One of the more popular questions I get asked is “when is the best time to book a cruise”. While there are advantages to booking both early and late if I had to nail it down to one answer, it would be to book as early as possible. While it is true that you can save a lot of money by booking a last minute cruise, waiting for the last minute can also be risky.

Those of you who aren’t eager to engage in a game of cruise vacation roulette may want to pay close attention to this mini-series on why you should book early.

• Part One: When should I book my cruise? – The first part of the series focuses on when you should book your cruise. I will talk about reasons why you should book early as well as how early you should book. We will also discuss when is the best time to go on a cruise to some of the most popular regions.
• Part Two: How booking early can help save you money! – In the second part of the series, I will go over the financial aspects of why booking early may be the best approach. We will discuss why you (not your travel agent) must look after your booking as well as what cruise-booking equilibrium is and how you can use the system to your advantage.
• Part Three: My personal reasons to book a cruise early. – The last part of the series takes a look at some added perks to booking early. Some of these benefits help make your cruise more comfortable some even have to do with getting free stuff.