Silhouette Greece/Europe Cruise: Why so cheap?!

[klrcruises]

I originally booked the 8/24 cruise out of Venice for $1699 for a balcony 2D, got upgraded to a 2C because of CC. Plus perks available from 123 go promos (pick 2 for european sailings). Price has been reduced to $999 got price reduction, kept upgraded room and all perks! Airfare is very high though from the states.....the only non stops from JFK to VCE are $1795 pp. Wow! Somewhere in these posts I read to go to Choice Air and book the flights one way each way.........did that yesterday was able to get same flights (same seats) for $1500 pp! The people who helped me at Choice Air were great!

[pasto5]

So my courtesy hold expired and I just tried to restore it, but the fares for the August 10 and 17 itineraries have gone up by about $500 per person!

 

I snoozed and I "losed" I guess... :(

 

Congratulations to those of you who are less indecisive than I and got to take advantage of those great rates!

We had three cruise options on hold and let two expire. But we booked the third yesterday. We booked the August 10th trip and our third person (granddaughter was free) Also booked our air through Choice Air. It is a great itinerary from our local airport with one change in Philadelphia then straight to Venice. This trip is less that the 9 day last year on Carnival Sunshine ( yes I know it is two less days but a much better experience we hope) I am sorry you didn't get this booked.

[Travel luv]

I originally booked the 8/24 cruise out of Venice for $1699 for a balcony 2D, got upgraded to a 2C because of CC. Plus perks available from 123 go promos (pick 2 for european sailings). Price has been reduced to $999 got price reduction, kept upgraded room and all perks! Airfare is very high though from the states.....the only non stops from JFK to VCE are $1795 pp. Wow! Somewhere in these posts I read to go to Choice Air and book the flights one way each way.........did that yesterday was able to get same flights (same seats) for $1500 pp! The people who helped me at Choice Air were great!

 

Oh, that is good to hear. I have been looking at choice air with little luck. Maybe I should call and speak with a rep.

 

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[travelpeon]

I originally booked the 8/24 cruise out of Venice for $1699 for a balcony 2D, got upgraded to a 2C because of CC. Plus perks available from 123 go promos (pick 2 for european sailings). Price has been reduced to $999 got price reduction, kept upgraded room and all perks! Airfare is very high though from the states.....the only non stops from JFK to VCE are $1795 pp. Wow! Somewhere in these posts I read to go to Choice Air and book the flights one way each way.........did that yesterday was able to get same flights (same seats) for $1500 pp! The people who helped me at Choice Air were great!

 

Wow. You might have my deal beat! We had the pick your perk and chose the extra OBC as we don't drink that much. My TA kicked in some nice bonuses on top of that. I'm still watching the airfare prices.

 

Glad you got a Choice Air deal. Be sure to also check the fare class and booking code is to your benefit - earns miles, offers cancellation for a fee, & etc.

 

Kayak.com has round trip fare alerts and a prediction feature where it can estimate if the airfare price will go up, down, or stay steady. It reminds me of the Bing Travel farecast feature.

[travelpeon]

So my courtesy hold expired and I just tried to restore it, but the fares for the August 10 and 17 itineraries have gone up by about $500 per person!

 

I snoozed and I "losed" I guess... :(

 

Congratulations to those of you who are less indecisive than I and got to take advantage of those great rates!

 

I still see 2D available for $999 USD via TA's website. My cruise booking showed up at a higher price last Saturday via Celebrity's website than via TA on the same day. Just wanted to point this out in case you really did want to book. (Though, if it I were saying this to myself, I'd also remind myself that just because something's on sale doesn't mean I should buy it... ;p )

[mykel67]

Thanks for pointing that out. This wasn't our first choice for a summer holiday, but the awesome price made it very tempting. Even $999 US is still a couple hundred more per person than what I was quoted yesterday in Canadian dollars.

 

I'll check rates periodically over the next few weeks while we consider other options as well. Experienced cruisers: Do prices fluctuate constantly? Or was this likely the bottom rate, and now prices will continue to rise?

[BosoxI]

One reason might be that a lot of people don't like booking Europe in August because that's a big month for family holidays over there (lots of kids). Also very hot in August.

 

 

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Sounds like a cruise we took two years ago, knowing that it would be hot from start to finish, but the chance of rain spoiling the trip would be virtually nil in August. Venice was hot but quite bearable, and we visit there frequently, so no problem. But Dubrovnik was practically unbearable, even for us who have lived in the south of the US for most of our lives. The walk around the wall was brutal but we finished it, never having done it before. But here's the good part, the rest of the trip was in Greece and it was delightful. Corfu, Olympia, Athens (we didn't go in the city, as it's another frequent stop), Mykonos, Santorini, were beautiful, and it was the wind, not the heat, on Delos that was a minor problem We were among the most traveled on the ship, probably because there were so many Europeans on board. I'm not sure whether is was a full cruise, either.

[QueScaisJe]

Experienced cruisers: Do prices fluctuate constantly? Or was this likely the bottom rate, and now prices will continue to rise?

 

Yes the prices are adjusted due to supply and demand. Think airline fares.

 

Is this the bottom rate? Who knows? I can tell you for sure only after the ship sails ;) Often the rates come down after cancellation penalties kick in, and especially from about 8 weeks out as part of an Xciting deal: http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Exciting_Deals/XcitingDeals_cel_tues.pdf

 

YMMV of course.

Edited March 21, 2014 by QueScaisJe

[travellerin1984]

It is usually hot in the Mediterranean in August but not impossible. If you get up early and enjoy excursions before lunch you should be fine. I am booked on the 10th of August Sillhouette and am thinking of having a nice, relaxing holiday. Like a Caribbean cruise but for us Europeans. We are probably going to beach instead of ruins...

 

When it comes to booking a Mediterranean cruise in August it depends on your interests. Are you into seeing the historic places and long excursions or are you planning more of a relaxing holiday with sun, pool and more of a unplanned holiday? If you want to see Athens historic monuments, long walks and have more of an educational holiday I think it is better to book a cruise in May, June or later in September, October. That's only because of the heat... And I think one week cruises gather more us Europeans (and kids). Not a lot of kids compared to other cruise lines in the Mediterranean but probably more than usually. Celebrity is a bit more expensive than Costa, Msc and Royal Caribbean so it is not so popular among families with kids.

 

Booking... We have been on two long Mediterranean cruises last year and the year before. Prices usually drop after final payment so I expect them to drop in late June, July after final payment. I was thinking of waiting to book till after final payment but we got a great price, nice cabin location (1C) and drink package so decided to book now. The prices change all the time. I usually check the prices often, once a day to see if there are changes.

[travellerin1984]

Hi!

 

I just happened to look at the prices for the 7 day cruise out of Venice, both the 10th and 17th August 2014. There is still a big online travel agent offering balcony guarantee for 999 per person with free gratuities and free drink package. Deposit is 500$.

 

I wanted to tell you because there were couple of you guys who were diasappointed about missing the deal.

[Jayneykul]

We have booked with Cunard for September finishing in Athens and couldn't believe the flight prices a direct flight back to manchester was more than our flights to New York so the August prices will be higher

[travelpeon]

We have booked with Cunard for September finishing in Athens and couldn't believe the flight prices a direct flight back to manchester was more than our flights to New York so the August prices will be higher

 

azair.cz is useful for checking the cheapie airlines like easyjet which has a direct flight from ATH to MAN

http://info.flightmapper.net/route/YY_ATH_MAN

 

Sometimes one ways on the legacy carriers are quite high.

 

azair also checks Norwegian and XL Airways which flies USA to Scandinavia and Paris. It is worth checking those if budget is tight. Those with tight schedules might want to be careful with Norwegian long haul, though, as I've read they have delays. As LLCs, they don't need to rebook you on other carriers.

 

SAS and UA have a bit of a price war with Norwegian routes from right now for the fall. This post tells you how to hopscotch flights around after you book that really cheap transatlantic ticket

http://boardingarea.com/loyaltytraveler/2014/03/26/lax-to-scandinavia-for-500-then-hopscotch-flights-around-europe/#sthash.QYXgrwLm.Azzb4EjP.dpbs

 

Aer Lingus also had a few inexpensive fares.

Edited April 5, 2014 by travelpeon

[Jayneykul]

Thanks Travelpeon we have booked to stay in Athens for 1 night as the flight back with Aegean was 1/3rd of the cost the following day

[mykel67]

Weeks of regular price checking finally paid off-the original rate for a veranda cabin I found in March is back for the August 10th sailing! I have it on hold and will probably confirm later today after checking airfare options. And if the 3rd or 17th sailings come down in price I may add one of those for a B2B.:)

Edited May 3, 2014 by mykel67

[villauk]

We have booked with Cunard for September finishing in Athens and couldn't believe the flight prices a direct flight back to manchester was more than our flights to New York so the August prices will be higher

 

I can believe it. Last year, in the school summer holidays, it was cheaper to fly to the US and sail from there than it was to fly to mainland Europe and cruise :eek:.

[LPCKG]

Weeks of regular price checking finally paid off-the original rate for a veranda cabin I found in March is back for the August 10th sailing! I have it on hold and will probably confirm later today after checking airfare options. And if the 3rd or 17th sailings come down in price I may add one of those for a B2B.:)

 

Hope you manage to find good flight prices. Good luck

[mykel67]

Airfares out of Toronto are not too bad at all (surprisingly much more expensive out of Detroit from where we frequently fly). We are flexible with our dates; we would likely arrive a few days early in Venice and then stay a week or so after the cruise to visit other parts of Italy. I can get direct flights for $1052 Canadian right now.

Edited May 3, 2014 by mykel67

[TLCOhio]

One reason might be that a lot of people don't like booking Europe in August because that's a big month for family holidays over there (lots of kids). Also very hot in August.

 

Agree with these above excellent points, plus the high cost for air fares. AND, the economy is still a little weak and challenged in Europe. It's Economics 101!! Supply and demand. Celebrity likes their ships to be sailing full to yield more money from tours, spa, drinks, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 55,144 views for this fun posting.

[maggieq]

Airfare is currently $1,900 from JFK. I paid $800 less to go to Barcelona last September.

[Shining Clem]

IcelandAir. They go from Boston, JFK, DC Toronto, Chicago, Seattle (?) etc.

 

It's a little later in the year, but we just booked a one-way flight in late Sept for Paris leaving on a Wed. It was $500. for their coach, $999. for their coach plus (with meal & more leg room), and $1400. for their business class (Saga) with really nice meals, private lounges at JFK & Iceland (where you change planes), good luggage allotment, better seats. The Iceland stop to change planes is generally about 90 minutes - giving you a chance to stretch your legs a bit.

 

The minute you go from one-stop to non-stop on any of the lines, the price seems to go up $400. pp.

 

In other words, their Saga service is cheaper than US majors coach section. We flew them coach back from Amsterdam 3 years ago, and they were fine. With only one plane a day from each airport, they fill up fast. Don't know if I'd want to do them in winter - that's when people comment on canceled flights from Canada or Iceland.

 

We know we are headed for sticker shock with Paris & NE France hotel prices, so are trying to save on the air fare.

 

A friend going with us on the plane out of JFK, will be transferring to a plane to Germany in Iceland. The fares within Europe are generally much better, so if going on to Italy or Spain, there might be some options.

[mickeysgal]

Just booked our air today for our Aug Venice cruise. Lufthansa - could have connected out of Toronto or Frankfort. Airfare for us has been well over 1900/pp...Choice Air was a bit over $1800...today we booked $1028 base fare round trip.

[iamahockeymomma]

The Airfare to Europe from US is outrageous. Carnival eliminated all sailings in Europe this summer because of this. My family and I sailed the Med in August of '12 and it was hot. I mean HOT. Like 108 degrees daily. It can wear you down… :(