Anwser to JP's question of when should I book my cruise vacation

JP’s question: When should I pay for (reserve) my cruise?

Great question! I believe that everyone has a cost pricing zone and when the cost of the item you are considering purchasing falls into that zone then buy it. For example you are considering an 8 day 7 night Caribbean cruise and are willing to spend between $800-1000.00 for the complete package-air fare, surface transportation, cruise cabin and all the taxes and fees. When and if you find it priced in your buying range I suggest buying it.

By waiting you are gambling that the price will decrease but you’re also taking the risk that it may increase too! By making a reservation and getting it under deposit you also guarantee the cruise rate.

For my cruise clients I always check with the cruise lines to see if the rates had dropped after the initial reservations were made. There have been some instances where I saved the traveler a hundred dollars or so.

This is one of the benefits of dealing with a person instead of a booking engine. Once the original cruised is reserved the computer does not automatically check for fare reductions but a good travel agent should.

I’ll blog more about a good agent later.

Did I answer you question? If not blog me back and I’ll take another stab at it.