How far out do everyone book cruises?

[SonoranDevil]

It depends on what dates are released. On brand new ships, it can be more than two years.

 

 

I'd book NCL Project Leonardo and MSC World Class if I could even though there isn't any real info on those unnamed ships.

 

I definitely concur. Brand new ships will release sailings sell in the future. We currently have a booking for December, 2020...more than 2 years out.

[tallnthensome]

We book most of them two years in advance when bookings open ........ Have had April 2020 booked for a couple months already. None of our cruises have come down in price but have only gone up.

[cincicruisers]

We usually book 1 year out.

[Steff79]

as soon as possible

[molole]

Less than 2 days to more than 2 years.

[zackarykeef]

I usually book 1-2 months prior, as I've found the deals have been better. My upcoming was booked 3 months prior, as my mom is coming and was getting anxious :') The latest I've booked was 3 days out; that was when my cruise was cancelled by Hurricane Maria, and we booked a different 7-day last minute! Stressful, but ended up being cheaper overall and one of my best cruises! :D

[ama123]

About 6 months on average. Booked our upcoming November cruise about 13 months out and it has felt like forever!

[JamieLogical]

February, 2018 on the Escape - booked 6 months out

June, 2018 on the Gem - booked 2.5 months out

October, 2018 on the Escape - booked 3.5 months out

February, 2019 on the Bliss - booked 12 months out

November, 2019 on the Encore - booked 17 months out

 

So the average for us so far is about 8 months.

[welove2cruise2014]

2013 - booked about 6 weeks out

2014 - booked 10 months out

2015 - booked 4 months out

(Pause for being pregnant and having a baby, therefore none in 2016 or 2017, lol)

2018 - booked 5 months out

 

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[buddylover]

We book when bookings open, typically 1 1/2 years out or more....we find the lowest pricing in most cases and the pick of our cabin! On our upcoming Bliss cruise we booked in the first week that bookings opened and then only watched the price increase to where it is now at more than 2 1/2 times MORE $$ !! Same for our October 2019 Jade Med cruise....we booked the second week it opened and watched the price of our mini suite go up in that time frame, so put down a deposit. It is now going for almost $2000 more than we booked it for! For us, it seems to 'pay off' to book early, both in $$ saved and cabin choice.

[CruisingSince1982]

Just Wondering, How far out does the average person book a cruise? Do you book more then one?

Right now we have booked 3:

 

Jan. 2019 14 night Escape Caribbean

Nov 2019 12 night Star Mediterranean

Jan 2020 7 night Encore Caribbean

 

As soon as they open, usually. We will be booking Europe for 2020 as soon as they are available.

[Sweetnspicy]

We booked a cruise 11 months in advance and it was killer to wait!!! Our shortest was a last minute deal to Alaska and our first cruise. With the deals and the old Military discount we ended up paying about $600 total for an inside state room and they gave us a $500 on board credit when our room had a bunch of issues and had to move us!

[spanishguy1970]

Us? 9 months to a year...

[Peachypooh]

I book as soon as the bookings open because I like a certain cabin. Then I watch prices. Most of the time I see them go up but a few times I was able to call NCL and get a lower price when they went down.

[Tedj6050]

I often book within a few days of a cruise being announced.if I have a cruise next cert.and the price is right it can be two years or more.

It helps with the wait to have multiple cruises booked.

[teamflames]

Been loads of research on this, if you believe what they say it suggests most book 5-6months in advance, the cheapest prices tend to be more than 13 months out and “last minute” which is generally after final payment and depends on cruise line (we usually see the lowest at 50-70 days out).

We don’t like booking too far in advance as hate waiting and not sure what we want to see and do. We try and wait last minute but usually get sucked in by some promotion/itinerary and get a bit bored and end up booking about 4 months out.

The longest for us was just over a year and the shortest less than a month.

 

 

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[livinthedream99]

We usually book within a 6 month window. However, this year we knew we wanted to cruise with out daughter for her Senior year trip, so we looked for that cruise a year out. We also decided we wanted to try an inaugural sailing. We are booked on the Encore Nov 2019. As long as we have cruises on the books, we are happy!

[tallnthensome]

I'm curious how those that book under 6 months out know they are getting the best deal? Like I said before, I book two years out when bookings open. I can watch the price from the minute I book until the time I sail. If you book six months or less out how do you know what the price was the day bookings opened? I find the 6 months or less window to be the highest prices offered. I booked the Escape way out when she first sailed and it only went up in price. I booked my 15 day Bliss cruise for March 2019 back in May 2017. Never went down a cent but up $1100.00

as of this moment. Unless you know what the price was for a cruise the day it became a Available, you can't be sure you got best deal. Way early and last minute are the best prices in my opinion.

[JamieLogical]

I'm curious how those that book under 6 months out know they are getting the best deal? Like I said before, I book two years out when bookings open. I can watch the price from the minute I book until the time I sail. If you book six months or less out how do you know what the price was the day bookings opened? I find the 6 months or less window to be the highest prices offered. I booked the Escape way out when she first sailed and it only went up in price. I booked my 15 day Bliss cruise for March 2019 back in May 2017. Never went down a cent but up $1100.00

as of this moment. Unless you know what the price was for a cruise the day it became a Available, you can't be sure you got best deal. Way early and last minute are the best prices in my opinion.

 

Simple. You don't. Not everyone books their cruises around getting the best deal possible. The cruises I have booked inside of 6 months I have booked because I wanted to go on a cruise at that time. Saving money was not at the top of my priority list. Sure, I shopped around a bit for deals right then, but I didn't know six or months back that I would WANT to be going on a cruise at that time. Like when I booked the Gem in late March 2018 for an early June sailing, there is no way I could have known back in 2017 that I would want to go on that sailing. I'd never even been on a cruise before! It wasn't until I went on the Escape in February that I realized I love cruises and so booked the Gem a month or so after returning from that trip.

[welove2cruise2014]

I'm curious how those that book under 6 months out know they are getting the best deal? Like I said before, I book two years out when bookings open. I can watch the price from the minute I book until the time I sail. If you book six months or less out how do you know what the price was the day bookings opened? I find the 6 months or less window to be the highest prices offered. I booked the Escape way out when she first sailed and it only went up in price. I booked my 15 day Bliss cruise for March 2019 back in May 2017. Never went down a cent but up $1100.00

as of this moment. Unless you know what the price was for a cruise the day it became a Available, you can't be sure you got best deal. Way early and last minute are the best prices in my opinion.

I feel like prices are variable and can go up or down as time goes on, based on demand/ship/destination.

 

"The best deal" to me is one I find agreeable and willing to pay. If I check prices and see that they have gone down, I try and get some price adjustment or OBC. If not available, NBD.

 

"What the cruise cost when the sailing first opened up" is irrelevant unless you booked it then.

 

 

 

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[livinthedream99]

I'm curious how those that book under 6 months out know they are getting the best deal? Like I said before, I book two years out when bookings open. I can watch the price from the minute I book until the time I sail. If you book six months or less out how do you know what the price was the day bookings opened? I find the 6 months or less window to be the highest prices offered. I booked the Escape way out when she first sailed and it only went up in price. I booked my 15 day Bliss cruise for March 2019 back in May 2017. Never went down a cent but up $1100.00

as of this moment. Unless you know what the price was for a cruise the day it became a Available, you can't be sure you got best deal. Way early and last minute are the best prices in my opinion.

 

 

I don't always know if I received the exact lowest price but usually have a pretty good idea of where they started. I start looking 2 years out, to get an idea of prices for any sailings I am interested in booking. I make a note of them for reference. When I am ready to book, I check to see if the prices are still in a range that is comfortable and make a deposit.

 

I tend to book our cruises during less expensive times of year, which may help. I also try to book promotions I am sent or sales. The price for a cruise I was watching has never gone up more that $20 when I book. By the time we sail, that is another thing! ;)

 

I do look forward to booking farther in advance, I think you are smart to do so. Our schedules don't always allow for planning that far out. For now, I have to what works for me and hope for the best!

[turtlegirl2]

We just booked Alaska 37 days out :) We have not booked any trip more than 5 months out; and our average is 6 weeks out.

[cathi007]

Just Wondering, How far out does the average person book a cruise? Do you book more then one?

Right now we have booked 3:

 

Jan. 2019 14 night Escape Caribbean

Nov 2019 12 night Star Mediterranean

Jan 2020 7 night Encore Caribbean

I'll be on the Escape in Jan too. The Jan 20th Southern Caribbean sailing :). I booked it May of 2017, so I have been waiting along time. It's finally coming sort of soon :). I find booking early works better. The Jan cruise has gone up and up since we booked. Also there are hardly any cabins left on that sailing, which kind of surprises me, as it is a 14 nighter.

[tallnthensome]

"What the cruise cost when the sailing first opened up" is irrelevant unless you booked it then.

That is true and what we do. With NCL's low deposits, it only cost $200 for the four of us to secure a 15 day cruise two years in advanced. Saved us a whole lot. It's worth the low deposit risk to save way more down the line. I'm just one of those people that book way way early. It would eat at me if I knew the family next to me paid over a thousand dollars less for the same cabin. I need to feel like I got the best deal .....

[JamieLogical]

It would eat at me if I knew the family next to me paid over a thousand dollars less for the same cabin. I need to feel like I got the best deal .....

 

 

That doesn't seem very healthy and certainly not a recipe for enjoying your own life. Why would you stew over what someone else paid for their cruise? The real question should be if you feel like YOUR cruise is worth what YOU paid for it. I mean, there is a chance that even if you booked early and got the lowest listed fare, the family in the cabin next to you still saved hundreds of dollars more than you by winning an upgrade from a lower cabin category for a minimal bid. You will never know. And it shouldn't matter anyway.