Caribbean 2018?

[SquishTheWhale]

Does anyone know when the winter 2018 Caribbean cruises are due to be released? I'm sure I saw an email about pre registering for the release but I can't remember when it was? Tossing up between a Royal and a P&O cruise. There's some very attractive prices from P&O for December this year so I'm hoping it will be the same next year...

Edited March 9, 2017 by SquishTheWhale

[Balaena]

13 March, next Monday. :)

[SquishTheWhale]

Fab thanks!! :) See I knew I had seen a date somewhere haha.

[JimJam39]

How do you pre-register interest please?

[tartanexile81]

Cruises to the Caribbean in Winter 2018 have been on sale for a year now. The cruises for 2019 will be going on sale at the end of March. On Monday people on Caribbean tier and above can start pre-registering. P&O will send out emails with details of the itineraries. A few days later they will appear on the website and be available generally. You can pre-register your interest with a TA or with P&O but at that stage you won't know the price.

[SquishTheWhale]

Cruises to the Caribbean in Winter 2018 have been on sale for a year now. The cruises for 2019 will be going on sale at the end of March. On Monday people on Caribbean tier and above can start pre-registering. P&O will send out emails with details of the itineraries. A few days later they will appear on the website and be available generally. You can pre-register your interest with a TA or with P&O but at that stage you won't know the price.

 

I can't see anything on the P&O site for winter 2018 in the Caribbean? I think the last one is in October

[tartanexile81]

We're booked for February 2018 so they're definitely there.

[daiB]

Cruises to the Caribbean in Winter 2018 have been on sale for a year now. The cruises for 2019 will be going on sale at the end of March. On Monday people on Caribbean tier and above can start pre-registering. P&O will send out emails with details of the itineraries. A few days later they will appear on the website and be available generally. You can pre-register your interest with a TA or with P&O but at that stage you won't know the price.

 

 

Ops not quite correct. The cruises which are available to book now go up to Oct 2018. The cruises for winter 2018/19 have not yet gone on sale. We will have them in Monday.

 

The only cruises beyond Oct 18 showing are the Oceana ones from the Gulf.

 

The cruises for April 18 to Oct 18 have been on sale since September 16

 

P&O appear to have now moved to a 2 release structure, April and September.

 

 

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[tartanexile81]

I suppose I was thinking Jan / Feb 2018 which are available as you say Dai so I guess the OP's looking for November / December 2018...??

[daiB]

I suppose I was thinking Jan / Feb 2018 which are available as you say Dai so I guess the OP's looking for November / December 2018...??

 

 

That's my reading.

 

 

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[SquishTheWhale]

Yes I'm after Dec 2018. I think of that as winter 2018 but I suppose Feb 2018 is also winter 2018! So Dec really counts as winter 2018/2019...

[JimJam39]

The cruises for 2019 will be going on sale at the end of March. On Monday people on Caribbean tier and above can start pre-registering. P&O will send out emails with details of the itineraries. A few days later they will appear on the website and be available generally. You can pre-register your interest with a TA or with P&O but at that stage you won't know the price.

 

Thanks for this info :)

[daiB]

Yes I'm after Dec 2018. I think of that as winter 2018 but I suppose Feb 2018 is also winter 2018! So Dec really counts as winter 2018/2019...

 

 

One little thought although I always book on day one, I would tend to hold back on a booking if I were going late Nov early Dec as this I have observed is a period when the cruise companies have some difficulty in selling cruises. Generally for the rest of the year getting a late bargain is not that guaranteed but not so for the above period.

 

If you are fairly flexible with date cabin type and time of eating then I would wait. You may find getting a bargain cruise is easier.

 

However I would look at what is on offer and what early deals there are to be had.

 

Having said that you can see how many cruises I do none of my future cruises have come down in price. They have all gone up.

 

 

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[JimJam39]

I've been looking at prices for this November to get an idea of prices for Nov 2018, been screen shotting some prices as I go and I've noticed that each time I look the prices are going up. Some of the prices are as much as £600pp more today than when I looked on 6th Feb. Booking direct with P&O appears to be the dearer option, Thomas Cook next then the cheapest prices I've seen have been with Iglu. Also I'm a little shocked at the big increase pp at the difference in price between a balcony room and a superior balcony room as the superior balcony room is only a little bigger in sq ft and has a bath :o

[daiB]

I've been looking at prices for this November to get an idea of prices for Nov 2018, been screen shotting some prices as I go and I've noticed that each time I look the prices are going up. Some of the prices are as much as £600pp more today than when I looked on 6th Feb. Booking direct with P&O appears to be the dearer option, Thomas Cook next then the cheapest prices I've seen have been with Iglu. Also I'm a little shocked at the big increase pp at the difference in price between a balcony room and a superior balcony room as the superior balcony room is only a little bigger in sq ft and has a bath :o

 

 

It could well be that there are fewer of the larger cabins left. This would put the price up. It's called fluid pricing.

 

 

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[SquishTheWhale]

Not sure if we will book as soon as the prices come out- I agree that they are often cheaper right on release or as early as possible! Will check Iglu and Thomascook although I prefer to book direct if possible. Don't like having to go through an agent if I want to change anything!

[JimJam39]

Think I'll be booking as soon as prices are released for first time cruisers to secure a cabin. Still unsure whether to book direct with P&O or with a TA. I've only ever booked holidays via Thomas Cook, never used online TA's so I'm a little scared of this even though the prices are better. I usually believe somethings are too good to be true and am reluctant to dare go with online TA's such as Iglu. Also if something goes wrong on the cruise and you've booked directly with P&O I think it will be dealt with better as they can't fob you off to the TA.

[daiB]

Think I'll be booking as soon as prices are released for first time cruisers to secure a cabin. Still unsure whether to book direct with P&O or with a TA. I've only ever booked holidays via Thomas Cook, never used online TA's so I'm a little scared of this even though the prices are better. I usually believe somethings are too good to be true and am reluctant to dare go with online TA's such as Iglu. Also if something goes wrong on the cruise and you've booked directly with P&O I think it will be dealt with better as they can't fob you off to the TA.

 

 

On line TA's, as in the one you mentioned are fine. They have real people and are easier to contact than P&O are at times. I have a TA who I now know well he knows what I want and has never failed to get the cabin I had chosen. And yes at the moment they are cheaper than P&O by 3% to 5%.

 

If there is a problem I would rather he had to sort it rather than me. He has been invaluable in the past ear or two.

 

I would never go with a high street TA.as I know their knowledge can be limited, re cruising.

 

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[SquishTheWhale]

If I look at direct on the P&O site it says that even saver fares are flexible- what does that mean exactly? I can change the date of the cruise if needed? If I'm booking so far out that could be an advantage.

 

Early booking does seem to pay off- booked our next NCL cruise well over a year in advance and the price has only gone up and up. Although NCL fares seem to be stupidly high in general right now, probably recouping their money from all the free drinks packages!

[SquishTheWhale]

So I see I can now view the 2018 December cruises although not book yet! For some reason all the 14 day itineraries now only have 9 port stops instead of 10 this year. I wonder the reason behind that- to add extra time in port? Or the cynical answer of adding an extra sea day for P&O to make money off people being on board?

 

I like the look of this:

http://www.pocruises.com/b833a/?leadmeta=i&search=true

14 night on Britannia, leaving 8th Dec, Curaco, Aruba, St Vincent, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Antigua, Dominica and overnight in Barbados

 

Or

http://www.pocruises.com/a832/?leadmeta=i&search=true

14 nights on Azura leaving 30th Nov, which is Antigua, St. Kitts, Tortola, Grand Turk, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent. I think it's overnight in Barbados at the start rather than the end.

 

They are the same price currently- not sure what will happen when released properly. At the moment it seems to be only showing a 'select' fare- will the saver one appear when they are released properly?

 

Any feedback on which is the better option? Fairly open as to date- both are over my birthday so I'm happy haha. I'm guessing Britannia is the better ship- but is the Azura one the better itinierary? Having a distinct lack of tropical beaches in Swindon, our number 1 activity will probably be beach days, but we also like sightseeing and active things. I fancy seeing Aruba as we nearly booked our Honeymoon there, but I also wanted to go to Tortola as I've heard so much about Jost van Dyke!

[JimJam39]

So I see I can now view the 2018 December cruises although not book yet! For some reason all the 14 day itineraries now only have 9 port stops instead of 10 this year. I wonder the reason behind that- to add extra time in port? Or the cynical answer of adding an extra sea day for P&O to make money off people being on board?

Its an extra sea day, just compared the two :mad:

[daiB]

Its an extra sea day, just compared the two :mad:

 

 

Far too many ports.

 

 

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[JimJam39]

Far too many ports.

 

 

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Do you think 9 ports with 4 sea days is better than 10 ports with 3 sea days? If so, why would that be please?

[JimJam39]

I'm looking at these two cruises:

http://www.pocruises.com/a831/?leadmeta=b&search=true

http://www.pocruises.com/b831/?leadmeta=b&search=true

 

Question to any cruiser who has done the ports in the links, which in your opinion based on the ports would you say is best? I appreciate we are all different people but as a first timer I would value all opinions.

 

Jaime

[daiB]

Do you think 9 ports with 4 sea days is better than 10 ports with 3 sea days? If so, why would that be please?

 

 

Because I prefer sea days. For a lot of cruisers port after port is a bit much. It's purely personal.

 

We like to sail from Southampton to the Caribbean and back. In Jan we are doing 28 nights with 9 ports. Much better. :)

 

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Edited March 13, 2017 by daiB