Carnival Pricing

[msmaj4700]

I'm really confused about Carnival's pricing strategy. I'm cruising the Breeze Sept. 7th and there are several rooms available still. Last few weeks, there were price drops for "past guest category", "residency sale", and I think the other was called "semi annual sale". Now today, rates are back up. That strategy, doesn't seem like it's going to fill the boat. Any insight on this? Of course, I was hoping for more on board credit!:)

[golfadj]

Based on how the sailing is selling they adjust price to max revenue.

[RuthlessBoss]

They lower the price and give the sale a name. If they have an abundance of unsold cabins within a category, they temporarily lower the price to fill some of the empties, then go back to normal pricing for the rest. It's a business strategy. If they lowered a price and kept it there, no one would book ahead of time. They know they will get back some revenues from on board spending.

[FaithfulRaider]

I'm really confused about Carnival's pricing strategy. I'm cruising the Breeze Sept. 7th and there are several rooms available still. Last few weeks, there were price drops for "past guest category", "residency sale", and I think the other was called "semi annual sale". Now today, rates are back up. That strategy, doesn't seem like it's going to fill the boat. Any insight on this? Of course, I was hoping for more on board credit!:)

 

You know... I thought the same thing. A month ago there was quite a number of rooms still open in every category on our cruise. We sail next week. Prices haven't dropped much and in fact prices for balconies jumped almost $150pp. Still somehow rooms got booked. Down to the last week and there are still some rooms but not a ton. Then I got to thinking..... If they know they have 500 people booked ES and they drop the price 100pp to try to sell the last few rooms, they could end up losing money because a) there is no guarantee they rooms would sell and b) there is a good chance everyone booked ES would apply for the rate drop! I'm sure they weigh this to figure out which is more profitable.

[DancingDinosaur]

There may be quite a few people who booked guarantee cabins for your sailing. Since they haven't been assigned cabins those cabins will still show up when you do a mock booking. For example, you may see 30 balconies available on the ship, but they may have 29 balcony guarantee bookings that have not been assigned yet!

Edited July 27, 2014 by DancingDinosaur

[EasyBreezy83]

There may be quite a few people who booked guarantee cabins for your sailing. Since they haven't been assigned cabins those cabins will still show up when you do a mock booking. For example, you may see 30 balconies available on the ship, but they may have 29 balcony guarantee bookings that have not been assigned yet!

 

I didn't know this... that's a scary thought for someone watching to maybe book last minute. Yikes! :eek:

[Stallion]

Its like the weather-if you don't like the weather just wait a couple of days. They are playing games. One sale expires(Past Guest)-another will come around on Tuesday. Just look at these prices. These ships aren't near full. People like to pretend they are raising prices when right now all cruiselines are involved in unprecedented price competition. I'm seeing several 7 day cruises starting n the $200s, most in the $300s and others in the $400s. Heck they had unbelievable No single Supplement sale to fill most of their ships in the prime summer season

[luv2sleep]

There may be quite a few people who booked guarantee cabins for your sailing. Since they haven't been assigned cabins those cabins will still show up when you do a mock booking. For example, you may see 30 balconies available on the ship, but they may have 29 balcony guarantee bookings that have not been assigned yet!

 

 

So who loses out? The person booking the guarantee cabins or the ones booking last minute?

 

 

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[Scotch Mist]

I'm also really confused! I have a b2b booked for the Freedom in September but the price for our 1st cruise keeps going up and down! We have had some success with price drops but was hoping more!!!!! :D

 

For the 2nd one it hasn't dropped at all since I booked it in January! :(

 

I was really hoping for at least one price drop for the 2nd cruise but it's looking unlikely!

 

Freedom b2b Sept 2014

Splendor Jan 2014

Breeze Sept 2013

Imagination Sept 2013

Triumph Sept 2008

Pride Sept 2007

Miracle Sept 2006

[snc_cam]

So the question you need to ask yourself when you book the cruise is are you ok with the price. For if the price doesn't come down, are you going to be upset? I have 3 cruises and only one has dropped price below what I paid. I am comfortable with the initial price and if it does drop, all the better. If not, I will certainly enjoy the cruise at the price I paid, which I think was very good.

[Carnival Cutie]

I agree with you. We got a price drop on our September cruise with the "Past Guest" sale but prior to that our cabin price was above what we paid. I was ok with what we paid because it seemed like a good price at the time. We always book ES because we usually plan our cruises 7 to 8 months out. If we don't get any more OBC I'm ok with that too. That's not to say I won't keep looking, also for our January cruise on the Sensation.

[BettyPC]

I've been watching our Feb cruise like a hawk :D But I am happy w/the ES price I paid to pick my cabin.

[AdGuyMG]

I'm really confused about Carnival's pricing strategy. I'm cruising the Breeze Sept. 7th and there are several rooms available still. Last few weeks, there were price drops for "past guest category", "residency sale", and I think the other was called "semi annual sale". Now today, rates are back up. That strategy, doesn't seem like it's going to fill the boat. Any insight on this? Of course, I was hoping for more on board credit!:)

 

Those price drops for Past Guests, Residents and Semi Annual Sale stimulated sales demand and filled a bunch of cabins.

 

It's still 40 days until sail date. If there are 80 cabins left available, it only takes 2 bookings per day to clear out that inventory. On a ship like the Breeze, that's easy.

 

You are basing your calculations on what you see on Carnival.com mock bookings. If you are trying to outguess the cruise line, Carnival's sales, revenue management and yield departments see a much broader view of things and work with proprietary statistical information that you have no access to.

Edited July 27, 2014 by AdGuyMG

[Criticname]

Those price drops for Past Guests, Residents and Semi Annual Sale stimulated sales demand and filled a bunch of cabins.

 

It's still 40 days until sail date. If there are 80 cabins left available, it only takes 2 bookings per day to clear out that inventory. On a ship like the Breeze, that's easy.

 

You are basing your calculations on what you see on Carnival.com mock bookings. If you are trying to outguess the cruise line, Carnival's sales, revenue management and yield departments see a much broader view of things and work with proprietary statistical information that you have no access to.

 

Carnival pays these folks millions to ensure they can squeeze max revenue out of every possible category on every possible sailing....

[msmaj4700]

So the question you need to ask yourself when you book the cruise is are you ok with the price. For if the price doesn't come down, are you going to be upset? I have 3 cruises and only one has dropped price below what I paid. I am comfortable with the initial price and if it does drop, all the better. If not, I will certainly enjoy the cruise at the price I paid, which I think was very good.

 

I'm definitely happy with my initial early savers price, but I would be ecstatic with a big fat obc credit as well!