At what point do cruise prices hit their lowest?

[rpmljm]

I was wondering at what point before a cruise do most prices come down to the lowest. We can cruise last minute and are flexible. Would it be around the 6 week mark? Or would they be cheaper closer to sailing? :confused: Is is better to go directly to the cruise ship website, or check another source?

Thanks.

[cb at sea]

Sometimes, the prices only rise, and never drop! It just depends how well each cruise is selling. So far, I've never encountered a drop in price after booking....they've always risen! Supply and demand.....

[Keith1010]

No one can predict whether prices stay the same, rise, or drop. In the end it is all about supply and demand.

 

What I can say is that the lowest price cabins typciall go first along with those in the best location. So, if you wait too long you may end up paying more than you would have because the cabins that are available might not be in the lower priced categories.

 

Keith

[grandmato4]

Every cruise is different. All depends on supply and demand. Last minute can have some good bargains but one does have to be flexible and not care where your cabin is located nor have your heart set on a particular itinerary. I don't think there is a "best" time in terms of 6 weeks or 2 weeks before sailing because they all vary so much. On several of our cruises the best price was a year or more before sailing. Others were 6 months before sailing. Others best prices I saw were 4 weeks before sailing so for our crusies it really has varied a lot.

 

Some crusielines do flash promotions after final payment that are for new bookings only and can only be purchased through TA's. Generally the best prices will come through TA's that can discount prices and/or give other perks.

[janetz]

I was wondering at what point before a cruise do most prices come down to the lowest. We can cruise last minute and are flexible. Would it be around the 6 week mark? Or would they be cheaper closer to sailing? :confused: Is is better to go directly to the cruise ship website, or check another source?

Thanks.

 

 

The 1st 2 weeks of Dec. ;)

[iancal]

We used to buy cruises within the cancellation window, now we do both. We have had a number of cruises decrease in price prior to final payment (and one on Celebrity after final payment for which we got an OBC). On more than one occasion the price decrease only lasted for a few days so if you do see a price decrease you need to act on it. We also ensure that we deal with an agency that does not charge a service fee for repricing or for changing cabins. In some cases there may not be a reprice BUT the categories could collapse so that you get a better cabin at the same price. This sometimes happens within the cancellation window. The OP mentioned December. Yes we have just booked our second Dec. Caribbean cruise. It is an 11 day leaving on Dec. 12. We got the lowest per diem price on an upgraded balcony that we have seen for the past several years. Timing worked for us.

[geoherb]

I've frequently booked right after the final payment date--within a couple of weeks--and gotten good prices. Generally, I track prices for several cruises that fit the period when we can go.

 

Our next cruise is one month away--Sapphire Princess to Alaska. I booked it three days after the final payment date. Prices dropped for some categories of cabin. Prices then went back up a couple of days later. Currently, some of the balcony cabins are at a low prices. Insides, obstructed views, and unobstructed views are almost sold out. Princess does not seemed to have discounted the suite prices.

[klfrodo]

I was wondering at what point before a cruise do most prices come down to the lowest. .

 

:eek:

As with anything else, prices come down 30 seconds after you make your commitment. :D

[blackpool belle]

From past experience the best time to book is 10 to 12 weeks prior to departure when the final balance has to be paid and there is more chance of cancellations.

[STARFISH*4]

we usually do cruise the first or second week of December, but not always are they lower...we have booked out as close as 60 days and then as long as 11 months (this time) and i have seen our cruise go higher and lower but not as low as we paid, so like others have said it just depends and i dont see a pattern...i thought maybe if we did it further out we would see a big drop but nope not yet or our cruise last December to Panama Canal

booked 5 months out didnt drop that much ...i check all the time for our cruises but really the ones we have taken specially on NCL we have gotten the BEST prices when we book--so maybe for once we have some LUCK on our side.......lol....

[JulShut]

:) I think it's more a case of luck than anything else. We booked the cheapest cabin (inside guarantee) and got a terrific price six months in advance of the cruise. Two weeks later the price went up by $200. By the time of final payment the cruise was fully booked.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I always book through the cruisline. Book when ever you see a good deal. If the price goes down, they will reimburse you the difference or will give you the onboard credit, which is the same difference anyway.

If you book through a Travel Agent, you will have to be contacting them, who will then contact the cruiseline. I did this once and they got tired of it as there were 3 different price reductions since we booked a full year in advance. Also noneof the cruise lines will deal with you if you book through a travel agent. If you have questions or concerns, you'll have to get your TA to find everythign out for oyu and somethimes info isn't as good second hand. If oyu think you are getting a better deal through the TA contact the cruiseline and they will match the price in most cases.

[paul929207]

When a worldwide depression is at its worst.

[collegecruiser346]

I start seriously looking at prices about 60-70 days before departure, which is also when I decide what cruises interest me. Once I find 2 or 3 that I like, I scour all the online booking sites, checking prices several times during the day. (They really do change from hour to hour.) Once I see a price that I'm okay with, I book. I just booked a cruise yestarday, for an August 14th departure. (31 days out) A few days before I booked, it dropped $100pp. Literally 6 hours after I booked, it went up $50pp. However, like others have said, you never know if they'll drop or not, so its a gamble to wait so long.

[gingera]

We booked 2, 10 day cruises, b2b, in March a whole year out....in Aug there was over a $1200 price drop total. Now, that was a savings!

[mamasue]

We usually book 1-2 weeks before departure...... we've got some great bargains!

Our last cruise was $269 for 7 days....

Last Sunday we booked a 10-day cruise for $299.

Last minute is best!!

[Libra_Critic]

Best deal is about 6 months before. Listed cruise prices are all the same since they are controlled by the cruise lines, but different web-sites/travel agents will offer individual perks of on-board credits and/or free prepaid gratuties. Advantage of getting your preferred choice of cabin, when you book early.

 

If cruise price drops before the final payment date, the cruise line will usually give you the reduced price, since you have the option of cancelling without penalty, if they won't match the lower price. The cruise lines don't factor the on-board credit or free pre-paid gratutities because that's paid out of the agents' commissions. Disadvantage is if you have to cancel and re-book you'll lose the on-board credit and pre-paid gratutities unless a similar amount is being offered at that time. Other disadvantage is you have to consider your airplane and hotel reservations, if applicable.

 

Prices normally dip for a couple of days immediately following the final payment date because of some cancellations, but then goes right back up because of supply/demand effect as bargains are booked.

 

For last minute bargains, the best prices I've seen are about 10 to 20 days before the cruise.

 

Rates are usually less in the first and second week of December and for the completed cruise immediately preceeding any major public holiday.

Edited October 28, 2010 by Libra_Critic

[fay_wan]

I start seriously looking at prices about 60-70 days before departure, which is also when I decide what cruises interest me. Once I find 2 or 3 that I like, I scour all the online booking sites, checking prices several times during the day. (They really do change from hour to hour.)

 

 

How do u check if the price drop for your particular category cabin? The web site usually give u the lowest price for each category but it could be the cabin at the bottom deck of that cat. I don't know how to check without calling the TA. Help!! ( I have booked Celebrity Millenum to Alaska for 7 days on 5-20-11) Any tips are greatly appreciated.

[Smokeyham]

How do u check if the price drop for your particular category cabin? The web site usually give u the lowest price for each category but it could be the cabin at the bottom deck of that cat. I don't know how to check without calling the TA. Help!! ( I have booked Celebrity Millenum to Alaska for 7 days on 5-20-11) Any tips are greatly appreciated.

 

One the cruiselines website you can choose a specific category of cabin and see what they are offering in the way of prices. You have to go through a couple of steps to get to that level, but it can be done.

 

 

Here is how I track what the cruise fares are doing:

 

I bookmark the webpage for the cruise I am interested in. I do this both for the cruise line's website, and for a favourite discount website.

 

Then I have a little spreadsheet where I copy and paste the posted rates for the four categories (inside, outside, balcony, and suite). I note the date, and whether the rate came from the cruise line or the discount website.

 

I start this a couple of months in advance, so I have a concept of what the rates are doing, then if I see what appears to be a really good deal, then I know to jump on it.

 

This may sound like a lot of work, but once you have the webpage for your particular cruise bookmarked, and in your "links" bar, then it really only takes a couple of seconds to update the spreadsheet.

 

I've heard of "The Wave.' which is supposed to be a time in January and February when prices drop. What is everyone's experience with this? Is it real, or just imaginary?

[happy cruzer]

Last minute works great if you are driving. If you need to fly, you need to add the extra step to make sure the airfare is affordable. Sometimes air can cause a great deal to turn into an unaffordable total trip.

[Tudorcruisers]

On our last cruise we met quite a few passengers who had only booked 3-6 weeks prior to sailing. They had paid half of what we had:(:( Really made me think there is no point in booking early.

[jewopaho]

... especially in this economy. True, cruise lines generally offered some incentives to book early (or conversely, made it less economical to commit after final payment date) but that seems to be changing. Often, it all comes down to how well the date is selling. There's usually a formula in place ... if bookings are brisk, the fares rise; if they're sluggish, prices decrease, and/or incentives such as onboard credit are added. If the exact times were predictable, everyone would wait for them ... and of course, fares would go up due to the demand.

 

Calendarwise, the best prices for Caribbean sailings are during hurricane season ... usually mid-August through late September. If you're willing to risk missing a port, completely changing itineraries (i.e. eastern to western or vice-versa) or any such inconveniences, you'll do very well. Prices just before and after holidays/school vacations are also good.

 

To further complicate matters, in this time of economic distress, it appears better to book closer to the sail date, since ships aren't filling up as they have. My 1/16 cruise on the Voyager of the Seas out of Galveston still has 62 unsold staterooms, and the Carnival Conquest (also sailing out of Galveston) has a whopping 94! Those are awful numbers, given that the cruise is just over two months out. We booked on 11/2, right at final payment time (not intentionally ... just worked out that way). Our fare was about $140 less than what we'd been tracking over the past few months. Had we booked earlier, we would have been out of luck, since Royal Caribbean no longer issues onboard credit as compensation for fare reductions after final payment is due.

 

So there you have it ... confused? Me too!

 

Al

Edited November 6, 2010 by jewopaho

[mamasue]

We usually book 1-2 weeks before departure...... we've got some great bargains!

Our last cruise was $269 for 7 days....

Last Sunday we booked a 10-day cruise for $299.

Last minute is best!!

 

 

 

Also.... we got our cabin assignment yesterday.

We got an UNBELIEVABLE free upgrade...

paid the cheapest GTY and got assigned...A BALCONY!!!!!:eek:

Yep.... last-minute is definitely best!!!!:D

[Smokeyham]

My 1/16 cruise on the Voyager of the Seas out of Galveston still has 62 unsold staterooms, and the Carnival Conquest (also sailing out of Galveston) has a whopping 94!

 

Al

 

Hi Al,

 

Where do you get the information about the numbr of unsold cabins on a specific cruise? I haven't seen that on the Cruise Lines websites. Is there another website which posts this information?

[Smokeyham]

On our last cruise we met quite a few passengers who had only booked 3-6 weeks prior to sailing. They had paid half of what we had:(:( Really made me think there is no point in booking early.

 

Those people may have found really good deals, but I wonder how much of a choice they had in what cabin they were assigned? To some people that is really important, others not so much.