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But our friends tell us stories of getting an amazing deal two months before sailing, and we're intrigued by the various last minute specials advertised by cruise sellers. We want a handy formula for determining that sweet spot when cruise fares are at their lowest. Visit Caribbean destinations like St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas. Snorkel, go on dolphin tours, visit a cocoa farm, or hike Caribbean mountains like the Pitons in St. Lucia.Caribbean cruises sail year-round. You need less lead time to book your preferred travel dates and cruise line for the Caribbean; the supply can keep up with the demand.
Why You Should Book Your Next Cruise on a Thursday - Travel + Leisure
Why You Should Book Your Next Cruise on a Thursday.
Posted: Thu, 18 Aug 2016 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Why you should avoid booking last minute cruises
High season is when you'll find the most cruise options, highest prices, most crowded ships and best weather. The shoulder season coincides with moderate demand and relatively nice weather, and fares will be lower. Low season is the cheapest season -- and least busy -- but may mean sacrifices in what you can see and possible cancellations due to weather.
When to Book Christmas and New Year’s Ocean Cruises
The mega ships are always primed to be the best first choice for families, whether Norwegian’s 4,200-passenger Escape or the newest Oasis class of ships beginning with the new Wonder of the Seas. Their emphasis is on activities like adrenaline-rushing water slides, surf simulators, and three-tiered race tracks. In some ports like Barcelona or Venice, it is easy to venture off on your own without an excursion. Others, however, may require longer drives or special access passes making excursions a safer bet. There are several websites with exhaustive cruise deck plan maps that offer advice and user-generated feedback, almost like a sea-going counterpart to SeatGuru’s airline seat maps.
What About Waiting For Sales to Book/Sail?
Planning a cruise vacation involves many decisions, one of the most important being when to book your cruise. The best time to book a cruise depends on several factors, including when you want to travel, the destination, and the type of cruise ship and cabin you desire. Generally speaking, the earlier you book, the better selection and prices you will find. However, there are certain times of year when cruise lines offer sales and last-minute deals that could score you a bargain.
You want the cheapest possible price and don't mind being flexible about your cruise ship and itinerary. This strategy is best for cruisers who live close to a homeport and don't have to rely on last-minute airfare. Generally speaking, the best prices for a cruise are when a new sailing is put on sale and all the cabins are open to book. Inventory is at its highest, and prices only go up as rooms get booked.
These Are the Best Times to Book a Cruise for Deals, Optimal Rooms, and More
Your best bet is to always book as far in advance as possible, you could try for a last-minute booking instead. While it might be cold in North America, the weather stays fairly consistent in the Caribbean. For instance, the average high temperature for Cozumel is about 84 degrees in January and 91 degrees during the peak of August. Back in 1844, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) offered the world’s first leisure cruise, taking passengers from Southampton to Gibraltar, Athens or Malta.
Some travelers actually book cruises that have at least one or two sea days, especially if it’s a larger ship with loads of amenities like water parks, race car tracks, zip lining, and multiple shows. If you're looking to leverage new cruise deals, the best way to book a cruise is by starting early since prices continue to be robust. People haven’t traveled for a year or more, so they’re spending more money on the trips they’re going on—upgrading to a nicer suite, perhaps,” says Spencer Brown. This could make it harder to secure the cabin you want on the sailing you want. A week or so is the sweet spot for most first-time cruisers, which will offer three to six ports. Three-day sampler itineraries won’t allow you to explore more than one or two destinations, and you can’t decompress as thoroughly, either.
From our findings, here are the top cruise booking sites for your next vacation, plus the pros and cons they offer travelers. The kids are out of school, spirits are high, and the weather is just right. Unlike a traditional hotel that you can wait to pay for upon arrival, cruise lines get some of your money the second you place your deposit. Plus, your payment will be due in full weeks before you actually lay eyes on your ship.
While there are exceptions and times when a promotion seems lucrative, the best time to book a cruise is when you see a price that fits in your budget and and seems like a good price. If you think it's a good deal, go ahead and pull the trigger on booking it. If you book well in advance (usually 90+ days), you can usually get some sort of price guarantee included with your fare. Book a fare, and if you see it drop later, you can call the cruise line and get the price difference either refunded or get the difference back as onboard credit.
This means there is little penalty to reserving as early as possible. Thankfully, all well-known cruise lines have ships that sail there; some even have their own islands, like Disney Cruise Line’s Castaway Cay or Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay. The scarcer the cruise, the further out you need to book -- and that can apply to sailings on brand-new cruise ships, too. But you might not even need to pay out-of-pocket for trip insurance because many credit cards offer travel insurance as a built-in benefit to customers who pay for travel expenses on that card. If you're worried your trip plans being disrupted by bad weather or a change of plans, travel insurance might help. This optional standalone insurance can be purchased separately from your cruise bookings.
Booking a cruise just days before sailing should only be attempted by travelers within an easy drive of the cruise port. You should also make sure that you have time to get any necessary documentation, as well as make related travel plans. Within a given cruise sale's promotional period, I've seen cabin prices fluctuate daily and I've seen them stay the same for a week.
So, if they book far enough in advance, they will have the best opportunity to choose a cabin which suits them rather than a cabin which is the pick of the left-overs. Cruise lines tend to be very flexible in their approach to early depositing. In my business, I often plainly tell clients to book when they think they want an itinerary, as soon as possible, the earlier in advance, the better. As long as there are clear terms regarding any penalty period, time is on their side. May in Bermuda is your best bet for shoulder season travel if you're after discounts and the highest likelihood for sunny skies and warm temperatures.
Knowing when to book that dream cruise vacation quite often depends on the destination you want to sail to, and cruise experience you're after. Travelers can filter search results by destination, cruise line or departure port on various ships. This site offers cruises for every type of traveler, from budget to luxury, and every type of ship, from riverboats to mega-ships. While booking early or traveling during the fall are fantastic ways to save on your cruise vacation, FunPoints® help your budget too! The fun starts with your very first purchase, where you can earn bonus FunPoints, which can be redeemed for a statement credit. Royal Caribbean Blog posted a poll on their Instagram asking their followers how early in advance they like to book their cruises, with the most common response (47%) being 6-12 months prior.
If you want a particular cabin on the ship, sail on a popular theme cruise or are using airline miles for the flights, then you may need to book early to ensure your needs are met. For destinations like Alaska, pre/post hotels are tight in Seattle so booking early is encouraged. Then you’ll have to repeat that feat to get the best deal on cruises, with 5 am being the ideal time to get the best deal. Whereas Australian and South American cruises are the best during the winter holidays where the sun is good and warm.
