What's the earliest you've booked a cruise?

I feel we must be in the running for booking the earliest. We just book ourselves on the Millennium 12 night Europe cruise departing on October 25, 2005.

That's about 17 months from now.

Who can beat that?

Brenda

Can't beat that! I did 12 months and that was 5 days after returning from our last cruise. Wife thought I'd lost it as it was so I can't imagine what she would have thought about 17 months!

Until Galaxy

Eleven months for me. Booked it on another cruise for the onboard credit. Hey, if you want to book a cruise and give them a deposit they will let you

15 MONTHS...When the deal presents itself...get the card out and book!!!

ROSS

RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH 1965/TS BREMEN 1971/RMS AMERIKANIS 1972/SS FRANCE 1973/SS FRANCE 1973/QE II 1975/QE II 1975/TS LEONARDO DaVINCI 1976/QE II 1978/TS GALLILAO 1984/ MV REGENT SEA 1988/MV ZENITH 1992/SS NORWAY 1993/MV HORIZON 1998/GTS NORWEGIAN SUN 2001/GTS CENTURY 2002/GTS SUMMIT 2003/GTS JEWEL OF THE SEAS 2004

Just booked May 28th for Baltic July 02, 2005 cruise. Was able to get a desirable aft cabin. Yipee!!!

Eileen

16 months out longest for me.

Tried to book one 19 months, but it didn't show in computer (schedule not yet firmed up).

Michael

We tend to plan way in advance to nail down the exact cruise, ship, and cabin that we want.

Our last 3 cruises were booked 14, 19.5, and 15 months in advance. We booked our 2/2/2 Infinity cruise 19.5 mo in advance while on board the Galaxy to get the ship board credit deal. That Caribbean season had just opened for booking and we basically had our choice of any cabin on the ship!

Jubilee 1991 Solar Eclipse

Century FO 1996 E Carib

Mercury FO 1998 W Carib

Galaxy SS 2000 Alaska IP

Infinity FV 2002 S Carib

Horizon HS 3/05 W Carib

Almost three years in advance. I booked the Crystal Serenity's maiden voyage when they first announced that she was going to be built. All other times it's been about a year or so in advance. We booked a cruise on the Mille for March '05 in Jan '04 when we were on the Summit

Darcie

I just looked it up... 22 months.

Booked in June 2002 for an April 2004 cruise.

It was a LOOOONG wait.

Infinity - Panama Canal

We just booked our longest advanced booking ever...we signed up for the July 16, 2005 Constellation to "Northern Europe" (Dover RT with Ireland and Norwegian Fjords)...Couldn't have booked any quicker since the 2005 Europe schedule just came out...

Of course, it's really just a "placeholder" booking...if the rates don't go up, we'll re-book it while on the Summit next month to get the onboard credit...Silly little games they make us play...

Summit, July 3, 2004: Alaska: 13 night cruisetour

Constellation, July 16, 2005: Northern Europe: 14 nights

Darn it! We should have booked while aboard the Constellation in March, to get the on-board credit. Of course, at that point, we didn't know what we were looking for for 2005.

Oh well, with any luck, a Captain's Club coupon will come out with a credit for our cruise. We booked so early to get the cabin I wanted - 6144 between the suites. The deck plan makes it look like the largest of the CC class.

Brenda

I have to get the hang of this game! Now that it appears that we are "into" cruising for vacations, I think I will have to book a cruise (any cruise, if I understand correctly)while on board each time. Then I could change the booking to whatever cruise we decide on taking...or cancel altogether if we decide to do a land trip.

Now, Steve....how do you execute your plan? Do you book on board, therefore holding a double booking, then cancel the first? Can you do that? Don't they have your first booking in the computer?

We booked a "good" inside cabin (plaza deck,midship...just where we like it). Our next cruise will be in October. By then, who knows where the available cabins will be located. I am very interested to know how your plan works out.

Just for interest...with Celebrity air & transfers, we are paying $8068 Can. for 2. I booked air because it seemed like a good price. If there should be a seat sale, I can always cancel, book my own...and then spend extra days in London. If not...well...July in London is not on my "LIST" of must-do's, so it doesn't matter.

Brenda J....weren't we on the same Alaska Cruise? I see your name on the boards...you have taken some wonderful trips!

With online booking, I once booked a cruise at just after 4 in the morning!

Yes, Babylene...

We'll book the cruise AGAIN on board...put up a second deposit...then we'll come home and cancel the first...

I don't think they care if we book two cabins...and their rules allow us to cancel at no cost since it's well before the sail date...

What they SHOULD do is just apply the onboard credit as long as we book ON OR BEFORE the current cruise...all they really want to do is sell you a cruise and the credit is just a spur to DO IT NOW while they have your attention...Why is it worth it to them to play THIS game?

Summit, July 3, 2004: Alaska: 13 night cruisetour

Constellation, July 16, 2005: Northern Europe: 14 nights

Hi Babylene

Yes, we were on the same Alaska cruise! After that, we did the Constellation transatlantic, and a few months ago, we did the Infinity from Chile to Ft. Lauderdale. That was my third time on Infinity.

I figure it's time to give the Millennium the once-over, and then we'll have to try the Summit.

By then, I'm hoping Celebrity will be sailing to the South Pacific and we'll try one of their older ships.

Happy travels!

Brenda

9 months.....When I returned home from Century in January.......booked Horizon to Bermuda for September.

Well, now I am almost down to 3 months left

Next up...HORIZON Sept 18th to Bermuda!

See My Century and Mercury Pictures at:

http://community.webshots.com/user/lovescruising

I booked this past March for the Infinity to Alaska, late August '05

'be a real student and take chances. live on the edge. teeter on the brink...skip on the tightrope. and if you fall, enjoy the wind on your smiling face.' -- paul lester

NCL Star - Hawaii (AtlantisEvents.com) 03.07.04

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Celebrity Infinity (AtlantisEvents.com) 08.21.05

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It's not a Celebrity cruise, but I booked a cruise on Carnival's Valor last month for October 30, 2005. Though I tend to book early, that's by far the earliest for me.

Terri

Skyward - 1989

Carnivale - 1991

Holiday - 1994

Fantasy - 1998

Century - 2002

Century - 2003

Jubilee - 7/04

Century - 9/04

Coral Princess - 3/05

Valor - 10/05

Days til Valor Vampires Cruise

We booked the Milli for 5/15/05 within 24 hours of the release of the schedule. That will be the longest wait in history, but it was hell coordinating three couples from three different parts of the country. We will play the switch game if we can't use our ff miles when we sail the Connie in Dec...which we have yet to book. I sure would hate to give up a wonderful cabin to take the edge off the high air. Booking this far out and watching for fare drops should keep me busy!!!

We booked the Infinity to Hawaii 16 months in advance. Then we outdid ourselves & booked the Veendam 21 months in advance. Just a note - we ALWAYS purchase travel insurance!!

Happy Cruising!

Q

Hawaii on the Infinity

The Caribbean on the Veendam

We are booking Monday for October 23, 2005 on Vision of the Seas........earliest for us.

Nordic Prince 8/88

Viking Serenade 3/93

Enchantment 3/01

Rhapsody 9/02

Splendour 4/03

Rhapsody, 9/03

Brilliance, 4/04

Until Our Caribbean Princess Cruise

Until Hawaii on Inifinity

Until Vision/Mexican Riviera

We just booked for April 2006, that is 22 months away. We also booked our Hawaii cruise for this past May in August 2002 and that time flew by!

___________________________

RCL~Legend 5/2004, Navigator 8/2003, Majesty 7/2003, Radiance 4/2003, Monarch 8/2002, Nordic Empress 8/2001

Celebrity~Century 7/2001 & 7/1998, Horizon 7/1991

Future Cruises:

Enchantment of the Seas 8/30/2004

Brilliance of the Seas 1/14/2005

Celebrity Mercury 4/7/2006

Till Belize on the Enchantment of the Seas!

Till the Panama Canal on Brilliance of the Seas!

Till the Mexican Riviera on Celebrity's Mercury!

We just booked on Memorial Day for our cruise in the Med. on Galaxy for 5/23/05. So almost a year in advance. But this is our honeymoon cruise, so we wanted to secure a cabin and cross something else off the ol' wedding checklist. I am now counting down to honeymoon (2 days after wedding) as opposed to the wedding itself! hehe.

danielle

Galaxy 5/23/05~~honeymoon!

Century 5/24/03

Majesty of the Seas 6/3/02

Chandris Victoria Summer 1984

SS Poseidon: New Year's Eve 1972 (haha)

 till I cruise for my honeymoon!!

We booked Inifinty through the Panama Canal march 13 2005 while on our Mercury Alaska Cruise Sept 2003. Wanted to make sure we got the aft FV and the shipboard credit. 18 months sounds like a long time ahead but we pass the time with other vacations (2 weeks in Cuba this spring) Vegas in September.

'till Infinity and the Panama Canal

09/03 Celebrity Mercury Alaska

I am working on one now for Oct., 2005, but it's not booked yet-still in the planning stage.

JV The 4 stages of cruising: planning, anticipation, experience and reflection.