"Last Minute Deals"

[Karynanne]

Karyn,

That is what I was thinking. :)

 

Ed, what's the ole saying...."Great minds, etc."

[Kathie44]

You can probably get deals now for Summit Classical Med. I was lucky enough to find a new friend to go with me on the 6/3 cruise in place of DH, who passed away last Aug. First time I had been able to talk him into booking ahead two cruises in one calendar year. His sister went with me last month on Galaxy in an OV which had had a $100 reduction.

But Wed. when my TA called X to change the name on the Summit reservation, she was told that the Summit cabin had been reduced again. Down a total of $900 AND been upgraded to CC from Cat 8 OV. This is pretty much unheard of on X, so they are probably scrambling to fill the ship.

I've seen lots of ads lately for reduced prices, 1/2 price deposits, included tips and extra OBC. This is a good time to look for bargains.

[The_Big_M]

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.

 

Which is completely irrelevant. He's not employed at the restaurant next door to serve you, is he? The MDR waiters are.

[Deeliteful]

I too cancelled my booking just after New Year on the TA Century in April because I was sure the price would reduce. I kept my air fare as I has such a good deal on that. I've now re-booked and saved more than $1200 on the CC cabin.

 

Booking in £ is now a way of getting the bargains -last year it was obviously better in $ but now even X UK is giving great prices.

[CatherineL]

I wondered about this, as I can be quite flexible on dates and I like the Med 12 nights offered on Oosterdam and Summit, so it might be good to take the best price nearer the time. I also like the routes on a couple of the Princess sailings but their pricing seems to come out much higher for folk in the UK.

 

FinelyCruising - how many weeks ahead did you book to get that deal?

[CathyCruises]

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

 

Remember--he/she NEVER goes to the dining room. "Prisons, regimented, lemmings" are all words spoken by the poster in regards to dining. Brags about the fantastic deal on Celebrity but hates the autotip and wants it removed and wishes he were on Princess. I wish I was going on any cruise, any where, and I would love to eat in the MDR and would happily pay my tips--more, even!! There's just no pleasing some folks.

[Karynanne]

Remember--he/she NEVER goes to the dining room. "Prisons, regimented, lemmings" are all words spoken by the poster in regards to dining. Brags about the fantastic deal on Celebrity but hates the autotip and wants it removed and wishes he were on Princess. I wish I was going on any cruise, any where, and I would love to eat in the MDR and would happily pay my tips--more, even!! There's just no pleasing some folks.

 

Silly me....I forgot all about that! As for me...I'll muddle along, with all the other "prisoners" held captive on Celebrity...forced to eat in the MDR (properly dressed of course), and all the while, have a great time!

[FinelyCruising]

I wondered about this, as I can be quite flexible on dates and I like the Med 12 nights offered on Oosterdam and Summit, so it might be good to take the best price nearer the time. I also like the routes on a couple of the Princess sailings but their pricing seems to come out much higher for folk in the UK.

 

FinelyCruising - how many weeks ahead did you book to get that deal?

 

I found the most recent price drop on the web on 1/29 for the 3/29 Solstice and that's was pushed me back to booking. I was pleasantly surprised to find when I was getting pricing from the T/A's that X was offering an OBC if booked before 2/1.

 

We had already booked our flights when they became available with FF miles, so I was in no rush to spend the $100 to rebank them after we cancelled in December, so it worked out nicely for us as the flights were still in tact. We have never done a last minute booking, so its a good thing sometimes I guess to catch it on the downward curve as we did.

[jackdiamond]

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.

It might assist our assessment of your bona fides, if you would advise as to the total number of your Celebrity cruises, naming the ships, your room categories and the number of folks in each room.

[FinelyCruising]

Jack...keep it simple....the MDR tip is the tip no matter what cabin, lets assume no AQ of CC for this guy.

[hcat]

I am finding this thread confusing but wanted to mention that some great prices are out there for Solstice in May for Europe-- we are locked in for sept with airfare...but would have swiched if we could have...

[jackdiamond]

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.

We will be on Princess next month. However, I will not divulge the name of the ship.

[CathyCruises]

I am finding this thread confusing but wanted to mention that some great prices are out there for Solstice in May for Europe-- we are locked in for sept with airfare...but would have swiched if we could have...

 

 

Sorry, some of us are referring to another thread and being a bit sarcastic. :rolleyes: Back to the original topic!

[Bliss1952]

Cathy, you advised in another thread that you were on the barcelona to venice 14 day on the Summit. i am booked on this cruise in 2009, 10/31.

could you tell me:

was it cold on deck when cruising?

how was the weather?

which nights were formal?

did they do the dress all white dinner night on deck?

was naples dirty?

was the cathedral in barcelona still behind scaffolding? was it open?

are the major sights in Athens still under renovation? could you see anything?

what was the best?

what was disappointing?

i would really appreciate any info you could give me. i am point man on this cruise for 6 other people, so i need as much info as i can to organize all. i hope to hear from you! thanks so much, barbara

[Kathie44]

I don't know what the big deal is about auto-tipping. You can request it be taken off and do your own. You can give the staff extra cash at the end of the cruise. You might need to bring your own envelopes or ask for some at the service desk, but so what? I like the convenience of auto-tipping.

I just took a cruise on Galaxy and we asked the head waiter how he liked the new system, just implemented on Galaxy that cruise. He was thrilled with it and said very few had opted out. He didn't seem concerned about not getting extra $$ over and above the standard. He was just happy at getting the standard. I had no idea that so many cruisers were stiffing the staff. :eek: He said sometimes he felt like he was working for nothing.

[CathyCruises]

Cathy, you advised in another thread that you were on the barcelona to venice 14 day on the Summit. i am booked on this cruise in 2009, 10/31.

could you tell me:

was it cold on deck when cruising? Not really--certainly not a warm weather cruise but comfortable to be outside; we sat around the pool a couple of times on sea days

how was the weather? Rain/drizzle the first few days, then wonderful after that

which nights were formal? All three sea days

did they do the dress all white dinner night on deck? I think they stop that once the weather turns chilly--I was prepared for it but they didn't have it that late in the year

was naples dirty? LOL. That is the only port we did a tour in, with some fellow CC'ers; got in a van at the port and got right on the freeway to Sorrento so we didn't really see much of Naples. I have been there in the past and had no desire to spend any time in the city, but it's a great base for everything else in the area.

was the cathedral in barcelona still behind scaffolding? was it open? Are you talking about Sagrada Familia? That is still under construction, of course, and will be for our lifetimes. On this trip, we didn't go to the old cathedral in the Gothic Quarter since we had been there before; we went to Montserrat instead.

are the major sights in Athens still under renovation? could you see anything? They were working on the Acropolis sites but you could easily appreciate the beauty and history-my main recommendation there would be to go early before the hordes of tourist buses arrive. I HATE shuffling along, and that was the worst place for that.

what was the best? We loved Venice, of course, and Cinque Terre--even though it was raining and the paths were closed we had a great day there. Istanbul is also wonderful, wish we had more time there

what was disappointing? Missing Delos on our stop in Mykonos; ship got there after the last ferry of the day. I have been telling new DH about it since I met him and was so sorry not to be able to show it to him

i would really appreciate any info you could give me. i am point man on this cruise for 6 other people, so i need as much info as i can to organize all. i hope to hear from you! thanks so much, barbara

 

I can't recommend this cruise highly enough--it is an AWFUL lot to see for such a cheap price. We are now looking at Azamara for late November; balcony with air, pre-paid grats and OBC for $2799/pp. We would love to do a land trip but can't possibly do it for that price. ALso, it was great fun to get back 'home' to the ship after a long day of touring and relax in the T-pool, get our regular table at the Martini Bar, etc., plus have a great time each evening at dinner with our new friends.

 

Feel free to email me at cathy at riverrimranch dot com if you have more questions!

 

Cathy

[sealover155]

We sailed this itinerary last year, first week of November, and selected the X tour to Capri as we hadn't been there in many years. To our surprise, nearly all of Capri closes up tightly Nov. 1. Most of the shops, restaurants, etc. It was a very, very, rough ride over and back, freezing cold and absolutely nothing, except one church, to see. It was also the very first inedible meal we'd been served on an X tour. Really, really, inedible. Luckily we had time, lots of time, to find one mediocre restaurant to tide us over and fill time until the return ride left. On the way back, at least 1/3 of the passengers were sick. We mentioned all of this to the Shore Excursion Desk but they seemed uninterested. We were sad that we didn't return to Sorrento.

 

The rest of this cruise was magnificent, especially Istanbul. It was delightfully warm in Mykonos and Santorini, but cold in Venice which added to the mystique for us. Take layers and enjoy.

[TipsyMcStagger]

I've never been on a cruise and I've got the next couple of weeks off. I'm airline crew so I can get to FLL or MIA (from NYC) fairly easily.

 

I really have no basis for comparison on what to expect to pay. Is there some kind of historical database to compare the rates that are being offered today (for ships leaving in the next few days) vs. the rates paid by those who booked far in advance?

 

I can book through an airline agency (like perx.com) or just search the 'net, but I've really got no idea how the rates I'm seeing today compare to the rates paid by those who booked weeks or months in advance.

 

In other words, how do I know if I'm truly getting a great "last minute deal?"

 

Thanks.

 

Tipsy

[FinelyCruising]

Tipsy...find a cruise that you want to take then come back and ask. You've been a member here for a long time...I'm surprised you have not been more involved. Prices ebb and flow based on timing although the pricing models of the past do not apply to anything going on today.

[TipsyMcStagger]

Tipsy...find a cruise that you want to take then come back and ask. You've been a member here for a long time...I'm surprised you have not been more involved. Prices ebb and flow based on timing although the pricing models of the past do not apply to anything going on today.

 

Thanks for the response. Yeah, I joined quite a while ago when I first thought about going on a cruise but I never followed through. I think I'm hung up on what could be preconceived notions...I'm not too interested in having to dress up for dinner (hell, I don't even own a suit) and I'm not a big gambler. I guess a few people have told me "if you're not into eating six times a day and gambling, cruising might not be for you."

 

I've got time to kill though and thought I might head down to FL to watch the Mets at Spring training for a day or two. Since I'd already be nearby, I'd might as well hop on a three or five night cruise and figure out once-and-for-all if it's for me :)

 

Tipsy

[The_Big_M]

It's a bit like flights, although probably not as bad as you don't have interlining. Fares go up and down all the time, and passengers will pay different amounts based on their fare class but may still get upgraded so people in the same class of cabin have often paid different amounts.

 

If you're just shopping for value, calculate the daily rate and the lower it is, the better the value will be within the same class.

 

I'm sure you want to travel for than just getting a last minute deal (fitting in with leave, taking a break, destination), so if you find something that looks interesting, compare the daily rate to other similar cruises further out then you can see how it compares.

 

edit: From the above, it sounds like you may be travelling solo, so would like more singles and fun/party atmosphere? Shorter, warm, island/beach cruises tend to be better for that.

[TipsyMcStagger]

find something that looks interesting, compare the daily rate to other similar cruises further out then you can see how it compares.

 

Makes sense...thanks.

 

edit: From the above, it sounds like you may be travelling solo, so would like more singles and fun/party atmosphere? Shorter, warm, island/beach cruises tend to be better for that.

 

Yep...just me!

 

Tipsy

[Buellwinkle]

We will be on Princess next month. However, I will not divulge the name of the ship.

 

Aha, don't worry, have connections on that cruise line, we can find ya. Last time I sailed with their employee discount, we paid next to nothing, like $400 for a 7 day cruise to Alaska.

 

TipsyMcStagger, there are several cruiselines in the "bargain" catagory like Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival are the ones off the top of my head. Cruise prices have less to do with cruise lines in this catagory and more to do with how new the ship it, what ammenities the ship has, and how popular a certain week is. So for example, when I looked 2 months ago to go to the east carribean, there were 4 cruiselines going there, the 4 previously mentioned. For an oceanview, they were all about the same price for the nicer newer ships, slightly more for Royal Caribbean because that's a really nice ship with ice skating, surfing, rock climbing, water slides and such and Carnival was about half the price because it's an old ship. So you can save money by getting on an old ship and most are fine. Also, don't know if you know this, but Celebrity & Royal Caribbean price fix their prices, nobody can charge more or less for a cabin than what they set. There's no sense in shopping price, but some travel agents like Costco and others give shipboard credits. Carnival, that also owns Princess does allow TA's some leeway.

[TipsyMcStagger]

Thanks Buellwinkle. By the way...I'm assuming Buell refers to the bikes? I ride a Ulysses ;)

 

Well, I just searched an interline site and found what I think will be a simple "starter" cruise for me. It's Royal Carribean though...so I guess based on what you're saying, the prices will be fairly consistent? I was just told (in another thread) however that RC offers interline rates to employees of my company (UPS).

 

Here's the info: Navigator of the Seas, 4 Night Caribbean, Departs FLL March 2, 17:00

 

Unrestricted Fares: In $449; Out $499; Bal $549; Dlx $899

 

I just looked it up on Kayak and all the info is the same except the Inside rate is $379 (vs. $449 on the interline site).

 

Tipsy

[Buellwinkle]

I love kayak, use it all the time. If you see differences in prices between websites, it's bogus. When you actually try and book a cabin they will give you the official rate. Also, those are starting prices, so a balcony that starts at $549 means it's got an obstructed view and then they charge you based on location, just like real estate. Once you find a cruise, check different sites for incentives, some give you shipboard credit and some give you prepaid tips, so it's worth checking around. For example, on my cruise, Costco gave us $125 room credit.

 

Also, RCL and Celebrity (same company) offer rooms called guarantees and this close to sailing, a guarantee can be better than chosing from what's left anyway and they are cheap. Also, many new ships are 90% balcony, so if you book an oceanview guarantee, odds are they will put you in a balcony room for no extra charge.

 

Lastly, the 4 day cruises get the older ships. There are ratings on the ships, click on reviews in the orange band above on top of this page on the right.

 

My Buell is an S3T, on my second one. Volcano gray with nuclear orange frame and wheels, gets attention, some good, some bad but I love it. I've ridden the Ulysses and it's as close to the old S3T's as you can get for feel and comfort. I'm too old to be riding a Firebolt or Lightning.