Pricing Fluctuates WILDLY Within Days

[lildawgscottFL]

I know that for many of you, this is preaching to the choir. Many of us on here are already pretty saavy. Mr. Hochberg attracts only the top talent! ;) However, maybe there's something in my ramblings that will help the newbies. When I have these epiphanies, I just have to get them out of my head. What better place than here, with other Royal fanatics!?

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It's amazing how much prices fluctuate from one day to the next! You can spend A LOT more for the same cruise simply by booking/re-booking today versus waiting for tomorrow, or next week. Just remember, before the penalty dates arrive, you can change your bookings as often as you please. Do it! You'll save big!

I've been a big proponent of the Ship Mate app's price alerts ever since I learned about it on here. (Was it DocLC who told me about it?) I then took it one step further and went to the website that supports the Ship Mate app - cruiseline.com. They are not a travel booking site/travel agent. You can, and should, still use your own TA, as you see fit, but please sign up for the alerts on cruiseline.com. There's no cost. It's a completely free service, you're not obligated in any way, and I am in no way affiliated with them. You'll get emails, like the one I've attached, based on your selections. Gmail - Cruise Price Alert_ $419, Enchantment of the Seas, February 08, 2016 (up 17%).pdf You can choose your ship, your itinerary, your dates, and even your cabin type, and it will alert you whether the price goes up or down from the date you first began watching. We saved $94 on our Enchantment cruise in February 2016 (I know others on these boards have saved even more!). We're also monitoring our Navigator cruise in April 2017 - nothing has beaten the price we got so far, but if it does, we'll know instantly! We'll have enough time to take advantage of the price drop. We can use that money for excursions, booze, specialty dining, or other fun stuff!

I don't mean to make this a big plug for the website or the app. I just want to stress the importance of due diligence. Staying on top of things can save you quite a bit of money. Understanding the strategies employed by the cruiselines will make you saavy enough to not overpay. They know when the average person is shopping for their vacation, and they raise the prices during those times. For instance, you'll almost always pay less on a Tuesday during the day than you will on a Friday night or weekend day. They know that's when you have the time set aside to shop, so they jack up the price. By having a price alert system in place, like cruiseline.com's, it won't matter what the cruiseline does - you'll be alerted and you'll be able to take advantage of the drop.

Also remember what Matt has talked about as regards the so-called "sales" that Royal has. They're not usually sales at all! They're promotions. Price alerts allow you to no longer pay any attention to the advertsing. If it's a good deal, the alert will tell you.

If you have a few minutes, read and listen to Jackie Laulainen's advice on getting the best airfare. You'll be able to apply the strategies to booking cruises as well as other travel plans.

Article: http://thebudgetmindedtraveler.com/strategies-for-finding-cheap-flights/
Podcast: http://thebudgetmindedtraveler.com/best-deals-on-flights/

There's just so much information out there and so many tools that if you're paying top dollar for cruising, you're just really not paying attention and you're doing yourself a disservice. That's one big reason why everything Matt does is so important. He really is helping to make cruising better for his "friends." Cruiseline.com is just another tool in the box.

Hope my ramblings help someone, if even just one person.

[monctonguy]

I know I have booked and re-booked many of my trips multiple times. On the last trip I cut the cost in about half by re-booking with a better deal and switching currencies I booked in.

 

I have never used an app..I just check sites daily for cruises I currently have booked or planned.

 

I will have to try out this site though...may save me some time to say the least!

[KLA]

Before I embarked on Enchantment of the Seas in October, I noticed that the Oceanview rates had dropped to exactly what I had paid for an Interior. I was able to call RCCL and they let me swap to an Oceanview room, plus they gave us some OBC as part of a promotion they were running at the time. This was even after the final payment date (after final payment, you cannot get an adjustment to your rate but you CAN switch to another cabin category). 

 

I absolutely LOVE the ShipMate App - I'm monitoring all of my upcoming cruises with it, and it's sort of fun having all of the cruise countdowns and user photos in one place!

[lildawgscottFL]

I love this quote that came in today from Cruiseline.com...

"Cruise prices are kind of like stocks. Prices start to rise as soon as enough people start buying, so jump on the good deals before it’s too late. Timing is everything!"

[DocLC]

I think I just alerted you to the feature in the app. :)

 

Good advice. The only thing I have to add is that this advice may only apply to those in North America. I've read that other countries have different policies and that deposits are not always refundable for bookings made by those who live outside of North Anerica.