Just curious

[Fouremco]

I'd like to know the answer to this question too.

Google "cruise price tracking sites". Many of the tracking sites can't be posted here due to CC rules. One that can be mentioned is Cruise Critic's own "Cruise Critic's Price Drop", but I've found it to be of marginal value because of the long period between reported change.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I think "sold out" means many things.

 

I suppose it could really mean sold out, but could also be a marketing ploy to sell more expensive cabins (you want an outside, sold out, so take a look at the balconies).

HAL could be doing upsells, as you note, and doesn't want the pricing of a certain category available for comparison.

A category could be "sold out", in that it is covering GUARs.

 

Used to be on HAL that "sold out" was rarely seen. It was all "GUAR".

 

Apparently in this case, "sold out" probably meant they were counting rooms and bookings. This morning all cabin types are available. I looked at OV and they are now showing 6 available, all obstructed.

[frankc98376]

I watch that site that combines cruising and "seafood" and have noticed that just before and after final payment date availability changes a lot daily. Available categories appear, disappear, and re-appear on a regular basis. I'm sure it ts the revenue management folks pushing sales to different categories. Prices appear to fluctuate a lot after final payment date.

[navybankerteacher]

We don't do guarantees, BUT -- reading here and on other boards, cruise lines try to sell cabins before they start to assign guarantees. That makes sense to me -- getting cabins sold to make money before giving upgrading people

 

This is it, in a nutshell.

 

Newsflash: lines do not do guarantees just to give passengers better cabins than they paid for; they do guarantees to maximize fare revenue. They are not going to give away a balcony cabin to someone who paid for an outside (or even an inside) just to be nice. They are going to hold every unsold balcony until it seems they will not get a last minute buyer - then they will think about giving it away. As their programs become more efficient, it is virtually certain that the lead time will drop to the minimum time it takes to assign cabins --- meaning that on any sailing which departs full, guarantees will only be assigned upon boarding.