Cruise bookings low!

[PAFC2004]

Hi all. After looking at multiple sites, I've noticed that the crusie I've booked (april 16th) has many, many cabins left. The cruise before and after this one are heavily booked.

 

Should I be worried? I don't want to be on a sailing with only a few hundred people.

[The_Big_M]

They usually find a way of filling up the ship, whether bigger mass discounts or targeted promotions. There's still over 2 months to go, and they've filled up ships significantly in that time!

[icemaiden2310]

I have friends on 28 day circumnavigation of oz in Oct, Their T/A rang them to say that there is a chance it may be cancelled as there are too few bookings this far out and dont expect to have enough by the time it sails

Icy

[MargnGrah]

Hi PAFC2004,

 

No, I would be too worried. We nearly booked your cruise but then went with the one in May as it was a day longer and didn't go to Nomea (have been there 4 times already). As The Big M said they will manage to fill it and, I am sure there will be more than just a few hundred. If it is not full that would be better for you....smaller queues.

 

Have a great Holiday and let us know how it went.

[kaseyoz]

Hi all. After looking at multiple sites, I've noticed that the crusie I've booked (april 16th) has many, many cabins left. The cruise before and after this one are heavily booked.

 

Should I be worried? I don't want to be on a sailing with only a few hundred people.

 

 

That is surprising seeing as it is also part of the Easter school holidays.

They usually sell out pretty quickly.

[PAFC2004]

Hi PAFC2004,

 

No, I would be too worried. We nearly booked your cruise but then went with the one in May as it was a day longer and didn't go to Nomea (have been there 4 times already). As The Big M said they will manage to fill it and, I am sure there will be more than just a few hundred. If it is not full that would be better for you....smaller queues.

 

Have a great Holiday and let us know how it went.

 

Well I'd rather have a good atmosphere on board, rather than small queues. My last 2 crusies were heavily booked. It's just strange that cruises before and after are heavily booked. Makes me wonder if there's something wrong with the cruise...

 

An interesting point - there are apparently 2 different names for this cruise. p&o call it one thing, along with a couple of sites, but all the other sites call it another name.

[NSWP]

I reckon it would be great not having a full ship, no laundry rage, no buffet rage, no tender rage. Get a seat for trivia, get a seat for the shows. Magnificent !

 

I have done 11 cruises and every one has been FULL to overflowing. The cruiselines will just cut fares until they get the numbers. For example on our B2B cruises in Europe/British Isles our Americans friends re getting 2 for 1 deals !

But right... you guessed not us Aussies, although I did get 20% off both of ours and some double bubble OBC from the FCC letter and from the T/A.

[PAFC2004]

Hi PAFC2004,

 

No, I would be too worried. We nearly booked your cruise but then went with the one in May as it was a day longer and didn't go to Nomea (have been there 4 times already). As The Big M said they will manage to fill it and, I am sure there will be more than just a few hundred. If it is not full that would be better for you....smaller queues.

 

Have a great Holiday and let us know how it went.

 

Well I'd rather have a good atmosphere on board, rather than small queues. My last 2 crusies were heavily booked. It's just strange that cruises before and after are heavily booked. Makes me wonder if there's something wrong with the cruise...

 

An interesting point - there are apparently 2 different names for this cruise. p&o call it one thing, along with a couple of sites, but all the other sites call it another name.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I reckon it would be great not having a full ship, no laundry rage, no buffet rage, no tender rage. Get a seat for trivia, get a seat for the shows. Magnificent !

 

I can assure you Les....

It is Heaven.

No queues(sorry lines) ,plenty of seats at the shows, a seat in any bar you choose. Its just like being on your own private yacht.

Best cruise we ever did was on Amsterdam ,just after 9/11 when everyone else cancelled. On a ship that held 1,200 we were 480. They closed one level of the dining room and everything else went ahead as normal.

Talk about being spoilt....

Isn't that what a cruise is all about?

[OffWithTheFairies]

Hello - this is my first ever post and I have to say I've learnt a lot from 2 hours of browsing these threads. Thanks everyone!

Anyway we are also going on this cruise and have noticed the same thing. Did you know it is during the school holidays for all states except Vic and also that they won't accept any more kids 7 and over? I wonder if that's the reason. Does the school holidays put non-families off?

I"m crossing my fingers that it stays not too full.

[PAFC2004]

I'm sure a half filled cruise has its benefits, but I'd prefer there to be a large number of people on board. Not absolutely packed, but enough so that we can socialise and that there is a decent atmosphere in the public areas.

[MargnGrah]

Hello - this is my first ever post and I have to say I've learnt a lot from 2 hours of browsing these threads. Thanks everyone!

Anyway we are also going on this cruise and have noticed the same thing. Did you know it is during the school holidays for all states except Vic and also that they won't accept any more kids 7 and over? I wonder if that's the reason. Does the school holidays put non-families off?

I"m crossing my fingers that it stays not too full.

 

I would think that if they are not taking any kids over 7 then they must have a lot of families on board. I couln't imagine there will only be a few hundred passengers that PAFC2004 is worried about.

 

A lot of older couples without kids do try to avoid the school holidays to cruise. Most have finished doing their holidays with their kids, and look forward to cruise in a quieter time and also perhaps longer length cruises.:)

[PAFC2004]

I can get paranoid, I know! I guess it's all about relaxing (especially for me this time), so I shouldn't worry too much. I guess there is more of a chance of an upgrade if they want to sell of cheap cabins in the last couple of weeks :)

[planning obsessed]

My cruise didn't appear overly full at the stage of final payment, but it has booked out. I think there must be a contingency of passengers who once deciding to take a cruise, want to go as soon as possible.

[jessica3152]

As a school holidays cruise it will probably fill up, particularly as P&O will offer deals to fill up the lower decks and early bookers will probably get upgrades.

 

Given the economic problems and widespread reports that resorts throughout Qld are showing soft bookings, it is more likely that P&O will soon start to have trouble filling their ships. I guess it all depends on the company's yield models to determine whether it is better for them to sell the cruise cheaply or let it go with plenty of empty cabins.

 

At some point P&O will stop discounting because if you drive the prices down too far no one will pay anything like the brochure price and everyone will just wait for the discounts. This type of behaviour would damage the cruiseline's profitability in the long term.

[MargnGrah]

I can get paranoid, I know! I guess it's all about relaxing (especially for me this time), so I shouldn't worry too much. I guess there is more of a chance of an upgrade if they want to sell of cheap cabins in the last couple of weeks :)

 

Yes, I would be thinking the upgrade fairy may pay you a visit if your cruise is not heavily booked!!!!:D

 

I am sure it will be a fantastic cruise for you!!!!!:), so you will have to try and stop worrying.

[helenbubs]

I can get paranoid, I know! I guess it's all about relaxing (especially for me this time), so I shouldn't worry too much. I guess there is more of a chance of an upgrade if they want to sell of cheap cabins in the last couple of weeks :)

 

My son and daughter-in-law have just booked on this cruise. They are aged 28 and 26. This will be their third cruise, 1st on Pacific Dawn. Also the first by themselves. They have been with myself and my husband and their kids before. So they will be looking at meeting people. I will see if I can get them onto cruise critic soon.;)

There are some really great specials now (they will sell a lot more cabins) Twin special was great. So you will find a lot more people on board. :D I would be doing this cruise too, if I hadn't already booked one.

 

I'm sure you will have a great time. Hope you meet up with my kids.

 

Helenbubs

[PAFC2004]

Thanks helenbubs - that makes me feel a lot better! Cabins are starting to move now, but there are still many left. Come on upgrade!

[Ela 2]

I'm fairly confident the cruise will be virtually full. If it wasn't, there would be specials offered and I haven't heard of any.

 

I agree with the couple of people who said a half-full ship is better than a full ship, unlike a half-full glass compared with a full glass!! We sailed on the Pacific Star when she was a bit less than half full. It was great!! :):)

 

Evon.