Last minute cut rate pricing (concerning)

[Marylebone37]

If you're subscribed to the AZ marketing email list, does anyone else find the volume of "offers" and cut-rate deals concerning?  It's not uncommon to receive 2 or even 3 emails daily. Take a look at the the cruises & pricing received today: Azamara.pdf.  These are great itineraries during (what should be) a peak/high-demand period.  The ships must have very low occupancy to be able to offer this kind of pricing!   If you've got your eye on a sailing, have some flexibility and checked the web site to confirm there's good availability, then consider waiting to book for super discount pricing like this.  It's a slippery slope for cruise lines to do this so publicly, especially higher end ones.  I'm not getting any offers even close to this from other lines.

Edited June 4 by Marylebone37
Clarification

[ECCruise]

If you drill down past the inside guarantee price highlighted (e.g. the 7 night France intensive), I don't find almost $800 a night for a V1 or $1200 per night for an N1 to be concerning at all, especially since that is a good deal more than we've paid for our last 20 Azamara sailings (including 9 in the last year).

Edited June 4 by ECCruise

[fruitmachine]

If you look at the graph of prices over time on Cruiseplum, you'll see that whilst the lowest-priced cabins may be cheaper than previously, the more expensive you go the more they have increased.

[Marylebone37]

All very interesting, thanks.  So it's the lowest-category cabins they are trying to sell at a bargain — which at those prices, they are!  If one could be comfortable in an inside room, there are some terrific deals to be had.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Marylebone37 said:

All very interesting, thanks.  So it's the lowest-category cabins they are trying to sell at a bargain — which at those prices, they are!  If one could be comfortable in an inside room, there are some terrific deals to be had.

So many people on Cruise Critic say "I only use the cabin to sleep and shower" – so they should jump on these.  We use the cabin as our private retreat but we did start out with this Inside-justification approach, and we loved those early cruises.

[rodndonna]

11 hours ago, Marylebone37 said:

All very interesting, thanks.  So it's the lowest-category cabins they are trying to sell at a bargain — which at those prices, they are!  If one could be comfortable in an inside room, there are some terrific deals to be had.

 

We typically sail insides, but for us (and many) the problem is rather timing (for us getting a dog scheduled in to board is difficult on short notice) and flight costs and schedules when booking last minute can be problematic. They all look great, but not suitable for the many.

 

A current example is we are looking at a PerryGolf cruise for 2025 in the Med and would happily take an inside. Price for an inside now is higher than "some' of the cruise for insides in 2024 (but many are just sold out for Perry Golf). If I really want that cruise and guarantee of the limited Perry Golf spots, we may have to eat the cost booking early. 

 

Edit: A final point would be this being our first foray into Azamara, and I find it surprising how little savings there are for an inside when you book early, no wonder they have them leftover for last minute bookings.

Edited June 5 by rodndonna

[Ayden]

1 hour ago, rodndonna said:

 

We typically sail insides, but for us (and many) the problem is rather timing (for us getting a dog scheduled in to board is difficult on short notice) and flight costs and schedules when booking last minute can be problematic. They all look great, but not suitable for the many.

 

A current example is we are looking at a PerryGolf cruise for 2025 in the Med and would happily take an inside. Price for an inside now is higher than "some' of the cruise for insides in 2024 (but many are just sold out for Perry Golf). If I really want that cruise and guarantee of the limited Perry Golf spots, we may have to eat the cost booking early. 

 

Edit: A final point would be this being our first foray into Azamara, and I find it surprising how little savings there are for an inside when you book early, no wonder they have them leftover for last minute bookings.

Why not book your desired cabin and watch carefully for sales or downward price adjustments closer to booking and before final payment is due. A good travel agent is recommended and can handle this for you.

Lots of time but this hedges your bet.

[Nashna]

If you look at the available staterooms, there is very little inventory. All cruise lines offer last-minute deals when they have any availability—even limited. I just got some fantastic offers for June from Silversea. These offers came from my TA. The cruise line often offers these deals to select agencies, so the public never sees them.

[Marylebone37]

Yet Azamara is broadcasting these offers to the public. That’s what is concerning. Are they a bit desperate? Or have they ticked off enough TA’s due to their systems issues that they have to go public? 

[uktog]

9 minutes ago, Marylebone37 said:

Yet Azamara is broadcasting these offers to the public. That’s what is concerning. Are they a bit desperate? Or have they ticked off enough TA’s due to their systems issues that they have to go public? 

You could say it’s prudent behaviour trying to maximise the sale of every cabin. Since Covid it’s been rare for any cruise line to sell out 100% in the months following final payment. So any effort to sell more is what investors will appreciate 

 

There were always late sales it’s just they’re better communicated 

Edited June 5 by uktog

[fruitmachine]

39 minutes ago, Marylebone37 said:

Yet Azamara is broadcasting these offers to the public. That’s what is concerning. Are they a bit desperate? Or have they ticked off enough TA’s due to their systems issues that they have to go public? 

It's a "come and get me" rate.  Many that see it will have no intention of booking at that rate, but believe that if the cheapest is a bargain, then the more expensive ones must be equally discounted.

 

Very frequently they're not.

 

 

[rodndonna]

4 hours ago, Ayden said:

Why not book your desired cabin and watch carefully for sales or downward price adjustments closer to booking and before final payment is due. A good travel agent is recommended and can handle this for you.

Lots of time but this hedges your bet.

 

Thanks!

 

Being new to looking at Azamara, I wasn't sure if they do that "re-faring" thing like some of the cruise lines. If we can refare with a drop in price (before final payment), then that would be the way to go for us - we like booking early and having all that time to think about our cruise. 😀

[ECCruise]

1 hour ago, Marylebone37 said:

Yet Azamara is broadcasting these offers to the public. That’s what is concerning. Are they a bit desperate? Or have they ticked off enough TA’s due to their systems issues that they have to go public? 

I get direct offers all the time from Azamara.  And Celebrity.  And Holland.  And Oceania.  And Princess....on and on.

 

Respectfully, I think you are looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

[Marylebone37]

Definitely not looking for a problem. I was disgusted with their systems cutover, but always a huge fan of their product offerings in general. 

[Toronto Guy]

I don't think it is any secret that they are more than a little challenged to fill their ships - mostly from their own doing.  The hope is that the new CEO can turn things around and quickly.

[KevintheIrishDJ]

7 hours ago, rodndonna said:

 

Thanks!

 

Being new to looking at Azamara, I wasn't sure if they do that "re-faring" thing like some of the cruise lines. If we can refare with a drop in price (before final payment), then that would be the way to go for us - we like booking early and having all that time to think about our cruise. 😀

I have only been on 3 cruises in the last 2 years. It is my experience that they don't reduce many cabins until after final payment.

[uktog]

In my experience reduced pricing after final payment has very much been a feature of cruise pricing on all lines the difference is since the pandemic it’s been more widely advertised.
However it’s rarely worth waiting for if you want a particular cruise because it’s too big a risk (some cruises do sell out) and the price reduction is offset by far higher airfares and hotel costs.  It’s also typically the less desirable rooms available within each category.
Prices may be reduced but most people find when it’s mapped against what they paid for their total holiday there’s little difference. 

[aussie travel bird]

8 hours ago, Toronto Guy said:

I don't think it is any secret that they are more than a little challenged to fill their ships - mostly from their own doing.  The hope is that the new CEO can turn things around and quickly.

Our last 4 cruises (November- Amazon, 3 around Japan) have all been completely full to capacity. Our immediate upcoming back to back to back on the Onward, Scotland Ireland and Norway intensives I believe are fully booked. I don’t think you can categorically say that ships are not being filled on all itineraries. Cruise prices are like hotel and airline tickets. They fluctuate by demand. 

[rodndonna]

8 hours ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

I have only been on 3 cruises in the last 2 years. It is my experience that they don't reduce many cabins until after final payment.

 

I've been checking Cruiseplum for price histories of cruises similar to what I am looking for in 2025, In this case I am looking at Fall 2024 med cruises, and they all seem to have a pattern of price changes about 5-6 months out - BUT - for many (most) it is upward for non-insides and downward for any remaining insides (which then often seem to then just disappear - likely sold).

 

I think for an inside, there is a small window of "chance" of catching something, but for pretty much all other categories - unlikely.

 

 

[Toronto Guy]

2 hours ago, aussie travel bird said:

Our last 4 cruises (November- Amazon, 3 around Japan) have all been completely full to capacity. Our immediate upcoming back to back to back on the Onward, Scotland Ireland and Norway intensives I believe are fully booked. I don’t think you can categorically say that ships are not being filled on all itineraries. Cruise prices are like hotel and airline tickets. They fluctuate by demand. 

That's why I didn't say that.

[mare s.]

I find it more interesting that Azamara is offering OBC for paying the entire cruise amount early.  I know Viking does this kind of thing, but it is new to Azamara.  However, the amount of OBC offered (5% of the cruise cost) doesn't seem to be very persuasive (at least to me)

[luv2travel90266]

5% for paying off 180 days in advance of the cruise is not bad. High yield savings accounts are paying much less over the same 6 month period but it is a judgment call on your part. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

For those who aren't aware of it, www.cruiseplum.com is not a TA. It is a very fancy search engine with lots of bells & whistles. If you find a cruise you want and click to book, it automatically takes you to the cruise line website where the booking can commence. You are booking directly with the cruise line.

[ChucktownSteve]

19 hours ago, mare s. said:

I find it more interesting that Azamara is offering OBC for paying the entire cruise amount early.  I know Viking does this kind of thing, but it is new to Azamara.  However, the amount of OBC offered (5% of the cruise cost) doesn't seem to be very persuasive (at least to me)

That's why I jumped on the 10% bonus that was offered for only a short period.  My cash was only earning about 2.5% for six months.

[tgg]

1 hour ago, ChucktownSteve said:

That's why I jumped on the 10% bonus that was offered for only a short period.  My cash was only earning about 2.5% for six months.

I too jumped on the 10% bonus offer. It paid for all our shore excursions.

 

When I got the offer, I thought it would be 10% off our remaining balance. When I read someone's post about getting 10% off on the total cost of the cruise, I had our travel agent check. YUP. Great deal.