Is there REALLY an early booking discount?

[TammyC]

I've been doing some price checking, and .. when I compare fares for March 2004 and March 2005, they come up the same. It is hard to have blind faith that they really are giving a discount and that the fare would be higher later on. Any thoughts on this?

 

[aprilgail2]

Since we booked our cruise the price has gone up over 1500.00...I would say that is a really good reason to book early...

 

[CarolAnnC]

Disney Cruise Line (like many others) uses a tier system of booking their fares. The earlier you book, the better the price. They virtually rely totally on this method now in pricing their cruises, doing away with other "spring" and "fall" "sales".

 

[DIScruisers4]

We booked our January 2004 cruise in the summer or 2002. Since that time, our cruise has gone up almost $1,800. Therefore, I say book early, but keep checking to see if prices move.

Good luck!

 

[strawberryblonde]

I booked our upcomming March 2004 cruise waaaayyy back in June 2002, the week they released our dates. If I were to book it today (comparing DCL prices here) it is more than double the cost!!!!!! I consider that savings.

I've read about people being shocked at the cost of March 2005, I think it is due to how Easter will fall that year. I expect the price will go higher still even so, look at the prices for Easter cruises for 2004 to get an idea.

 

[marley]

hmmmm..... I wonder if it depends on the category you book and the time of year.

I booked 765 days early for Halloween 2004 cruise. I am now 301 days away and the price hasn't moved a bit!!! I'm category 10 though so maybe that makes a difference.

I would just watch the prices.

 

[kcashner]

The prices tend to move as you get closer to the cruise date. They frequently do go up....however, if the ship is very "not full", there may be a price reduction for some categories. IF DCL lowers the price of your category on your sailing date, they will match the lower price when you or your TA ask.

The price of my cruise, my category has increased at least twice since we booked (both increases in the last month). THis puts the increases within 90 days of the cruise date.

 

[jeanniec]

How do you know if the price of your cruse has gone up? We booked thru AAA last August for 10/2/04 Eastern Antigua cruise. When I check the DCL website, it just gives a range of prices for each category. I have tried going thru DU and the price is the same for the category we have reserved -- Category 6, Deck 6. Is it too soon to expect to see a change in price?

 

[westjones]

It would seem that the Cat. 11s do not change quite as much as the upper levels.

I have a Cat. 10 booked for the 4 night Dec. 19, 2004 cruise and it has gone up $400 since we booked. But my sister is thinking of going with us in a Cat. 11 and so far there has been no change for those rooms.

We usually go in September and the Cat. 11s seem to hold their price all the way up until they sail! We book early because we wanted a secret porthole room. But if I were going to go back to a cat. 11, I would wait until closer to sailing for now on.

DJ

 

[jgalecpa]

Like everything, the price is based on supply and demand.

For popular cruises, the sooner they book up the lower the supply (and higher demand) for later bookings.

One of the group on our (popular) Xmas 2003 Cruise booked only 90 days ahead of time for a Cat 8 cruise and paid more for that one room than they did for TWO rooms (one Cat 7 and one Cat 10) on an easter 2005 cruise.

We booked 15 mos before the cruise and the price had gone up over $1,500 before the cruise.

HOWEVER, on some cruises, like the dead week cruises early January, the demand is not there and there have been (rare) price decreases.

DCL has elected as of yet not to build more than two ships. This keeps supply down. DCL has a built in fan base. This keeps demand up.

You can do that math.

 

[TammyC]

Jeannie - I've been checking prices through the "reservations" link on DCL website. They do quote an actual price. I'm curious, though, if anyone knows about the price ranges listed in the "rates" section. Could you assume that the low end of the range is if you book early, and the high end if you book late? Or do you feel the variance in these ranges is more attributed to the season in which you travel? Any thoughts on how early to book for the best rate?

 

[CarolAnnC]

Dreams Unlimited are the only folks who do watch the cruise prices for you after you have booked. If it lowers, then they automatically lower your price.

 

[Jiffymom]

I think you will find the quote better than looking at the brochure or internet rate. Call and ask and then if you are early booking they will discount it.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by westjones
It would seem that the Cat. 11s do not change quite as much as the upper levels.

I have a Cat. 10 booked for the 4 night Dec. 19, 2004 cruise and it has gone up $400 since we booked. But my sister is thinking of going with us in a Cat. 11 and so far there has been no change for those rooms.

We usually go in September and the Cat. 11s seem to hold their price all the way up until they sail! We book early because we wanted a secret porthole room. But if I were going to go back to a cat. 11, I would wait until closer to sailing for now on.

DJ

I actually think quite the opposite is true. Cat 11 is the sale cabin, to get you in the door. That's why one of the best chances at an upgrade is from Cat 11 and what Cat 11 is many times actually cheaper than cat 12. I've been watching our Cruise for a while (20 March, 2004) and the price has almost doubled for 3 adults for the Cat 11. Like anything else, DVC will charge more for Easter and that's likely why next years aren't discounted that much. If I could go a couple of weeks earlier, I could save hundreds still but I can't, unfortunately. We booked in Jan or Feb of 2003 and were looking at 12 June or 20 March. At the time the June option would have been about $1100 total more than we're paying and it actually worked out better for us in the long run.

The biggest discounts are usually on the lower cabins and thus the largest swings in price as well.

 

[kcashner]

To get a current price from the DCL website, go to the reservations section (not the rates section) and type things in as if you were booking your cruise. You can go all the way thru as if you were booking, eliminate the transfers and insurance, and you will see the cost for your party...just stop when it asks you for credit card info.

Many on line TAs will also give you a quote off their website.

 

[lbgraves]

We booked in January 2003 for our November 2003 cruise in a category 11. It increased 1300 in that time.

 

[westjones]

I stand corrected! In the past the September cruises didn't seem to change in price very much at all, but ours has changed already.

I have a Cat. 10 booked for the September 18, 2004, Eastern 7 day and I just checked and it has gone up $369 already. We also have a Cat. 10 booked for the December 19, 2004, Four Night cruise and it has now gone up $462.

So even in September the prices do change now. I checked a Cat. 11 for our September 18th Eastern 7 night, and it is now more than what I paid for our Cat. 10 room (which is a SPR, and that is why I booked early.....I really didn't think the prices would change that much for a September cruise since in the past they haven't----we have cruised in September the past 4 years).

So BOOK EARLY! I have our 4 Night cruise for September 2005 already booked!

DJ

 

[PhotoLisa]

I was curious about this same thing when considering whether to book our next vacation while on board or before we leave for this trip or after.

I just checked the Disney site and found that our cat 11 cabin has increased $647 from July 21 to Jan 5 for our Feb 21st cruise (2 adults, 1 teen).

My stepson's cat 11 cabin has increased $796 (2 adults, 9 yo and 6 yo).

So, yes - the closer you get to the cruise, the more the cabin rates increase - even on category 11 rooms.

Lisa

 

[outahere]

In September, 2002 we booked a cat 4 for April 17, 2004 (through DCL). There don't appear to be any cat 4's left for that week, but the cost for a cat 12 is now about the same price we paid for the cat 4!! Sure sounds like an early booking discount to me........

 

[ZebraStripes]

In Feb 03 we rebooked while onboard for March 04, cat 6. The onboard quote was $4200. The price now is $6950.

We have since found a better deal that works with DD8's April 04 vacation. So far we have saved about $2500 by booking this one early.

It is definitely worth booking early.