When is the best time to book a cruise?

It’s a question that I am asked many times.

Last week I spoke to a customer who booked a cruise way back last Summer with Royal Caribbean to travel this year. They received an early booking discount from Royal Caribbean (plus free parking from ourselves) and were outraged when RCI decided to announce they were now including a deluxe drinks package PLUS the second passenger goes half price. When we added the cost of the drinks package on to the price they paid for their original cruise their deal actually worked out cheaper than if the booked now on the new promotion. Basically it looks like prices are inflated in order to cover the cost of the drinks package. So although the new promotion had a powerful message it’s really just clever marketing by the cruise line.

I also had an occasion where a customer booked a cruise with Cunard and within 2 days they had doubled the amount of on board credit than originally offered. Despite please to Cunard on behalf of a loyal customer that had sailed with them many times, Cunard were unwilling to do anything about it.

I am often contacted by customers who feel hard done by when a cruise they have booked gets reduced in price or maybe a better deal is announced asking what I can do about it. Whilst having every sympathy with them (as I have had exactly the same happen to me in the past) the truth is it’s a bit of a lottery and it’s extremely rare that a cruise line will do anything about it.

Strangely I am NEVER contacted by customers telling me that the cruise they booked has increased in price and they would like to pay the new price???

 If you have your heart set on a particular cruise, cabin or are stuck rigidly to certain dates and you need to book early then you need to make sure that you are happy with the deal before you book (and don’t go checking the price afterwards)! If you are flexible on dates and itineraries and can go in low season the chances are you could get a last minute bargain, however that’s not always the case as the cruise lines prefer to get the cabins filled a good few weeks before the sailing date and offer deals 2-3 months before the departure date.

So unfortunately I think you need psychic powers to know when the best time to book is, but rest assured I will always help by giving the best offers and discounts that I can.