Prices Holding Firm

[Hawkstar33]

Looking to book Summit in July.   As it is normally rates a high fare on it's Bermuda sailings,  one might think that all cruise lines would lower their fare prices as the virus continues to progress.  But not the case with celebrity.   Even with the current safeguards, and lockdowns in place across the globe;  news reports as well as internet chats, are showing people backing away from travel abroad.  As well as travel in general.  But they are holding firm.   Will be watching daily to hopefully catch a deal, but most important,  I will pray that this virus goes away.   

[az_tchr]

Just now, Hawkstar33 said:

Looking to book Summit in July.   As it is normally rates a high fare on it's Bermuda sailings,  one might think that all cruise lines would lower their fare prices as the virus continues to progress.  But not the case with celebrity.   Even with the current safeguards, and lockdowns in place across the globe;  news reports as well as internet chats, are showing people backing away from travel abroad.  As well as travel in general.  But they are holding firm.   Will be watching daily to hopefully catch a deal, but most important,  I will pray that this virus goes away.   

July is too far away for big price drops. As you said people are looking to stay closer to home. Lots of people have booked with refundable deposits. Can cancel at 91 days for free.

The course of the virus will determine prices.

[prim8keeper]

We are in the Summit in early June and quickly approaching final payment. Prices have actually gone up a little despite the fact that each day more cabins seem to be coming open for booking at all categories. Most interesting appears to be suite prices which have held steady even thought they went from "sold out" to half of the sky suites being available along with a celebrity and royal suite. At this point I have to wonder if X is just trying to keep prices high for as long as possible before having to cut them? It definitely appears as more people than normal are canceling. Either way I'm really hoping for a reasonable upgrade after final payment.

[deliver42]

This seems to be the trend on all the mainstream lines. Nobody is giving anything away, except some interior cabins.

[barbette165]

My observations are that there has been much less movement in prices over the last few weeks than I've previously observed. My guess is that Celebrity have turned off (or substantially limited) the algorithms that adjust prices based on occupancy and rate of sales (or cancellations).

[Stealthdog]

Its still well outside the final payment window.  What benefit does someone have to cancel a cruise now for a July sailing when they don't have to pay for it yet?  I'm about 2 weeks out for my final payment for a June Med cruise.  At this point I am about 99% sure I am not going on that cruise, will not make the payment, and will get my deposit back, but I want to wait and see before I make my final decision.

 

Who knows - demand for a Bermuda cruise may even go up.  For me, I'd feel more comfortable committing to a cruise the embarks and disembarks from a US port right now than a foreign port.  Americans that may have had plans for an Asian, Middle East, or Med cruise may be more interested in a Bermuda cruise at this point.  Its really too early to know what is going to happen.

Edited February 27, 2020 by Stealthdog

[chelles24]

I've noticed the same thing but with a cruise in April on Edge. I've been watching the prices daily for about a month now and currently the rates are approximately the same they've been the whole time, +/- $100/person. The sailing has had great resident rates but those don't come with any perks and once I add up the drink/wifi/gratuities on top of the resident rates, I'm saving very little to nothing. There are plenty of IV cabins available so still hoping to see some sort of drop.

 

For comparison, I've also been tracking Symphony of the Seas and NCL Encore for the same time periods and have seen significant drops in those prices for a balcony cabin, sometimes >$500 per person.

[Dolebludger]

It may take a while for Corona virus to cause a price drop due to vacant cabins and suites. Or, it could blow over before long for all we know. But be assured that many of us are just not booking cruises and necessary air travel to avoid being in crowds. Avoiding crowds  is one of many recommend preventative measures (regardless of whether the crowds are in a “red zone” or not). It is difficult to avoid crowds on a cruise ship and impossible in an airport or on a commercial airplane.
 

[az_tchr]

4 hours ago, prim8keeper said:

We are in the Summit in early June and quickly approaching final payment. Prices have actually gone up a little despite the fact that each day more cabins seem to be coming open for booking at all categories. Most interesting appears to be suite prices which have held steady even thought they went from "sold out" to half of the sky suites being available along with a celebrity and royal suite. At this point I have to wonder if X is just trying to keep prices high for as long as possible before having to cut them? It definitely appears as more people than normal are canceling. Either way I'm really hoping for a reasonable upgrade after final payment.

You also have MoveUp to consider besides Americans are now cancelling cruises in Europe, Asia cruises wiped out so Alaska is probably the place to cruise.

[AquariusOne]

I have been watching my summer 2020 Alaska price fluctuations, not much movement. Not many cabins available, prices are staying firm. It may well be deliberately controlled, not to creat panic. 

 

 As one poster noted above:

 My guess is that Celebrity have turned off (or substantially limited) the algorithms that adjust prices based on occupancy and rate of sales (My guess is that Celebrity have turned off (or substantially limited) the algorithms that adjust prices based on occupancy and rate of sales (orcancellations).

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Whatever.  As these cruises pass final payment and still have substantial cabins left in inventory, they will have to lower the prices to fill the ships.  I already scored a sky suite on an April cruise for a couple of hundred dollars.  I was in a C3.

[Denny01]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Whatever.  As these cruises pass final payment and still have substantial cabins left in inventory, they will have to lower the prices to fill the ships.  I already scored a sky suite on an April cruise for a couple of hundred dollars.  I was in a C3.

What specific cruise were you able to move up to a sky suite from C3 for a few hundred? A Move Up? 

 

Den

[Shadow9612]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Whatever.  As these cruises pass final payment and still have substantial cabins left in inventory, they will have to lower the prices to fill the ships.  I already scored a sky suite on an April cruise for a couple of hundred dollars.  I was in a C3.

Wow - congratulations !  

[[g]cruiserke]

For what it's worth, we were booked on one of the now-cancelled Millennium cruises in Asia (the 28 March sailing) and even during the approximately two weeks between the start of the big problems in Asia and Celebrity's decision to cancel our cruise, normal suite prices never went down by more than the usual fluctuation of a few hundred dollars. 

 

They still ranged in the $6,000 per person starting price for a Sky Suite (it was a 13 night cruise). The only exception was for the 'suite guarantee without any perks' category, that one went down to about $4,000 each but seeing as it was a longer cruise, paying for your own perks (beverage package, gratuities) would have added about $1,150 to that price.

 

We monitored prices and availability daily because we were interested in moving up from Aquaclass to a suite and prices held steady even though literally dozens and dozens of suites opened up over the course of a few days so indeed they seem to have turned off any automatic pricing algorithm which normally would kick in.  This was well after final payment as well.

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

10 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Whatever.  As these cruises pass final payment and still have substantial cabins left in inventory, they will have to lower the prices to fill the ships.  I already scored a sky suite on an April cruise for a couple of hundred dollars.  I was in a C3.

We are on a Caribbean cruise in April and prices haven't budged.  I'm wondering if they will as things start to unfold in that region.  Would love to snag a SS or higher but not going to pay the price for 5 nights.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I have watching the April TAs 

Some of the ships are a 1/3 empty , and they still want a crazy price for cabins with no perks 

they want $1500 cad Pp for an OV and we are on the Reflection in April 2021 for the same price with 3 perks and obc 

[Texed]

6 minutes ago, Airbalancer said:

I have watching the April TAs 

 and we are on the Reflection in April 2021 

 

So are we.  😊

[tfred]

if people are not cruising it would be over the fear of contracting the virus.  The price of the cruise wouldn't affect those people.

 

No one is saying " I will take a chance on getting sick if the price is right". 

[TeeRick]

Look for last minute deals and price drops - or upgrade opportunities- as your cruise date gets closer.  Clearly there are a lot of cancellations going on right now.  

[az_tchr]

11 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Look for last minute deals and price drops - or upgrade opportunities- as your cruise date gets closer.  Clearly there are a lot of cancellations going on right now.  

My thought is a bit different. Celebrity is beginning to have issues with crew rotations. Less filled cabins mean less crew needed. If virus spreads to India or Phillipines for example staffing would be very difficult

[hcat]

Keep checking prices!...

Under the current sales offer, we moved our res from a reg balcony on Connie to AQ Class /Blu for 2022, and saved $28 pp. We have 3 perks..did not really need 4 or the upgraded alc..dh drinks bud! Kept our Refundable deposit status.

 

We are very pleased!

 

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

14 hours ago, Denny01 said:

What specific cruise were you able to move up to a sky suite from C3 for a few hundred? A Move Up? 

 

Den

 

April 25 southern Caribbean on Summit.  Suddenly there were 8 sky suites available where previously there had been none.  I generally do not do move ups.  You can usually do better by moving your reservation yourself.  I could only see 2 handicapped SSs on Celebrity's site.  My TA was able to see all availability.

[Life Buoy]

I've been following Edge April 5th and 12 cruises and the prices have come down dramatically. For some reason there is lots of availability on the 12th in all cabin categories.

[BEAV]

5 hours ago, Airbalancer said:

I have watching the April TAs 

Some of the ships are a 1/3 empty , and they still want a crazy price for cabins with no perks 

they want $1500 cad Pp for an OV and we are on the Reflection in April 2021 for the same price with 3 perks and obc 

 

You are correct, however one small bone that was tossed on Reflection TA 4/24/20 was that solo prices went from 200% to 125%. 

 

I think =X= is doing a wait-and-see how Corona shakes out before they push the panic button. JMHO.

[luckyinpa]

On 2/27/2020 at 10:04 AM, prim8keeper said:

We are in the Summit in early June and quickly approaching final payment. Prices have actually gone up a little despite the fact that each day more cabins seem to be coming open for booking at all categories. Most interesting appears to be suite prices which have held steady even thought they went from "sold out" to half of the sky suites being available along with a celebrity and royal suite. At this point I have to wonder if X is just trying to keep prices high for as long as possible before having to cut them? It definitely appears as more people than normal are canceling. Either way I'm really hoping for a reasonable upgrade after final payment.

 

yea whats with that. celebrity suite was open the other day. veranda one day was almost same price as aqua. crazy times for the june date.