Do more rooms become available at cancellation date?

[Vikstar]

Hi All,

 

Just wondering if you have experienced a lot more rooms becoming available around the deadline of being able to cancel with no fees incurred. Just wondering if people tend to make multiple bookings knowing they can cancel without penalty before a certain date? I am really hoping a certain cabin class opens up again for an upcoming cruise.

[ghstudio]

Hi All,

 

Just wondering if you have experienced a lot more rooms becoming available around the deadline of being able to cancel with no fees incurred. Just wondering if people tend to make multiple bookings knowing they can cancel without penalty before a certain date? I am really hoping a certain cabin class opens up again for an upcoming cruise.

 

Often that happens, but the price may not be lower and the perks less inviting....

[Algebralovr]

The best answer is - sometimes.

 

On my Feb 2014 cruise, prices just went up and up, even after final payment. I don't recall any cabin classes being sold out at final, but I sure remember the pricing!

 

This February, the same is happening.

 

It is possible that a travel agent is holding a number of cabins that they will release just before final.

 

I know of one cruise that had a group on it that took up just about all the Oceanview cabins on the ship. None of those were released, as the TA handling the group required payment 3 months before the cruiseline did.

 

Just keep checking. If only one or two open up, don't expect a discount.

[miched]

Double post

Edited December 31, 2014 by miched

[miched]

It appears to be the trend but they are not always cheaper.

 

Many will book early to get the so called prized cabins. They will book multiple cruises to lock into a cabin and also hoping that there will be a price reduction. As the deadline gets closer they now have many options. Some may cancel all of the cruises or may do the one that gives them the best value at the time. It is like having a stock option that cost nothing.

 

I had a cruise booked for March and due to many things I decided to transfer the booking 2 days before final payment. The price is now over $1000 pp more than what my price was.

 

Sometimes there may be very last minute deals but they won't include any promos and are great if you can take advantage of it.

 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[phoenix_dream]

I agree - answer is sometimes. If the sailing is very full already, yes there will be some new cabins available but they will not be cheaper and may not have as good of perks. If the sailing is not running full, then you may see some prices start to fall with the newly opened cabins. I have seen it happen both ways on my sailings.

[SantaFeFan]

Many will book early to get the so called prized cabins. They will book multiple cruises to lock into a cabin and also hoping that there will be a price reduction. As the deadline gets closer they now have many options. Some may cancel all of the cruises or may do the one that gives them the best value at the time. It is like having a stock option that cost nothing.

 

I rather doubt that "many" will do this. For a couple traveling together, each early booking ties up several hundred dollars. Do this with five cruises, and they have almost $5,000 tied up on imaginary bookings. Not a very smart way to manage money.

 

If many actually do this as you claim, they make it more challenging for the rest of us. They hold "prized cabins" they won't be using, preventing the rest of us from booking them. They make the cruise look more booked than it will actually be, potentially keeping prices higher for the rest of us. And then they release the cabins at final payment time, creating a surplus that could lower prices for the few who can take advantage of last minute deals - which not all of us can.

 

Manipulating the system for their own selfishness, and at the expense of the rest of us. They are just like chair hogs, only on a much larger scale. :mad:

Edited December 31, 2014 by SantaFeFan

[miched]

I rather doubt that "many" will do this. For a couple traveling together, each early booking ties up several hundred dollars. Do this with five cruises, and they have almost $5,000 tied up on imaginary bookings. Not a very smart way to manage money.

 

 

They really don't have a lot of money tied up if they are using future cruise certificates. They invest a few hundred dollars and keep transferring them to another cruise.

 

The only problem is it is considered a booked cruise and when a promo comes Celebrity could stick to the small all mighty * that states for new bookings only but they don't so the abusers have a win win.

 

This practice is not unique to cruise lines. People will make appointments every week for the doctor, hair saloon, hotel, restuarants and etc just to have it and cancel at the last minute and then reschedule.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[teecee60]

I rather doubt that "many" will do this.

 

If many actually do this as you claim, they make it more challenging for the rest of us. They hold "prized cabins" they won't be using, preventing the rest of us from booking them. They make the cruise look more booked than it will actually be, potentially keeping prices higher for the rest of us. And then they release the cabins at final payment time, creating a surplus that could lower prices for the few who can take advantage of last minute deals - which not all of us can.

 

Manipulating the system for their own selfishness, and at the expense of the rest of us. They are just like chair hogs, only on a much larger scale. :mad:

 

I think you would be VERY surprised at the LARGE NUMBER of people who book MULTIPLE cruises for the same time frame, and then cherry pick the cheapest just before final payment. :o

 

The situation/process is well explained by "miched" below.

 

I have talked to several people with as many as FOUR different cruises booked for the same time slot. :rolleyes:

 

I would NEVER pay for, or put down a deposit on, a cruise that I am not 100% CERTAIN that I am going on. But then, I am one of those who take advantage of this situation, and quite often book last minute/after final payment deals. ;)

 

THAT is why I have been able to cruise over 140 nights on Celebrity in the last 4 years, for an AVERAGE of $42/night... and once for only $29/night. :D

 

They really don't have a lot of money tied up if they are using future cruise certificates. Celebrity could stick to the small all mighty * that states for new bookings only but they don't so the abusers have a win win.

 

This practice is not unique to cruise lines. People will make appointments every week for the doctor, hair saloon, hotel, restuarants and etc just to have it and cancel at the last minute and then reschedule.

Edited December 31, 2014 by teecee60

[sloopsailor]

I think you would be VERY surprised at the LARGE NUMBER of people who book MULTIPLE cruises for the same time frame, and then cherry pick the cheapest just before final payment. :o

 

The situation/process is well explained by "miched" below.

 

I have talked to several people with as many as FOUR different cruises booked for the same time slot. :rolleyes:

 

I would NEVER pay for, or put down a deposit on, a cruise that I am not 100% CERTAIN that I am going on. But then, I am one of those who take advantage of this situation, and quite often book last minute/after final payment deals. ;)

 

THAT is why I have been able to cruise over 140 nights on Celebrity in the last 4 years, for an AVERAGE of $42/night... and once for only $29/night. :D

 

As one who can't just book a cruise at the last minute due to work responsibilities, competition for vacation requests, and last minute airfare costs, I want to say "Thanks a lot" for making my cruises more expensive so you can manipulate the system to get your bargains. :rolleyes:

Edited December 31, 2014 by sloopsailor

[TravelerThom]

As one who can't just book a cruise at the last minute due to work responsibilities, competition for vacation requests, and last minute airfare costs, I want to say "Thanks a lot" for making my cruises more expensive so you can manipulate the system to get your bargains. :rolleyes:

Please explain how a person who never makes multiple reservations and never cancels a reservation is manipulating the system:confused: IMO teecee60 is keeping your cruise cost down, since the cruise line is at least getting something for a cabin that otherwise would be empty. Are you saying that everyone who cruises is OBLIGATED to purchase cruises at the highest price?

 

Thom

[ptrpanpens]

Many prices go down, sometimes to rock bottom after final payment. But not if they are popular itineraries. I have found fantastic deals on Transatlantic cruises after final payment, and this year the Holy Land cruises went down as low as $499 pp for an inside cabin after final payment, as an example. Suites on that cruise went down as low as $1,499 pp.

 

It depends on supply and demand just like anything else. But I wouldn't wait if you really want a certain cabin or date because most of the best deals are guarantees, and you never know what will sell out and what won't.

 

As for tying up money making cruise deposits, at today's interest rates, it doesn't make much difference as the money doesn't earn anything.

[sloopsailor]

Please explain how a person who never makes multiple reservations and never cancels a reservation is manipulating the system:confused:

 

Because teecee60 admits that he does when he says: "But then, I am one of those who take advantage of this situation,"

 

IMO teecee60 is keeping your cruise cost down, since the cruise line is at least getting something for a cabin that otherwise would be empty. Are you saying that everyone who cruises is OBLIGATED to purchase cruises at the highest price?

 

Anyone who plays the system by booking several cruises they have no intention of taking just to have the ability to "cherry pick" the cheapest one at the last minute is indeed inflating the prices. They give the cruise lines the impression their cruises are selling better than they are, resulting in the lines keeping the prices artificially higher for the rest of us who don't play the system. When there is demand, whether artificial or otherwise, prices will stay higher. When there is less demand, prices go down. That's the whole concept of supply and demand.

 

If, as teecee60 claims, there are a "LARGE NUMBER of people who book MULTIPLE cruises for the same time frame, and then cherry pick the cheapest just before final payment.", then prices will certainly stay higher than they would if all of those discarded cruise bookings weren't booked in the first place.

 

And why, as you point out, are those cabins showing up as empty at the last minute? Partially because of the cherry picking being done by that "LARGE NUMBER" of people. If those cabins showed up as empty BEFORE final payment, everyone's prices would go down as the cruise lines try to sell them off before final payment, instead of just for the scavengers looking for the after final payment leftovers.

Edited January 1, 2015 by sloopsailor

[TravelerThom]

Because teecee60 admits that he does when he says: "But then, I am one of those who take advantage of this situation,"....

You and I are reading teecee60's post very differently. teecee60 explicitly says "I would NEVER pay for, or put down a deposit on, a cruise that I am not 100% CERTAIN that I am going on." As I read what was further written, he is merely taking advantage of the situation of OTHERS multi-booking, and if my reading is correct it is hardly his fault that others multi-book. I think you shot the messenger who explained what others do. I think that there should be a penalty for multi-booking, and it would not surprise me if teecee60 agrees with that position (and I'm pretty sure that you would agree with me on that).

 

Thom

[Christine Frances]

You and I are reading teecee60's post very differently. teecee60 explicitly says "I would NEVER pay for, or put down a deposit on, a cruise that I am not 100% CERTAIN that I am going on." As I read what was further written, he is merely taking advantage of the situation of OTHERS multi-booking, and if my reading is correct it is hardly his fault that others multi-book. I think you shot the messenger who explained what others do. I think that there should be a penalty for multi-booking, and it would not surprise me if teecee60 agrees with that position (and I'm pretty sure that you would agree with me on that).

 

Thom

 

But because teecee60 likes to book after final he normally doesn't put down a deposit. He pays in full so that is why he is usually 100% sure he is going on the cruise!:D

[teecee60]

Because teecee60 admits that he does when he says: "But then, I am one of those who take advantage of this situation,"

 

Anyone who plays the system by booking several cruises they have no intention of taking just to have the ability to "cherry pick" the cheapest one at the last minute is indeed inflating the prices. They give the cruise lines the impression their cruises are selling better than they are, resulting in the lines keeping the prices artificially higher for the rest of us who don't play the system. When there is demand, whether artificial or otherwise, prices will stay higher.

 

If, as teecee60 claims, there are a "LARGE NUMBER of people who book MULTIPLE cruises for the same time frame, and then cherry pick the cheapest just before final payment.", then prices will certainly stay higher than they would if all of those discarded cruise bookings weren't booked in the first place.

 

And why, as you point out, are those cabins showing up as empty at the last minute? Partially because of the cherry picking being done by that "LARGE NUMBER" of people. If those cabins showed up as empty BEFORE final payment, everyone's prices would go down as the cruise lines try to sell them off before final payment, instead of just for the scavengers looking for the after final payment leftovers.

 

No, I do NOT admit that I do what you mistakenly interpreted. Please reread that entire sentence to include the part following the comma after the word "situation." ;)

 

I do take advantage of the unfortunate situation thrust upon the cruise lines by people who make multiple bookings, or any booking that they don't actually intend to sail on.

 

But, I COMPLETELY agree with the rest of your post, where you explain precisely what happens to prices, (and WHY) when there is no penalty for "fake bookings." :cool:

 

There is a website that quite accurately (but not perfectly) tracks cabin availability/inventory over time (for almost EVERY ship and itinerary) that very plainly proves your (and my) point.

 

If you start keeping track of cabin inventory at week 12, (prior to sail away) the numbers continue to wind down with sales, until the week of final payment, when they (quite often) suddenly shoot back up due to cancellations of all those fake bookings.

 

This leaves the cruise line with (sometimes a LOT of) empty cabins they THOUGHT they had sold, but must now fill, quite often at lower "last minute" rates. This situation is ESPECIALLY evident on longer (12 to 16 night) cruises like transatlantics.

 

From a post of yours different from the one quoted above, I saw that another concern of yours is high "last minute" airfare. I hope you are aware of "Choice Air" for booking cruises on Royal, Celebrity and Azamara. It can quite often, completely negate or at least significantly cut the penalty of expensive last minute air fares in conjunction with a cruise on any of those three lines. Check it out, you can save THOUSANDS of dollars. A recent example was a one way flight to Istanbul, (for a B2B cruise on Constellation) that was being sold by Delta for 3,200 but was only 429 through Choice Air.

 

You and I are reading teecee60's post very differently, he is merely taking advantage of the situation of OTHERS multi-booking, and if my reading is correct it is hardly his fault that others multi-book. I think that there should be a penalty for multi-booking, and it would not surprise me if teecee60 agrees with that position.

 

Thom

 

Thom, you are correct in your reading and interpretation of my post. You are ALSO correct in your predicting that I would not be opposed to SOME kind of a cancellation penalty for ANY and all bookings. ;)

 

(in spite of the fact that I would PROBABLY end up paying more than the ridiculously low prices I get by "scavenging the leftovers"!) :o

Edited January 1, 2015 by teecee60

[HokiePoq]

They really don't have a lot of money tied up if they are using future cruise certificates. They invest a few hundred dollars and keep transferring them to another cruise.

 

The only problem is it is considered a booked cruise and when a promo comes Celebrity could stick to the small all mighty * that states for new bookings only but they don't so the abusers have a win win.

 

This practice is not unique to cruise lines. People will make appointments every week for the doctor, hair saloon, hotel, restuarants and etc just to have it and cancel at the last minute and then reschedule.

 

Happy cruising

 

My beautician would dump someone who did this! Worst fate is to be dropped by one's hair stylist, lol!

Agree with the previous poster who compared this to chair hogs.

What shall we call them: Booking pigs? Suite swine?

I had not realized this was a problem before reading this thread.

[Vikstar]

LOL at Suite Swine. I need to stop obsessing about what may become available and just be happy with what I got!

[stouennais]

It would be much fairer all round if they adopted the same system as in the UK, making the deposit of £150 pp non refundable upon cancellation. This would sort out the problem of multi bookings. We are treated rather unfairly in the UK compared to the USA.

[sloopsailor]

No, I do NOT admit that I do what you mistakenly interpreted. Please reread that entire sentence to include the part following the comma after the word "situation." ;)

 

I do take advantage of the unfortunate situation thrust upon the cruise lines by people who make multiple bookings, or any booking that they don't actually intend to sail on.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I am always willing to admit it when I am wrong.

 

Glad to see that we both agree on this practice. As someone who lives on the west coast with almost impossible opportunities for taking advantage of the bargains often found after final payment, this practice only costs me more money in the end - and I don't like that! :D

 

From a post of yours different from the one quoted above, I saw that another concern of yours is high "last minute" airfare. I hope you are aware of "Choice Air" for booking cruises on Royal, Celebrity and Azamara. It can quite often, completely negate or at least significantly cut the penalty of expensive last minute air fares in conjunction with a cruise on any of those three lines.

 

Thanks for the suggestion about Choice Air. We often do use it for our flight arrangements. I find it to be quite satisfactory, with better pricing than I usually can find on my own. However, my wife and I still have the obstacles of covering our work responsibilities and competition with co workers for time off. That situation often forces us to plan many months in advance, especially for longer vacations.

Edited January 1, 2015 by sloopsailor

[jagoffee]

Hi All,

 

Just wondering if you have experienced a lot more rooms becoming available around the deadline of being able to cancel with no fees incurred. Just wondering if people tend to make multiple bookings knowing they can cancel without penalty before a certain date? I am really hoping a certain cabin class opens up again for an upcoming cruise.

 

Vikstar, I will add myself to the list of cruisers who state that it in many cases there is an increase in available cabins near or after the final payment date. From my experience it has been most cruises. Therefore you have a good chance that something will open up for your upcoming cruise. Also from my experience it will not necessarily be less expensive than at any point in time unless it is an inside or OV cabin, but it does happen sometimes. I was able to upgrade to a Suite GTY once with almost no premium.

Bottom line is that I would think you have a good chance of something opening up close to or after final payment. Either wait list or keep checking. Good luck.

[WestLakeGirl]

Would some of this effect be due to travel agencies who had been holding rooms releasing the unsold ones?

[ptrpanpens]

Would some of this effect be due to travel agencies who had been holding rooms releasing the unsold ones?

 

Yes, I know for a fact that is part of it.

[laslomas]

It would be much fairer all round if they adopted the same system as in the UK, making the deposit of £150 pp non refundable upon cancellation. This would sort out the problem of multi bookings. We are treated rather unfairly in the UK compared to the USA.

 

I totally agree, I cannot afford to book a cruise I do not intend to take as the deposit is non refundable. It could be fun to book a few and choose the best cabins and then take time deciding whether to keep the booking or get my money back. Unfortunately that game is not available in UK. And as previously mentioned many of the prime location cabins are booked out early only to be released for sale after other cruisers, like me, have had to choose from those remaining.

 

What I do not understand is why the company allows cancellations without a penalty in the US. What do they gain from it? Surely they have no idea of how well a cruise is actually selling, or how much money they will be returning to customers before final payment date? I do not understand how a company can work like this. Is it normal practice with all cruise lines in the US? :confused:

[smtcan]

I totally agree, I cannot afford to book a cruise I do not intend to take as the deposit is non refundable. It could be fun to book a few and choose the best cabins and then take time deciding whether to keep the booking or get my money back. Unfortunately that game is not available in UK. And as previously mentioned many of the prime location cabins are booked out early only to be released for sale after other cruisers, like me, have had to choose from those remaining.

 

What I do not understand is why the company allows cancellations without a penalty in the US. What do they gain from it? Surely they have no idea of how well a cruise is actually selling, or how much money they will be returning to customers before final payment date? I do not understand how a company can work like this. Is it normal practice with all cruise lines in the US? :confused:

 

I would think that the cruise lines have statistics on the likely number of cancellations on any route based on past experience. I don't know the reason behind refundable deposits, but we have several times taken advantage of last minute bookings when prices have dropped substantially and we would probably do it more often if we did not live so far from a cruise port. We have only once cancelled a cruise and that was because of family circumstances, not from choice.