Cruises - Do Prices Drop Right After Cancel Penaly Kicks In?

Looking at Costa Fortuna repo cruise Nov 19, 2011.

Most agent sites are showing $2200-$2400 inside double

Costa's cancellation penalty kicks in at 90 day mark (Aug 19th)

Do alot of people cancel when final payment becomes due- thus opening space / and or lowering price?

THANKS

If the ship is not full, yes prices will often drop within 60 days of departure (not necessarily right after final payment kicks in). However, many of the special offers will be for a "guarantee" cabin where you pick the category and the cruise line picks the cabin for you. Or the cabins available aren't the "pick of the litter," but if you can wait, you may see a good deal.

Also find out what their policy is when there is a price drop. I don't know Costa's but on some lines you may qualify for a credit after the price drops after final payment is made. Not always, sometimes it's only for new bookings, but it's worth knowing.

Also find out what their policy is when there is a price drop. I don't know Costa's but on some lines you may qualify for a credit after the price drops after final payment is made. Not always, sometimes it's only for new bookings, but it's worth knowing.

Costa does very little after final payment; the best I've seen is an upgrade. Definitely no money back. :mad:

Looking at Costa Fortuna repo cruise Nov 19, 2011. Do alot of people cancel when final payment becomes due- thus opening space / and or lowering price?


It depends as to how full the ship is vs the cruise line's expected cabin selling profile.

Holiday cruises (which your date is very close to) tend to not discount much, as mommy and daddy can only vacation w/ the kids when school is out/on-a-break.

Also, if the cruise line discounts, not all cabin types may be discounted. For example, balconies and insides might be selling according to the plan, and so only oceanviews might get discounted.

You can get great deals by waiting until the "last minute" (< 14 days) out... but you have to either be flexible in your schedule or willing to not do the vacation at all if your "trigger price" is not offered.

Thanks for the replies!!

Good post! I was planning on doing a cruise through CO website to get miles with Chase CO card, but I guess it is a wait and see game to see how low cruise lines will go to fill the cabins.

Good post! I was planning on doing a cruise through CO website to get miles with Chase CO card, but I guess it is a wait and see game to see how low cruise lines will go to fill the cabins.

Booking through CO's website may be penny wise and pound foolish. It might be much harder to get price drops when booked that way. Just know the details before booking.