Sold Out Cruises

[jig]

Last year while I was on the Princendam I became interested in the princendams Amazon River Cruise this Nov. Thinking that the price might drop I waited a little too long as it was sold out 14 months in advance. Oh well. Yesterday playing around on Hal's website I checked out the Princendams Amazon River Cruise for Nov 2005 and yes it is SOLD OUT. Again 14 months in advance. So I checked out the world cruise and it too is sold out. Not as segments but as an entire cruise. I also remembered that Hal was having a 62 day circle Pacific cruise in Oct 2005. Checked it too and it is almost sold out too. Just some lower cabins left. HAL must be doing good. I was on the Princendams cruise from Lisbon to Capetown and it had just under 500 people. From Auckland to Sydney it was full but from Sydney to Singapore it was less then 400. Center of the dinning room was closed.

I guess all that stuff about the economy in the toilet is a little overstated.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Certain cruises like the Amazon are only offered maybe once a year and a lot of people want to go there. We are also interested in the Amazon and hope to get on that cruise in 2006.

[RedmondCruiser]

Longer cruises are becoming more popular and are selling out fast. But don't despair HAL has OVER a 100% turn over on bookings before a sailing. Many people drop out, and since most longer cruises have a much older group the probablity of space available is high. Also travel agents block space, which they have to turn back to HAL 60 days prior -- this is the best time to get a good deal. - You should get on a standby list and look for available space in the mean time. --- note to the post about "chair hogs" - on longer cruises many times the pool is empty and you can pick almost any deck chair.

[jig]

I wasn't saying I am sorry that I am not going on it. I can always find something. Last Feb I was on the Star Princess fo 30 days and I will be on the Tahitian Princess in Dec for 20 days and the Pacific Princess next Aug for 58 days. You can always find something. Anyway 58 days in a mini-suite for $9000 beats what I could get on HAL. I seem to be sticking with Princess these days mostly over price. The plan doesn't hurt either.

[Druke I]

Jig

 

Princess does offer some very interesting itineraries, and their price is usually lower than HAL.

 

The Amazon is an amazing trip - we did it several years ago on the old Pacific Princess, and enjoyed it very much.

[GrammyPL]

We will be on the Nov Amazon Cruise. I don't think HAL has had a Amazon Cruise for awhile and it sold out in about 1 month. Penny

[jig]

Funny I was looking over old posts and found this one. We are finally going on the Hal Amazon cruise in February 2017. 12 years latter.

[cruz chic]

Funny I was looking over old posts and found this one. We are finally going on the Hal Amazon cruise in February 2017. 12 years latter.

 

That's a cruise I really want to do.

[KirkNC]

The Maasdam does an Amazon cruise every year to coincide with Carnaval.

[Hlitner]

So here is the riddle: "When is a cruise truly sold out." And the answer is often never or not until a few weeks before the cruise. When you look at HALs web site (or a cruise agency) you might see that a particular cruise is "sold out" months or even a year in advance. But this can mean that several major cruise agencies and consortium's have simply blocked out most of the cabins to be sold to their own customers. For example, a major cruise agency might take a block of 30 cabins on a particular cruise (which gets the agency additional financial benefits) which takes those cabins out of the online agency. But if you simply go to that particular agencies web site (of give them a call) they will happily sell you a cabin (often at a discount). Finding who has cabins for specific cruises can be a daunting task although sometimes just doing a Google Search for a specific cruise can locate cabins.

 

And we agree with another post about looking at other cruise lines. Limiting one's self to a single cruise line (or even ship) really reduces the available options.

 

Hank

[jig]

Is the veendam next year.

[SilvertoGold]

That's a cruise I really want to do.

 

A SUPER cruise. Bugs! Crickets! Beetles! Moths!

 

OK, so there is more to it than that: Heat! Downpours! Botos! Meeting of the Waters! Opera House! Markets! Piranha!

 

You would love it!!

Edited February 21, 2016 by SilvertoGold

[serendipity1499]

Funny I was looking over old posts and found this one. We are finally going on the Hal Amazon cruise in February 2017. 12 years latter.

 

Congratulations you will love the Amazon..We've done it three times..Twice on HAL & once on Oceania.. Wear walking shoes & plain clothing.. If you go out at night be sure to wear long sleeves.. Don't wear lavish jewelry when you are out & about..We only wore costume Jewelry when we were touring each time & I left my engagement ring in our safe on board the ship..

 

 

Be sure to go to the Boi Bumba Festival in Parintins..We've seen it all three times & it was different each time..The costumes & dances are beautiful..When My Friend & I visited the little village (Boca da Valeria) the first time, we took a bunch of Dollar store toys, pencils & pens, pads, coloring books & crayons, little cars, hair clips,/bows & combs, etc. etc. to give to the kids..Our DH's carried the bags ashore for us..They don't have school for the day the ships come in & they come from far & wide to get these things from the tourists.. We each spent about $50 at the dollar store & found lots of little goodies to take to the kids..We were told never to give them money..Take a walk up to the schoolhouse..If you are lucky the teacher will be there.. Be sure to walk up to the Opera house in Manaus if you don't take a tour..

 

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise..

 

BTW if you ever find a booked cruise again you can get HAL to waitlist you..We did that & got confirmed on a cruise a couple of weeks before departure..

Edited February 21, 2016 by serendipity1499

[jig]

I was not going at that time. So long ago. But we are semi retiring from serious travel. So wrapping up some ends. I've been to 109 countries.

[sail7seas]

Funny I was looking over old posts and found this one. We are finally going on the Hal Amazon cruise in February 2017. 12 years latter.

 

How wonderful you are booked for that cruise.

Congratulations. :)

 

[Karennella]

You may find that the cancellation rate is not as high as it used to be now that more international passengers travel. We lose quite a lot of money if we cancel so we do not really see it as an option. We also like to book our flights well ahead so that we can get seat allocations we want; it is a twenty-four hour flight to Europe so every bit of comfort helps. The good value flights are also usually very expensive to cancel.