Tracking Cabins

Have you ever tracked cabins on a particular cruise, it's quite interesting. I have been keeping an eye on one of our cruise bookings as we chose a guarantee cabin (the overall package was so good we booked it as an extra cruise with an inside guarantee)

We never pick the lowest grade within a grade when buying a guarantee to avoid the potentially worst allocations, so we picked around the middle of the inside grade on the basis that I would be happy enough with any of the cabins in it, or those above them.

Well over the last six months our cabin grade has disappeared twice from sale then appeared back a few weeks later. It now seems to have permanently vanishished from sale with only the top two levels left (same for the next grade, outside). There are lots of balconies left at every sub grade.

The prices have steadily risen so the price is now significantly higher than at the early booking stage, in fact an outside cabin now costs just about the same as a balcony. It will be interesting to see what happens to the pricing and availability once the final balances have been paid as they are awash with balconies so I suspect that the price will drop like a brick.

Anyway I will also be interested to see what we finally get allocated as "our" grade seems to have long gone, unless they earmarked our cabin months ago but have not added it to the personaliser.

Is anyone else a complete anorak and has tracked a cruise in this way, if so what did you notice?

Once we've booked we tend not to look but happened to check out prices for our next cruise and I was delighted with how much we'd saved by booking early. However on one of our roll calls on Faceache, someone had tracked the price and availability and he shared with us a graph of his findings :')

I don't bother looking after we have booked as I have my husband constantly looking, he only comments on cabin availability not price. He somehow sees it as an acheivement when they are sold. He never used to know how to do dummy bookings but now he does there is no stopping him. My sons and I just laugh and let him get on with it.

 

Is anyone else a complete anorak and has tracked a cruise in this way, if so what did you notice?

I thought this was completely normal and everyone did it.

I like predicting that a cruise price will plummet at sail date and book air tickets nearly a year in advance to get me back to London City Airport. At the last moment I bag a cruise bargain or get my airfare refunded.

Regards John

I thought this was completely normal and everyone did it.

 

I like predicting that a cruise price will plummet at sail date and book air tickets nearly a year in advance to get me back to London City Airport. At the last moment I bag a cruise bargain or get my airfare refunded.

 

 

Regards John

I think it is quite common.I don t look at the price once we have booked but I have noticed that often when there is a drop in price a lot of people must book(who are probably price watching!)because the price then suddenly increase a few days later!I can t resist a bargain though admit that occasionally I have been waiting for a price drop and then the price only increases! I suppose its all down to supply and demand :)

I think the travel agent agent booking must distort the prices though as none of it seems to follow a pattern. Don't they get reduced block booking prices which they sell on? Although October half term has gone down from the beginning of the summer which is the same time period my August cruise dropped. That's on the P&O website though

Talking about "vanishing cabins" this happened on a cruise I had booked and was still following the price. We had booked late saver deluxe balcony bottom grade. There were still a lot of balconies, mini suites and suites left. About 3 weeks prior to sailing our cabin was allocated and we had been moved to the next grade. There was still a lot of availability. Then the cruise disappeared off the P&O website. A couple of days later we had an email offering us a mini suite or suite for a price which was less than half the brochure price so we decided to go for it. Then the next day the cruise reappeared, with all mini suites, suites & most balconies booked. I can't remember what else was left but it soon disappeared again about 10 days before sailing. I assume it is now full. So perhaps it is possible that on other cruises when they disappear P&O are suspending bookings while they offer upgrades etc .

Food for thought

cathy

When booking direct up until final deposit, I always check for price reduction. If so, I get the price reduced. When booking guarantees checking helps for possible room negotiation. When planning cheap last minute getaways, tracking helps. If it's a more structured trip, I still check. I try to see it there's anything I could do better in the future.

I think it is quite common.I don t look at the price once we have booked but I have noticed that often when there is a drop in price a lot of people must book(who are probably price watching!)because the price then suddenly increase a few days later!I can t resist a bargain though admit that occasionally I have been waiting for a price drop and then the price only increases! I suppose its all down to supply and demand :)

A number of last sector of world cruises drop in price particularly as particularly if it is transatlantic. I picked up a good world cruise sector with Cunard from Fort Lauderdale, Queen Elizabeth one year which had dropped. Another time I noticed Princess go to US via Viking route and it does not sell well as a lot of calls are Canada and USA. A fortnight for £999. Booked my flights home nearly a year ahead on Westjet which is a budget Canadian transatlantic carrier that goes to Gatwick. I think people need to analyse cruises in a lot of statistical detail to save cash. Booking with a US TA is another thing sometimes open to do. You can use freephone US travel agents who offer, You can save up to 82% on Last-Minute cruises.

Regards John