Anyone booking with the new 50% off Memorial Day sale?

[oyme]

3 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

as I said I see a couple a few bucks off out of Galveston.  I do not see anything on jubilee or the 14 days that are even 25% off much less 50% off.

 

I can book rcl cheaper. The prices I'm seeing are hardly anything off. Nov 24 $100 off .. again. I'm not interested in nov 2023 I want something past my jan 2024 dream cruise in 2024 that is discounted. Why would I pay those prices?  Sorry I'm loyal to my pocketbook. 

 

Didnt say I cant see those dates ..  I cant see those dates with the sale or a deal im willing to book. I'll take a balcony on harmony over a inside on jubilee. . Carnival needs another real 50% off sale that applies to Galveston.  .. 

 

" Sorry I'm loyal to my pocketbook." ... right?! lol, same. If we're looking at loyalty I'm 2 cruises from Platinum with Princess but haven't seen a cruise I wanted with them in awhile. NCL has better loyalty benefits, IMO than CCL & Princess... Never sailed RCI, husband is against it.

[cruisingguy007]

54 minutes ago, oyme said:

" Sorry I'm loyal to my pocketbook."

 

This! 

[tallnthensome]

In todays economy and with sailing two kids I'm going with the best value and experience to places I want to go like Iceland. I sail many lines yet loyal to none. Loyalty points and perks matter little to me if at all when similar cruises are half the price on one line versus the other.  Today, Carnival`s 12 day Iceland is $3500 for my family in a balcony and Royals 12 day to Iceland is $8800. No loyalty benefits on RCCL are going to make that cost up. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by tallnthensome

[oyme]

12 minutes ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

This! 

Until one reaches platinum on CCL, their loyalty program is laughable but their fares do stack up nicely even when not having the best sales. I just know I can do better if I wait it out! I can wait maybe until Black Friday... anyone know how CCL Black Friday sales are? NCL had a good one last year, still wasn't ready to book last November, though.

[tallnthensome]

8 minutes ago, oyme said:

Until one reaches platinum on CCL, their loyalty program is laughable but their fares do stack up nicely even when not having the best sales. I just know I can do better if I wait it out! I can wait maybe until Black Friday... anyone know how CCL Black Friday sales are? NCL had a good one last year, still wasn't ready to book last November, though.

NCL was my go to line for the past few years but their pricing and so called sales are the worst now. I've seen much better sales on Carnival from the beginning of the year than I can remember the one for Black Friday . The issue with Carnival is that their sales target certain people with better prices than for others without rhyme or reason. This makes sales or specials better for different people. An example is this thread. I should NOT be getting better offers than people who have 20 Carnival cruises under their belt. 

Edited May 21, 2022 by tallnthensome

[cruisingguy007]

13 minutes ago, oyme said:

Until one reaches platinum on CCL, their loyalty program is laughable but their fares do stack up nicely even when not having the best sales. I just know I can do better if I wait it out! I can wait maybe until Black Friday... anyone know how CCL Black Friday sales are? NCL had a good one last year, still wasn't ready to book last November, though.

 

Frankly, I couldn't care less about the loyalty program, I'm more concerned with the cost of the vacation. Those incidentals don't even enter the equation. I guess if all things were equal it may tip the scales but that is seldom the case and dancing for peanuts doesn't make sense in most cases. Great for for marketing though, some really believe in the whole "status" shtick. I've seen it with some players in Vegas too, like it's a real achievement in life lol. Some are even offended when you don't volunteer to be tracked, it's uncomprehensible to some.  

Edited May 21, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[kalmich]

The offers I'm getting are all for times I don't want to go or from ports I don't want to travel to (Florida.) Airfare is super expensive right now so the bargain cruise fares aren't so great when you add that in.  I'm planning on waiting until the last minute to grab the super-cheap fares when they're trying to fill up a ship.

[oyme]

I find the same issue. The prices as well as most itineraries excluding Panorama that sail out of Long Beach (where I like to sail from) really haven't been fabulous for awhile now. If I'm sailing less than 5 days the prices have to do better than that. We were lucky in that a family member had casino pricing for our next sailing so the price beat all of the prices on the 5 day or less cruises. This was a special circumstance for us, she is retired and probably would like to sail another itinerary out of say Florida for her following cruise. We have a family of 4 and I'm a stay at home Mom so flights are not usually within budget for us. We're flying to see family back East soon and the amount we're spending is astronomical.

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, oyme said:

 

" Sorry I'm loyal to my pocketbook." ... right?! lol, same. If we're looking at loyalty I'm 2 cruises from Platinum with Princess but haven't seen a cruise I wanted with them in awhile. NCL has better loyalty benefits, IMO than CCL & Princess... Never sailed RCI, husband is against it.

royal is good to solos. Carnival used to do 1A no supplement, then 50%, but now its put as many as possible into each cabin.

 

2 more cruises and I get 25% off as a solo (50% off 2nd fare). The 5 free drinks a day and 2 days of free wifi and free laundry, bogo pay restaurants etc. And they have been more generous for me what I book with obc. The solo discount helps.

 

I'm not anti carnival but they need to come down on some prices imo. I did get one carnival deal, but usually always miss. My dream 14 day jan 2024. I was cruising and missed the next good sale and sales going downhill ... lol on both lines. I'm good with what I booked. If prices keep going up I got enough booked. Carnival seems to be more for gamblers than cruisers like me. I admit I'm only looking at Galveston for carnival. Dont want to fly in today's mess. 

 

Lady at my Mdr table tonight was supposed to go out of florida and sw cancelled her flight and in 24 hours she switched to this one...lives in Louisiana some place and could drive. I bet we have 600 or more onboard who are previous carnival only cruisers. Heard it from so many. About 75% are first time on rcl. These got really really cheap ... lol so here I am onboard at the pool. I wouldnt know it from a carnival cruise tbh. Same pax. Sitting here at the pool and docked in cozumel. 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, kalmich said:

The offers I'm getting are all for times I don't want to go or from ports I don't want to travel to (Florida.) Airfare is super expensive right now so the bargain cruise fares aren't so great when you add that in.  I'm planning on waiting until the last minute to grab the super-cheap fares when they're trying to fill up a ship.

I'm kinda thinking the same thing. The offers are ro ports where you have to fly. I had good offers to Alaska but dont want to fly. Florida has lots on sale cheap. 

 

I'm paying over $500 next spring to miami ... after buying that airfare ... I'm no thanks, drive to ports only or I'm staying home.

[mowogo]

5 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I'm kinda thinking the same thing. The offers are ro ports where you have to fly. I had good offers to Alaska but dont want to fly. Florida has lots on sale cheap. 

 

I'm paying over $500 next spring to miami ... after buying that airfare ... I'm no thanks, drive to ports only or I'm staying home.

The only reason I jumped on the Alaska fare earlier this year was because it was only $100 more for a balcony than in interior, at decent casino rates.  Then I knew I needed to take advantage even with airfare, but then I’m also fortunate to live in a city with high competitive pressure for getting to major ports

[Illbcruzn4life]

13 hours ago, firefly333 said:

as I said I see a couple a few bucks off out of Galveston.  I do not see anything on jubilee or the 14 days that are even 25% off much less 50% off.

 

I can book rcl cheaper. The prices I'm seeing are hardly anything off. Nov 24 $100 off .. again. I'm not interested in nov 2023 I want something past my jan 2024 dream cruise in 2024 that is discounted. Why would I pay those prices?  Sorry I'm loyal to my pocketbook. 

 

Didnt say I cant see those dates ..  I cant see those dates with the sale or a deal im willing to book. I'll take a balcony on harmony over a inside on jubilee. . Carnival needs another real 50% off sale that applies to Galveston.  .. 

 

It's a 6 hour drive to Galveston. Unless its 7 days or b2b cheap on shorter I'm not driving that far and paying for a hotel or parking. Everything in my signature is 14 days or more. I also wouldnt tie up dates in 2024 for some short cruise, those I'd book last minute b2b at most. ..and gas isnt getting cheaper. Well I do have a 10 days in radiance and then a group cruise to meet cc friends on oasis .. but those arent discount cruises. So I'm correcting myself. I almost never book less than 14 days. 

Just wanted to say congrats on winning season 7 of the masked singer.

Firefly wins The Masked Singer season 7 after emotional reveal: 'It feels so good' (yahoo.com)