"Last Minute Deals"

[lysolqn]

I'm seeing more and more ads for great last minute cruise deals, likely in response to the travel industry's economic woes. What exactly does "last minute" mean, how "last minute" are the deals and how much of a "deal" are they?

[FinelyCruising]

I'm seeing more and more ads for great last minute cruise deals, likely in response to the travel industry's economic woes. What exactly does "last minute" mean, how "last minute" are the deals and how much of a "deal" are they?

 

Well I can tell you that I had a cruise booked that I cancelled in December and I had already had the benefit of resident and other price reductions, but I cancelled it anyway.

 

About three weeks ago the pricing dropped again, and it was another almost $250 less for our cabin selection. So I re-booked. This time with the added benefit of Celebrity offering an OBC for booking and some offers from competing TA's that came my way.

 

So for my last minute deal for a cruise in a few more weeks, I saved an additional $500.00, and I got the same cabin I had originally booked. I wish I was over 55... I could have done even better!:D

[Cinema15]

Acutally you do not wish you were over 55!

[Linco711]

I've been waiting for that to happen on our April 12 cruise...but still no luck. Price is not fluctuating at all. Maybe it's the holiday week?? Or maybe we're just not lucky that way??:confused:

 

Good luck!:)

[TomTN]

Had an offer yesterday on RCCL 14 night trans atlantic with 4-5 ports for $399. That would be an inside cabin. Outside was $649-699. Still a great price. There were two sailings offered FLL to Barcelona and FLL to London. Sailed on April 12 and 16.

[geoherb]

What I have noticed is that the great deals are coming sooner than they used to. For the last couple of years, friends of mine have booked trans-Atlantic cruises at the last minute for bargain prices. Of course last-minute airfares can eat up some of the savings.

 

The last time I booked a cruise before the final payment date was in 2003. We still got a deal because we cruised the week before Christmas. Since then, I have booked all of our cruises after then final payment date. Four of them were Christmas cruises and another was right before Christmas this past December on Century.

 

If you can be flexible, there are always going to be deals out there. But if you have your mind set on a particular cruise, go ahead and book it if the price is right for you.

[hajekfam]

What I have noticed is that the great deals are coming sooner than they used to. For the last couple of years, friends of mine have booked trans-Atlantic cruises at the last minute for bargain prices. Of course last-minute airfares can eat up some of the savings.

 

And I also noticed that these great deals for transatlantics, Australia, Europe, South America and other non-Caribbean cruises are not combinable with air - so last minute air can wipe out the savings of the cruise.

 

We had found a great Alaska cruise last year on one of Celebrity's Xciting Deals but when I priced air for that trip, we weren't saving anything at all.

[Peteymil]

I've been waiting for that to happen on our April 12 cruise...but still no luck. Price is not fluctuating at all. Maybe it's the holiday week?? Or maybe we're just not lucky that way??:confused:

 

Good luck!:)

 

I check that one every day too. It has not moved at all in price. However, it is a holiday week, so I doubt that it will. But, I will keep checking!

[Buellwinkle]

Dont' know about last minute deals. First, I found that the cruises I was looking for in early March where cheaper 6 weeks to a month in advance than say 6 months in advance. My guess is because there's a cancellation period that occurs at this time before the penalties get severe and some people do cancel at this time. But what I found is just after this one month period, say 3 weeks before sailing, the prices really shot up as most cruises sold out of the oceanview and balconies although what's left is very cheap (interior rooms) or very expensive suites. So it may seem like a bargain, until you actually try to book it and find it's just the rooms nobody else wanted. For example, I went to book a cruise that said $899, but when you actually tried to book it, it was $1,299 for the least expensive room.

[hcat]

Today, I saw really incredible prices on Celeb's website for Solstice E medit in May--if you can grab it & get flights, go for it--it is hundreds less than we are locked into for Sept--same ship & itin!!! (if we had refundable air i would have switched for sure!) Just too good to pass up!

[mardon]

that cruise - april 12 - probably won't go down because it is school vacation. those weeks are always double the price

[mardon]

we are going March 6 on the Connie and we paid $820 pp for inside room. I just looked and for an inside room it is $1598.

[Ships R Great]

We booked for Nov/Dec two weeks ago. Three days later the price had gone up $320 pp. That is not a super lot but it is a tidy sum. We are far out but I am checking it every day. Our poor TA. Last year he had to lower his price four times! (But I am not embarrased to ask.)

[GO HAWKS!]

We are going on the March 14th Century 5 night....booked couple months ago for $299 pp inside, now going for $869 pp. We feel fortunate and are looking forward to our cruise!

[Buellwinkle]

If it helps, got on the Solstice, veranda room (I called it a balcony), midship with slight obstruction for $899 with $125 shipboard credit about 2 weeks ago for March 1st. Forget April, that's spring break time, not only are there few deals to be had, I've heard the ships can get a little rowdy that time of year. May is great because it's a shoulder month, too early for families with kids in school, too late for spring break. I've gotten unbelievable deals in May.

[pcur]

we are going March 6 on the Connie and we paid $820 pp for inside room. I just looked and for an inside room it is $1598.

 

We are booked on the 10-night Connie for 3/27, and got our Cat 7 for $758 per person. It's now $1,429 per person!!!

 

I have noticed this for our last 3 Celebrity cruises, which are back about 5 years: they have RAISED the prices within the 30 - 60 days before the sailing. On two they raise the prices several weeks before they lower them to about $50 per person MORE than the previous price. Then, the prices look like a sale.

 

As stated above, with Celebrity it's best to book 6 months in advance. The prices seem to be (generally speaking) lower when you book further out rather than waiting for the last minute "deals", which aren't deals at all from what I've seen.

[hajekfam]

If you are checking Celebrity's website for the last minute deals, you won't find them there. Celebrity usually has a Tuesday special for low selling cruises that are a month or two out. They are called Xciting deals and are available through a travel agent or calling Celebrity.

We were able to book a concierge class cabin on a 5 night Century cruise in Jan for under $350 per person with one of those Xciting deals.

Outside of the Xciting deals, we find that we get the best price if we book the day bookings opened. Our Equinox trans for November this year has gone up over $1300 per person. We booked it the day bookings opened for Captain's club members. I expect the price will come down after final payment, but since it is so high now, I don't think it will go lower than what we paid for it.

[bob328]

For the Infinity 3/29/09 Panama (westbound) cruise, there are some "resident rate" prices on the veranda staterooms that were not there yesterday. The "resident rates" take off a few hundred per person. I think there are some +55 reductions, too. I played around with it, and only some states will get you a resident rate, so YMMV.

 

If you sign up for this cruise, be sure to also sign up for the Connections party. We're still 8 people short. :o

[CathyCruises]

If it helps, got on the Solstice, veranda room (I called it a balcony), midship with slight obstruction for $899 with $125 shipboard credit about 2 weeks ago for March 1st. Forget April, that's spring break time, not only are there few deals to be had, I've heard the ships can get a little rowdy that time of year. May is great because it's a shoulder month, too early for families with kids in school, too late for spring break. I've gotten unbelievable deals in May.

 

That's a GREAT deal! Too bad you're so mad about the autotipping that you will "never sail Celebrity again". This just reaffirms my post on the other thread about the low prices being the result of having a tipping policy.

 

Cathy

[Buellwinkle]

Haha, I never said I woulnd't tip the mininum, just said I don't want to tip the wrong people and auto-tipping is too rigid, they need to make it flexible and for that, they should charge you the $11.50/day and give you tipping vouchers that I call TIP BUX that you hand out as you wish. So for example, if you wish to tip the assistant waiter more than the main waiter, that's your choice, not the ship's choice. This would guaranty a higher level of service because it's the customer's discretion. The way they do it now, it's just a fee, like a port fee, it has no ressemblence to real tipping and that's what annoys many, including me.

 

BTW, many times I tip 25% at restaurants, I'm not cheap when it comes to tipping but I'm not going to tip a waiter at the restaurant next door because I didn't eat there and it's not his fault I didn't eat there and he needs the money.

[jackdiamond]

Well I can tell you that I had a cruise booked that I cancelled in December and I had already had the benefit of resident and other price reductions, but I cancelled it anyway.

 

About three weeks ago the pricing dropped again, and it was another almost $250 less for our cabin selection. So I re-booked. This time with the added benefit of Celebrity offering an OBC for booking and some offers from competing TA's that came my way.

 

So for my last minute deal for a cruise in a few more weeks, I saved an additional $500.00, and I got the same cabin I had originally booked. I wish I was over 55... I could have done even better!:D

Which cabin did you book?

[FinelyCruising]

8252...The mystery of the hump cabins continues. It will get settled with me if not sooner by someone else.

[Buellwinkle]

You'll love Princess, great cruise line and that's a fantastic price. Wish I could have gone on Princess instead of Celebrity but it was booked.

[Karynanne]

You'll love Princess, great cruise line and that's a fantastic price. Wish I could have gone on Princess instead of Celebrity but it was booked.

 

I wonder if your tablemates will have wished you would have sailed on Princess also....

[Texed]

I wonder if your tablemates will have wished you would have sailed on Princess also....

 

Karyn,

That is what I was thinking. :)