How far ahead?

There is one question we are asked a lot, just how far ahead do we need to plan our vacation for the best availabilities and pricing. I certainly wish there was a clear cut answer to this one, but there isn’t.

When making reservations for a cruise the rule of thumb is the farther out the better is a good place to start. While we may not have brochures that show the itineraries, because of publication schedules, we do have the capabilities to search out as much as one year to as much as fifteen months. When you book a cruise or land based vacation six months to a year in advance there are usually some very good early booking discounts, and sometimes that is added on top of other promotions these companies may offer. Additionally you usually get an excellent choice of accommodations when booking that far in advance. While in same cases you may find some last minute deal, booking closer in, in all probabilities you will not find the accommodations that you prefer.

Another area that can get you a deal is booking a guarantee cabin. The deal being that you are guaranteed a cabin in that class or higher. It is not un-common for us to see someone with a guarantee cabin being upgraded to a better quality cabin for the same price. Again the downfall to this is that you do n’t have a choice of cabin space. We would be happy to explain this program to you, and of course see if a guarantee cabin or special promotion would be available for you.

While I am on the subject of early bookings, it is worth mentioning that if you are looking for something different for a family or class reunion, or even a special occasion such as a milestone birthday, anniversary or an at sea wedding and reception, why not consider a cruise. We are happy to talk with you regarding the facilities and benefits to this popular type of travel. What is a group you may ask. The cruise lines generally consider eight double occupancy cabins to be a travel group. A group can be comprised of friends, relatives, classmates, club members, or any number of people sharing a common interest. You will find that cruise lines really love group bookings. There are many special things that can be arranged from private receptions, and dinners, to special meeting facilities with the latest audio visual equipment. We would be happy to talk about group travel with you, but again the key is early planning for the best accommodations.

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