Why Book a Cruise A Full-Priced Cruise a Few Days Before Final Payment Date?

I'm curious. I've noticed on my roll call, that some people have 'just booked' our cruise less than a week before final payment date. I was wondering why, if they have waited this long, and there are still a fair number of cabins available in the cabin type they have booked, they don't wait until after the final payment date? The rates normally go down, and there are no specials or perks available at this time since it is a Transatlantic.

Am I missing something?

You would have to ask them, i suppose

I've done it. When I decide I want to book a certain cruise my mindset goes from want to have.

The last two or three cruises I've done just that, and the prices did not come down.

I'm looking at a few cruises now. A couple just went past final payment, and their prices (at least for the categories I'm looking at) did not go down either.

Your not missing anything. I suspect they are novice cruisers and will be the ones coming back in a week to complain that there was a huge price drop right after they booked and celebrity is mean and won't drop their price. I agree that shortly before final payment is probably the worst time to book.

I don't know that the rates 'normally' go down, but if it's not selling well and close to final payment, I think they will wait until after the final payment date to drop the price.

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Only if I wanted a specific cabin, say a slanted balcony on the hump.

Then there's the case where prize cabins show up right before final payment because people cancel before they are in the penalty here in US. Lately suite inventory seems to be snatched up when the itinerary's open. Then generally around this time things open up. What prices do after final payment really depends on inventory remaining.

I've been tracking suites on our next cruise. I booked a couple of months before final payment and then upgraded 1 category when prices dropped about a month later. Now inventory is lower and prices have gone back up a couple hundred dollars. Now there are only 2 S2, 2 S1 and 3 CS available and W (GTY). The only deal I think one would get now is if you book the GTY for about $100 less than the S2 price and you happen to get the CS.

I believe there is a new normal. In the past year or so, I have seen very few deals. Once Celebrity moved the Equinox to the Carribean from Europe, there were fewer transatlantic cabins available. This decision meant the post final payment price reductions may not be as generous as they had been previously. Less supply and greater demand for the transatlantics. If someone has been considering booking the transatlantic and sees a cabin in a preferred location come available ( because someone else has cancelled just before final payment) it would make sense for them to book now and not to wait until after final payment. The price for the particular category may go down but the desired location may not be available if they choose to wait.

I just booked a TA about 10 days before final payment & booked the least expensive veranda guarantee. Got our cabin assignment in 2 days and it's fine. Not exactly what what I would have picked but for us to pick would have cost $900 more.

The reasons we didn't wait until after final payment were 1. The beverage package was on sale with 50% off & we always get a beverage package, 2. If the prices drop after final payment we have the option to move to a higher cabin category for a few $more.

Also, many of the online cruise vendors that we're not allowed to mention have different (and lower) prices than the ones you see on the Celebrity website. Could be they booked a good price.

Also, many of the online cruise vendors that we're not allowed to mention have different (and lower) prices than the ones you see on the Celebrity website. Could be they booked a good price.

Agree, could be some TA's are hoping to clear out their held cabins before having to give them back to X. Better to make a small profit and gain a customer than get nothing.

As another poster says, could also be a prized cabin opened up when someone cancelled and they just had to have it.

Also, many of the online cruise vendors that we're not allowed to mention have different (and lower) prices than the ones you see on the Celebrity website. Could be they booked a good price.

This was my thought also. I booked with an agent once who had a group booking, so the price I received was much lower than the price that Celebrity and other agents were offering. The price never dropped below what I paid.

Also, many of the online cruise vendors that we're not allowed to mention have different (and lower) prices than the ones you see on the Celebrity website. Could be they booked a good price.

That was the case with us on the Silhouette Transatlantic this past spring. A TA had an incredible price on Concierge Guarantee category (far lower than the entry level verandas), so we jumped on it.

I just booked a TA about 10 days before final payment & booked the least expensive veranda guarantee. Got our cabin assignment in 2 days and it's fine. Not exactly what what I would have picked but for us to pick would have cost $900 more.

 

The reasons we didn't wait until after final payment were 1. The beverage package was on sale with 50% off & we always get a beverage package, 2. If the prices drop after final payment we have the option to move to a higher cabin category for a few $more.

We're the same. I booked a GTY veranda last week, final payment in the US is Saturday I believe. I booked as the price dropped $100 overnight AND the 50% off the drinks packages was available.

I could have waited until after final payment and I expect the GTY veranda to drop around $200pp on Sunday/Monday, if it's still available, however there's no guarantee the drinks packages will still be reduced then. What I've saved on the drinks packages outweighs the 'extra' I've paid for the stateroom.

Also, the stateroom category I've been assigned is currently selling $450pp more than the GTY rate I've paid, so I've kind of 'won' there too. :)

I've noticed people saying they monitor availability for certain classes of rooms. Where do you go to do that? On the Celebrity website or someplace else?

So many Celebrity sailings sell out these days that I think the days of waiting until just after final payment and looking for price drops is a thing of the past (can still happen certainly, but no longer almost guaranteed).

I also agree with the comments about the TA pricing. They book blocks of cabins and want to sell out their inventory. And last and not least, I think the cabins suddenly becoming available can be a big factor as well. Someone may have been following the website looking for a Sky Suite only to find them all booked then bam! right before final payment one comes available - grab it before someone else does. Or that prized hump cabin. Or one of the prized FV cabins becomes available for smaller sized groups. And it is also true some cruisers are newbies and all else being the same don't realize where in the cycle they are booking.

Why do people buy stock when it is at the highest price?

Why do people play black when I am playing red?

Why do people pay a premium to travel over the holidays just to sail on a over crowded ship?

Why do so many people want to be at the home opener for baseball and pay a premium and leave after a few innings because the weather is terrible? Then never watch another game during the season?

Why do fools fall in love?

Why do people stand in line for days or weeks to buy the new IPhone?

Why do people stand in line for weeks to buy concert tickets for some performer that may be playing a street fair or bar the next year to a empty house?

Why are churches standing room only on Christmas and Easter?

I am still trying to figure out what I wish that I known at 18 that I know now. Still haven't figured out what it is and if it is that great why didn't they just tell us? 🤔 Why the secret?

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

Another thought - how do you know that they paid "full price" - did they tell you what they paid? TA groups have an earlier final payment date than individual bookings, so those people may have benefitted from a reduction in price due to cabins being recalled.

The answer to the OP's question is that many folks are simply not very savvy when it comes to booking/planning vacations and cruises. Why do they book right before final payment? Because many are not even paying attention to the final payment date. I will often post, in response to questions about booking, that folks should "shop around among several reputable cruise agencies...and then compare the overall deal to what is offered by booking direct." It is unreal how much "pushback" I get for having the "nerve" to suggest that folks shop around. Many will say they only book direct...even thought it costs them about 10% more. Others love their travel/cruise agent....who treats them nicely on the phone, takes their calls...and happily takes more of their money then the competition.

Hank