El Cheapo Cruises Thread

[willsaway]

I found the site referred to by Gut, same same no different. Headline banner has balconies from $1199, but go one or two steps further and they jump to $1599ish

[teecee60]

Just booked the 29 night Golden Princess transpacific cruise from Sydney to Los Angeles on 8 April 2020. Inside cabins are $1679pp and OV cabins are $1737. Available through a major cruise consolidator in the US. Only downside is... that dirt cheap fare requires FULL PAYMENT up front... and is not changeable or refundable. As always taxes are extra... but throw in $250 OBC for military, and $250 OBC for shareholder... and THAT is a fantastic deal.

[Ru2on]

SL27OCT19
 Celebrity Solstice
 12 Nights
 Sydney to Auckland (via Hobart)
Departs Sydney
 Sun 27 Oct 201

 

$1,234 for balcony guarantee 

$949 inside

Edited October 16, 2019 by Ru2on
Add extra info

[Aus Traveller]

16 minutes ago, teecee60 said:

Just booked the 29 night Golden Princess transpacific cruise from Sydney to Los Angeles on 8 April 2020. Inside cabins are $1679pp and OV cabins are $1737. Available through a major cruise consolidator in the US. Only downside is... that dirt cheap fare requires FULL PAYMENT up front... and is not changeable or refundable. As always taxes are extra... but throw in $250 OBC for military, and $250 OBC for shareholder... and THAT is a fantastic deal.

As the cruise isn't an Australian round-trip, I think it's likely they will charge auto-gratuities and the 18% gratuity on drinks will apply. Is the on-board currency US$?

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, willsaway said:

I found the site referred to by Gut, same same no different. Headline banner has balconies from $1199, but go one or two steps further and they jump to $1599ish

The cheap cabins (ones in the offer) may already be gone. They are normally limited in number and get taken quickly.

[The_Big_M]

I'd say that's what happened, especially as this pricing is below standard Celebrity special pricing it would go quick.

[MicCanberra]

Those deals tend to last hours at the longest rather than days.

[Aus Traveller]

I just received an email advertising a flash sale by P&O. Cruises are all from Sydney and are available until Friday evening only. They include 3 night comedy cruises ($266 triple), 10 night to Vanuatu ($799 twin), one to Moreton Island ($399 quad), 14 night Singapore-Sydney $799 quad, 10 night Qld coast $799 quad.

[challis]

hmmm

 

i thought i got a good deal,and i am savvy to bag   a 8 night princess 5 dec cruise

 

$1200 balcony p/p. 2 weeks ago.$150 per night

 

.today same cabin is $981at OZ website.  $123  per night.if you ring princess ,

 

do they give OBC for difference?i,m seeing quite a few marked down cruises this end of year.economy

 

must be hard.celebrity is going very cheap to nz and pacific too.hard to get bums on seats..make the most of it

 

book say  4 weeks out for ripper deals...

[Aus Traveller]

28 minutes ago, challis said:

i thought i got a good deal,and i am savvy to bag   a 8 night princess 5 dec cruise $1200 balcony p/p. 2 weeks ago.$150 per night. today same cabin is $981at OZ website.  $123  per night.if you ring princess , do they give OBC for difference? i,m seeing quite a few marked down cruises this end of year.economy  must be hard.celebrity is going very cheap to nz and pacific too.hard to get bums on seats..make the most of it   book say  4 weeks out for ripper deals...

You can try with Princess, but I doubt that you will be able to change the deal you have booked and I don't think they will give OBC.

 

I would be very interested in that deal you mention, but we will be on another cruise at that time.

[Bubbeh]

35 minutes ago, challis said:

i thought i got a good deal,and i am savvy to bag   a 8 night princess 5 dec cruise

 

$1200 balcony p/p. 2 weeks ago.$150 per night

 

.today same cabin is $981at OZ website.  $123  per night.if you ring princess ,

I remain in jealous awe of those living on the eastern side of this great country.  So many cheap and interesting cruises are available out to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne but, it you're over in the west you can only dream of such options.  By the time you add you airfares, airport parking and at least one night's accommodation into the economic mix, you're no longer looking at a cheap trip.  Good for all that can take advantage of such special offers though.

[challis]

Rang TA who promptly added $100 OBC to account.

Considering I booked balcony GTY I am happy.

The TA could have said no.and I would have understood.so a win.win_______

 

Until some one tells us they got a better deal..

 

 😂😃😄😁😊😅😂😂😂!!!

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by challis

[MicCanberra]

I doubt they will refare or offer OBC for the difference.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, Bubbeh said:

I remain in jealous awe of those living on the eastern side of this great country.  So many cheap and interesting cruises are available out to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne but, it you're over in the west you can only dream of such options.  By the time you add you airfares, airport parking and at least one night's accommodation into the economic mix, you're no longer looking at a cheap trip.  Good for all that can take advantage of such special offers though.

Certainly makes it more difficult.

[MicCanberra]

47 minutes ago, challis said:

Rang TA who promptly added $100 OBC to account.

Considering I booked balcony GTY I am happy.

The TA could have said no.and I would have understood.so a win.win_______

 

Until some one tells us they got a better deal..

 

 😂😃😄😁😊😅😂😂😂!!!

 

Great work, I am glad the TA was accommodating.

[andlep]

Princess is having a summer sale so it might pay to check bookings. 

My cruise to New Zealand from Melbourne (Golden Princess 10/01/20 BF balcony twin) dropped 600 dollars. Cancellation fee was $190 so I rang princess, re -booked and saved 400 dollars. This is the second time I have done this. Originally in April, the fare was 6180 dollars and now I paid 4200 dollars, so overall saving nearly 1800 dollars (minus the 200 dollar penalty).

[ninjacat8]

44 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Certainly makes it more difficult.

We are extremely lucky, we only live 30 minutes by car from the OPT, friends drop us off and pick us up

OR we could catch the train directly to Circular.Quay

👏🏻🍀🍾🥂🎉🌴🚢🐸🍷☀️🦋🐙🐬

[MicCanberra]

52 minutes ago, andlep said:

Princess is having a summer sale so it might pay to check bookings. 

My cruise to New Zealand from Melbourne (Golden Princess 10/01/20 BF balcony twin) dropped 600 dollars. Cancellation fee was $190 so I rang princess, re -booked and saved 400 dollars. This is the second time I have done this. Originally in April, the fare was 6180 dollars and now I paid 4200 dollars, so overall saving nearly 1800 dollars (minus the 200 dollar penalty).

Great bargain hunting, sometimes it pays to renegotiate.

[trishh]

1 hour ago, andlep said:

Princess is having a summer sale so it might pay to check bookings. 

My cruise to New Zealand from Melbourne (Golden Princess 10/01/20 BF balcony twin) dropped 600 dollars. Cancellation fee was $190 so I rang princess, re -booked and saved 400 dollars. This is the second time I have done this. Originally in April, the fare was 6180 dollars and now I paid 4200 dollars, so overall saving nearly 1800 dollars (minus the 200 dollar penalty).

I think it also works well to book early. I booked this cruise one year ago and $4000 was what I paid for a BD cabin on Caribe deck, with $400 OBC an ultimate balcony breakfast, and dinner at a speciality restaurant for 2 nights. I've watched the prices all year and they've never gone lower. 

[Aus Traveller]

38 minutes ago, trishh said:

I think it also works well to book early. I booked this cruise one year ago and $4000 was what I paid for a BD cabin on Caribe deck, with $400 OBC an ultimate balcony breakfast, and dinner at a speciality restaurant for 2 nights. I've watched the prices all year and they've never gone lower. 

Some cruises have special prices closer to sailing, but not most.

[GUT2407]

Celebrity Solstice if you can drop and go

[GUT2407]

It was the Conciegre that really caught my eye.

[MicCanberra]

I wouldn't pay extra for concierge but am willing to have it when cheaper than Balcony.

[GUT2407]

2 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

I wouldn't pay extra for concierge but am willing to have it when cheaper than Balcony.

That was really my point, $600 less than a balcony. The only time I have sailed concierge was because we paid slightly less for what, for us, was a better location.

[MicCanberra]

Yep, the canapes are not worth anything for me.