How soon before sailing do I have to book?

[Roccaforte]

If my DH and I feel safe enough to take a Riviera Caribbean cruise in January 2022,  how close to sailing can I book.  Is there a cut off due to TSA, Covid, etc.?  Right now there are lots of available cabins and since we live driving distance to Port of Miami we’re free to pack up and go with little notice.  Right now I’m too worried to book but come December things may have calmed down.  We’re fully vaccinated and don’t mind any required testing.  Any rules I should know?

[LHT28]

pre covid you could book 2-3 days out  if availability  now  I would book at least a couple of weeks out  minimum

 

JMO

[Hlitner]

We are Oceania newbies but very experienced cruisers.  The answer to the OP's question is "it depends" on the particular cruise.   When it comes to "O" we can look at cruises into 2023 that are already fully booked with a waiting list.   So here is my advice to the OP based on over 45 years of experience.

 

If you are determined to book a specific cruise on a specific ship on a specific date then you should book ASAP.  On the other hand, if you are flexible in terms of dates, cruise lines, ships, etc. then you are a good candidate for a last minute booking.  We do both.  When we really want to take a specific cruise we book far in advance.  But we also do quite a few last minute cruises (booked inside the final payment period) when we simply look for interesting last minute bargains and book!   The last minute deals have been lots of fun and we have found ourselves flying off to Europe or Asia with less then a weeks notice!  

 

I just looked at the Riviera and there is still availability.  So by waiting you are simply rolling the dice and hoping that the January cruises will not sell out!  Prior to COVID we always thought that January (especially early January) was a good bet for last minute deals since many folks do not want to travel right after the holidays.  But these days in the COVID world all the rules have changed.  Folks have tons of Future Cruise Credits to burn, and many cruisers are very eager to get back aboard.   I don't think anyone can predict how this will all play out for early 2022 cruises.

 

Hank