Wondering when is the best time to book a cruise? If you do what the top cruise fans do, then you’ll be booking earlier than you might think.

Compared to land vacations, people new to cruising might be surprised how early you can book a cruise and why so many cruise experts recommend booking a cruise months, if not years, in advance.

But is there such a thing as too early? Or too late?

While there’s plenty of advice on sites like this, that ties better prices to earlier booking windows. Then again, booking more than a year out is really hard to plan due to work obligations, family events, vacation schedule and more.

Read more: Pros and Cons of booking a cruise early vs last-minute

The timing of your booking could make a difference in the cost, availability, and overall experience of your cruise.

To help you consider when to book your next cruise, we asked readers what they recommended. Read ahead for three different options, and the reasons why fans have a preferred timeline. 

Read more: First time cruisers: What to know before booking a Royal Caribbean cruise

On our Instagram, we polled readers about which timeline they usually use for booking: more than one year in advance, 6-12 months in advance, or less than six months in advance.

More than one year in advance

41% of viewers, 502 votes to be exact, said they book their cruises more than a year in advance.

On our Royal Caribbean Blog Facebook page, readers expanded on why they prefer that timeline.

John Mavros said he books “always more than a year in advance. Best cabin selection.”

Booking early gives you a wider selection of cabins to choose from, allowing you first pick of the best staterooms. Especially if you have specific preferences or requirements for a room, being one of the first tickets will ensure you have the best availability.

Karen G. Zucker commented: “At least one year in advance.. sometimes two years. We need a handicapped room so we strategically plan!”

If you need a specific type of stateroom, like a handicapped-accessible room, booking early will confirm that one is still open for you. Whether you want a suite, balcony, or a specific location on the ship, early booking increases your chances of getting exactly the cabin you desire.

Readers also said that booking gave them a better price.

“More than a year in advance gets the best deals generally,” Justin Revell commented.

Joy Pralle wrote that she books “more than a year in advance.” and has seen “prices double or even triple when I try to do a mock booking closer to the cruise date.”

Cruise lines often offer rewarding deals and promotions to travelers who book their cruises more in advance. These deals include reduced fares or onboard credits, and can usually save you some money.

Several readers, like Michael Ott, said they book as soon as itineraries open “to get the best price.” 

If you have to make any other travel arrangements to arrive at your cruise ship, this benefit of an improved price will also include those, such as any planes or shuttles you’ll have to take to your cruise line. Purchasing those flights and other rides earlier will get you a better deal. 

For those excited about popular excursions or destinations, booking further in advance will also ensure that you get the best availability for your activities. 

If price or room availability are important factors, and you don’t mind planning a while in advance, booking a year or more ahead could be the best option for you. 

Between 6-12 months in advance

47% of readers, the majority on our poll, voted that they usually book their cruise between 6-12 months ahead of time. 

Brian Fluno said he usually books “between 6-9 months” earlier, and hasn’t had a problem, despite usually booking “prime dates like spring break, Christmas, and New Year’s.”

Booking 6-12 in advance can save some of the earlier availability and allow you to plan ahead while still reserving time for any unexpected changes.

Cruisers traveling in groups might also find that this is the best timeline, as it allows everyone to work around their own schedule, accommodations, and needs.

When it comes to scheduling conflicts, Carlos Varela said they “used to book further out” but now pick this timeline because “price differential refundable/nonrefundable has increased so much we cannot risk losing a deposit because of unanticipated scheduling conflicts.”

If you want to avoid disappointment and losing a deposit, booking 6-12 months ahead is the right time slot.

Jamie Fordham added that this timeline gives her “enough time to save and pay off and plan the rest.”

For Michele Saunders, it depends on the length of the cruise: “Short cruises about 6 months. Something like Alaska—a year to 18 months.”

Adjusting to the length or price of your cruise is always a good option for the best travel experience. To avoid any mishaps, allow yourself more time to plan those longer cruises. 

6-12 months was our most popular option. For planners with busier schedules or those who don’t want to risk losing money in a refund, this is the perfect time to book your cruise.

Read more: When is the best time to book a cruise?

Less than six months

13% of our readers said they plan a little more short-term, booking less than six months before their cruise.

Shakira Liz Estades Pérez wrote: “I'm that type of person who always think everything can change in a while and don't feel comfortable with booking for so many time in advance.”

It can be hard to plan more than six months ahead of time. If you prefer spontaneous travel or have less flexible vacations or paid time off, this may be a more realistic timeline for you.

For a booking this close to the cruise, it takes away more of the pressure around planning for months at a time.

Additionally, if the cruise line has any last-minute deals or cancellations, this would be the time to look for them. Staying flexible and spontaneous could save you money in the end.

Justin Hollon added that airfare deals are usually in the 3-6 month range as well, so keep that in mind if you need other travel arrangements. 

Last-minute bookings also allow you to travel during the off-season, avoiding busier crowds or higher prices. 

More experienced cruisers who are familiar with the cruise industry and booking process will also feel more comfortable booking last minute. 

Planning a cruise? Start here:

• 8 cruise tips for first-time Royal Caribbean cruisers
• What’s included in your Royal Caribbean cruise fare
• 5 quick and easy tips for finding a great shore excursion on your own
• Food on a Royal Caribbean cruise
• Which is the best Royal Caribbean cruise ship?
• What is the best time to go on a Caribbean cruise?

It looks like it will be easier than ever to place a temporary hold on a new booking.

Royal Caribbean has updated its website booking engine to allow temporary holds to be placed in lieu of placing a deposit.

A courtesy hold allows a guest to hold a booking for 24 or 48 hours with no deposit. Different verbiage refers to either 24 or 48 hours on Royal Caribbean's website.

This hold allows the guest to hold not only the cabin, but also the promotional pricing. It's only available for single cabin bookings.

Guests that place a courtesy hold should receive a reminder email to place a deposit before the 48 hour window expires.

If no payment is made before the 48 hour window expires, the reservation is automatically cancelled.

Up until now, the guests were not allowed to place a hold on their own.  Travel agents were able to do this on behalf of their clients, however.

The holds appear to be for about 48 hours and is not available for all types of sailings.  It's not clear yet what the methodology is for which sailings get the option to place a hold via the website, but the new feature is still in testing.

The courtesy hold option has appeared and disappeared over the last couple of days, indicating Royal Caribbean is still testing the new feature.

Managing holds

In addition to the ability to place a hold, Royal Caribbean has added a new area in a guest's account to easily see holds that are placed.

When visiting your account on Royal Caribbean's website, there's a new "Courtesy Holds" option listed.

Why place a hold

There are a few good reasons to place a hold on a cabin before booking a cruise.

Placing a hold locks in the price, which means you have more time to decide to book the cruise.

You not only get to hold the price, but also any promotions that come with the price, such as kids sail free, onboard credit, et al.

All too often, cabins get booked up before someone can decide on if they want to cruise.  This ensures more time to get vacation time approved from work, pet setting, and other considerations you may need to secure before being ready to book.

Another advantage of a hold is you can investigate which add-ons are available to book, such as drink packages, shore excursions, and more.

Unlike a booking, there's no money at play. This means it's easy to lock in a price of a cabin for a short period of time to decide later.

Another easy way to place a hold

If the new feature is not available for the sailing you are looking at, or simply don't want to deal with booking on your own, travel agents can place holds on any sailing.

Royal Caribbean has always allowed travel agents to place a courtesy hold for guests, and this means less work for the guest. Plus, if the hold is converted to a booking, the travel agent can service the booking.

Travel agents have their own tools to place holds and book cruises.

Courtesy hold vs deposit

You might be wondering what the differences and advantages are to placing a hold or a deposit on a sailing.

A courtesy hold requires no money down, but only lasts up to 48 hours before it expires.  

A deposit requires at least a few hundred dollars down, but ensures that cabin is yours until you cancel or if you fail to make final payment date.

Both a courtesy hold and a deposit secure the price and promotions at the time of booking.

If you cancel a hold, there's no penalty or money to be refunded. A cancelled deposit means potentially money to be refunded and/or money lost due to a penalty from a non-refundable deposit type.

You should think of courtesy holds as a way to give yourself more time to think about booking without losing a specific cabin and/or price.  

Deposits ensure the room is yours until final payment date, albeit with certain rules depending on which deposit type you choose (refundable or non-refundable).

If your sailing is already past final payment date, then full payment will be required at the time of booking.  A courtesy hold would still allow you to reserve a room temporarily without money down.

A reservation for a Royal Caribbean cruise comes in a variety of cruise fare choices, including a group rate that comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

So what is a group rate, and why might you want one?

Group rates are a type of cruise fare, where a travel agency reserves a bank of staterooms on a particular ship and sailing that locks in the price for a set period of time.

Traditionally, group rates are used to facilitate gatherings of guests sailing on the same same cruise ship in order to better organize their sailing, as well as provide additional benefits specifically for the group.

One key reason group rates are popular with travel agents are the fact the prices freeze, and even if the price for the same category room rises in the weeks and months after a group is made, the group rate remains frozen at the lower rate.

While group rates are most commonly associated with a gathering of people who are tied together somehow, there are no rules about who may or may not take advantage of a group rate.  This means, travel agents who are booking a new client that wants to sail on a cruise where there is an existing group set up, can book that client into the group and provide them additional savings.

In fact, many online websites that sell cruises tend to use groups as a tool for offering lower cruise fares. 

If you have ever shopped around for a cruise, and noticed a certain website offering a lower price than anywhere else, it is almost always the result of a group fare.

In most cases, being part of a group rate is something guests will never know about or need to be concerned with since it is has no impact on the onboard experience.

Differences between group rates and individual rates

There are a few differences between a group rate and an individual rate that occasionally pop up.

First, group rates require a full deposit when making the booking. This means if there is a discount on the cruise deposit offered by Royal Caribbean (i.e. NextCruise bookings), you must pay the difference in deposit amount in order to get into the group.

Likewise, some Royal Caribbean booking promotions may not be compatible with the group fares.  

Since there is a significant discount for being in a group, Royal Caribbean tends not to offer the same discounts as someone who is potentially paying more with an individual fare. While this sounds unfair, more often than not, the person in the group is still getting a lower price.

Different kinds of cruise fares: Here be dragons

If you are not confused yet, there is way more options available when it comes to cruise fares that can blur the line between individual rates and group rates.

Travel agents (and yes, third-party websites are a kind of travel agent) have a lot of leeway with how they book their customers. After all, nearly any client is interested in the best rate and the type of fare is almost always irrelevant.

You can be booked into a standard cruise rate and then be pulled into a group later. That means you have still a standard rate, but not a group rate.

Most good travel agents will tell you if you actually have a group rate versus a standard rate.

In addition, families of 3 or 4 do not get group rates.  Group rates tend to be for two people in a room, so someone booked with that many people in a room are just standard rates pulled into a “group space” or block.

Should I care if I have a group rate?

Most of the time, it does not matter at all what type of rate you get, as long as you are getting the lowest possible fare.

The two concerns are if you really value a lower deposit amount, or a specific promotion.

If you booked directly with Royal Caribbean, you can be assured you have a standard individual rate.

If you booked with a travel agent, you can ask what type of rate you currently have and if it is part of a group or not.

Royal Caribbean offers special rates for police, firefighter and military members on select sailings. 

These special rates are meant to recognize and reward those that serve their county and community.

Police and Firefighters

Special rates for fire and police require there must be at least one guest in the stateroom that is an active or retired, volunteer or employee of a local, state or federal law enforcement agency or fire department in the United States.

When boarding the ship on the first day of your cruise, you will be required to present valid proof of employment (badge or ID) plus a second form of identification when boarding the ship.

Spouses, parents, in-laws, children or other family members or friends are not eligible for the rate without the eligible person occupying the stateroom. 

Military Rates

To qualify for a Military rate, at least one guest in the stateroom must be classified as one of the following,

1. Active personnel currently serving in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, Reserves or Canadian National Defense.
2. Retired from any of the divisions listed directly above.
3. Veterans with an Honorable Discharge serving a minimum of 2 years, or 6-months in an active war zone, in any of the United States service divisions listed above.

At least one guest per stateroom must be eligible to be considered in compliance with these rates.

Spouses of actively deployed military personnel are eligible to book one stateroom as long as the eligible spouse is occupying the stateroom. This rate also applies to all other guests traveling in the same stateroom.

Spouses of deceased military personnel are also eligible for the military rate. As proof of eligibility, spouses must present the Pink or Tan Dependent Military ID upon check-in.

if you are unable to provide proof upon check-in at the pier, it will result in the reservation being re-priced to the lowest available fare for that particular day and the guest will be responsible to pay for any differences immediately or risking denial of boarding.

How to get the special rate

To check for special rates, inform your travel agent or Royal Caribbean representative at the time of booking that you qualify for a veteran rate. 

These special rates will vary from sailing to sailing, and there are potentially more lucrative discounts available depending on the ship and sail date you choose.  

Check out our new RoyalCaribbeanBlog video that shares what you need to know about booking a refundable or non-refundable cruise fare.

Royal Caribbean offers two types of deposits when you book a cruise, and each has their benefits and drawbacks. In this video, Matt shares the pros and cons of each fare type and advice on which to choose.

And if you love this video, we have lots of other great cruise videos to watch on our Royal Caribbean Blog YouTube Channel!

By the way, have you subscribed yet? Be sure to subscribe to our channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: Which fare deposit option do you prefer and why?

Royal Caribbean has added a new option for guests booking a cruise directly with the cruise line via its website, where they can finance the cruise fare cost.

An update to the Royal Caribbean website now offers a monthly payment plan option, along side the traditional booking option.

The montly payment option is financed through a third-party service known as UpLift, in which a first payment is due at booking and subsequent payments taken each month thereafter.  An annual percentage rate (APR) is also tacked onto the total cost for the financing service.

Upon checkout, the user is given the choice to use Pay Monthly for the cruise, at which point the site will check the person's credit rating to determine the exact annual percentage rate that will be used.

UpLift advertises itself as a provider of consumer financing exclusively for the purpose of travel. It works with over 200 travel providers, such as airlines, resorts, hotels and more.

Do you think you will take advantage of this service? Share your thoughts on this option in this blog post's comments section.

Royal Caribbean announced today a change to its non-refundable deposit program, where beginning November 1, 2018, guests that book non-refundable deposit fares will no longer receive onboard credit for staterooms booked. Instead, the cruise line promises lower pricing on the cruise fare.

The decision to remove the onboard credit for non-refundable bookings has to do with onboard credit not being a factor in the booking process for many guests, "Over the past year, we regularly monitored booking analytics and conducted research which identified that the onboard credit was not influencing the consumer's buying decision. Based on these findings, the decision was made to sunset the onboard credit and to ensure that the non-refundable deposit program continues to offer the lowest pricing. This change will take effect for all new bookings made on-or-after November 1st, 2018."

Unless a change occurs to an existing reservation that forces a reprice to the booking, no impact will be seen to existing reservations. The amendments that lead to a reprice include, but are not limited to, amending the ship, sailing, or category of an existing reservation, as well as converting to a different fare or promotional offer. Should a reprice occur on-or after November 1st, 2018, the onboard credit will no longer apply.

Non-Refundable Deposit reservations made prior to November 1st, 2018 qualify to earn an onboard credit of up to $100 per stateroom.  Those who book non-refundable deposit fares on-or-after November 1st, 2018 will no longer qualify to earn an onboard credit of up to $100 per stateroom.

Royal Caribbean announced a new cruise cancellation policy that will go into effect on all bookings made on or after April 8, 2018.

The policy change is aimed at encouraging guests to finalize their bookings earlier.  The cancellation policy adjustments announced, "were decided upon in an effort to better align with industry standards and to make the schedule simpler and more concise."

The change impacts both individual, NextCruise, and group reservations created on or after April 8, 2018.

Royal Caribbean last updated its cancellation policy in February 2016.

Royal Caribbean has released details on the launch of its non-refundable deposit program, where guests can opt to make a cruise reservation with a no-refund policy on the deposit.

Beginning June 13, guests can expect to see the non-refundable deposit option live on various products. Royal Caribbean will work with these test products leading up to the fleet wide launch on July 1, 2017.

Here are the sailings eligible for the non-refundable deposit program

Caribbean

• Freedom of the Seas departing San Juan
  • Sailing window: May 12, 2018 through August 25, 2018
• Rhapsody of the Seas departing Tampa, FL
  • Sailing window: January 7, 2018 through April 29, 2018
• Adventure of the Seas departing from Northeast
  • Sailing window: May 5, 2018 through October 8, 2018

Alaska

• Explorer of the Seas
  • Sailing window: May 18, 2018 through September 7, 2018
• Radiance of the Seas
  • Sailing window: May 18, 2018 through September 7, 2018

Europe

• Jewel of the Seas departing from Rome roundtrip
  • Sailing window June 17, 2018 through September 2, 2018

Non-refundable fares booked 6-months or more from sail date, recieve automatic Early Booking Incentive bonus. The early booking credit is combinable with promotional onboard credit offers, Crown & Anchor discounts, and NextCruise benefits.

• Sailings 1-5 nights
  • Interior/Oceanview: $25 OBC
  • Balcony/Suite: $50 OBC
• Sailings 6+ nights
  • Interior/Oceanview: $50 OBC
  • Balcony/Suite: $100 OBC

A non-refundable deposit will become the only option for those guests interested in reserving an upper Suite. This also holds true for guarantee categories, including W/WS, X/XB, XN, Y/YO, and Z/ZI.

As of July 1st, 2017, the fleet-wide launch of nonrefundable deposit fares will debut across all ships.

A change fee of $100 per guest will be imposed to all reservations booked under a nonrefundable deposit fare that opts to change either the ship and/or sail date originally selected. Multiple adjustments to the ship and/or sail date of a booking will result in the assessment of a $100 per guest change fee for each qualifying change made to the reservation. There is no limit on the number of change fees that can be incurred.

Outside of final payment, when a nonrefundable deposit cancellation occurs, guests will receive a Future Cruise Certificate in the amount of their designated cruise deposit, less the $100 per guest change fee.

Royal Caribbean announced today a new non-refundable deposit program, which is an addition to the traditional refundable deposit model.  

When making a cruise reservation at least 6-months prior to sailing, guests who opt to take advantage of nonrefundable deposit fares will automatically qualify to earn up to $100 per stateroom to spend at sea. Early booking credit is combinable with the existing promotional offer available at time of booking,

As of July 1, 2017, the fleet-wide launch of nonrefundable deposit fares will debut across all ships. A soft launch will occur via promotion on May 26th 2017 on select ships/sail dates.

Royal Caribbean also announced a a non-refundable deposit will become the only option for those guests interested in reserving an upper Suite (specifically Grand Suite or higher). This also holds true for guarantee categories, including W/WS, X/XB, XN, Y/YO, and Z/Z.

In an effort to deter continual or late ship/sail date adjustments, a change fee of $100 per guest will be imposed to all reservations booked under a nonrefundable deposit fare that opts to change either the ship and/or sail date originally selected. Such fees will be incurred, without exception, at time of change, thus, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that your clients are aware of the detailed terms of this program at time of booking. Multiple adjustments to the ship and/or sail date of a booking will result in the assessment of a $100 per guest change fee for each qualifying change made to the reservation. There is no limit on the number of change fees that can be incurred.

Change fees are only incurred should an adjustment to the ship and/or sail date occur; therefore, no change fee will be assessed upon swapping between category types on the same ship and sail date.

If guests opt to cancel a cruise reserved under the nonrefundable deposit fare, that is outside of final payment, guests will receive a Future Cruise Certificate in the amount of their designated cruise deposit, less the $100 per guest change fee. Such Future Cruise Certificates can be applied towards a future Royal Caribbean cruise vacation when reserved within 1 year of the issue date. Thereafter, the Future Cruise Certificate will expire and becomes invalid.

Nonrefundable deposit fares are combinable with promotional onboard credit offers, Crown & Anchor discounts, and NextCruise benefits.

What do you think of this new non-refundable deposit program? Will you take advantage of it? Let us know in the comments!