How low do they go?

[Eglesbrech]

I've seen odd comments on here recently about P&O selling off cabins cheaply, particulalry on the bigger ships and the impact that the posters perceive that this has.

 

I have to say that I have not seen any "bargain basement" prices but perhaps I am just looking in the wrong places:D.

 

I have seen weekly late reductions that offer percentage discounts off but probably the most I have seen is about 30% with the discounts usually being lower, this week the highest is 21%. Offset that against the OBC and /or parking that early select customers get or the discount that early saver fares get and while there may still be a bargain to be had, it is not massive (and yes a bit annoying sometimes if you are on the wrong side of it but that's fluid pricing for you).

 

As I say, I may just not see these things so in your experience how low do the prices go and does it in your opinion change the nature of a cruise when this happens?

[daiB]

People are living in the past. This was true 4/5/6 years ago but of late the very late cheap deal has been quite rare.

 

I see far more posts in other places where people are complaining that prices have not come down.

 

We are not all lucky enough to cruise on a regular basis so if your last experience was a few years ago you may think things will be the same now.

 

November is a good month for deals. I.e. Cruises in November.

 

 

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[davecttr]

Carnival shares are now 5135p :D

 

the cruise industry must be thriving

[Eglesbrech]

People are living in the past. This was true 4/5/6 years ago but of late the very late cheap deal has been quite rare.

 

I see far more posts in other places where people are complaining that prices have not come down.

 

We are not all lucky enough to cruise on a regular basis so if your last experience was a few years ago you may think things will be the same now.

 

November is a good month for deals. I.e. Cruises in November.

 

 

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I would tend to agree with that view Dai, booking early is now probably a better strategy while a few years ago late booking was better for price.

 

For clarity I am not personally looking for a bargain, we have all our cruises booked for this year and next. I do however still read the discounts being offered in marketing emails etc. This thread was more by way of a discussion.

[insanemagnet]

How low do prices go? I have paid as little as £45 pppn and in March this year P&O were selling an Easter cruise for that price.

 

Mind you I have paid around £25 pppn with another Carnival company, and that was a fly cruise and included the flights.

 

Where to buy? Some are sold direct by P&O, but some of the very cheap deals are fly cruises sold through travel agents who package them with their own flights.

[grapau27]

How low do prices go? I have paid as little as £45 pppn and in March this year P&O were selling an Easter cruise for that price.

 

Mind you I have paid around £25 pppn with another Carnival company, and that was a fly cruise and included the flights.

 

Where to buy? Some are sold direct by P&O, but some of the very cheap deals are fly cruises sold through travel agents who package them with their own flights.

Interesting post.

[Florry]

In the last couple of years I've only seen really cheap deals in November, but I haven't been looking too hard.

 

 

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[daiB]

Having to use the scooter I have no chance of a cheap late deal so we are booked up to March 19.

 

 

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[terrierjohn]

How low do prices go? I have paid as little as £45 pppn and in March this year P&O were selling an Easter cruise for that price.

 

Mind you I have paid around £25 pppn with another Carnival company, and that was a fly cruise and included the flights.

 

Where to buy? Some are sold direct by P&O, but some of the very cheap deals are fly cruises sold through travel agents who package them with their own flights.

I am guessing that the cheap Easter deal this year was Oceana's re-positioning cruise to Malta. Those prices were way lower than anything I have seen in recent times, so for some reason that cruise was very unpopular, good luck to those who booked it late.

[insanemagnet]

I am guessing that the cheap Easter deal this year was Oceana's re-positioning cruise to Malta.

 

No, although the Oceana cruise from Malta with the changed itinerary of Albania instead of Turkey did drop a bit.

 

The one that fell in price was a roundtrip from Southampton to Spain. The price dropped suddenly late one evening, remained at that low price overnight, and then over the next few days dramatically increased to an absurdly high price.

[terrierjohn]

No, although the Oceana cruise from Malta with the changed itinerary of Albania instead of Turkey did drop a bit.

 

The one that fell in price was a roundtrip from Southampton to Spain. The price dropped suddenly late one evening, remained at that low price overnight, and then over the next few days dramatically increased to an absurdly high price.

That sounds more likely to have been a computer glitch in their fluid pricing software rather than a genuine price drop.

[insanemagnet]

That sounds more likely to have been a computer glitch in their fluid pricing software rather than a genuine price drop.

 

Possibly, possibly not.

 

But from a customer point of view, all that is important is glitches/deals do exist.

[Josy1953]

We are normally Select price people but last month we spotted a good deal for a cruise on Oriana just 10 days before sailing so we immediately jumped on it and had a fantastic cruise. We had an outside cabin rather than our usual balcony but at £300 each for 6 days we were happy. I think that deals are few and far between these days but if you keep your eye on the website they are available sometimes.

 

We may do the same if we ever see a cruise that we want to do at a low price but we prefer to choose our cabin and dining time so will still book well in advance for our planned cruises. If you don't mind a lack of control over these things keep looking.

[daiB]

We are normally Select price people but last month we spotted a good deal for a cruise on Oriana just 10 days before sailing so we immediately jumped on it and had a fantastic cruise. We had an outside cabin rather than our usual balcony but at £300 each for 6 days we were happy. I think that deals are few and far between these days but if you keep your eye on the website they are available sometimes.

In that case it is most possibly some one who has dropped out very late after the full amount has been paid. At that point there would be no refunds so the company have made their money on the cabin. Good on them for selling cheap.

 

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[Eglesbrech]

How low do prices go? I have paid as little as £45 pppn and in March this year P&O were selling an Easter cruise for that price.

.

 

That is low. I tend to think that I have got a bit of a bargain if I get a standard balcony for anything under £100 per night on a 7 day cruise (and sometimes a bit less on a longer voyage).

[insanemagnet]

Ah, at those prices you don't get a window, let alone a balcony.

[my marina bay]

We are normally Select price people but last month we spotted a good deal for a cruise on Oriana just 10 days before sailing so we immediately jumped on it and had a fantastic cruise. We had an outside cabin rather than our usual balcony but at £300 each for 6 days we were happy. I think that deals are few and far between these days but if you keep your eye on the website they are available sometimes.

 

We may do the same if we ever see a cruise that we want to do at a low price but we prefer to choose our cabin and dining time so will still book well in advance for our planned cruises. If you don't mind a lack of control over these things keep looking.

 

We nearly booked that cruise at the offer of 375 pp after OH spotted it on an email from a well known cold TA. Unfortunately we had commitments we couldn't change.

 

For info we paid 80 pppn for a balcony on Brittania booking a month before on a gtee basis.

[Eglesbrech]

Ah, at those prices you don't get a window, let alone a balcony.

 

Still a good price even at that. You wouldn't get a travel lodge for that price.

[Josy1953]

In that case it is most possibly some one who has dropped out very late after the full amount has been paid. At that point there would be no refunds so the company have made their money on the cabin. Good on them for selling cheap.

 

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I don't think so Dai, the price stayed the same for 3 or 4 days and the people (4 friends) we shared a table with booked 4 days before sailing (don't know what they paid as we never get into those sort of discussions). My guess is that as it was the week before the bank holiday it was probably not selling well.