Why are Reflection cruises so cheap?

[farmermd]

Just booked a cruise on Reflection for this month at an unbelievable price for a veranda - probably the cheapest balcony in my 23 years of cruising! I don't get it - a premium cruise line with a new ship that is cheaper than Carnival, Princess, HAL, and RCCL. ( I checked all these other lines for a similar cruise, similar date-all more expensive.) I hope this does not mean we will start getting some of the riff-raff from those budget cruise lines...you know who you are...

[UpcountryTravelers]

Just booked a cruise on Reflection for this month at an unbelievable price for a veranda - probably the cheapest balcony in my 23 years of cruising! I don't get it - a premium cruise line with a new ship that is cheaper than Carnival, Princess, HAL, and RCCL. ( I checked all these other lines for a similar cruise, similar date-all more expensive.) I hope this does not mean we will start getting some of the riff-raff from those budget cruise lines...you know who you are...

 

Sorry.... we are already booked..... :)

[farmermd]

Sorry.... we are already booked..... :)

 

I can put up with a few of you I guess...LOL

[UpcountryTravelers]

I can put up with a few of you I guess...LOL

 

We feel the same....... :D

[Iamcruzin]

It must be two slow weeks after the Holidays. I don't think that they are very popular vacation weeks for those of us who are still working and or have young children. I imagine that these two weeks will attract last minute retired Florida residents who can pick up and go at a moment’s notice. I hope to be one of them someday. The Veranda price for Jan 12th is less than the ocean view room I booked on the Summit for the end of April. Looks like you scored a great deal.

Enjoy your Cruise

[Miss SeaBee]

I've been watching prices on our April Reflection cruise and it looks pretty booked up. Prices have mostly been going up. Maybe it depends on the sailing. And aren't at final payment, yet. Maybe some are holding multiple cabins. I am hoping it will change, because I would like to try and upgrade from a CS to a Signature suite if the price is right. Currently Signature suites are showing full. Hoping some will drop out just before final payment. We will see. If not, I am happy where I am.

 

What is the usual price for a veranda? I am watching prices on those for our trip, too. I have a couple who wants to go with us if they can get a good price. So far the prices are heading up, looks like $1089 for a 1A, which is what they would like, and $999 for the lowest veranda category. This is for a 7 night. What is a good deal price range?

[ghstudio]

I've been watching prices on our April Reflection cruise and it looks pretty booked up. Prices have mostly been going up. Maybe it depends on the sailing. And aren't at final payment, yet. Maybe some are holding multiple cabins. I am hoping it will change, because I would like to try and upgrade from a CS to a Signature suite if the price is right. Currently Signature suites are showing full. Hoping some will drop out just before final payment. We will see. If not, I am happy where I am.

 

What is the usual price for a veranda? I am watching prices on those for our trip, too. I have a couple who wants to go with us if they can get a good price. So far the prices are heading up, looks like $1089 for a 1A, which is what they would like, and $999 for the lowest veranda category. This is for a 7 night. What is a good deal price range?

 

Under 100 a day is our max for a "what the heck, why not" cruise in a veranda cabin.

[Ozzmund]

We are much the same. We will pay more if we really really want a specific itinerary, date, or cabin.

Usually if we can catch a great airfare, we will check the cruiselines to see which one has the best veranda price. In that case we never go over $899.00

[slp123]

Unsold inventory, be it hotel rooms, staterooms or airline seats, have an expiration date when the inventory becomes valueless. For airlines that happens with every plane's departure (a poor example when it comes to domestic routes as planes fly mostly full these days and so we say the airline industry has finally learned how to efficiently manage their inventory). For hotels that happens with the passing of every calendar day. For most cruise lines, that happens with each cruise sail away (with the exception of those lines that allow you to chose to embark or disembark at interim ports of call).

 

Those who plan ahead rarely opt to buy a cruise that is departing in less than 30 days. That is when a cruise line will discount to sell unsold inventory to those who troll for last minute deals. My Jan. 26th cruise on Reflection was pretty expensive when first offered, dropped a bit in price a few months ago, rose in price in early fall and then 20-40% discounts were offered on certain cabin categories, the discounts being better for those over 55+. Why 55? Probably because most kids are in school at the end of January and so it is seniors and empty-nesters who are more likely to be available to take advantage of a sale. In January families with children neither have the time or a lot of spare money after spending on Christmas gifts and holiday travel.

 

HAL has a more senior clientele and offer longer cruisers in winter on many of their ships so maybe they don't have to work as hard to fill their ships. Celebrity does not offer many cruises longer than two weeks and to attract seniors onto short cruises, maybe they need to discount. Just a guess as to their reasons.

[mathgeek1978]

Just booked a cruise on Reflection for this month at an unbelievable price for a veranda - probably the cheapest balcony in my 23 years of cruising! I don't get it - a premium cruise line with a new ship that is cheaper than Carnival, Princess, HAL, and RCCL. ( I checked all these other lines for a similar cruise, similar date-all more expensive.) I hope this does not mean we will start getting some of the riff-raff from those budget cruise lines...you know who you are...

 

Why?

 

Answer: Price/profit optimization. A computer program with very sophisticated mathematical computations will automatically decide the price points that will maximize occupancy and profits.

 

That's what geeks are for! :D

[jveevers]

Just booked a cruise on Reflection for this month at an unbelievable price for a veranda - probably the cheapest balcony in my 23 years of cruising! I don't get it - a premium cruise line with a new ship that is cheaper than Carnival, Princess, HAL, and RCCL. ( I checked all these other lines for a similar cruise, similar date-all more expensive.) I hope this does not mean we will start getting some of the riff-raff from those budget cruise lines...you know who you are...

 

we are on the Eclipse 14 night on Jan 26th. AQ cost $4900 12 months ago. Now it is over $8000-. Hard to compute when Reflection is now far cheaper and Eclipse is sky high.

[hcat]

maybe this newest ship has not caught on yet...reviews have been mixed not raves!!!

 

for us it is the itins being not very inspiring, departure port of Miami vs. FLL and, larger ship size with more pax but most public areas not much larger, more pax in AQ BLU

 

Eventually we'll try it but have cruises booked on Silho & Equinox which we know we love!;)

[Jade13]

 

 

HAL has a more senior clientele and offer longer cruisers in winter on many of their ships so maybe they don't have to work as hard to fill their ships. quote]

 

We have not seen an age difference in Celebrity verses HAL.

[Hlitner]

We often get great last minute deals on X and other lines. But the great deals are only good for those of us who can be flexible and get away on short notice. As to HA, even they have some good last minute deals. We just returned from 14 days on the Westterdam where our total cost was $2400 and this was the total (including all taxes, fees, etc) for two persons in a high category balcony. And on top of that we also got $250 or OBC.

 

Hank

[miched]

Just booked a cruise on Reflection for this month at an unbelievable price for a veranda - probably the cheapest balcony in my 23 years of cruising! I don't get it - a premium cruise line with a new ship that is cheaper than Carnival, Princess, HAL, and RCCL. ( I checked all these other lines for a similar cruise, similar date-all more expensive.) I hope this does not mean we will start getting some of the riff-raff from those budget cruise lines...you know who you are...

 

I don't think you will have to worry as they don't want to be with you either. I was on one of those so called budget lines and talking to a passenger that was on X as we were walking along the pier. He asked me about the atmosphere on our ship and said that he wasn't comfortable on X as it was too stuffy and not fun.

[navyrotorhead]

Why?

 

Answer: Price/profit optimization.

 

That's what geeks are for! :D

 

Keep smilin' keep shinin' knowing we can always count on you, for sure...

 

...for good times, and bad times, I'll be on your side for ever more... ;) :) :p

[Algebralovr]

Supply and Demand would be the reason. They were high over the traditional Winter Break weeks, with sailings on Dec 22 and 29. Starting Jan 5, the prices dropped recently (as seems to be usual) because not that as many people can travel in January. The prices in February, by comparison, have not dropped at all, and have actually gone up a little bit compared to when I booked last year. It remains to be seen if they drop those costs at all.

 

March is also still high (and I keep checking just in case).

[Ozzmund]

I was told that there would be no math on this forum.

[slp123]

We are much the same. We will pay more if we really really want a specific itinerary, date, or cabin.

Usually if we can catch a great airfare, we will check the cruiselines to see which one has the best veranda price. In that case we never go over $899.00

 

And amazingly today you can get a Concierge Veranda Stateroom for $899/pp on either the 1/20 sailing of Silhouette or the 1/19 sailing of Reflection. That's is the online quote I just got (designating that I was over 55). I think that is a true bargain

[Ex-Airbalancer]

And amazingly today you can get a Concierge Veranda Stateroom for $899/pp on either the 1/20 sailing of Silhouette or the 1/19 sailing of Reflection. That's is the online quote I just got (designating that I was over 55). I think that is a true bargain

We on the Silhouette , Transatlantic , an A1 for $999 CDN :D, book over the holidays, today a GTY balcony is over $1200.00

If anyone can figure the perfect time to book please let me know

Also have a $300 obc from an open passage

 

I see an online TA is offering to match the obc on open passage, since I book with Celebrity I wonder if I switch to them will I get another $300 obc

[slp123]

We on the Silhouette , Transatlantic , an A1 for $999 CDN :D, book over the holidays, today a GTY balcony is over $1200.00

If anyone can figure the perfect time to book please let me know

Also have a $300 obc from an open passage

 

I see an online TA is offering to match the obc on open passage, since I book with Celebrity I wonder if I switch to them will I get another $300 obc

 

There are optimum times to get the lowest price. But there is NO ONE right ANSWER that covers all cruises. I assume you are talking only about Celebrity, not all cruise lines. If that is the case, then it also matters the destination, the time of year, the size of the ship, if the ship is new, if it is a new itinerary for Celebrity and is it a new region for the particular ship you are booking on. I am writing a list of tips now that may appear later this week on this thread. If you read my latest posting there you will see why I used the phrase "may appear"