Why I book on opening day....

[FigmentSpark]

I checked on the price of our upcoming cruise and was shocked (okay mildly surprised, since it's DCL) at how much it has gone up since I booked.





We had a placeholder, so opening day price less 10%. It pays to book early, if you can.

 

[Pooh93]

Yes it does!! That should make you feel good!!

 

[quickcat]

Wow that is interesting to see it on the graph!
Makes your opening price seem like a “bargain”
I agree- opening day does have its perks, besides just having the cabin category be available that we want. We love the 5E’s and seems like if we don’t book soon after release those are always gone.

 

[disruptor32]

I've always booked while on board in order to get the 10% and the credit, so I have always booked for whatever the prevailing rate was at the time and have never gotten an "opening day" price. How does it work if I book a placeholder on the ship and then want to switch to a different sailing that's announced later? For example, I'm sailing in 2 weeks. While I'm on board I will book a placeholder, although I'm not in love with the currently available sailings and would be more interested in an early 2021 cruise. Once those dates are announced, do I just call DCL and switch my placeholder over to one of the newly announced dates? Thanks!

 

[Trera]

Opening day is the only way we book. The graph above shows why.

 

[T & R]

Is opening day always better than day 2 or 3? Just asking because from looking at the graph, it looks like the price was flat and unchanged for the first 100 days or so.

 

[VTNuke]

My Father sails on another cruise line. He books with a TA that says if he finds a price better, later on, the TA will give him 125% of the difference in on board credits. He has yet to catch a lower price than when he booked it, in 10 to 15 cruises.

Always book early and often!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Is opening day always better than day 2 or 3? Just asking because from looking at the graph, it looks like the price was flat and unchanged for the first 100 days or so.

It can be. There have been cruises where the prices have risen 2 or more times just on opening day alone. It totally depends on how popular a cruise it is.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I once booked a GT rate two months before the cruise that was significantly lower than the opening day rate. Opening day is generally a safe bet for the lowest rate, though.

 

[tinkerone]

My Father sails on another cruise line. He books with a TA that says if he finds a price better, later on, the TA will give him 125% of the difference in on board credits. He has yet to catch a lower price than when he booked it, in 10 to 15 cruises.

Always book early and often!

Can't be Royal, they fluctuate all the time. I booked a B2B on opening day with them and have had both cruises drop several times. Just today I saved another $79.
However, since DCL never ever goes down, it is definitely best to book on opening day.

 

[Love2Cruise2015]

I checked on the price of our upcoming cruise and was shocked (okay mildly surprised, since it's DCL) at how much it has gone up since I booked.


View attachment 433091


We had a placeholder, so opening day price less 10%. It pays to book early, if you can.

My family and I are on the same cruise as you!

 

[FigmentSpark]

I've always booked while on board in order to get the 10% and the credit, so I have always booked for whatever the prevailing rate was at the time and have never gotten an "opening day" price. How does it work if I book a placeholder on the ship and then want to switch to a different sailing that's announced later? For example, I'm sailing in 2 weeks. While I'm on board I will book a placeholder, although I'm not in love with the currently available sailings and would be more interested in an early 2021 cruise. Once those dates are announced, do I just call DCL and switch my placeholder over to one of the newly announced dates? Thanks!

Yes, if you 'own' the placeholder (as opposed to using a TA), then you phone DCL on your opening day (or whenever you've decided to book). If you assigned your placeholder to a TA, then you phone the TA and they book it for you. All the other perks are the same as booking on the ship.

Is opening day always better than day 2 or 3? Just asking because from looking at the graph, it looks like the price was flat and unchanged for the first 100 days or so.

You are right... the cruise I chose didn't move quickly, nor has it typically moved quickly. However, as PrincessSchmoo said, there are cruises that are highly disired (Greece, Hawaii, etc) that will move quickly. Also, some cats might move quicker than others. When you are ready to make your booking, it's beneficial not to wait because you never know.

For our first cruise, the price was announced and within a day of opening, it had gone up something like $60. Not much, but it means there was enough interest to raise the price.

 

[ColoradoMom12]

I didn’t know Touring Plans had that tool! I recently booked our first cruise, kind of last minute for the end of December. I had been wondering how much I might have saved by booking earlier. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as much as I had expected. I don’t feel quite so much like I missed out on a great bargain by booking rather late in the game! I can see how much the price can increase for other dates, though. I will book early in the future!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It can be. There have been cruises where the prices have risen 2 or more times just on opening day alone. It totally depends on how popular a cruise it is.

Then, of course, there are the Hawaii cruises. Opening Day or doom (and better have been Gold+)

 

[Ravenne]

Holy crap! That's one heck of a hike. I don't recall that big of a hike when we did our Western.

 

[reginaregina]

How do you know what opening day will be? This may be a silly question, but does Disney announce upcoming, not yet for sale, cruises?

 

[GeneralTso]

Exactly. That's what we do, except we have an exceptional travel agent--Tracey Heinrichs from Dreams Unlimited Travel (that sponsors these boards). She books opening day, which means hours on hold, etc. She's a gem.

 

[FigmentSpark]

How do you know what opening day will be? This may be a silly question, but does Disney announce upcoming, not yet for sale, cruises?

DCL announces the cruises and the dates they will be for sale, but we know prices from people on this board that report on platinum, gold and silver day. Then, of course, on opening day for everyone, it's on the website.

 

[sethschroeder]

Cruise I am looking at went down in price since opening day. Likely the exception it sounds like.

 

[reginaregina]

DCL announces the cruises and the dates they will be for sale, but we know prices from people on this board that report on platinum, gold and silver day. Then, of course, on opening day for everyone, it's on the website.

Thank you!