When to book Alaska cruisetour

[508cruiser]

Looking for collective wisdom/guidance on when to book June 2014 cruisetour to Alaska for best price yet good availability.

 

Also TA or no TA?

 

Thanks

[trbeer]

We booked our August 31 2013 cruise in Aptil 2012. The price was never lower, we got the balcony cabin we wanted, and supposedly our class of balcony cabins are sold out. This is only 1 example but I'm of the belief that if you know what you want then book it now. We went thru a travel agent from a large warehouse store that starts with a C and ends with O and got a decent price along with shipboard credit

 

my 2 cents based on our experience

[caribill]

We booked our August 31 2013 cruise in Aptil 2012. The price was never lower, we got the balcony cabin we wanted, and supposedly our class of balcony cabins are sold out. This is only 1 example but I'm of the belief that if you know what you want then book it now. We went thru a travel agent from a large warehouse store that starts with a C and ends with O and got a decent price along with shipboard credit

 

my 2 cents based on our experience

 

Last year on April 17 we booked a cruisetour that started on August 2 last year. It was at a price we considered a bargain.

 

Of course there is no way of knowing if the pricing this year in April will be as good as it was last year.

[eatranman]

We book our Cruise for May 22nd next year just 3 weeks ago and per our TA we will not get a better price, but we are first time cruisers and have tons to learn. Just my 2 cents.

[biker1972]

Many things factor into when you should book. If you are not picky about which line you cruise with, what kind of cabin or where it is located, or even when you cruise, then waiting until 3 months prior can save you money. This is when most of the "flash" sales occur. The caveat is that airfare could eat up the savings. Book early if any or all of the above factors are important.

[rachelfran]

I booked our July 29 2013 cruise in January 2013 and since then there were two price drops.. The first time I changed our cabin and paid a tiny bit more and the second I took the $340 discount. I booked through an online agency found via the compete site .. I'm paying about 15% less than the Princess price in their website.

 

This is cruise only ... I would never book a cruise tour in Alaska. We are renting a car and doing that part on our own.

[Cruisin'Mama 10]

:D We booked our July 2013 cruise tour as soon as they opened for bookings. We got exactly what we wanted and at a fair price. Prices have never dropped since we booked even with the "sales." In fact prices have continued to rise since we booked. We also booked our excursions as soon as they opened and also saved money and got exactly what we wanted. This was my limited experience. Good luck and have fun planning!:D

[508cruiser]

Thanks all. In the end it all comes down to supply and demand.

Off to see the TA this week.

 

Thanks again.