Are there ever bargains at peak holiday time

[DT1304]

I have seen many threads about searching for bargains and when to look.

 

My question relates to Royal Caribbean. Has anyone ever seen bargains on their sailings over Christmas/New Years. The ships are usually full at that time of year, so if there are any bargains, they are obviously advertised very long in advance.

 

I am considering another New Years cruise (I have done a few) and trying to work out who to book through, or when to book.

 

[sewgood]

I haven't noticed any for the holidays on lines that target families, this of course includes RC.

The only bargains I came aross this cruise season for around Xmas was on HAL.

 

Just make sure if you get a sale price it really is a discount.

I have seen before where they have rasied the price of the cruise before the sale and then given you some onboard credit for the sale price.

[VK3DQ]

Nope I dont believe so ...not only are the cruises top price for school holidays , christmas and so forth , but everything else is top price including flights and accommodation

 

If your seeking a true "bargain" then search outside of the holiday periods , for example early December is worth looking  at

 

(Australian market)

 

and be prepared to grab it when it pops up ...if you dont then it will go very quickly , sometimes minutes make a difference 

 

regards

 

John

[Aus Traveller]

I have seen good prices on Princess and/or P&O in December in the pre-Christmas weeks (as VK3DQ said). However, I have also seen the notation that there are no 'child' spaces available. These lines limit the number of children in each age group.

[SinbadThePorter]

Royal Caribbean are notorious for "adjusting" their pricing just before sales. Although to be fair the other do it too, just not as blatantly.

 

You will very, very rarely see a bargain cruise that travels over either Christmas or New Years. They are usually sold with a premium. That said, you will generally see bargains either side of those holidays.

 

I think the best time for bargains is Oct/Nov, but that's just my opinion.

Edited February 15, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[SinbadThePorter]

38 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

I think the best time for bargains is Oct/Nov, but that's just my opinion.

 

That should have read, the best time for finding advertised bargains for later dates, not that Oct/Nov are themselves especially cheap cruising months.

 

Also to emphasise the point above, bargains will often come and go within hours. You need to be prepared to commit.

[DT1304]

Thanks all,

 

Pretty much what I figured and what has been my experience in the past.

 

I was hoping there was something that I am missing out on to get a cheaper cruise over my peak times. I have to take leave from work when we close over that time, so I dont have the luxury of snapping up cheap cruises on the fringe dates.

[possum52]

I received an email from RCCL this morning re Christmas cruise specials. As I haven't looked at Christmas cruises, I have no idea what they have been selling for but the email had prices down by $900-$1000. Might be worth having a look at.

 

Leigh

[Chiliburn]

You have to be pretty cunning to out smart cruise lines sales department.

christmas 2017 we sailed ovation around NZ ,I thought I would book well in advance and get a bargain.we paid $3100 a head for a balcony.Just before the cruise the price crashed.we got burnt but we had a good time anyway.

This year we weren't planning on doing the cruise again but we saw for mid January  the same cruise for $2000 a head .so a quick call to my boss to get time off and we did it.

so if you're flexible wait till the last couple of months.But keep in mind it may not happen and the cabins may not be as desirable.

[DT1304]

Yeah, unfortunately I am not that flexible.

 

I have relatives from overseas coming to join us so our dates are pretty much set in stone.

 

I could possibly do the cruise that goes over Christmas but not new years. Its a day shorter. Not too fussed about the itinerary change. Will have to shop around now and wait to see if there are any price drops that I can change.

 

Edited February 17, 2019 by DT1304

[GloriaF]

RCCL may have something similar -- I found a good price for a balcony on Regal (or was it Royal?) Princess 10 day southern Caribbean cruise over Christmas in 2017 by shopping their last minute deals.  Princess has "Standby" and "Drop & Go" deals on their website.