Two Cruises - Chances of prices dropping?

[reece.twiggwhite]

Hi Everyone!

 

Looking for some guidance please. Normally we book months if not years ahead for cruises. However we have booked a week off in may and are eying up two cruises from southampton, both departing on 29th April - Fjords on Iona and Spain/Portugal on Ventura.

 

We have been keeping an eye on them and watching the prices with the plan to book the cheapest. Both went up SLIGHTLY a while ago but then held until today. Iona is still holding but Ventura has actually increased very slightly from yesterday.

 

To those of you who always book last minute, what is the likelihood of prices actually dropping, or with it being close now and balances paid, will they maintain or even increase?

 

I do understand if this is one of those questions that the answer is "nobody knows" as every time it is different 🙂

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

[welshy74]

Iona is much bigger so more cabins to sell.  I think its unlikely that Ventura will drop in price once it increases.  The price structure works on occupancy levels so unless they get a lot of cancelation then the price is unlikely to drop. 

[reece.twiggwhite]

Thanks! that is what I was thinking in all honesty! 🙂 

[Selbourne]

As you say, nobody knows for sure, but my hunch is that prices won’t go any lower this close to sailing. The two itineraries and ships are so different that I’d pick the cruise you prefer, book it, and stop looking!

[david63]

Will the price drop for either of them - if I knew the answer I would have won the lottery by now!!

 

It really is impossible to say but if I was to make a guess I would probably lean more to Iona than Ventura.

 

If I am not mistaken there was a topic a few days ago about Iona cruises at giveaway prices.

[reece.twiggwhite]

Thanks all, pretty much what i thought subconsciously in all honesty! Now to argue between us, I want to go back to the Fjords and the husband wants to go to Portugal.....

 

Thanks again everyone 🙂

 

[tring]

16 minutes ago, reece.twiggwhite said:

Thanks all, pretty much what i thought subconsciously in all honesty! Now to argue between us, I want to go back to the Fjords and the husband wants to go to Portugal.....

 

Thanks again everyone 🙂

 

 

Someone said on that recent thread that the cheapest prices had been taken down from the P&O website, but we're still available on some agent sites.  Perhaps worth shopping around.

 

[reece.twiggwhite]

21 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Someone said on that recent thread that the cheapest prices had been taken down from the P&O website, but we're still available on some agent sites.  Perhaps worth shopping around.

 

Thank you for this Tring! I have just managed to get the Ventura cruise nearly £200 cheaper in total! 

[tring]

A few days ago we booked an Arcadia cruise for early June from a well used agent, at an excellent price.  The deal on the P&O website was (and still is) for £175pp OBC if you also choose parking, so we assumed that is what we would get, though did not check that with the agent - deal a no brainer anyway.  On receipt of our P&O invoice, we have found we have been given £250pp OBC.  Not sure if that is what we should have got if booking through that agent, or if it is perhaps a glitch on the dear old P&O IT system though.

 

[Cardiff girl]

3 hours ago, reece.twiggwhite said:

Thank you for this Tring! I have just managed to get the Ventura cruise nearly £200 cheaper in total! 

Well done - was that through a TA? There's a roll call for that cruise and a couple of Facebook groups (I'm on it). 

[wowzz]

5 hours ago, tring said:

A few days ago we booked an Arcadia cruise for early June from a well used agent, at an excellent price.  The deal on the P&O website was (and still is) for £175pp OBC if you also choose parking, so we assumed that is what we would get, though did not check that with the agent - deal a no brainer anyway.  On receipt of our P&O invoice, we have found we have been given £250pp OBC.  Not sure if that is what we should have got if booking through that agent, or if it is perhaps a glitch on the dear old P&O IT system though.

 

We booked Azura for next April,  and got £100 more obc than on the P&O website, plus a slightly cheaper fare. Not a fantastic gain,  but from a  Wowzz perspective,  five free bottles of house plonk.