When to book

[nycruiser1975]

I am a first time cruiser and need the advice from a more experienced cruiser. Due to the up coming Holidays, I would prefer to book in Jan for an April 9, 06 cruise. What are your suggestions. I already made my mind up for an inside cabin, so cabin does not matter. Will I still be able to sail on this date

[Raoul Fiebig]

nycruiser1975,

personally I would be as early as possible. At the time of booking, you will have to pay a deposit only, not the full prize.

[nycruiser1975]

Yeah I heard about the deposit only, but with thanksgiving and Xmas at my house, it is cutting it pretty close into my son's gift, not to mention his birthday is 12/20. Is the the end of december too late

[Raoul Fiebig]

nycruiser1975,

there is no general rule as to "when it's too late". Most mass-market cruise ships sailing from U.S. ports sail at 100% occupancy or more (100% occupancy is the number of lower beds, while upper berths or other extra beds can result in higher occupancy rates).

Your travel agent should be able to see how well the cruise is booked and he or she might also be able to tell you how soon a cruise at that time usually sells out. But please remember that there can be no guarantee whatsoever that the ship will have occupancy left at a later point.

You could very well be lucky, but you might be facing a disappointment. Booking early avoids this. I know it's easy for me to say this, but sadly, that's how it is.

[joeyanddavid]

HI,

I would imagine that there will still be cabins available 3 months out, depending on cruiseline, cruise ship and Itinerary. Some Itineraies tend to sell more quickly then others.

As an example I booked a cruise over a year in advance because We wanted a particular cabin and I knew that this Itinerary was going to sell fast for the type of stateroom we wanted.
I also just booked a cruise 45 days out and got more than enough choices regarding staterooms.

As you stated you want an inside cabin for your first cruise, I think you should be able to accomplish your goals 90 to 100 out of embarkation.

Good luck.

P.S. I know what its like to have a December birthday Mom was born on the 11th and my birthday is the 27th