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When is the best time/promo to book a Thanksgiving cruise?

TAYLORCPA

By TAYLORCPA,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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cruisin from vegas

cruisin from vegas

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Every port and ship are differant. My experience ...I will be on Getaway next week for Thanksgiving cruise. I booked in June for s studio solo cabin. I paid over $1200. A few days after final payment the price started dropping and new specials weekly ( no special when I booked). The price is now $800 LESS then I paid. I have been told that Miami ports usually have significant price drops. I dont know about other ports.

 

I am planning on Epic in July out of Barcelona. Going to watch prices when she gets to Europe ..but definately not booking early!

Just my experience.

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

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We booked our upcoming Epic Thanksgiving cruise on July 4 with the Kids Sail Free promotion. It showed up for that cruise for just a few days before it was yanked since it was in error. We paid $1400 total for 3 people in a balcony cabin. Despite price drops and promotions, nothing we've seen since even comes close to that price.

Edited by LrgPizza
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monkeybone

monkeybone

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We booked our upcoming Epic Thanksgiving cruise on July 4 with the Kids Sail Free promotion. It showed up for that cruise for just a few days before it was yanked since it was in error. We paid $1400 total for 3 people in a balcony cabin. Despite price drops and promotions, nothing we've seen since even comes close to that price.

 

You got a great deal...Congrats!

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SissasMomE

SissasMomE

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We are considering cruising next Thanksgiving. Right now NCL is having a 10% OBC. Should I book now or wait? In your experience, when is the best time to book a cruise over the holidays?

 

Thanks !

 

I had a cruise booked for Thanksgiving week on the Epic. We ended up cancelling for a land based vacation instead, but I have never had a cruise as cheap as I got that one for ... and it was during the kids sail free promotion. I just priced it now, and the ship is not sold out and cabins lower than the cat I had a still not as cheap as I had it for. So ... I'm going to say the kids sail free promotion is the best!

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JRos

JRos

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We booked in July for the Getaway cruise this November 29 (Thanksgiving cruise). Myself, my husband and our 2 kids (4 and 19 months). It was the Kids sail free promo. We got it for under $1500 and were upgraded to a family oceanview (I didn't want a balcony, cause of my toddler. Though for $200 we could have upgraded to a mini suite).

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

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We booked in July for the Getaway cruise this November 29 (Thanksgiving cruise). Myself, my husband and our 2 kids (4 and 19 months). It was the Kids sail free promo. We got it for under $1500 and were upgraded to a family oceanview (I didn't want a balcony, cause of my toddler. Though for $200 we could have upgraded to a mini suite).

Am I crazy, or is November 29 not the Thanksgiving cruise? Thanksgiving will happen during the cruise prior to yours.

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JRos

JRos

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Am I crazy, or is November 29 not the Thanksgiving cruise? Thanksgiving will happen during the cruise prior to yours.

 

 

Oops you are correct! I'm Canadian, so our thanksgiving is in October. My mistake - ignore/excuse my above posted drivel lol. For some reason I thought the US Thanksgiving was Nov 29 (as opposed to Nov 27).

Edited by JRos
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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

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Oops you are correct! I'm Canadian, so our thanksgiving is in October. My mistake - ignore/excuse my above posted drivel lol. For some reason I thought the US Thanksgiving was Nov 29 (as opposed to Nov 27).

That makes sense now. Ha! By the way, your Thanksgiving falls on our Columbus Day. I get it off work. haha

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Freckles_51

Freckles_51

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I have to agree with other posters, kids sail free promo is a great deal if you are a party of more than 2 - the promo applies to 3rd and 4th in the cabin regardless of whether they are kids or adults :).

 

We are sailing the week after Thanksgiving - Nov 30. If booked today, only 2 weeks out, the cruise fare is still $$$ more than we paid :D

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monkeybone

monkeybone

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I have to agree with other posters, kids sail free promo is a great deal if you are a party of more than 2 - the promo applies to 3rd and 4th in the cabin regardless of whether they are kids or adults :).

 

We are sailing the week after Thanksgiving - Nov 30. If booked today, only 2 weeks out, the cruise fare is still $$$ more than we paid :D

 

Any idea when they will run the KSF promo again?

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Showtune

Showtune

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We booked the 2014 Thanksgiving cruise on the Sun out of Tampa in March 2014, party of 3 in a large interior (IA) for about $1780 total. The sailing was not part of the Kids Sail Free promotion in April. Prices dropped in May, and we got a price adjustment. Prices dropped massively about 3 weeks out and we upgraded to a balcony guarantee (BD) for a total of $17. If I were to book my original cabin today (7 days out) if would be $239 per person.

 

Considering I live driving distance to the port and there were at least 3 ships doing a similar itinerary on different lines, I would not book far in advance again. I would watch prices and book last minute.

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Freckles_51

Freckles_51

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Any idea when they will run the KSF promo again?

 

I have no idea if they run the promo annually or just whenever. We booked in early July but I think the promo was available May/June. It was only for sailings this year - into December but not sure of the exact dates or if there were blackout dates.

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cruisinmeme

cruisinmeme

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This will be our third thanksgiving cruise leaving next Sunday. All out of New Orleans.

We booked each one the week they appeared online. Want to say 2011 cruise showed up 23 months out. The other two more like 1 1/2 yr out. We had a suite on all three,so not a lot of wiggle room to wait. I will say each time I watched the prices constantly and nothing compared with what we paid.

Also each time we had a 450.00 OBC Also the suites would sell out fast.

 

I will say that just to be curious if the cabin choice is not an issue just before the cruise prices drop. Next year we are not taking grandkids as we have done in past so a suite is not a must. So even tho we are already booked we could wait and probably save big time (regular cabin)

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cruisinmeme

cruisinmeme

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Cruisinmeme - we are interested in booking a suite. Could you share what you booked and the price you paid? Thanks!

 

 

For our cruise in one week:

Ncl dawn. SJ suite. Family suite no balcony

1249. Pp guest 1&2

299. Pp guest 3&4

Total tax just under 400.00

So apprx 3496. For 4 people

With. 450.00 OBC

We booked this December 26,2012 or november 23,2014. 23 months out!!!

This is our second SJ suite. Personally we love it. The kids love the wall of windows. They leave the curtain open at night.

First time we had a SJ suite we had 3 grandkids. Had plenty of space. This time it will be just two of them. They have said they would sleep together on the sofa bed. That way we want pull out the Murphy bed. It does get crowded at night with all that. The table was large and we had 5 chairs.

We were concerned about being on deck 12 and forward, no issue at all.

Last year we was on the jewel and they do not have the SJ suite so we had the aft balcony suite. Over rated in my eyes. Yes, nice view, but cabin is small (only holds 3 people) we had a group is trip so we booked one grandchild in our cabin.

I was not crazy about the walking. If you go any further back, you are in the ocean. lol

The suite perks are to die for.

Good luck with whatever you do.

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TAYLORCPA

TAYLORCPA

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That is a great price! I priced that suite for next Thanksgiving and it was $1000 more than your price! We are spoiled though - we had a 2 br family suite and I'm not sure we could go back to one room! Do the suites on the Dawn tend to sell out? I considered booking the SJ just to get on the ship and then upgrade from there.

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cruisinmeme

cruisinmeme

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That is a great price! I priced that suite for next Thanksgiving and it was $1000 more than your price! We are spoiled though - we had a 2 br family suite and I'm not sure we could go back to one room! Do the suites on the Dawn tend to sell out? I considered booking the SJ just to get on the ship and then upgrade from there.

 

Yes they sell out fast. Check it out , only cabins remaining are completely forward. I did a mock booking for next thanksgiving and for 4 people it was like 700.00 more. Didn't I see something about receiving 10% off cruise cost. Some weird sale. If so that would work out nice.

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