When to expect a cruise line sale ?

Posting before Tuesday this week, because I am already fully booked Tuesday !

First of all, the cruise lines have sales going on all the time !

 

The better questions are,  …

1)     Will my sailing date go on sale, later ?
2)    Will prices, for my sailing date, get lower ?

The answer is, who knows !

 

The next thing to know:

The cruise lines have “sales quotas” that must be met by certain dates !

What I mean is, the cruise lines have it all figured out, that by this date, this particular “sail date”, should have 25% cabins sold; and this same sail date, by such and such date, should have 50% sold, and so forth !

When sales quotas are not met by these certain dates, sales take place !

 

However, it may not be a sale across the board !

What do I mean by across-the-board ?

The whole ship may not go on sale !

Instead, either …

1)    Only select categories will go on sale (therefore, remember, when checking to see if your cruise is on sale, check categories that are higher than your category, or you could miss out).
2)    The sail date only goes on sale for select large agencies that are given Exclusive Rates from the cruise lines, like Cruises Inc.  (Royal Caribbean is always giving us this, in helping them sell their space).
3)    The sail date will only offer a lower rate for select passengers, such as Military, Police, Fire persons, Teachers, Senior, folks that live in certain states, or Past Cruise rates, etc.

 

So just cause a sailing goes on sale, you may not qualify.  Or  you may not have bought your cruise from an agency that is offered Exclusive Pricing, such as with Cruises Inc.

This is why, agents push cruisers, over and over, book early !  And the reason:

1)    Your sail date, may either sell out, or be at the capacity needed, and never go on sale !
2)    If rates go down, in “most cases”, as long as you have not paid finally payment, you can have the lower rate !  Which is my 1^st reason for saying to folks, WHY WAIT !  If you book early, you will have the better cabin.  And #2, if your sail date does not go on sale or sells out, you got your cabin before this took place and you won’t miss your cruise !  (Truly, I know folks who will wait for the sale, and watch that ship sell out !  How ludacrist, if you have your heart set on that cruise or that sale date.  I had a caller who missed the Olympics in Europe, cause he had already bought the return air, but never bought the cruise.  Sorry, deserves you right – He was not my customer; only a caller that was hoping I was going to be able to save him; actually, I did get space, but he still didn’t buy; but when he called back the 2^nd time, they too, were gone !  How dumb – sorry to say this outloud !).

 

You ask, is it possible, that your cruise may go on sale, or lower it’s rates ?

My answer is almost totally no, if ….

1)    Ship already almost sold out

2)    You are already booking late (less than 3 months from sailing)

3)    You are going in summer or Christmas, or another holiday, and the sailing is getting closer than close (3 months away).

4)    If there is only 1 or 2 sailings with this destination, or the ship only sails in certain seasons, such as summer or winter, and you’re buying during the peak of that season.

 

If you can sail any time … then there are many dates all year with lots and lots of savings !  So you just use my cheat sheets, and look through the whole year, and you can truly save !

But when you have "rules", you absolutely do not neccessarily "fit" in the concept of waiting !

What do I mean by rules ?

Can you go any week of the year ?  If the answer is no, then you have already "lost" to the 1st question of 10, that I was going to ask !

Here's 2 more .... 

1)     Will there be more than 1 or 2 other couples sailing with you !
2)    You need cabins for 3^rd or 4^th person (your kids) to be in your room.

 

Know, there are a couple of promos, by cruise lines, where folks can not have the lower rate:

Princess and Holland America “Flash” promos.  But these are often not offered till after other folks have paid in full.

 

As mentioned, usually, you can get the lower rate, up till final payment.  However, remember, new cruisers booking, aren’t usually getting the better cabin !

Therefore know … It won’t be long, that cruise lines (or even agents), will start, either charging a fee to have the lower rate, or do like Carnival, and based on select promos you buy, you can NOT have the lower rate. And the reason is,

1)  The cruise lines can’t go out of business, with making less money, or you may not get your cruise either … They only want to sell full. 

2)  Cruise Lines can't afford all the paper work it causes, with folks calling all the time; and the work it takes to lower the rates !

3)  And folks, who buy early, deserve, not only the better cabins, but the lower rate.  In turn, it also holds true, that the folks who got the better cabin location, do not deserve the better rates !

 

So BEWARE, it’s coming … Just like the airlines already do !

Personally, I don't blame them !  It is a lot of paperwork, and you should have to pay a fee !

I believe more cruise lines will do as Carnival, and if you buy certain promos, you can not have the lower rate later !  It would actually solve the problem of so many calls and paper work !  I use to be so against Carnival's Early Saver Rates and rules; but today, they give clients choices; and if they choose the promo, where the rate won't lower, then it's the customers choice, so why lower the rate, when customers had a choice upfront !