What will you be doing in 2 years time?

How far in advance do you plan a holiday?

P&O and Cunard have decided to launch their cruise program for Summer 2018 in September 2016. This is a little unusual as they normally launch around March or April of the prior year. I’m not sure I understand the thinking behind it unless they want to get a whole load of deposits in the bag 6 months earlier than they usually do. Is there a cash flow crisis? And do you really know what you are going to be doing in October 2018? Clearly some people do as only the other day I was asked when the cruises for 2020 would be on sale!

I understand that for a special holiday such as a wedding, renewal of vows, anniversary or a milestone birthday celebration you want to plan ahead. These are occasions that you may splash out for & spend a little more than a normal holiday and therefore you may want to be able to not only plan well for, but also budget for and commit to financially and pay for in interim payments. Often a cruise is something that people do to celebrate special events, so maybe P&O & Cunard do know what they’re doing.

Personally I prefer to book my holidays quite a way in advance to give me plenty of time to do my research and plan what I want to do when I get to my chosen destination. 2 years is a little bit too far ahead though, even for me. With a cruise in particular as your time in each port is limited I really want to make sure I get the most out of my time there and find out the best ways to do so. With the great tools available to us now such as Trip Advisor, cruise  review sites and the various forums there are lots of great tips and advice available from people that have been there and done it. Not only do I get prepared for my trip, but it transports me away on cold winter nights to (usually) warm & sunny climes and lets me dream about my forthcoming trip.

One thing to consider booking so far in advance is that things can change. Cruise line’s terms and conditions state that ports of call may be substituted. This year one of my customers on a 14 night Royal Caribbean cruise which had 9 ports of call had 3 of the ports changed. Typically they were the ones she most wanted to visit and were substituted with places she had already been to. This is not ideal and can be very disappointing if you choose a cruise for a particular destination. Unfortunately this was not classed as a ‘major change’ by the cruise line although you and I may beg to differ with 30% of the ports being substituted. There are, however some benefits of booking early. You can take advantage of early booking offers and get the pick of the best cabins and have plenty of time to plan and pay.

If you are super-organised, have a special celebration on the horizon or would like prices for a 2018 cruise then click here for more information.

As for me – I know when my next holiday is…3 days time!