Is there a right time or sweet spot for booking?

[JAMESCC]

We are booked on Anthem for Sept. this year but are looking at 2018 already for our family cruise. Looking at a couple on Anthem, and one is March 24th to Florida/Bahamas. I actually thought the fare was pretty reasonable this far out but I thought too early to book a 2018 cruise. I also don't want to book till after final payment on this cruise which we will make in May, late June is deadline. So is there a right time or sweet spot to book a cruise in advance? Is there a certain amount of months that you go by or anything like that? We will be booking through a TA. Thanks for any help.

[Clarea]

Unfortunately, the time when prices will be lowest is unpredictable.

[JAMESCC]

Unfortunately, the time when prices will be lowest is unpredictable.

 

Thanks, and boy are you correct. About a month ago I had our cruise for Sept. price lowered by 300 bucks, then a few weeks later I noticed prices went up way high, higher than our original booking! :eek: Glad I locked in the lower price when I did. :)

[Russ Lomas]

We are booked on Anthem for Sept. this year but are looking at 2018 already for our family cruise. Looking at a couple on Anthem, and one is March 24th to Florida/Bahamas. I actually thought the fare was pretty reasonable this far out but I thought too early to book a 2018 cruise. I also don't want to book till after final payment on this cruise which we will make in May, late June is deadline. So is there a right time or sweet spot to book a cruise in advance? Is there a certain amount of months that you go by or anything like that? We will be booking through a TA. Thanks for any help.

I have found booking as soon as itineraries are released often offers the best pricing. Prices typically go up from then, especially if you are looking at a March cruise when lots of schools and students are on Spring/March break. You can always cancel (no charge to do so but make sure your travel agent does not charge if you do) or call in to get the price adjusted if you see the price drop.

 

Our experience for March cruises has been that we always book the first week or two that itineraries are released with RCCL (that will likely be booking this March for March 2019). Only once in our seven cruises during March with RCCL has the price ever dropped for us and I called in and they re-adjusted the price on that cruise to the lower one. In the case of the other six cruises, the price continually rose to where it was always double or even triple what I originally booked it for.

[JAMESCC]

I have found booking as soon as itineraries are released often offers the best pricing. Prices typically go up from then, especially if you are looking at a March cruise when lots of schools and students are on Spring/March break. You can always cancel (no charge to do so but make sure your travel agent does not charge if you do) or call in to get the price adjusted if you see the price drop.

 

Our experience for March cruises has been that we always book the first week or two that itineraries are released with RCCL (that will likely be booking this March for March 2019). Only once in our seven cruises during March with RCCL has the price ever dropped for us and I called in and they re-adjusted the price on that cruise to the lower one. In the case of the other six cruises, the price continually rose to where it was always double or even triple what I originally booked it for.

 

Wow, great post, exactly what I was looking for. You brought up something very important and I did not even remotely think of, spring break. I think we will avoid that cruise now. Time to look at other cruises on Anthem. Thanks for the post, appreciate it.

[Flatbush Flyer]

We are booked on Anthem for Sept. this year but are looking at 2018 already for our family cruise. Looking at a couple on Anthem, and one is March 24th to Florida/Bahamas. I actually thought the fare was pretty reasonable this far out but I thought too early to book a 2018 cruise. I also don't want to book till after final payment on this cruise which we will make in May, late June is deadline. So is there a right time or sweet spot to book a cruise in advance? Is there a certain amount of months that you go by or anything like that? We will be booking through a TA. Thanks for any help.

 

 

Don't know about RCI but there are cruise lines where the best time to book is while onboard where you get current OBC for booking, discount on cruise price and "price drop match" guarantee. And you can still assign the cruise to a TA (for added perks). Not all lines do that attractive package. But, a few do (e.g., Oceania).

 

 

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Edited January 21, 2017 by Flatbush Flyer

[JAMESCC]

Don't know about RCI but there are cruise lines where the best time to book is while onboard where you get current OBC for booking, discount on cruise price and "price drop match" guarantee. And you can still assign the cruise to a TA (for added perks). Not all lines do that attractive package. But, a few do (e.g., Oceania).

 

 

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Yeah you are right, we'll look into that on our cruise this year. Only thing is the TA we book with gives us paid gratuities and that is one awesome perk. It would have to balance out price wise but we'll take a look. If it gave extra points that would be a nice perk from RCCL.

[cruiselvr04]

You can book on board and then transfer your booking to your TA as long as it's within 60 days.

[Bootman4U]

where does that money which comprises those gratuities you are getting from your TA actually come from? Is the cruise line taking the hit on this reduced revenue? Your TA? You? I mean this is MONEY that the cruise line would otherwise be collecting.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Bootman4U

[Clarea]

where does that money which comprises those gratuities you are getting from your TA actually come from? Is the cruise line taking the hit on this reduced revenue? Your TA? You? I mean this is MONEY that the cruise line would otherwise be collecting.

With some travel agents, they provide perks out of their commission from the cruise line.

[ColoradoGurl]

The first few days the itinerary is released. If you don't catch it then, book as soon as you decide on which one you want. That way, if the price goes down anytime after that (and before final payment date) you can get a price reduction. If you book later and realize a previous price was less, you can't go back and get it.

 

Of course if you have a family of 4 then your deposit is $1,000, and if you are saving up to pay off another cruise then booking now isn't really an option. So in your case I'd book as soon as you have $1,000 after you pay off the current cruise.

 

 

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Edited January 21, 2017 by ColoradoGurl

[Bootman4U]

With some travel agents, they provide perks out of their commission from the cruise line.

 

I'm sure they do. I suppose the cruise lines also can do this sort of thing in order to promote bookings; NCL does it quite frequently.

 

One wonders if a "promotional" period is the "best time" to book however there's usually a reason those promotions happen in the first place and unless these is serious competition I wouldn't necessarily expect to see them during periods when the cruise line "thinks" there is going to be a lot of business.

[nicstress]

I book as far out as I can and try to book during a WOW sale for reduced deposits. Then I watch prices with ***************. I am on LOS tomorrow. I booked 13 months ago. The price went down ONCE for one day. But it was almost $200 pp. This was in October of all times so before final payment. We got the new price and also still had our OBC that we originally got. Just called and had it repriced. We booked a cruise on Anthem over 16 months in advance and never saw a price drop.

 

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[JAMESCC]

I don't know how they offer to pay gratuities but they do. I guess like these guys said it's out of their commission. However they do it, it's an awesome perk.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll check this cruise and the other we are looking at. Is late March a bad time for families? I don't want to deal with drunk college kids on spring break, nothing against that, have fun kids but I'm no kid anymore and really don't want to deal with that.

 

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[Ourusualbeach]

I don't know how they offer to pay gratuities but they do. I guess like these guys said it's out of their commission. However they do it, it's an awesome perk.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll check this cruise and the other we are looking at. Is late March a bad time for families? I don't want to deal with drunk college kids on spring break, nothing against that, have fun kids but I'm no kid anymore and really don't want to deal with that.

 

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If you are planning on a 7 day cruise there will be lots of kids and families on board but not that many "drunk college kids", they tend to stick to the cheaper 3,4 and 5 day cruises.

[39august]

If you book while on board you have reduced deposit of only $50 pp and $100 per cabin OBC for a 7 night cruise. Then as said above, you have 60 days to transfer the booking to a TA.

[JAMESCC]

If you are planning on a 7 day cruise there will be lots of kids and families on board but not that many "drunk college kids", they tend to stick to the cheaper 3,4 and 5 day cruises.

Yeah looking for a 7 day. 3,4,5 day cruises are too short. 7 days are borderline too short for me. The cruise line after giving you those perks don't care about transferring your booking to a TA? I find that hard to believe.

If you book while on board you have reduced deposit of only $50 pp and $100 per cabin OBC for a 7 night cruise. Then as said above, you have 60 days to transfer the booking to a TA.

 

 

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[firegal2539]

Russ Lomas,

 

You said everything I was getting ready to type. Most people when booking a March cruise forget it is spring break all month long. I never book a cruise in March.

 

As soon as cruise lines posts their new schedules I book. You can always get price reductions. You sure can't get money back when prices go up. You can always cancel if you find a better cruise on a different line.

 

Candie

 

 

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[jticarruthers]

It was already said but the best pricing is the day the itineraries are released. The last handful of cruises I have booked were booked as close to that day as possible and I have not had a price reduction on any of them.

 

If you are fortunate enough to book under the US pricing rules then if by some chance there is a price reduction you can take advantage of it as well and if there isn't you are holding the best price on the ship :)

[Florida_cruisers]

"I have found booking as soon as itineraries are released often offers the best pricing. Prices typically go up from then, especially if you are looking at a March cruise when lots of schools and students are on Spring/March break. You can always cancel (no charge to do so but make sure your travel agent does not charge if you do) or call in to get the price adjusted if you see the price drop."

 

I agree 100% with this advice. I have booked as far as two years sometimes and always get the best deals. Only once did I find a too hard to pass fare on a last minute. Those, but it was during the recession and about 3 weeks out. It was a 3-night cruise with RCCL out of Port Canaveral for $125pp, that included all taxes and fees. It was in June too, not off season, so we booked it right away. This was a fluke, not a normal practice I'd say, so to be sure I book as soon as the itineraries get released. I've heard that prices do go down after final payment deadline but I've found that they go down from their peak price but never as low as when the sailing first gets released.

[Biker19]

It was already said but the best pricing is the day the itineraries are released.

 

 

I did some research for another thread - the second week of May L cabin on Oasis, the first day price was NEVER the lowest for the past 4 years. The above was for 2015 - the starting price was a bit lower than the start of the graph but higher than the low.

Edited January 23, 2017 by Biker19

[K-Rev]

Yeah looking for a 7 day. 3,4,5 day cruises are too short. 7 days are borderline too short for me. The cruise line after giving you those perks don't care about transferring your booking to a TA? I find that hard to believe.

 

 

 

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They encourage you to transfer, I didn't believe it at first either. We always buy the next cruise credit, at least two actually. The last twice they already had our vacation planning company on file so I didn't need to transfer it. We get 10% off cruises with the company my husband works for, RCI doesn't mind a bit.

[Hoopster95]

The flat out claim that pries are cheapest the very day itineraries are released is 100% incorrect. I am living proof of that and so are the hundreds of threads on CC of fellow cruisers complaining that their prices drop and drop and drop after final payment and they can't be compensated. That claim depends on the type of cabin, time of year, the ship, the economy, etc etc ... tons of factors. In the many previous threads on this subject I've given prices and proof that my last 6 cruises 3 of them were less than itinerary rollout, with cabins ranging from an interior to a Junior Suite.

 

Go back to my 7th cruise back and RCL couldn't sell cabins. I was so very fortunate to be one of the higher cruisers with C&A points on Legend that I was up sold from an interior to an aft balcony for $300 total!!! The remaining interior and OV cabins were on the Going Going Going Going Gone sale for hundreds less per person about 40-50 days before sailing. Fast forward to today, the 4 day Explorer Pacific Coastal this coming May was initially offered for $599 for an interior...today (approx 4 months before sailing), it's down to $319. Last year about 40 days before sailing I paid $250

 

Bob (Clarea) has the only correct answer out of the posts so far... you just cannot predict when the lowest price will be. Period.

[JAMESCC]

They encourage you to transfer, I didn't believe it at first either. We always buy the next cruise credit, at least two actually. The last twice they already had our vacation planning company on file so I didn't need to transfer it. We get 10% off cruises with the company my husband works for, RCI doesn't mind a bit.

Huh interesting, great post. I'm gonna talk to RCI about this now and see what they say. That is awesome news. Definitely looking at booking on our next cruise if this all pans out. Thanks.

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

There can be several problems with waiting until the last minute because it leaves too many things up in the air, like the price of airfare. Sure, the cruise might end up heavily discounted at the last minute, but then you're stuck with whatever the airfare prices are and you have no ability to shop around or wait for better deals on it.

 

Secondly, there's always a chance that the cruisefare won't drop (or won't drop by very much) making it so you either miss out, or risk paying more in airfare than you saved on the cruise. This could work great for people who live within driving distance.

 

Last minute is also a problem for people who can't take off without much planning at work or school, but for people who have to get vacation time approved months ahead of time (like people who work in hospitals who get their schedules for 3 or 4 months at a time), this isn't even an option to be considered.

 

If I lived by the port though, I would be taking last minute cruises all the time. Totally different animal when you have to travel there unfortunately.

 

 

The flat out claim that pries are cheapest the very day itineraries are released is 100% incorrect. I am living proof of that and so are the hundreds of threads on CC of fellow cruisers complaining that their prices drop and drop and drop after final payment and they can't be compensated. That claim depends on the type of cabin, time of year, the ship, the economy, etc etc ... tons of factors. In the many previous threads on this subject I've given prices and proof that my last 6 cruises 3 of them were less than itinerary rollout, with cabins ranging from an interior to a Junior Suite.

 

 

 

Go back to my 7th cruise back and RCL couldn't sell cabins. I was so very fortunate to be one of the higher cruisers with C&A points on Legend that I was up sold from an interior to an aft balcony for $300 total!!! The remaining interior and OV cabins were on the Going Going Going Going Gone sale for hundreds less per person about 40-50 days before sailing. Fast forward to today, the 4 day Explorer Pacific Coastal this coming May was initially offered for $599 for an interior...today (approx 4 months before sailing), it's down to $319. Last year about 40 days before sailing I paid $250

 

 

 

Bob (Clarea) has the only correct answer out of the posts so far... you just cannot predict when the lowest price will be. Period.

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited January 23, 2017 by ColoradoGurl