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El Cheapo Cruises Thread

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gaechann

gaechann

Posted
Posted
Gaechann you are a bargain fiend! I am also looking for something cheap in May 2016. I want to be cruising on 20 May for my "big" birthday. At the moment the Carnival cruise at that time is their most expensive of the season ($1690 for 12 nights) :( Let me know if you find anything.

 

 

ImageUploadedByForums1444162041.635283.jpg.83a392986e283d1f5f04c3d3a8ef9596.jpg

This one?

ImageUploadedByForums1444162098.736286.jpg.e5d841e54b1dc3a5dc71b5293f49d485.jpg

Or these?

Better bargains may be available closer to the date if you want to take the chance!

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Esilef

Esilef

Posted
Posted
Thanks Gaechann. That princess one looks like a good deal but not sure about taking little kids on Princess. I think I'll hold off till January and hope for some New Year sales.

 

 

Have you thought about a relocation cruise? I got a very cheap deal this year $949 inside for 16 nights to Singapore. Booked 90 days out after they had issued final payment notices.

 

Don't be afraid to fly home. It adds to the adventure.

 

Royal caribbean is great with kids. My son mr 6 loves to cruise

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goodycruising

goodycruising

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ship Name: Explorer Of The Seas

Cruise Code: EX13NOV15

Departure Date: Friday, 13 November 2015

Cruise Name: Fremantle to Sydney

Nights: 16

Departing: Fremantle (Perth)

 

 

Twin inside gty is $1035 each (plus gratuities), and single inside gty is only $1235! Usually single is double the twin price. A single on Explorer for less than $80 /night (plus gratuities) is a bargain!

Edited by goodycruising
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goodycruising

goodycruising

Posted
Posted
Im logged into the AU RCI site but its currently quoting in NZD???

 

Anyway, 2 unbelievably cheap Legend of the Seas Asian cruises...NZD 214 for 10 nights???

 

They upgraded the site last week and strange things are happening! You should be able to go to the bottom of the page and change the country? Not sure what that is about. I don't know how you would go booking that in NZ$ either?

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woodyren

woodyren

Posted
Posted
They upgraded the site last week and strange things are happening! You should be able to go to the bottom of the page and change the country? Not sure what that is about. I don't know how you would go booking that in NZ$ either?

 

Strange things are indeed happening. When I selected other categories of cabin after the one they offer you up at first on the April 2016 Voyager repo I thought I had stumbled onto a bargain. For example I checked availability of a better cat balcony cabin and it showed over $300pp cheaper than the displayed one. I was all set to book but when I went to the final booking stage it reverted back to being more expensive.

 

Their website are a worry.

 

I guess this is why RCCL are in the cruise business and not tech business.

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goodycruising

goodycruising

Posted
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I guess this is why RCCL are in the cruise business and not tech business.

After seeing how ebay has evolved over the years, I am sure that the techs could do better. I know there are lots of different ways to get online with phones, tablets, PC, apple, windows, chrome etc, but if ebay can manage all those countries, with almost instant bidding, and stuff ending all day every day, then it should be reasonable to expect RCCL would be able to get the booking system to load up a bunch of destinations a couple of time a year, put in parameters for different pricing for cabin categories, and when specials happen there should be an expectation that the site doesn't go glitchy and weird on a very regular basis. I think that is being a bit mild on the criticism I could be expressing too!

 

I love that we can do all sorts of research online before we book, but honestly the experience is so enhanced by some other websites where you can see every cabin in a category that is available, you can get printable large deck plans, you can see at a glance the different categories and the single, twin, triple and quad pricing. While I troll around and get something different from the different sites, why wouldn't some smart tech at RCCL get cracking and steal all the good ideas and put them onto their own platform?

 

This last upgrade has had to have lost them a heap of business, and the thought of what poor cruise agents must go through with dealing with the system just gives me the horrors. We recently set up a user name, and booked a Celebrity trip for a friend, and I was so pleased I got them to leave it with me. I would have been so embarrassed if they had seen me scrabbling to get the promo to take the choice we talked about. Actually that I bragged was available! It worked in the end, but it is so different to be looking after someone else's booking. I will be very careful not to get into that again!

 

I had a really cheap ovation price come up a few weeks ago, and I tried very quickly to nab it, but, like yours, it reverted to what it should have been. Makes the old eyes light up though doesn't it? :)

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gaechann

gaechann

Posted
Posted
Strange things are indeed happening. When I selected other categories of cabin after the one they offer you up at first on the April 2016 Voyager repo I thought I had stumbled onto a bargain. For example I checked availability of a better cat balcony cabin and it showed over $300pp cheaper than the displayed one. I was all set to book but when I went to the final booking stage it reverted back to being more expensive.

 

 

 

Their website are a worry.

 

 

 

I guess this is why RCCL are in the cruise business and not tech business.

 

 

Yes I noticed that too! I was pretty confused so tried it again - same result but then, I scrolled down to the bottom of the page to find the guarantee cabin price! Tricky!

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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Posted
After seeing how ebay has evolved over the years, I am sure that the techs could do better. I know there are lots of different ways to get online with phones, tablets, PC, apple, windows, chrome etc, but if ebay can manage all those countries, with almost instant bidding, and stuff ending all day every day, then it should be reasonable to expect RCCL would be able to get the booking system to load up a bunch of destinations a couple of time a year, put in parameters for different pricing for cabin categories, and when specials happen there should be an expectation that the site doesn't go glitchy and weird on a very regular basis. I think that is being a bit mild on the criticism I could be expressing too!

 

It's certainly possible.

 

But ebay, like woodyren referred to, is a tech company purely, so they have to make their site good. It's their only means of business. (That said, they've actually made many clangers as well. They're also similar to RCL in taking the site down for maintenance in our peak time daily for many years. Although have gradually fixed that, and the downtime now is much shorter than it used to be.)

 

Whereas RCL still do the majority of their business off the site, and it's a minor sales channel overall. I don't support their mistakes, but from their perspective it's not the main thing they focus on for sales, and even if things go wrong they just redirect to their own staff or TAs. So horses for courses. But compared to ebay they don't have the same need to make it work as well, and have other channels they have to spend money on as well.

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Kiwi Kruzer

Kiwi Kruzer

Posted
Posted
Short break option if anyone is keen.

One of the online TA has Golden Princess Sydney (depart 28/10/15) to Melbourne 2 nights guaranteed balcony for $271pp.

It will suit anyone from Sydney or Melbourne best.

See you on board!

 

Has anyone heard of extra flights or charter flights to get everyone back to Sydney.

Thats a lot of folk to get back,( if they all want to return on the same day) so they will either put more planes on or hike the prices..

.probably both..:D

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Team Alpha

Team Alpha

Posted
Posted
Has anyone heard of extra flights or charter flights to get everyone back to Sydney.

Thats a lot of folk to get back,( if they all want to return on the same day) so they will either put more planes on or hike the prices..

.probably both..:D

 

I'm going the other way i.e. flying to Sydney to join the ship. Flights from Avalon (near Geelong where I live) $55 with carry on. They were $29 when I started thinking about it but I missed those. From Melbourne it's just a train ride home.

 

I haven't told the 'Trouble & Strife' we're going yet, will be a nice short break/surprise.

 

Happy Days

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

Posted
Posted
I'm going the other way i.e. flying to Sydney to join the ship. Flights from Avalon (near Geelong where I live) $55 with carry on. They were $29 when I started thinking about it but I missed those. From Melbourne it's just a train ride home.

 

I haven't told the 'Trouble & Strife' we're going yet, will be a nice short break/surprise.

 

Happy Days

 

Yeah, Melbourne's easier being a Wednesday. Unfortunately for those from Sydney, return is a Friday so already busier and more booked, so over $100.

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Esilef

Esilef

Posted
Posted
Follow up on Sydney to Melbourne Golden Princess 28/10/15 2 nighter. I thought I got a good deal at $271pp guaranteed balcony. Esilef gazumped me at $244. And now I see them for $242. Inside from $193.

 

 

I'm very happy with the price.

 

Ex hubby has stated that I can't take our son overseas but didn't say anything about taking him on seas.........

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

Posted
Posted
P&O have some great deals out at the mo. A 3 nighter on the Pearl Nov 23rd, in harbour for the 5 Ships Spectacular, from $240 interior.

 

I just booked onto the Jewel with my mum and sister, 4 nighter 23 Nov for $420pp [triple outside] to be in the harbour for the Spectacular. Because why not!

 

Good prices for the must not miss party on the Harbour.:D

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Esilef

Esilef

Posted
Posted
Sometimes it feels like its cheaper to be onboard than to be at home.

 

 

 

Hopefully this will continue into the new year so there will be bargains for all

 

 

 

:)

 

 

With all the ships coming in for the season it's the best time to cruise. They will be looking to fill them.

 

Someone needs to block this thread........ I get too tempted.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

Posted
Posted
With all the ships coming in for the season it's the best time to cruise. They will be looking to fill them.

 

Someone needs to block this thread........ I get too tempted.

 

You can just block the thread for your view and let us be tempted with out you.:p

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