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Topic: Best time to book

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 02-04-2000 12:04 PM

A quick question, is it better to
book a cruise 6 months ahead?

Posts: 2554 | From: Florida, USA, Where the Legend SS NORWAY sailed from. Moving back to FL next yr. | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

Ascendancy
First Class Passenger
Member # 840

posted 02-04-2000 02:45 PM

I say the earlier, the better. I like to pick the exact room I want vs getting what's left over. We also saved about $150 on our next cruise for booking early. Cruise and airfare has been on the steady climb. The sooner you make up your mind as to what you want, go for it. We book at least 10 months in advance. If you don't care if your room is below a bar or above the engines, then book late and ask for "The run of the ship."

Posts: 354 | From: Aurora, CO | Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 02-04-2000 07:10 PM

Dambrosi: We can't plan that far ahead. We usually decide about a month or two ahead or when we get tired of plowing snow then check out who has a good deal where we want to go. However, I believe that most Cruize lines use the same criterea in that they upgrade the early bookers. So if you do not care what exact room you get but want a certain catagory then book a catagory guarantee. You get your room number when they meet and greet you usually or at check in. In the past we have booked a guarantee and gotten upgraded on every cruize (#11). We also go to the info desk at embarkation and ask what is left that is better. Sometimes we move up even more for no charge or we have paid as little as 27.00 per to move up even more! We leave next week (#12) and for the first time we have booked the run of the ship outside so we will see how this works.
Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

nathan
First Class Passenger
Member # 720

posted 02-04-2000 09:50 PM

I have to disagree. The later you can book, the better. I just booked the room I wanted on Carnival Triumph for May 6, and saved almost $1,000 per person. Likewise, I booked a cruise on the Norway for January of last year in December, and saved about $600 per person. The only time that I haven't really saved much by booking late was on the QE2, but I suspect that has more to do with the popularity of that ship.

Posts: 534 | From: Knoxville, Tennessee | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 02-05-2000 06:42 AM

Hi...a lot depends on what sort of cruising you do. If it's the 7 day run-of-the-mill Caribbean thing, and you're not fussy about where and what sort of cabin, then booking later probably has the advantage.
However, if you are doing the "exotics" then it's totally different. We've been on 'standby' 15 months before and not made it. Our next one has been sold out for months. And with a lot of these sort of trips the cabin position becomes very important, so there again the good ones go early. We book very close to when they open, but then we have the flexibility to be able to go when we want, and always do lots of research first.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

gizmo
First Class Passenger
Member # 972

posted 02-06-2000 10:34 AM

I book at least 10 months ahead. My husband and I like to select the cabin, get our own air, and select the date. I contact a lot of travel agents, local and internet, and go with the best price.

Posts: 686 | From: Kennesaw Ga. (origianlly from Philly) | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

Mary Ann
First Class Passenger
Member # 317

posted 02-07-2000 02:32 PM

I have a question about the "guarantee" rate talked about here. The HAL brochure I looked at had an inside or outside guarantee that was higher than any of the early savings rates for inside or outside. In fact, most of the outside rooms are cheaper on early savings than the inside guarantee rate. Is this only a "good deal" if you're booking at the last minute??? In which case, booking early is clearly the best "brochure" rate?

Posts: 32 | From: Texas, USA | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 02-07-2000 08:23 PM

Mary Ann;
Well; That is a good question! As I stated we do not plan very far ahead so I would not know. I can only say that doing the guarantee the way we have you know the lowest cat.room you will get and usually get moved up as they keep selling the lower priced rooms. I would not go by the book as I believe very few pay that price call the costumer service # on the book. We have booked our last three direct (hal,ncl, costa) We will be watching to see the answers to your question. May have to pull the big gun's in (Joe)

Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 02-09-2000 03:53 PM

The Cruise lines must love you, not only did they make the sale they also got to keep the commission.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 02-09-2000 04:26 PM

Just curious, is it they got to keep it or a travel agent did not get any of it!

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 02-09-2000 06:07 PM

If you booked direct with the Cruise Line without going through a Travel Agent the cruise line didn't have to pay out any commission. If you booked ie RCI while on one of their cruises or if you booked direct and you had an agent and you gave their name the cruise line would credit the Travel Agent. In that case the Agent would be responsible for invoicing you and for receiving your tickets on your behalf, checking them and handing them over to you.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

VOYAGER
First Class Passenger
Member # 1016

posted 02-16-2000 01:53 AM

As far as RCI goes, I know that best rates depend on many variables. If you want to plan a cruise in advance and book early---the best prices are usually available August into October(depending on itinerary).Just like a hotel, cruise ships have seasonable prices as well. Alot depends on how well a particular cruise is selling. If you booked a cruise 6 months or more out, there are times you could call back(closer to the cruise date) and the price will have dropped because they are not booking as well as anticipated. However, if you get closer to the sailing date and that cruise is in hot demand, the price may have gone up. I would say that booking early is best because you can choose a cabin you like at a good price. And if you call back and the price has dropped, the cruise line will go ahead and honor the lower price(I have even seen this happen AFTER the docs have been sent).

Posts: 24 | From: Wichita KS | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

10X
First Class Passenger
Member # 2

posted 02-16-2000 08:17 AM

I have always booked 11-13 months in advance. I like being able to select my cabin and my travel agent watches for lower rates that become available. We just returned from Encantment of the Seas, which we booked while on board the Rhapsody of the Seas last year. (My travel agent received credit for the sale) However, at 12 months in advance, we could not get the cabin we wanted because it was already sold. If your picky about your cabin, book well in advance and have a good travel agent to watch over things for you.

Posts: 51 | From: Lansing, MI USA | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

Mercy
First Class Passenger
Member # 322

posted 02-16-2000 10:29 AM

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER pay the rates in the brochure. Not even the early booking rates!!!! We just booked our Jan.2001 cruise. We paid $1200. each for an outside panoramic window, on Celebrity's Millennium I. The brochure rate for early booking in Cat 4 is $1649. each. We did get one upgrade because we are Captain's Club members and my travel agent got us the rest of the discount.We also have a price guarantee. If the price goes down before the cruise, we will be reimbersed for the difference. We have also taken a two week notice, last minute cruise. If you are flexable about destination and the ship, you can keep your eyes open for last minute specials.

Posts: 697 | From: Stanwood, Wa. USA | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Jelllybean
First Class Passenger
Member # 992

posted 02-16-2000 01:09 PM

Voyager, How do one go about finding the prices' up or down when close to sail date?
Thru Travel agent? or the Cruise line?

Posts: 20 | From: Toronto, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

jwine
First Class Passenger
Member # 634

posted 02-16-2000 07:21 PM

We have normally booked at least 6 months in advance (just returned from cruise 22), our travel agent always watches the rates and if it goes down we get the lower price, that is why we like dealing with a travel agent rather than on the internet to book. We've gotten money back the week before sailing already.

Posts: 223 | From: Cincinnati, OH USA | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

VOYAGER
First Class Passenger
Member # 1016

posted 02-17-2000 12:45 AM

Jelllybean...if you already have something booked, you may be able to call the cruise line directly(if they accept direct callers) and act like you are "shopping" for prices on that date. Ask about your particular category and if there are any specials---ie: resident rates, run of ship, etc. If there are, you can always call your travel agent and tell him/her the lower rate you were quoted by the cruiseline. The travel agent will then call and have the booking switched to the lower rate. You can also have your travel agent call periodically to see if any lower rates become available as you get closer to sailing. Hope that helps!

Posts: 24 | From: Wichita KS | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Jelllybean
First Class Passenger
Member # 992

posted 02-18-2000 12:48 PM

Voyager, Thank you for your advise.

I will call my travel agent.

Posts: 20 | From: Toronto, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

CruiseHappy
Just Boarded
Member # 1209

posted 04-02-2000 10:07 PM

Have very much enjoyed reading all the comments from this site for several months now and would like to contribute. We’ve only been on one cruise - four day out of San Pedro, CA on Royal Caribbean. That’s all it took-- I’m hooked.

We booked a cruise in January for a September, 2000 sailing on Carnival. One of the advantages of booking a Carnival cruise is that their website has “real-time” quotes. We booked through a local travel
agent and received a two category upgrade. The price we paid and the price shown on the Carnival site were the same. (We had called other TAs but they only offered one category upgrade). Our travel agent also has a national website where we registered to receive e-mails about specials on cruises. Low and behold about five weeks after booking we received an e-mail about a special rate on our cruise. The price on our original category level, before the upgrade, had dropped by $100 per person. We called our travel agent and two days later received an updated invoice reflecting the decrease in price. I still periodically check out the Carnival site to see what’s new and review the prices.

Does anyone know of any other cruise line that offers on-line real-time price quotes?

[This message has been edited by CruiseHappy (edited 04-03-2000).]

Posts: 6 | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

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