Anxious about booking my next cruise

Hi folks, I've posted a few times in the past that I want to book Celebrity Reflection for her 4/27/2018 Italy and Greece cruise. In the past, I've been very flexible about picking a cruise and gotten some good deals because of that. However, the intention for this cruise is for it to be my honeymoon, so I don't have the luxury of biding my time for a good deal on a cruise somewhere. This itinerary and time of year are very attractive to us, but I've been biting my nails and over analyzing a decision on when and how to book this trip.

I've hesitated so far, because I was hoping for a good promotion over the holidays or during "wave season." Celebrity is indeed offering some nice promotions at the moment, but none of them apply to the 2018 season in the Mediterranean. I don't need to find the best deal of the year, but I'd like to know I'm getting a good deal, particularly since finances aren't such that we don't need to consider cost at all. I'd hate to commit and find out later that I could have gotten a much better deal if I had waited. I know there's no way to know for certain what will happen with prices, availability, and promotions, but I'd still like the =X= communities advice.

- Should I book now, regardless of price or promotion, in order to secure a cabin while there are plenty available? Is it really as easy as some say to cancel or rebook if a good sale/promo comes along? Would I have up to 90 days before sailing to do this? Are there downsides to this approach?

- TA's are offering the option to "buy" a Go Best package, but this seems silly. Most of the packages aren't really attractive unless they are included for free. Am I missing something?

- I'm sailing on =X= in early May, so should I wait to book onboard and get whatever promos come from doing it that way? Some folks seem to love this, but I've also seen stories of complications transferring the booking and losing promotions. There's also the risk of price or availability changing over the next 4 months.

- I just noticed that similar April 2018 sailings by NCL and Holland America have far fewer cabins remaining available compared to Reflection. Why would these be selling out faster when price and itineraries are comparable? (Koningsdam and NCL Spirit)

- The western med cruise I'm going to be on in May (this year) was booked by my mom on Constellation. She did it in mid October 2016 and got a fantastic price, all 4 perks, and plenty of cabin choices. On the one hand, I can't help thinking if I wait I could also get lucky, but on the other hand it's obviously a gamble. For example, despite current wave season promo by =X=, the overall price has gone way up since October, so it would have been a mistake to wait to book this cruise until now.

- FYI, I don't have an established relationship with a TA and have used big online agencies in the past.

Am I overthinking this? Am I too stuck on the notion of deals and perks?

Thanks for listening and sharing your thoughts.

Ken

Pretty sure you can book the cruise now and if they start those deals again just call and get the deal added as long as it is not after final payment

We booked a concierge cabin for Nov 2017 cruise on Reflection in Jan 2016 with a large online TA. We first noticed a $100 price drop and called the TA and got the price reduction while keeping the cabin (large hump balcony), and perks and OBC. Then several months ago we noticed a $200 reduction (still over a year away). Again call the TA. We had the choice of $400 off our fare with the loss of $100 OBC or paying the same fare we had but upgrading to Aqua and keeping perks and OBC. Of course, we had to give up our concierge hump balcony, but were able (since the cruise was still far out) to nab a larger Aqua hump balcony. You have to be vigilant and keep track of the fares, and also lucky, but it's possible. Book a fare you are comfortable with and keep track and contact your TA as soon as you notice a price drop...and enjoy your honeymoon.

For the past few years I have seen very few deals offered on Celebrity cruises. As this is your honeymoon cruise I suggest you book something now in a category that fits your budget. Celebrity has repositioned the Equinox to the Caribbean for year round sailings, so with one less ship in Europe it is far less likely you will find deals on the Reflection, just basic supply and demand determining pricing. If you book something now you can always cancel up to 90 days before final payment if you change your mind or find a better deal. Be cautious in choosing a travel agent, as some will charge you a cancellation fee.

Agree with others. Book now and you can cancel or modify up to final payment. Like was said above, keep an eye on the prices and call your TA. If a great deal comes up, cancel and re book, just make sure your TA doesn't charge for a cancellation, some do.

And I also agree, prices have gone up. My cruise last month was so much cheaper than anything being offered and I had the perks. Of course I did book quite a while ago but while looking at another cruise to book I am having sticker shock.

Book what you want now and keep an eye open.

I agree on booking now so you can lock your preferred cabin. Then constantly check for better pricing/deals for possible re-fare.

Thanks to everyone who replied! The helpful and experienced folks on here make this a terrific community and resource. Based on your advice, I think I will be booking sooner, rather than later.

Rose6 - that's a great point about =X= having one less ship in the Med and how that is going to impact the market.

Cheers!

:)

I can't even begin to tell you how many price reductions I've taken on our cruises and have never had to "cancel and rebook". Celebrity has always just adjusted the price (and perks) on my existing reservation. Not saying there aren't circumstances where this might be necessary.

For example, I agree you should book now to get your cabin and rate. However still check what they are offering you for an onboard booking when you cruise. If you want to take it - you might need to actually cancel and rebook to take advantage of an onboard offer - but still, no big deal.

Good Luck -

Mike

I would also say book now. I'm on the June sailing and it seems like a popular itinerary - the prices of the S1 started at USD4399 and I think they're at USD4899 now, and itineraries were only released recently. Also, there doesn't seem to be any S2 availability left.

We were on Reflection in September 2016 and loved this cruise. Wonderful ports and beautiful ship. I booked the cruise in the spring of 2015 while onboard Equinox. In February 2016, the fare dropped approx. $500 pp. My travel agent contacted Celebrity and the fare reduction was applied to our reservation.

A few months later, I saw that the cost of Aqua Class (A1) dropped. For only $100 more, we were able to switch to Aqua Class from a 1A cabin. As you can imagine, all of the Aqua Class cabins were quickly snapped up during that brief window. A month later, the cost of Aqua Class cabins skyrocketed, ending up more than twice what we paid.

We thoroughly enjoyed Blu as well as the other Aqua Class amenities (i.e. Shower, Persian Garden, mid-afternoon snacks and extra points). We went with "go big", not "go best" and were content with the classic beverage package.

Moral of the story - book early in the category you like - and then keep a close eye on the pricing starting 6 months before your cruise. Keep an even closer eye on pricing and cabin availability beginning a month before final payment is due since cancellations will likely occur during that time.

All this talk of price reductions and swapping cabins makes me so envious ! We in the UK are stuck with what we book and the accompanying price unless we cancel and forfeit our deposit. I am seriously thinking of taking a chance on using a US TA next time, even with pound / dollar fluctuations.

You should book as early as possible. We like to book directly with celebrity and pay with our credit card that gives great points that can be used. I like the flexibility of booking directly. I know that some TA's offer perks, but we like direct booking. If you book now, you only give a fully refundable deposit and can decide on the "best" cabin in the category of your choice. Per previous posters, watch the rates and call Celebrity if a better rate is advertised and they adjust without a hassel if you call them, up to the final payment, you can also upgrade after the final payment, if for example a larger suite is available at a reasonable cost. I would only recommend NCL if you are in the Haven. The ships are mobbed and cabins and balconies very small, except the Haven cabins. The Haven is great, but very expensive. HAL isn't nearly as good a celebrity IMO and I have been advised has an older crowd.

The Reflection is a wonderful ship. I think you will enjoy it. Enjoy!

All this talk of price reductions and swapping cabins makes me so envious ! We in the UK are stuck with what we book and the accompanying price unless we cancel and forfeit our deposit. I am seriously thinking of taking a chance on using a US TA next time, even with pound / dollar fluctuations.

Quite agree we missed out on the buy one get one half price offer last august, as waiting for holiday dates to be authorised through work, now hoping they bring it back in march, its trying to get the best deal, as once booked that's it .

We like to book as early as possible. And the next few months, more cruises will be added to the site.

Get the room you want, then keep an eye out.

As someone said earlier, price drops are rarer now. Most of the time, the cheapest price is the earliest you can book. Sometimes, the price will drop after final payment, but if you're already booked, you may only upgrade to a higher category. Sometimes, not even that. I wanted to upgrade to a S2, but my TA told me that was for new bookings only.

Price and perks often are only open to new bookings on Celebrity.

If you don't have a future booking, suite rooms will insist on double deposits. The site said $25 deposit, but the fine print said suites excluded. For a recent booking, that mean $900 per person. But at least, that's $900 I don't have to pay later.

I wish they'd just drop all that perk nonsense and let us book at a lower fare.

Be sure to make sure your room isn't irregular (on the small side). One of the booking people on Century stuck us in a small balcony that was too small to use except for photography.

Wow! Thank you to everyone who took the time to offer advice and share their experiences. At times, this forum can seem like a place where people mostly like to complain about one thing or another, but the way this community responds when someone asks for help is a great antidote to that negativity. All of the thoughtful comments you offered me are a true reflection of what makes this a great community. :D

I'm happy to say that due to your unanimous encouragement, I have booked cabin 8228 on Reflection for her 4/27/2018 sailing! :)

I feel that the price was reasonable and while =X= isn't currently offering any perks, the TA did offer a small add-on incentive. I now have a full year before final payment to watch this cruise like a hawk and jump on any price drops or promotions. :D My TA is from a large "membership organization" that doesn't work on commission or charge any fees for anything, which is very reassuring. They said that they'll work with me and =X= to apply any future promotions, including rebookings or other tricks to get the best future deal possible.

I'll also see what the onboard specials are like when I'm on Constellation in May. It sounds like I can double book if necessary and reconcile this when I get back or just take a "future cruise" promo and cancel and rebook with it.

I do wish =X= could make this all a bit easier on us, rather than have these shifting sands of promos and tricks. Once you understand how to play the game, however, it does get easier. :rolleyes: