How to figure es price drops or rises

[CENTEX CRUISER]

I booked the Triumph a while back for $499 PP starting balcony rate on CCL website..Then it dropped to $439 PP , sent in ES form and got the credit in 3 days. Then it went to $489 PP , stayed that way till today , and now went to $509 PP..This is an Oct 22/12 sailing. So is it because the ship really seems to be filling up the reason they jack up the prices now ? Seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how these price changes occur ? :confused:

[Donmar55]

I think it may be due to factors such as how much of the ship is booked, what catagory cabins have been sold, port charges and taxes and also the price of fuel. Carnival does not want to sail a ship with any empty cabins which is why they offer free upgrades. The more people, the more drinks, the more money made. Keep a constant eye on the prices. I am sailing on the Breeze in July to Europe. The price has dropped 3 times and about $550 per person 8C midship port balcony. We looked at all the discounts...Past guests, super saver and found the best choice for us was early saver. you can choose your own cabin and location and are guarateed lowest price. Only drawback may be with early saver, you can not have your deposit refunded should you cancel. What they will do instead is apply your deposit to another cruise of your choice minus a $50 cancellation fee. keep checking the price of your cruise every few days, it fluctuates from day to day. As soon as you see a lower price contact carnival or your travel agent to have them lock you into the lower price. You may have to do it several times. I've made the call 3 times already myself and if it goes down again I'll make a fourth call. They will honor the lowest price up until the day before you sail. I also saved $500 per person on a Carnival cruise 2 yrs ago by constantly checling the price. If you don't check yourself, carnival or your travel agent definitely won't check for you. HAPPY CRUISING !!!! The money is better in our pockets than theirs/.....

[Kilnwood]

My observation--and I've been crusing since 1986--is that a couple of days after final payment is due I'll see a price drop, and sometimes that price drop has literally been hundreds of dollars! I've never discussed this with anyone, but I believe there are more than a few people out there who book a cruise, put down a deposit, and then don't make the final payment.

 

As Donmar has stated, a ship has to sail full, or as close to full as possible, so the line can make money. Several times over the years I've heard that when a cruise ship sails, all the expenses have been paid, and whatever the passengers spend while aboard is profit.....

 

We're lucky enough to have a travel agent who checks on a daily basis for price drops for all her clients and then arranges for the credits; I'm dreading the day she announces she's going to retire!

 

HAPPY CRUISING!