When to book Transatlantic

[LynnTTT]

We want a transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Ft Lauderdale or Miami in late October or maybe very early November We are looking at various websites. A category of cabin will disappear from one website . Then another ,.. Then it reappears.

We've been told to book now, that the cruises fill up.

However, a transatlantic (same ships) going to Europe in April seems to have lots of availability even now, just 6-8 weeks from sailing.

So why would I believe that the October fares won't drop substantially in the summer. For example, right now the Celebrity, Princess and Holland transatlantics are still expensive. But the April prices right now are pretty good.

So? Book now or wait?

[miztressuz]

from my bit of research the April transatlantics are not as popular

 

1. you are losing hours as you cross west to east in April rather than gaining them on the reverse trip.

 

2. a lot of americans booking would rather do a long flight to the destination and take a leisurely cruise back rather than having to do a long flight after a relaxing vaca.

 

3. my recollection is fuzzy on this one but I believe the weather is not as nice on the crossing in April, sea is a little chiller than in oct (although i'd think Nov would be about the same).

 

we did the NCL Epic crossing in Oct 2013 from europe to miami and it was a full ship, sold out before PIF, after PIF only limited categories available, and once on the ship they said we had ~4100 passengers for the crossing. we did the Rome to Miami rather than embarking in Barcelona so our particular itinerary had less availability than just the crossing one, but I don't recall any price drops of any significance after booking 13 months out for either one.

 

if you for sure want to go, doesn't hurt to book now with the deposit (unless you're looking to book a category with penalties) and just see how it goes. if it looks like plenty of availability you could always cancel before PIF/penalty phase and take your chances on a price drop. but if it goes the other way, at least you'll have reserved your cabin.

[Markanddonna]

All valid comments by the last poster. One thing to consider is that while you may lose an hour a day, over 14 days that really doesn't amount to much. Going on an eastbound, spring sailing also lets your body adjust very gradually allowing you to feel rested rather than needing to deal with the jet lag. You can tour each European port feeling rested. Of course, you will deal with the jet lag when you return to the US.

 

Another consideration is the amount of daylight. In the fall, dark comes quite early giving you fewer hours for touring. April/early May gives more hours of light.

 

I think it is a toss up. I am going to plan my next TA after the final payment is due. There are many cabins still open on the sailings for this spring and I was surprised to see that the airfares haven't exploded either. We have done our "European bucket list", so I can be much more flexible next trip.