What would you consider a good deal?

[firefly333]

I don't travel by myself but I do have to pay for the entire trip. What would your max be $/person/day in term on cruisefare?

 

I dont have a set price to be honest. I splurged up to $1300 for a balcony for Sept 3rd Oasis, and have done a Junior Suite. I have some friends who will only cruise in a balcony. $1300 for a OV balcony on Oasis is still about $1000 discount, but I could have gone for half that price. That is $1300 total for 1 or 2 in the cabin, not one person.

 

I have the savings to do what I want, and some are huge deals, some like the above not huge. $250 for 1 or 2 people on Elation so far is my best deal because it is out of port I could drive to. If I get a huge deal out of Florida and have to fly, unlike Luckycruiser on this thread who gets discounted airfare, I dont, so that kinda ruins some bargains.

 

Firefly, When you are looking for a cheapie cruise, (and since you've been to many ports multiple times so which ports you visit isn't that important), do you take into consideration what the port charges are?

 

Never, since no one knows the real port charges. They are embedded into cruisefare. Only the small amount of taxes and fees are added onto the cruise, which do not include port charges. TAs can tell you the total amount of NCFs included in your cruisefare, but even they do not have the fees broken down by port. Carnival has refused to give out this information.

[elcuchio24]

It seems like firefly333 goes on a lot of cruises, and she keeps saying "if the right deal comes along .." I wanted to PM her but couldn't due to PM being disabled.

 

Firefly333, I'm sure you're reading this since you seem to read every thread. I hope to get your input as well. :)

 

Before I went on a cruise, I was told to look for cruises under $50/night. My first cruise cost a bit more than that since it was during the President's week, and I had an ocean view room. I see cruise prices in FL for under $50/night quite often. (Hurricane season?) I can't seem to find those low prices here in California. (I can't afford to fly to a port for a cruise just yet.) For prices around $60/night, you have to go on a cruise during off seasons like early December or January.

 

For cruises during Christmas and Summer, what would you consider a good price or "the right deal"?

 

Ocean view on a 4 day cruise for 7/18 is $399/person under Pack & Go, but I'm not sure if that is a good enough price since you don't know where they will put you.

 

Also, why would someone picks Fun Saver over Pack & Go if a cruise is within a month or so? I know Pack & Go is nonrefundable. Isn't it the same with Fun Saver since it's after the final due date? I'm not sure why Carnival offers both rates at the same time. I might have missed something.

 

It really is objective, and depends allot on what you consider allot of money and how much time and effort you want to put into finding a good deal. As far as the 4 night cruise....we have done two 4 nighters and payed 179pp/199pp for a porthole cabin. So I would say 399pp for a OV is not a great deal.

[luvmysox1]

If you need to just get away, 399 for a 4 day is not to bad. I paid 299 on NCL Sky out of Miami in May 2010.

 

My sweet spot ends up being cruises that are between Oct. and

Feb.. My current cruise is a 7 day in Jan, for 329 pp.

 

Take it. If you don't have airfare to pay, it's definitely a good deal.:D

 

Most of the time you can't spend 4 nights at a hotel and eat for less than 399.

[MiamiLady]

I personally prefer an inside stateroom for two reason. One is of course the money saved compared to the other more popular rooms = Balcony/Suite. The second reason is because when I finally make it to my room at night once I hit the bed I am out like a light and as soon as I wake up and showered I am back out on the lido. So for these two reasons I always get an inside room.

 

Ditto.. Sleep,shower and out the door!!

[richfret]

Cruise pricing is very difficult to compare. It's like being on an air liner and asking what every one paid. You might get 150 answers and none would be the same. To get a fair answer you need to ask: What month? What deck? What Category? Which ship? Military or non military? Past guest? State of residence? How many days before the cruise? Was the ship filled? How old is the ship? With or with out travel Insurance? Was the insurance from Carnival or not? How many in a cabin? Guarantee cabin or Carnival selected? Early saver or not? Is there a TA credit (Very important now a days with the new Carnival rules)? Is the Federal tax included? Are port charges included? And that's just a few of the circumstances that come to mind. There are others.

 

I just checked my pricing on my 8 day cruise booked for March (Great month for cruising). It amounts to $145 a day. Horrible price - right? But ................ I picked the cabin and I have the cabin number assigned immediately. The ship leaves from Ft Lauderdale so I can drive to the port since we live in Fort Myers. That saves me several hundred dollars in air line fees. This balcony cabin is exactly mid ships, on Deck 7 and not under or above any noise makers. The ship is about 4 years old so should not have many smells or other obnoxious problems. We start the cruise with a $100 TA credit and another $100 from a cruise voucher. We are Platinum cruisers so we get some other goodies thrown into the pot.

 

After 14 cruises I have learned that no matter what price you come up with, some one will say you paid too much and that they are beating your deal considerably. Just make sure you are not in an apples and oranges comparison. My advise is that once you establish a price and are happy with it, walk away from it because all you will do is get yourself upset and usually for nothing.

[quickrate]

i scratch my head when i read someone post they can take 2 cruises in an inside room or one cruise in a balcony stateroom. to me, that's just a waste of 2 cruises.

 

i wouldn't stay at the 4 seasons in a room with no windows just to be at the 4 seasons either..

 

 

I respectfully disagree. What do you see out your window when you are asleep with your eyes closed? The same thing I see. I intend to spend most of my time on a cruise outside of the room. As with a hotel I want a clean functional room, but I would not pay a premium for the name on the door or gold bathroom fixtures. I have even heard other cruisers say that they love an inside cabin because of no light coming in and that they sleep better. I would consider an OV or balcony room if they were priced slightly more than an inside.

Part of the cruising experience for my DH and myself is having coffee on our private balcony in the morning, wine and cocktails on the balcony at sunset, and all the moments in between we experience the ocean on our own balcony. We know we are alawys going to pay more for that priviledge but is well worth it to us. All depends on what you get out of cruising and what is important to you.

Pat

[firefly333]

Never, since no one knows the real port charges. They are embedded into cruisefare. Only the small amount of taxes and fees are added onto the cruise, which do not include port charges. TAs can tell you the total amount of NCFs included in your cruisefare, but even they do not have the fees broken down by port. Carnival has refused to give out this information.

 

Cruise pricing is very difficult to compare. It's like being on an air liner and asking what every one paid. ...Is the Federal tax included? Are port charges included? And that's just a few of the circumstances that come to mind. There are others.

 

Again port charges are embedded in your cruisefare so they are always included in any price you are going to see. No one ever is going to get a price quote that does not include port charges. Since mid 1990s the cruisefare offered by cruiselines has to include port charges.

[ihibernate]

My line is $100 per day, per person or less, but that is only for a balcony at least. Then I allow the same amount to spend on the holiday. We like 7 day cruises. Long enough to unpack, unwind and really enjoy ourselves. We don't go as often as others but do other things every other year, usually with our grandsons.

[masspector]

Part of the cruising experience for my DH and myself is having coffee on our private balcony in the morning, wine and cocktails on the balcony at sunset, and all the moments in between we experience the ocean on our own balcony. We know we are alawys going to pay more for that priviledge but is well worth it to us. All depends on what you get out of cruising and what is important to you.

Pat

 

 

Very well said. I agree with you 100%. Personally, I have just never been a "view" kind of guy. I would never pay more for an ocean view hotel room. And I really do not get the high rise condo view prices (it is 10K a floor more the higher up you go, why?)

 

That being said, there are plenty of people that "will" pay for a view. That is what makes us each unique. We each have a different perspective. None is right or wrong or better than the other. Just different.

[Litewait]

I hear ya OP!! We can't afford to fly often because the cost so we cruise almost exclusively from San Pedro, since Carnival dumped San Diego ( still pissed! LOL). ANyway, that being said..anutime you can get $100 or less per night tax&port included thats a good deal out here. I usually cruise in August, December and March. December is over New Years. The weekend cruises are the hardest to get for less than a $100 you just have to check alot or pray for price drops.

 

My cruise next month I musy have been drunk when I booked it! $1674.21 for 2 in OV on the Splendor. But by watching prices it dropped down as low as $1190.42 so now I feel great. ($85 a night) Now it's back up. And I expect it will go down again since there are a ton of cabins left.

 

I have cruised 5 New Years in a row. This year is the highest I have ever seen so we havent booked yet. But I've also seen those rates drop in the last few weeks prior to the cruise so I am waiting that out this year. We have even averaged a $100 to $115 a night on those.

 

It just makes maticulous watching.

[Litewait]

I hear ya OP!! We can't afford to fly often because the cost so we cruise almost exclusively from San Pedro, since Carnival dumped San Diego ( still pissed! LOL). Anyway, that being said..anytime you can get $100 or less per night tax&port included thats a good deal out here. I usually cruise in August, December and March. December is over New Years. The weekend cruises are the hardest to get for less than a $100 you just have to check alot or pray for price drops.

 

My cruise next month I must have been drunk when I booked it! $1674.21 for 2 in OV on the Splendor.:eek: But by watching prices it dropped down as low as $1190.42 so now I feel great. ($85 a night) Now it's back up. And I expect it will go down again since there are a ton of cabins left.

 

I have cruised 5 New Years in a row. This year is the highest I have ever seen so we havent booked yet. But I've also seen those rates drop in the last few weeks prior to the cruise so I am waiting that out this year. We have even averaged a $100 to $115 a night on those.

 

It just makes maticulous watching. Good Luck!!

[elcuchio24]

Part of the cruising experience for my DH and myself is having coffee on our private balcony in the morning, wine and cocktails on the balcony at sunset, and all the moments in between we experience the ocean on our own balcony. We know we are alawys going to pay more for that priviledge but is well worth it to us. All depends on what you get out of cruising and what is important to you.

Pat

 

Its such a personal, and sometimes financial choice. We have had insides on short 3/4 nighters and it's been ok. Anything 5 night or longer we have to have a balcony.

[Duanerice1]

Its such a personal, and sometimes financial choice. We have had insides on short 3/4 nighters and it's been ok. Anything 5 night or longer we have to have a balcony.

 

100% agree!

 

Funny though on the shorter cruises I probably do more just to get out of the cabin. With the balcony I just enjoy sitting out looking at the water........

 

Duane

[MissDiva1]

a good deal is when a vacation expense is less than the amount you have alloted for that vacation.

 

this varies from person to person.

 

i scratch my head when i read someone post they can take 2 cruises in an inside room or one cruise in a balcony stateroom. to me, that's just a waste of 2 cruises.

 

i wouldn't stay at the 4 seasons in a room with no windows just to be at the 4 seasons either..

 

I totally agree!

[Duanerice1]

When I told my in-laws, who live in Florida, that I got a great rate of $299 for a 5-day cruise, they said that was very expensive but they are used to 7-day cruises for $189.

 

Wow! I live in S Florida and have never seen a 7 day cruise that low. We can pretty much go anytime of the year. I am happy if I get that for a 4 night cruise. Even then, it is the Monday - Thursday cruise and not the Thursday - Monday cruise. That would be amazing!

 

Love to see where they got that deal.

enjoy,

Duane

[MissDiva1]

 

I respectfully disagree. What do you see out your window when you are asleep with your eyes closed? The same thing I see. I intend to spend most of my time on a cruise outside of the room. As with a hotel I want a clean functional room, but I would not pay a premium for the name on the door or gold bathroom fixtures. I have even heard other cruisers say that they love an inside cabin because of no light coming in and that they sleep better. I would consider an OV or balcony room if they were priced slightly more than an inside.

 

 

Actually you are not disagreeing at all because basically it all comes down to what one can afford.

And as far as booking a hotel without windows.......who would do this:confused:

And who would even build a hotel without windows:confused:

We book balconies and don't pay premium......that's why we book on Carnival:D

[firefly333]

Wow! I live in S Florida and have never seen a 7 day cruise that low. We can pretty much go anytime of the year. I am happy if I get that for a 4 night cruise. Even then, it is the Monday - Thursday cruise and not the Thursday - Monday cruise. That would be amazing!

 

Love to see where they got that deal.

enjoy,

Duane

 

I was thinking that too. I would like to know how someone could be "used to getting a 7 day cruise for $189 pp". I think I am doing good if the price is under $600 total, I grab it. Sometimes it would be so nice if we could discuss where we are booking these deals.

[izmeeh]

Thank you, all.

[cruzn buckeye]

It really is objective, and depends allot on what you consider allot of money and how much time and effort you want to put into finding a good deal. As far as the 4 night cruise....we have done two 4 nighters and payed 179pp/199pp for a porthole cabin. So I would say 399pp for a OV is not a great deal.

 

I have also paid those low rates for a 4 day... but usually in Sept. to Nov. timeframe.

399 in the middle of summer is pretty good, I have seen it much much higher