Do prices tend to go UP or Down close to cruise

[Kverlinger]

We are booked in an interior room for 4 people. I'm kicking myself for not booking a cove balcony instead, now 39 days out (on the Breeze), it seems like the prices keep going up for the most part. I was really close to upgrading yesterday. It would of been 1000 more. I check today, and its 1380 more.

 

From your experience, do prices just steadily increase or do you think I have a chance of them dropping again? I have a feeling that since its the Breeze in the middle of summer, prices are going to stay the same or go UP.

 

TIA :)

[jwalk03]

It just depends how well the cruise is selling. If it is selling well with few empty cabins remaining the prices will continue to rise. If there are lots of empty cabins prices may decline. It is all based on an algorithm.

[winddawn]

We are booked in an interior room for 4 people. I'm kicking myself for not booking a cove balcony instead, now 39 days out (on the Breeze), it seems like the prices keep going up for the most part. I was really close to upgrading yesterday. It would of been 1000 more. I check today, and its 1380 more.

 

From your experience, do prices just steadily increase or do you think I have a chance of them dropping again? I have a feeling that since its the Breeze in the middle of summer, prices are going to stay the same or go UP.

 

TIA :)

It really depends on how full the ship is. And for more popular cabins like cove balcony cabins, price drops are less likely because they tend to sell out. You never know if someone already booked in a cove balcony might accept an upsell offer from Carnival though freeing up a cabin.

 

I think prices overall are higher this year.

[maldenmusic]

It really depends on how full the ship is. And for more popular cabins like cove balcony cabins, price drops are less likely because they tend to sell out. You never know if someone already booked in a cove balcony might accept an upsell offer from Carnival though freeing up a cabin.

 

I think prices overall are higher this year.

 

This is the first time in 9 cruises that our cruise had not had a price drop

[love my grandkids]

It just depends how well the cruise is selling. If it is selling well with few empty cabins remaining the prices will continue to rise. If there are lots of empty cabins prices may decline. It is all based on an algorithm.

 

exactly

[springs741]

I really don't think a cove is going to go down in price on a summer cruise. There are such a limited number and are very popular.

 

I try not to sail summer but with kids/grandkids in school and two teachers sometimes we have to. I very carefully check prices from the date they are booked, sometimes 15 months ahead of time. Summer cruises don't go down significantly. The exception seems to be after bad publicity.

 

Go, have a wonderful cruise and enjoy.

[T. Advisor King]

While it is true to say that a price change will depend on how well the cruise is selling, the more fundamental factor is how accurately the cruise line set the prices for the cabins in the first place, compared to the demand that subsequently revealed itself between the on-sale date and the sailing date.

 

The cruise line has to "guess" what the demand will be for each cabin on each cruise and set its price accordingly. That creates the supply. The demand is already out and waiting, but also still developing between the initial "on sale" date and the sailing date. If the cruise line guesses right, it sets a price that perfectly matches the demand. The cabins sell steadily and the cruise line collects every available dollar.

 

If the cruise line guesses too low, the sales start off brisk and the cruise line will likely raise the fare. But raising the fare won't recapture the potential revenue lost in the initial bookings at the lower price.

 

If the cruise line guesses too high, sales will be slow and they will reduce price to ensure they sell the cabins so as not to sail with empty cabins. In these cases, typically the amount they earn in extra revenue from the few high-price early sales is more than offset by the subsequent discounting. If they had priced it originally a little lower, they would have earned more total revenue than they received by selling a few cabins high, and then most of the cabins low.

 

The actual mechanics are all very complicated, and can be different for different types of cabins (e.g., interior vs. balcony). The revenues also depend on the fare type chosen. And what they consider "steady" sales can vary, depending on the exact details of the sailing.

 

There is really no way to predict whether prices will go up or down as the sailing date approaches (unless you have access to the total inventory of cabins and you have a good understanding for what a "normal" sales program would look like).

[love my grandkids]

We have found that pricing for hurricane season cruises tend to go down as we get closer to the cruise.

 

We will typically start off with inside and upsell ourselves to ov or balcony when we get closer to sail date.

 

Summers usually sell very well and prices tend upward.

[love my grandkids]

While it is true to say that a price change will depend on how well the cruise is selling, the more fundamental factor is how accurately the cruise line set the prices for the cabins in the first place, compared to the demand that subsequently revealed itself between the on-sale date and the sailing date.

 

The cruise line has to "guess" what the demand will be for each cabin on each cruise and set its price accordingly. That creates the supply. The demand is already out and waiting, but also still developing between the initial "on sale" date and the sailing date. If the cruise line guesses right, it sets a price that perfectly matches the demand. The cabins sell steadily and the cruise line collects every available dollar.

 

If the cruise line guesses too low, the sales start off brisk and the cruise line will likely raise the fare. But raising the fare won't recapture the potential revenue lost in the initial bookings at the lower price.

 

If the cruise line guesses too high, sales will be slow and they will reduce price to ensure they sell the cabins so as not to sail with empty cabins. In these cases, typically the amount they earn in extra revenue from the few high-price early sales is more than offset by the subsequent discounting. If they had priced it originally a little lower, they would have earned more total revenue than they received by selling a few cabins high, and then most of the cabins low.

 

The actual mechanics are all very complicated, and can be different for different types of cabins (e.g., interior vs. balcony). The revenues also depend on the fare type chosen. And what they consider "steady" sales can vary, depending on the exact details of the sailing.

 

There is really no way to predict whether prices will go up or down as the sailing date approaches (unless you have access to the total inventory of cabins and you have a good understanding for what a "normal" sales program would look like).

 

Good post agree with pretty much all you said.

[vwrestler171]

Cove balcony on a summer cruise I wouldn't expect to drop, only raise. If you were going off peak season, I would expect it to drop.