How do you judge a good deal?

[ilovetotravel1977]

Last year I think I had $100 from the "next cruise" and another $125 or $150 from my TA as OBC.

 

Wow! Your TA is very generous! Is that standard practice for them to give those freebies out?

[5kids2dogs]

Many of you keep saying $100pp per day is your target for a balcony, but in the summer I'm struggling to find any inside rooms within that range. Many mention fall, winter and spring cruises. Should it be a bit higher target for summer?

Edited September 17, 2014 by 5kids2dogs

[Clarea]

Many of you keep saying $100pp per day is your target for a balcony, but in the summer I'm struggling to find any inside rooms within that range. Many mention fall, winter and spring cruises. Should it be a bit higher target for summer?

Yes, summer prices are typicall higher. Many people (myself included) rarely cruise during summer (except for Alaska) so don't consider typical summer prices in the target.

[5kids2dogs]

What should be a target rate for summer/inside then? $100pp plus 20% or 30%?? More?

[portmaster1000]

My wife and I are going on our first cruise in October on Freedom of the Seas. Paid $84 pp/pd for an inside cabin. Would have loved to paid $100 pp/pd for a balcony but didn't know I could get them so cheap. Do you guys just scour the RC website or is there another good website for finding these deals?

 

thanx

PM1K

[Clarea]

My wife and I are going on our first cruise in October on Freedom of the Seas. Paid $84 pp/pd for an inside cabin. Would have loved to paid $100 pp/pd for a balcony but didn't know I could get them so cheap. Do you guys just scour the RC website or is there another good website for finding these deals?

 

thanx

PM1K

When you are using Royal's website to display pricing for a cruise, you can click on "SEE ALL DEPARTURE DATES", and it will show you a list with prices for all departure dates for that particular itinerary. Many times I know a general time we would like to cruise, and I use this feature to pick the least expensive date for that itinerary.

[portmaster1000]

When you are using Royal's website to display pricing for a cruise, you can click on "SEE ALL DEPARTURE DATES", and it will show you a list with prices for all departure dates for that particular itinerary. Many times I know a general time we would like to cruise, and I use this feature to pick the least expensive date for that itinerary.

 

Thanks! If cruising becomes our thing I'll make use of that feature.

 

:)

[Nebr.cruiser]

My wife and I are going on our first cruise in October on Freedom of the Seas. Paid $84 pp/pd for an inside cabin. Would have loved to paid $100 pp/pd for a balcony but didn't know I could get them so cheap. Do you guys just scour the RC website or is there another good website for finding these deals?

 

thanx

PM1K

 

I think it is harder to do RCI cruises for that price, especially in their newer ships, at $100 pp per day for a balcony. October should be a time when you can find bargains, though.

 

For sure check the RC website, as sometimes they do have really good deals, but we find most of our best bargains on various internet travel agent sites. Some are advertised here on Cruise Critic, or you can just google something like "Cruise bargains"--you will get lots of hits. There is also a site that lets you enter a certain itinerary/date and then travel agents will compete for your business. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples, though.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Nebr.cruiser

[snorkelman]

Wow! Your TA is very generous! Is that standard practice for them to give those freebies out?

 

She specializes in RCI so I think she moves a lot of valume so she may get better commissions than others. Her OBC for Carnival is crap. Also, OBC will be better the longer the cruises are. As an example, don't expect much if you are just taking a 3 or 4 day cruise. Also, I cruise 1-3 times a year and my TA probably realizes she gets business from me to allow her to keep me happy. This is why I believe you should never give your business to a TA who just is willing to match another TA. Find one who gives you great service and keep giving them business.

[molly361]

When you are using Royal's website to display pricing for a cruise, you can click on "SEE ALL DEPARTURE DATES", and it will show you a list with prices for all departure dates for that particular itinerary. Many times I know a general time we would like to cruise, and I use this feature to pick the least expensive date for that itinerary.

 

That's what we do as well. We are pretty flexible with the dates.

[dcgrumpy]

Many of you keep saying $100pp per day is your target for a balcony, but in the summer I'm struggling to find any inside rooms within that range. Many mention fall, winter and spring cruises. Should it be a bit higher target for summer?

When do your kids go back to school?

 

Ours don't go back until the week after Labor day so we always go on vacation the week before. We're paying $3111 for 5 of us in a Family OV cabin on IOS 8/30/2015.

[WonderousBlue]

We have the same threshold. What type of rooms are you getting for $100 pp pd?

 

For a 7 night cruise on serenade of seas for this November we booked for 8 people in 2 ocean window rooms for 645 pp, includes all gratuitities .

[Mango Tango]

I usually try to get a balcony for $100 pp, per day. I got a really good deal on the first day of the BOGOHO sale for an E1 balcony on the Serenade in January for $84 pp, per day :cool:

[letsgocruising10]

To get the best deal, you have to be flexible with your itinerary and ship. We booked our first cruise in 1996 Majesty of the Seas for $1199 inside 7 night Caribbean that was pretty much the going rate back then. We have since had great luck finding deals. 7 night Mexican Riviera $449 Ocean View, 14 night Copenhagen to Athens $569 Inside, 12 night Mediterranean / Greek Isles on Celebrity Solstice $1049 Balcony, 13 night Hawaii re-positioning $899 Balcony and our most recent November 29 Oasis B1 Balcony $520 including Gratuities and Specialty Restaurant ( This had resident and Diamond discount applied ).

As one of the previous threads said, keep checking various discount cruise websites and sign up for their e-mail sales. If you get an e-mail deal be prepared to take it immediately, the good deals are gone overnight.

[5kids2dogs]

When do your kids go back to school?

 

Ours don't go back until the week after Labor day so we always go on vacation the week before. We're paying $3111 for 5 of us in a Family OV cabin on IOS 8/30/2015.

 

Our kids will be back in school by then. Also they have extracurricular activities that limits our travel time to later in June. So we have a very short 3 week choice of cruises. All I've seen is way over $100pp unless we jump ship and go with Carnival. I just don't know in June what might be considered a good price. Comparing a cruise throughout the year it seems that June can reach double price or higher than winter or fall. Anyone else travel in June?

[L454S]

Agree with other posters about SHOPPING. There have been times in the past when the cruise line had the cheapest fare. Other times, an internet TA would be far cheaper when counting free gratuities and OBC.

 

Just as an example, next weeks Carnival cruise(signature) was booked a few months ago with an online TA whose deal was $340 total cheaper than booking direct with CCL. However, the booking we did for the Allure(signature) was a few dollars cheaper going through RCI direct than with any online sites even with their OBC, etc.

 

Also thrown into the mix, Cruise Air. Trying to book overseas flights with online TA independently was very expensive(tried several), even if we were booking the cruise with them as a package. Booking with RCI Cruise Air was about a third of the cost and made the trip(Transatlantic) affordable. We did find though that domestic flights were not cheaper with cruise air.

 

Some may not want to be bothered with all this, but I enjoy the pricing games and finding the cruise I want for the price I want(as close as possible anyway)

Edited September 18, 2014 by L454S

[ilovetotravel1977]

What is the Cruise Air?

[NathUK]

Its something you can only get cheaper if the cruise line have a deal with the airlines. Booking flights with a TA? Jeebs, direct is always cheaper in my experience.

[cruis247g]

Agree with other posters about SHOPPING. There have been times in the past when the cruise line had the cheapest fare. Other times, an internet TA would be far cheaper when counting free gratuities and OBC.

 

Just as an example, next weeks Carnival cruise(signature) was booked a few months ago with an online TA whose deal was $340 total cheaper than booking direct with CCL. However, the booking we did for the Allure(signature) was a few dollars cheaper going through RCI direct than with any online sites even with their OBC, etc.

 

Also thrown into the mix, Cruise Air. Trying to book overseas flights with online TA independently was very expensive(tried several), even if we were booking the cruise with them as a package. Booking with RCI Cruise Air was about a third of the cost and made the trip(Transatlantic) affordable. We did find though that domestic flights were not cheaper with cruise air.

 

Some may not want to be bothered with all this, but I enjoy the pricing games and finding the cruise I want for the price I want(as close as possible anyway)

 

You sound like a kindred spirit. I love to shop for travel!

[Clarea]

What is the Cruise Air?

Airline flights arranged by the cruise line. On Royal, it's called Choice Air, and is available to US/Canadian bookings at http://www.choiceair.com.

[NJcruisenewbie]

Our kids will be back in school by then. Also they have extracurricular activities that limits our travel time to later in June. So we have a very short 3 week choice of cruises. All I've seen is way over $100pp unless we jump ship and go with Carnival. I just don't know in June what might be considered a good price. Comparing a cruise throughout the year it seems that June can reach double price or higher than winter or fall. Anyone else travel in June?

 

We did a family reunion cruise to Bermuda on Explorer last June after NJ school let out. We had 5 balcony cabins and paid a little more than double the $100pp people are quoting here. We could have gotten it a little cheaper had we waited to book but we also wouldn't have had cabins all together. Even inside cabins were close to $200pp per day for that cruise. I think going to FL will definitely get you better options since there are more RCL ships to choose from.

[sanger727]

Our kids will be back in school by then. Also they have extracurricular activities that limits our travel time to later in June. So we have a very short 3 week choice of cruises. All I've seen is way over $100pp unless we jump ship and go with Carnival. I just don't know in June what might be considered a good price. Comparing a cruise throughout the year it seems that June can reach double price or higher than winter or fall. Anyone else travel in June?

 

Yeah, with your restrictions the $100pp budget may be unrealistic. If you need a better price, Carnival isn't a bad way to go. But if you really want to cruise Royal, they seem to be higher priced than most of the other mass market lines so, don't feel like you're overpaying if you end up over $100 pp. It just depends on the budget you have. We are very flexible and are able to go with the cruise line and week that's the cheapest for the itinerary we want, but not everyone has that option.

[sapphiregem]

i booked a august cruise due to school letting out for my kids so late on East Coast and I paid 123/pp for the P1 larger panoramic OV room on Navigator...

[reallyitsmema]

Our kids will be back in school by then. Also they have extracurricular activities that limits our travel time to later in June. So we have a very short 3 week choice of cruises. All I've seen is way over $100pp unless we jump ship and go with Carnival. I just don't know in June what might be considered a good price. Comparing a cruise throughout the year it seems that June can reach double price or higher than winter or fall. Anyone else travel in June?

 

We used to travel in June when our son was in high school and the rates are much higher than $100 pp per day. The comparisons that people are making to September and November are not valid since those aren't peak times. We were always at least $150 pp per day. One year, the 3rd person rate in a D1 balcony was $999.:eek: Our total fare that year, including insurance, was around $4,000 for 3.

 

I would suggest you look at another itinerary since the southern Caribbean cruises tend to run higher. Also, look at adjoining or connecting cabins for two, instead of cabins for 4. The first and second person rates in a quad cabins can be higher than those for a cabin for 2.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We never cruise in the summer, but rates are usually higher then because of school vacation, and RCI tends higher yet with the ships with all the bells and whistles.

 

If you definitely want to do Royal Caribbean--and they are great for kids--look into booking when they have various deals that have free or reduced 3 & 4th person rates, or BOGO fares. We had a great deal taking our extended family on a 5 day cruise this Thanksgiving--Under $5000 for 13 people, with tips paid.

 

Unfortunately we have had to cancel for other reasons; it was on the Liberty of the Seas.

 

Be sure you look at the Family OV staterooms, as these hold up to six and can be a good deal. We usually have to call the cruise line as they don't price these on the website--or a good travel agent. Also look for connecting rooms or inside rooms across the hall, if your kids are old enough.