How do people book so far in advance...

[purplethorn]

I see a lot of people on here who have booked cruises one or two years in advance?!?

 

How are you not worried that something might happen and you will not be able to travel? Even with travel insurance do you get all of your money back in case something happens?

 

How do you not go crazy waiting for the cruise time to arrive?

 

I see that a lot of people do not pay the full price a year out , but make payments toward the cruise... how does that work? How many payments do you normally have? What is the down payment normally (I know it was a 100$ when booking on board , but what if you font book on board?)

 

:confused::eek:

[Clarea]

If you have a US/Canadian booking, you get all your money back if you cancel before final payment date. You can also change the ship and/or dail date without penalty (before final payment date) if you find your schedule does not allow you to cruise when you planned.

 

The down payment is normally $250 per person for a 7 day cruise, with some exceptions. However, many people book on board a cruise, use a Next Cruise Certificate, or wait for a WOW sale, when deposits are reduced.

Edited May 13, 2014 by clarea

[TXSAIL]

How are you not worried that something might happen and you will not be able to travel? Even with travel insurance do you get all of your money back in case something happens? I have booked all of our cruises way out. There is no penalty to cancel before final payment. I have gotten credit for a lot of price drops this way.I buy my insurance right about final payment time.

 

How do you not go crazy waiting for the cruise time to arrive?Usually had three or four booked, so no worries.

 

I see that a lot of people do not pay the full price a year out , but make payments toward the cruise... how does that work? How many payments do you normally have? What is the down payment normally (I know it was a 100$ when booking on board , but what if you font book on board?)Normally a $250 down for each person , and you can pay whatever between then and final when the remainder is due..

 

:confused::eek:

[galavant3]

Sometimes we book far in advance and make monthly payments. I normally do that when we are bringing the whole family. I just divide the balance due after the deposit by the number of months til final payment and pay that amount (on line) toward the cruise.

 

I also will prepay gratuities, excursions and wine package ahead of time. It just helps me budget.

 

Since you receive a full refund up until final payment, I don't really worry about whether or not I can go until that time. We usually get travel insurance so I'm prepared for the unexpected.

[BAV2005]

I see a lot of people on here who have booked cruises one or two years in advance?!?

 

How are you not worried that something might happen and you will not be able to travel? Even with travel insurance do you get all of your money back in case something happens?

 

How do you not go crazy waiting for the cruise time to arrive?

 

I see that a lot of people do not pay the full price a year out , but make payments toward the cruise... how does that work? How many payments do you normally have? What is the down payment normally (I know it was a 100$ when booking on board , but what if you font book on board?)

 

I am booked for a June 2015 cruise for our 10 yr anniversary and yes I'm going crazy waiting for so long! But by booking early I got a great cabin and can take advantage of any price drops that happen before final payment date. My deposit was $250/pp so I put $500 down and the remainder isn't due until 75 days (I believe) before I cruise. I can make payments if I want but I'm not required to :) I'm am in the US so if something comes up I will just cancel and get my deposit back so I'm not worried :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[fischymom]

I like to book ahead so that I can budget in payments so that the cruise is paid by the time we arrive at the terminal, no cc balance left for after the cruise. The same reason that I use an all cash account, I do not want a bill. I want a vacation that is covered in full before I ever leave home. That way I am not building debt for it.

[Dett]

You get your money back if you have to cancel before final payment. After that it is prorated. We also get travel insurance in case something happens after final payment date. You can get a better choice of cabins by booking early.

[CRUZBUDS]

I'm anxious for the fall of 2016 itineraries to be released. We like to book far ahead.

 

We have 9 cruises booked right now -- we won't take them all, we'll choose the ones we'll take as the time gets closer.

 

Our next up is in November and we booked it over a year ago :)

[purplethorn]

Thank you all

 

From what you are telling me there is no set "payment plan" by the cruise line it's whatever you want to pay , but the whole amount is due on final payment day? (did i understand that correctly)

 

How close to the sail date is final payment normally? Or does it vary on each booking (per RCI discretion?)

[PattyG12]

we like to have a few on the books at a time. Through 2015 right now. We have plenty of time to save our pennies. You can always move it if final payment is looming and the time is no longer good for you.

 

I put my payments into a separate account and just pay it on final. Normally I believe it's 75 days before the cruise.

Edited May 13, 2014 by PattyG12

[alfaeric]

If you have a US/Canadian booking, you get all your money back if you cancel before final payment date. You can also change the ship and/or dail date without penalty (before final payment date) if you find your schedule does not allow you to cruise when you planned.

 

The down payment is normally $250 per person for a 7 day cruise, with some exceptions. However, many people book on board a cruise, use a Next Cruise Certificate, or wait for a WOW sale, when deposits are reduced.

 

And that works really well- been doing the "make a hopeful booking and change if we need to" quite successfully.

 

It's not a real gamble until you are at and beyond final payment. And you can buy travel insurance then, too.

 

But going crazy waiting for a cruise- not much you can do about avoiding that- it happens when you book a last second cruise or one that's 2 years in the future to celebrate something very specific.

[Sunkissed Mommy]

I see a lot of people on here who have booked cruises one or two years in advance?!?

 

How are you not worried that something might happen and you will not be able to travel? Even with travel insurance do you get all of your money back in case something happens?

 

How do you not go crazy waiting for the cruise time to arrive?

 

I see that a lot of people do not pay the full price a year out , but make payments toward the cruise... how does that work? How many payments do you normally have? What is the down payment normally (I know it was a 100$ when booking on board , but what if you font book on board?)

 

:confused::eek:

 

We book well in advance because that's how we usually get the best prices. I do not make payments, I hold on to my money until final payment comes. IF we had to cancel we'd get our deposit back no problem! $500 deposit for two, $750 for three, or $1,000 for four I believe is the deposit scale. We take out insurance in case of emergency and thankfully we haven't had to use it yet.

 

We've never run in to an issue with booking in advance and not being able to go. We book knowing when it is low season for my husband's business. We plan it out well in advance with one big/new destination each year. This year we're doing New England/Canada. Next year we're doing California Coastal. Then we take small/short cruises in between. We're in Florida so we don't need airfare for our short trips. We make all of our other plans around our vacation plans.

[GTO-Girl]

Thank you all

 

From what you are telling me there is no set "payment plan" by the cruise line it's whatever you want to pay , but the whole amount is due on final payment day? (did i understand that correctly)

 

How close to the sail date is final payment normally? Or does it vary on each booking (per RCI discretion?)

 

 

You are correct.....you can choose to make payments or you can wait until final payment date and pay the whole balance then. I believe final payment is about 70 days out (but could be wrong about the exact # of days)

 

We booked a June 2015 sailing a couple of months ago because we are taking the family and it is nice to have all that time to spread my payments out!! :eek:

Edited May 13, 2014 by GTO-Girl

[dorisis]

Final payment is usually about 3 months before sail date. It depends on the cruise line. always read the 'small print'. Booking early can assure you of a special cabin that you want. If prices go down for that cabin you can get the lower price if requested before final payment. If prices go up, you can pat yourself on the back for being a savy cruiser.

[purplethorn]

Thank you all , very valuable information for me on here

 

We normally book 2-3 weeks in advance and because we are in FLL the logistics are much simpler, but I am kinda sick of the Caribbean and the Bahamas and would like to try something else.

 

But wouldn't prices drop more closer the sail date? Because three months to sail is a long time. Do you monitor to see if the ship is close to sold so you know there won't be any big sales or how do you determine if you haven't overpaid for your cruise (after final payment) when you could have done much better had you booked in the last minute?

 

What about airfare? I am assuming you buy that when you do final payment on the cruise?

[Mama24]

The big reason I book early is because of the limited number of wheelchair accessible cabins on each ship. They go pretty quickly. Right now I have 2 cruises booked, one in 2015 and one in 2016. Drives me crazy to have to wait so long, but CC helps with that. :D

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Something I have learned over the years is to be happy with what you've paid for the cruise. If you don't like a price, don't book. This will help alleviate the pain of "I paid too much." I think it's all relative though. Each person has a different threshold of "paid too much" based on their own lifestyle and cabin choice.

 

We've seen price drops after final that we can't get a couple of times. If I constantly let myself worry about those situations I'd be miserable on my vacations worrying that the person in the room next to me got a "better deal!"

 

I book at the prices I deem fair, if it goes lower and I can't rebook then good for the people who get to snag that deal!

[Ken at the beach]

We don't have the option of choosing from a lot of dates. It's either Christmas or March break. We book as soon as the itineraries are released in order to get the cabin that we want and quite often this is the lowest price that you will see for that cruise as they are in high demand.

 

As we are booking so far out we always use a NCC so we only have a $400 deposit for the 4 of us instead of $1000.

 

We drive so we don't have to worry about airfare and can cancel without penalty up to 75 days in advance.

 

I constantly watch the prices and look for price drops and residency rates.

[purplethorn]

yes of course, we would only book if the price makes sense to us , but I can't help but wonder since I am booking so far in advance what if the price drops after my final payment

I guess best solution is after final payment to stop checking the web site and chill LOL :D

[Ladysilver]

We love booking early. Best cabins are available and we have plenty of time to pay it off. :D

[Denise5374]

We always book our vacations far in advance. This June cruise we booked as soon as the dates were released in 2013.

 

Since my DH is a teacher we have limited dates that we can go on vacation, either 2nd/3rd week of June or 3rd week of August. He teaches the regular school year and a summer school program. We try to now vacation during Christmas break or spring break.

 

When we get back this year, I will book my vacation for 2015.

[lady_cruiser]

How are you not worried that something might happen and you will not be able to travel? Even with travel insurance do you get all of your money back in case something happens? I have booked all of our cruises way out. There is no penalty to cancel before final payment. I have gotten credit for a lot of price drops this way.I buy my insurance right about final payment time.

 

How do you not go crazy waiting for the cruise time to arrive?Usually had three or four booked, so no worries.

 

I see that a lot of people do not pay the full price a year out , but make payments toward the cruise... how does that work? How many payments do you normally have? What is the down payment normally (I know it was a 100$ when booking on board , but what if you font book on board?)Normally a $250 down for each person , and you can pay whatever between then and final when the remainder is due..

 

:confused::eek:

So many questions, so few answers.

 

Yes we book a year and a half ahead of time. This way we get the exact cabin we want in the exact location we want. And even then we might not get that converted corner wrap a round balcony.

 

Do we worry if something happens? No. Life might set up a road block but you handle it when and if it happens. Two and a half years ago we were booked on a cruise that was made two years prior. A month before we were to leave my sister went in for a routine mammogram. In that month she went from a mammogram, surgical biopsy, to surgery to having one of her breasts removed to starting radiation. Her first radiation started on what would have been our first sea day. We had cruise insurance so three weeks before we were to left we called the cruise line, explained the problem, cancelled the cruise and got our money back.

 

We wait until a week before final payment is made before we pay for the cruise. This way we can take advantage of any price drops that might come up. In the past 3 weeks we have already taken advantage of 3 price drops before our August cruise. We also pay for our cruise throughout the year. $500 here, $500 there.

 

As for going crazy, no. When I think I might go crazy thinking the time is too long between now and then I just remind myself not to rush it because the sooner I'm on the ship the sooner the cruise will just be a distant memory. And then I come here to Cruise Critic.

[alfaeric]

Thank you all , very valuable information for me on here

 

We normally book 2-3 weeks in advance and because we are in FLL the logistics are much simpler, but I am kinda sick of the Caribbean and the Bahamas and would like to try something else.

 

But wouldn't prices drop more closer the sail date? Because three months to sail is a long time. Do you monitor to see if the ship is close to sold so you know there won't be any big sales or how do you determine if you haven't overpaid for your cruise (after final payment) when you could have done much better had you booked in the last minute?

 

What about airfare? I am assuming you buy that when you do final payment on the cruise?

 

When flying to a cruise, one needs to really balance the flight timing and the cruise timing when it comes to booking. I'm pretty sure flights are maximum 300 days out. And for most flights, they are cheapest the Tuesday after that 300 day start.

 

The penalties for canceling a flight are higher than the cruise most of the time- one can transfer it, but it costs a penalty. And calcelling is a big pain. So once the flight is set, you are going. Even with that, we sometimes take a chance on booking the cruise late- IF we know the cruise price drops and/or we are going to a place that we can still vacation w/o the cruise.

 

Then dealing with the price drop after final payment. From what we see, that's not 100% of the time it happens. So I start with the "I booked a price I was ok with" mantra. Then I look at possible upgrades that I can pay with equal cost. Interior-OV, OV-Balcony, Balcony-JS, etc. That works quite well.

 

For sure, it's all a balance.

 

One thing I have found true, though- if it's an emergency- even without travel insurance, the cruise lines AND the planes will try to help. It could be feeble help, but it also could be so far that you'll get a free flight change to help a family member vs. going on a vacation... BTDT.

[George C]

I booked cruise this week for cruise in 18 months , never did this before, great sale and I know I can get my money back if needed, I have canceled cruises several times in past when I found better deal on another line, as long as its before final payment.

[SeagoingMom]

A perusal of this thread suggests that, besides personal scheduling considerations, the major reasons most book ahead is first for cabin choice, then for price. Is that what most are saying?

 

I know lots of folks suggest not checking prices after final payment so as to not see significantly lower prices than what they already paid. I get that. But for those of you who do check prices, what percentage of the time would you say the advance price has worked out better than a short notice price would have?

 

We aren't picky about cabin choice, in general, so for us, it's all about price, and I am wondering if booking in advance works best for price, on average...

 

(And if anyone has info on other lines besides RC, I would be interested in hearing whether any other lines seem to be better for advance prices or not.)