Book early or wait for a bargain?

[Diamondring]

We've been on two previous Princess cruises. It's worked out well for us to book early, as we got bumped up to a better balcony room. This time we are traveling with a couple that likes to wait until the last minute and get a 'bargain'. I'm not especially comfortable with that plan as balcony rooms will likely be gone quickly. They are happy with any inside room as long as they get on the ship.

Does anyone know, at what point it is risky to wait longer to book? Is there such a thing as a bargain if you wait to book last minute? Seems like last minute airfare might be more expensive. We are looking at January '08, on the Island Princess.

Thanks for any advice.

[chasetf]

We've been on two previous Princess cruises. It's worked out well for us to book early, as we got bumped up to a better balcony room. This time we are traveling with a couple that likes to wait until the last minute and get a 'bargain'. I'm not especially comfortable with that plan as balcony rooms will likely be gone quickly. They are happy with any inside room as long as they get on the ship.

Does anyone know, at what point it is risky to wait longer to book? Is there such a thing as a bargain if you wait to book last minute? Seems like last minute airfare might be more expensive. We are looking at January '08, on the Island Princess.

Thanks for any advice.

I agree..... whatever you save on the reduced fare will probably be eaten up the the increase airfare. You will not have a chance to shop for an airfare bargain. And as you mention, all the last minute specials we have been getting lately have been for insides almost exclusively.

 

Waiting for the price drop also depends on what cruise you are looking at. Some areas / dates will not have last minute bargains because they fill up. Your Island cruise might be worth taking the chance, but that trip (warmer weather) will probably not have balconies available late on.

 

You could always book yours, get what you want, and let your friends find out later if they get to go along. ;)

[janetz]

We've been on two previous Princess cruises. It's worked out well for us to book early, as we got bumped up to a better balcony room. This time we are traveling with a couple that likes to wait until the last minute and get a 'bargain'. I'm not especially comfortable with that plan as balcony rooms will likely be gone quickly. They are happy with any inside room as long as they get on the ship.

Does anyone know, at what point it is risky to wait longer to book? Is there such a thing as a bargain if you wait to book last minute? Seems like last minute airfare might be more expensive. We are looking at January '08, on the Island Princess.

Thanks for any advice.

 

 

I would, if I were you, book early and get your balcony. You are right in thinking they may be all gone. Let your friends go ahead and wait to book later. :)

[margord]

I would, if I were you, book early and get your balcony. You are right in thinking they may be all gone. Let your friends go ahead and wait to book later. :)

 

After all, you can always cancel.

[BigGuy25]

If you want a specific type room, on a specific cruise line, on a specific ship, on a specific sailing date ... then booking early is often your best bet. If you are more flexible, you can find great deals closer to sailing dates on several of the reputable on-line cruise travel sites. You'll need to pick from itineraries avaialble ... but there is often a wide selection. We always book our cruises early to be safe. Our friends always book theirs later (not the same sailing) and always save a lot of money.

[Toto2Kansas]

We just booked the Caribbean Princess for August, about three weeks before final payment. I did so because I figured I could save the extra on airfare instead of waiting.

 

WRONG. I should have waited. Airfare (to my shock) has dropped (something I never expected with todays fuel prices) and I could have waited until after final payment on the cruise and probably gotten a better price.

 

SO, sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

[Jstringers]

I've gone both ways ...I start looking early and book when I feel the price is right ...looking at prices of the same cruise in the past.

 

I've also not been afraid to book airfare before I've booked the cruise.

[Pam in CA]

I usually book early and almost always, the cruise fares have gone up and I've gotten a "bargain." Plus, I have the cabin I want. :) Most of the time, I include Princess air in my booking and then look for better air on my own. Sometimes I find it, sometimes Princess is better.

[jacksan1]

If you are truly flexible, meaning basically that the only thing that matters to you is that you go on a cruise, and the ship, cabin type, date, etc. are secondary, then you can often catch a wonderful bargain by waiting until the last minute. Airfares might be high, but on the net basis, you may well come out ahead.

 

But if you are not flexible about any of those things, that you HAVE to have your cruise in a certain way, then the last-minute thing is probably not a good idea.

 

If you compare the sheer dollar amount, I think that the last minute deals virtually always win. But if you compare the total package...well, that's up to you to decide.

[1827cruise]

We booked in mid February for a November cruise( BA balcony cabin), I just checked this week and the price has gone up $120.00 per person so I'm very glad that we went ahead and booked. Another poster said they go ahead and book Princess air and change to their own later. We did the samr thing, booked Princess air and just this week cancelled it and booked our own, saving almost $100.00 per person, as well as being able to pick our flights and seats.:)

[Seven_Of_Nine]

I agree with booking early if you have any kind of preference. I booked almost a year in advance and got an amazing deal but I was certain of the ship, cruise and cabin I wanted.

[Diamondring]

Your comments have all been helpful. I think it best if we go ahead and book. I'd not like to wait too long on a Panama Canal cruise and not get a balcony. Now I may try to convince our friends to do likewise. It would be a shame to plan and then not have them going too. They can use a travel agent that will watch the discounts until the final payment, right? Thanks again......

[cactusrose]

We just booked the Caribbean Princess for August, about three weeks before final payment. I did so because I figured I could save the extra on airfare instead of waiting.

 

WRONG. I should have waited. Airfare (to my shock) has dropped (something I never expected with todays fuel prices) and I could have waited until after final payment on the cruise and probably gotten a better price.

 

SO, sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

ToTo. . . Check the fare rules or call the airline. Some airlines have a little known policy of giving you the reduced fare even on nonrefundable fares. They may charge you a fee for a cash refund but usually don't if you just want a voucher for the difference that is good for a year. There are some restrictions of course but it's worth a look.

[Colo Cruiser]

I say book early and wait for a bargain. :D

[jacksan1]

Try Yapta (http://www.yapta.com/), which helps you track price changes on an airline booking you already have. It's pretty slick.

[janetz]

We are booking the Carribean Princess for next May from NY in two weeks at reduced deposit. :) The thing that is really bugging me is the price for an inside is more than we paid for a balcony from FLL. :rolleyes: I just can't do Carnival again.

[Cruisin from VA]

When booking, I usually ask my TA if they will compensate me if the cost of cabin goes down before I sail. For example, if I pay $1000 for a BA and two months later it drops to $950, will they give me that $50? Some say yes, others will not. Just be careful because some will cancel and rebook and charge you for that service. Just have it in writing and keep a close watch on the Princess website. At the very least you should receive OBC for the difference.

[margord]

We just booked the Caribbean Princess for August, about three weeks before final payment. I did so because I figured I could save the extra on airfare instead of waiting.

 

WRONG. I should have waited. Airfare (to my shock) has dropped (something I never expected with todays fuel prices) and I could have waited until after final payment on the cruise and probably gotten a better price.

 

SO, sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

Wow, who would have thought.

[1827cruise]

ToTo. . . Check the fare rules or call the airline. Some airlines have a little known policy of giving you the reduced fare even on nonrefundable fares. They may charge you a fee for a cash refund but usually don't if you just want a voucher for the difference that is good for a year. There are some restrictions of course but it's worth a look.

 

We just did this today, our airfare dropped considerably( I had been tracking it on yapta.com), called our TA and she called USair. Even though our tickets were "nonrefundable and nontransferable" they are giving us vouchers of $158 per person to be used within a year. I thought that was a pretty good deal.:)

[jacksan1]

We just did this today, our airfare dropped considerably( I had been tracking it on yapta.com), called our TA and she called USair. Even though our tickets were "nonrefundable and nontransferable" they are giving us vouchers of $158 per person to be used within a year. I thought that was a pretty good deal.:)

 

Right on! :D

[janetz]

Excellent! USAIR is pretty good about that. When my daughters luggage was delayed by a day, both ways, we sent them a very nice email letting them know about it and she got two 100.00 vouchers in the mail. That was something we never expected! :)

[qiangf2]

I always book early AND wait for bargain. Before final payment, if you find a good deal, my travel agent is always willing to match the best deal I can find..