Price drops due to Corona virus...

[AlohaLivin]

I read today that online bookings had dropped significantly for cruises and that online booked travel to anyone of any time was down. It’s like selling off stocks in a down market, people become nervous and I can understand that. I guess I am one of those people who is not scared enough vs. someone who is too easily scared. Each has its pitfalls.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just picked up a $2100 Ontario resident discount on a cat 2C large balcony on our Ovation cruise this July.

 

I was able to upgrade to the 2C from an obstructed view balcony (at group rates) and save $400.  

 

I wonder if the Alaska cruises have many people from China sailing on them that have cancelled.

[Essiemaeboo]

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Just picked up a $2100 Ontario resident discount on a cat 2C large balcony on our Ovation cruise this July.

 

I was able to upgrade to the 2C from an obstructed view balcony (at group rates) and save $400.  

 

I wonder if the Alaska cruises have many people from China sailing on them that have cancelled.

Do you check the price direct with RC??

[Ourusualbeach]

53 minutes ago, Essiemaeboo said:

Do you check the price direct with RC??

Check it on the website.  Make sure to enter your state/province

[vacationlover_mn]

I had been keeping an eye on prices for explorer in 2021 for months.  Since we likely won’t be cruising now next year (due to finances, not coronavirus ;)), I hadn’t been checking prices lately.  Out of curiosity, I checked prices just now, and it’s about $300 less than what I was seeing before.  No matter the sale before, I had never seen the price drop that much...

[DISFANS3]

How low can they go???

[Colorado Babe]

Over 100 cabins still available on the Anthem Transatlantic.  15 are JS and above.  Crazy! 

[jbethel11]

I've seen a couple people express that they've saved on summer sailings. Does anyone else expect more price drops for summer sailings?

Edited February 20, 2020 by jbethel11
Grammatical errors

[teesmc]

Our Mariner cruise for April went down by $1000 in the sale Monday.  

[vettecruiser1]

12 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

What cabin type is $4200 for 3 people.

 

Pricing is all over the board. We sail LOS in early May and our balcony is $1400 for the two of us. Booked over a year ago

It was for a balcony the May 31 sailing.  First week of school letting out since I have a student and teacher wife, so I have to sail during peak pricing season.  But the price i'm paying now is about as cheap as I have ever paid for 3 in a balcony during summer season.  I can't wait until the day my wife is retired and we can cruise for the rates you got for you cruise.  We take 2 or 3 cruises a year and for those same prices we can take about 6-8 cruises a year once we can get out of peak seasons rates. 

[vettecruiser1]

Oh and by they way since my TA was out yesterday I was not able to make my final payment.  So it was repriced again today and it dropped another $200.  So now the cruise is only $2590.  It makes me wonder how low these things will go, I have never seen this kind of dropping in the 20 years I have been cruising.  The only time I remember something similar was right after 9/11.

[PurpleShamrock317]

Earlier this week, we just booked a Carnival cruise for the week of Thanksgiving. My CVP told me that “everything is in flux right now, including prices”. If I even hear a rumor that the price on a price drop for our trip that I should call him and he’ll check for me. Seeing these posts, I’m going to go check now.

[BTHodgeman]

Our upcoming RC cruise (in 3 weeks) is sold out for balcony and suites. Interior and OV seem to be the same as when we booked, prior to the CV stuff.

 

However, we have a late fall cruise on Carnival, and that one has been dropping by about $20 every few days for the past couple weeks. Overall, our rate has dropped $120 since we booked it. 

Edited February 20, 2020 by BTHodgeman

[vettecruiser1]

Just got off the phone with my TA, he works at one of the big sites that can not be mentioned.  Anyway he said in 2 weeks he has personally lost 85 bookings.  He said a majority where the Asian market, but also because of the scare the Asian travelers are not wanting to book even in the Caribbean.  He confirmed that this is the worst it has been since 9/11 and it took about 6 months for that work itself out. 

 

It sounds like a stressful time for his industry, since his pay is based on commissions and even though people are still booking the prices are lower which of course makes his commission lower.

[molly361]

3 hours ago, teesmc said:

Our Mariner cruise for April went down by $1000 in the sale Monday.  

$1000 price drop on a 3/4 day cruise.  Yikes  How much was it to begin with and what category

[Ourusualbeach]

3 hours ago, vettecruiser1 said:

Oh and by they way since my TA was out yesterday I was not able to make my final payment.  So it was repriced again today and it dropped another $200.  So now the cruise is only $2590.  It makes me wonder how low these things will go, I have never seen this kind of dropping in the 20 years I have been cruising.  The only time I remember something similar was right after 9/11.

It would not have mattered if you made final payment.  As long as you are before Royals final payment date (not your TA’s) you will still get the price drop even if you have paid in full. 

[twangster]

I do think there has been some softening but I'm not seeing a trend that I can call conclusive.  Admittedly I've secretly been hoping for big price drops so I could pounce on some near in cruises but I'm not seeing it yet.

 

8 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I wonder if the Alaska cruises have many people from China sailing on them that have cancelled.

 

Royal had previously noted that it was making ground with it's China based market booking cruises elsewhere.  They've seen more guests from China booking cruises outside of China as a result of their success within China.  There has to be some softening in that but only Royal knows how many guests from the region book outside of Asia or what effect CV has had on that relatively new consumer base.

 

1 hour ago, Colorado Babe said:

Over 100 cabins still available on the Anthem Transatlantic.  15 are JS and above.  Crazy! 

 

As you know the mega ship TAs ar often a bargain, more so than the regular TA bargains on smaller ships.   It's hard enough to fill a small ship on a TA.  Filling a large or mega ship is really hard.  The Allure in March is pretty cheap too but unrelated to any virus.  I wish the TP cruises suffered the same effect. 

 

[Baron Barracuda]

This morning NCLH announced they are cancelling, modifying or redeploying all 40 Asia sailings through September for NCL, Oceania and Regent.  No word where those ships will be redeployed.  Wonder if Royal will follow and what happens with Quantum, and Voyager.  If redeployed that's a lot of empty cabins needing to be filled.  Also doubt Spectrum will continue to provide free cruises for first responders all summer.

[Ourusualbeach]

15 minutes ago, twangster said:

Royal had previously noted that it was making ground with it's China based market booking cruises elsewhere.  They've seen more guests from China booking cruises outside of China as a result of their success within China.  There has to be some softening in that but only Royal knows how many guests from the region book outside of Asia or what effect CV has had on that relatively new consumer base.

What surprised me was how big of a resident discount I received.  Unless there are a lot of cabins that Royals not showing (on the travel agent site) there really aren’t that many cabins remaining and we are still 5 months away.  Suites are sold out and there looked to be less than 40 balconies.  Whatever their logic it made me a happy cruiser. 

[royal girl]

Just checked... mine went up. 

[twangster]

5 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

Also doubt Spectrum will continue to provide free cruises for first responders all summer.

 

Heck no.  They will have to shift to revenue cruises at some point.  Even low cost "fill the ship" or casino comps will reduce losses.  

 

The real question is...  Is the world over reacting to COVID-19?  Is it turning more into an Infodemic rather than an epidemic?  Does Royal need to move Spectrum and possibly Quantum longer term?  I think it's too early to make that call.

 

Choices are to move ships and suffer losses due from cheap last minute cruises or once CV settles down move ships back and suffer losses from some cancellations.  Which is worse from a business perspective?

 

The good news is that they can move their ships.   There are a lot of tourism and travel related businesses that can't move their hotel or business out of the region.   Its got to be really tough on those travel businesses that can't move their assets so easily.   

[Travelgrrl]

Thanks to this thread, I checked my Oct 2020 Med sailing and I saved $650 on an Oceanview cabin. THANKS!!!

[CruiseGirl4ever]

So when you check for dropped prices on your booked cruise(s), are you doing it without signing into your RC account? It just seems like they wouldn't show you a lower rate on a cruise they already know you have booked with them??

[lynncarol]

11 minutes ago, CruiseGirl4ever said:

So when you check for dropped prices on your booked cruise(s), are you doing it without signing into your RC account? It just seems like they wouldn't show you a lower rate on a cruise they already know you have booked with them??

Maybe I am being super cautious, but when I check current prices on an already booked cruise, I use my phone rather than the computer where I initially spotted the rates and booked. On two cabins booked out of Venice this fall, I just saved a total of $1000.

Edited February 20, 2020 by lynncarol

[ONECRUISER]

5 hours ago, vettecruiser1 said:

Oh and by they way since my TA was out yesterday I was not able to make my final payment.  So it was repriced again today and it dropped another $200.  So now the cruise is only $2590.  It makes me wonder how low these things will go, I have never seen this kind of dropping in the 20 years I have been cruising.  The only time I remember something similar was right after 9/11.

Agree right after 9/11 for about 6 month prices dropped even more. I did one 5n Cruise for $9 plus $50 port Tax and a Cat B 7n for $700 total on the then newest/largest ship Explorer. Sailed solo, was no single supplement, so those were total prices for me. Even then the ships had only 85% occupancy, many empty Cabins... Though as of today I've received over $2500 in reductions last 2 weeks on 5 Bookings 

Edited February 20, 2020 by ONECRUISER