Advice on when to book.

[dogchopper]

My friends and I are planning on taking a cruise on the Dream in May (17th) obviously I cannot book early saver so my question is when is the best time to book. The price has been pretty steady, I keep hoping it will go down some.. Do ya think it will go down any or should I just go ahead and book it now.

Also, if I book the, let them choose the room rate, do you think I'll get a decent room or do they tend to stick you in the worst room possible?

[Doug910]

My friends and I are planning on taking a cruise on the Dream in May (17th) obviously I cannot book early saver so my question is when is the best time to book. The price has been pretty steady, I keep hoping it will go down some.. Do ya think it will go down any or should I just go ahead and book it now.

Also, if I book the, let them choose the room rate, do you think I'll get a decent room or do they tend to stick you in the worst room possible?

 

...I would suggest booking ASAP. If the rate you now see is acceptable to you, take it and be happy. As you probably know, the chance of a $40 or $50 drop in price is the same as a $40 or $50 increase.

 

...Regarding booking a guarantee cabin, we're had both good and bad experiences. Have been upgraded from Oceanview to Balcony and have also been put in a poor cabin located on Riviera Deck as far forward as you can go. If you're happy to just be on a cruise, roll the dice and take a chance. But I think it's worth the few extra dollars to know where I'm sleeping for the week. Good luck whichever you choose!

[ray98]

No way to know, however if it is a good price now ($40ish/nt for inside) then it is more than likely to go up before it comes down anymore.

[dogchopper]

Thanks,

It's not the greatest price at all. It's 50 something a night for an inside. It's the start of summer so I assume it's high for that reason, and my friend won a spot on the poker tournament which is the only reason we are going that week, but maybe that's why it's higher than usual.

I've always wanted to go on the dream, I'm not crazy about the price though ... I guess I'm just gonna have to deal with the high price :(

[dmdiver]

Well, you can't stay in a hotel for $50/night, so it sounds good to me! It seems like we've always gotten good pricing around 2 months out, but I've not seen any good way to predict where the absolute bottom occurs. I've decided that if the price is acceptable when I book, then I will not cry over a price drop that I'm unable to take advantage of. However, I can't recall it ever dropping for my category when I book that close to cruise time. Maybe there is more fluctuation with the guarantee cabins? I've only booked guarantee one time & we upgraded and selected a balcony before cruise time, so no experience to help you with there.

[ray98]

Thanks,

It's not the greatest price at all. It's 50 something a night for an inside. It's the start of summer so I assume it's high for that reason, and my friend won a spot on the poker tournament which is the only reason we are going that week, but maybe that's why it's higher than usual.

I've always wanted to go on the dream, I'm not crazy about the price though ... I guess I'm just gonna have to deal with the high price :(

 

Yeah...just looked at the price. Nothing to be excited about there, Carnival is showing $579/$82nt for a GTY inside before taxes and such. It must be selling pretty good even though it is early in the summer season.

Edited February 28, 2015 by ray98

[mpcaruth]

I don't know how many days your cruise is for, so I don't know exactly when final payment is due. If I were you, I would wait until a week after final payment is due (when the prices typically drop and guarantee cabins are offered), and book a guarantee cabin. That should probably give you the cheapest price. Now if you are picky about your cabin and just cannot take the risk, then go ahead and book now. In the past, when I have seen the guarantee rate rates offered, I typically see the normal rates stay the same or even go up.

[dogchopper]

Thanks for the advice :)

I think I may just wait a few weeks to book just to see what happens. I'm not super picky about my cabin so maybe I'll take a chance :eek:

[mzloolue]

If you book now can you upgrade if the price decreases?

[kapcruiser]

Can you upgrade after final payment?

[dogchopper]

If you book now can you upgrade if the price decreases?

 

Can you upgrade after final payment?

 

That is what I was hoping. I won't ever complain about an upgrade!

I may just do that and hope for the best

[semichigan]

What if the category you want sells out? It's not like your friend is doing a poker tournament in Vegas where you could just stay at a different hotel...you need to be on the same ship, right? I'd book now.

[gone_cruisin]

Hang tight for a bit. Best rates are usually at the 6 week mark. That date in May isn't a peak week. Most kids still in school.

[dogchopper]

What if the category you want sells out? It's not like your friend is doing a poker tournament in Vegas where you could just stay at a different hotel...you need to be on the same ship, right? I'd book now.

 

Hang tight for a bit. Best rates are usually at the 6 week mark. That date in May isn't a peak week. Most kids still in school.

 

Ha, both good points ..

I am hoping most kids are in school .. Especially since everyone has had such a bad winter, maybe some schools (like here in NC) will be extending the school year to make up for all the snow days.

 

Very tough decision !