What’s Cheaper? VGT or booking when itineraries are released

[stalbertsteve]

What’s Cheaper? VGT when available on the cruise you want or book the cruise as soon as the itineraries are released. Let me add a bit of detail to clarify what I am asking. When the Itineraries are first released the costs climb as the inventory lessens. When DCL gets 90 days or less out from sailing date we will often see VGT rates offered. Are those VGT rates historically more of less than the original price offerings?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

what’s cheaper? Vgt when available on the cruise you want or book the cruise as soon as the itineraries are released. Let me add a bit of detail to clarify what i am asking. When the itineraries are first released the costs climb as the inventory lessens. When dcl gets 90 days or less out from sailing date we will often see vgt rates offered. Are those vgt rates historically more of less than the original price offerings?

Normally on release, unless it's a very very slow selling cruise.

" if" you can wait to the very last minute, if you can sail outside national and school holidays, if you can sail from any home port at any time you may get a bargain. You may not get a good room location or the preferred main dinner, if that is not a deal breaker it maybe for you.

If you have school age children, want to sail at school holidays, want main differ, want a specific cruise book first day.

VGTS is a very good marketing ploy, prices on cruises go up and up and up, they rarely come back down, on most cruises it up four rungs of the ladder and VGTS is down two on the final position, occasionally on less desired seasons or cruises it can go below the first rung but rare.

 

[katds10]

It depends on the cruise but we canceled one that we had booked on board shortly after the date was released and lost the deposit, obb credit, and 10% discount and after all of that, the VGT cabin we got was still cheaper and it was a higher category than the original veranda we had booked. This was on a CA sailing 2 years ago. We've done 4 VGTs, 3 out of California and they hadn't gone up much than first release date and the GT rates when released were def lower. Since their CA cruises out of LA didn't sell well, I was shocked to see how popular the ones out of San Diego were. I'm hoping it's like their first hawaii cruise and lot of people cancel - I was counting on a VGT for that and was surprised to see it almost sell out!

If there is a particular cruise you want to do, I would book it when it's first released and then watch the price and availability and if cruises before that date are getting discounted and then cancel and rebook as a GT before you lose your deposit.

 

[lbgraves]

The MR cruises out of LA and the cruises out of Galveston offered incredible deals because they didn't sell. DCL even cancelled a month of MR cruises with short notice to move the ship east. If you are looking at cruises out of PC, that won't happen to the same extreme there. Usually the best price is opening day transferring an OBB. I think that might change in 2015 due to the fact that the pricing increased considerably. DCL can offer lower *GT rates for 2015 cruises, and still have the final price be a large increase over 2014 prices. The guests will see that a "sale" is being offered at the last minute for the *GT rates and be happy.

 

[erikharwell]

the next cruise we are going on was booked VGT, and the price per person is about 500 less than the opening day price was in 2013. I think we got a great deal. we canceled a cruise we had booked for next year and moved the monies from that one to this years. If you do not mind sailing off season, than VGT is the way to go.

 

[Racer X]

IMO - i think it might be close to a wash... i have been watching some upcoming cruises and the *GT rates are very similar to opening day - but it does depend on category.

If you can add the 10% discount of an OBB i think you would be better off most every time... but if not, a last minute rate is the next best chance IF you can stomach the wait and not really count on availability or specific location.

As has been said many times here - if you can get the OBB or opening date release try and take advantage as it probably won't get much better than that, and you don't have to worry about taking a bottle of TUMS as your cruise approaches

 

[KingRichard]

It depends on the cruise but we canceled one that we had booked on board shortly after the date was released and lost the deposit, obb credit, and 10% discount and after all of that, the VGT cabin we got was still cheaper and it was a higher category than the original veranda we had booked. This was on a CA sailing 2 years ago. We've done 4 VGTs, 3 out of California and they hadn't gone up much than first release date and the GT rates when released were def lower. Since their CA cruises out of LA didn't sell well, I was shocked to see how popular the ones out of San Diego were. I'm hoping it's like their first hawaii cruise and lot of people cancel - I was counting on a VGT for that and was surprised to see it almost sell out!

If there is a particular cruise you want to do, I would book it when it's first released and then watch the price and availability and if cruises before that date are getting discounted and then cancel and rebook as a GT before you lose your deposit.

How did you lose the deposit?

 

[lanejudy]

How did you lose the deposit?

Probably because they canceled after the PIF date. The cruise was originally booked as an OBB right after dates released, but was canceled when VGT was offered. However, despite the cancellation penalty (deposit) and losing the OBB benefits, the VGT was a better deal for them on that cruise.

Enjoy your cruise!