Trouble?

[Rum Rat]

Just received the following :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Too few bums chasing too many berths??

Book a Transatlantic Crossing before 30 November 2010 and you will receive:

 

• Complimentary on board spending money of up to $350 per person
  
• Double the usual 5% online saving if you book here
  
• Book a Balcony Stateroom or above and receive a three night stay at the Marriott Marquis in New York for £149 per person (not bookable online)
  
• Complimentary upgrade to a business class flight when booking a Queens Grill Suite (not bookable online)
  

Sail roundtrip from Southampton

In 2011 Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 offer an array of roundtrip Southampton voyages. Perhaps you'll explore the coast of Norway, visit beautiful Baltic cities or enjoy the sunshine in the Mediterranean. Whichever voyage you choose book before 30 November 2010 to receive:

 

• Complimentary on board spending money of up to $900 per person
  
• Double the usual 5% online saving if you book here
  
• Complimentary car parking* (not bookable online)
  

[tom_uk]

There's also some blurb on the P&O site offering 10% off for on-line bookings, plus OBC, plus free flights for Adonia Med fly/cruises. I don't remember offers like this in previous years at this time of year; not for general bookings. (There have always been the '12-weeks-to go' offers, of course.)

 

I think that what might be happening is this:-

 

a) when the recession first bit there was a slow-down in bookings, and perhaps a number of people cancelled their reservations; so last winter there were a number of good offers for the spring and early summer;

 

b) then as the recovery happened and things started looking up, people decided to keep the booking they'd made perhaps a year or more before, or decided they'd come through the recession OK so they'd have that holiday after all - result, bookings in high summer were pretty firm, I think;

 

c) but since the election and the news about the cuts and their possible impact, a lot of people have decided to economise over the new year or two. Result, especially when combined with the increase in ex-Southampton capacity: a shortfall in bookings. Or as you say: "too few bums chasing too many berths".

 

We're already booked for 2011, but we're increasingly thinking that for 2012 (if we cruise that year) we'll pick a period in the year when we want to cruise and wait for the right cruise to emerge at the right price.....

[Thejuggler]

Large OBC on Cunard is not unusual - I have seen $900 per cabin for Transatlantic and on one of the short 3 night hops to Europe $500 per cabin - the cruise was only £299.

[CRUMB]

The Ventura caribbean i've just come off had an offer for £500 per person to stay on for another 2 weeks as they hadn't filled the ship. I would've considered it but my waistline wouldn't let me...........

[Denarius]

"Too few bums chasing too many berths??"

 

I think so. Especially on UK to UK round trips.

Before the recession hit, most of the major cruise lines had ordered new ships which they then realised they might struggle to fill. Many, IMO, saw the UK market as a way to fill their spare capacity and started offering UK departures, previously largely the preserve of P&O. This, I believe, has led to over capacity in that market with all lines offering Uk deparures, P&O included, struggling to fill their berths.

[Merlin7]

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