Carnival Cruise May vs June?

[Laurie7724]

We are looking to take a cruise on Carnival Magic June 2nd to the Eastern Caribbean. I just noticed the rates for the same ship, same itinerary for the May cruises are almost $800 to $1000 less. Is May always a less expensive time to travel? Or is this a good sign that the rates will possibly drop as it gets closer to the date?

[ProgRockCruiser]

May is cheaper because college kids are still in school quite often (especially first week of May), and probably more importantly, because high school and elementary kids are definitely still in school - depending on where you are, those younger kids get out for summer break anywhere from first week of June through third week, IIRC. I wouldn't count on the prices dropping as you get closer.

[ProgRockCruiser]

I just checked pricing, to amuse myself. For an int/OV/balc, prices are $749/1019/1089 for your cruise date, $619/739/794 for 5 May. You must be booking for a family of four, or maybe two cabins? There isn't enough differential there to total to $800 or $1000 for two people in one cabin.

 

So perhaps better to phrase your price differences in $ per person, since $800 to $1000 seemed like a very large difference at first glance.

[Laurie7724]

May 5th in a cove balcony for 3 is $2188 and June 5th same room $2934. So using those dates the difference is close to $800. You will need to go completely through the booking to where it shows available rooms to see those rates.

[Mallow]

When you have to deal with kids school schedules you can expect to pay significantly more for cruises. I guess retirement is for cheap cruising.

[d12j28]

May 5th in a cove balcony for 3 is $2188 and June 5th same room $2934. So using those dates the difference is close to $800. You will need to go completely through the booking to where it shows available rooms to see those rates.

Do you happen to get any casino offers? I have a casino rate in which i can book a cove balcony on the 2nd for $2214.50. I do know that the 9th and 23rd sailings are Premier cruises.

 

 

May 5th I can get a cove balcony for $1810.50 with casino offer.

[dmdiver]

Any time school is out, the rates are higher. I have 2 daughters that are schoolteachers, so our family cruise next year is not cheap. Fortunately, our district gets out before the end of May, so it's not as bad as it could be.

[Laurie7724]

I'm sorry we are first time cruisers. What is a casino offer and how do you get it?

[d12j28]

I'm sorry we are first time cruisers. What is a casino offer and how do you get it?

If you play in the casino on the ship you get different casino rates/offers. So if you like the casino and play on the cruise you will probably get some offers. Sometimes you get them the last night of the cruise (they leave something in your room) or you may get one via e-mail or snail mail after you cruise. A lot depends on your play in the casino.

[Midwestgal]

May is an excellent time to cruise as far as crowds.

[asalligo]

We are looking to take a cruise on Carnival Magic June 2nd to the Eastern Caribbean. I just noticed the rates for the same ship, same itinerary for the May cruises are almost $800 to $1000 less. Is May always a less expensive time to travel? Or is this a good sign that the rates will possibly drop as it gets closer to the date?

 

My biggest issue with scheduling a cruise. They are always cheaper when the kids are in school. The kids get two breaks a year, March and Christmas and then the summer. Checking cruises often, Carnival clearly keeps track of these dates.

[Defender1791]

Don't you love it!?!? June, July, August, Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Year's!

 

They have to makeup for the loss of revenue due to of all of the kids that are cruising, instead of adults that are spending money.

 

That's why my kids get a one-week vacation during the school year!

 

Sent from my Moto Z Droid.

[Joebucks]

May is an excellent time to cruise as far as crowds.

 

And price, and weather.

 

It really is an excellent time to go if you can.

[smurfm69]

We love to cruise in May! The weather is warm but not as hot as the Summer months, plus no threat of hurricanes!

[angela12345]

To get the casino offers, you have to be a fairly significant gambler. You can't just go in and play $20 on a slot machine one night and expect to get an offer (unless you win big on that first 20 and then use the winnings to continue playing for a long while, haha). But also, you don't have to lose thousands either. I think around 500 points slots was when I first started getting casino offers(???), not great offers, but something at least. Points are earned on each $2.50 played through the machine, so as you win little bits, you keep playing the winnings as well. If you play slots, put your card in the machine every single time. If you play tables, give your card to the dealers every single time you walk up to the tables.

[summersigh]

We love to cruise in May! The weather is warm but not as hot as the Summer months, plus no threat of hurricanes!

I was about to say the same about the weather. We live on the southeast coast and prefer not to book when there could be a random tropical storm. The warmer the water the better the chance of tropical disturbance.

 

Since we're retired we like to sail in May and during one of the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas for good prices.

[ProgRockCruiser]

Since we're retired we like to sail in May and during one of the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas for good prices.

Hah, as it turns out, two out of three future cruises, and our one past cruise, are/were in those exact timeframes.

 

Kinda stumbled into them, but I guess my intuition did me well...

[Daphne'sMom]

My favorite time to go is late April or early May. The weather while in the Caribbean is great (so far for us). I don't have to worry about possibly getting snowed in at an airport (although thunderstorms really mess things up too). And being from the midwest the worst of the cold weather is gone but still cool enough that a week on a cruise jump starts summer for me - kind of like an extension but at the beginning. I come back with some color and still have all of summer to look forward to (I really hate winter).

 

This may not be much help for you if the 3rd person in your cabin is a student....

[evandbob]

I just checked pricing, to amuse myself. For an int/OV/balc, prices are $749/1019/1089 for your cruise date, $619/739/794 for 5 May. You must be booking for a family of four, or maybe two cabins? There isn't enough differential there to total to $800 or $1000 for two people in one cabin.

 

So perhaps better to phrase your price differences in $ per person, since $800 to $1000 seemed like a very large difference at first glance.

 

And once you choose a particular cabin type, the pricing jumps again. The basic fare you mention might be for the very lowest level of that cabin. Want a mid ship balcony of Empress or Verandah and you will pay more than a cove balcony, e.g.

[ProgRockCruiser]

And once you choose a particular cabin type, the pricing jumps again. The basic fare you mention might be for the very lowest level of that cabin. Want a mid ship balcony of Empress or Verandah and you will pay more than a cove balcony, e.g.

Well sure, but I would assume (bad idea, perhaps) that it would jump a similar % or amount for both cruises under review. We are discussing the comparative pricing between the two cruise dates, and at first glance the $800 to $1000 seemed larger than expected at first glance. If you are going to fine tune to a particular type of cabin, then all bets are off, because availability will impact pricing. As an example, I did a ghost booking the other day because I was curious about cove balcony cabins, and for a cruise I could possibly take in August there are zero cove cabins left on that ship!