When to actually book your next cruise is sometimes a bigger question than some may think. Like anything, when you're booking a cruise, you want to make sure you're getting the best deal out there. You don't want to go on your cruise knowing the guy two staterooms down from you got the same cabin as you for 25% off. The fact of the matter is pricing for cruises is a very fluid and changing experience but with the right information, you can do your best to know when exactly to book.
Early!
For years Royal Caribbean has urged its customers to book early. It's a mantra that for a while was a nice suggestion but these days it's the truth. The best prices for cruises on Royal Caribbean are when the cruise line first starts taking bookings. Prices tend to rise as you get closer and closer to your sailing date, so waiting to book can actually cost you more money.
So why does the price increase as you get closer? For one, it's a matter of supply and demand. The more people that book, the less supply there is and therefore, the price rises. In addition, Royal Caribbean wants people to book early so it can fill up their ships and by giving early birds financial incentive to book early, it helps Royal Caribbean accomplish that goal.
That's not to say that if you don't book 2 years in advance you will pay too much, but you do want to book your cruise as soon as humanly possible, especially once you know which cruise you want. Remember, you can book your cruise and put down just a deposit which will lock in that price and then you have until final payment to cancel your cruise with full refund.
The exception
So far the key phrase has been to book early, but there are exceptions. If you're flexible with your cruise dates and destinations, there are plenty of last minute deals out there. Royal Caribbean recognizes that in some cases their ships aren't quite full and when it gets close to the sail date, they can lower the price to encourage last minute bookings. Frankly, there's no telling which cruise and when will offer these. But if you live close enough to a cruise port that you could drive (and therefore last minute airfare would not be prohibitively expensive), a last minute cruise might be up your alley.
In my experience, the best last minute fares are for times of the year most people can't or wont cruise. We're talking hurricane season or right before big holidays (with the idea that nobody takes vacation a week or two before a big holiday like Christmas since everyone gets that time already built in off). There's usually a deal out there at any given time, but the degree of savings can vary greatly. And of course there's the question of if whatever cruise is on sale even interests you. Basically, waiting for the last minute is a big crap shoot.
