How Early Do you Book a Cruise?

[Pushka]

Are we saying that a cruise ship will have enough open deck space for everyone at the specific time to watch an eclipse?

Private balcony? But that might depend on which way the ship is facing?.

We have an aft balcony. But in any case there are plenty of open deck spaces.

 

[Pushka]

Celebrity? As per post upthread?

Not a mega ship these days. Thats around 5-6000. I know that sounds revolting to many but there are so many additional features on such ships and gangways etc that it isn't as bad as it sounds. And they no longer do the group muster thing which is a blessing. Last ship we were on was 900, next one will be 2000, then another 200 river boat. Then this one. Vary it up.

 

[Quickstatus]

Not a mega ship these days.

Id shudder to think what a mega ship actually is if celebrity is not "mega"

 

[n7of9]

I've been on a few ocean cruises, and 1 multi-night river cruise, and I very much prefer the larger ships. With only 4 nights on the river cruise, I was sick to death of seeing the same people sitting in the same seats eating the same foods, and having literally nowhere to escape. Everyone was obligated to eat at the same time, watch the same entertainment, listen to the same music, and if you didn't like it your only other option was your room. I much prefer 4000+ people ships, with the options and space that necessarily includes.

 

[Mumanddad]

I always book when the fares are released. Booked a Princess European cruise 10 weeks ago for April 2026. The price has gone up by more than $1500 since then. Another on Cunard just afterwards is also heavily booked already.

 

[OATEK]

We usually book 15-18 months ahead, although it hasn't helped. The last 2 were cancelled, first one for Covid and the second one for war. We are now a little gun shy and have been putting off our next attempt (probably 2026) until Q1/2 next year to see what the new year brings.

 

[odysseus]

Are we saying that a cruise ship will have enough open deck space for everyone at the specific time to watch an eclipse?

Private balcony? But that might depend on which way the ship is facing?.

Won't be an issue on Celebrity (different for 5000+ pax but that's not the case here). Visible from most of the open deck so there's more than enough space for all. Some will go on balconies, other areas in any case.

 

[Pushka]

Id shudder to think what a mega ship actually is if celebrity is not "mega"

RCL has the mega ships. Celebrity is akin to the usual Princess, Cunard lines etc. not mega.

Post automatically merged: Oct 8, 2024

I've been on a few ocean cruises, and 1 multi-night river cruise, and I very much prefer the larger ships. With only 4 nights on the river cruise, I was sick to death of seeing the same people sitting in the same seats eating the same foods, and having literally nowhere to escape. Everyone was obligated to eat at the same time, watch the same entertainment, listen to the same music, and if you didn't like it your only other option was your room. I much prefer 4000+ people ships, with the options and space that necessarily includes.

Oh I hear ya there. We are however doing Mekong and Cambodia River cruise next September. That was half paid for by Viking for our failed Christmas Rhine cruise last December. Thank goodness for Australia's consumer protection and the recent High Court decision against scenic.

 

[Cynicor]

RCL has the mega ships. Celebrity is akin to the usual Princess, Cunard lines etc. not mega

I guess everyone has their own personal ideas of too big.
I’d be done at 500, if I was to cruise

 

[tgh]

Post Covid, we are taking life a year at a time and this applies to holidays, usually a cruise and booked about a year out.
The disappointing thing is that we can now afford to go anywhere we like, whenever we like but are no longer driven
by a need to see the world.. (the bits we have missed)

 

[Pushka]

I guess everyone has their own personal ideas of too big.
I’d be done at 500, if I was to cruise

Yeah. But those cruises cost a monty and more than I'm willing to pay. Although one of the best cruises we did was a 35 person trip on a small boat through Croatia. Was expecting to meet people from across the world. The night everyone introduced themselves - 31 Aussies onboard.

It does run the risk of not being able to escape people. And there was set lunch and dinner. We avoided the lunch which lasted some time by buying some of the local flavours and eating them up top in the sunshine while others had to sit in the dining room. Some got a bit antsy with us doing that including the tour person and others were jealous but hey, it was our holiday and we don't eat big meals at anytime let alone lunch time.

 

[Quickstatus]

Thank goodness for Australia's consumer protection and the recent High Court decision against scenic.

I've read Moore vs Scenic Tours.
So now you can sue for dissapointment or as Justice Edelman wrote "expectation loss" - that the tour/cruise/product did not meet your expectation.
A bit nuts IMO - HCoA has not opined on the very common problem called "unrealistic expectations". However, it has the effect of making tour providers consider cancelling early rather than push through come hell or high water which may be a better outcome for most.

The original judgement was that the value of "dissapointment" was worth $2000 but this litigation took almost 10 years to get there and immense cost for both sides.

 

[aplmac]

Just booked a cruise to see a total solar eclipse. For August. 2026. Just hope I live long enough.

We book cruises as soon as they become available, in order to secure the staterooms we want on the itineraries we want. Then we watch it for prices changes and adjust accordingly. With future cruise credits and free cancellation up until closer to the time of departure, it's easy. Already onto 2026.
As an added "incentive", booking far out cruises could mean that if they cancel the cruise or the itinerary they will often give you compensation for your inconvenience!

 

[Quickstatus]

We book cruises as soon as they become available,

There must be a downside.

 

[aplmac]

There must be a downside.

Booking too late when all the good cabins and excursions are gone...

 

[Quickstatus]

Booking too late

but that is the downside of booking too late, whats the downside of booking too early?

 

[Cynicor]

There must be a downside.

I assume holding cost of the money.

@Pushka, why would they get upset at you having your own lunch? Bizarre. As you say, it’s your holiday.

 

[Pushka]

I assume holding cost of the money.

@Pushka, why would they get upset at you having your own lunch? Bizarre. As you say, it’s your holiday.

I think we were the first to do it. . Because everyone usually tries to get their moneys worth as the food is part of the fare. We often forgo an included lunch if we have better things to do like sightseeing the place we paid mega to get there or eat local food.

 

[Pushka]

I've read Moore vs Scenic Tours.
So now you can sue for dissapointment or as Justice Edelman wrote "expectation loss" - that the tour/cruise/product did not meet your expectation.
A bit nuts IMO - HCoA has not opined on the very common problem called "unrealistic expectations". However, it has the effect of making tour providers consider cancelling early rather than push through come hell or high water which may be a better outcome for most.

The original judgement was that the value of "dissapointment" was worth $2000 but this litigation took almost 10 years to get there and immense cost for both sides.

Theirs and ours was a special case. Before we even left Australia Viking knew the river in parts was about to be shut down and parts already shut down and for at least two weeks for unseasonal flooding. . They knew in advance that we would not be sailing for more than two days and then berthed in an industrial port for the remainder because all the local ports were flooded. So it wasn't so much our expectations not being met but foreknowledge that what we paid for was not going to happen well in advance. It wasn't an unrealistic expectation. Basically we didn't cruise. And they didn't tell us until the day we embarked. Which infuriated the Americans who'd taken out 'Cancel for any reason' as late as the day of boarding because if they'd known before then - Viking knew but didn't tell anyone - they could have achieved a full refund. As soon as they stepped foot on the boat? Too late to claim. We were told 3 hours after boarding. But US doesn't have the same consumer legislation. They got nothing.

 

[RooFlyer]

Regarding ship size/number of pax.

Two types of cruise - expedition and "cruising". In general:
Expedition - you'll be out on zodiacs landing at beaches/rocks, motoring a shoreline; groups of 10-20 ashore. Has to be small number of pax on board; so more expensive per pax. More remote, hard-to access areas.
Cruising - you'll be visiting glam ports for day trips ashore. Busses or do-it-yourself or nothing. Can be large number of pax on board, so cheaper per pax. More relaxing.

I go expedition - 200-300pax, Ponant and SilverSea so far. Always at least 3 restaurants, a pool, no casino, you can socialise or not. The maître de knows you and greets you by name. As a single, you meet others of like situation and eat together & socialise. But if you don't appear, no-one stresses. I've made some friends aboard so far, no real PITAs-es.

Exceptions:
This Christmas, doing a Caribbean cruise; 600pax, Silver Moon. It'll be OK.
AFF cruise: Crown Princess, 3,000 max Hey, I didn't organise it, and the only stop is Hobart