Would you book it?

[sunrise&set]

We just booked a cruise for this January with a pre-cruise visit to WDW. I really wanted to go on RCL but since other family members are cruising with us, we had to be more budget-minded. So now I am looking at Freedom of the Seas for 2010. I really want one of those Aft cabins so I know I have to book early. I've mentioned it to DH and he just laughs, not wanting to book soooo early. I told him we'd have to in order to get that type of cabin. I plan to mention it to him again, but if he still dismisses it (not saying no, just thinks it's too soon to think about it).... should I book it anyway? That way I have the cabin I want and can still cancel if for some reason we are not crusing in 2010???

[crusinmama06]

OK, tell him this...for Freedom you can almost guarantee you will pay MORE the longer you wait. Most of us have seen our cabins go up in price the closer we get to the cruise.

 

With RCCL, if you book early and your cabin goes down in price, call them and they will adjust your price to reflect the lower price. If it goes up (and I can tell you, it will...lol) then you are locked into the lower price and will not pay the higher one.

 

My Freedom suite for April 07 was $2,800 more from the time we booked till the category was sold out.

 

When I booked Liberty for April 08 (18 months in advance), I got it for $4,200 for 4 people. THEN, I had to cancel because my daughter's first communion was that same weekend. So I checked about moving it for the week before or after the sailing....they wanted $6,700 for 4 :eek: .

 

So that's why I didn't get to do Liberty...I wasn't willing to pay $2,500 more for the same cabin. So I jumped on Independence for next Jan. And yes, our prices are going up, not down.

 

Same for Oasis, going up, not down for 2010.

 

Those Freedom class ships are pretty popular...they have no problems selling them. ;)

[wrp96]

With RCCL's extremely generous policy of giving price drops even after final payment, there is no benefit to waiting especially since you want a certain type of room. The only exceptions to the price drop policy are sale specials for new bookings only - but at least for my bookings the sale specials have always been higher than what I originally booked.

[isk8]

My DH did the same thing when we started planning our fall 09 FOS cruise last winter. I made our reservations in April the day they opened bookings for the Caribbean for Sept 09. I knew the exact 2 cabins I wanted (connecting balconies on deck 9 near the elevators), and the only way I was guaranteed to get them was to book as soon as I could. Now, our FOS cruise is less than a year away, and I'm starting to plan our next cruise on Celebrity in 2011. Your DH will thank you for booking early when you're sitting on your aft balcony looking out into the Caribbean!

[sunrise&set]

Thanks everyone! I knew you all could talk me into it. Now I just have to sit back and wait about a year before I tell him :eek: LOL! Hmmmm, I wonder how he'll react when I tell him I booked a JS?? Not sure if I'd be happier with a price drop (unlikely) or to see prices go way up from what I paid!

[crusinmama06]

Thanks everyone! I knew you all could talk me into it. Now I just have to sit back and wait about a year before I tell him :eek: LOL! Hmmmm, I wonder how he'll react when I tell him I booked a JS?? Not sure if I'd be happier with a price drop (unlikely) or to see prices go way up from what I paid!

 

Yeah it seems like I just watch the JS (and higher) cabins go up and up in price, never down on those ships.

 

Everyone is celebrating price drops on the RCCL main board right now. And I sit there and watch mine go up. :(

 

So I guess I should be thankful I got the lowest price...but sad I seem to do popular cruises...lol.

[wrp96]

Michelle, same thing's happened for me. Guess RCCL just doesn't love us.;)

[crusinmama06]

Guess RCCL just doesn't love us.;)

 

Well that's pretty obvious now isn't it? ;) :p :D

[p_og]

Are there any other cruise lines that have this price drop policy? Where can I find that info...I can't even find RCCL's policy on this!

 

Thanks!

[Conrycol]

Celebrity will honor a price drop even after final payment has been made. As long as it's not a sale for new bookings only.

[Terpnut]

Are there any other cruise lines that have this price drop policy? Where can I find that info...I can't even find RCCL's policy on this!

 

Thanks!

I think just about every cruise line will honor price drops. You won't find a printed policy however because no company wants to make that promise formally.

[p_og]

Thank you both for the info! GREAT to know! :)

[Terpnut]

Yeah it seems like I just watch the JS (and higher) cabins go up and up in price, never down on those ships.

 

Everyone is celebrating price drops on the RCCL main board right now. And I sit there and watch mine go up. :(

 

So I guess I should be thankful I got the lowest price...but sad I seem to do popular cruises...lol.

You guys definitely seem to do the most popular and most expensive ships and itineraries!

 

Right now, there are so many ridiculously cheap cruises (e.g. $399 pp or less for some 12-14 day cruises) that my retired parents are drooling. In almost all cases, the airfare and fuel surcharges are the most expensive part of an almost two week cruise vacation! They are practically giving away the cruise itself to fill the ship! Prices in general are definitely way way down!

 

But you can't have kids in school (like most of us) because these deals are all low demand repositioning or off-peak season deals! Just ten more years until my kids are in college. :p

[FinallyConvincedDH2Cruise]

I booked the Independence over 13 months out. If I waited, it would have been almost $1000 more for 3 of us due to increased rates and fuel charges, plus got the cabin I want.

[nu2cruises]

Do you guys know when RCCL will announce there 2010 cruises other than Oasis of the Seas? I want to price some cruises for 2010, but I'm not sure when to start looking.

 

Thanks!

[Terpnut]

Do you guys know when RCCL will announce there 2010 cruises other than Oasis of the Seas? I want to price some cruises for 2010, but I'm not sure when to start looking.

 

Thanks!

Pricing, schedules and availaibility are released at different times for different itineraries. Europe itineraries have been released in mid-March of the previous year, but Caribbean itineraries are generally available much earlier but I don't know exactly when they come out.

[wrp96]

Do you guys know when RCCL will announce there 2010 cruises other than Oasis of the Seas? I want to price some cruises for 2010, but I'm not sure when to start looking.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Based on previous years, look for 2010 cruises to be released in March 2009 for Europe, April 2009 for Alaska, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

[sunrise&set]

Do you guys know when RCCL will announce there 2010 cruises other than Oasis of the Seas? I want to price some cruises for 2010, but I'm not sure when to start looking.

 

Thanks!

 

If you check the RCL website, they already have available dates through November 2010. I don't know if this is only for certain itineraries though. I booked Western Caribbean in Feb 2010 last week and it only listed through March 2010 so they must have just added April-November.

 

**** EDIT: Just checked again and I see what you mean about Oasis being listed. I did check into it a little more and it looks like they have other ships' availability through April 2010.

[nu2cruises]

Thank you for the information! I'll keep checking!:)