Three​ ​Potentially​ ​Bad​ ​Times​ ​Of​ ​The​ ​Year​ ​To​ ​Book​ ​A​ ​Cruise

Cruise​ ​lines​ ​send​ ​ships​ ​of​ ​all​ ​sizes​ ​on​ ​the​ ​rivers​ ​and​ ​oceans​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world,​ ​leaving​ ​few geographic​ ​areas​ ​of​ ​the​ ​planet​ ​unaccessible.​ ​That​ ​wide​ ​net​ ​has​ ​attracted​ ​travelers​ ​who​ ​have never​ ​sailed​ ​before,​ ​formerly​ ​choosing​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​places​ ​by​ ​air​ ​or​ ​land.​ ​Those​ ​numerous​ ​ships​ ​sail seasonally​ ​to​ ​some​ ​places​ ​and​ ​year-round​ ​in​ ​others,​ ​giving​ ​buyers​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​to​ ​choose​ ​from.​ ​​ ​While there​ ​may​ ​be​ ​no​ ​bad​ ​time​ ​to​ ​go​ ​on​ ​a​ ​cruise,​ ​the​ ​right​ ​time​ ​to​ ​buy​ ​a​ ​cruise​ ​is​ ​another​ ​matter.

The​ ​End​ ​Of​ ​September

Since​ ​that’s​ ​where​ ​we​ ​are​ ​as​ ​I​ ​write​ ​this,​ ​let’s​ ​start​ ​here.​ ​​ ​Starting​ ​in​ ​mid-September,​ ​the​ ​cruise industry​ ​starts​ ​getting​ ​ready​ ​for​ ​National​ ​Cruise​ ​Month​ ​in​ ​October.​ ​​ ​​ ​Featured​ ​during​ ​National Cruise​ ​Month​ ​are​ ​special​ ​events​ ​called​ ​‘Cruise​ ​Nights’.​ ​These​ ​affairs​ ​are​ ​where​ ​a​ ​local​ ​travel agent​ ​in​ ​your​ ​area​ ​invites​ ​guests​ ​to​ ​come​ ​to​ ​their​ ​office​ ​or​ ​that​ ​agent​ ​goes​ ​to​ ​visit​ ​an organization​ ​to​ ​​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​cruises.​ ​​ ​Featured:​ ​some​ ​good​ ​deals​ ​not​ ​available​ ​elsewhere.​ ​​ ​But not​ ​until​ ​October.

December​ ​Holiday​ ​Weeks

Along​ ​the​ ​same​ ​lines​ ​of​ ​waiting​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​September​ ​comes​ ​similar​ ​caution​ ​about​ ​buying​ ​a cruise​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​December.​ ​​ ​Two​ ​potential​ ​issues​ ​here.​ ​​ ​First,​ ​next​ ​month​ ​is​ ​January​ ​which begins​ ​‘Wave​ ​Season’.​ ​​ ​That’s​ ​a​ ​time​ ​when​ ​up​ ​to​ ​50%​ ​of​ ​all​ ​cruises​ ​are​ ​sold​ ​and​ ​cruise​ ​lines​ ​put their​ ​best​ ​deals​ ​out​ ​there​ ​to​ ​consider.​ ​​ ​On​ ​a​ ​ship,​ ​look​ ​around,​ ​odds​ ​are​ ​about​ ​half​ ​of​ ​everyone you​ ​see​ ​bought​ ​during​ ​Wave​ ​Season.

Most​ ​Of​ ​The​ ​Summer​ ​-​ Except​ ​For​ ​Special​ ​Sales

Wave​ ​season​ ​begins​ ​in​ ​January,​ ​usually​ ​the​ ​week​ ​after​ ​New​ ​Year’s​ ​Day.​ ​​ ​Wave​ ​season-quality offers​ ​run​ ​to​ ​about​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​March.​ ​​ ​Cruise​ ​lines​ ​spend​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year​ ​playing​ ​around​ ​with pricing​ ​and​ ​availability​ ​to​ ​get​ ​us​ ​to​ ​buy​ ​at​ ​a​ ​time​ ​when​ ​we​ ​may​ ​or​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​interested.​ ​The summer​ ​will​ ​bring​ ​flash​ ​sales,​ ​inclusive​ ​sales,​ ​discount​ ​sales,​ ​past​ ​guest​ ​offers​ ​and/or​ ​bonus value​ ​for​ ​residents​ ​of​ ​certain​ ​states,​ ​active/past​ ​military​ ​members​ ​and​ ​more.

But​ ​All​ ​Is​ ​Not​ ​Lost

These​ ​are​ ​three​ ​times​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​potentially​ ​bad,​ ​for​ ​the​ ​reasons​ ​noted.​ ​​ ​This​ ​is mainly​ ​because​ ​buyers​ ​often​ ​spring​ ​into​ ​action​ ​for​ ​what​ ​appears​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​really​ ​good​ ​price. Understandable:​ ​who​ ​would​ ​not​ ​want​ ​the​ ​lowest​ ​fare?​ ​​ ​That​ ​would​ ​be​ ​the​ ​person​ ​who​ ​read​ ​the fine​ ​print​ ​and​ ​knows​ ​that​ ​their​ ​deal​ ​made​ ​during​ ​any​ ​of​ ​these​ ​three​ ​times​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year​ ​has restrictions.​ ​Book​ ​during​ ​an​ ​unrestricted​ ​promotion​ ​that​ ​allows​ ​consideration.​ ​​ ​If​ ​the​ ​cruise​ ​line has​ ​a​ ​better​ ​offer​ ​later​ ​that​ ​you​ ​qualify​ ​for,​ ​you​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​get​ ​it.

The​ ​worst​ ​case​ ​scenario​ ​here:​ ​you​ ​paid​ ​more​ ​than​ ​someone​ ​else.

Chris Owen shares frank, inside information about cruise vacations on ChrisCruises.com