Why have prices gone UP 2 months before cruise?

[smalldog]

Hi all, I've never cruised Princess before but was thinking about a last minute booking on an Australia-NZ cruise on Sun Princess for Nov 30... I had a look at the price today thinking that with the calendar clicking over to only 2 months to go, maybe they'd drop the price.

 

But it's gone UP $100 since yesterday. :confused:

Any insights to offer a confused potential traveller??? :)

[Pam in CA]

Supply and demand. :) Not unusual.

[lovevacadays]

The cruise is most likely selling very well so they feel they can up the price and still continue to fill the ship.

[kywildcatfanone]

Hi all, I've never cruised Princess before but was thinking about a last minute booking on an Australia-NZ cruise on Sun Princess for Nov 30... I had a look at the price today thinking that with the calendar clicking over to only 2 months to go, maybe they'd drop the price.

 

But it's gone UP $100 since yesterday. :confused:

Any insights to offer a confused potential traveller??? :)

 

Pricing is generally based upon how well the cruise is selling. The closer to sail date and cabins aren't filling up, the price drops to entice people to book, the opposite occurs when the ship is filling up, the price rises.

 

Mike

[caribill]

On the other hand, you can book 16 days on the Ocean Princess (Australia-NZ-Tahiti) for December for as little as $999.

 

Or you can book 12 days on the Star Princess roundtrip Rome in October including overnighting in Egypt for as little as $599.

 

Supply and demand as another poster said.

[smalldog]

Dang. I musta chosen a cruise that people actually like! ;)

 

Thank you all, I didn't understand how this worked.

[smalldog]

On the other hand, you can book 16 days on the Ocean Princess (Australia-NZ-Tahiti) for December for as little as $999.

 

Or you can book 12 days on the Star Princess roundtrip Rome in October including overnighting in Egypt for as little as $599.

 

Supply and demand as another poster said.

 

Might check out that Ocean Princess one...

Do you remember the old soap commercial with the rich people on the plane, as they give instructions to the pilot? "Tahiti looks nice..."

[toberman]

I've also seen it where as the lower priced cabins sell out, they stop advertising them. So the lowest price being offered is actually for a higher priced cabin.

[rugbypopsie]

Might check out that Ocean Princess one...

Do you remember the old soap commercial with the rich people on the plane, as they give instructions to the pilot? "Tahiti looks nice..."

 

You will probably find that is a US price not an aussie price...plus flights from Tahitii are $$$.

There are cheaper options..flights to and from Hawaii are cheaper than Tahitii.

[2CtheC]

Hi all, I've never cruised Princess before but was thinking about a last minute booking on an Australia-NZ cruise on Sun Princess for Nov 30... I had a look at the price today thinking that with the calendar clicking over to only 2 months to go, maybe they'd drop the price.

 

But it's gone UP $100 since yesterday. :confused:

Any insights to offer a confused potential traveller??? :)

Yesterday was the last day of their '3 day sale' with $100 OBC included. Nov 30 was one of the included cruises in that sale. Just rechecked some I looked at and one went up $200 and some cat's are now sold out. So today - sale's over.

[lafngas]

For caribill,

Where did you see the $599 price for the Star Princess in October? I am booked on that cruise and although there are still many cabins unsold the price online has not changed at all, which is a surprise. The Princess website shows an interior guarantee price of $995 pp. If you have that kind of pricing from your TA you have a great TA!

Even at $995 it's a great price for a 12 day with that itinerary,but at $599 I think the airfare from the US to take that cruise would be really high though this close to the sail date.

[betterthanworking]

On the other hand, you can book 16 days on the Ocean Princess (Australia-NZ-Tahiti) for December for as little as $999.

 

Or you can book 12 days on the Star Princess roundtrip Rome in October including overnighting in Egypt for as little as $599.

 

Supply and demand as another poster said.

 

 

Check your 12 night for 599, I think you may have a typo! 995 maybe?

[caribill]

For caribill,

Where did you see the $599 price for the Star Princess in October? I am booked on that cruise and although there are still many cabins unsold the price online has not changed at all, which is a surprise. The Princess website shows an interior guarantee price of $995 pp. If you have that kind of pricing from your TA you have a great TA!

Even at $995 it's a great price for a 12 day with that itinerary,but at $599 I think the airfare from the US to take that cruise would be really high though this close to the sail date.

 

Princess E-mail entitled "Be on vacation in less than a week."

 

I suspect these are flash fare sales that any TA can book, but that you will not find posted on the Princess web site.

[caribill]

Check your 12 night for 599, I think you may have a typo! 995 maybe?

 

Egypt & Aegean

Sail roundtrip from Rome for 12 days

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia), Alexandria (overnight), Khios, Istanbul, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Naples/Capri, Rome (Civitavecchia)

Star

Princess®

2011

Departure Date Oct 21

Mini-suite Fares from*$1,599

Balcony Fares from*$1,199

Oceanview (obstructed) Fares from*$799

Interior Fares from*$599

*Government fees and taxes of up to $35 per person are additional and subject to change. Princess reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $9 per person per day on all passengers if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70 per barrel, even if fares have been paid in full. See below for more details.

[dotty52]

Egypt & Aegean

Sail roundtrip from Rome for 12 days

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia), Alexandria (overnight), Khios, Istanbul, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Naples/Capri, Rome (Civitavecchia)

Star

Princess®

2011

Departure Date Oct 21

Mini-suite Fares from*$1,599

Balcony Fares from*$1,199

Oceanview (obstructed) Fares from*$799

Interior Fares from*$599

*Government fees and taxes of up to $35 per person are additional and subject to change. Princess reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $9 per person per day on all passengers if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70 per barrel, even if fares have been paid in full. See below for more details.

This from the princess australia website

 

Mini-Suite/Suite Balcony Oceanview Oceanview Obstructed Interior

$2,998.05 $2,498.05 1,998.55 $1,798.05 $1,698.05

[Mara4166]

This from the princess australia website

 

Mini-Suite/Suite Balcony Oceanview Oceanview Obstructed Interior

$2,998.05 $2,498.05 1,998.55 $1,798.05 $1,698.05

 

Wow, that price is expensive. Are you sure it is not also including airfare?

[lafngas]

I wish I got those kind of sales in my email inbox!

Unfortunately I rarely can take advantage of any last minute travel deals.

I think it will be nice to not have a ship filled to capacity for once. Does service tend to be more attentive when the ship is not completely full?

[geoherb]

I've taken advantage of after-final-payment-date pricing several times. Generally it's been when I have been watching the prices of several different cruises or else when we have decided at the last minute to go on a cruise.

 

For this year's pre-Christmas cruise, I went ahead and booked our cabin because the price was acceptable. Tomorrow is the final payment date, and I will feel slightly sad if the price on our category of cabin goes down below what we paid. Right now, however, it's $200 more per person than we're paying. A few weeks ago, our category was showing up a sold out, but now cabins are available again.

[caribill]

Egypt & Aegean

Sail roundtrip from Rome for 12 days

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia), Alexandria (overnight), Khios, Istanbul, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Naples/Capri, Rome (Civitavecchia)

 

Star

Princess®

2011

Departure Date Oct 21

Mini-suite Fares from*$1,599

Balcony Fares from*$1,199

Oceanview (obstructed) Fares from*$799

Interior Fares from*$599

*Government fees and taxes of up to $35 per person are additional and subject to change. Princess reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $9 per person per day on all passengers if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70 per barrel, even if fares have been paid in full. See below for more details.

 

This from the princess australia website

 

Mini-Suite/Suite Balcony Oceanview Oceanview Obstructed Interior

$2,998.05 $2,498.05 1,998.55 $1,798.05 $1,698.05

 

From the US Princess website

 

Mini-Suite/Suite Balcony Oceanview Oceanview Obstructed Interior

$2,199............. $1899....$1295..........$1095.....................$995

 

Website prices never show the flash sale prices. An Australian TA should be able to quote you flash sale prices.

[Cruise Raider]

Supply and demand. :) Not unusual.

 

 

Pam...you took the words right out of my mouth. Also, fuel surcharges seem to be kept at bay -- so noticed the cruises I am booked on have also gone up instead of down like I had assumed they would.

[toberman]

Egypt & Aegean

Sail roundtrip from Rome for 12 days

Itinerary: Rome (Civitavecchia), Alexandria (overnight), Khios, Istanbul, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Naples/Capri, Rome (Civitavecchia)

 

Star

Princess®

2011

Departure Date Oct 21

Mini-suite Fares from*$1,599

Balcony Fares from*$1,199

Oceanview (obstructed) Fares from*$799

Interior Fares from*$599

*Government fees and taxes of up to $35 per person are additional and subject to change. Princess reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $9 per person per day on all passengers if the NYMEX oil price exceeds $70 per barrel, even if fares have been paid in full. See below for more details.

 

This from the princess australia website

 

Mini-Suite/Suite Balcony Oceanview Oceanview Obstructed Interior

$2,998.05 $2,498.05 1,998.55 $1,798.05 $1,698.05

 

From the US Princess website

 

Mini-Suite/Suite Balcony Oceanview Oceanview Obstructed Interior

$2,199............. $1899....$1295..........$1095.....................$995

 

Website prices never show the flash sale prices. An Australian TA should be able to quote you flash sale prices.

 

This is interesting.

Princess Canada prices

 

M/S - $2308

Bal - $1993

O/V - $ 1359

O/V-O - $1149

Int - $1045

 

Very similar to US pricing... our dollar is slightly lower than US right now, so makes sense our prices only slightly higher.

 

Still think those OZ prizes are nuts, unless airfare is included!!

I haven't seen any flash sale prices either for ANY cruise.

[toberman]

Also, fuel surcharges seem to be kept at bay --

 

 

Do you really think so ?? I've noticed prices this year are 1 - 2 hundred $ more than last year. Maybe, like the airlines (at least domestic), they're building the fuel surcharge into the price of the ticket???

[smalldog]

The difference in prices between Oz and US doesn't seem very fair. Our dollars have been pretty much at parity for many months. And we are not permitted to buy from online USA TAs - the cruise line forbids it. Makes me a bit grumpy, really. :mad:

 

Never mind, I shall smile sweetly and get on with my life. I can always just choose not to go if it worries me that much, can't I? ;)

[ibfern]

On the other hand, you can book 16 days on the Ocean Princess (Australia-NZ-Tahiti) for December for as little as $999.

 

Or you can book 12 days on the Star Princess roundtrip Rome in October including overnighting in Egypt for as little as $599.

 

Supply and demand as another poster said.

 

To add more confusion, the price you get from Princess on the Star @ 599 is 995 for me, I am elite!

[caribill]

To add more confusion, the price you get from Princess on the Star @ 599 is 995 for me, I am elite!

 

Since it is a flash sale, you will need to call (TA or Princess) to get the $599 price. It is not shown on the Princess web site.