Has Princess overestimated Alaska demand?

[bemis12]

I'm leaving on the Coral Wednesday for Alaska, and there are a number of cabins still available.  At this point, it doesn't look like it will sell out.

 

So I looked to see how the other ships are faring, and noticed that the huge Royal Princess is sailing on Saturday the 1st.  There are LOTS of rooms available there.

 

Is this typical for early in the season for Alaska?  Or does the Royal suck up so much demand that they can't fill ships now?

[JF - retired RRT]

For me...those huge ships soak up demand for almost any itinerary. They're just too big.

[Cruiserkenn]

Yes, true, but it is still early in the Alaska season.  Let's check again in late June, July and August.

[fishywood]

For 2019 Princess reduced capacity a bit on the R/T Inside Passage cruises (replacing Emerald Princess with Star Princess) but increased the number of berths on the Voyage of the Glaciers by 700+ per week by adding Royal Princess (with Star moving to Seattle as noted). With school still in session in most of the country ships may be sailing a bit below 100% sold out.  As suggested above, check back in July and August.

 

Next Summer (2020) Island Princess will be replaced by Pacific Princess so scratch more than 1500 berths per week from the Vancouver-Whittier sailings. But Princess will be increasing the number of R/T Los Angeles to Alaska cruises. The open-jaw cruises are a bit more volatile than the closed loop because the latter (1) do not require passports for native born US citizens; and (2) are more popular with large families due to the (false) perception that multi-city air fares are more expensive and too difficult to arrange in the first place.

[cruisequeen4ever]

There are more and bigger ships this year in AK across the cruise lines. There is a record number of visitors expected this year, but yes, the increased supply has caused some leftover staterooms, which has resulted in some cruises being deeply discounted! 

[westcoaster]

You really can't tell if the ships have empty berths just because you are seeing available cabins.  It could just be that there are a lot of guarantee cabins that haven't been assigned yet.

 

[Potstech]

Multi city air fares ARE more expensive then round trip from the same city.

[ceilidh1]

Just scored a killer deal on Royal 14 nights on August 3rd. $1298 per person on an inside! And that's CAD $!!

[deliver42]

We just got off the Ruby on May 18, and the ship was sold out about 2 weeks before the cruise. Tried to see if e could upgrade, and a big sold out sign appeared on their web site. The day we boarded, May, 11, the Princess side of Terminal 91 was packed, with a snake line for check in rivaling Disney parks, but you could get right on the HAL Eurodam. Their side of the terminal was EMPTY. When we looked over from out deck, we couldn't even see any movement on theirs. Whatever it was, evidently Princess is doing something right.

[donaldsc]

Azamara put one of their new 650 passenger ships on the AK circuit.  However, their cruises were "more of the same".  They are being killed.

 

DON

[Pierlesscruisers]

30 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

We just got off the Ruby on May 18, and the ship was sold out about 2 weeks before the cruise. Tried to see if e could upgrade, and a big sold out sign appeared on their web site. The day we boarded, May, 11, the Princess side of Terminal 91 was packed, with a snake line for check in rivaling Disney parks, but you could get right on the HAL Eurodam. Their side of the terminal was EMPTY. When we looked over from out deck, we couldn't even see any movement on theirs. Whatever it was, evidently Princess is doing something right.

 

Yep, the pier was busy that day, that's for sure.  Part of the difference between the 2 sides of the pier was due to the fact that one of the ships (Princess) has 50% more capacity than the other ship which makes one side look (and actually be) a lot busier than the other. Normal/max passenger size for the Ruby is 3084/3861 versus 2104/2671 for the Eurodam. You ought to see what the pier looks like on Fridays when the passenger capacities are 4180/4905 and 2883/3145! 🙂 

 

Tom

[bemis12]

52 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Just scored a killer deal on Royal 14 nights on August 3rd. $1298 per person on an inside! And that's CAD $!!

 

They are giving away inside cabins on the Royal for $313, leaving Saturday.  Tons of rooms there for the taking.

[Coral]

8 minutes ago, bemis12 said:

 

They are giving away inside cabins on the Royal for $313, leaving Saturday.  Tons of rooms there for the taking.

I have sailed in the past for $299 pp. This issue comes up every year.

[Coral]

19 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

Azamara put one of their new 650 passenger ships on the AK circuit.  However, their cruises were "more of the same".  They are being killed.

 

DON

Crystal has a ship this summer also. Not sure if it has started sailing yet this year in Alaska.

[idahospud]

Just now, Coral said:

I have sailed in the past for $299 pp. This issue comes up every year.

I've sailed at $299 before, too. However, today's casino rate for Alaska is at the lowest rate I've ever seen since we started in Alaska 15 years ago.

[geoherb]

I booked my upcoming back-to-back cruises on the Island this past weekend. I'm sailing in three weeks. They were doing a great special on cabins for singles. I thought perhaps it was a nod to the fact that they don't mind filling up the ship at the last minute with solo cruisers since adding more cabins. The cruises I looked at on the Coral and Royal did not have the reduced single supplement but still had great deals on cabins for two people for June.

 

Except for our first Princess cruise to Alaska, we've always waited until the last minute to book, hoping to find a deal. In 2012, it was 5 nights on land and a 7-night cruise for $1,226 per person (with taxes and fees) in a cabin with a balcony (thanks to the upgrade fairy) at the end of July. 

 

Earlier this week, the June 19 northbound cruise showed up as sold out. There are now cabins available again on it. The price of the southbound cruise dropped dramatically for double occupancy cabins--down to $366 per person--but not for solo cruisers. Everything is a pricing game, with Princess trying to fill the ships as best they can and me trying to book at the most opportune time. 

[ceilidh1]

54 minutes ago, bemis12 said:

 

They are giving away inside cabins on the Royal for $313, leaving Saturday.  Tons of rooms there for the taking.

I'm used to seeing last minute stuff like that - but the deal I got was for August! Peak season for Alaska! And available now rather than last minute. I snapped it up.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I've seen many July Alaska sailings that are also not sold out and not even close to being sold out.  Really weird to see at this late date.

[Coral]

2 hours ago, idahospud said:

I've sailed at $299 before, too. However, today's casino rate for Alaska is at the lowest rate I've ever seen since we started in Alaska 15 years ago.

I don't have access to casino rates.

[gerelmx]

Celebrity added the Eclipse to the Solstice in AK,  a big inventory increase

Edited May 30, 2019 by gerelmx

[antsp]

I've got a 7 days on the Royal for $225. Going in the next few weeks

[geoherb]

2 hours ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

I've seen many July Alaska sailings that are also not sold out and not even close to being sold out.  Really weird to see at this late date.

 

We don't really know how sold out a cruise is. There may be a lot of cabins showing up as available, but a lot of people with guarantees waiting to be assigned. I've seen it go from a ton of cabins apparently available to none overnight. 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, geoherb said:

 

We don't really know how sold out a cruise is. There may be a lot of cabins showing up as available, but a lot of people with guarantees waiting to be assigned. I've seen it go from a ton of cabins apparently available to none overnight. 

Travel agents see a different view and can tell how wide open it is. I have often asked my TA that before and it is obvious to her how sold out it is.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Coral

[neverbeenhere]

Alice Cooper this one. School is not quite out for summer. 

[Coral]

Just now, neverbeenhere said:

Alice Cooper this one. School is not quite out for summer. 

It is where I live!

 

The one ways have never attracted that many kids. Definitely the RT ones do attract kids.