Jump to content

Early booking rates


wilderness1
 Share

Recommended Posts

it is a personal choice

if you do not care what cabin you will get then wait

if you want to do that cruise you may want to keep an eye on if it is selling well or it could be sold out by the time you decide

if you have to fly the to port the airfare may be higher if you wait too long so any saving in the cruise fare will be eaten up by the higher airfare

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it is a personal choice

if you do not care what cabin you will get then wait

if you want to do that cruise you may want to keep an eye on if it is selling well or it could be sold out by the time you decide

if you have to fly the to port the airfare may be higher if you wait too long so any saving in the cruise fare will be eaten up by the higher airfare

 

Good advice.

Additionally, if you book now and the price goes down before you make your final payment, you should be able to get the new lower price. My TA is always checking for any any price reduction on my 9/2018 and 2/2019 cruises since final payments are not due for a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I prefer booking as soon as the cruise dates and itineraries are released. I usually have booked anywhere from 18-24 months in advance. To me the best price is the first price, of course it is a gamble, but has held pretty well for me. additionally, I'm not willing to take 'any old cabin'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I disagree on waiting , I would book ASAP , but keep on looking at fare, I booked a oasis grand suite for November 2018 a year ago, price kept going down every time it went down I called and got new price, many times it just went up and we were locked into our price

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some cruise lines have different rates and conditions based deposits/payments. Make sure you fully understand the terms you are booking under. Do not assume anything, check the written stuff carefully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good advice and I will add that if it is a big cruise you should book it early. A Caribbean cruise to me is not a big deal, but a trip to Europe is. If you wait, the price may go down, but you will pay more for flights and hotels. You will also be scrambling with the planning on what sites to see and tours to take.

 

Part of traveling is enjoying the planning process.

 

On my next transatlantic, the price never went lower than it was in the first month of its posting. The only available cabins were guarantee/sail away cabins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The cruise I want is May 2019. Do I book or now or wait until it gets closer. It seems the cruises coming up in the next couple of months have great prices. Am I paying higher rates to book so far ahead?

 

Most cruise lines will adjust your fare without penalty up until the due date for the final payment. There is usually no harm in booking early, just make sure that you know the policy on your cruise line.

 

BTW air fare is usually best between 60 and 75 days out, not when airfares first come out. The only time it is wise to book air early is if you are using miles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just booked a Viking Ocean cruise, Tokyo to Hong Kong. This cruise sail on Sept 6,2019. That is not considered early for a Viking cruise as the book very quickly and all the better cabins go early. My TA is keeping a heads up for me in case of reductions which I am not counting on as there won't be incentive for Viking to reduce it's rate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...