Booking a cruise is as much art as science. Prices change regularly, cruise ships sell out, and it's especially challenging when family and friends want to book more than one room on the same cruise.
That's generally why we recommend using a travel agent, as they have more tools to get the best prices and to coordinate group bookings.
A good travel agent, generally someone doing the job full-time within an agency that can provide quick answers nearly 24/7, makes it much easier to book the cruise you want at a good price.
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Some passengers book on their own, however, and some tools are available to regular people as well as travel agents. Royal Caribbean, for example, lets passengers put a brief "hold" on their cruise.
Depending on how far out the cruise is, passengers can take 24 or 48 hours to think about their purchase. That might allow partners or spouses to consult with each other or give family groups time join in.
It's a pretty short period, however, and Royal Caribbean has decided to give both passengers and travel agents a longer time to hold space on a cruise before they have to put down a deposit.
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Royal Caribbean extends its cruise holds
Royal Caribbean has extended the time it allows passengers and travel agents to hold a cruise for an individual booking. A cruise hold means that the passenger or travel agent has reserved the cruise without putting any money down.
The effort reduces that cruise's inventory since no one else can book that cabin while it's being held. That's a risk for the cruise line because it could lose the opportunity to sell that cabin to another passenger.
Nonetheless, Royal Caribbean outlined the new policy in an email to travel agents.
How long you can hold a cruise will depend on when the final payment is due — the day when any booked passengers must pay for their cruise.
For cruises more than 91 days away from final payment, a five-day hold will be offered. On sailing 46 to 90 days out, Royal Caribbean will offer a two-day hold, while those 31 to 45 days away can be held only for a single day before a deposit must be placed to reserve a cabin.
No extensions to the hold periods will be offered. The new policy applies to both travel agents and passengers booking their own cruises.
ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
In addition, these rules apply only to individual cabin bookings.
Travel agents have the ability to place 30-day holds on blocks of rooms for groups. Groups larger than 16 rooms, however, require a $50 deposit per cabin booked.
Norwegian, Carnival, and even Royal Caribbean's sister line Celebrity Cruises offer 48-hour holds.
Are you taking a cruise or thinking about taking one? Visit our Come Cruise With Me website to have all your questions answered.
