Cruise 101: The Best Time to Book a Cruise

best time to buy a cruise

While there isn't a "best time of the month" to book a cruise, monitoring fare changes over several weeks can help you spot any price drops. Cruise prices fluctuate frequently based on availability, demand, and special deals. Unless you're interested in a high-demand sailing, be patient and look out for flash sales. It's the last date that undecided travelers can cancel without penalty.

Everything you need to know about cruise boarding times and how early to arrive for a cruise (2024) - Cruise Blog

Everything you need to know about cruise boarding times and how early to arrive for a cruise ( .

Posted: Wed, 04 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

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She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

Best Time for a Canada & New England Cruise: Mid-September - Mid-October

You’ll have a chance to see polar bears on Norway’s island of Svalbard and seals in Greenland. Cruises to Hawaii will be less expensive in the fall when school is in session. Back in 1844, the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) offered the world’s first leisure cruise, taking passengers from Southampton to Gibraltar, Athens or Malta. The concept caught on, and in 1867, Mark Twain himself boarded the first cruise out of North America.

best time to buy a cruise

When to cruise to the Caribbean and Bahamas for the best weather

Since it is after the holiday season, most people have either finished a holiday vacation and have no intention of booking another one soon. The green hills and beautiful cliffs of Northern Europe appeal to cruisers who wish to visit Britain, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. Some cruises also sail to Norway, Sweden, and The Netherlands on Northern Europe itineraries. Curious to know the best time to book a cruise and your flight, or if there are surefire ways to score upgrades.

What About Sailing During the Winter or Hurricane Season?

If you sail during a less desirable time, like January after kids return to school following Christmas and New Year’s Eve, you’ll have more options closer to the sail date. For these cruises, we recommend booking two to six months in advance -- or even waiting for a good WAVE season deal to roll around. Ideally, be prepared to book at least a year in advance, particularly for cruises to Antarctica, which tend to sell out well in advance. If you have a shorter runway between when you decide you want to book and sail, you may get lucky with some last-minute deals for cruise lines that want to fill the rooms left onboard. In this case, understand you’ll have to be flexible with your stateroom location and category, not to mention your departure date.

The best time to buy a cruise may very well be right now, as cruise lines put their best offers out there for the January-to-March wave season. It's the time of year when a large percentage of cruise travelers plan future sailings - and cruise lines know it. A wave season special may just be the call to action consumers need to buy. Travelers who are less concerned about deals and more focused on a specific destination or making sure they get choice accommodations may want to take a different approach to booking a cruise. Cruise companies open up bookings for sailings as early as two years in advance.

best time to buy a cruise

Here are the best Wave Season cruise deals of 2024 - Cruise Blog

Here are the best Wave Season cruise deals of 2024.

Posted: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

That’s due to the cold weather in most of the country making people think of warmer places combined with the passing of the Christmas holiday. It is definitely true that more booking activity goes on during this period. Wave Season is the sales period that historically takes place between January and March since a large percentage of cruisers book their trips in the early months of the year. The new year, an empty calendar plus the cold winter months get travelers thinking about vacations and because of this cruise lines and travel agents often offer extra incentives. Regardless of the reasons, cruise lines realize not many people are booking cruises during these times so you can often find the best deals of the year. Cruise lines typically provide good sales in January to encourage potential cruisers to fill their ships.

Rule #2: DON’T think there is a magic website with cheaper cruise fares

However, if every cruise line slashed prices last-minute, people would catch on and wait to book their trip. It seems like basic logic that if a cruise were about to set sail with empty rooms, the company would slash prices to get people on the ship. After all, once a room leaves empty, it earns no money for the cruise line. While the lure of last-minute cruise deals tempt people, data actually suggests that it’s a much better idea to book as far in advance as possible. Booking a cruise is a lot like booking a flight (which, you may also have to do to reach your ship). There are countless resources out there to help, ranging from travel agents to booking sites like Cruisewatch and CruiseDirect.

Is There a Best Month/Season to Book a Cruise (Such as Wave Season)?

The best time to book a cruise depends on where and when you plan on traveling. Some guests reserve theirs over a year in advance while others commit just a few weeks before. But, if you plan accordingly, you can take advantage of seasonal promotions and exclusive onboard booking programs. Another one of the best times to book a cruise is when you’re actually on a cruise.

Some may offer their own incentives in addition to the cruise line’s offers. If you’re booking several months or more than a year in advance, make sure to use this time to do your research and make comparisons to decide which option is the best fit. It's hard to determine the best time to cruise the Panama Canal at the lowest prices.

This strategy is best if you plan to book early and aren't as concerned about the ship selling out immediately. Are you guaranteed to find the cheapest, most freebie-laden pricing during these months? Cruise lines sometimes inflate prices before a sale, so deals for 30% or 50% off may not be as good as you think. Or, the cruise line may offer its best fares in a one-off sale at another time of year. A special offer, bringing unusual benefits like a reduced deposit, onboard credit, complimentary upgrades and more, are common during wave season. The trick when booking far in advance is not locking in to a restricted promotion that prevents or discourages future changes to the booking.

If you’re researching European cruises, going to the Mediterranean has likely crossed your mind. You can visit countries like Greece, Croatia, and Italy along the southern coastline of Europe. Visit fabulous beaches, seaside cities, and enjoy Mediterranean cuisine.

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