Book Early or Late??

[jwjax]

We had an issue on our last cruise with the price reductions. Our TA was not able match the prices or reduce our costs??

 

We booked, 7-8 months out.

 

We saw 20% price reductions online, TA said...you are past final payment, nothing we can do??

 

That made me think that booking early through a TA, is not a good idea. CCL Early Saver pricing honors the price changes. I thinking that CCL online vs TA pricing, CCL wins?

 

Btw, I did ask the TA why he did not book the ES rate, got a generic answer, you didn't ask for it....??:evilsmile:

[nutterbutter818]

I thought the TA could still call for the price match. Maybe I misunderstood.

[teknoge3k]

I'd skip the TA and book ES yourself. Lock in the room you want then if the price drops, get the difference in OBC.

[Micahs Grandad]

If you are past final payment date TA is correct.

 

If you are sure that dates will work book yourself or via pvp.

[salty dingo]

I have seen some incredible deals for cruises which are just a few weeks out.

 

I suspect prices drop sharply to fill unsold cabins close to sailing. I am sure there are ways they can lure in new cruisers at the last minute without having to price match those who booked earlier.

 

Also, airfares tend to be cheapest around 21 days out, so may be good to wait to book airfare too.

 

I am just too much of a planner to be able to wait until less than a month before sailing to book, but I am sure there are big savings for those who do.

[jwjax]

I thought the TA could still call for the price match. Maybe I misunderstood.

 

Maybe, but my TA, was adamant that after Final Payment he could change anything? That was my last booking with him. ( I think it had to do with the amount they were paid )

 

 

No more TA....:):)

[crzndeb]

Maybe, but my TA, was adamant that after Final Payment he could change anything? That was my last booking with him. ( I think it had to do with the amount they were paid )

 

 

No more TA....:):)

 

Unless you booked Early Saver, you cannot get price drops past final payment regardless of who you book with. Your TA did nothing wrong.

 

Early Saver comes with some strict rules, so a lot of people don’t like to book it. If you know you want to book ES, then you should have asked.

 

I have seen way to many threads about people not knowing they were booked ES, and then complained after they had to cancel or change cruise.

 

If I see a cruise I want, I book early because I like certain cabins.

[firefly333]

Unless you booked Early Saver, you cannot get price drops past final payment regardless of who you book with. Your TA did nothing wrong.

 

Early Saver comes with some strict rules, so a lot of people don’t like to book it. If you know you want to book ES, then you should have asked.

 

I have seen way to many threads about people not knowing they were booked ES, and then complained after they had to cancel or change cruise.

 

If I see a cruise I want, I book early because I like certain cabins.

 

How do you know which fare the TA booked? some TAs just dont want to do it. reduces their commission each price drop.

 

If I see a price I like i book it, but this time Im holding out. Last time i booked early and then two better priced cruises came along, including the partial panama transit and both had reduced or no solo supplements (after my PVP said carnival almost never has them. ... it appeared the very next week)

 

Im going to wait and see if this year it happens again on that panama partial transit. It conflicted with the cruise I had booked, so couldnt book it in addition.

 

sometimes booking early ... locks you in and a better cruise deal comes along with conflicting dates, and if booked ES or past final payment... not a thing you can do.

 

Waiting .... but not patiently. Still checking. I dont want to pay double for that cruise, its kinda high.

[crzndeb]

How do you know which fare the TA booked? some TAs just dont want to do it. reduces their commission each price drop.

 

I don’t know, but the OP stated:

 

“Btw, I did ask the TA why he did not book the ES rate, got a generic answer, you didn't ask for it....??:evilsmile:

 

 

So the ES fare wasn’t.

[Sauer-kraut]

Its a gamble .... sometimes after final payment is due and the travel agents that have been holding blocks of cabins will release them, BOOM prices drop.

 

IF the sailing is filling up you will notice that prices will rise -- so how much do you like to gamble? When you find a cruise in your budget book it. Otherwise wait and see, but if it goes up are you going to kick yourself for not booking when it was cheaper??

[firefly333]

I don’t know, but the OP stated:

 

“Btw, I did ask the TA why he did not book the ES rate, got a generic answer, you didn't ask for it....??:evilsmile:

 

 

So the ES fare wasn’t.

 

I was just wondering about you stating the TA did nothing wrong. Might not be wrong, but sounds like he didnt fully explain rates when he booked the OP.

 

I would have canned that TA if I didnt get informed or good service.

 

np anyway, just wondered about you saying so strongly the TA did nothing wrong how you knew that. no worries, sorry.

[jwjax]

So, from what I have read here, booking is a "gamble" either early or late? I guessing the cruise line doesn't give out the odds prior to booking.:):)

 

I have had good rates booking both, but now I am hesitant to book early. The rates seem to fall in the last 4 weeks before the cruise. The cruise I am talking about, the rate dropped by $500!:cool: TA offered $50 OBC...yay!!!:evilsmile:

[riclop]

We had an issue on our last cruise with the price reductions. Our TA was not able match the prices or reduce our costs??

 

We booked, 7-8 months out.

 

We saw 20% price reductions online, TA said...you are past final payment, nothing we can do??

 

That made me think that booking early through a TA, is not a good idea. CCL Early Saver pricing honors the price changes. I thinking that CCL online vs TA pricing, CCL wins?

 

Btw, I did ask the TA why he did not book the ES rate, got a generic answer, you didn't ask for it....??:evilsmile:

Get another TA.

[salty dingo]

I think all the Carnival "Price Match" hoopla is designed to lock you in early to a Carnival cruise, while still preserving some loopholes for Carnival to discount unsold cabins close to sailing without giving existing bookings a lower price. I am not buying it.

 

Perhaps it works for the folks who originally bought the cheapest (least desirable) cabins on the ship, and those are the cabins they have a hard time selling anyway, and get discounted close to sailing. Maybe those actually do get a price match, but I am not interested in those cabins, so it's as if the price match does not apply for me.

 

I'm thinking the best strategy is to do something like this:

• Decide when we would like to do the next cruise (Fall of 2019)
  
• Decide where we would like to go (want to try Canada/New England, but returning to Bermuda would be great too)
  
• Research which Cruise Lines and Ships are going where and when we want to go, including deck plans to choose room location
  
• Get a baseline of prices from each candidate ship for the cabins we want, including promotions. Note the base fare versus "port fees", since the latter really can't be changed, but it may vary from ship to ship for the same itinerary.
  
• Then wait for one of the huge sales (Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc.)
  

When the sale happens:

• Does it cover sailings when we want to go? (sometimes they only go 6 - 9 months out) - if not, wait for next sale
  
• Consider the deals - likely there are better promotions, if not better fare too.
  

In the past, I have both booked directly with Carnival, gone through a TA with a group booking, and worked directly with a TA during a sale. The last two are definitely the way to get the most value, but I can't always find a group booking I want. So that leaves the sales.

 

 

 

I think Labor Day this year will be the earliest I will find a good deal, but will check Memorial Day in 2018 and also 2019 if Labor Day does not pan out.

[Micahs Grandad]

I think all the Carnival "Price Match" hoopla is designed to lock you in early to a Carnival cruise, while still preserving some loopholes for Carnival to discount unsold cabins close to sailing without giving existing bookings a lower price. I am not buying it.

 

Perhaps it works for the folks who originally bought the cheapest (least desirable) cabins on the ship, and those are the cabins they have a hard time selling anyway, and get discounted close to sailing. Maybe those actually do get a price match, but I am not interested in those cabins, so it's as if the price match does not apply for me.

 

I'm thinking the best strategy is to do something like this:

• Decide when we would like to do the next cruise (Fall of 2019)
  
• Decide where we would like to go (want to try Canada/New England, but returning to Bermuda would be great too)
  
• Research which Cruise Lines and Ships are going where and when we want to go, including deck plans to choose room location
  
• Get a baseline of prices from each candidate ship for the cabins we want, including promotions. Note the base fare versus "port fees", since the latter really can't be changed, but it may vary from ship to ship for the same itinerary.
  
• Then wait for one of the huge sales (Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc.)
  

When the sale happens:

• Does it cover sailings when we want to go? (sometimes they only go 6 - 9 months out) - if not, wait for next sale
  
• Consider the deals - likely there are better promotions, if not better fare too.
  

In the past, I have both booked directly with Carnival, gone through a TA with a group booking, and worked directly with a TA during a sale. The last two are definitely the way to get the most value, but I can't always find a group booking I want. So that leaves the sales.

 

 

 

I think Labor Day this year will be the earliest I will find a good deal, but will check Memorial Day in 2018 and also 2019 if Labor Day does not pan out.

 

These days cruise lines are doing well and have not found prices coming down close to the cruise. Some like we are doing next month to the Med sold out 6 months before the cruise.

 

 

When we do cruise on Carnival these days and we are confident of the dates we do book ES but not seeing prices go down at all.

[salty dingo]

These days cruise lines are doing well and have not found prices coming down close to the cruise. Some like we are doing next month to the Med sold out 6 months before the cruise.

 

 

When we do cruise on Carnival these days and we are confident of the dates we do book ES but not seeing prices go down at all.

If a cruise is sold out, they won't be doing price drops, that is for sure.

 

However, maybe there are some cruises not selling so well (think Western Caribbean in the Fall) that are never going to sell out without huge price drops.

[Micahs Grandad]

If a cruise is sold out, they won't be doing price drops, that is for sure.

 

However, maybe there are some cruises not selling so well (think Western Caribbean in the Fall) that are never going to sell out without huge price drops.

 

Its a crapshoot for sure but if you know your dates will work out ES is best choice IMHO.

[A&Jfamily]

For us it is a flexibility issue - our work schedules will not allow us to take last minute trips, and we like certain rooms whenever possible. So, at this point in our lives we are happy to have the certainty by booking in advance. Upon retirement, and if we have a good offer, then that is a very different story; if your room is not an issue and your schedule allows flexibility, then those last minute deals can be great if you don't have to worry about airfare.