Earliest you’ve booked thread?

[SPacificbound]

I used to book as soon as the schedule came out, but 2023 and 2024 were booked late.

[zitsky]

1 minute ago, RichYak said:

You may still be weird, but wanting to book a Jan 2025 cruise is not the reason why 🤣

I feel like Rodney Dangerfield.  I have to cruise in suites to boost my ego.

[Bruin Steve]

I OFTEN book when the schedule is first announced...

Of course, my record NOW, thanks to Covid, is my upcoming March 28/April 9 2024 Japan cruises on Millennium.  We originally booked those--or their several annual predecessors--back in NOVEMBER 2019!!!  By the time we cruise on those, we will have booked and put down our deposits 52 full months earlier!!!   Of course, Celebrity will have had our deposit money for 52 months...OTOH, we'll be cruising at 2019 pre-pandemic prices...

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, zitsky said:

No.  I have one this Dec/Jan.  This would be the second.  Bali to Singapore 1/2/25.

 

Is there something I should know?

Yes book the cruise before that covers Christmas and New Years.  It is a very festive time of year.

[zitsky]

10 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Yes book the cruise before that covers Christmas and New Years.  It is a very festive time of year.

 

Thanks.  I think that one starts in Singapore and we want to start in Bali.  And that cruise is another $3000 more.

 

Do you suppose the Christmas decorations will be up after New Years on the Millie?

Edited June 22, 2023 by zitsky

[mahdnc]

Just now, zitsky said:

No.  I have one this Dec/Jan.  This would be the second.  Bali to Singapore 1/2/25.

 

Is there something I should know?

 

Nothing super enlightening that I can think of.  A few random thoughts

 

1. Assuming nothing has been cut back, Celebrity does a good job with the whole NYE thing.  Lots of parties and dancing going on.  Very festive, champagne glasses being passed ot.  If you are celebrating NYE in a warm climate, the pool deck will be the main focal point.  If you are doing a cold weather cruise, the Grand Foyer is the place to be for the countdown.

 

2. Our first NYE was a port day.  Aruba.  When Eclipse pulled away for the evening, the Captain parked the ship 3 miles off the island coast and we all watched a most amazing fireworks display.  The whole island was lit up with fireworks for much of the evening.  Youtube video

 

3. Be sure to get to Bali before NYE so you can enjoy their celebration.  We had a cruise that left Sydney on Jan 2, 2018.  We made sure to get their a few days early so that we could watch Sydney ring in 2019.

 

4. Air fare and hotel rates are often elevated around NYE in popular places that attract tourists.

 

Sydney Harbour, Jan 1 2019

 

[mahdnc]

18 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

Thanks.  I think that one starts in Singapore and we want to start in Bali.  And that cruise is another $3000 more.

 

Do you suppose the Christmas decorations will be up after New Years on the Millie?

 

We have taken several cruises right after the NYE cruise.  Some of the Christmas decorations were still up. When we took our Jan 2 2018 cruise out of Sydney, here is what the Grand Foyer looked like on Jan 4 aboard Solstice:

 

 

I think part of the reason they left the decorations up in the Grand Foyer was for the ship's photographers:

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by mahdnc

[mahdnc]

If you are counting COVID lift and shift sailings then we booked exactly 1,800 days before our upcoming Dec 22 2023 Solstice Christmas/NYE cruise.

 

[PROCRUISE]

Booked on Constellation: 2/22/2024

Booked on HAL: 12/07/2024

[Guest 4-2-N-8]

You all are serious cruisers. 

 

Booked two westbound Transatlantics on QM2 (to follow the footsteps of the Titanic - very eery with what is now in the news) in two different QG stateroom locations.

 

Doing first one in September 2024 and the other in April 2025 (to do a crossing same month as Titanic - yikes). Very eery, but booked well ahead of current events.

 

Depending upon which stateroom we prefer, we're looking to book same room for a world cruise (or more likely, partial world to the segments we want to see).

Edited June 22, 2023 by 4-2-N-8

[emmas gran]

Booked Edge for October 2023 B2B2B on 21st October 2021 Rome to Sydney

[Mark_T]

5 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

We have taken several cruises right after the NYE cruise.  Some of the Christmas decorations were still up. When we took our Jan 2 2018 cruise out of Sydney, here is what the Grand Foyer looked like on Jan 4 aboard Solstice...

Here's one from Eclipse sailing out of Sydney on 2nd Jan this year...

 

[upwarduk]

13 hours ago, zitsky said:

we should do a refundable deposit.  I think it was another $2800.  I think insurance will cover some of the cost.

 Never in UK, deposits are not refundable and you cannot claim on Insurance. I know, as I tried when I had to cancel our August 2020 cruise due to COVID.

I did however manage to get charge back from our Credit Card.

So now I am booking about 6 months out.

[MISTER 67]

Never more than a year.

[chemmo]

For special cruises that only run once/twice a year (like the TP) we book as itineraries come out. Partly because we book RS and PH and they book up fairly quickly.  Also any left at one year out will be much dearer. On our Norwegian cruise by one year out people were paying more for a RS than we had paid for the PH….These tend to be cruises we really want to look forward to as well and probably will add on land stays to…

 

Cruises that run regularly we are more likely to book at about twelve months out. Suite prices are more static. We rarely book last minute. The one time we did spot a bargain last minute on Summit when we priced up getting over the pond and it was horrendous!

 

27 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

 Never in UK, deposits are not refundable and you cannot claim on Insurance. I know, as I tried when I had to cancel our August 2020 cruise due to COVID.

I did however manage to get charge back from our Credit Card.

So now I am booking about 6 months out.

If we do have to miss a cruise for unforeseen circumstances we tent to simply shift the deposit to another cruise rather than cancel or try to claim on insurance.

[TMLAalum]

Do I have to do the math to determine the # of days booked ahead? Haven't had my minimal daily requirement of my morning coffee yet!

22 months ahead seems to be the furthest out we've booked. But twice we've booked with Celebrity on the first day itineraries are released- the EDGE inaugural and next year's Iceland/Greenland on the Eclipse.

[zitsky]

26 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

Do I have to do the math to determine the # of days booked ahead? Haven't had my minimal daily requirement of my morning coffee yet!

22 months ahead seems to be the furthest out we've booked. But twice we've booked with Celebrity on the first day itineraries are released- the EDGE inaugural and next year's Iceland/Greenland on the Eclipse.

No I won’t make you do the math!  😂

[mahdnc]

Historically I have always booked extremely early (when the schedules come out) because I am booking an annual cruise for my family of 4 which required:

 

1. An FV cabin of which there were only 2 (Solstice class) or 4 (Millennium class) cabins that I really want.
2. A specific 2-3 week window when everyone would be available to do the cruise--working around 4 people's job schedules, school schedules, sports schedules, etc.  The last few years that meant booking the cruise during the Christmas holidays.
3. As a family, we usually had a particular itinerary in mind.

 

So if you pretty much know you have to have this cabin for this cruise ship on this sailing date, you book very early to avoid disappointment.  Unfortunately this lack of booking flexibility is not a formula for getting a good deal.

 

 

[FBrew]

I booked a Princess Transatlantic Cruise November 1,2025 2 weeks ago it is a brand-new ship.

[zitsky]

53 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

Historically I have always booked extremely early (when the schedules come out) because I am booking an annual cruise for my family of 4 which required:

 

1. An FV cabin of which there were only 2 (Solstice class) or 4 (Millennium class) cabins that I really want.
2. A specific 2-3 week window when everyone would be available to do the cruise--working around 4 people's job schedules, school schedules, sports schedules, etc.  The last few years that meant booking the cruise during the Christmas holidays.
3. As a family, we usually had a particular itinerary in mind.

 

So if you pretty much know you have to have this cabin for this cruise ship on this sailing date, you book very early to avoid disappointment.  Unfortunately this lack of booking flexibility is not a formula for getting a good deal.

 

 

That! makes a lot of sense to me.  I can see why you do it.

[Honolulu Blue]

The earliest I booked was about 2 1/2 years out - in July 2021 for a January 2024 cruise.  This isn't on Celebrity.

 

The latest I booked was six days out.  That one WAS a Celebrity cruise.

 

I'm all over the map on how early or late I book.  When I see a deal on a cruise that I like, I'll book it quickly.  But sometimes the deal comes relatively late - my other two non-charter Celebrity cruises I booked with about 4 and 6 months to go.

 

With charters, I'm more likely to book ASAP - more often as not within a few days of bookings being opened.  They tend to open about 12 to 13 months before the cruise.

[Jim_Iain]

20 hours ago, zitsky said:

I figure there must be a thread but I can’t find it.  It would be interesting to read.

 

I’m considering a cruise in New Year’s 2025.  I’m wondering if I’m the only one booking that far out.

Your not alone.  

 

We often book the day a cruise is released.   Our furthest out booking is currently a B2B on Equinox  November - December 2024.   By booking early was able to get the same cabin for both cruises.   Also the prices have already jumped quite a bit in price.

[seeyouinthesun]

I book on the first day bookings open. It gives me the most options and I like to plan well in advance. 

[paulh84]

Probably one year out. Generally about 10 months. I will do an onboard booking for the next year then get it transferred to a TA. They usually can do extra onboard credit if it's booked within 10 month from the sailing date. The rates don't fluctuate that much in my experience and we don't hunt down specific cabins so there is really not much benefit for me to book extremely early. Even on an inexpensive cruise the travel agent OBC, Celebrity OBC, early booking OBC and Amex Plat OBC stack up quickly and offset most price fluctuation.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

4 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Your not alone.  

 

We often book the day a cruise is released.   Our furthest out booking is currently a B2B on Equinox  November - December 2024.   By booking early was able to get the same cabin for both cruises.   Also the prices have already jumped quite a bit in price.

We book the Equinox TA Nov 2024 and the following one cruise back in Feb on ‘23 , and was able to get same cabin, 

But we cancelled the second cruise when Celebrity change the cruise, it was no longer going to Chile