Difference in Hawaii cruise pricing

[rho88]

Hi all,

 

Me and a few other family members are planning a cruise on the POAm in November 2007. We've all been to other cruises (NCL, Celebrity, Princess).

 

I'm currently looking at prices and notice a huge difference between travelling say May then November. It is almost double for the same itineary... anyone know why? I know there's high and low season, but November should also be considered low season right? My parents always go on a cruise in november every year and have never seen this much price variation.

 

Thanks!

 

Roger

[beachchick]

Actually, Hawaii doesn't really have any official low seasons. One reason for the pricing to be higher further out is that they set some "default" fares. Then the closer you get to the cruise date, the better idea they have of how well the cruise is selling. If it's not filling up, they'll lower the fares or run specials. At this point, November is probably still on those default fares. It's true that late April to May before Memorial Day, early September to mid October, and the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are almost always less expensive than other times. What weeks are you checking? If it's Veteran's Day or Thanksgiving, then that alone would explain the pricing. Other than that, it's essentially because they set fares based on what they think people will pay.

 

You really can't compare one month to another. You can only compare one month to the same month last year (assuming that the year you're using for comparison didn't have any unusual circumstances). Also, you can't compare cruises your parents have taken to another area of the world to a cruise around Hawaii. Caribbean cruising in particular because they're at the end of hurricane season and there are so many ships in the Caribbean that the market is saturated. Comparing a Caribbean or Mexican cruise to a Hawaii cruise is apples to oranges.

 

beachchick

[Budget Queen]

Fire sales are common on Hawaii NCL cruises. I see them all the time. I picked up one in Nov for 1-07. Less than $500 for an inside that was upgraded to a balcony.

 

You might want to get on cruise discounter email lists and keep track of booking trends??

[rjnaz]

holiday season......thanksgiving etc,.....

[rho88]

thanks, I'm looking at the week of November 3rd so still far away from Thanksgiving. ;)

 

We are 8 people travelling so we might have to book early (4 rooms) and that's why I was kind of surprised to see the price difference. At the moment price is around $1000 without airfare inside stateroom for that week.

 

My parents don't really care about the price, they just came back from a 16 days Orient cruise. I'm an accountant so that's why I care a bit more... :)

[Texas]

Way to go Budget Queen! You sure earned that title. We waited until mid January to book our cruise in a couple of weeks. We paid about the same as you did for an outside, obstructed view. And that's what we got -- an outside, obsrtructed view! Now of course, the upgrade fairy may surprise me when we board the ship -- I won't be disappointed if he doesn't, but it sure would be nice!

[beachchick]

thanks, I'm looking at the week of November 3rd so still far away from Thanksgiving. ;)

 

We are 8 people travelling so we might have to book early (4 rooms) and that's why I was kind of surprised to see the price difference. At the moment price is around $1000 without airfare inside stateroom for that week.

 

My parents don't really care about the price, they just came back from a 16 days Orient cruise. I'm an accountant so that's why I care a bit more... :)

 

That is the week before Veteran's Day, so it might affect pricing a tiny bit, but not nearly as much as if it was a holiday week. The $1000 for an inside this far out is right in line with what we saw that many months in advance last year. Keep watching the fares because it's very likely that they will go lower.

 

It's good that you care about the price. Why shouldn't you look for the best deal possible? You can always book now and watch the fares. If the fare drops between now and final payment, you should be able to get a price adjustment (as long as the lower fare isn't listed as "for new bookings only"). At final payment, you can decide if the fare is acceptable or if you want to cancel and look for a last-minute special closer to the cruise date.

 

beachchick