Will never book early again!

[steelerannie]

We’ve just come back from Azura. We booked almost 18 months before we sailed. On board we spoke to some passengers who had booked 2 weeks before sailing, and paid £500 per person less than we did for an inside cabin. I won’t be booking early again. Also quite a few people who’d booked late and had an inside cabin were upgraded  to a balcony cabin!

[Selbourne]

35 minutes ago, steelerannie said:

We’ve just come back from Azura. We booked almost 18 months before we sailed. On board we spoke to some passengers who had booked 2 weeks before sailing, and paid £500 per person less than we did for an inside cabin. I won’t be booking early again. Also quite a few people who’d booked late and had an inside cabin were upgraded  to a balcony cabin!

I'm not surprised, because 18 months out is rarely a good time to book as, whilst it is 'early', it is not the 'earliest' and that makes a huge difference. The cheapest time (certainly if you want a Select booking and a specific cabin) is at launch, which can be up to 2 years before sailing. Once the initial launch period ends, prices can rocket. The last 6 cruises we booked were all at launch and the prices were never cheaper thereafter. However, as I keep an eye on prices (rather than online trackers, which I find to be inaccurate and only look at base price, not price less OBC, which varies wildly), I have been shocked to see how much the prices have rocketed - in some cases by well over 50%.

 

I appreciate that booking at launch isn't possible for many people, but if you can't book then to secure the very best deal then you have to keep a very close eye on things, ideally keeping a record of launch prices as a comparison (which I do) . The recent promotion, (just ended) which implied great deals was just one example. The price of ALL our future cruises was significantly more during the promotion than we had paid (at launch). The two most extreme examples have been cruises that we booked at launch for £6-7k (balcony cabin) each, yet have been in 'promotions' since at over £10k each.

 

It's called fluid pricing and, sadly, it sucks! Of course, the moral of this story is never discuss how much you paid whilst on a cruise as it is a sure fire way to upset yourself or the other cruisers.

Edited December 6, 2018 by Selbourne

[claudiniusmaximus]

Oooh. We’ve booked late for a NYE cruise - now you’ve got me hoping for a balcony upgrade! 

 

Just to add though, three days after we booked the price went up by £500. Then two days later a balcony was the same as we paid for inside. Then the next day it sold out. As previous poster commented, its fluid pricing. 

 

Having said that ive often hankered for QM2 transatlantic. For years now I’ve noticed that the price always comes down to £799 for that a few weeks before sailing. You can bet it won’t happen the one time I finally decide to go for it though 😂

[jeanlyon]

Yes agree with above poster.  Booking at launch is invariably the best unless it's a Canaries or fjords cruise as there are many of those.  We booked on launch for this coming April and we paid £600 pp less than it is standing now.  Obviously 2 weeks before sailing there will be cancellations and of course great deals, but I like to choose my cabin, my dining and you can't do that on a late saver.

[kalos]

Most people book on the cruise release date if they want a good price and with good reason such as they want a certain cabin ,maybe as they have mobility scooter. Maybe a cruise that is going to be in demand for kids places or NYE cruises, a lot of reasons why people book early . It is fair to say the persons you spoke to were not snapping up the above mentioned cabins as they would have sold out .

We booked our upcoming cruise very early knowing it  would soon rocket in price with demand and we have never regretted the price we paid as it has never been beaten .

If we had booked the following cruise 3rd Jan  then I doubt we would book early as there is no vast demand as kids are back at school and people just finished their Christmas holidays  just like yours was just before  so the prices tend to be fluid.

The advice given by Selbourne is good advice you just need to research in future and ask yourself is your cruise at a popular time or do I need to book a certain cabin etc .

If you had decided on our New Year cruise and wanted to book last minute ..You would not be going .  

 As said above it has sold out .

Think of it this way  ... You were happy with your price when you booked and for almost 18 months  ..better luck next time.

                        

Edited December 6, 2018 by kalos

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, steelerannie said:

We’ve just come back from Azura. We booked almost 18 months before we sailed. On board we spoke to some passengers who had booked 2 weeks before sailing, and paid £500 per person less than we did for an inside cabin. I won’t be booking early again. Also quite a few people who’d booked late and had an inside cabin were upgraded  to a balcony cabin!

Booking early, ie on launch of new brochure and with the extra discount you receive is invariably the best option, but there are some times and cruises where this does not apply; unfortunately Nov. and early Dec in the Caribbean is one of those.  This is always the weakest time for Caribbean cruises and prices are always lowest on late savers.

[Ranchi]

Schadenfreude: the joy derived from telling another passenger how little you paid for your cruise. 

Cannot understand why anyone would wish to gloat about the price they paid for their cruise. If you’ve got a bargain then good, but don’t upset your fellow passengers. 

Munchausenscruising by proxy: deriving pleasure by impressing others of your social status based upon the high price you paid for your cruise and the standard of your stateroom. 

Whilst passengers displaying these tendencies can form a supportive and symbiotic relationship, it can sometimes lead to tears and well informed cruise companies will discourage passengers who display these tendencies from fraternising.

Edited December 6, 2018 by Ranchi

[Eglesbrech]

2 hours ago, steelerannie said:

We’ve just come back from Azura. We booked almost 18 months before we sailed. On board we spoke to some passengers who had booked 2 weeks before sailing, and paid £500 per person less than we did for an inside cabin. I won’t be booking early again. Also quite a few people who’d booked late and had an inside cabin were upgraded  to a balcony cabin!

It is indeed really annoying and also very rude of people to tell you what they paid.

 

We have benefitted from some really great last minute deals but I would never mentioned it to anyone onboard as it is so annoying when it happens the other way round.

[daiB]

Whilst agreeing fully with the information others have given I would say that the time of year should also be taken into consideration. Middle Of November to just before Christmas is always a hard sell for cruise companies. So if there was one time you could wait, now is it. But you must wait until quite near the cruise you want.

 

However booking in June, three month after booking has opened is never a good idea.

[Scriv]

Re people getting magical upgrades, first of all be aware that you will not be upgraded if you have checked the 'No Upgrade' box. Sometimes people do this without realising it  - and sometimes of course, it's the other way round and they are upgraded when they didn't want to be moved.
 

Also, people's ideas of upgrades vary. Most upgrades are just a few grades up the same category of cabin and usually towards the middle and lower in the ship. Same cabin, different location but in a location the P&O system thinks is better. People don't always agree. Less common is an upgrade into the next category.. usually from a booking in the top grade of the category below.

Of course, insides to balconies etc can happen and who knows how they are allocated -  none of us can second guess the Upgrade Fairy, but I don't think such upgrades happen very often.

 

And lastly, people can be telling huge porkies on board about their upgrades and prices paid... My first cruise was spoilt by listening to people talk about prices paid. I learnt! Never talk prices on board.

 

 

 

[jeanlyon]

Agree, never talk about prices on board and actually I have never had people telling me either.  Also agree re upgrades.  We were upgraded even though we had asked not to be and I did not consider a cabin on A deck up top to be an upgrade, so I got them to move us back to D deck where I had booked.

[Harry Peterson]

Having recently been converted to the idea of booking on the first available day, I can see that it normally pays off if you have specific cabin/suite requirements, as we do.

 

However, the prices achievable in the final weeks of the period before sailing are frequently going to better the 'first day' prices - though you do have to take what's left, and that's not always ideal.

 

If you're not too bothered about location, you'll frequently get a good late deal, but if you are you'll probably be disappointed.  If people choose to tell me they've got a better deal than me, I don't much care.  Good luck to them!  Such is life - there's always going to be somebody who got a better deal than you did, but what does it matter?

 

At least with freedom dining, you're not going to have to spend a couple of weeks or more with the sort of people who like discussing prices!

[terrierjohn]

21 minutes ago, docco said:

Having recently been converted to the idea of booking on the first available day, I can see that it normally pays off if you have specific cabin/suite requirements, as we do.

 

However, the prices achievable in the final weeks of the period before sailing are frequently going to better the 'first day' prices - though you do have to take what's left, and that's not always ideal.

 

If you're not too bothered about location, you'll frequently get a good late deal, but if you are you'll probably be disappointed.  If people choose to tell me they've got a better deal than me, I don't much care.  Good luck to them!  Such is life - there's always going to be somebody who got a better deal than you did, but what does it matter?

 

At least with freedom dining, you're not going to have to spend a couple of weeks or more with the sort of people who like discussing prices!

On last minute saver fares it's nowadays unlikely you would be given freedom dining, the least favourite time is 2nd seating club dining.  So you could very well end with unwanted table mates, unless you are only going to book on Iona.

[oxygenbanditnot]

X901, Oriana 35 nights sailing early Jan was available on around 20th Oct for £1999 pp...That's £57pppn. If you are flexible and don't mind allocated inside cabin, there are good bargains to be had.   Repositioning cruise + 7 extra days was available 3 weeks before sailing at £54pppn, flying back to Bournemouth.

Will be looking for this type in future.

[Harry Peterson]

8 minutes ago, oxygenbanditnot said:

X901, Oriana 35 nights sailing early Jan was available on around 20th Oct for £1999 pp...That's £57pppn. If you are flexible and don't mind allocated inside cabin, there are good bargains to be had.   Repositioning cruise + 7 extra days was available 3 weeks before sailing at £54pppn, flying back to Bournemouth.

Will be looking for this type in future.

Horses for courses - and arguably by far the best way of cruising for someone who spends very little time in their cabin.  For sheer value for money and maximising the time spent cruising, deals like that are unbeatable.