early booking price advantage

[deltadinah]

This is my first post. I've been lurking for months so finally decided I may as well join in as I've become obsessed anyway.
I've certainly learned lots just reading.

I'm wondering how early is the early booking price? I booked in February for Feb.2005 and so far there is no price difference(DCL).
If you can still get an early booking price 3 months out, it would seem the real advantage of booking early would be to get the room that you wanted. We only managed to get one of the category 6 cabins for the price of cat.7 because someone cancelled. Anyone have any ideas on the early booking price?

 

[floridaminnie]

As the cruise ship becomes more booked up the computer automatically raises the price.

 

[kpros]

Take the repositioning cruises as an example. The "early booking" discounts were gone in the first few hours and the prices went up as the day progressed. So in this case "early booking" meant 2 hours (approximately).

Ken

 

[lbgraves]

We booked our 12/4/04 cruise on 12/30/03. It is now listed at 4146. We paid 2600 for it back then, so yes, as the cruise gets closer you will probably see a difference in the amount listed on DCL's site.

 

[Zandy595]

Another advantage to booking early is you get the dinner seating you want. If it's important to you to have early seating you have to book early.

 

[deltadinah]

You're right Zandy495, I did get early dining. Another advantage is looking forward and planning, knowing you are booked, but I also know it will feel good to see the price go up knowing I made the right decision to book early. It seems so many trips its a gamble to wait long enough for prices to come down, but not so long that availability is very limited or gone. I guess I' ll be playing the waiting game with airline tickets though!

 

[deltadinah]

Oops, sorry Zandy595!

 

[invaderzim]

We always book ahead for these four reasons:

1. EBS (early booking savings). Yes, your price may be the same right now, but as the ship fills, it will go up substantially.

2. We get the stateroom we want in the location we want! Plus you get an actual stateroom number, not a guaranty.

3. Get the dining seating we want

4. Have time to pay it off over a year or more! Much easier on the pocketbook.

 

[kcashner]

There is no disadvantage to early booking...other than the fact that DCL has your deposit longer so you lose a very small amount of potential interest on the money.

IF the price of your cruise drops (this sometimes happens in January or late September), DCL will meet the lower rate IF you ask them to. THat is, they don't give it to you automatically, but if you or your TA call them, you will get the lower rate. Usually, the price of the cruise goes up. This is standard practice as the ship fills. In this case, you got a better deal by booking early. In addition, you had all your requests met in terms of dinner seating, cabin location/number, etc.

 

[kshabare]

deltadinah, when are you going? We're going February 26, 2005 and we're sooooo excited. Hope you'll be with us.


Kim

 

[deltadinah]

We're on the land/sea Feb3/05(cruising on the 6th)