of a gamble.

This is precisely what I have been doing for our last few cruise vacations, and it is saving us a small fortune! First, research multiple cruise itineraries that use the same or close departure ports. For this strategy to work, ideally you must have a fairly busy port with many cruise line and itinerary options. Then approximately 3-4 months prior to your desired travel window when the typical airfare sale is on for your travel timeframe, book airfare that "boxes" most or all of the desired cruises. Then 30-65 days prior to departure (i.e. after final payment), and when the cruise fare has inevitably dropped to a song, book any of the cruises that fit your flight window. Lastly, book hotels and land trips for pre and/or post-cruise to fill the remainder of your travel window. And as already pointed out, this strategy does not work during peak holiday or other busy periods when cruises will not be heavily discounted, or if must sail on the newest ships, i.e. demand is expected to outpace supply. In summary, you book airfare at the same time you always do--you just don't book the cruise until after final payment!

 

I will also add to those that expressed concern that such a strategy somehow results in a less-than-ideal itinerary or cruise, or that you can't get the ideal or desired stateroom: we are getting better cruise lines/ships, better and longer itineraries, better staterooms AND paying far less, than we would have the old-fashioned way of booking months or years in advance! The main reason is simply that, by booking after final payment at a heavily discounted fare, you can afford to sail better lines/ships and book better stateroom categories than by booking early. I would much rather pay less for an Aqua-class or suite on X for example, than pay more for a popular "hump" cabin on RCI or Carnival 18 months in advance! :)

Port Everglades/FLL is the ideal port-to-airport situation as it's only a <2 mile/10-minute taxi ride (under $20). And there are always plenty of taxis at the port terminal. So register for the early walk-off debarkation and you should be set.

 

In the past, we have had no trouble making 11 am or even 9:55 am flights out of FLL, however I have heard that they have been taking longer to clear the ships in recent months.

Personally, I think they will stay the course they are for a bit longer... Cause right now they have the best of both worlds.

 

They offer AI Pkgs here in Canada to the Caribbean (Celebrity Canada Charters) - various Promos for a good portion of their other cruises IF you book early - and competitive pricing for all other cruises (with add ons if you want them). And of course come April they have the NEW Suites Class which will be All Inclusive (but AT A PRICE)

 

So I think they have the market smartly covered.

 

The wealthier sign up for a suite - the large middle group who have regular jobs, limited time off (and perhaps kids) sign up under for the various Promos (often months if not years in advance) - and those with more time like Seniors... But perhaps less disposable / fixed income hop on the last minute deals without all the extra bells & whistles, and just pay for what they truly want / need

 

And voila... The ships sail full... With Celebrity making good money on EVERY Cabin without having to really sell themselves short anywhere in the process

Good summary!

With more supply than demand these days, I generally book after final payment--ideally 30-65 days prior to sailing. What I do book in advance is the airfare and I am sure to "box" the maximum number of possible sailing dates/itineraries.

So my wife and I booked our cruise early Feb. My Parents decided to join us and joined using a different method 2 weeks ago. They were guarnteed rooms, and we just got our assignments. The rooms are right next to each other!! This is not ok, its our 2nd anniversary...

 

i tried to get our stateroom switched, but the cruise is totally booked. Has anyone ever had a successful room number switch after something like that? And seriously, what are the odds of that happening?

 

The company that booked the cruise, found it quite comical, and tried to help, but was unable. Any insight?

LOL This actually happened to us a couple of times but not in the same manner. In our case, we would book and my parents would find out where we were because we used the same travel agent at the time. They kept booking their stateroom right next to ours, and mysteriously, we kept moving away! By our last cruise, I think they finally got the hint/message! Hahaha

It might help if you mention what ship you are on & when. Our friends & us just upgraded yesterday, & as of now there are 2 fabulous hump cabins available on the Silhouette in a couple weeks.

I also agree going on your roll call to see if anyone would switch. It's worth a try. Next door would be just too close for comfort for me!

I agree--when is your sailing? Most X sailings these days don't seem to sell out until close to sailing so are you leaving within the next 2-3 weeks? If you just got your assignments, it would mean you're 7-9 weeks out so there should be plenty of staterooms available. :confused:

 

Just four weeks prior to sailing we upgraded to two XC guarantees. My kids were assigned staterooms apart for us, but thanks to a great TA, we got them moved together. There is still ample inventory even though ours is a near-peak season, spring break cruise!

My general rule of thumb is: You can always arrange faster and better transfers privately for a fraction of whatever the cruise line is offering.

We are a group of 4 and find it very uncomfortable for 3 people to sit in the back seat. I am usually the one to sit in the middle and it is sometimes difficult to see as we are riding. Just a personal preference. I am just saying that at the time I booked the tour the website said the vehicle was a minivan but after the tour was booked, the confirmation stated we were to get a sedan and at the same time the website was changed to reflect this and I was told that if I wanted a minivan it would cost extra. Our group has booked many private tours and have had both types of vehicles and we always try to get a minivan when possible. If the tour is a shorter tour, a sedan is fine, but an all day tour it is too uncomfortable for us.

I see. Since I wasn't involved with your booking, I can't know what happened. All I can say is that, as a regular customer, I have never seen Romeinlimo either change the confirmed vehicle or the published rate. They have always been consistent and reliable.

1. We sailed Silhouette last year immediately before she repositioned and later the same summer in the Med so we had the perfect comparison with the same ship and most of the same crew. The pre-repositioning cruise was perhaps our BEST cruise ever. Conclusion: No problems with the last regular sailing before repositioning.

 

2. Many school systems in the US have spring breaks to either end of Easter, and this year, Easter is very late--on April 20th. So Silhouette's last E. Caribbean cruise IS a spring break cruise! With that said, the sailing is not selling well, there are good discounts to be had, and I don't anticipate a ship full of screaming kids (except for mine :))!

 

3. Reflection's final Caribbean sailing is the week that includes and follows Easter so you may have fewer kids on this sailing but this may also be Spring Break for some schools.

 

But again, few of this year's sailings around spring break are selling well anyhow so I do not think there will be any "spring break congestion" unless you book a newer and/or kid-friendly ship like RCI Allure OTS or Oasis OTS. All the other sailings seem to be selling poorly due to massive overcapacity in the industry.