In a decade and a half of covering the cruise industry, I’m rarely surprised by anything that happens.   But this morning, as I perused the offerings of a few cruise agencies, my jaw fell open.  HUH?   One month out I discovered space available on the Christmas and New Year’s sailings of dozen or so  ships.  Normally these voyages are sold out by September and October; you’d be very lucky to fine one unoccupied stateroom by November.  While published prices aren’t substantially discounted on the 2007 holiday departures I perused, it’s a shock that any space is available.  The only time this journalist has seen something similar was in 2001, after terrorists attacked the U.S.

For example,  CruisesOnly (www.cruisesonly.com) has space on 16 holiday voyages including

* 4-night Carnival Sensation Bahamas cruise departing Dec. 23 from Miami starting at $479 per person, double occupancy

* 5-night Celebrity Cruises’ Century voyage departing Dec. 24 from Miami starting at $739 per person, double occupancy.

* 11-night Hawaii sailing on NCL’s Pride of Aloha departing Honolulu Dec. 22; oceanview staterooms start at $1,299, interior begin at $849.

* 14-night Panama Canal voyage aboard Celebrity’s Azamara Quest; sails between Acapulco and Miami starts at $1,999 per person, double occupancy.

* 4-night Baja Mexico cruise aboard Carnival Paradise sailing round-trip from Long Beach Dec. 24; fares start at $489 per person, double occupancy.

Here’s another hint we may be in for a bumpy economic period.  In the cruise industry booking patterns are consistent:  the top and the bottom categories sell out first.  But these holiday cruises all had space on inside and outside staterooms.  Roughly 50% had suites available; however, all balcony cabins are booked. 

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