Crowds - any ship options for less crowds?

[Kiwifruit]

I know from first hand experience that most (if not all) cruise lines will accept “over bookings” but it is extremely rare that this results in passengers being involuntarily denied boarding.
 

Cruise lines know that it would be very damaging to the brand if this occurs. Therefore they go to great lengths to ensure that any over bookings are resolved well before embarkation through generous offers and enticements to transfer sailings etc as previous posters have explained.

 

In my experience where there have been instances of passengers being denied boarding at the port it is not usually due to the practice of “over booking” per se. Rather it occurs where a ship is sailing at full capacity and cabins have to be withdrawn from the inventory without notice such as when water damage or sewage problems render them uninhabitable which is very uncommon and certainly not worth fretting about.

[asctony]

14 hours ago, Kiwifruit said:

I know from first hand experience that most (if not all) cruise lines will accept “over bookings” but it is extremely rare that this results in passengers being involuntarily denied boarding.
 

Cruise lines know that it would be very damaging to the brand if this occurs. Therefore they go to great lengths to ensure that any over bookings are resolved well before embarkation through generous offers and enticements to transfer sailings etc as previous posters have explained.

 

In my experience where there have been instances of passengers being denied boarding at the port it is not usually due to the practice of “over booking” per se. Rather it occurs where a ship is sailing at full capacity and cabins have to be withdrawn from the inventory without notice such as when water damage or sewage problems render them uninhabitable which is very uncommon and certainly not worth fretting about.

Do you work for a cruise line or on a ship? 

Where do you get your info from? 

Very interested to know the details of overbooking. 

TIA

[RichYak]

14 hours ago, Kiwifruit said:

I know from first hand experience that most (if not all) cruise lines will accept “over bookings” but it is extremely rare that this results in passengers being involuntarily denied boarding.
 

Cruise lines know that it would be very damaging to the brand if this occurs. Therefore they go to great lengths to ensure that any over bookings are resolved well before embarkation through generous offers and enticements to transfer sailings etc as previous posters have explained.

 

In my experience where there have been instances of passengers being denied boarding at the port it is not usually due to the practice of “over booking” per se. Rather it occurs where a ship is sailing at full capacity and cabins have to be withdrawn from the inventory without notice such as when water damage or sewage problems render them uninhabitable which is very uncommon and certainly not worth fretting about.

Agree 100%. It's naive to think that cruise lines overbooking is not standard practice. They have more than enough statistical data to know just how much they can overbook and not resort to involuntarily deny boarding at embarkation short of that rare 3- or 4-sigma event.

[phoenix_dream]

23 hours ago, mnocket said:

Part of the reason that vacation spending in general, and cruising in specific, remains strong may be the bifurcation of the economy. Inflation is really hitting the working generations hard.  Inflation typically hits retired folk even harder, but for many retirees (especially those who have the resources to travel) the growth in their retirement accounts more than makes up for it.  Many retirees who have significant funds sitting in retirement accounts are actually feeling pretty good about their financial situation.  

 

So while the younger generations who have favored spending on "experiences" (e.g. travel) over savings and material possessions, may start to cut back, those retirees who have been traveling will likely continue to do so. 

The extra crowds I am seeing these days are not retirees, they are 30 and 40 somethings, often families with kids.  That's why I made the point I did.  Other than the lag during Covid, the ships were mostly filled with retirees, or at the very least 50 somethings.  So I honestly don't see a change as far as that goes.  This observation is based on my sailings on Celebrity, which total 13 over the last year and a half.  

[phoenix_dream]

On 5/25/2024 at 2:28 PM, joydivision84 said:

Yeah I'm sorry but this is nonsense. The only time you saw this was a few years ago and this reeks of "just trust me bro". You keep mentioning similarities between flying and cruising but in regards to vacations there really isn't much similarity at all. A cruise is the vacation, a flight is just transport from one place to another, and as others said most places have multiple options for that, within hours of one another.

 

It's very different. 

 

That's before you start taking into account things like excursions people have booked, plans for ports, flights back home post cruise, hotels post cruise. 

 

I've never heard of this ever occuring but I'm not calling you a liar, I'm sure there's been one offs, but we'd all be hearing about it daily if this was even semi-common.

 

We book our cruises at least 9 months prior to leaving and if I turned up and someone told me our room was going to someone else I'd spontaneously combust. 

It is not nonsense and it has happened fairly recently, not a few years ago.  I am not saying it's common - it definitely isn't - but neither is it nonsense.

[dreamer321]

On 5/25/2024 at 10:28 AM, Fly and Sail said:

It would help to avoid traveling on the most popular routes during the holiday season. Sometimes a repositioning cruises isn't that popular. Pacific Coastals too.

I just got off Summit's 6 day Pacific Coastal and the ship was packed full.  I had to search for a seat in Oceanview Café for embarkation lunch.  I should have eaten in Sushi on Five, oh well, 20/20 hindsight.  The less than idea weather kept the crowds away from the pool deck on sea days for the most part causing other venues to be more crowded.  The Solarium was always full. We had to cancel our Catalina port call because the seas were too choppy. After the first day I avoided the buffet as much as I could and ate in the MDR whenever possible.  Despite the marginal weather and crowds I still enjoyed myself and have two more cruise booked in the future.

[Escruiser1962]

1 minute ago, dreamer321 said:

I just got off Summit's 6 day Pacific Coastal and the ship was packed full.  I had to search for a seat in Oceanview Café for embarkation lunch.  I should have eaten in Sushi on Five, oh well, 20/20 hindsight.  The less than idea weather kept the crowds away from the pool deck on sea days for the most part causing other venues to be more crowded.  The Solarium was always full. We had to cancel our Catalina port call because the seas were too choppy. After the first day I avoided the buffet as much as I could and ate in the MDR whenever possible.  Despite the marginal weather and crowds I still enjoyed myself and have two more cruise booked in the future.

Sounds familiar except I have no more booked.

[PhillyFan33579]

On 5/26/2024 at 11:35 AM, mnocket said:

Part of the reason that vacation spending in general, and cruising in specific, remains strong may be the bifurcation of the economy. Inflation is really hitting the working generations hard.  Inflation typically hits retired folk even harder, but for many retirees (especially those who have the resources to travel) the growth in their retirement accounts more than makes up for it.  Many retirees who have significant funds sitting in retirement accounts are actually feeling pretty good about their financial situation.  

 

So while the younger generations who have favored spending on "experiences" (e.g. travel) over savings and material possessions, may start to cut back, those retirees who have been traveling will likely continue to do so. 

I have not noticed any cut backs by younger generations. Since the restart post-COVID, I have been on 46 cruises, all with Celebrity and RCI. One thing I have noticed is the average age has definitely decreased on both cruise lines. It seems like every cruise I go on the crowd gets younger and younger on both cruise lines. 
 

Prior to COVID I usually felt like I was around the average age on RCI cruises and on the younger side on Celebrity cruises (I am in my late 50s). Post COVID I feel like I am now one of the older cruisers on RCI and now closer to the average age on Celebrity. Granted 46 cruises is a very small sample size, but from my experience the average age on ships is clearly getting younger. 

[Mariettte]

On 5/26/2024 at 5:28 AM, joydivision84 said:

 

We book our cruises at least 9 months prior to leaving and if I turned up and someone told me our room was going to someone else I'd spontaneously combust. 

As this couple did, to no avail. Denied boarding last December in Brisbane, Australia. Royal. There was conjecture that they were chosen for bumping because there were no flights involved- they were in their home city.

 

https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussie-couples-holiday-ruined-bumped-from-cruise-before-departure-232922909.html

[mnocket]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I have not noticed any cut backs by younger generations. Since the restart post-COVID, I have been on 46 cruises, all with Celebrity and RCI. One thing I have noticed is the average age has definitely decreased on both cruise lines. It seems like every cruise I go on the crowd gets younger and younger on both cruise lines. 
 

Prior to COVID I usually felt like I was around the average age on RCI cruises and on the younger side on Celebrity cruises (I am in my late 50s). Post COVID I feel like I am now one of the older cruisers on RCI and now closer to the average age on Celebrity. Granted 46 cruises is a very small sample size, but from my experience the average age on ships is clearly getting younger. 

 

Good to hear.  I keep reading about how the younger generations are being squeezed financially.  Sounds like that's not the case. 

[Dolebludger]

The only to avoid crowds and lines onboard is to cruise on a ship designed to avoid these things — even when fully occupied by guests. Those ships are in the luxury class of cruising. They are more expensive than many “mass market” cruises, but not always more expensive than Celebrity Retreat.  The lux lines to which I refer are Regent, Silversea as to the ones we have cruised. By report, I understand that Seaborne and Crystal also belong in this category. Ships in the luxury category are planned to be 100% occupancy without the crowds and lines. To my experience, they have succeeded.

[shandryl]

On 5/25/2024 at 9:07 AM, Oxo said:

All Cruise Lines and Ships are now sailing at Full Capacity!

That is the norm. In fact, ships are overbooking and people are not being able to board at the port due to overbooking like the airlines. 

Sorry!

Yes! read the same thing! scary bc its not just the cruise line will "refund the money back."  what about the other parts of the trip you may have paid for... Like Flights/Hotels/transportation & the time that was invested. 😟😠 I think there are more scenarios/circumstances.  

Edited May 28 by shandryl

[shandryl]

On 5/25/2024 at 9:24 AM, Escruiser1962 said:

Curious about this overbooking - the people not being able to board... are they the passengers that have book guaranteed instead of a specific cabin? I wouldn't think it's likely that they'd book 2 reservations for one cabin number. 

When i was booking my future cruise with princess, I said book me a guarantee bc its the cheaper choice and was advised to pick a cabin bc of that same reason "over booking" 🤔

[lifeisrealygood]

My wife and I love to cruise, and will continue to do so.  Here is what amazes me.  With Celebrity, Holland, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, MSC, etc., there are a zillion ships, m\any with passenger counts of 5000 people.  I am retired, and know what is going on with the economy.  We all feel the pain with gas, food prices, restaurant prices, whatever.  And yet, these ships sail FULL. I am just amazed at where everyone is getting all this money to cruise.  Not really relating to the topic here, but it relates to all of these ships sailing full, and I just do not know where the average family is getting the funds to cruise.     

[the penguins]

7 hours ago, Mariettte said:

As this couple did, to no avail. Denied boarding last December in Brisbane, Australia. Royal. There was conjecture that they were chosen for bumping because there were no flights involved- they were in their home city.

 

https://au.news.yahoo.com/aussie-couples-holiday-ruined-bumped-from-cruise-before-departure-232922909.html

I have looked at the full report, and the letter, from which it would appear that:

1) the passengers affected were advised some days in advance of the situation.

2) the passenger featured chose to travel to the port in the hope that there would be a "no show" rather than taking any of the other options.

Still very disappointing but not quite how the headline looked.

[LouChamp]

8 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

The only to avoid crowds and lines onboard is to cruise on a ship designed to avoid these things — even when fully occupied by guests. Those ships are in the luxury class of cruising. They are more expensive than many “mass market” cruises, but not always more expensive than Celebrity Retreat.  The lux lines to which I refer are Regent, Silversea as to the ones we have cruised. By report, I understand that Seaborne and Crystal also belong in this category. Ships in the luxury category are planned to be 100% occupancy without the crowds and lines. To my experience, they have succeeded.

Aloha. A great post and I agree. Have been blessed to sail since 1971 and now divide our time between NY and Hawaii. That said I sadly believe the mega ships are behind us except if the kids and grandkids want us to join them.  Countless ships with great memories but the smaller ships with upscale lines are unfortunately the only way for us to go.  All the best.

[Escruiser1962]

2 hours ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha. A great post and I agree. Have been blessed to sail since 1971 and now divide our time between NY and Hawaii. That said I sadly believe the mega ships are behind us except if the kids and grandkids want us to join them.  Countless ships with great memories but the smaller ships with upscale lines are unfortunately the only way for us to go.  All the best.

Which upscale lines do you recommend? Thanks!

[asctony]

6 hours ago, lifeisrealygood said:

My wife and I love to cruise, and will continue to do so.  Here is what amazes me.  With Celebrity, Holland, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, MSC, etc., there are a zillion ships, m\any with passenger counts of 5000 people.  I am retired, and know what is going on with the economy.  We all feel the pain with gas, food prices, restaurant prices, whatever.  And yet, these ships sail FULL. I am just amazed at where everyone is getting all this money to cruise.  Not really relating to the topic here, but it relates to all of these ships sailing full, and I just do not know where the average family is getting the funds to cruise.     

You can now charge it. Years ago you had to pay via $CASH$.

[Dolebludger]

5 hours ago, Escruiser1962 said:

Which upscale lines do you recommend? Thanks!

Although this question was meant for another member here, I’ll answer. I recommend Regent and Silversea. 

[Z0nker]

On 5/25/2024 at 8:02 AM, Escruiser1962 said:

We just returned from the Summit last fall and Reflection this spring. We really don't want to return for another cruise with the crowds we've found when trying to find a table for meals and for trying to find a lounger anywhere. 

 

Are there any Celebrity or RCCL ships that are best for feeling less crowded? I think cruising is back to 100% which is great for cruiselines but not so much for vacationing on one. Thanks!

Any ship can feel crowded if there are more than two pax per room, so avoiding spring break, winter holidays, and summer can help a ship feel less crowded. Also, if the weather is not conducive to being on the pool deck, the lower deck can really fill up, so consider the itinerary and time of year. If there is a secret to finding a sailing that is truly not sold out, I'd like to know it. Finally, consider minimizing sea days.

[Escruiser1962]

9 minutes ago, Z0nker said:

Any ship can feel crowded if there are more than two pax per room, so avoiding spring break, winter holidays, and summer can help a ship feel less crowded. Also, if the weather is not conducive to being on the pool deck, the lower deck can really fill up, so consider the itinerary and time of year. If there is a secret to finding a sailing that is truly not sold out, I'd like to know it. Finally, consider minimizing sea days.

Well it was crowded, and I did intuitively avoid those times of year. That didn’t work. 

[Z0nker]

On 5/25/2024 at 8:55 AM, Lastdance said:

As far as eating in the OVC, go when it first opens and have a much better selection of seats, not to mention food presentation and less crowds.  There are strategies for everything, as ships cater to the masses...

And don't go to the buffet on embarkation day. Try the MDR or burger joint.

[Z0nker]

11 minutes ago, Escruiser1962 said:

Well it was crowded, and I did intuitively avoid those times of year. That didn’t work. 

You might need a break from cruising, as you suggested in your opening post. Or, as others have suggested, try an upscale cruise line.

[Escruiser1962]

1 minute ago, Z0nker said:

And don't go to the buffet on embarkation day. Try the MDR or burger joint.

That actually was the least crowded time for the week. lol It is what it is. I'm happy for cruise industry they're busy.

[Escruiser1962]

1 minute ago, Z0nker said:

You might need a break from cruising, as you suggested in your opening post. Or, as others have suggested, try an upscale cruise line.

Exactly - that's what I have come away with since posting. I appreciate your responses.