The Benefits of Booking early on FOS

[bencruzN]

What are the benefits of booking your cruise early? We are planning on Sept 08. I am of the belief (firmly) "The early bird catches the worm" How can I get the group we are traveling with to catch the worm? It is to be 8 of us, but I feel the longer we wait, it's more of a possibility that some will change their mind.

[It'sRC4ME]

Point out that they can cancel and get a full refund up until the final payment date. So they can book now, get the good choice of cabins and good prices, but not be really "locked in" until a couple of months before. I think some people just don't feel comfortable making plans that far in advance, but if they have an "out" they would be OK with it.

[QTMichele]

Yep, you'll have your choice of cabins - which may or may not matter to you. Your price may be more expensive now, but you'll be able to take advantage of price drops if they occur. As It'sRC4ME pointed out, you're not "locked" into your cruise if you decide to cancel until final payment. Good luck! Wish I was planning a cruise right now!

[dcgrumpy]

ITA with the previous posters. I'm sailing on FOS this Sunday I booked it in June '06. After I booked the price just kept going up. If I had waited I would have paid $700 more pp. :eek:

[Aerorea]

We booked our Jan 08 cruise back in Feb or Mar of this year. We wanted a GS cabin and were lucky to get one as they were all gone a week or two later.

 

If there's a special cabin you want, book now!! Even the interior cabin level that our friends booked are sold out!

[scopewest]

Or do what I did, just make the reservations and then tell them oh, it's already booked :-)

 

Okay, my sister was mad that I did that until I pointed out she wanted a specific cabin category and I got the last two adjoining cabins, and if she wanted to cancel the booking we could. She backed down. She also doesn't plan stuff that far (Oct. '08) in advance and kept saying but can't we do it two months in advance?!? Can you tell it's her first cruise???

 

Now I just have to get her to send me her deposit which I paid for. That's the downside to this plan!

[crusinmama06]

Freedom books fast. I booked our Freedom GS for this past May about 18 months before. We got the last GS. And JS were going fast. And that was 18 months in advance

 

AND, the prices usually go UP on Freedom. So if they go up, you are locked into the lower price. If they go down, you can request the lower price.

[willysgrandma]

You usually will NOT pay more for booking early - on the contrary, you usually get the best pricing on this ship booking at LEAST a year early.

 

We booked 14 months before our cruise - the room as of today is $300 per person more than we paid. There were no price drops in that 14 months at all, only price increases. FOS and LOS are very popular ships and usually sell out for all sailings.

 

And you'll have the best choice of cabins.

 

If I were you, I'd book now - let the other six wait and see what they have to pay as time goes on. I'll bet they have to pay more.

[jackdiamond]

For those who are reluctant to book early, please remember the well known aphorism-"He who hesitates is lost".

[Newcruiser65]

We debated about whether or not to book early or just put away the money for the cruise and book later since we were unsure about work schedules etc. We decided to book early since we knew if scheduling looked like a problem down the line, we could get our money back. Boy am I glad we did. The prices for the balcony we chose went up almost $700 per person from what we paid before finally selling out! Now the whole ship is sold out ( or at least I guess it is, since the sailing date has disappeared from the options on the website). The sailing date is still 5 months away. Booking early can't hurt, but waiting can.

[kdakda]

Our experience is also that we saved a LOT by booking early. Two years ago we sailed the Explorer in late Oct and booked 10 months ahead. The price went up ~ $400 per person (D2 balcony cabin). The price started to go up a few days after we booked and just kept going!

 

We are on the Liberty in a few months and booked a D2 cabin 13 months ahead. There haven't been any cabins in that category for a few weeks, and the last price I saw was at least $400 more per person. If I'd booked it just a day earlier, I'd have saved another $100 per person, but we were just dawdling around and talking about it!

[cot427]

I find that the main benefit of booking FOS early is the price. We are paying almost $250 less than it is right now for booking a year in advanced. Also, you get more oppurtuniy to get the cabin you want. There is more availability earlier. Then, you can cancel for a refund if you decide not to go, as long as it is before the deadline.

[mtebor]

my cruise (this sunday) pretty much doubled since I booked it last year when it became available.