OhioTeacher227 Posted February 13, 2009 #1 Share Posted February 13, 2009 My sister and I (and are husbands) are looking at trying to plan a 35th anniversary cruise for my parents, probably for the spring/summer of 2010. We would need three cabins-one for each couple. How far in advance do we need to book in order to have three cabins in the same vicinity? They don't need to be connecting or anything like that, but it would be nice to have them on the same level/side of the ship. The problem is that between my sister and myself, one or both of us may have a new baby or be pregnant, so a cruise might not end up being the best choice for our family at that time. We might need to look at booking a different type of vacation. Any suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kf657 Posted February 13, 2009 #2 Share Posted February 13, 2009 When you want something special, as three adjoining cabins,etc. I would reserve ASAP. But, that is just me, I do not want to take a chance, especially if going on a school holiday break... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printingchick Posted February 13, 2009 #3 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I always books 6-12 months in advance, but I'm a compulsive planner. I used to worry that I was missing out on last-minute price drops. However, I got $200 bucks back on my recent RCCL cruise when the price dropped AFTER I'd already made the final payment. They still honored the lower price! So I don't really see any down-side to booking as early as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janan Posted February 13, 2009 #4 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Personally I book about a year in advance...you may want to book more like 9 mos out so your window for refund is appropriate for what you may need to do. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner22a Posted February 13, 2009 #5 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Knows what ship, what cabin and where we want to go on the next cruise to book for us. Because there are specific cabins that we always want depending on the ship she usually has us booked within hours of the cruise opening up. That normally means 15-18 months in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioTeacher227 Posted February 13, 2009 Author #6 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Thank you for your responses! So as someone who doesn't know much about cruising, what is the window to be able to cancel without penalty? (or without as much of a penalty) We would be looking at probably going on RCCL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted February 13, 2009 #7 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I always book when I decide what I want to do and that is usually 12 to 18 months in advance. That way you get the best choice of cabins. If prices go down, I can get the lower price. If they go up, I am not affected. If I have to cancel (never have), I get my deposit back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janan Posted February 13, 2009 #8 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Usually the window for refund is 60 -75 days depending on the cruise, but if youare going to use a TA she/he will be familiar with , how long you can go without incurring a penalty. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiserbryce Posted February 13, 2009 #9 Share Posted February 13, 2009 typically between 6 and 9 months. We have to arrange the time off in advance at work. It also gives plenty of time to plan and save Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted February 13, 2009 #10 Share Posted February 13, 2009 As soon as we decide to do it! You get the best selection of cabins the farther out you book. And, by booking waaaay in advance, you still have time to change/cancel if the need should arise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EGG Posted February 13, 2009 #11 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I don't want this to be a downer but the cruise line has restrictions on the number of weeks you can be pregnant and still allowed to cruise and also many of them will not take children under 6 months or 12 months depending on the itinerary. This is for your health and the health of the children because there are additional complications that the ships doctors cannot handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treven Posted February 13, 2009 #12 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I also book 12-18 months in advance; it just gives me that much extra time to pay off the cruise and my airline ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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