Part 4: Deposits, Holds, and the Realism of a 2-Week Vacation - First Time Cruise Shopping Tips

Welcome back to the Cruise Shopping Master Class! Let’s talk logistics.

Once we find an architectural deck plan and an itinerary that matches your lifestyle, the very first administrative step is locking in your cruise reservation. As your Cruise Vacation Coaches, Rob and I can always place a temporary, complimentary hold on a Stateroom, Ship & Sail Date for you. This lets us freeze the cabin availability and pricing while you double-check your schedule, travel partners, and / or purchase your air. But to make that booking official, every single cruise brand requires an upfront deposit.

The moment you place your deposit on a booking, you instantly unlock the gateway to your vacation. You will get full access to the cruise line's online client portal and mobile app so you can start looking over the fun stuff, like your arrival ports and onboard dining venues. You can read about each destination and even choose shore excursions. Everything you need to do prior to travel is in the brand app. Everything else, we help you with.

Navigating the Deposit Types

Not all deposits are built the same, and you need to pay attention to what you are signing up for:

• Regular & Reduced Deposits: These are typically promotional offers that are fully refundable right up until the official final payment day. If life happens and you need to change your plans before the penalty phase kicks in, you get your money back. These usually run in the low hundreds of dollars per reservation.

• The $1 Deposit Catch: One major cruise line runs a famous "$1 deposit" promotion, but don't be fooled—they will want the remainder of a regular full deposit balance paid next month. I don't value this deal much because if you can't come up with a Regular deposit amount you probably aren't serious about the reservation. Honestly, I don't want to do the work to create the booking if you don't intend to follow through with it.

• Non-Refundable Deposits: These usually score you the absolute lowest, rock-bottom ticket price on a cruise. Why? Because the cruise lines know that if you cancel your vacation, they keep your deposit money as a penalty. They also know that some will cancel.

  
  

Note: Any extra payments you make beyond your initial deposit are always fully refundable up until the final payment day when the strict penalty phase begins. Final Payment Day is between 90 and 180 days out, sometimes more for some River Cruise Brands.

My Non-Negotiable 2-Week Rule

I always recommend that people spend as much money as they are comfortable spending to get as nice of a vacation as they can afford. You want to be at least as comfortable as you are at home. You don't want to feel like you cheaped out and wasted your hard-earned time and effort to go.

And speaking of wasting effort: If you can swing it, stay two weeks.

It is a lot of trouble to pack for a one-week cruise. Curiously enough, it takes the exact same amount of effort, stress, and mental packing to leave your house for a two-week cruise! And a two week cruise won't seem like it's over just about as quick as it gets started. You can actually come home well rested.

If you live in the midwest like we do, you will need a flight to get you to the embarkation port, which is an added expense. When you limit your vacation to just 7 days, you are taking a hit on your travel logistics. By stretching your itinerary to 14 days or booking a back-to-back sailing, you amortize the price of your airfare over significantly more days. This single move drops your actual trip cost-per-day down dramatically, giving you double the luxury for a much smarter overall daily value.

You may want to shop for your air before you place money on your cruise, during the courtesy hold. If you find a fare that you like - book it. It could go away in an hour or overnight. If you are able to book your flight right alongside your cruise it can all be well coordinated to fit your total budget. In addition the no fun part of your vacation planning will be done. Make sure to choose a flight at least one day prior and no earlier than noon on the way home.

📝 Your Masterclass Homework: Check Your Per Day Price

Let's look at the financial logic of a longer stay:

1. Get out a pencil, paper and calculator. Jot down the trip costs you are planning so far. These might include a Flight, Hotel Stay 1 Nt., 7 Night Cruise. Then do the same substituting the price of a similar 14 Nt. Cruise

2. Add up the 7 Night total. Add up the 14 Night total.

3. Divide the 7 Night total by 7. Divide the 14 night total by 14.

4. Both of these answers represent the price per day of your cruise vacation.

See how much cheaper your overhead becomes when you stay 14 days instead of just 7?

If you allow us to help you choose, book and plan your cruise vacation I will do a customized spreadsheet of typical costs. Any and all vacations are about "Expectations". Our goal is always to meet or exceed your expectations. And that includes staying within budgeted costs.

The Bottom Line: All of these elements dictate your true travel budget. Once you finish your flight math homework, don't get lost trying to calculate package combinations alone. Call us directly at 815-516-0300—let us look over your calendar and blueprint a vacation that is actually worth the packing hassle!