Go for early-bird discount, last-minute deal or just book cruise?

Oakland Tribune, Sep 23, 2007 by Bari Brenner, TRAVEL EDITOR

DEADLINES: You beat em, you meet em or you miss em. A lot of life is about deadlines. How you deal with them can have great impact.

When it comes to taking a cruise, there's often a debate about when is the best time to book -- early, to get an early-bird discount; late, to get a last-minute deal, which may or may not be better than the early-bird specials; or some time in between those deadlines, to ensure that you do indeed get onto the ship you want for the sailing you want and the itinerary you want. Cruising seems to be more popular than ever and many ships fill up fast, so what should you do?

There are benefits to both booking a cruise well in advance and waiting until the last minute, according to Bob Levinstein, CEO of the Web site CruiseCompete.com.

"The best time to book really depends on a person's travel plans and personal preferences," Levinstein says. "Some cruise travelers know exactly where they want to go, when and on what ship. They typically book their trips six to 24 months in advance so they can travel on the exact cruise they want. Others are much more flexible and willing to see what cruises may be available and on-sale at any given time. They usually book spur of the moment."

The travel agents associated with CruiseCompete.com, which is dedicated solely to providing competitive quotes on cruise vacations, suggest the following booking guidelines:

-Book early if:

You can only travel on specific dates, including pre-planned vacations, holiday vacations, school breaks, weddings, family reunions, corporate meetings and other similar get togethers.

You want to secure the best price possible on air travel to the port of departure, or when you are using frequent flyer miles to buy an airline ticket.

You want a specific cabin type. This may include a certain suite or location, adjoining cabins or one that accommodates third or fourth guests. Persons requiring a handicapped cabin should also book early to assure one is available.

You wait to sail on a ship's inaugural cruise or want to travel to a particular destination with limited availability, such as Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands or a world cruise -- these cruises tend to sell out quickly.

You like to eat dinner at a certain time and there are multiple seating times.

You want to put your cruise on vacation lay-away and make manageable monthly payments.

You want to travel with a group. In these situations, it makes sense to book early to assure all guests will be accommodated. Plus, one can hold some cabins without names, allowing time to gather enough people.

-Book last-minute if:

Your job or circumstances dictate last-minute travel decisions.

You are traveling with just one or two couples and everyone is very flexible.

You are very flexible about your cabin type and formal dining times.

You can pay for a cruise in its entirety, rather than in installments.

You want to leave from your own port city or can easily drive to the port of departure.

Your goal is to find a lower price than others may pay, typically offered by cruise lines to fill up a ship just before it sails.

"There are many cruisers who relish the idea of being spontaneous and finding the very best travel deals out there, Levinstein said. "But if one absolutely wants to travel on a certain date, ship or to a specific destination, I strongly recommend booking the vacation as early as possible."

Levinstein says cruise travelers that book early can still cancel or change their plans within a certain time frame and receive a full refund, minus a change or cancellation fee charged by most agents.

He likes to remind people that refunds on deposits may take a while to receive. At CruiseCompete.com, consumers secure quotes for cruise deals from multiple travel agencies without having to contact each one separately. More than 500,000 customers have accessed CruiseCompete.com to request cruise quotes from more than 300 member travel agencies around the country, according to the company, which is not owned by or affiliated with any travel agency.

In addition to being knowledgeable about booking cruises, I must say that CruiseCompete.com is a fountain of information about behavior and customs on board, too, so I am going to pass along some other advice from the company.

First, a confession: I have very limited experience cruising, and the two short trips I took were so long ago that I remember very little except being queasy and having the Cold from Hell during one, so I am not qualified to put in my two cents' worth here. You, of course, by now know that you are encouraged to share your advice on this subject in a future column by writing to the address below.

Anyway, the other topic du jour from the CruiseComplete.com is about appropriate clothing to bring on a cruise.

"Packing light for a cruise vacation has always been a challenge. And considering most cruise lines now offer a greater mix of formal, informal and casual evenings at sea, it has become that much harder to choose the right clothes for a voyage," a company press realease points out.