Best time to start planning a cruise

[CruisingSince2012]

After missing out on balcony cabins for my Alaska cruise I decided next time I'll book it ASAP. Should I start planning before itineraries are available to pick one as soon as they go on sale or wait until they are posted online, then plan ports?

[Essiesmom]

Without knowing why you missed out on balconies, we can't give you suggestions. Did you wait too long to book, hoping prices would fall? Did you want a particular cabin or category and it sold out? Were you looking at a last minute cruise? EM

[CruiserBruce]

Unless the route you seek is an unique one- one that is rare, it is very easy to start researching for future cruises. For example, we are starting to think about a March 2017 Caribbean. Those schedules aren't out yet, but we can get some ideas looking at March 2016.

 

Booking early isn't usually a problem, as most cruise lines will give you a new, lower price, if it comes prior to final payment. There are some people who have great flexibility ( with travel, routes, level and location of cabins) who rarely book until after final payment, when sometimes, great bargains can be found. But if you aren't near the port, and have to fly, last minute airfares can eat up cruise fare savings.

 

Look around- this topic is discussed frequently.

[AquaAdventurer]

CruiserBruce makes an excellent and noteworthy point: "Booking early isn't usually a problem, as most cruise lines will give you a new, lower price, if it comes prior to final payment."

 

We've used several strategies. Booking early while watching fluctuating prices (and using CruiserBruce's advice), and taking a gamble, watching the prices on a couple of cabin categories, until after final payment - and then jumping. You can also put a fully refundable deposit on a cruise or two and then finally decide.

[paul929207]

I am constantly planning our next cruises. I kid that I have a full time job. I am the CPO (chief planning officer) for Paul & Jeannie's Retirement Travels. I usually have between 3 and 6 cruises in various stages of planning. Most are booked soon after the schedule comes out.

[zqvol]

Alaska is really the only place to book real early, unless you must have a specific cabin. With most cruises, excluding Alaska you can get a balcony six months out. With Alaska 9 months should be fine.

 

We often book 2-3 months out and never have issues getting the cabin we are happy with.

[paul929207]

Alaska is really the only place to book real early, unless you must have a specific cabin. With most cruises, excluding Alaska you can get a balcony six months out. With Alaska 9 months should be fine.

 

We often book 2-3 months out and never have issues getting the cabin we are happy with.

It depends on the cruise. We did a b2b2b around South America in 2013. It was sold out by June 2011.

[chipmaster]

After missing out on balcony cabins for my Alaska cruise I decided next time I'll book it ASAP. Should I start planning before itineraries are available to pick one as soon as they go on sale or wait until they are posted online, then plan ports?

 

Earlier is better for the best selection of cabins ( some believe that is balcony ), others like me many a time wait to loong and miss out on the quad cabins inside.

 

IMHO even if you don't get a balcony an Alaskan cruise is still very enjoyable!

[GUT2407]

I am constantly planning our next cruises. I kid that I have a full time job. I am the CPO (chief planning officer) for Paul & Jeannie's Retirement Travels. I usually have between 3 and 6 cruises in various stages of planning. Most are booked soon after the schedule comes out.

 

 

I'm the same constantly planning, some don't come off:( [like the Circle Pacific] some do like the circumnavigation Aus and NZ].:D:D:D

[CruisingSince2012]

Without knowing why you missed out on balconies, we can't give you suggestions. Did you wait too long to book, hoping prices would fall? Did you want a particular cabin or category and it sold out? Were you looking at a last minute cruise?

 

They were sold out by the time I decided to take a cruise.

[springfire]

Plan early and plan often!

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have booked many of our cruises 2 years in advance just to get the cabin we want.

[maywell]

I usually book at least 9 months or more for my schedule trips to 1) make payment easy without doing a mad dash (I love that cruises are a version of layaway payment,lol); 2) lock in a cheap fare, 3) get a room that I want which is in limited quantities depending on the cruise line / ship 4) figure out what to do on my birthday if it falls on port day or sea day (one should celebrate theirs at bare minimum with favorite beverage in hand :D)

[thinfool]

They were sold out by the time I decided to take a cruise.

 

I liked the comment that you can receive a full refund of your deposit up until final payment date (non-refundable deposits excepted). So you can book a cruise/cabin that you "might" like to take with a deposit, and then make up your mind, for sure, before final payment.

 

Many do this, and there are always cancellations, which is why sold out categories often (miraculously) have cabins available after final payment date.

[kelkel2]

This depends on a lot. What cruise line are you cruising with? Is there any possibility that you are going to have to cancel? Carnival offers their Early Saver rate to those who book early allowing you to price match. The only catch to that is that if you cancel you lose your deposit.

For us this works really well. We like to book our cruise 8-12 months out because we like to pick our balcony, which is usually an aft extended balcony which sell out quickly. We know once we decide to cruise we aren't going to cancel and if we for some reason we had to Carnival could hold our deposit for a future cruise.

That's really what I prefer to do. Then I have plenty of time to pay for it and decide where we want to stay. Also, then I have plenty of time to find flights too. This has really worked well for us.

[CruisingSince2012]

This depends on a lot. What cruise line are you cruising with? Is there any possibility that you are going to have to cancel? Carnival offers their Early Saver rate to those who book early allowing you to price match. The only catch to that is that if you cancel you lose your deposit.

For us this works really well. We like to book our cruise 8-12 months out because we like to pick our balcony, which is usually an aft extended balcony which sell out quickly. We know once we decide to cruise we aren't going to cancel and if we for some reason we had to Carnival could hold our deposit for a future cruise.

 

That's really what I prefer to do. Then I have plenty of time to pay for it and decide where we want to stay. Also, then I have plenty of time to find flights too. This has really worked well for us.

 

This cruise is on HAL - my first with the line.

 

Of course for my Western Mediterranean cruise, I want to book ASAP.

[Velvetwater]

I guess it depends on the type of person you are and your location.

 

We are cruising in late July/August but have not booked yet......we have many ooo cruise choices but at the same time I have had to pay for house things that has eaten into our budget so we now need a bargain...even if its a last minute one.

[navybankerteacher]

To the extent you can take advantage of price reductions which come in before final payment date, it makes sense to book as early as you find the cabin you want at a price you can live with: secure the cabin and protect yourself against price increases. Additionally, related arrangements, such as air, hotels, etc. are generally better made well in advance --- especially if you plan to use frequent flier miles for the flight -- which becomes increasingly impossible as the time shortens.

[CruisingSince2012]

Velvet, how did you make your cruise ticker a Mediterranean map? I did not see anything like that when I made mine from the same website.