Just curious booking in advance

[Kcusack89]

I booked well in advance for a cruise next spring (2025) I booked with a refundable deposit.

1st question is when it comes to rebooking if I see a cheaper price will it be for my exact identical booking (same room category and refundable deposit, added gratuities) 

2nd how often do you save money booking so far in advanced? 

[CanHardlyWait]

56 minutes ago, Kcusack89 said:

I booked well in advance for a cruise next spring (2025) I booked with a refundable deposit.

1st question is when it comes to rebooking if I see a cheaper price will it be for my exact identical booking (same room category and refundable deposit, added gratuities) 

2nd how often do you save money booking so far in advanced? 

I'll take question no 2.

Majority of the time these days. More and more folks will keep booking between now and next year. With more cabins booked, the remaining cabins increase in price due to the demand. Booking early is a safe bet for a better price more often than not. Like everything else these days, things are more likely to go up then down. 

[smokeybandit]

Ever since I've started booking as soon as the schedule comes out (about 2 years now) I have not seen one single reduction in price.

The only one that went down was when RC canceled the Panama Canal cruise and I had to pay prevailing rates to change to a new cruise. And that only went down after final payment.

[steverk]

1 hour ago, Kcusack89 said:

I booked well in advance for a cruise next spring (2025) I booked with a refundable deposit.

1st question is when it comes to rebooking if I see a cheaper price will it be for my exact identical booking (same room category and refundable deposit, added gratuities) 

2nd how often do you save money booking so far in advanced? 

Generally,  it has to be the exact same, but with a refundable fare you can always cancel and rebook if necessary. 

I book aa soon as the itinerary is announced.  About 25% of the time I find a cheaper price. The key is to check frequently 

[Kcusack89]

1 minute ago, steverk said:

Generally,  it has to be the exact same, but with a refundable fare you can always cancel and rebook if necessary. 

I book aa soon as the itinerary is announced.  About 25% of the time I find a cheaper price. The key is to check frequently 

Okay very true about canceling and rebooking with the refundable fair. My TA says she looks daily for cruise discounts but I feel like I'll look too hear and there it's just so tideous putting everyone's info into the Royal website to see the prices

[Ryan79]

On my Alaska cruise last summer, I saved $4k on 2 balcony cabins by booking 18 months in advance versus what the price was less than 6 months out.

[Biaggio]

Back in the day, pre post pandemic, you book early and take advantage of price drops. Now, with demand up and inflation rising, you book early and watch prices rise. For me, I'm cruising less and looking for alternative vacation ideas. 

[Kcusack89]

15 minutes ago, Biaggio said:

Back in the day, pre post pandemic, you book early and take advantage of price drops. Now, with demand up and inflation rising, you book early and watch prices rise. For me, I'm cruising less and looking for alternative vacation ideas. 

This is what I figured. I have a family member who wants to book but is dragging they're feet bc they want a "deal" that I don't think exists. They don't see the rush to book early which honestly there is no rush I just know it won't go cheaper this day and age. But would be nice to save a few bucks. Family member is basically push DCl saying it's the same price with more includes (soda and what not) I'm just not a Disney person and don't need all the gimmicky dinners and kids stuff. ( parent of two for reference and still think my kids would have more fun on Royal)

[PPPJJ-GCVAB]

Definitely lately there is less and less opportunities to find lower prices once  you have booked a cruise.  My upcoming May cruise was not booked when schedules opened …we booked in early September.  Since then I was able to reduce everyone’s price a little…with the room holding 4 people being the winner!  They saved over $1000.  The others only a couple of hundred.  But the other cruises I have on the books have only steadily increased since booking.

Gone are the days of substantial savings!  Very sad.  I will agree to try your best to book when schedules open.

[WAAAYTOOO]

3 hours ago, Kcusack89 said:

This is what I figured. I have a family member who wants to book but is dragging they're feet bc they want a "deal" that I don't think exists.

This family member would be smart to place a refundable deposit now and have the option to cancel later if they change their mind.

NOT saying that this applies in your case...but it has been my very frequent experience that if a family member or friend is hesitant to book, they will most likely back out in the end, anyway.  My guess is, that relative that is hemming and hawing about finding a "deal" is really just using it as an excuse to NOT book.  I hope I'm wrong but that has been my experience.  Good luck !!

[Ryan79]

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

 My guess is, that relative that is hemming and hawing about finding a "deal" is really just using it as an excuse to NOT book.  I hope I'm wrong but that has been my experience.  Good luck !!

This is exactly what my wife does when I’m looking to book! She is always thinking that there are 50% off sales (true 50% off, not a Royal 50% off….not sure where this comes from)every few months so we just have to wait. I just go ahead and book anyways and then tell her down the road when the prices go up that we are going. It’s a strategy that has served me well.

[Mrs. Thomas]

5 hours ago, Kcusack89 said:

This is what I figured. I have a family member who wants to book but is dragging they're feet bc they want a "deal" that I don't think exists. They don't see the rush to book early which honestly there is no rush I just know it won't go cheaper this day and age. But would be nice to save a few bucks. Family member is basically push DCl saying it's the same price with more includes (soda and what not) I'm just not a Disney person and don't need all the gimmicky dinners and kids stuff. ( parent of two for reference and still think my kids would have more fun on Royal)

My husband doesn't think that there is a rush either. He thinks that I'm worried about it selling out when it's actually about pricing. He also has no idea about what it took to even book our honeymoon. I've seen the sailing I'm planning for go up $300 in the last week or two and it KILLS me because I'm waiting on money to make my deposit. Hopefully, something will happen and it won't go up TOO much between now and then. I'm seriously looking at a 3rd party website as well instead of a TA.

[Kcusack89]

3 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

This family member would be smart to place a refundable deposit now and have the option to cancel later if they change their mind.

NOT saying that this applies in your case...but it has been my very frequent experience that if a family member or friend is hesitant to book, they will most likely back out in the end, anyway.  My guess is, that relative that is hemming and hawing about finding a "deal" is really just using it as an excuse to NOT book.  I hope I'm wrong but that has been my experience.  Good luck !!

Yeeeeepppp but idc if they come or not it a cruise for my own celebration so I'm definitely going. They told me last night that they think cancel for any reason insurance is cheaper than a refundable deposit and I said do whatever you like if you come you come if not I don't feel any certain way

[Kcusack89]

2 hours ago, Mrs. Thomas said:

My husband doesn't think that there is a rush either. He thinks that I'm worried about it selling out when it's actually about pricing. He also has no idea about what it took to even book our honeymoon. I've seen the sailing I'm planning for go up $300 in the last week or two and it KILLS me because I'm waiting on money to make my deposit. Hopefully, something will happen and it won't go up TOO much between now and then. I'm seriously looking at a 3rd party website as well instead of a TA.

My family members SO is in this "no rush boat" and I said to them there truly is no rush I booked when I wanted they can book if they like or not it's up to them. But it would be nice if I save a few bucks with to long wait

[steverk]

1 hour ago, Kcusack89 said:

Yeeeeepppp but idc if they come or not it a cruise for my own celebration so I'm definitely going. They told me last night that they think cancel for any reason insurance is cheaper than a refundable deposit and I said do whatever you like if you come you come if not I don't feel any certain way

Cancel for any reason doesn't refund your full deposit.  If you cancel, you'll forfeit about 25% of the amounts you've paid plus the cost of insurance. 

Do a cost comparison and decide your best option.  It may be the CFAR insurance works best for you, but go in with a full understanding of the situation.