excess X inventory: goes to big TAs or last-min sites?

[Flafun888]

Hi all: if a particular X sailing still has a lot of unsold cabins close to final payment date, is there a typical process X takes to unload those cabins? Do they prefer to keep fire sales more private by working w/a few last-min 90 day ticker type of online sites to unload remaining inventory? Do they contract with their highest volume TAs to offer last min deals? Or just slash the prices on X site directly?

 

I've heard (although it may not be true) that they don't like the high visibility of slashing rates on their own site and will sometimes work with a few last min sites on a volume basis to unload rest of inventory.

 

I normally book way in advance, but have my eye on one cruise in particular that seems overpriced and isn't selling well. Would like to know smartest places to look first if they decide to drop prices after final payment. Many thanks for any help.

[Andy]

Hi all: if a particular X sailing still has a lot of unsold cabins close to final payment date, is there a typical process X takes to unload those cabins? Do they prefer to keep fire sales more private by working w/a few last-min 90 day ticker type of online sites to unload remaining inventory? Do they contract with their highest volume TAs to offer last min deals? Or just slash the prices on X site directly?

 

I've heard (although it may not be true) that they don't like the high visibility of slashing rates on their own site and will sometimes work with a few last min sites on a volume basis to unload rest of inventory.

 

I normally book way in advance, but have my eye on one cruise in particular that seems overpriced and isn't selling well. Would like to know smartest places to look first if they decide to drop prices after final payment. Many thanks for any help.

 

Hi Flafun888,

 

I'm not entirely certain of what methods Celebrity uses to sell last minute inventory, but one excellent resource is Celebrity's "Exciting Deals" promotion. They are generally published on Thursdays or Fridays, for sale the following Tuesday (and sometimes Wednesday). Click HERE to view this week's promotions. Hope this helps !

[Flafun888]

Appreciate your posting. I do get those weekly X special emails...thank you for the reminder to watch those more carefully. :) Also have one of those paid online trackers on it - but it only watches X's published prices...not private price drops by big TAs or those 90-day ticker sites.

 

I guess I just need to check a handful of different ones regularly.

 

Thanks again!

[grandgeezer]

I don't think any agency can sell a cabin for less than the cruise line unless they have gotten a big block of rooms and sell them as a group booking. What they can do is share their commission with you in the form of obc, prepaid gratuities, specialty dining, etc. This can be considerable if you can find an agency that sells a lot of cruises for that cruise line. I'm told that the more cruises an agency sells, the higher commission they get, just like any other purchases you make.

I used to spend all day pricing cruises but it seemed like they all wanted the same price. I found three that consistently had better percs, so I only check them now.

[cle-guy]

They also "interline" fares, where they give Airline employees great last minute deals, since they can fly in last minute and travel well.

 

In exchange, Airlines provide discounted airfares for X with its coordinated groups, and form shuttling staff around.

 

I have several flight attendant friends who sail often with these amazing last minute deals.

 

They basically do all they can and use every avenue available to fill'er up.

 

I always find the same last minute fares on X site as anyplace else. They really don't care about last minute slashing of prices, since past final payment people can't take lower fares anyway, though many do find upgrades at a relative bargain versus the cabin sold pre-final payments.

 

Though this fall, RCL has stated a policy that they are no longer going to deeply discount last minute any more, to stop people from waiting till after final payments to book. Not sure if the policy will roll over to X from RCL or not.

 

Especially in the caribbean, people have learned to wait and book when fares dip. Last fall, I had a 7 nighter in November, that at final payment, was only 40% sold. we sailed full 2 months later. SO they sold 60% of the ship once discounting started.

[Flafun888]

Thanks for the insights...much appreciated.

[DYKWIA]

In the UK, one TA was advertising "secret" cruise deals on an unnamed ship - the date and itinerary made it obvious it was The Eclipse, the price being advertised were significantly cheaper than Celebrity.

 

Then two weeks Celebrity and a couple of UK TAs were offering slashed prices on a couple of Eclipse Summer cruises later in the summer.