Waiting to book a cruise until just before the departure date might yield a last-minute bargain, but there are situations in which it’s wise to book your cruise early. Consider early booking when you want to be sure you can lock in an attractive fare, secure a favorite cabin, sail at a peak time of year, or visit a destination with a short cruise season.
Often, fares for a
cruise are lowest when that cruise first opens for reservations, which can be
as long as 18 to 24 months in advance. There are always exceptions, but it’s
typical for fares to start low, and then rise as the ship begins to fill. Many cruise
lines also offer attractive incentives for early booking, such as complimentary
airfare to and from the ship, free cabin upgrades or beverage packages, onboard
credits, and more. And, you may need to provide only a small initial deposit to
hold your reservation; it may be refundable if your plans change. Your
professional travel advisor will have all the details about early booking incentives
and other special offers for cruises that interest you.
Early booking also
makes it more likely you can reserve the cabin you want. For example, If you want
a suite, a cabin with a balcony, or a cabin designed for one, they are often
limited in number and tend to sell out early. Early booking is also helpful if
you want connecting cabins, or a block of adjacent cabins.
Cruises scheduled
for peak cruise seasons – generally, school holidays – may fill quickly. This
includes the summer months, the winter holidays, and spring break season.
Booking early is
also a good idea if the main destination has a short cruise season. These destinations
include Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland; the Norwegian fjords and the rest of
Scandinavia; and the southern part of South America, especially if the cruise
sails on to Antarctica.
One more reason to
book early is that some ports are beginning to restrict the number of cruise
ships or passengers that can visit in a season, or on a given day. To help
preserve their environmental and cultural heritage, popular ports like Amsterdam,
The Netherlands; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Barcelona, Spain; Juneau, Alaska; and
Venice, Italy, have put some limits in place or are planning to do so. When you
want to cruise to one of these beautiful ports, early booking may be wise.
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