Sale? Really!

We have 21 days on the Regal in January. I check prices daily. I saw the new Princess sale email yesterday right before I did my daily price check, and each segment was priced higher. Am I missing something? Is there some great bonus if you book? Has the definition of the word sale changed? Please enlighten me.

Marketing

Supply & Demand

Promotion pricing doesn't always mean lower than you paid.

It's the same everywhere, for every product.

In the cruise industry the word sale is just a word, meaning nothing. The bottom line is usually about the same.

In the cruise industry the word sale is just a word, meaning nothing. The bottom line is usually about the same.

This. The will put something on sale, but raise the base price to cover the cost of the "sale". Kohls does this masterfully as well.

I know.... 2 weeks ago the balcony on the cruise I am eyeing was $802 pp, and now it's $1,043. Some sale.... yet, they are claiming the sale has been extended! Nope.

You've already enlighten yourself...pricing on everything we buy fluctuates.

Perhaps Princess & the other lines will drop prices as these trade wars intensify . Seems to me that having trade wars all over the world will hurt the US economy & jobs . Perhaps necessary for the US long term but mot a good thing for the near future ;;as there will be pain . Loss of revenue & jobs will spell lower prices in many goods & services .JMVHO

I don't see any email from Princess.

I do know that the pricing on Inside cabins went UP right in the middle of the current promotion.

Ummmmm, yeah right.... Don't think we will be making any booking. HELLO... PRINCESS?????

PS: the non-refundable deposits, which HAL already uses like a weapon, are also something to really watch out for.

Cruise lines price the rooms according to demand and those sold. If the inventory of rooms available gets too large based on the number of days before sailing, they will drop the price. The reverse is also true if the number of staterooms in a particular category is in demand they will raise the price. It is almost a daily occurance. The price is not fixed ever. They will have sales on cruises that are not attracting pax as well as they think it should so the sale tends to urge pax to sign up. Airlines do the same adjusting prices according to the number of seats available or not available. A ship or airplane that departs with empty cabins/seats earns them no money but the operational costs are nearly the same. It simply is a matter of common business sense.

Cruise lines price the rooms according to demand and those sold. If the inventory of rooms available gets too large based on the number of days before sailing, they will drop the price. The reverse is also true if the number of staterooms in a particular category is in demand they will raise the price. It is almost a daily occurance. The price is not fixed ever. They will have sales on cruises that are not attracting pax as well as they think it should so the sale tends to urge pax to sign up. Airlines do the same adjusting prices according to the number of seats available or not available. A ship or airplane that departs with empty cabins/seats earns them no money but the operational costs are nearly the same. It simply is a matter of common business sense.

Exactly....and I've seen price fluctuations on Princess several times a week. Bottom line--if you see something that you want at a price you feel is OK, book it and keep looking for a better deal....of course provided that it has a refundable deposit.

We have 21 days on the Regal in January. I check prices daily. I saw the new Princess sale email yesterday right before I did my daily price check, and each segment was priced higher. Am I missing something? Is there some great bonus if you book? Has the definition of the word sale changed? Please enlighten me.

Sale means higher prices.

Cruises, just like airlines, have dynamic pricing on inventory which can change up or down any given day. So percentage off sales may have a different base price every day in some categories.

Perks may added for a period of time during a sale.

That being said, I booked a cruise yesterday and another one today under Sip and Sail for less than I could before the sale without the perks. Go figure.

YMMV.

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I booked a, August 2019 Sydney to Hawaii/Tahiti return cruise shortly after it was released. The prices went up about $1000pp a month or so after I booked. The latest Aussie region sale had that cruise a little bit less than what I'd booked at. I was happy with my small fare reduction plus some OBC, and those that booked at the higher price were very, very happy. So, yes, sales do exist.

OP have you checked any large agency websites? We were invited to cruise with friends on a 7 day sailing on the Royal in January. For an obstructed balcony the Princess site was approximately $900 per person with a non refundable deposit.

I Glanced at my regular weekly email from a large agency, and called them as their fare showed as significantly less. I booked with them, $250 less per person, a nice chunk of additional OBC, a dinner in a specialty restaurant and deposit is refundable. I was surprised at the huge difference, this was a no brainer! Check around!

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Checking prices frequently is more important than whatever sale is going on. On any given day throughout the year you could get a deal on a given itenerary. Factor in any perks and what the value is or value to you is and keep checking before final as long as refundable.

Marketing 101. Did you miss that class in college? :D

OP have you checked any large agency websites? We were invited to cruise with friends on a 7 day sailing on the Royal in January. For an obstructed balcony the Princess site was approximately $900 per person with a non refundable deposit.

 

I Glanced at my regular weekly email from a large agency, and called them as their fare showed as significantly less. I booked with them, $250 less per person, a nice chunk of additional OBC, a dinner in a specialty restaurant and deposit is refundable. I was surprised at the huge difference, this was a no brainer! Check around!

 

 

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I use a “not to be named on this board” website that sends me quotes from many travel agencies. Yes, there is a big difference between the cruise line price and the best quote, but that difference can often change. I enjoy checking for drops and it does educate you on cruise line practices.

If a promotion ends today, there will be a new promotion tomorrow!

If a promotion ends today, there will be a new promotion tomorrow!

Quite often there are several promotions running concurrently. All sailing are always on sale... and signing in (as a past pax) for "special" pricing can mean higher pricing. :rolleyes:

It can really pay to spend some time doing a little research - before and after (prices fluctuate) booking - and have a good TA (who can always beat the published fare).

Caveat emptor.

As long as you watch the fares, you can pick the deal that you like. Even if the OP booked at the price that they do not consider a sale, they probably could refare at some point. So let the marketing department work away, just know what price point you want per person per day including the extras, like OBC, drink packages, airfare, etc. and try for that before the cancellation penalties. Always remembering that if you need airfare, the airfare could either go up or down as well....

We usually cruise the same time each year. During the winter months. We go to relax on the ship. I know what our rates are from year to year. We all ways do Eastern Caribbean, seven night on Regal. This time we have the same cruise booked in Dec and Jan. One on Regal and one on Royal. The rates were good. They were cheaper than last year buy $100 or so dollars. Last year Princess included the tips, this year not. So, we pay the tips. It comes out to about the same price this year (maybe cheaper). We even book the same cabin or next to it.

That being said last year I did see it a little cheaper that what we paid, at last minute prices. But after the Hurricanes of last year, Eastern Caribbean cruise were going cheaper.

So, I do check prices all the time.

In the cruise industry the word sale is just a word, meaning nothing. The bottom line is usually about the same.

^^ This ^^. The only "sales" I've seen that were true were casino rates and drop&go.

Last year they had a real sale, I don't know which, but we sailed in Dec on the regal in an unobstructed balcony for a little over $1300.00 for the 2 of us including tax. No other perks, but very happy with the price and had a very nice cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. We also did the UBD for $100.00 and still talk about that now to our friends.

They replaced the 35% deal with a 40% deal. Boring. Give me a no gratuities deal.

If the current sale does not fit your needs just wait for another to come around. For us the sip and sail on long cruises works out well, we are sailing in Nov for 20 days with the drink package and 1 specialty dinner and our rate with the bev package is less that what they are currently selling that category for without the package.