Home Alone Posted March 12, 2023 Report Share Posted March 12, 2023 Hello, my family and I booked the voyager of the seas for March 31st of 2025. I wanted to go ahead and book this trip as soon as it was released so we would get the lowest price. From my calculations this should be the week the kids are on spring break but now my wife seems to think it will be the following cruise on April 5th. I tried to get the refundable deposit but this ends up doubling the price of the cruise and isn't even an option online. So I currently have the 31st booked but am thinking about booking the April 5th as well and just canceling which ever cruise isn't sailing on the week we are on break. The deposit is only $400 and I'm sure that the price will increase more than that by the time of final payment but I'm wondering what yall's thoughts are. As I mentioned the nonrefundable price for either cruise is around $1675. After calling. since refundable deposit isn't available online, the price would be over $3000 making it not worth it. I won't find out which week is spring break until January 2024. If I do cancel Im guessing I lose the entire deposit. I wish they would let me use the deposit as cruise credit or even onboard credit but I know that's not how it works. Do you think it's worth booking both cruises to lock in the low rates and just take the hit on one of the deposits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted March 12, 2023 Report Share Posted March 12, 2023 I think that would be the correct gamble. Odds are high that either cruise would cost more than $400 extra if you waited until the calendar comes out Home Alone and Neesa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rackham Posted March 12, 2023 Report Share Posted March 12, 2023 53 minutes ago, Home Alone said: Hello, my family and I booked the voyager of the seas for March 31st of 2025. I wanted to go ahead and book this trip as soon as it was released so we would get the lowest price. From my calculations this should be the week the kids are on spring break but now my wife seems to think it will be the following cruise on April 5th. I tried to get the refundable deposit but this ends up doubling the price of the cruise and isn't even an option online. So I currently have the 31st booked but am thinking about booking the April 5th as well and just canceling which ever cruise isn't sailing on the week we are on break. The deposit is only $400 and I'm sure that the price will increase more than that by the time of final payment but I'm wondering what yall's thoughts are. As I mentioned the nonrefundable price for either cruise is around $1675. After calling. since refundable deposit isn't available online, the price would be over $3000 making it not worth it. I won't find out which week is spring break until January 2024. If I do cancel Im guessing I lose the entire deposit. I wish they would let me use the deposit as cruise credit or even onboard credit but I know that's not how it works. Do you think it's worth booking both cruises to lock in the low rates and just take the hit on one of the deposits? I'm with the bandit, take the hit and book both. As far as calculating when breaks are, as someone with over a decade of experience in public education at this point, my recommendation is to keep a stash of historical school calendars, then match up the calendar of the vacation you're planning with January 1st on the historical calendars. The dates might not exactly align, but usually the week's position in the month will. For example, the last time January 1st fell on a Sunday before 2023 was the 2016-2017 school year. Our break calendar for this year is exactly the same as that particular school calendar. Days where students are out, but the staff are in, can vary. However, it's almost always a safe bet booking in the slots from the historical breaks. Looking forward to 2025, the school calendar that will possibly be reused is for the 2019-2020 school year since January 1st will be Wednesday. Neesa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveling Mike Posted March 12, 2023 Report Share Posted March 12, 2023 @Home Alone I was a single father and computer programmer for a school district. I was not able to take vacations during school breaks because that is when we are processing report cards and schedule changes. I would always take our vacations during school. California has Short Time Independent Study. You sign up with your school and right before the trip the teachers would give my son his work for the week. He would do all the work and turn it in when we got home. The school gets credit for my son being in school and my son does not miss work. On our Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific cruises, we would email the assignments in so the teachers would not be put out when we got home after two or three weeks. I would check and see if that is a possibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted March 12, 2023 Report Share Posted March 12, 2023 2 hours ago, Home Alone said: Hello, my family and I booked the voyager of the seas for March 31st of 2025. I wanted to go ahead and book this trip as soon as it was released so we would get the lowest price. For a 2025 cruise I would book refundable deposit. I don't know why it would double the cost of the cruise; it never has for ours. I always use travel agents, and they can sort out the details to fit your needs. It is possible a TA could find discounts you aren't aware of. Just a thought.... AandD and FireFishII 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted March 12, 2023 Report Share Posted March 12, 2023 I would use a travel agent and look for group rates. I have changed a refundable deposit to a non refundable a few times. Usually right before a final payment is due and the non refundable fare is cheaper. @Sharla can you change a refundable to non refundable anytime before final payment? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jupiter03 Posted March 13, 2023 Report Share Posted March 13, 2023 This is the strategy I use for spring break cruises. I always book the two most likely weeks at refundable deposits, which usually add $200-300 per cruise. Deposits are $750 for three of us, so we can't just eat that cost. In Austin, spring break usually coincides with SXSW or the University of Texas spring break. IF SXSW and UT both have spring break the same week like this year (and their schedules come out a lot earlier), then I have high confidence spring break will be that week. But when they conflict, like in 2024, it's a gamble which it will be. It sounds like you ran into the same problem I did when 2025 cruises came out Dec 2022 and they were not adding the correct refundable add on price. This resolved a few days later, which is when I booked. Have you checked refundable deposits since? Perhaps your second cruise has a more reasonable refundable add on now. Home Alone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharla Posted March 13, 2023 Report Share Posted March 13, 2023 18 hours ago, Jill said: @Sharla can you change a refundable to non refundable anytime before final payment? You can- however that doesn't mean the price will be lower. It is still at the prevailing rate any time you do a price change. Recently the prices have increased so much closer to sailing that switching to non-refundable deposit will not help you at all. WAAAYTOOO, KristiZ and Jill 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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