The cost of cruises thread

[firsttimecruiser77]

Hi all,

Loved the idea of the cost of cruises thread and I learned quite a bit. It led me to ask this question to you experienced cruisers:

Do you save money by booking last minute? Our travel agent has said that we will get a better price the earlier we book but I am seeing some very low prices posted on that thread that are well below our quote. Maybe its timing of the cruise itself (we're going in May) but I'm interested in other's experiences. What do ya think: Does the price drop as the sail date nears or do prices go up?
Thanks!!!

Fascination 5/02

[mongo]

generally, the price only drops, if the ship isn't filling up. peak cruise times, may thru september and hollidays, generally fill up. so book early for those times.

[mongo]

fergot to add:
some cruise lines will credit you with on ship credit for diference in what you book at and what that class cabin is going for at cruise time, some will upgrade you.
have to ask a more experienced RCI cruiser for their policys.

[pcur]

It works both ways. Early booking does get the lowest price available at the time. Yes, I agree, if your category goes down in price after that you should get the difference in credit or a refund.

BUT, I've also noticed the 30 - 45 day window is where a lot of cruise prices go down. Today I got a zillion Celebrity and RCI "sales" in the internet newletters I get.

If you're interested, I keep a list of web sites that I pass along. My email address is in my pulbic profile. If you sign up for their email alerts, then you can see what's going down in price.

Peggy - RCI since 1973

[DFritz]

I've booked 18 months in advance before and 30 days in advance and gotten excellent rates all of the time. I do notice that the farther out you book the better rate you get for the third and fourth passenger in the room and the closer you get to sail time the higher those rates increase to almost equal passengers one and two. Our highest rate we paid was on a Carnival ship and we booked about three months before we sailed.

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'Til my next cruise

[PhoenixCruiser]

If you want a specific room/category you might want to plan ahead. The cost of our cruise has only gone up -- but then again who knows what will happen over the next two months [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

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Navigator of the Seas 6/26/04


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[TerriDHair]

Phoenixcruiser, I'm a "Mesa Cruiser". I loved the Navigator in January.

firsttimecruiser, I don't think there is a concise answer to your question. For example, I got a great rate on a balcony cabin on the Mariner for 10/17/04. I booked it in November 2003, nearly a year in advance. I contacted cruisequick in January to inquire about price drops and found that not only had it not dropped but that my category was sold out. On the other hand, I booked my Carnival Spirit cruise ten days prior to departure and got the best price I even got on a cruise. It was at the end of February and apparently was not selling out so they dropped the prices like crazy at the last minute.

I agree with the poster that mentioned that if you want a specific cabin or location it's best to book early.

Holiday 7/95
Enchanted Isle 7/96
Jubilee 7/97
Destiny 7/99
Triumph 7/21/01
Explorer 6/22/02
Conquest 6/22/03
Navigator 1/24/04 (BEST CRUISE SO FAR!!!!)
Carnival Spirit 2/27/04 (OOPS, I Couldn't Wait Until October!!)
Mariner 10/17/04
[img]http://animatedgif.net/nauticalboats/ship_in_a_bottle_e0.gif[/img]

[firsttimecruiser77]

Thanks, everyone! The cruise we are looking at is Navigator in May 2005. We are looking at a category E2, balcony stateroom. The quote right now is $2,354 for two of us. We had considered taking our two kids but have since decided to leave them at home. I also prefer to be mid-ship. Should I consult different travel agents to see if they have better rates? I was told by carnival that I should get the same rates regardless of who I speak with. IS RCCL the same?

Thanks!

Fascination 5/02

[hdawson]

Fairly common practice for travel agents to discount from their commisions. Of course if there is a shortage of cabins then there's no reason to discount. Cruiselines do not undercut agents.

[Host Karen]

I read a report on the industry recently that indicated the cruise lines are planning to eliminate those last minute discounts as business improves. I guess they want to discourage passengers from waiting to grab a cheap cabin, but I wonder how they plan to fill up ships. I suppose their theory is that if people are interested in sailing, they will learn to book early and all (or nearly all) the cabins will be sold by sailing.

That being said, as the other posters have noted, good prices have been found both by booking early or by waiting until the last minute. If your schedule is flexible and you don't mind what cabin you get or which ship you sail, you could wait. If you want to choose your ship, your itinerary and/or your cabin, you are often better off booking early and watching for any price drops.

I would also definitely shop around for a price. You should find the best ones with "cruise only" TAs who specialize in the line you plan to sail. As hdawson noted, some agents discount their commissions to give you a better price. Just be certain to find out the total price (including taxes and port charges) and any agent cancellation fees before you book.

Karen

Read my [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=408097554&m=6873085377"]2/6/04 Brilliance review[/url]

Infinity in... [img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;12;5;21;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img]

Brilliance 6/05
Infinity 12/04
Brilliance 2/04
Adventure 11/03
Brilliance 2/03
Grand Princess 3/02
Dawn Princess 11/01
Ocean Princess 5/00

[flamingosun]

I would add ...
Shop TA's when you are new to cruising. Once you have cruised a few times, and found a TA that you really like and who works well for you, stick with them.
My TA is just wonderful, but it took me a few tries to find her. She really looks out for me and double and tripple checks to make sure I am credited with discounts, shipboard credits, etc. If I could save a few bucks by booking elsewhere, it just wouldn't be worth it... the hassles that would ensue if I had to handle the things she is a real pro at handling would put me behind the proverbial eight-ball. (And I might not even think of all of them) After all, time is money, and she is well worth the relatively small amount of money I pay for her time!


[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=800080&cdt=2004;08;23;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]   'til Sovereign of the Seas


Sovereign 01/02, 11/02, 6/03, 08/03, 09/03
Fantasy 06/2002
Mariner 12/03
Radiance 04/04