Long-Distance Planners?

[signora]

Researching a cruise in the Med for next summer but afraid it's too much denero. Even two weeks in Sardinia is way too much compared to a week on a cruise to Bermuda. Soooo.....unless things change drastically we could be doing the Boston-Bermuda thing again next summer (already planned for this summer). Do I plan ahead? Nnnoooo.... I do love to plan vacations especially cruises. Any other long-range planners out there?

[SchoolNurseMom]

I'm in the early planning stages fo a suprise 25th anniversary cruise for dh in Feb 2013. So yes! I am a long range planner!:D

[auntierobin]

We are planning our Feb. 2013 cruise now (waiting to get our Cruise Rewards on our 6/18 cruise), and I am anxiously waiting for the fall 2013 cruise schedule to be released so we can plan a Panama Canal Cruise.

 

So, no you are not the only nut, excuse me I meant to say prepared planner out there. LOL

[WildcatRock]

We're cruising this November, have already booked our cruise for next year, and have begun planning our 2013 and 2014 cruises. I would imagine the "Long-range Planners Club" has a lot of members!

[traveler916]

We're cruising this November, have already booked our cruise for next year, and have begun planning our 2013 and 2014 cruises. I would imagine the "Long-range Planners Club" has a lot of members!

 

Yes.

 

4 cruises planned thru December 2012.

 

and waiting to see what happens in 2013 :)

[deb63]

I like this club. I enjoy planning far out so I can read books, plan excursions - and budget. :) We are currently booked through 12/2012.

 

I'm shooting for a non-cruise in summer of 2013 (Hawaii - Aulani) so can't book that yet. But when the fall/winter cruises for 2013 come out I'll be looking for something.

[ClarkBHM]

We're in the early planning stages for a family reunion style cruise in 2014. Only problem is that there aren't any schedules out yet! We're having to make "best guesses" as to what ships will be sailing where and when...

[omc329]

Add me to the club. We have a cruise for autumn of 2011 and of 2012 booked and am waiting on the Alaskan itineraries for 2013. 2014 will most likely be an autumn Canadian cruise and 2015 we're hoping to head back to Europe. I'd have the Alaskan one booked already, except I'm ahead of the cruise lines in my planning.

 

I figure, so long as I stay away from Carnival's ES rates, (which has pretty much turned me off to Carnival), I can always cancel up to 3 months or so out, and I usually have my air booked long before that time frame, so I'm locked in by then anyway. I can also surf around for months and months looking for better pricing. I picked up an extra $25 obc for this fall's cruise that way. Next fall's cruise, I'm betting I already have hit rock bottom.

 

Planning way out allows me lots of time to work on itineraries, excursions, which ships, lines, etc to go with. Hopefully by the time the 2013 Alaskan cruises are listed, I'll be ready to jump.

[housepeepers]

February 2012 planned and waiting for Europe Itineraries for spring/summer 2013 to go back to the Western Med. Planning is so much fun, don't you think?

[traveler916]

February 2012 planned and waiting for Europe Itineraries for spring/summer 2013 to go back to the Western Med. Planning is so much fun, don't you think?

 

Planning is more fun than paying for the cruises and airfare, that's for sure :)

[terrymtex01]

We usually always have a cruise planned out at least 12 months in advance.. most of the time 18 to 24 months. This year for our Nov cruise it was a little bit less than that, but we already have next years booked for October. Land vacations are a little different for us. We might have it planned out where we want to go, but rarely book hotels or flights for a land vacation that far out.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We're early birds, too. Usually 18-24 months out - prices are much better and if the price goes down or you need to cancel you are free to do so.

 

Of course, I've also been known to grab and deal and go in 48 hours.

 

What fun either way!

[retired rascal]

We have booked several cruises more than a year in advance. Currently going to Alaska...made resies about 11 months out to get cabin we wanted. Booked a 25 day B2B TA and Mediterranean more than a year in advance because we've had problems before being able to get only one of the 2 cruises on a B2B....and this one only goes once a year because it involves the repositioning transatlantic.

[Taxguy77]

One time when I was about 10, I came home to find we were going on a vacation the next AM. I just went to my grandson's college graduation (Planned way in advance) and I have NEVER planned a cruise more than 6 months in advance.

I planned a driving vacation 3 years before we went, but for the first two years an intreging cruise presented itself.

[Ask4Jay]

There are only a few NCL ships repositioning to/from Europe each season, and each ship has only a few aft cabins. Therefore, we'd better book early. Because, if we don't get an aft cabin, we'll have to postpone our cruise by half a year and go in the other direction. So yeah, we book rather early.

[Ms belp]

Buy as many future cruise credits as you can afford when you go on your next cruise or two. They really help out. $250/cabin is good.