You might think that with all the cruise ships out there with the potential to hold thousands of passengers, you have all the time in the world to book a cruise.
However, some sailings can sell out a year or more before the ship even leaves the pier. That’s especially true of unique itineraries or themed cruises. Additionally, certain cabin categories on many sailings are often snatched up quickly.
Don’t get left behind on dry land when you could be relaxing at sea. Here are a few examples of cruises and cabin types you’ll need to plan a year or more in advance.
World cruises
World cruises have always been hot sellers. Fans meticulously check emails, newsletters and social media, and often work with travel agents to be the first to know when their favorite cruise line puts out its latest multimonth itinerary, often years in advance. The plan: Book immediately to ensure you get your preferred cabin category.
The ability to work from anywhere has increased the stakes. It’s not unusual for lines such as Viking, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises to sell out their world cruises within days, hours or even minutes of them becoming available to book.
“Sometimes the cruises sell out even before they are publicly announced,” said Rob Clabbers, president of Q Cruise + Travel in Chicago.
That was the case with a 150-day sailing on luxury line Regent’s 700-passenger Seven Seas Mariner planned for 2025. It sold out in June 2022 (that’s 2 1/2 years in advance) because clued-in past passengers filled the ship during its preview sale — even at fares ranging from $87,000 to $250,000. The public never had a chance to book.
Short-season destinations
If you are targeting a vacation in a destination that does not have a year-round cruising season, such as Antarctica or the Arctic, make your reservation a year in advance. New expedition ships are sailing in both markets, but they carry no more than 500 passengers. (Ships with more passengers are not allowed to make landings in Antarctica.) Well-established operators such as Abercrombie & Kent, which charters ships from Ponant, sell out Antarctica cruises a year or more in advance.
Other popular seasonal itineraries also fit into the must-book-a-year-in-advance category.
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“If you wanted to circumnavigate Iceland, especially on small ships such as Windstar, you better plan well in advance as there are not that many sailings,” Clabbers said.
The same is true if you have on your bucket list such places as the Northwest Passage, where sailings are limited. Viking, Seabourn and Ponant are among a handful of cruise lines offering them.
Alaska is another market where it pays to check itineraries as soon as they are announced, especially if you want to explore more remote ports on a small ship or hope to stay in a suite.
The top suites
On any cruise, the fanciest suites tend to sell out quickly because they are highly desired and limited in number. They also come with a bevy of attractive perks.
On select Norwegian Cruise Line ships, for example, guests in The Haven suite complex have access to a private lounge, pool, sundeck and restaurant. MSC Cruises‘ MSC Yacht Club is a similar concept. Select Royal Caribbean ships have an exclusive suites-only restaurant and lounge, and a few even have a private sundeck for suite guests. Royal Genies (personal butlers) tend to the needs of those in the line’s Royal Suite class, encompassing the fanciest accommodations.
According to Clabbers, you will also need to book a year in advance if you want to stay in a suite on a river ship with lines such as Uniworld, AmaWaterways and Viking. These accommodations are limited yet highly sought after on small vessels.
If you plan to book a luxury cruise, do so far in advance.
Repositioning cruises and one-off itineraries
When a ship is repositioning or otherwise doing an interesting one-off itinerary, demand can be huge. For example, a ship moving from Australia to Indonesia or from Tahiti to Australia and stopping in the South Pacific can be a big draw, more so than your typical ocean crossing.
“Some transatlantic repositioning cruises the lines can’t sell for the life of them, which is why they are often so inexpensive,” Clabbers said. “But other ones, especially on smaller ships and to destinations that are unique, it’s a different story. They sell out well in advance.”
Related: Best transatlantic cruises, plus tips and what to expect
Holiday sailings
Holiday and New Year’s sailings tend to be in high demand, and holiday-themed sailings such as Disney Cruise Line‘s Very Merrytime cruises are particularly popular. Keep this in mind and plan well in advance, especially if you hope to celebrate the holidays with your extended family and will require several cabins.
“What comes into play on holiday cruises is that children are off school, and so now you are talking about a multigenerational group going on a trip,” Clabbers shared. “If you want to have a suite for the grandparents and a couple of nice rooms or suites close by for the children and grandchildren, those may be in limited supply.”
New ships and routes
Fans of specific cruise lines get very excited when a new ship comes out and will book the inaugural sailing and other early sailings a year or more in advance. This is often the case with lines such as Disney Cruise Line (with Disney Treasure debuting in late 2024 and Disney Destiny in 2025) and Cunard (which launched Queen Anne in May 2024), as these lines don’t often bring out new ships.
If a ship can brag of being the world’s largest (Royal Caribbean’s 7,600-passenger Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas) or the world’s most luxurious (Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 750-passenger Seven Seas Grandeur), it is bound to attract an enthusiastic crowd and sell out far in advance.
Expect a surge in interest and early bookings when a ship moves to a new destination the line has not visited before, whether Hawaii, Norway or elsewhere. This is also the case when a cruise line expands its market, such as Viking (known for ocean and river sailings) launching expedition cruises.
Special event and themed cruises
Book a year in advance if you are looking for a cruise tied to a once-a-year event. These cruises are hot tickets. Examples include cherry blossom season in Japan, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Cannes Film Festival and Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
Perhaps even more popular are cruises to rarer events, such as sailings to view the solar eclipse in 2026.
The same planning in advance applies to popular themed cruises, which tend to sell out with previous guests taking the majority of cabins. These include the annual Star Trek cruise and Outlaw Country Cruise, featuring live music, themed parties, celebrity meet-and-greets and enthusiastic fans. Sign up for updates to alert you when bookings open, and get on the waitlist as early as you can.
Pet-friendly cruises
Assistance dogs aside, there is only one option for sailing with your pet dog (or cat): a transatlantic cruise on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2. While you indulge in afternoon tea and attend dress-up affairs in fancy ballrooms, your pet is pampered in a posh kennel.
Space is very limited. The ship’s kennels sell out a year or more in advance, often within a couple of days of the release of a new itinerary, according to Clabbers.
“In this case it’s about the puppy not getting space rather than the human passenger,” he said.
Bottom line
If you hope to sail around the world, cruise with your pup or be among the first passengers on a new ship, plan ahead. Special itineraries, themed cruises and certain suites and cabins are in high demand and often book up incredibly fast.
Don’t dillydally. Whether you sign up for email alerts with your preferred cruise line or work with a travel agent to get the latest updates, staying informed and acting fast are vital to booking your dream cruise or luxury cabin.
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