Although getting a deal on price is important, it's not the only thing you should consider while deciding when to book your cruise. (Photo: Oceania Cruises)
Trying to figure out the ideal time to buy your cruise and get the best deal is like trying to predict a sports score: All you can do is look at the stats and make an educated guess. When you book your cruise a whole host of other factors also come into play. For instance, you need to consider whether you want a preferred balcony cabin or are just looking for a bargain and will take any cabin you can get (see Choosing a Cabin, for more on selecting the right one for you). In other words, though getting a deal on price is important, it's not the only consideration.
Nevertheless, getting that bargain is often on everyone's mind. Cruise prices fluctuate based on supply and demand as well as a host of other factors.
Some reasons for high prices:
- High-demand ship or route (including brand new ships)
- Popular season, such as when kids are out of school
- High fuel costs
Some reasons for discounted prices:
- Geopolitical issues
- Shoulder season
- Overcapacity in a region
Early-Bird Savings:
Cruise lines set what they call brochure rates — the rates featured in one column in their glossy brochures (and sometimes online, too). Like a hotel rack rate, rarely does anyone actually pay these full cruise rates (an exception to this rule is small, expedition ships, which tend to stick to their set rate). Often, you need only skip to an adjacent column in that cruise brochure and you'll see discounts, sometimes pretty hefty ones. These are known in the industry as early-bird fares.
If you book your cruise 6 to 12 months or more in advance, which is a good idea for popular regions like Alaska in summer, early-bird rates are what you're likely to pay (barring any other promotions that reduce these fares even further). Cruise lines reward those who plan ahead with their best prices upfront. Fares generally rise as a sailing date draws nearer, though rates may decline again based on last-minute availability.
There are advantages to booking early-bird rates:
They often represent savings in the range of 25% to 50%. You get first dibs on itineraries, dates, and cabins. You can also book your air and hotel early to assure availability (and potentially lower airfares).
Note: If you paid an early-bird fare and the cruise line lowers the price even more before you have made final payment on your cruise, you might be able to get an adjustment to your rate. Some lines will do this and some won't, but it never hurts to ask (or have your travel agent ask).
Last-Minute Deals:
About 60 to 90 days before a given sailing, cruise lines get a clear picture of who's actually coming aboard — passengers who paid their full fare rather than just putting down a deposit. Sometimes lines start panicking if there's lot of space to fill on a ship. This panic sometimes goads them into offering last-minute fares — potentially rock-bottom prices of $499 or sometimes even less for a weeklong Caribbean sailing.
It's important to keep in mind that in a healthy economy there are fewer last-minute deals. Cruise lines know if they reduce everything at the last minute no one will pay higher early-bird prices so they limit their reductions, even if it means sailing with a few empty cabins.
If you're waiting for last-minute deals, know that:
You sacrifice a lot of choice in terms of ship, itinerary, and cabin types (the cheapest and most expensive tend to sell out first). Getting a decent last-minute airfare may be tough if you have to fly to your port of embarkation. Last-minute cruise fares are completely nonrefundable, and the full fare is due immediately upon booking.
Other Promotions:
In addition to the early-bird and last-minute price offerings, you should watch out for a big sale blitz in late October and again in January and February (during what the cruise industry calls Wave Season, when many passengers tend to plan and book peak-period cruises). Special deals suddenly appear, including for summer itineraries popular with families in the Caribbean, as the lines look to get more business on the books. October is also when you'll start seeing reduced fares for any holiday sailings that aren't selling.
Sales Promotions:
- Kids cruise free deals
- Cabin category upgrades
- Two-for-one fares
- Free or discounted airfare, shore excursions, and/or pre- and post-cruise hotel stays
- Shipboard credits (the equivalent of spending money to use onboard)
- Discount coupons for use on the ship
- "Guarantee" cabins (you pick a category and if it sells out you get an automatic upgrade)
But be careful when considering all of the above. An offer of a coupon booklet with savings of up to $300 is only good if the coupons apply to you. Will you actually be using the spa discount? And that guarantee cabin doesn't allow you to pick your specific stateroom, so you could get stuck in a less-than-desirable location on your ship. When assessing the deals do price comparisons. For example, it's not unknown for lines to hike fares and then put out an upgrade offer.
More Ways to Save:
If you can't commit to booking your cruise at a specific time, you can still take advantage of some discounts that will help you save money. The time of year you cruise, for example, can also lower the price tag. Shoulder periods are those weeks before or after the high season for a given sailing region. Cruising during these weeks is often slightly cheaper for a bunch of reasons, such as the weather may be a little cooler or rainier, or the kids may not be out of school yet so fewer families are onboard. A plus of booking shoulder season cruises is that airfares also tend to be cheaper during these periods.
Shoulder season periods include:
Europe: Mid-March and April, September to December
Alaska: May and September
Bermuda: April and October
Caribbean: a year-round destination, there are slow periods when fares are typically lower too, most notably September (after the kids go back to school) and October, the non-holiday weeks in November and December, and the post-holiday period from January to President's Day in February. Often there are deals as well right after Spring Break in April. Be aware that hurricanes can wreak havoc with Caribbean cruise itineraries in both summer and fall, so that cheap cruise might come with some additional risk.
Additional discounts:
There are standard discounts you can pretty much count on being offered by most lines, but it's up to you to ask for them.
Senior discounts. If you're 55 or older, some lines will take 5% off the top on select sailings. If you are a member of AARP (tel. 888/687-2277), you may be able to snag additional savings.
Military discounts. Cruise lines periodically offer savings for active or retired military personnel.
Repeat passenger. If you've cruised before you may be able to get 5% to 10% off as a repeat cruiser with a particular cruise line (see Cruise Line Loyalty Programs).
3rd and 4th passenger. Cruise prices are based on two people sharing a cabin. If there is a third or fourth person in your cabin their fare will typically be 30% to 60% off the double occupancy rate.
Other Tips:
Be flexible with your dates whenever possible. Discounts may vary by cruise and you may be able to save by booking a cruise a week earlier or a week later than you planned. Other little nuances: One-way cruises tend to be cheaper than round-trip ones, and repositioning cruises (when a ship changes markets) also have low per diems.
Putting Down a Deposit:
No matter when you choose to book your vacation, once you find your ideal cruise you'll have to put down a deposit — typically $200 to $350 per passenger for a weeklong cruise booked well in advance — to lock in the cabin and price. The remaining balance is due 60 to 90 days (depending on the line) before you set sail. Make sure you carefully review cancellation policies before signing on the dotted line. In some cases you may be able to get most of your money back if you have to cancel, but only if you do so well in advance. When you get to 30 days before the trip, the refund drops to 50%; within a week, it's your loss unless you have travel insurance.
Contributed by Fran Golden, Cruise expert.
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