Prices for 2015 and thoughts

[CRUISIN LINDA]

But Fred's ships have been better maintained than Thomson's ships over the years. Thomson's so called platinum upgrades are a bit late in coming.

 

Was watching Planet Cruise earlier this evening. Some beautiful ships, great itineraries and prices similar ( or less ) than Thomson.

 

You don't have to sell Fred to me. As you can see I have been on Braemar 3 times :) The difference is that Fred own their ships & Thomson don't. A bit like renting or owning your home. You will not spend money doing up someone else's property ;)

[campolady]

it's a shame Thomson don't encourage their early bookers with more reasonable prices rather than 'giving the cruises away' at the last minute.

!

 

Exactly! We paid just £273 for a weeks cruise only on Majesty earlier this month which was ridiculously good value. Would love to book now for this time next year but silly prices in comparison so will hold on for a, hopefully, late bargain again.

 

With so many drinks at a supplement nowadays the 'free' or 'cheap' AI package that use to be a good tempter for early booking has lost its appeal now.

[joeholiday2]

The "free or cheap" drinks package does not really exist.

We booked back in November to get the £69 a week deal and believe me we really did get our moneys worth :)

 

When I checked the price a week before we were due to sail if we had waited and booked it then we would have saved £100 each, so I wasn't unhappy about that, if it had been a lot more I would have been very aggrieved.

I think that the price did not get heavily discounted because it was prime School holidays. We had to take those so was happy that we knew that it was booked in and we secured the cabin we wanted.

 

I am waiting for the May half term week prices to drop, but am not holding my breath, I don't think they will. It will be a a staycation if nothing cheap comes up and save the money towards the summer hols.

[campolady]

I am waiting for the May half term week prices to drop, but am not holding my breath, I don't think they will. It will be a a staycation if nothing cheap comes up and save the money towards the summer hols.

 

 

Have just decided to do a road trip up to the Costa Calida, Mar Menor and Southern Costa Blanca for the last week in May - even allowing for good quality hotels, eating out, petrol etc. its a far better deal than we could find for a cruise (and believe me I really tried!!!).

[joeholiday2]

Have just decided to do a road trip up to the Costa Calida, Mar Menor and Southern Costa Blanca for the last week in May - even allowing for good quality hotels, eating out, petrol etc. its a far better deal than we could find for a cruise (and believe me I really tried!!!).

 

 

Sounds nice Brenda.

 

There aren't even any cheap flights to the holiday destinations otherwise we would have just done a land based holiday. :(:(

[SuzyPaulB]

Thank you Suzy. As you might have seen, myself & my daughter just had a 'sneaky week' on the Celebration & got such a good deal - it's a shame Thomson don't encourage their early bookers with more reasonable prices rather than 'giving the cruises away' at the last minute.

 

Even more looking forward to the Dream now!!! Are you on for 1 or 2 weeks? I can't remember!

 

We are on for 2! Have to say am looking forward to it as hubby has been working so hard, we all need some time together! Have found some good recent reviews on Cruise.co.uk!

 

I am quite excited that we can watch her on Saturday on the Palma webcam - it means our holiday is close now!

 

I spotted that you are also off on a Fred short break to try it - have you been yet? I was on the Fred forum working out whether to look at the half term break next year!

 

Suzy

[Julessmiles]

We are on for 2! Have to say am looking forward to it as hubby has been working so hard, we all need some time together! Have found some good recent reviews on Cruise.co.uk!

 

I am quite excited that we can watch her on Saturday on the Palma webcam - it means our holiday is close now!

 

I spotted that you are also off on a Fred short break to try it - have you been yet? I was on the Fred forum working out whether to look at the half term break next year!

 

Suzy

 

 

I am going on the Fred short break at the end of June. Fred's prices are very good for families - for anyone sharing a cabin, the 3rd & 4th person reduction is 75% off no matter what age.

 

I thought we would be onboard for one of your weeks!

[davetrucker]

Yes but there a many like me that have no interest in cruising on these new all singing all dancing cruise ships with ice rinks,climbing walls etc and thousands of passengers

 

We are the same Jim. When you see these great big ships that hold 1000's of passenger I do think it"s for us.we have been docked along side of the NCL's Epic and no thank you. We like the smaller ships that Thomson have .The crew are excellent and soon get to know you and look after you well

[Jim The Scot]

Likewise dave,been docked alongside numerous humogous ships,not for us at the mo anyway.Just cant see the same camaraderie with fellow cruisers and staff on these ships like you get with the likes of Thomsons(I may well be wrong).

 

A couple we met a few cruises ago on the Dream said as much to us,now cant remember what ship they had been on but it was over 3,000 pasengers.The met a very nice couple the very first night,shared a few drinks and a laugh but never saw them again for the rest of the cruise

[Langtoncouple]

Some of the passengers on Thomson ships are creatures of habit and I am speaking for ourselves. We would have dinner , go to a show and see the same people sitting in the same seats at the same times. We usually ended the evening sitting in the Argo lounge chatting to the same groups of people. They were just like old friends by the end of the week.

[ormy]

As this forum started off with 2015 prices. We booked this time last year for 2014 in order to get the free AI.

We have, today, run through a dummy booking the same as we have got, including paying for AI, and guess what - todays price is cheaper than we paid last April.

No way will we be booking early again, you only have to look at the offers available for the coming summer from lots of cruise companies, no matter what you will always get a holiday to suit.

Yes we do like Thomson, but lets be sensible, money does matter.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

As this forum started off with 2015 prices. We booked this time last year for 2014 in order to get the free AI.

We have, today, run through a dummy booking the same as we have got, including paying for AI, and guess what - todays price is cheaper than we paid last April.

No way will we be booking early again, you only have to look at the offers available for the coming summer from lots of cruise companies, no matter what you will always get a holiday to suit.

Yes we do like Thomson, but lets be sensible, money does matter.

Agree Ormy! Just had a brochure today with P&O Med cruises for May 2014 for around £300! I booked my Aegean Delights on 31st March at our local TA and she ASSURED me that the £50 voucher ended that day. When I checked on 4th april (Yes I know I shouldn't :rolleyes:) not only was the cruise £40 cheaper but the £50 offer was still on :mad: Even now that the £50 off has finished, it is still £40 cheaper :rolleyes:

 

He ho never mind - instead of booking a Thomson trip I shall do a DIY trip, lol

 

And I did get the cabin we had last time - outside plus - don't want to have to settle for a standard cabin on Majesty :eek:

[campolady]

Agree Ormy! Just had a brochure today with P&O Med cruises for May 2014 for around £300! I booked my Aegean Delights on 31st March at our local TA and she ASSURED me that the £50 voucher ended that day. When I checked on 4th april (Yes I know I shouldn't :rolleyes:) not only was the cruise £40 cheaper but the £50 offer was still on :mad: Even now that the £50 off has finished, it is still £40 cheaper :rolleyes:

 

He ho never mind - instead of booking a Thomson trip I shall do a DIY trip, lol

 

And I did get the cabin we had last time - outside plus - don't want to have to settle for a standard cabin on Majesty :eek:

 

 

We booked for 20 November at the end of last year as the price wasn' t too bad and the 'free' AI package was being offered.

 

Now £100 per person cheaper and the AI is still 'free'.

 

Late bookings for us in future.

Edited May 1, 2014 by campolady

[Stevio]

We booked for 20 November at the end of last year as the price wasn' t too bad and the 'free' AI package was being offered.

 

Now £100 per person cheaper and the AI is still 'free'.

 

Late bookings for us in future.

 

On Island Escape (easier to compare as AI always included) the same 3rd June cruise with identical inside cabins I booked in March are now £260 cheaper for total cruise price.... But could have been worse, had you booked at the end of last December you would currently have paid an extra £482... And there are still 30 days of price drops to go :eek:

Not that I keep obsessively checking or anything like that :o

[CRUISIN LINDA]

My cruise on the Majesty has dropped £40 :( I know I shouldn't have looked! What really annoyed me though was that the TA assured me the £50 off offer finished on the day I booked, when it actually went on for another 4 days and also the price dropped after I booked :rolleyes: so could I have saved £90 :mad:

[NorthWalesCouple]

Looks like price have gone up (OCT) by around £200 ish. Seems strange given the £ has strengthened by about 5% plus. (Euro in terms of paying Louis and the dollar in terms of paying for fuel). Positives though good flight times from Edinburgh (great), also all those lucky people who can go to Rovinj with the Celebration. What are everyone's thoughts:):):)

 

 

Thinking Thomson are getting to be more a rip off P&O are cheaper but hey ho there ya go. Love the Dream and would do it again but for Pricing!

[FIFE1]

Well booked for 2015, checked out P&O but in 2015 seems no Scottish options (also despite attractive advert price not that much cheaper than Thomson). Anyway got a deal similar to this year. Also checked out island Escape, (I like proper brands), so when you added in the new daily charge (all adults must book). it came out very similar to Majesty. 5 new places over the two weeks, including Albania, looking forwrad to it.:):):):)

[WeeCountyMan]

We've been looking at "Ancient Wonders" and decided the Oct.2014 date would be best - not as hot as July/August etc.

 

The £10 pppn drinks deal has been pulled and I doubt we could justify the £398 package over 7 nights.

 

However, with the drinks package added, the overall price for this October is still a decent bit under that of the cheapest dates for 2015 with free AI.

 

In which case I'm in no hurry to book - the £398 offer will still be there later and basic cabin prices are likely to fall as the date approaches.

Edited May 10, 2014 by WeeCountyMan
grammar

[kruzseeka]

We've been looking at "Ancient Wonders" and decided the Oct.2014 date would be best - not as hot as July/August etc.

 

The £10 pppn drinks deal has been pulled and I doubt we could justify the £398 package over 7 nights.

 

However, with the drinks package added, the overall price for this October is still a decent bit under that of the cheapest dates for 2015 with free AI.

 

In which case I'm in no hurry to book - the £398 offer will still be there later and basic cabin prices are likely to fall as the date approaches.

 

 

Given those details, I would agree with your assessment of the situation WCM. Certainly I've always believed this no-man's land period about 6 months out is the worst time to book. We have occasionally been too greedy :o and watched prices fall then seen them rise again(!) but also several times have regretted booking after the initial perks have disappeared but before the late offers pop up. Good luck with that - hope you get a good deal. :);)

[WeeCountyMan]

"Good luck with that - hope you get a good deal. :);)"

 

One can but try !!!

 

I was under the illusion that the £10 pppn add on drinks package (or £15 on some other cruises) was a permanent deal where shown in the brochure - unlike the so called "free" AI offers which are withdrawn as Thomson considered tactically advantageous.

 

I notice Fred Olsen now offer a £10 deal across the board as far as I can determine.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

We had free AI on Fred as we booked early, but the £10 per person per night was very popular and quite extensive. We would certainly pay that if we go on Fred again.

[kruzseeka]

We had free AI on Fred as we booked early, but the £10 per person per night was very popular and quite extensive. We would certainly pay that if we go on Fred again.

 

After the free AI disappeared did they keep the £10 p.p./night offer on indefinitely or did they pull it some time before departure as Thomson do? It does seem to be a decent deal - we'd buy it too.

[Calomax]

Yes but there a many like me that have no interest in cruising on these new all singing all dancing cruise ships with ice rinks,climbing walls etc and thousands of passengers

 

Dead right Jim. If not Thomson, we would only consider Fred Olsen, Saga or the like.

[Bodster]

What an interesting read this read has been regarding the prices and the best time to book. We have been looking at booking on the Majesty for next year but thought the prices were a little high and there didnt seem to be an incentive to book so early.

 

We only booked about 6 weeks before going on the Dream recently so no real experience regarding the best times to book.

 

After reading through this i will wait.

 

Are there any times of the year when there are offers on or is it just a case of keeping an eye on the prices?

 

Also regarding the free all inclusive, i get the impression that this will get removed and i assume the price will drop?

[joeholiday2]

What an interesting read this read has been regarding the prices and the best time to book. We have been looking at booking on the Majesty for next year but thought the prices were a little high and there didnt seem to be an incentive to book so early.

 

We only booked about 6 weeks before going on the Dream recently so no real experience regarding the best times to book.

 

After reading through this i will wait.

 

Are there any times of the year when there are offers on or is it just a case of keeping an eye on the prices?

 

Also regarding the free all inclusive, i get the impression that this will get removed and i assume the price will drop?

 

The free AI will go to £69 each per week for a while, then it will be removed completely. The prices will go down accordingly.

 

Last 2 summers we have booked 4 to 5 weeks before and got good prices.

 

Last time we booked 10 days before and then the prices went up as there was less availability of cabins and flights.

 

There doesn't seem to be a definite strategy that works, it is a black art and Thomson know what they are doing, just keep checking the prices and book when you are happy with the price.