blog post

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned cruiser, it’s easy to make a costly mistake when purchasing a cruise vacation for you and your family. Here are, in no particular order, the top 10 mistakes you can avoid next time you book your cruise.

1. Not booking early enough – Gone are the days of getting a fabulous deal when booking last minute (within 2 months of sailing). Not to say the occasional last minute deal is not available, but they’re no longer the ‘norm’.  Lately, the best deals are found as early as 9-18 months prior to sail date.  Some cruise lines even have an Early Booking Fare guaranteeing the absolute lowest rate or incentives such as pre-paid gratuities.
2. Booking with an online agency or directly with the cruise line – Unlike airlines and hotel websites, booking directly with a cruise line or with one of the larger online travel websites does not offer the best value for your money. The thought that cruises are cheaper when booking online or direct is a complete myth.  Most cruise lines no longer allow discounting, so the price is typically the same regardless of where you purchase your cruise.  Instead, working with a cruise specialist increases your chance of getting more for your money including access to sold out sailings and additional perks not available to others. 
3. Not booking as a group – You and your travel companions will miss out on potential perks that only groups can receive not accessible to those who purchase their cruise individually.  Large cruise lines require 8 rooms and the smaller cruise lines require 5 rooms in order to be considered a group. But, even if your group falls short of the minimum by the sail date, many cruise lines safeguard the additional group perks. These perks will vary based on cruise line, length of cruise, and Group Amenity Points assigned by the cruise line. Perks can be things like onboard credit (free money to spend onboard), open bar cocktail reception, discounts, or room upgrades to name a few.
4. Leaving the country without a valid passport or trip insurance – Although passports are not absolutely required when sailing from and returning to the U.S., passports are mandatory when flying into the U.S. which may happen if a cruise is cut short due to an emergency.  Emergencies happen – before and during a cruise. Unexpected death, traffic accidents, heart attacks, stroke, and other emergencies are when both a passport and trip insurance will save the day in getting home when a cruise is cut short (not to mention in helping to get your cruise fare refunded prior to the cruise).  Plus, most health insurance doesn’t cover you once you leave the country so trip insurance for the emergency evacuation is worth the extra cost.  
5. Not arriving one day prior when flying to the pier – Arriving a day early is best if your flight is longer than 2 hours. This way, passengers won’t have to worry about flight delays and potentially ‘missing the boat’.  Cruise lines do not refund no-shows or late arrivals.
6. Not immediately reviewing the cruise confirmation and cruise contract – Reservation errors can happen, but it’s up to the passenger to immediately check for accuracy and updates.  Errors like misspelled names to big items such as the wrong sail date can be fixed with no problem when caught immediately, but can be a huge issue if not discovered until closer to sail date.  Reading the cruise contract is also necessary to understand that the cruise line has the right to change the itinerary in the event of various reasons such as a hurricane, construction, or civil unrest at a port of call.
7. Not pre-arranging specialty dining, spa treatments, entertainment, and shore excursions – On the newer, larger ships, pre-arranging these items is key to having a happy cruise experience. These venues sell out early, so should be booked prior to boarding when available. For shore excursions, there are a few reputable companies not affiliated with the cruise lines that offer some of the same or different excursions that the cruise lines offer but for less. Reserve your space early to avoid disappointment once onboard.
8. Not making a Future Cruise Deposit once onboard the cruise – If you’re on a cruise and plan to sail that cruise line again in the future, purchase a Future Cruise Deposit. For only $100 per person on most cruise lines, you will be rewarded with perks including free onboard credit either on your next cruise or on your current cruise, depending on the cruise line.
9. Assuming an automatic discount for past passengers – Most cruise lines recognize their loyal customers but it’s not necessarily in the form of a discount on the cruise rate. But, the more you sail with an individual cruise line, the more perks you’ll get. For the cruise lines that do offer past passenger discounts, it’s only on select ships, sail dates, and room categories.
10. Underestimating additional expenses – Onboard expenses can add up – fast! Between the bar bill, shore excursions, internet access, and spa treatments.  Yet, overall, cruising retains the highest customer satisfaction rates and one of the best vacation values around.

Leslie Richardson is a Master Cruise Counselor (MCC) and Resort Specialist with Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Servcies Representative based in the greater Houston, Texas area.  She can be reached at (877) 846-SHIP.