Help with when to purchase a cruise

[cruisingwithgrace]

My family of 5 (2 rooms) is interested in a cruise out of New Orleans on Carnival Dream to Roatan, Belize, & Cozumel in mid June. The dates we are looking at have very few cabins left that we are interested in and they are quite expensive. My husband really wants to book and be assured we'll get the cruise, even though the room selection is pretty bad and we can't be next to each other.

 

My friend, who has cruised 6 or 7 times, usually in the spring or summer, has assured me we would be paying WAY TOO MUCH by booking now and is confident that in late May or early June, we could get the cruise for next to nothing. She tells me that she's never paid more than $250-$300 for five-seven day cruises.

 

I don't want to miss the opportunity for this cruise, but I also don't want to throw money away. I hope that some of you veteran cruisers could give me some insight.

[Scrapnana]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

It is true that sometimes prices fall after final payment is due (people change their minds, don't have the money, etc.).

 

Waiting is a gamble. You may get a fantastic deal, you might see no price drop, you might be left with the less desirable cabins or you might not get to go at all. There is just no way of knowing.

 

Late May/early June also sees some school systems getting out for the summer which brings higher prices for the most part.

[dorisis]

If you really want to go, BOOK NOW! It is unlikely that prices will go down.

[paul929207]

The prices will drop if sales for your cruise are not going well. Sounds like they are going well and the price is more likely to increase than decrease. Room selection will likely be worse in a couple of months. The cruise could even sell out.

[Markanddonna]

There has been little fluctuation on the pricing of that cruise in the past year. There was a blip for one day where they doubled the price, likely a tech error. The insides seem to have gone up and the balconies went down slightly, but all with little variance. There are lots of categories open.

 

Do a fake booking to see how many cabins are still available in all the categories. Personally, I would wait until final payment and go from there. There are lots of ships that do the Caribbean or do you only want NOLA?

[cherylandtk]

Grace,

The technique your friend uses assumes that space will be available to sell in 'late May or early June'--which is only 1-2 weeks before the sail date(!) and that Carnival will dramatically mark down the prices in order to sell that space. This approach is fine if you don't have to be on a specific ship on a specific date and are willing to be flexible with dates and willing to not go if such a deal does not materialize.

 

If you are looking at a specific ship on a specific date it is always best to book as soon as you know that. You can take advantage of price drops up until final payment (and price guarantees for booking early on Carnival).

 

But you cannot have it both ways. Your mid-June cruise is 98 days away, final payment is April 1. This is very late in the booking cycle already. If your husband is correct, and you need to be on that ship, then you should book ASAP. On the other hand, if you only want to book if you can get a super discounted price, then wait and see what happens around April 15.

[sbbquilter]

As others have stated - it is a gamble to wait. Another consideration is that there are a limited number of ships sailing out of NOLA which generally means higher prices and full ships. As far as super cheap rooms right before sailing - that is a bit like winning the lottery, being in the right place at the right time.

Good luck with your plans.

[BlueRiband]

A member on another forum posted that waiting for a last minute deal only works if all 5 of these criteria are true:

 

1. Lowest price, over any other convenience, is your primary goal.
   
2. You are not tied to a specific sailing date.
   
3. You can accept a category guarantee. (But you need two cabins reasonably close to each other.)
   
4. You can accept the ship can sell out and you don't sail.
   
5. Airfare is not an issue.
   

 

If your friend sails solo or with his significant other, that's a world of difference in booking strategy compared to sailing with a family.

Edited March 8, 2015 by BlueRiband

[trish1c]

The less flexible you are about when you cruise, what line, port of departure & itinerary, the sooner you should book.

 

If you don't care when you cruise, on what ship, or where it goes, you can wait & see what's available at a better price.

[GTO-Girl]

I would book NOW.......no way I would wait since it is a summer cruise!

 

Maybe that theory works other times of the year, but anytime the kids are out of school things book quickly!

 

If you want to cruise then.....book today!

[LOVINCRUIZIN]

I agree with booking now, especially since you are presumably putting 3 in one cabin. There are limited number of cabins that can accomodate the extra person, and you don't want them to sell out, or be unsold due to capacity restrictions.

[beachbum53]

Is June the only time you can cruise? If not, look farther ahead at July and August. Summer prices will still be in effect, but you might find what you're looking for at a slightly lower price. Otherwise, as others have said, don't wait any longer and book now. Get the cabins you want before they're gone, then watch closely for price drops.

[cruisingwithgrace]

Thanks for all the advice. We are very limited to when we can cruise. We typically have a 2 week window of when we can vacation due to kid's schedules and husband's work schedule. We had other vacation plans for the summer and they fell through and started looking for a cruise and found this and my husband really wants to go to these locations and cruise out of NOLA. NOLA is an easy drive for us (9 hours) and we'd have the added bonus of staying in NOLA for a couple of nights to get our fill of cajon food and beignets. Like I said, my friend was in shock with what we were going to have to pay and acted like I was an idiot for even considering booking a cruise at that price. I needed confirmation that this was the norm!