Hi - We have our eye on one of the new fall itineraries that were recently released. I think they go on sale to the general public on Thursday. I know the wisdom is to book the minute they are released for the best prices. If we don’t book on Thursday how much and how fast do the prices rise? Are we talking a few hundred or a thousand? I’m not quite ready to commit. Thanks!
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I don’t know the answer, but I am wondering that same thing. I am guessing it’s hundreds, not thousands.
I was thinking these NY sailings might not be that popular and the prices might not rise too much. People with kids will be less likely to be cruising during school, etc. But I could be wrong because there are so many people from the mid-Atlantic region who are thinking like me: how nice to not have to fly to FL first to get on the cruise ship!
I just sent my TA the info for booking it (end of Oct). She told me we can change the names and numbers in the party up until the final payment is due.
On the other hand, I have gotten better prices recently by waiting until just a few months out when the release restricted fares. So if they are less popular, you could also hope for that later.
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It will rise by the hundreds. There’s no harm in booking. You just tie up the deposit for now. As long as you cancel by a certain date, you get all your money back from what I can remember. I sent my TA a message last week to book an October 2023 cruise. We still have one placeholder cruise left to use for it.
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I agree that they must be less popular or else they would do them in the summer when the Atlantic is warmer! Also they don’t go to Castaway Cay but we can’t have everything! I love the idea of not flying.
OH! This changes everything lol. All of the “cancellation” FAQs that I’ve seen are for the current 2022 Covid stuff so I feel like I just assumed that it was a nonrefundable deposit for 2023. If it’s refundable then I’m in!
I had saved prices an end of September 2023 cruise in May when it was release and looked again now and the price is the same. It was a 7 night Eastern Caribbean on the Fantasy. So that price didn’t change at all from May until now.
My current October 2022, 7 night Western Caribbean Fantasy cruise was booked in November 2021. When I looked to see the current cost it’s only $6.33 more now almost nine months later. They did release a VGT rate for the cruise in June of this year and I cancelled and rebooked at the VGT rate and saved $1200!!! Luckily, that VGT rate came out before any cancellation fees would be imposed and before by shore excursion/on board activity booking date. My guess is my cruise isn’t selling well as my TA said it was really early for a VGT rate to be offered. I’d also guess that many people want to go on the WISH since it’s all new and shiny.
I also think the Wish is impacting popularity on these older ships. I also probably wouldn’t be thinking much about booking at release except that I also have placeholders to use, so I figure why not?
I am also pretty set on an Oct. 23 cruise because it’s my 50th birthday!! Woohoo! I just don’t know exactly which people from my family will be joining, so that’s more where my conundrum is.
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Read carefully.
As recently as fall 2020 it was normal to have any cruise be fully refundable until a shortish time before sailing. (Would vary from 1-3 months IME.)
Now almost every cruise I look at (not DCL) absolutely has portions of the deposit being non-refundable.
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That’s wonderful. Wow. Yay! That is not the case right now with many of the lines I’ve been pricing cruises on. It’s a sign to book!!
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Ya, I don’t think our RCL deposit is refundable.
My TA already has us on our her list to book! I think we’re going to just do inside this time because it’s such a short cruise and the Dream has the fake portholes.
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I’ve never slept as well as I slept in an inside stateroom the one time I did that!
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To update here for posterity… we booked this week and it’s still the same price as opening day! So that’s good news that this specific cruise didn’t raise prices right away.
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