Why You Should Book a Future Cruise Now (Instead of Waiting)

We all know about “sailing soon savings.” You can get great deals on a cruise if you are ready to leave next week. The cruise lines know an empty cabin delivers zero revenue once the ship leaves the dock. They know passengers spend money onboard. You might think it pays to wait until the last minute before booking a cruise. There are excellent reasons for booking a cruise many months in advance.

The cruise industry encourages people to plan ahead. They start accepting bookings almost two years in advance of the sailing dates.It might be the start of 2026, but Cunard is ready to book your 2028 cruise.

1.      Only a deposit is required. Buy a plane ticket and the airline wants payment in full up front. Book a cruise and they have a schedule, usually of three payments. It starts with a small deposit, then one or two payments more, as the cruise date gets closer. The exception are the “sailing soon” cruises.

2.      Your airfare payment might delayed too. It might depend on the cruise line, but the airfare they book on your behalf might be aligned with your payment program for the cruise. Put another way, you might not need to pay the airfare up front unless you book the flight separately.

3.      Stateroom selection is best. Repeat passengers have favorite ships and favorite cabins. If you book far in advance, you might have your choice of cabins within that category. You get your cabin number immediately and it comes out of the inventory.

4.      Your cruise might be sold out later. You think “The ship holds 6,000 people. it won’t be sold out.” This might be true, but the cabin category you want might be gone. For example, if you prefer an ocean view cabin, there are very few compared to balcony cabins. This can be an issue if you have accessibility issues and need a special cabin.

5.      Another reason it might sell out. Suppose you want to take a river cruise and visit the German Christmas markets.  So does everyone else. The river cruise vessels are much smaller than ocean going cruise ships. They might be booked up solid.

6.      The best shore excursions sell out quickly. Why? Because they might only accommodate a small number of people. If you wait until the day you board the ship to choose and book, it might be sold out. It has happened to us. Ed. Note: see Shore Excursions – Ports, Day & Weekend Trips

7.      Cruise lines have refund policies.  Air tickets are rarely fully refundable unless you book into a certain, higher priced category.  Cruise lines have a refund policy based on how far before the departure date you need to cancel.

8.      You have the excitement of anticipation. You have plenty of time to buy, choose and pack clothing. You can read up on your port destinations. You might never pass this way again.

9.      Talk your friends into joining you. Since you booked months in advance, your friends hear about your excitement over and over. They start to think “Maybe we should go too!”

There are plenty of reasons to book months in advance, instead of waiting until the last minute.