Price drop after final payment?

Do prices often drop after final payment? Or typically go up, up, up!?

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Do prices often drop after final payment? Or typically go up, up, up!?

There's no typical, prices go both ways, sometimes on the same cruise in different categories.

I am noticing price drops on some cruises around the 16 week mark, or 2-3 weeks before a 90 day final payment due date. Seems like they are trying to fill cabins earlier, rather than have a lot of price drops after final. And of course, the price may go up as well. ymmv

If there are going to be any sizeable drops (rare), they typically occur inside final payment around 60 days out. Based on recent GGG flier sales, there don't seem to be any drops inside 30 days.

I think a big question is, you can't claim a price drop after final payment, can you? I've heard conflicting stories on this.

I think a big question is, you can't claim a price drop after final payment, can you? I've heard conflicting stories on this.

There's no conflict - you can't.

I think a big question is, you can't claim a price drop after final payment, can you? I've heard conflicting stories on this.

Not usually, unless you have booked within 48 hours of the price drop.

I get the impression that some ask this question because they are thinking of waiting to book after final payment date.

We might have a couple waiting to book until closer to sale date. That's why I was asking :)

Thank you!

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We might have a couple waiting to book until closer to sale date. That's why I was asking :)

Thank you!

If you are going to wait till about 100 days out, you might as well wait till after final payment which now is 90 days. The best indicator of direction of prices is inventory - look that up on RCI's UK page.

Thanks Biker19 and Clarea for answering that.....appreciate you both!

If you are going to wait till about 100 days out, you might as well wait till after final payment which now is 90 days. The best indicator of direction of prices is inventory - look that up on RCI's UK page.

Forgive me, but how do I look up inventory? Would it be making a mock booking? I'm assuming the uk site gives more information?

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Forgive me, but how do I look up inventory? Would it be making a mock booking? I'm assuming the uk site gives more information?

Yes, do a mock booking. The layout on the UK web site is quite different than the US site. It will show up to 50 cabins in every available category - you are not looking for price (most of the time) but inventory - rough number of cabins left. Any category that has more than say 30 cabins left after final payment is very likely to have a price drop, if 50 left, the drop can be sizable.

Forgive me, but how do I look up inventory? Would it be making a mock booking? I'm assuming the uk site gives more information?

Exactly correct, do a mock booking and the UK site will show something like a max of 50 available staterooms. Apparently the cruise line feels that UK folks can handle more information than us simple folk in the US.:rolleyes:

The best kind of price drop in my opinion is when a higher category stateroom becomes available for lower than what you originally booked for. We have a GS end of May for this reason. We hit a crazy sale day and the GS was priced just under our hump balcony. When we called in they said it was for new bookings only but then a supervisor helped out and they honored the price. Otherwise there would be no way.

Yes, do a mock booking. The layout on the UK web site is quite different than the US site. It will show up to 50 cabins in every available category - you are not looking for price (most of the time) but inventory - rough number of cabins left. Any category that has more than say 30 cabins left after final payment is very likely to have a price drop, if 50 left, the drop can be sizable.

Thank you so much for the tip and the explanation , I'll try it tonight when I get home!!

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Exactly correct, do a mock booking and the UK site will show something like a max of 50 available staterooms. Apparently the cruise line feels that UK folks can handle more information than us simple folk in the US.:rolleyes:

Haha I must be simple minded ;) Thanks for all the help!!

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The best kind of price drop in my opinion is when a higher category stateroom becomes available for lower than what you originally booked for. We have a GS end of May for this reason. We hit a crazy sale day and the GS was priced just under our hump balcony. When we called in they said it was for new bookings only but then a supervisor helped out and they honored the price. Otherwise there would be no way.

Awesome tip, I'll check the higher categories! Although I'm pretty partial to the boardwalk balconies.

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Yes, do a mock booking. The layout on the UK web site is quite different than the US site. It will show up to 50 cabins in every available category - you are not looking for price (most of the time) but inventory - rough number of cabins left. Any category that has more than say 30 cabins left after final payment is very likely to have a price drop, if 50 left, the drop can be sizable.

That's when they create a guarantee category so it is harder to check.

That's when they create a guarantee category so it is harder to check.

The offer of GTY rates doesn't make checking inventory any harder - you still see what is supposedly available. True, in the background there might be some inventory manipulations and inventory levels can swing wildly (a whole category can seem to be sold out one day but then come back with 20 cabins the next). That's why inventory levels should be checked for a trend - it's the combination of number of cabins available and the trend in that number that will influence prices.

The offer of GTY rates doesn't make checking inventory any harder - you still see what is supposedly available. True, in the background there might be some inventory manipulations and inventory levels can swing wildly (a whole category can seem to be sold out one day but then come back with 20 cabins the next). That's why inventory levels should be checked for a trend - it's the combination of number of cabins available and the trend in that number that will influence prices.

Correct. I count the number of cabins from the list of availible cabins (with cabin number). Since there is no list with a GTY, I have no way to know how many there are. There is only one selection for cabin number: Guarantee.