How do you plan a cruise so far out?

[melski94]

So I'm just curious on how people can book a cruise almost 2 years in advance?  Do you guess and book several reservations or is your schedule flexible enough to make it work?

 

Our schedule is crazy and completely up in the air over the next few years.  I have 4 kids and my oldest is a JR...doesn't know where she's going to college so that puts a damper in things if we want to include her (she's also applying to a place where even summers mean I can't plan around her).

 

If I choose to leave her out, we'd go over Spring Break but I don't know even the Spring Break for 2019 for the other kids...when we typically travel.  I'd probably say I could narrow it down to 2 weeks but SB moves around for my district.  Of course everything is refundable and I've had to change things around before when the school schedule actually comes out (2018-2019 will come out in November) but it'd be nice to book at a much lower rate if I could.

 

Just curious as I'd love to book Symphony at a lower price and I can book with Next Cruise (thinking lower deposit) in about 10 days.  

 

So how to you manage it?

 

 

[DocLC]

I book several cruise in advance which is easier to do when they're running a sale with reduced deposits. I also have a limited sailing window, but one that is predictable, so that helps.

 

This summer, we had the British Isles cruises with the different cruise lines over July and August. We finally settled on one primarily based on the date but also put of embarkation as sailing from England was cheaper to fly to than Amsterdam. Next summer (2018), we have a Japan cruise and a Mediterranean cruise booked and we'll decide later which one to take.

[FloatMe]

We book two cruises right when they are released, 18 to 24 months in advanve. But we have an adult child who is out of the house and we book the same times of year (2nd week in April & 2nd week in November give or take a week). So for us it is all about the potential saving that are associated with booking early! And there is now downside other than tying up a few hundred in deposit.

[Guest toodle68]

I have all my vacations semi-scheduled through the end of 2019.  It is easier with the kids ending high school.. since we know the main dates to avoid, Family weekends at colleges, graduations etc.

 

For the one I just booked.. we are doing 2 weeks in the UK in Sept 2018 (non cruise).. so I know that Feb 2019 is a good time for another week.. and we are planning on Alaska in June 2019.. 

 

.. and of course, you can cancel right up to the last 3 months for a full refund.

[DocLC]

.. and of course, you can cancel right up to the last 3 months for a full refund.

Provided you live and booked in North America.

[DunkelBierJay]

The point is to get your foot in the door with a deposit on a sailing, and of things change, just change the booking to another cruise or cancel.

[melski94]

Thanks for the replies!  I think putting a smaller deposit down on a few sailings is better than waiting until Nov as it seems the price keeps going up.  

 

Follow up question, how hard is it to drop someone from the reservation?  We typically get 2 connecting staterooms (2 adults in 1 and 4 kids in the other).  If oldest can't go, then it drops to 3 in 2nd room.  Any potential issues with changing reservation?

[firegal2539]

I book 6 to 8 cruises a year when they first come out. I will cancel 2 maybe and take the rest.

 

I just finished booking two just now for 2018.

 

If your cruise hasnt gone to final payment you can drop the second room.

 

Candie

[RestingBird]

First 2 cruises we took I already had my vacation weeks set in stone (I have to pick them the previous year in Nov, based on company seniority), so we were kind of stuck on getting a decent price and whatnot. Then I started looking at the RCI website all the time (2 cruises and I was hooked) and realized I could book super far in advance. So the next 2 I chose for the following year, before I chose my weeks at work, hoping I'd be able to get the weeks I wanted. I got the first week, second I got bumped by higher seniority co-workers and had to rebook for a week earlier, oh well. Ended up working out better that week. Trying the same strategy for 2018 (none in 2017 due to our new baby).

[DocLC]

Thanks for the replies!  I think putting a smaller deposit down on a few sailings is better than waiting until Nov as it seems the price keeps going up.  

 

Follow up question, how hard is it to drop someone from the reservation?  We typically get 2 connecting staterooms (2 adults in 1 and 4 kids in the other).  If oldest can't go, then it drops to 3 in 2nd room.  Any potential issues with changing reservation?

Always book more people than you need.  It is much easier to drop someone off a reservation than it is to add them to a reservation especially when you're talking third and fourth bunks.  In addition, you lock in the lower price and you can even switch them out with someone else or drop the person off the reservation completely before final payment and with penalty afterwards.

 

I'm going to do this with one of the group cruises.  I'll book for my wife and I, but I'm fairly confident she won't come.  Either way, I'd end up paying the same price and have a spot for her should she decide to go.

[Matt]

Follow up question, how hard is it to drop someone from the reservation?  We typically get 2 connecting staterooms (2 adults in 1 and 4 kids in the other).  If oldest can't go, then it drops to 3 in 2nd room.  Any potential issues with changing reservation?

In general, dropping someone from a reservation or changing names is easy.  Adding people to a reservation is difficult and can/will change price.  

 

My advice for anyone that might need to add someone in the future is to put a dummy name on the reservation at time of booking.  If you do want to add that person, change the name.  If not, drop the person.  But that avoids re-pricing the room to add someone later.