Might want to check your upcoming reservations

[boze9999]

All of ours are up 20-30% - yikes!

[Marigold252]

We got Explore 4 with the new booking. Could have been even cheaper without that, but decided to go for it...Pinnacle Grill and drinks...celebrating our anniversary and our DD and SIL will be celebrating a big birthday for her.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Forums mobile app

[DaveOKC]

'Markdowns' are only relevant when they're compared against the deal already received. ;)

 

Very true and often overlooked. Whenever I do a booking, I calculate a "net" cost of the cruise taking into account all of the extras involved (and of course their real value to me personally). When a new offer comes up, I redo the calculate. Very easy to do if you just take a few minutes.

[sambamama]

Thanks Dave, I looked, and found I could snag a balcony even though I am sailing solo. So I am now in a VF with a good bit of shipboard credit-hoping for good weather on my TA in October!

[kentuckycruiser]

We are doing a Baltic in July, final payment due in April. I noticed that our total amount owing actually went down by $350 (total for 4 persons) due to the tax/port fee being reduced. I checked with our big box account and yes it automatically went down by that amount. That is a very nice bonus to see!

[drowelf]

Very true and often overlooked. Whenever I do a booking, I calculate a "net" cost of the cruise taking into account all of the extras involved (and of course their real value to me personally). When a new offer comes up, I redo the calculate. Very easy to do if you just take a few minutes.

 

Exactly what we do too. The major perks we look at are the free HSC, OBC and Flight credits. Beverage packages do not entice us much at all, as I don't imbibe alcohol and the DW has at most 1/2 dozen drinks on a 2 week cruise. So perks like Explore4 don't count much for us. Also have to factor in the status change for deposits.

[sambamama]

Hey Dave, if you are on a cruise with me again, I owe you a drink or two. Not sure if this was a result of the sale, but I checked a price for a 2019 cruise I was considering, where the price was too much for me on the website, but checked with my TA who worked a miracle and got it for $1000 less- a huge difference when you sail solo. So I am now booked on a 20 day cruise from San Diego to Hawaii ending in Vancouver for not much over $100 a day without taxes and port fees! I am very happy and it's one of the advantages of having a great TA! I never would have looked had it not been for you!

[DaveOKC]

Hey Dave, if you are on a cruise with me again, I owe you a drink or two. Not sure if this was a result of the sale, but I checked a price for a 2019 cruise I was considering, where the price was too much for me on the website, but checked with my TA who worked a miracle and got it for $1000 less- a huge difference when you sail solo. So I am now booked on a 20 day cruise from San Diego to Hawaii ending in Vancouver for not much over $100 a day without taxes and port fees! I am very happy and it's one of the advantages of having a great TA! I never would have looked had it not been for you!

 

Glad it worked out great for you!

Looking forward to the free drink!!

[joekerstef]

Thanks for the heads up Dave! Final payment on our April cruise is due next week. Saw your post, checked the website, and the fare is down $570pp. We've already refared this cruise once; saved $550--cost of our port fees--and added prepaid grats and a beverage card. Mother was worried about losing those, but nope, we got to keep everything including our OBC. So now we're both saving more than $1100 off our original fare booked over a year ago. I do love saving money....

[DaveOKC]

Thanks for the heads up Dave! Final payment on our April cruise is due next week. Saw your post, checked the website, and the fare is down $570pp. We've already refared this cruise once; saved $550--cost of our port fees--and added prepaid grats and a beverage card. Mother was worried about losing those, but nope, we got to keep everything including our OBC. So now we're both saving more than $1100 off our original fare booked over a year ago. I do love saving money....

 

It pays to keep checking. I posted this topic last Friday and just for fun relooked at my fare this morning. Now it dropped another $70 pp! Quick call to my PCC and got it handled. So, $320 pp savings over the past week and still 10 months to sailing.

[KroozNut]

Again, base fare drops are cool. But we're not prepared to surrender our ~$2000 perks (OBC, SBP, PG) for a $70pp 'drop'.

 

As I mentioned before, a generic base fare drop is not necessarily a 'good deal'. gotta do the math! ;)

 

Too many folks see a base fare 'drop' and immediately jump on it, not necessarily considering whether it's really a better deal than what what they already have.

[Florida_gal_50]

Again, base fare drops are cool. But we're not prepared to surrender our ~$2000 perks (OBC, SBP, PG) for a $70pp 'drop'.

 

As I mentioned before, a generic base fare drop is not necessarily a 'good deal'. gotta do the math! ;)

 

Too many folks see a base fare 'drop' and immediately jump on it, not necessarily considering whether it's really a better deal than what what they already have.

I imagine most people are smart enough to figure that out:o.

[Lizzie68]

No saving on my cruise this time Dave, without losing some great perks - but I do appreciate you posting the alerts. I did make a big save on this same cruise last year thanks to you.