Equinox 8/31 Why so many available cabins?

[barb in ga]

I'm looking at this cruise because the prices seem pretty good, but I'm wondering why there are so many veranda cabins available:

I see deck 6, 7, and 9 with 40+ each deck and deck 8 with 80+(grouped together).

 

Could this be a cancelled group?

 

It's past final payment, so before I book, I had questions.

 

Thanks,

Barb

[jbethel11]

4 minutes ago, barb in ga said:

I'm looking at this cruise because the prices seem pretty good, but I'm wondering why there are so many veranda cabins available:

I see deck 6, 7, and 9 with 40+ each deck and deck 8 with 80+(grouped together).

 

Could this be a cancelled group?

 

It's past final payment, so before I book, I had questions.

 

Thanks,

Barb

I'm finding similar results with the Equinox sailing Aug 24-31st. There are at least 178 verandah cabins available, excluding Concierge and Aqua class sailings. 

[yorky]

Not that popular cruises, the Caribbean has been done to death by many cruisers and they have moved on to other areas of the world. Personally it still works for us simply because we get the same standard of cruise at up to half the price of other areas and we cruise for the ship.

[chemmo]

I noticed on our Equinox sailing in September that there are still plenty of suites available. I wonder if some guests have moved their bookings as Equinox didn’t have a full refit? I must be honest and say that if we hadn’t already committed to flights and a villa add on I would have been tempted to transfer our booking to Silhouette in the Spring...

 

As Yorky says, many book Caribbean cruises for a ship crash out rather than destination and a part refurbishment isn’t the same as a full one...

[Mynki]

5 hours ago, barb in ga said:

I'm looking at this cruise because the prices seem pretty good, but I'm wondering why there are so many veranda cabins available:

I see deck 6, 7, and 9 with 40+ each deck and deck 8 with 80+(grouped together).

 

Could this be a cancelled group?

 

It's past final payment, so before I book, I had questions.

 

Thanks,

Barb

 

I started a thread about Equinox sailings in august looking very cheap due to the numbers of cabins still available. I think it's a combination of several things including but not limited to :-

 

The weather. The heat and humidity will put some people off as is the possibility of hurricanes disrupting peoples holidays. 

The itineraries. Celebrity focuses heavily on high revenue generating ports across their fleet. They're not particularly exciting if you've sailed in the Caribbean a few times previously. As I've said before, sit down and take a long hard think about creating the most boring 7 day Caribbean itinerary you can. The chances are you won't be a million miles away form the 7 day X offerings. 

 

We're in South Florida for most of August. I did have a look at what ships were sailing out of Florida whist we are there. But having been to all of the ports X visit I lost interest despite pricing being very cheap. As for the Celebrity 'Revolution', I really don't think that will attract too many people. If you're not booking suite class there's limited upside. From the feedback I've read it looks like many may only notice some new drapes and a lick of paint. :/ 

[jbethel11]

1 hour ago, Mynki said:

 

I started a thread about Equinox sailings in august looking very cheap due to the numbers of cabins still available. I think it's a combination of several things including but not limited to :-

 

The weather. The heat and humidity will put some people off as is the possibility of hurricanes disrupting peoples holidays. 

The itineraries. Celebrity focuses heavily on high revenue generating ports across their fleet. They're not particularly exciting if you've sailed in the Caribbean a few times previously. As I've said before, sit down and take a long hard think about creating the most boring 7 day Caribbean itinerary you can. The chances are you won't be a million miles away form the 7 day X offerings. 

 

We're in South Florida for most of August. I did have a look at what ships were sailing out of Florida whist we are there. But having been to all of the ports X visit I lost interest despite pricing being very cheap. As for the Celebrity 'Revolution', I really don't think that will attract too many people. If you're not booking suite class there's limited upside. From the feedback I've read it looks like many may only notice some new drapes and a lick of paint. 😕

Do you think prices will go down even further, given the amount of cabins?

[tompeter]

4 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Do you think prices will go down even further, given the amount of cabins?

Yes...Thru resident discounts, senior discounts, Exciting Sales, etc...

[39august]

Last two weeks of August and first two weeks of Sept. are typically the worst of hurricane season. Our Sept. 23 cruise is nearly full. 

[Cruise a holic]

The 8/10 cruise also- a great buy for anybody who wants to cruise! 

[dkjretired]

1 hour ago, 39august said:

Last two weeks of August and first two weeks of Sept. are typically the worst of hurricane season. Our Sept. 23 cruise is nearly full. 

 

Yes and also by Labor Day most kids are back to school and the family cruising season is over.   We have sailed both the week before labor day and the week of labor day both to Bermuda and there is a big difference in families on board. 

[jbethel11]

1 minute ago, dkjretired said:

 

Yes and also by Labor Day most kids are back to school and the family cruising season is over.   We have sailed both the week before labor day and the week of labor day both to Bermuda and there is a big difference in families on board. 

Also depends on where your departure port is. Kids in Florida and the West coast go to back to school early August, while kids in the Northeast go back early September. 

[CulverCityCruisers]

We are doing a B2B Aug 10 and 17, and there are a ton of open cabins.  We moved cabins from deck 7 aft to deck 8 just in front of the hump and got a refund !!  Lots to pick from

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I agree the itineraries are boring.  Been there, done that.  But I'm loving the prices.  And I wasn't able to get a suite on the second leg of my B2B.  To me, Caribbean cruises are about relaxing on the ship and letting someone else do the cooking, cleaning, and laundry.  I can drive to the ports, so don't have the flying hassle.  Flying is not pleasant these days.  As for hurricane season, the ships can move out of the way.  My house can't.  So I just put the hurricane shutters down and vamoose.  

[crazee4cruzin]

Peak hurricane season.  Too risky.  

 

[kearney]

I wondered the same.... Sept-Oct are peak hurricane season.... Temps in South Florida are hottest (on average) in July.... I know some schools are back in session in mid August... but that isn't many districts..... not sure

 

I was tempted..but we are sailing at the end of Sept... right around the peak-peak of hurricane season :) But we seem to do this every year...

[deliver42]

You are looking at the reason there are so few ships cruising the Caribbean in the summer.

[jbethel11]

Just now, deliver42 said:

You are looking at the reason there are so few ships cruising the Caribbean in the summer.

You're also looking at more $ in our bank accounts, amirite?

[basil1]

My hubby and I have been watching this cruise as well.

We used to have a townhouse on Cape San Blas until hurricane Michael completely destroyed it. We used to go every year around the end of August because kids have gone back to school but the days are still long and the water warm. So I have a week off from work 08/31-09/07. We are going back and forth about going on a (drive to destination) beach vacation or maybe doing this cruise. I am having a hard time deciding because there are pros and cons to each. Of course if the ship is a quarter or so empty that makes the cruise more appealing. But the ports aren't all that exciting. I've never been to Nassau and it's been years since I've been to Tortola so those are positive. We might be on there with you. I just need to decide. Our last two vacations have been cruises (2 this year- Caribbean in January and Europe in May) so maybe a beach vacation is in order? Oh shoot. I can't decide, lol.

 

[jbethel11]

7 minutes ago, basil1 said:

My hubby and I have been watching this cruise as well.

We used to have a townhouse on Cape San Blas until hurricane Michael completely destroyed it. We used to go every year around the end of August because kids have gone back to school but the days are still long and the water warm. So I have a week off from work 08/31-09/07. We are going back and forth about going on a (drive to destination) beach vacation or maybe doing this cruise. I am having a hard time deciding because there are pros and cons to each. Of course if the ship is a quarter or so empty that makes the cruise more appealing. But the ports aren't all that exciting. I've never been to Nassau and it's been years since I've been to Tortola so those are positive. We might be on there with you. I just need to decide. Our last two vacations have been cruises (2 this year- Caribbean in January and Europe in May) so maybe a beach vacation is in order? Oh shoot. I can't decide, lol.

 

Yeah, I really hope prices go down as the sailing date nears. If it goes under 2K I will most likely book. 

[deliver42]

urrite

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

47 minutes ago, crazee4cruzin said:

Peak hurricane season.  Too risky.  

 

I really do not think that is the answer. So many cruise lines have no problem booking the summer months. They usually are the most expensive also. We do not cruise while school is out. Not because of hurricane season. All our cruises have been in the Atlantic. No flying for us because we are between Port Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale. We just returned from the Equinox cruise. Will not do that ship again. It was just OK. Nothing special at all. The Reflection a few months earlier was a far better cruise for us. That we liked and will do the Reflection again.

[dkjretired]

1 hour ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

I agree the itineraries are boring.  Been there, done that.  But I'm loving the prices.  And I wasn't able to get a suite on the second leg of my B2B.  To me, Caribbean cruises are about relaxing on the ship and letting someone else do the cooking, cleaning, and laundry.  I can drive to the ports, so don't have the flying hassle.  Flying is not pleasant these days.  As for hurricane season, the ships can move out of the way.  My house can't.  So I just put the hurricane shutters down and vamoose.  

 

You bring up a good point which to me is weird , there are all these cabins available and yet there are no suites available.  Just did a check on it   

[ECCruise]

2 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

 

You bring up a good point which to me is weird , there are all these cabins available and yet there are no suites available.  Just did a check on it   

Seeing the same thing on a lot of sailings.  And before they went bye-bye, suite prices were through the roof.

Lots of disposable income out there.

[Cruise a holic]

Suites always seem to go first.  However who knows, they could be holding some for the Move up program, in the hope that they will get more for them.

 

It is a great time for traveling on a cruise ship- I figured many folks would substitute their DR reservations for a cruise. 

[grandgeezer]

I just checked the Celebrity u.k. site for August 24 and 31. This is at least the second week that these two dates have showed up om X-citing deals.

For August 24 it shows 205 regular balconys, 60 Concierge, and 41 Aqua.

For August 31 it shows 289 regular balconys, 112 Concierge, and 32 Aqua.

I spot checked some of the ones with a lot of cabins available against the online agency I use and, though I didn't count them, they showed a ton of them available too.

The first one is only seven weeks from Saturday and the other one is the following week. If these numbers are half way accurate, there is either going to be a fire sale or the people on these cruises are going to have killer service and all kinds of space. Didn't they say once that they would sail with empty cabins rather than deep discounting them? Time will tell.