Best Deal Strategies

[PBTravelBug]

I am sure this topic is covered somewhere on this board. For whatever reason I have trouble searching on Cruise Critic - my searches just spin & spin.

 

Looking for tips and practices on how to get the best deal on a cruise. If this is discussed elsewhere would someone be so kind as to point me in the right direction.

 

If you would like to share here I am trying to get a handle on how best to book. Typically I book last minute and pay in full at time of booking because we are usually less than 90 days to sailing. I booked one time at the Future Cruise desk and had to cancel the cruise.

 

Do you...

 

- Book at Future Cruise desk for cruises far off?

- How do you reprice the cruise? I know call Celebrity or TA but is it a whole new booking so you consider price and perks?

- Do you look at cruise prices every day?

- Celebrity pricing seems to be all over the place but is Celebrity  predictable with their specials ( ie 4 perks included can be expected to show up _____)

 

I am keeping my eye on a 12 night  Equinox cruise February 2021 because it visits New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Found a pretty nice price online with my TA site. Wondering if I should wait until I am on Infinity in March to book b/c of the extra OBC or should I book now to hold a spot and see what happens with prices?

 

Thanks!

[taxatty]

Get on Celebrity's emailing list for notices of special deals. Be careful about determining what deposits are refundable and nonrefundable if you book and want to make certain changes. Trying to reprice plus perks can be very confusing--good luck. Sometimes the extra charge for a perk can exceed its value--you need to do the calculations carefully. If you use a TA, you need to generally change reservations through them, although Celebrity let me do this once over the weekend when the TA's office was closed and I copied the TA by email.

[bikerunner]

I look at celebrity as a guide on pricing.  Then I contact a few ta’s I have used and usually get lucky with group deals.  It’s mainly understanding the numbers overall since that can be confusing.  I have a number that I adhere to for per person per day.   This includes everything from pre hotel and flights. All goes into my calculations.  I usually stay within concierge or aqua class. As much as the suite is tempting haven’t been able to get them into my price range. Plus the room is just a place to sleep and store clothes for me.  I like concierge just because upper levels and need about 10 min a day on balcony. 

[jelayne]

We book on board if we happen to be onboard, but we don’t wait until we board.

Most of the time we book close to when itineraries are released and then transfer to a TA, preferably one that has group rates.  

Most recent booking was 23 months out, booked with X  during a promotion with 2 perks and $200 OBC.  Two weeks before the window to transfer closed a TA we have used previously had group space.  We transferred the booking reducing the fare by $560 pp, kept the perks & OBC from X and got another $400 OBC from the TA and  we kept our A1 cabin .

I check prices on our booking regularly and take advantage of price drops.

[bikerunner]

3 minutes ago, jelayne said:

We book on board if we happen to be onboard, but we don’t wait until we board.

Most of the time we book close to when itineraries are released and then transfer to a TA, preferably one that has group rates.  

Most recent booking was 23 months out, booked with X  during a promotion with 2 perks and $200 OBC.  Two weeks before the window to transfer closed a TA we have used previously had group space.  We transferred the booking reducing the fare by $560 pp, kept the perks & OBC from X and got another $400 OBC from the TA and  we kept our A1 cabin .

I check prices on our booking regularly and take advantage of price drops.

Hmmm.  I didn’t know you could transfer booking on board to. Ta and get there lower group rate.  I know you can transfer but thought it was stuck at price paid.  Something I might look at next time on board and might consider thanks. Learned something new. 

[PBTravelBug]

Thank you for all of the helpful comments.

Question - when booking on board I thought the new booking automatically was assigned to the travel agent who booked the current cruise. Appears this is not the case? Is it something you must mention to the future cruise representative?

[39august]

You are correct. It will be assigned to the TA you are using for that cruise. You can ask it not be and sign a form to that effect, then transfer within 60 days to another TA. 

[PBTravelBug]

Just now, 39august said:

You are correct. It will be assigned to the TA you are using for that cruise. You can ask it not be and sign a form to that effect, then transfer within 60 days to another TA. 

Thank you - great to know!

Nothing against the travel agent I use but sometimes it is nice to have options.

[jelayne]

2 hours ago, bikerunner said:

Hmmm.  I didn’t know you could transfer booking on board to. Ta and get there lower group rate.  I know you can transfer but thought it was stuck at price paid.  Something I might look at next time on board and might consider thanks. Learned something new. 

If the TA has group rates they have to transfer the booking from X at the rate booked then after it is their booking they can refare at the group rate.  
if you book onboard tgecbooking will be automatically assigned to the TA of record for the cruise you are on, unless as 39august said you request that it stay with X and sign a form to that effect.  Then you can transfer within 60 days.

[AdventureJes]

I sailed in September and put a deposit on a future cruise. I wasn't sure when or where I wanted to go so they just put in a date a couple of years out. A few days ago I found a cruise I wanted so I called and they were able to easily switch it. When doing this, be careful as the perks will change to whatever the promotion is at the tie you switch your booking. In my case it worked out, and I ended up with more value for what the trip. Because the room was a higher category than what I initially booked I will get more OBC as well. I think because of this, I'll get a future cruise credit every time I sail just to have available, the deposit was refundable so if anything would have happened and I couldn't find something else (I don't even know if there is a time limit) I would just cancel before final payment and be whole. Worked out well for me.