Mightymo, I'll leave it to the experts like Windjammer to advise you on the best times to book, but NCL have already published at least some of their 2009 itineraries for next year. One of the possibilities I'm looking at for 2009 is a Baltic cruise ex-UK, and Norwegian Jewel's timetable is already published. The Gem's seven nighters from Barcelona are also out, but that looks like a repeat of this year's itinerary.

Try a search on ncl.com

Like you, we're taking our first cruise this summer (Myself, my wife and two teenagers), but this cruising bug has bitten me to a worrying extent. Whenever I mention to my wife that I'm looking at 2009, she rolls her eyes to heaven

Greetings from Donegal!!

Donal.

Thanks Donal

I have had a noisy at ncl but it was so fleeting that I must have missed the dates for next summer 2009. I know where you are coming from. Its nearly like an addiction! Sizing up different cruises etc - The Baltics are an option we are looking into for next year too! (well, its really only me ... but I decide the hols so, ---) Must keep my eyes open for prices. Which cruiseline are you thinking of? NCL as well? Its a pity that we are bound to take a flight first though, even to get to Southhampton. One tip from shopping around for this years cruise though, the travel agents inform me that cruise lines are always at least the same price if not more expensive as they cannot undercut the travel agents.

Greetings from just Down the Road - Co Down
Mona

Hi Mona

Also born in Donegal but live in Yorkshire. Here we too are bound to take a flight or take a coach or the train too much hard work.

I always look at the company web site booking with Celebrity and Cunard but I always know that I will get an 11% discount from my trusted TA. If I see another agent advertising a holiday and I want it I will call her and usually almost always she can as least match it or be able to give me something off. I like to use her as I know that I have her at the end on the phone/.
Last year I got a BTB T/A crossing on QM2 for £1200 it was £699 for twin occupancy and there was no way she could match it but she did look at the TraveL Agent and checked them out for me. They were OK but have now become Virgin Holidays. If I saw an offer like that anywhere provided that I thought my money was safe then I would jump at the chance.
You will spend a fair amount of time looking at the Teletext and also receiving email from TA as well as getting information particularly Hamrag who would message me is he saw something I would be interested in.
Windjammer us also a good source of information. If you are flexible and will to try different Cruise Companies then there are some of the best deals I have ever seen so early in the season. The Companies all want bottoms on beds and if one Company is out there with low prices the others are having to follow suit.

Yes cruising is an addition but a lovely one. Just keep enjoying it and you will have some of the best holidays you will ever have. I cruise on my own most of the time normally about 3 times a year and just love the freedom it gives me along with the security I need when travelling alone. I love it!

Sue
.

Timing best pricing is not easy, but for NCL you start by using US agents and DIY flights and that will usualy save a packet over any European pricing.

One thing that may swing NCL through UK is if they offer a great deal with flights, but I think Dublin has plenty of cheap options anyway so DIY should be good. Barcelona is a good hub to work from since you have to fly anyway why bother with ex UK for the med.

Basic rule is book when the price is right and my best advise is to track prices this year for 3-4 cruises that you might consider next year as a research project to get a feel for pricing( I do this for a lot of cruises).

Since you are probably tied to school hols some of the more popular cruises may not get deep late discounts so the early booking prices are worth looking at.

For a start here is a link to some Gem pricings for this year to give you an idea of what you could have paid through US, try http://www.flightscanner.co.uk and http://www.airlingus.com for your DIY flights 30eur for a taxi each way.

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/booking/cruisedetails.html?packageId=1241197

July 27 4 berth CC OV deck 8 £2100(cheaper through US agent) so the UK £2650 left £550 for flights/transfers for 4. Cheapest inside was around £1850.

Any further question no problem,

Takes time and research to get a feel for the "right" price and even then sometimes a deal comes out of nowwhere, we got a 9n transatlantic in a Mini-suite on the gem for $500pp and got upgraded to VIP status, next trip June looks like it will cost £1500pp if there are no price drops and if I leave it too late I could miss out alltogether.

Thanks Windjammer. I read your reply with interest. What does cc mean though? Sorry, but I am improving with all this terminology! Anyway, Prices not too bad for our break. Current flights would have been £800 approx if we were to organise them ourselves so they worked out more expensive plus when we booked the transfers etc were included. I think we did ok. Now to find the £ for it. Will take your advice re: keeping eye on prices early on. Bang go any savings for the next year or two!!! LOL
Mona

CC is a cabin grade OV is ocean view. NCL use Kfor low inside up to A1 for the garden villa

One of the best grade cabins on NCL jewel class for families is the AB suite since it has a second bedroom but it is pricy.

Forgot to mention that it is worth signing up for the cruisecritic roll call for your cruise this way you get to meet some of the officers early in the trip and have direct phone line for any issues pluss you get to hang with some people that now how to make the most of NCL ships.. I will try to remember to dig out the link(need to register) when I get home

Windjammer, you mentioned using U.S. agents for NCL cruises, but the Vacations To Go site explicitly states that NCL are one of the lines that explicitly forbid them from selling cruises to customers without a U.S. or Canadian residence. Is there a way around that?

I was on the Vacations To Go this week to price two unobstructed adjoining OV cabins midships on Carnival Liberty for Baltic 2009, and was quoted just over $9,000 for the four of us (inc taxes, supplements etc.). I'm thinking that now might be a good time to book because the euro is so strong against both the dollar and sterling. On your advice, I'm also tracking a few prices on cruisecompete, but their OV prices seem to be for obstructed view.

The three lines whose itineraries suit us best are Carnival and NCL, both ex Dover, and Celebrity Constellation ex Harwich. I think the Constellation will be out of our price range, so it's either NCL or Carnival. I like the sound of the NCL Freestyle model, and NCL Jewel gets a better Berlitz rating, but if the Carnival price is substantially better, I'm veering towards taking it.

Our basic requirement will be two cabins - I know a four berth would be cheaper, but I'm not sure the four of us could remain a loving family if cooped up together for 12 days!!!!. Both of the "children" are mid teens and well over five feet, and pictures I've seen of pull down bunks etc. look waaaay too small.

Personally, I'd be willing to get the cheapest possible insides, but my wife is adamant that she must be able to see the sea at the very least, so that is not really an option.

If it were possible to book Carnival on Vacations To Go with an option of switching to NCL without penalty if the circumstances were right, I'd be inclined to take it, but that seems not to be a runner. I'm also wary of booking too early and then finding myself locked in to a price that could be bettered in six months time or later.

Thanks your patience. It's hard work being a newbie, and I suspect even harder keeping us straight!

I hope NCL havnt changed thier policy on selling via US agents . We were waiting to book our October cruise with NCL and its far to expensive through a UK agent for the grade we want.

We are sailing on NCL Jade on 30 May, and booked this with VTG in October last year. No problems at all!!

Also, if you decide to cancel as long as you are more than 90 days (3 months) from cruising date all deposits are refunded in full with US agents. So, in the scenario that donalk outlines with the Carnival/NCL dilemma, you can book one and if price comes down in another, simply cancel and rebook.

VTG also advised friends of ours last year that if the price they booked at reduced at a later date they would get that better price. The situation didn't arise so cannot be sure. Can't imagine they would do that after final payment though!

One final comment Donalk.....go with your feeling that 2 mid-teens should not join in a cabin for 4. We have a mid-teen daughter, and have done the 3 in a cabin thing but definitely would not advise 4 people!

We also booked an NCL cruise thru a US agent. No problems.

Hey Guys

I used to work for NCL, and really, the best time to look for prices is prob Dec time, as they have some good sales on.
in most cases, you could get a 4 cabin upgrade

Leah x x

Thanks Leah. Useful piece of info. I must keep this in mind for next year!
Mona

NCL are having sales and promotions all the time these days, never seen the Dec ones in the UK as being that good compared to US pricing on most trips, late bookings the UK prices sometimes converge or get better than the US, Pearl inaugural TA Dec 06 was an example much cheaper in the UK than US.

UK have a best in catagory running at the moment and for some cruises it is best inside or outside for the same price so the UK price is slightly better on some cabin grades at the upper end of the catagory on some trips.