The New Year always brings a fresh perspective for many people. January is also the primary month of the year where people look forward at their year and make plans or goals. Did you know January is the most popular month to book travel for the year? January is the beginning of what we call “Wave Season”. There are many travel incentives and promotions available in January that makes it very attractive to book now. Just this week alone, Sandals featured a great air promotion and almost every major cruise line had promotions available for sailings in 2015. We expect the promotions to continue throughout the month both for cruise and resort vacations.Planning is the key to the success of your vacation experience. Let’s take a look at some general guidelines that will assist you with planning timeframes!
Cruise: While it is true that you can book a cruise up until the week of sailing, this is not a good idea. The myth of last minute “cheap” pricing is just that – a myth. Booking at the last minute (considered within 30 days of sailing) basically gives you access to what staterooms are left – or what no one else wanted. These are most often not desirable locations on the ship. The best recommendation for pricing and the availability of the accommodations you want is 6 months prior to sailing. If you are part of a group and want to organize a group cruise, you need to plan at least 9 months prior, preferably one year if itineraries are available.
River Cruise: The best time to plan a river cruise is as soon as the idea enters your head, book one! River Cruises are in high demand and sell out very quickly. One year in advance is the average booking window. I have several clients that have already booked for 2016! Yes, 2016!! Sadly, I had to disappoint another couple this week because they wanted to cruise this June and the earliest availability for their chosen itinerary and stateroom type is in October! January brings a great number of promotions for remaining availability in 2015, and the 2016 options.
Destination Weddings or Celebration Travel for a group: 9-12 months if you have a very specific date in mind. Many resorts do not allow more than 1 or 2 weddings or large events on any given day, and the venues sell out quickly. Also, if you will have a number of guests traveling with you, we need to secure the room space well in advance to make sure we have space for everyone. As for flights, those can only be booked at a maximum 9 – 10 months out (can be as low as 6 months for some destinations) but the flights can be added later. The important thing is to secure the resort and the wedding or special event on your chosen day. Even if you aren’t planning a specific event, you really need to secure the dates early for your group. I already have a group on their second choice for November of this year because the resort of their choice does not have the rooms they need for their first choice of dates.
Honeymoons: The best time to start planning your honeymoon is 6-9 months prior to travel – possibly longer for some more exotic options! Can it be booked in less time? Sure! However, keep in mind, the flights may be limited and higher priced (especially for popular destinations or destinations that do not have daily flight service), and the room type or even the resort you want may not be available for you. We can always book the accommodations early, and add the flights later if flights are not available when you are ready to book.
All-Inclusive Resorts: Much like a honeymoon, the best time to start planning is 6-9 months prior to travel, especially if traveling during the holidays or peak season for the destination.
Europe Travel: The 6 -8 month window is a great timeframe for most European Travel.
Exotic Destinations: Are you thinking about the South Pacific? The Maldives? Asia? An African Safari? Australia or New Zealand? These are best planned 8-10 months in advance . Sometimes we need to look a year in advance for very specialized itinerary or events. Again, we can always book the accommodations early, and add the flights later if flights are not available when you are ready to book.
I hope this overview of the planning time frame has been helpful to you! I am always here ready to assist you with your travel planning.
Happy Travels,
Kelley