Filling Cabins

[Booman14]

Quick question: What time of the year would you say is the hardest for the cruise companies to fill their cabins?

 

Just curious!

[Essiesmom]

Fall, when schools are back in session; between Thanksgiving holidays and Christmas; after New Years, again when kids are back in school.  It might also vary with the itinerary.  For example, the first and last cruises of the Alaska season, or Northern Europe season...Follow the prices and that will tell you.  EM

Edited March 13, 2019 by Essiesmom

[Nic6318]

hi

 

I don't think they ever have a hard time filling their cabins.

 

What they do when a given sailing is slow selling, they lower the price on whatever given cabin class they feel the need to do so. Without knowing for certain, I would feel quite sure that this would be determined through a computer generated program. The same way (I can imagine) they decide when and which cabins to offer for their "upsells". So, the question is more like when are prices lowest to start. For the Caribbean, that is typically the fall and early winter.

[MicCanberra]

November

[nhsails]

Not like it was even 10 years ago. Almost all sail full. Huge profit by lines in using former bridge seasons as group and specialty cruises. 

[MCC retired]

“Soft Sailing Dates” are usually priced right so the cruise lines will not have trouble filling  them up . As stated , early Dec and early Jan are priced good and even May , before schools are out , can have nice rates.

[sanger727]

We have found the non-holiday weeks between thanksgiving and Christmas to be a sweet spot. Really, anytime most schools are in session the prices tend to be lower.

Edited March 13, 2019 by sanger727

[John Bull]

12 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

November

 

Agreed. And into December.

Kids at school, folk preparing (and paying) for Christmas.

 

Very obvious in the UK, which has more fluid pricing than the US  - seek high prices, then reduce according to sales levels. The best last-minute bargains are always - but always - November to mid-December.

The only major problem with that is if those last-minute bargains are for cruises which for which you need to book flights, because usually airfare prices spike close to the date thus diminishing or wiping the cruise savings..

 

Best value by far for Brits is late-booked Nov / early Dec fly-cruises packages which use chartered aircraft, such as P&O or Thomson (Marella) to the Caribbean - the flight can only be sold with the cruise (or, for Thomson, with accommodation in the ship's Caribbean base, usually Jamaica) so the whole package is cheap. Negatives are that flights from your preferred UK departure airport may be sold-out,  and the usual late-booked negatives such as cabin choice.

But the savings are usually hundreds of £££ per passenger.

 

JB 

[cb at sea]

Even if all cabins are not booked, doesn't mean they aren't sailing "full"....there are more beds/cabins than passengers allowed !

 

[marco]

Depends  where the ships are sailing, but if it's the Caribbean, the period pretty much between Thanksgiving and Christmas (not including sailings over the holidays)  However, as the prices are quite attractive for these sailings, the lines have no problems filling thier ships.

[Booman14]

How about in the middle of October?

We have never sailed this time before, and I was just thinking about how fast or slow the ship fills up.

To tell you the truth, I was hoping for a price drop.  We have always sailed during Thanksgiving week, and as you are aware, that is the busiest time, so no price drops, ever!

 

Thanks!

[MicCanberra]

Price drops are generally only useful before final payment.

[donaldsc]

Depends upon when.

 

DON