Mediterranean cruise - Celebrity pricing?

[Kab0312]

I watched both cruise prices and airfar for my cruise this summer and I would say definitely err on the side of 10 weeks over 6... We booked at 41 days out due to finances and e airfare was $100 more per person than when I looked at 10 weeks and we got a 24 hr flash sale so no extras but I have not seen the price drop since that day. In fact it's been $200-900 more and we booked inside stateroom!

[Terpnut]

I agree completely - I only book if it's less than $100 pp per day - and that's why I usually snag an outside cabin at that rate and then can upgrade to a balcony or better from there. That way I'm not pricing myself above the sales (hopefully).

That's a good strategy! Good luck! :)

 

I watched both cruise prices and airfar for my cruise this summer and I would say definitely err on the side of 10 weeks over 6... We booked at 41 days out due to finances and e airfare was $100 more per person than when I looked at 10 weeks and we got a 24 hr flash sale so no extras but I have not seen the price drop since that day. In fact it's been $200-900 more and we booked inside stateroom!

I am now seeing pricing on some categories on many of the July Med sailings hitting bottom... again. Again, not all categories are at their 10 week low price but many are just as good! So true last-minute travelers CAN still score the lowest price of a sailing--even at under 6 weeks out! Overall though, I agree that it seems best to book in the window of 8-10 weeks prior to sailing. Waiting the additional weeks doesn't buy any additional savings, and at 8-10 weeks out, airfare and hotels are still reasonable!

[cruiser87654321]

We are anxiously watching cat 1a/C class to upgrade from a 2B for our July sailing but there has been little movement on whosoever, cabin grades.

 

However, even by booking at 10 weeks out we saved a lot of money and got additional perks as opposed to booking in late September.

[Hlitner]

Lets give some credit to the cruise lines, their sophisticated "yield management" policies, and the experts who advise them of the best marketing strategies. They understand that folks have different points of view and market to take advantage of that knowledge. Some folks like the security and certainty of booking far in advance, choosing their cabin, etc. The lines happily accept those bookings at their market price. Sometimes, they will sweeten the early booking pot,,and might even increase prices (often announced in advance) as a further inducement to early bookers. Then there are those who prefer to look for last minute (inside the final booking period bargains and are not as choosy about their cabin location The lines also market to this group by offering significant discounts on cruises that have not filled with the early bookers. As a rule, the best bargains will go to those who wait....but the downside is that if you wait you may get totally shut-out.

 

Hank

[Terpnut]

Lets give some credit to the cruise lines, their sophisticated "yield management" policies, and the experts who advise them of the best marketing strategies. They understand that folks have different points of view and market to take advantage of that knowledge. Some folks like the security and certainty of booking far in advance, choosing their cabin, etc. The lines happily accept those bookings at their market price. Sometimes, they will sweeten the early booking pot,,and might even increase prices (often announced in advance) as a further inducement to early bookers. Then there are those who prefer to look for last minute (inside the final booking period bargains and are not as choosy about their cabin location The lines also market to this group by offering significant discounts on cruises that have not filled with the early bookers. As a rule, the best bargains will go to those who wait....but the downside is that if you wait you may get totally shut-out.

 

Hank

Excellent points and summary Hank. As I've said previously, I do think however that the "sophisticated" yield or load management software or policies went wrong these past 6-12 months because proper load management would have had cabins selling at a better pace earlier so they don't have to do so fire sales after final payment. As early sales obviously plummeted (as compared to previous years), the yield management software/people and pricing apparently failed to adapt. Perhaps they were naively hopeful that sales would suddenly pick up this spring. Obviously they did not. No airline's yield or load management system, by comparison, would have allowed such a massive discrepancy between supply and demand, and early versus late prices.

 

So I am curious how the cruiselines will tweak their load management, pricing and/or policies going forward. Obviously, their pricing/forecasting department needs to do a better job initially pricing things--perhaps with lower prices earlier. Less desirable for the lines is to do better and more frequent promos. A more significant change would be to change the deposit and final payment system (less likely I suppose). And in the longer run, do the lines need to reduce overall capacity?

 

In any event, I personally just think the current pricing situation is unfair and untenable. Untenable at least to the extent that most people are actually aware of what is happening. Some disagree with me because they say that early bookers will always be the vast majority and will remain so for the foreseeable future. From a purely selfish perspective, I hope the fundamental paradigm doesn't change because early bookers may continue to pay the majority of the freight and provide the lines most of their profits, while late bookers like us pay below cost.

[Toronto Guy]

I'm just following up on this thread to report that once again the post-final payment price drop occurred on our Oct 31 Connie cruise. The OP is correct in his strategy and earlier comments....if you book early you might get the cabin you want but the later you book the better your price is going to be - by far! We were able to upgrade from an Oceanview cabin to an Aquaclass A1 aft cabin for a couple hundred bucks per person the week after final payment. I still say the best approach is to book a cabin early in the minimum category you will accept at a very good price (if there is one to be had). Then watch the prices about 10 weeks out and do your paid upgrade.

[Terpnut]

The paid upgrade approach works only if the price you pay for your stateroom category is low enough to subsequently pay more for the upgrade. If you book early at a too-high fare, then you are mostly screwed once the prices drop post-final payment. So one MUST be prepared to cancel their early booking if needed, and wait to rebook the low giveaway fare after final payment.

[Toronto Guy]

Absolutely!

[Azulann]

Toronto guy,

You got your upgrade and your promotions.:) I got a rock bottom price to be able to join you on this itinerary which I have been watching since it was first announced in the Spring of 2012.

The Oct 31 sailing of the Constellation is a a unique itinerary that is not offered in 2014. A round trip 12 day cruise from Istanbul at the end of the European season is not the same as the Summer typical cruises in the Eastern Med.

Factor in the press reports earliier about Istanbul and booking airfare from the middle of the US are factors for some folks who might have booked before final payment.

 

I am now a believer in waiting if you are looking at a particular cruise, but have your ducks in a row ahead of time. As others have said some with unique ports only rise in price or even are sold out.

[cruiser87654321]

I am waiting till the timeframe Terpnut ( Hi Andrew!!) details to book our Baltic cruise for next summer.

 

Current pricing is almost double what we paid for our Med cruise this summer and has no 123 offers alongside it. If it doesn't pay off we will do a land based holiday, no way will we pay the prices currently being asked.

[happy 2 b cruising]

:)

I am waiting till the timeframe Terpnut ( Hi Andrew!!) details to book our Baltic cruise for next summer.

 

Current pricing is almost double what we paid for our Med cruise this summer and has no 123 offers alongside it. If it doesn't pay off we will do a land based holiday, no way will we pay the prices currently being asked.

 

August 30th the Pick Your Perk Promotion will be coming out which should include this cruise. You will get to pick one ( last one Europe got to pick two). Hope this information was helpful to you :)

[cruiser87654321]

:)

 

August 30th the Pick Your Perk Promotion will be coming out which should include this cruise. You will get to pick one ( last one Europe got to pick two). Hope this information was helpful to you :)

 

Thanks, useful heads up, on our last cruise booking via our TA we snagged all three....so I am very spoiled;) I will be keeping an eagle eye on pricing.

[Terpnut]

Thanks, useful heads up, on our last cruise booking via our TA we snagged all three....so I am very spoiled;) I will be keeping an eagle eye on pricing.

Hi G! I too am now spoiled and am certainly hopeful that we will be able to score rock-bottom prices AND a triple play promo for next summer but I can't believe that the current confluence of favorable conditions for the consumer can possibly continue into next year! But we can hope! Perhaps we will meet again in Europe if ~$1,200 pp fares for upgraded categories, free gratuities, free drink packages, OBCs and reasonable airfare can be had again next summer! :D

[cruiser87654321]

Hi G! I too am now spoiled and am certainly hopeful that we will be able to score rock-bottom prices AND a triple play promo for next summer but I can't believe that the current confluence of favorable conditions for the consumer can possibly continue into next year! But we can hope! Perhaps we will meet again in Europe if ~$1,200 pp fares for upgraded categories, free gratuities, free drink packages, OBCs and reasonable airfare can be had again next summer! :D

 

I do hope so!!

 

Keep an eye on the 19th July Baltic sailing out of Southampton for me, it is between that and the same August 16th sailing that we need to decide. I have a few quotes and the prices are eye watering.

 

Here's hoping!!:D:D

[Toronto Guy]

Toronto guy,

You got your upgrade and your promotions.:) I got a rock bottom price to be able to join you on this itinerary which I have been watching since it was first announced in the Spring of 2012.

The Oct 31 sailing of the Constellation is a a unique itinerary that is not offered in 2014. A round trip 12 day cruise from Istanbul at the end of the European season is not the same as the Summer typical cruises in the Eastern Med.

Factor in the press reports earliier about Istanbul and booking airfare from the middle of the US are factors for some folks who might have booked before final payment.

 

I am now a believer in waiting if you are looking at a particular cruise, but have your ducks in a row ahead of time. As others have said some with unique ports only rise in price or even are sold out.

 

I agree. Look forward to meeting you!!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[zales]

Now that pick your perk is back, does it make sense to book in hopes price would drastically drop and if not cancel and rebook after final payment?

[Toronto Guy]

Now that pick your perk is back, does it make sense to book in hopes price would drastically drop and if not cancel and rebook after final payment?

 

I think it depends on the price. What I did was book an outside cabin I knew I'd be happy with to get the perk with the hope that a balcony would open up later on at a reduced price - hopefully aqua class so i could do a paid upgrade. It did, but I was sweating it because I had to find a five star fare that was combinable with the promotion. I think it is only worth booking on the perk if you are going for the drink package. Otherwise I'd wait it out probably if you are at all flexible with your travel plans and flights etc.

[zales]

Thank You Toronto Guy:cool:

[spencersmama]

Hello all,

Since I am the OP, I thought I'd update on what I decided based on the advice of this thread. If we do a Med cruise next year, it will be with Celebrity, not Disney. I am watching fares and am prepared to book last minute if both the cruise and air fares are reasonable. If not, we will do a land based vacation in Germany/Austria over Thanksgiving. I'll wait and compare the total price of each trip. Each trip has its own advantages, so I'm fine doing whichever is the better value.