Cruise prices over Thanksgiving

We have a cruise booked in December, which we now have to change as we have a family wedding in the US at the end of November. We will be coming from Australia, and spending just under 3 weeks in the US and really wanted to fit in a Caribbean cruise. Due to the timing of the wedding, available cruises, and when we need to be back in Australia, we have a small window of opportunity the week of the 18th - 25th November.

I've looked at a few options, and they are so much more expensive than the cruise we originally have booked in early-mid December. Could this be because of Thanksgiving, which is Nov 22nd? Are cruises more popular that week? If so, it really sucks for us, as not being Americans we don't celebrate Thanksgiving and will have to pay a premium to do a cruise, or not do one at all as it's just going to be too expensive :( Thanks for any advice that anyone has on this.

Thanksgiving week is a very popular family cruise week. Schools are closed for at least part of the week (most kids would have to miss at most 2 days of classes) throughout the country plus Thanksgiving is an important family holiday. US cruisers - especially those with kids - are willing to pay the premium.

While Thanksgiving week is a vacation time here, I have done a bit of checking on a site (which cannot be mentioned on CC) and found that cruises from Florida ports for 18-25 November are priced very similarly to those a week earlier or a week later. It is not so much that Thanksgiving week is so expensive, but possibly that OP found a very cheap deal in early December - which is a slow time for cruise sales. In any case - there did not seem that wide a spread.

We have a cruise booked in December, which we now have to change as we have a family wedding in the US at the end of November. We will be coming from Australia, and spending just under 3 weeks in the US and really wanted to fit in a Caribbean cruise. Due to the timing of the wedding, available cruises, and when we need to be back in Australia, we have a small window of opportunity the week of the 18th - 25th November.

 

I've looked at a few options, and they are so much more expensive than the cruise we originally have booked in early-mid December. Could this be because of Thanksgiving, which is Nov 22nd? Are cruises more popular that week? If so, it really sucks for us, as not being Americans we don't celebrate Thanksgiving and will have to pay a premium to do a cruise, or not do one at all as it's just going to be too expensive :( Thanks for any advice that anyone has on this.

That is Thanksgiving week, and it is a heavy cruise time, and prices are always high that week.

Thanks for your replies.

There seems to be a wide spread of prices around that time, and for the cruises we are considering the prices are around 30% more on several sites than they are in early Dec. Sucks for us as it makes it so much more expensive. Ah well - I guess if this is our only problem we're doing ok!:)

There is one cruise out of San Juan that's a bit better priced, not really a ship we particularly want as it's one we have sailed before, but it's a much better price. But then we have to factor in flights to San Juan from LA (which is where we fly into from Australia) , so that's a whole other issue. We were going to fly LA to Miami, but need to look into flying into San Juan instead and see how the pricing works.

Early December is probably the cheapest time of the yeat.

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Just about all US schools are closed Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week. Many are also closed on Wednesday. This means a one week cruise only causes the kids to miss two or three days of school. Also, most businesses are closed Thanksiving and some the following day. Thus requiring fewer vacation days.

It's not the Caribbean, but it ties in with Los Angeles - a five day on Princess from LA with an overnight in Cabo falls in your time/geography span.

It's good that you are realizing this now as you have time to cancel or make alternative plans. In the US prices can vary sharply from one week to the next because school vacations dramatically impact demand. It just might be too expensive when flights and hotels are factored in. Only you can determine if fitting in this cruise while you are already in the US is "worth it".

We recently had a post from an educator who has very narrow travel dates due to her university's class schedule. She might have to cancel because the flights are so expensive given her high-demand travel dates.

It's not the Caribbean, but it ties in with Los Angeles - a five day on Princess from LA with an overnight in Cabo falls in your time/geography span.

I was starting to think along those lines - as we fly into LA that would make things a LOT easier. Actually there's a 7 night that goes to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. Having never done either area, how does a Mexican Riviera cruise compare with an Eastern/Southern Caribbean cruise? Very different or a similar feel? Is one superior to the other? We are looking for a bit of culture (Spanish will do) some fun adventures, nice towns and maybe a pretty beach in one port.

It's good that you are realizing this now as you have time to cancel or make alternative plans. In the US prices can vary sharply from one week to the next because school vacations dramatically impact demand. It just might be too expensive when flights and hotels are factored in. Only you can determine if fitting in this cruise while you are already in the US is "worth it".

 

We recently had a post from an educator who has very narrow travel dates due to her university's class schedule. She might have to cancel because the flights are so expensive given her high-demand travel dates.

I checked flights as well, also more expensive that week :( You're right - I'm really glad I realized now and am hoping that now that we know we'll be able to figure something out. It does change the whole trip that we wanted to do, but I still have time to work it out.

We've taken a couple of Thanksgiving cruises. I waited until after the final payment date to book our last one and got a good deal. You might also consider going with a cheaper category of cabin. I'm looking at a September cruise on a Princess ship. The last time we were on that ship, we sailed in a suite. This time I'm looking at booking an inside cabin.

I was starting to think along those lines - as we fly into LA that would make things a LOT easier. Actually there's a 7 night that goes to Cabo, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. Having never done either area, how does a Mexican Riviera cruise compare with an Eastern/Southern Caribbean cruise? Very different or a similar feel? Is one superior to the other? We are looking for a bit of culture (Spanish will do) some fun adventures, nice towns and maybe a pretty beach in one port.

 

I checked flights as well, also more expensive that week :( You're right - I'm really glad I realized now and am hoping that now that we know we'll be able to figure something out. It does change the whole trip that we wanted to do, but I still have time to work it out.

Mexican cruise is quite different - beaches generally are not as good, but Cabo has great opportunity to swim in two seas from one beach. PV has a lot to see - and the open air meat market in Mazatlan is not to be missed.

Since you are going to be in Southern Calfornia anyway, the savings on air fare could allow significant on-board upgrade. I personally prefer Caribbean ports - but am glad I have done Mexico - certainly a good itinerary.

The other option is to look for a longer cruise. RCI has two - a 9-night on Navigator and an 11-night on Serenade that leave around those dates and the prices seem better. We have taken three Thanksgiving cruises, the 7-night cruises are generally much more popular with families, hence the higher costs.

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we cruised on OASIS over T'day last year

booked pretty late, just weeks b4

got quite a discount on a Junior Suite .....

Geoherb and Capt_BJ – I wish I could wait until after final payment and get a good deal, but we’re coming from Australia so need to have all our dates and flights locked down. I’m worried that if I wait till then, we won’t get on a cruise we want with so few options of dates to begin with. But,saying that, maybe it’s still worth flying in to Miami, having a 9 day window with some other plans to travel around Miami/Key west etc, and then if a cruise becomes much more affordable after final payment date, jump on it. Ooh, you’ve definitely given me food for thought, but not sure I’m brave enough to wait. What’s the likelihood that a Thanksgiving cruise will come down in price after final payment, or is it more likely they will be full?

RS Leesburg – great suggestions, and thanks for looking for me. The Navigator cruise is the one I REALLY wanted to do, but it only finishes on 2 Dec. The Serenade finishes on 30 Dec.

We can literally only do a cruise that leaves between 17 –22 November and there are not many. Wehave a family wedding in Toronto on 2 December and have to be there by 29November for pre wedding stuff.

Navybankerteacher - I have had some positive comments about Mexico on another thread, in addition to your comments, that is still very much on the table. Mexico seems quite exotic to us, and seems like there may be more of a cultural experience for us there than the beaches of the Caribbean islands (but I may be wrong here...). Not an easy decision, but in the end it's going to come down to affordability and availability, and as you say, flying into LA and jumping on a cruise certainly will be easier, although we'd love a few days in the Miami area. Lots of homework to do on this!

10-day Eastern on Crown Princess, leaves on Nov 17 and returns on Nov 27... [emoji848]

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10-day Eastern on Crown Princess, leaves on Nov 17 and returns on Nov 27... [emoji848]

 

 

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Ooh a definite possibility! This one is more expensive being 10 days, but with limited options this is a strong contender. Ideally we wanted a 7 day cruise, with 4 days in Miami and I think realistically it looks like we have to pay more for everyrhing being Thanksgiving week, so need to consider all options. Thanks so much for your great suggestions. :)