Monday, April 1, 2024

When to Book Your Dream Cruise, By Destination

best time to book a cruise

Cruises at the beginning (April and May) and end (September and October) of Alaska's cruise season are generally a bit cheaper than those in June, July and August. Alaska cruise weather can be chilly (in the 40s to 50s) first thing in the morning and at night. However, if it's a sunny summer day, temperatures can shoot into the 70s and even low 80s. It also rains a lot in Alaska; it's drier in the spring than in the summer. Restaurant prices in Alaska can be high, but a cruise bundles meals, accommodations and transportation into one price that, with sales, can be cheaper than you'd think.

When do cruises go to Alaska?

But it’s one of the most popular cruise options that continues to grow in popularity. As a seasonal destination, you must act swiftly and book well in advance if you want specific dates on a certain cruise line and your preferred stateroom. You can usually find the best prices for an Alaska cruise during the shoulder season months of April, May, September and October.

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Pinpointing the optimal moment to secure your dream cruise involves a delicate balance of factors that influence pricing and availability. While industry trends like wave season can certainly be advantageous, the ever-changing dynamics of cruise fares call for a vigilant approach. Cruisebound is your ultimate ally, providing a comprehensive platform for booking cruises online and uncovering unbeatable cruise deals. With Cruisebound's expertise at your fingertips, you can confidently navigate the intricate landscape of cruise booking, ensuring you embark on your dream voyage at the best possible value.

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best time to book a cruise

Aussies generally vacation between late December and January, so expect big crowds and jammed ports during that time. Regardless of when you're booking a cruise, you'll want to know if the fare you're paying for your vacation at sea is a cheap deal, average or overpriced. The exception is world cruises (and other highly anticipated and publicized short-season sailings, like Great Lakes cruises). World cruises have sold out within hours, even with price tags of $150,000 per couple. Within a given cruise sale's promotional period, I've seen cabin prices fluctuate daily and I've seen them stay the same for a week.

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. Then, if you don’t see the deal you want over the holidays, go ahead and set up email alerts with the cruise lines so you don’t miss any deals starting in January. Today, cruising is an $18.6 billion industry with countless players competing to fill ships as quickly as possible.

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Finally, the cruise lines are simply looking to fill rooms faster so they can maximize revenue, plan berths and coordinate other logistics a little earlier in the year. Whether you cruise multiple times per year or you're new to cruising, the goal of Royal Caribbean Blog is for it to be a useful resource for keeping up to date with what's new and exciting with Royal Caribbean. The other really good time of year to book a cruise is when Royal Caribbean releases new itineraries. Prices of a cruise can change by the minute, and there isn't any kind of pattern that favors one day over another. While the cruise line's internal pricing logic isn't publicly known, anecdotally, there isn't any reason a price would be less on a certain day. Cruise ships offer a variety of amenities and activities to keep passengers comfortable and entertained during their voyage.

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However, if you're very flexible with when and where you sail, there could be something out there if you keep your eyes out for price drops. If a cruise is past final payment date and not all rooms have been booked, Royal Caribbean may drop prices in order to encourage more passengers to book the cruise. Plus, you might find that Black Friday cruise deals are not very different from promotions you’ll see throughout the rest of the year. Unlike retail and technology stores, for example, cruise pricing does not drastically change on Black Friday.

When to book an Alaska cruise

If you prefer to stay grounded, you can find informative trolley tours of ports like Skagway. Some lines also offer Alaska cruisetours that venture into Canada's Yukon, including a few Holland America tours that combine half a cruise with a cruisetour that starts or ends in Skagway. If you book a weeklong Gulf of Alaska voyage, you'll also enjoy exploring parts of the Inside Passage and its ports that could include a mix of Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Icy Strait Point. Additionally, you'll have one day spent cruising the Inside Passage and one focused on "scenic cruising," where you can enjoy the landscapes but won't go ashore. This is not nearly as boring as you might think since you'll see incredible sights like Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve or Hubbard Glacier. Many people trek to Alaska to commune with nature, but there's also history here that you shouldn't overlook.

During those months, it's more pleasant to engage in outdoor adventures like hiking and kayaking, which are a highlight when visiting places like Panama and Costa Rica. The two shoulder seasons – from April to early June and September to October – offer comfortable temperatures, but you'll need to dress in layers. For example, a seven-night round-trip cruise in November or early December 2024 with Norwegian Cruise Line starts at $1,649.

They have connections with the cruise lines and can get through to rectify any issues without you having to call and wait on hold for hours. Moreover, the service of a travel advisor has become ever more indispensable in this era of flight delays and cancellations, and ever-changing travel requirements. It might be tempting to book a cruise around special occasions, tax refunds, milestone events, or when an attractive deal pops up on your radar. With a little strategizing, you can save money and get the most value for your dollar. Amenity add-ons, like beverage packages, onboard credit, Wi-Fi, laundry service, and included gratuities, only have a value if you are going to use them.

You have a higher chance of scoring that excellent deal if you are flexible with the departure date, route, or destination time frame. The best time to visit Canada and New England is highly subjective based on what your goal is in going there. If you want the warmest, sunniest weather to explore quaint coastal towns and cities on the northern Atlantic seaboard, July and August are your best bets.

Nearly every major cruise line has a presence in Alaska from May through mid-September, with some offering sailings as early as April or as late as October. Cold temperatures, icy waters and a long snowy season are not conducive to early spring and late fall cruises. While wave season is known for offering cruise bargains, not every cruise line unveils their top offers during this period. If a cruise is experiencing high demand and filling up rapidly, there's little incentive for the company to introduce discounts.

Book a fare, and if you see it drop later, you can call the cruise line and get the price difference either refunded or get the difference back as onboard credit. And if you miss out on booking early but a last minute cruise is too dicey, you can find a low price in between. Just look for cruise line promotions -- fare sales and extra-perk offers -- and book when you see a good offer. You want the cheapest possible price and don't mind being flexible about your cruise ship and itinerary. This strategy is best for cruisers who live close to a homeport and don't have to rely on last-minute airfare. If you're not interested in high-season travel or experiencing the latest cruise ship, you can play the waiting game and pounce as soon as fares drop.

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