How far in advance

[Ms. T]

Curious how far in advance have you booked a cruise and why so far in advance? I'm sure I'll want to book another cruise after leaving my first cruise, but so afraid something will prevent us from going at the last minute.

[vermonter16]

Gosh, I think I've booked maybe a year and a half out. That is because an agent friend would reserve groups of rooms for different sailings and if the price was right - then why not? And then we would pay a little bit a month and have the fare paid off 6 months before we sailed....generally.

[amysb]

Curious how far in advance have you booked a cruise and why so far in advance? I'm sure I'll want to book another cruise after leaving my first cruise, but too afraid something will prevent us from going at the last minute.

 

Generally, we book 6-18 months ahead. We have to plan our vacations well in advance due to DH's job. Nothing's ever prevented us from going, but check out trip insurance prices; some have "cancel for any reason" coverage.

 

One reason we book early is to get a stateroom we really want, as opposed to whatever's left at the last minute. We also usually book Early Saver rates, so if the price drops later, we get the price drop too, or an onboard credit (OBC) if it's past final payment.

[*Mach*]

Curious how far in advance have you booked a cruise and why so far in advance? I'm sure I'll want to book another cruise after leaving my first cruise, but so afraid something will prevent us from going at the last minute.

 

 

22 months out was my longest... We do a lot of group cruises and they require a fair bunch of planning and such to we need the time.

:)

[serene56]

I'm booked for february 2013. Ii book for low prices. Every cruise we booked this far out has sailed higher then we paid. Only 2 cruises ever came down in price

[shof515]

atleast 6-10 months in advance for me

[cruisinskier]

We booked our first cruise 2 weeks before we went. Since then we have booked most almost all of the others at least 12 months in advance...prices are typically better as is cabin selection. We are currently just over 12 months from our next cruise and anxiously awaiting Celebrity to release spring 2013 itineraries so we can book the Greek islands.....

[gadan1]

Longest..390 days (the upcoming 2012 B2B). I do it 1)to make sure I have the vacation days blocked off and can plan my work around it 2) lowest prices. So far, I've found that prices are lowest a year+ out and then tend to go up (my 2012B2B are an average of $100pp higher than what I paid); i book early saver so i'm guaranteed i'm paying the lowest price. I also get travel insurance that at least includes a "cancel for work reasons" provision.

[MikeM]

We book about 18 ms out if we can. We book only wraps and the price seems to be a little better. Cabin choice is what we are looking for.

[katisdale]

I am handicapped and must have an accessible cabin. I book as soon after the cruise opens as possible. There are limited numbers of accessible cabins.

[foxesden1]

I'm booked for february 2013. Ii book for low prices. Every cruise we booked this far out has sailed higher then we paid. Only 2 cruises ever came down in price

 

Ditto

[isaiahsnana]

We planned that one to coincide with my son's college graduation and wanted that specific route (only available once a month out of Galveston). Others we have taken were planned for about a year out.

[dchoney]

Curious how far in advance have you booked a cruise and why so far in advance? I'm sure I'll want to book another cruise after leaving my first cruise, but so afraid something will prevent us from going at the last minute.

 

I have already booked our July 2012 Eastern Caribbean Cruise. Wanted July 9th but the Ocean Views were already sold out. So, I went with the next week and ook all of the 2 person Ocean View Cabins left! Very excited our group got the cabins we wanted.

[ready2cruzagain]

530 days in advance. The cruise was just opened up for booking and it was exact itinerary that we wanted also at a great price. We usually book early saver but due to it being so far in advance we booked this cruise at a refundable rate.

[Bobba22]

hi all!

i'm just waiting for the june 2013 "breeze" schedule to be released! Dw and i celebrate our 40th anniv. On june 1,2013 and will be on the breeze to celebrate. "woohooooo"

later

bob :)

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

WE always book ASAP

[sonicbuffalo]

we have pretty much booked a year or so out....This year it was 13 months. We like the early saver so we can get out choice of cabins. 2nd year in a row for having the aft cabins.

[firefly333]

I tend to book pretty far out and it has come back to bite me. I had about half a dozen bookings with my sister who did a shotgun weddding (ok, they rushed to the alter imo).

 

Guess who was left holding the bag.

 

Or you book a cruise and then something better comes along and then it costs money to get out of the first booking .. so I think its a crap shoot no matter which I do. You just have to do your best to book when it looks low.

[Meyer2]

Our 1st cruise, we booked almost 13mths out, we needed to plan when the kids didn't have any major activities going on & when my parents could stay with them, plus we wanted an aft wrap.

 

Our 2nd cruise was booked before we even sailed on our 1st cruise. As soon as the Magic announced it's homeport & a CC group cruise was set up, we booked & that was about 19 mths out I think.

 

My next upcoming cruise, which turns out to be my 2nd, was booked about 9 1/2mths out & It's just when my mom & I could go.

 

Now, our family cruise, is already booked for 08/2012, we got the cabins we wanted, the week & iten. we were interested in. Since we have booked, the rates have already gone up.

 

We like picking certain cabins, and also, since we can have a while to pay out, it's what works for us. We always purchase insurance too.

[BlueJacketsFan1]

My wife and I have always booked our cruises at about 18 months before sailing. That is the earliest you can book and that way we have something to look forward too. Plus that way I have a reason to keep say yes when the prison calls for overtime.

[CRUISE4JANE]

1st & 2nd cruises - 6 months or less, upcoming cruise 1 year in advance as family and friends were booking a cruise. Booked upcoming cruise ES, others we knew nothing about cruise critic so we had no info on cruising other than to bring suit and dress clothes for formal night. In the future, I will be looking for best rates when I book, even if I have to pack and go :D.

[mjl1960]

I booked the first one about a year and a half out, the anticipation almost killed me. This cruise coming up we booked with about 3 months to go....much easier on us. ;)

[tiggerman101]

I tend to book some cruises way out there. I have had a handful booked over a year out and they came and went. My last cruise was on the magic in June. I boooked it the day it was available. It seems a bit odd that it is past now. We waited 18 months for it. I am booked on the Spirit 15 day Hawaii cruise in April. That was booked at about 22 months out and we have 8 months left. We knew we wanted to do Hawaii at that time anyway and we booked to grab an Aft wrap Suite. I am so thankful we did beacause the prices are crazy high now. You can't even book an obstructed balcony cabin on that cruise for the price we are paying for the VS Suite. I keep thinking Carnival is going to "accidently" loose our booking. I thought about calling them and asking what they would give me for my cabin ....

 

Occasionaly it doesn't work out. I have changed a few cruises around. Even with the ES rate, the penalty doesn't bother me too much. I recently booked Allure of the Seas for October (2 months out) and finding a cabin I was going to be happy with was a chore. Most of the good locations were gone. I just kept checking for cancellations around final payment until a cabin became open that I wanted.

 

Yea, most of the time for us it is about cabin choice.

[azpilot]

We book anywhere from 9 months to our longest which is right now 19 months for our Eastern Caribbean cruise Sept 2012. We book that far in advance to get not only a good price but also the room we want. Plus being able to make payments and spread them out is a big win.