Best time to book a cruise

[kywildcatfanone]

Just curious what opinions everyone has about this. How far ahead of when you are planning a cruise do you book it? We took a cruise over Thanksgiving week, and only booked 2 weeks in advance and got a great deal (on the cruise, not so the flight) and had a great time. We are taking another cruise at the end of March and I have booked it already (since that is spring break for schools in our area) for fear of a sellout, and figuring that the price will not drop in the weeks leading up to the cruise, since it is, I would think, a vacation time for a lot of people. Any advice?

[Pam in CA]

I almost always book over a year in advance and have found that I get much better pricing than leaving it for the last minute. If you're really flexible and can go anywhere at any time, you can find some deals on Princess but most Princess cruises are completely booked months ahead. For instance, we booked our upcoming Golden Princess cruise last September and got the last outside cabins on the ship. For our April 14, 2008 cruise, we already have over 100 people on our roll call and the ship has been close to sold out for months. For my HAL cruise this summer, I booked last July. When I checked cabin availability a couple of days, there are a few cabins left for about $3K more than what I paid.

 

There isn't a "good" or "right" time to book other than find a cruise you'd like to take at a price you're willing to pay. Then, don't look back or second-guess yourself.

[Druke I]

Like Pam, I like to book as far out as possible - if only the cruise lines would release their schedules earlier!!

 

Currently have one booked Mar -08, anxiously awaiting release of summer/fall 08 schedules, and already thinking about spring 09!

[NAS-KARR]

NOW

CIAO,

[2boyzmom]

We book a year in advance- mainly because we want the coveted "quad cabins" with a balcony mid-ship. They are hard to few and far between on many ships. Already booked for 2/08 on HAL!

[2boyzmom]

We book a year in advance- mainly because we want the coveted "quad cabins" with a balcony mid-ship. They are hard to few and far between on many ships. Already booked for 2/08 on HAL!

[robtulipe]

It depends on what type of cruise you want and your flexibility to travel. If you want a 7 days cruise with a balcony on a new and popular ship sailing out of Florida on a weekend at a peak travel time, you better book far out.

If you are able to travel on short notice and are flexible on date, cabin type and itinerary you can get some great last minute deals especially for longer cruises from more exotic embarkation and disembarkation ports and with mid week embarkation and disembarkation. If I see good deal within a time period we wish to travel in, I check for air availability then book the cruise followed immediately by the air booking. Often air is reasonable if availability is good. We booked our 10 nights Panama Canal Regal cruise for Oct. 28 with air ( BUF-SJU, ACA return) for less than $950US by doing this. Granted this was for an inside cabin but it was one of the largest and best on the ship. Our air flights were the best for us and exactly the ones we wanted.

In March we did a 7 days Costa Mediterranea E. Carb. cruise in a top deck balcony cabin with air from Toronto to FLL for less than $1000US.

Both were booked 3 to 4 weeks before.

[traveling1969]

Book 'em Dan'o!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

Just depends on time of year and if I find a deal or not, mostly at least 6 months out. Our Sun cruise in September we booked in June 2006 for Sept 2007.

[JLC@SD]

if it is a popular destination with few cruise dates....now is the time......if it is a cruise with many cruise dates and you are flexible....you can wait for a good price........unless you book one of the few large suites....you need to book now.

[willysgrandma]

We book at least a year in advance also and usually can find an early booking price. We then watch the prices - I've seen them usually go up closer to the cruise for the same category.

 

And if the ship isn't sold out and we see the price is lower before final payment, we call and ask for a price reduction.

 

You have much better choice of rooms the earlier you book. If cabin location isn't important, then you surely can do a last minute booking as well.

[Diane F]

I have a 19 day cruise booked in April on the Regal.There are alot of insides and outsides available and final payment is due Jan. 23. Several different people at Princess have assured me that if the price went down,even after final payment,just to call and they would adjust price,unless it is stated for new bookings only.The best that happened to us is that we were able to upgrade from an inside to an outside just 3 weeks ago.Has anyone had any problem getting a credit after final payment if price went down.Even my TA said it could be done.

[Too blessed to be stressed]

It seems to me September and October, January after new years has been the best times to book for. I saw a 7 day cruise on NCL going to belize, coz, progresso, costamaya for 275.00 that was a January cruise 2 months ago.

[Jacqueline]

You can always cancel a booking if it is far out (one year). Best to hold cabin and get price decreases, if they come.

If you do not need to fly to a port and are flexible on dates then consider booking after final payment when prices may drop. They may also not be available- so if you have your mind set on a special trip (ie Europe and so on) as opposed to the Caribean you may be shut out. BUt for the typical 7 day criuse out of Ft L, etc. you can just wait and see if you meet the above criteria.

[geoherb]

We booked our Sun Princess Christmas cruise after the final payment date. The prices went down dramatically for about two weeks in late September/early October. I was watching prices for a few different ships.

 

It came down to a choice between the Sun and Celebrity's Century. The Sun won out for being an additional day (10 instead of 9), better ports (although we don't cruise to the Caribbean for the ports), and because we had a onboard deposit from 2003 that we needed to use.

 

Some of the ships I was watching prices for went up in price before final payment and did not come down.

 

My advice is that if you know which ship and date, book early. If you can be flexible, wait until after final payment. It's a gamble. But if there are several ships in the running, the odds are that the price of one of them will come down.

[John99]

Has anyone booked a future cruise from the ship? Are there any advantages? Do they give you extra on-board credit (booking from the ship)? How about a smaller deposit to hold you cabin? etc....

[robtulipe]

You need only pay a $100US or $125CAD deposit ( for cruises in $CAD ) and you get $25US to $150 onboard credit depending on the cabin type ( inside or outside ) and length of cruise booked. You can extend the same benifits to two others as long as they do the same cruise ( date and ship but need not have same category of cabin ) as yourself. You need not specify an actual cruise thus can do an open booking deposit. Deposit must be used within 4 years and are refundable at any time. Also you can use your own TA or book thru Princess.

[tjaker11]

we try to book early to get best cabin selection, then hope for decreases in price and if not we have the cabin we want

 

enjoy

[long_shot45]

I just booked a cruise on 3/3/07 and got a guar. balcony for $800. 7 days on the Grand. thought that was a very good deal. (BB) or better....

[long_shot45]

Booked a guar BB last Friday on the Grand for 3/3/07. $800. Good deal or not?

[skarletohara]

We usally book later as opposed to earlier. Once we booked 18 days before and got a very fair price for a balcony cabin. Once we booked

2.5 months out, got a great price for reg. balcony and were upgraded

to a full suite.

 

A couple times we've booked within 3 to 4 months out and secured

great deals, but obstucted o/v cabins; once to Alaska ($699 including taxes -- last June)

 

On this upcoming cruise we booked one year out and keep watching the

prices come down, but we booked far out since it's a limited sailing and

itinerary; however, I'm sure after we make final payment we'll see some more great prices.

[kywildcatfanone]

OK, let me see if I understand all of this. For instance, for my cruise coming up in March, I booked on January 5th, and was told the final payment is due on January 15th, not much time difference. Is final payment always due around 2 1/2 months in advance?

 

Also as a for instance, I booked through a TA instead of Princess, so is there recourse if the price drops closer to departure, such as a credit or something. I know folks responding to this thread say that is possible, but is that really reality?

 

Thanks for all the great posts!

[azdmelani]

OK, let me see if I understand all of this. For instance, for my cruise coming up in March, I booked on January 5th, and was told the final payment is due on January 15th, not much time difference. Is final payment always due around 2 1/2 months in advance?

 

Also as a for instance, I booked through a TA instead of Princess, so is there recourse if the price drops closer to departure, such as a credit or something. I know folks responding to this thread say that is possible, but is that really reality?

 

Thanks for all the great posts!

 

the final payment is pretty much the same date no matter who you book with. After final payments princess might upgrade some people and keep inside/oceanviews open to attract late passengers.

 

It's harder (but not impossible) to get a price reduction/upgrade after the final payment.

[JXOPF]

You need only pay a $100US or $125CAD deposit ( for cruises in $CAD ) and you get $25US to $150 onboard credit depending on the cabin type ( inside or outside ) and length of cruise booked. You can extend the same benifits to two others as long as they do the same cruise ( date and ship but need not have same category of cabin ) as yourself. You need not specify an actual cruise thus can do an open booking deposit. Deposit must be used within 4 years and are refundable at any time. Also you can use your own TA or book thru Princess.

 

News to me! I booked onboard, one yr. in advance. We got the OBC. We have added a family of 4 (first time cruisers) to our group. Final pymt. was in Dec. Are you saying I can extend my same OBC bennies to them?