The New Cruise Brochures Are Here!

Posted onAuthorChris Owen

Experienced travelers book cruises far in advance for a number of reasons.  In the past, those reasons included choosing from the best selection of staterooms, lower early-booking prices and the ability to change that booking later.  Nearly written in stone for decades, those reasons to book early have become more fluid lately.  We’ll get to why that is shortly.  First, for those who consider the release of new future cruise dates and/or printing new cruise brochures the start of the hunt, we’re starting early this year.

Right Now, Viking Cruises is printing new brochures for Viking River Cruises.

Now booking into 2020, new Viking Ocean Cruises as well.

Our resources page has all the links to all the digital cruise brochures of many cruise lines as well as contact information for each to order printed versions.  Your travel agent can also help procure new cruise brochures for you.

We began this post by noting reasons to book early, historically focused on choosing from the best selection of staterooms, lower early-booking prices and the ability to change that booking later.  Nearly written in stone for decades, those reasons are not entirely accurate today.  Still, the thoughts have value.

Early Booking Brings OK Selection
While booking right after the release of new sailing dates on just about any cruise line brings good selection, it might not bring the best. Commonly offered as a bona fide perk of being a frequent traveler with any company: access.  Early on or off ships, skipping lines and benefits of a similar flavor are popular with travelers.  The ability to book before others; also popular access that not all buyers enjoy.  Still, it’s not like all the past guests gobble up all the good staterooms the first day a sailing is open for booking. They don’t. But groups might.

Becoming more popular lately, traveling with a group of like-minded travelers on ships that attract a large variety of traveler types. Man, that’s a mouthful, huh?
Look for group cruise options to become even more prevalent in the next five years, much like they have been from time to time over the last few decades. Traditionally, group cruises bring bonus amenities/value. Whatever the best deal/offer a traveler would qualify for, the group deal was more attractive.  That has cruise lines allowing more group space to be held, earlier in the process, a move that affects stateroom inventory individuals have to choose from. This is more of a big ship thing than a small ship thing.  Right now?  A great time to start a new group cruise.

Early Booking Prices Dry Up
Also different, early booking prices might not exist at all.  Take Alaska for example. Booking right when the next year’s sailings open might not be the best price at all, especially if the current Alaska season is still in-progress. Alaska sailings are not published all that far in advance for most cruise lines for one great big reason: they do not know for sure if they will be there or not.  For all practical purposes they do but legally, no.  Protected waters of Alaska allow a certain number of ships to pass through glacier viewing areas, for example.

Risk-Free? No, There Might Be Risk Now
Finally, one favorite reason for booking in advance has changed.  ‘We can always cancel before final payment and get all our money back’ was a common thought that made booking risk-free.  Now, new deals with restricted fares, reduced deposits, change fees and other requirements make changing inconvenient.  Often quite inconvenient.

Still, while a lot has changed, there is still a whole lot of travel motivation value in having a cruise brochure hanging around on the living room table or at work.  Well, that and we especially like page 32 of the current Viking Ocean Cruises brochure. Bloggers, you see, count anything in print as a win.

 

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