Booking DCL Sept 2027 tips please.

[Nick6300]

Book early, but also keep watching prices starting about 6 mos prior to sail as September cruises are often targeted for discounts. If you are not too picky with room location, you may be able to switch to a guarantee rate that can be significantly cheaper...BUT you have to be willing to take the room they assign you. I've done most of my cruises this way and did not mind any of the rooms assigned. Keep in mind, sometimes early dining will already be full by then. If coming from the West coast, late dining might be preferable due to the 3hr time change. Although, out of 10 cruises, there was only 1 time early dining was full for me, but that was a holiday weekend and I booked less than 2mos out.

Since you you do not plan to sail until 2027, get familiar with the "Special Offers" page this year to familiarize yourself with pricing patterns. If you have a Costco card, you can book with them for the Shop Card they give with booking. I've found it's given me savings of about 6% and I put it on my Costco visa for another 2%

As far as taking in the 4th in your cabin? My vote would be a hard "NO." You are spending a lot of money to have a family vacation. Enjoy the special time with your little family.

Thanks for your support on taking in the 4th. It will definitely come up again though, especially if the grandparents have issues getting that family suite on the balcony. Hopefully I even get a choice/voice. This same sister in law sent over her kids for an entire week on the last week of Dec., with the grandparents. I joked, where is their lunch money. I had started planning restaurants, and, had already bought some groceries, and planned some meals, bought hockey tickets for what I thought was 6 of us, and then no one told me about the kids for a week until the day of. On our Sept WDW trip, my sis in law did go with us, so only one of their kids were sent to the grandparents room. Every trip has that happen, such as the Dells in June. But this cruise is kind of where I draw the line. But we shall see. I probably lose. Just like that I predict we will have a puppy or kitten in a couple of years.

We don't have Costco membership. We do have Sams. I feel like my wife is set on doing a travel agent though. Which is a bummer if there are better deals out there. I think there's a comfort in feeling like we're set up correctly or something. I'm not picky on my room other than that I want my interior stateroom with no windows, and no doors (just kidding). It does sound like we want that early dinner time given our groups' needs.

We did do some pricing for this Aug-Oct, and it seemed like mid Sept was the cheapest for a 4 night stay in the Caribbean. The 4 night or maybe even 3 makes sense because of us pairing it with a 3 night WDW with limited vacation time, and the expensive cruise would be cheaper, and etc.