Prices for 2013 Europe

[Newtoncruise]

I am trying to decide whether to book now or wait for last minute offers next year. I will be booking a GS but I am considering waiting until next summer to book it.......

 

How should I decide? Is RCCI as committed to Europe next year as it has been in the last few years? Are there less sailings planned?

 

We are not too fussy over itinerarys or departure ports so we should always be able to find a place!

 

Will it be cheaper.........to book now or wait?

[trojan3000]

Book now European cruise on RCL are the dearest of all there cruises. Just comapre the stateroom price per day against one in the Caribbean.

[pennys mum]

I am trying to decide whether to book now or wait for last minute offers next year. I will be booking a GS but I am considering waiting until next summer to book it.......

 

How should I decide? Is RCCI as committed to Europe next year as it has been in the last few years? Are there less sailings planned?

 

We are not too fussy over itinerarys or departure ports so we should always be able to find a place!

 

Will it be cheaper.........to book now or wait?

 

I like you am planning to book for next year and have been doing dummy bookings for a GS on Navigator for about 3 months now. Prices have dropped approx £300 in this time, so I am currently waiting as there seems to be lots of GS available. If I wanted a specific cabin I would go for it but am happy to wait as my holiday dates are flexible.

If you think it is a good price and are happy then do it.

No one can predict what is going to happen.

This year I booked 3 weeks out and got a brilliant deal but have heard rumours of less Med cruises next year.

[rjrpar]

We are RCCL cruisers but checked Carnival prices for a 2011 Med cruise and found them to be significantly cheaper. We had a great time, a very similar experience as RCCL. I think on an European cruise, so much more time is spent touring that the ship is not as important, although the Carnival Magic was very nice. We did a 12 day and the ports were great. Do spend time planning tours, its more important than on a Caribbean cruise. We are doing a 2013 Baltic cruise again on Carnival and again rates are much lower. Not pushing Carnival but it's worth a look.

[Broch]

Book now European cruise on RCL are the dearest of all there cruises. Just comapre the stateroom price per day against one in the Caribbean.

 

Yes I agree completely but you have your flights to the caribbean to consider, especially if you want to do the Southern Caribbean fro San Juan

[Newtoncruise]

I like you am planning to book for next year and have been doing dummy bookings for a GS on Navigator for about 3 months now. Prices have dropped approx £300 in this time, so I am currently waiting as there seems to be lots of GS available. If I wanted a specific cabin I would go for it but am happy to wait as my holiday dates are flexible.

If you think it is a good price and are happy then do it.

No one can predict what is going to happen.

This year I booked 3 weeks out and got a brilliant deal but have heard rumours of less Med cruises next year.

 

I heard that there would be less ships allocated to the med too! But I can't find evidence of this. Less ships will equal higher prices. The euro zone economy won't be bouncing back before summer and personal austerity seems prolific.

 

I am attending the cruise show next week in Birmingham and hope to chat to lots of people.

 

I think I need to find out about the number of ships.........does anyone know this?

[uktraveller]

 

I think I need to find out about the number of ships.........does anyone know this?

 

These are the ships sailing in Europe in 2013...

 

Independence & Adventure from Southampton

 

Liberty & Serenade from Barcelona

 

Navigator & Legend from Rome

 

Brilliance from Harwich

 

Splendour from Venice

 

Vision from Copenhagen/Stockholm

[uktraveller]

 

We are not too fussy over itinerarys or departure ports so we should always be able to find a place!

 

Will it be cheaper.........to book now or wait?

 

We have been having similar discussions and have decided to wait and book nearer the time.

 

IMHO the 2013 prices came out high and I don't think there is much real value in the promotions they use to boost early bookings.... free balcony upgrades, free flights etc....

Plus, there's little chance these days of getting a price drop applied (always "new bookings only").

 

I would only book early if I couldn't be flexible.

[Verfai]

There might be one or two ships less next year in the Med, but the once that are published are 99% confirmed unless something really goes wrong which is unlikely…If the price is good for you at this time, book! An example, check some months for Serenade (like May) all the D2 (I believe) balconies are already sold out.

[trolleydolly]

We have booked a GS on Indy for next June and they are now sold out (have been for a while). Worth keeping a constant eye on availability if you have something in mind.

 

:)

[pcur]

This far in advance the price is not really an issue. Get the cabin and itinerary you want and watch the prices. If they go down you get the difference back; if you don't like the price later on you cancel and get the deposit refunded. You're basically just floating the deposit money at this point.

 

I always go for cabin selection early and watch the prices.

 

However, if price is the most important thing, then wait until the 90 window before sailing, as most (not all) prices fluctuate in this time period. This is also when the Tuesday specials is more likely to have your cruise:

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

[trolleydolly]

This far in advance the price is not really an issue. Get the cabin and itinerary you want and watch the prices. If they go down you get the difference back; if you don't like the price later on you cancel and get the deposit refunded. You're basically just floating the deposit money at this point.

 

I always go for cabin selection early and watch the prices.

 

However, if price is the most important thing, then wait until the 90 window before sailing, as most (not all) prices fluctuate in this time period. This is also when the Tuesday specials is more likely to have your cruise:

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/royal/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/rci_sales_event.pdf

 

Unfortunately the OP is based in the UK and it is very difficult to get price drops here. Also deposits here in the Uk are non refundable too. We have a bit of a raw deal here when it comes to all that. :mad:

[pcur]

Unfortunately the OP is based in the UK and it is very difficult to get price drops here. Also deposits here in the Uk are non refundable too. We have a bit of a raw deal here when it comes to all that. :mad:

 

My bad; I didn't notice that. :o

 

In that case I would wait for the 90 day window before the cruise if cabin choice isn't a big factor. I'd pick the cruise I want and watch the price until it either gets to where I am comfortable with it, or realize it's probably not going to go down much more. I find the most movement happens between 4 - 6 months before sailing, and then within the 90 days before. But, many times the price never drops below that 4-6 month price.

 

Watching is a BIG part of getting a good price. I booked late for our next cruise, as it came up with us deciding to take my MIL on a cruise. I literally stumbled on great prices for us and booked. Then, within 10 days my MIL's price went down $200. This was a week before final payment was due.

[critterchick]

Book now European cruise on RCL are the dearest of all there cruises. Just comapre the stateroom price per day against one in the Caribbean.

 

This fall and last, I have seen some incredible deals just a couple of months prior to cruising. Some friends did the last Liberty 7-night cruise from Barcelona last year for $559 per person in an oceanview. It was a last minute price drop.

 

So if airfare isn't an issue, I would wait. And even then, I might wait - fares on American just went through the floor for December (although that might be a fluke because of their labor issues).

 

Unfortunately the OP is based in the UK and it is very difficult to get price drops here. Also deposits here in the Uk are non refundable too. We have a bit of a raw deal here when it comes to all that. :mad:

 

I thought that you could get price drops after final payment, which we can't in the US.:confused: I agree that you get a raw deal on the nonrefundable deposit, but from what I've read, you also have some pretty good consumer protection when things go wrong.

[Newtoncruise]

Thanks for all the responses. Very helpful so I think I will be watching prices on uk and Spanish sailings.......

 

We booked early last year and saw prices fall dramatically as the set sail approached........once bitten etc......

[gooners1968]

Just my experience-

 

Booked navigator in April 12 for July 12 sailing. Paid £2700 for 3 adults in an inside cabin(including flights). That price had come down significantly and was cheaper than the so called free flights offer too(in the February). One month after booking,prices dropped again,and I rang RCL to request an upgrade to a balcony cabin. After first quoting the "new bookings only" line,I said I would cancel and lose my deposit,and go get a bargain with someone else! At this,they upgraded us to an E1 for no extra cost(the actual increase was about £100 I think but they didn't ask for it). The day after,we got a call to say we now had a D1. They also upgraded the family travelling with us............:). I had booked with a TA but called RCL directly when the TA got the brush off-pays to persevere!

 

I am now looking at an Independence 2 week cruise in July 13-and will wait until at least April. The current cost of nearly £6k for 3 adults for a balcony cabin is rather putting me off booking now ;)

[trolleydolly]

This fall and last, I have seen some incredible deals just a couple of months prior to cruising. Some friends did the last Liberty 7-night cruise from Barcelona last year for $559 per person in an oceanview. It was a last minute price drop.

 

So if airfare isn't an issue, I would wait. And even then, I might wait - fares on American just went through the floor for December (although that might be a fluke because of their labor issues).

 

 

 

I thought that you could get price drops after final payment, which we can't in the US.:confused: I agree that you get a raw deal on the nonrefundable deposit, but from what I've read, you also have some pretty good consumer protection when things go wrong.

 

Yes that's true. We do get good consumer protection. However price drops seem to be a thing of the past ( and that includes after final payment, though agree used to get those). Nowadays it is very very rare to get a price drop at all here in the uk. Not like in the States where it is an unwritten rule.