Best time to book a cruise?

[Fnigro07]

When is the best time to book a cruise. We want to go in April, but the prices are outrages now, when's the best time?

 

Thanks !!

[Clarea]

When is the best time to book a cruise. We want to go in April, but the prices are outrages now, when's the best time?

 

Thanks !!

No one can predict prices. However, if you book now, and prices go down before final payment date, Royal will usually grant you the lwoer price.

[Sail2k]

I tell my wife.....

 

Anytime is perfect to book a cruise.......

[Lionesss]

I always say, yesterday is a good time to book a cruise:D.

 

 

Sea Ya

[SSVacation]

We book early and often!:cool:

[3kids1dog]

We are booked on the Jewel for March. I booked during the FIRST bogoho sale in May. The price has changed a little, gone up then come back down to where I booked. If there is a specific cabin you want, I would book now and just watch the price before final payment, if you are flexible, I would probably wait until after final payment. I am a planner and we needed hotels and airline tickets so I book early. I also booked an Inside, so if the price drops after final payment, I have nowhere to go but UP:)

[jewel825]

I always go at the end of March or beginning of April during my kids spring break times. I book in the early fall and the prices have never gone down between when I booked and when we sailed but they have always gone up or remained the same as I've periodically checked pricing. I've also noticed that airfare prices have never dropped after I booked that either. It's just so spendy to go during that time. We get stuck because that's the only time that works for my family right now having kids in school.

 

I'd book early so you can get the cabin that you want. You do have some time to wait to book airfare if you need that. I still have to do that but that pricing is insane right now!

[ivanrocko]

When is the best time to book a cruise. We want to go in April, but the prices are outrages now, when's the best time?

 

Thanks !!

 

Try after the "WOW" sale is over. :eek:

[A&L_Ont]

I tell my wife.....

 

Anytime is perfect to book a cruise.......

 

Me too, and we did. Today.

[xcell]

Book now. Watch prices. Change if required. Repeat.

 

Don't be silly like me .. I'm a seasoned cruiser, not sure why I held out but what I saved on my flights I lost on not booking the cruise early. Lesson learned...The hard way.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

When is the best time to book a cruise. We want to go in April, but the prices are outrages now, when's the best time?

 

Thanks !!

 

I don't cruise on RCI a lot but the cruise we are going on in November was about $1700 at the final payment date. 2 days after the final payment date it was $899.

 

I don't know if this is typical of all RCI cruises but that was our experience.

 

Bill

[edjny]

When is the best time to book a cruise. We want to go in April, but the prices are outrages now, when's the best time?

 

Thanks !!

 

The best time to book a cruise is the day they announce the cruise schedule. Or at least within the next week or two. The reason is that you have the best choice of cabins and can lock in the lowest cabin rates you are likely to get. Occasionally, the prices will drop lower than what you booked for, so you just call in to get the lower rates.

[KeywestK]

Pricing is unpredictable. The best time to book a cruise is when you find the cruise that you want for a price you are comfortable with. Book it, then follow it. If prices go down (before final payment) you can have your invoice adjusted. If prices go up, then you're locked in and doing a happy dance. There are no magic formulas here;):)

[hellsop]

Pricing is unpredictable. The best time to book a cruise is when you find the cruise that you want for a price you are comfortable with.

 

With you up through here. Peace of mind is more important to me, so I stop looking at prices at this point.

[tinatark]

After Final payment! We traditionally cruise during spring break and the rates drop, drop... This past March we were @$299 pp for a 5 day on the Ruby Princess. Booked it EIGHT days before sailing.

 

Got 2 balconies next door to each other.

Edited October 7, 2014 by tinatark

[SPacificbound]

I book as soon as schedules are released, but April is only 6 months away so it is understandable that the prices are high.

 

At this point it is a crap shoot, prices could continue to go up if the ship is well booked, or start going down after the first of the year if it isn't.

[Fnigro07]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!. since this will be my 3rd cruise. How do i know what cabins are good cabins!.. stupid question?

[Desert Cruizers]

I book our cruises when they open the dates for the cruise we plan to go on, which in most cases is over a year out. Fnigro, depending on which type cabins you like, I book us Mid Ship usually 8th or 9 deck. Some prefer Aft cabins, others Mid ship, I will book cabins within 10 rooms forward of the center elevators. Unless I can get a center or near center hump ( Where ships bow out ) I won't book at the corner or next to a corner Hump.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Desert Cruizers

[chanat]

I usually book about 6 to 9 months out. If the price goes down I just call RC and consider changing rooms but more often than not it is not the type of room I want , or on an upper deck like we love , since we don't use the elevators often to save time and get some exercise plus most of our time is spent on the upper decks. We also do not want to be in forward cabin since the movement is felt more. I once got a room ,a couple months before the cruise , at a great rate but it was across from a place where the kept some of the utensils and dishes and our last night we heard them dropping things , putting dishes away etc. for hours and couldn't sleep. I now look for a door that is not labeled and not book anywhere close to it.

[KeywestK]

Thanks everyone for your feedback!. since this will be my 3rd cruise. How do i know what cabins are good cabins!.. stupid question?

 

No such thing as a stupid question:) Since you have already done 2 cruises, you probably know your general location preferences--mid-ship? aft? upper deck or lower deck? It's all personal preference. You can look at deck plans to get a general idea of what might be around the cabin you want to pick. Be mindful of what's above you. For example, is the Windjammer or pool deck above the cabin you want? If so, there could be noise at odd hours when the crew are cleaning/re-arranging chairs, etc. Also, be aware that spaces on the deck plans are not quite as close in reality as they are on paper. Ex. elevators are not right next to cabins.

[griffy116]

There are varying opinions on the ideal cabin. We prefer mid-ship balcony cabins that are close together (we book multiple cabins). For that reason, we book as early as possible (usually a year in advance). We lock in at a price we can deal with. If it goes up, we know it doesn't affect our price. If it goes down, we get a price adjustment. Making sure our cabin is on a floor with cabins above and below is VERY important. We don't want to be under the dining room, kitchen, disco, etc. We also make sure our balcony is not one of the cabins with an obstructed or partially obstructed view. We use a Travel Agent who specializes in cruises. He saves me the grief by taking care of these details for us..and we also get an OBC from him. That leaves me worry free to concentrate on the excursions, packing lists and transportation. We have to book during prime cruising season so we seldom see a drop in the price. Doesn't mean I don't still check to see if we can see a price drop.

[chester32]

When is the best time to book a cruise. We want to go in April, but the prices are outrages now, when's the best time?

 

Thanks !!

 

Some say early is best not sure about that here is how pricing has gone for upcoming cruise in Jan 2015 . These prices are for a D1 balcony on Radiance for 2 people,January 2014 $3700 February 2014 $7500 May 2014 $5200

September $4600, Current price $3250 with at least 5/6 Aft balcony's still available