Best Time to Book a Cruise: What You Need to Know

Cruise Booking Is Its Own Weird Science

If you’re familiar with the booking patterns of traditional holidays, then the rhythms and flows of cruise booking might not seem too alien. However, if you’re expecting to book an Antarctic cruise for six months’ time, or you’d like a spot on a brand-new ship launching next month, you’ve got another think coming. Ship launches are a huge deal, and expedition cruises often book up years in advance. 

Over the last few years, booking habits have changed. The pandemic rewired how people plan—longer lead times, more flexible policies, and a big surge in early bookings. But that doesn’t mean last-minute deals have vanished completely. You just have to know which cruise types reward which approach.

So let’s break it down.

Ocean Cruises: The Earlier, the Better

Ideal booking window: 6–18 months in advance
Sweet spot for deals: January–March (Wave Season)

So what’s defined as an ocean cruise? Well, anything in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and more recently, Asia, at sea. On the luxury end, we’re talking about cruise capacities of between 700 and 3,000. Anything lower than this suggests a more intimate, yacht-style experience. Anything above 3,000 feels a little loud to be considered true luxury. 

Ocean cruises follow traditional holiday booking patterns. Book early and you’ll get access to better cabin choices (balcony lovers, take note), better dining times, and in some cases, early-booking bonuses like onboard credit or drinks packages.

Even if you like booking early, we’d always suggest waiting until ‘Wave Season’ to pul the trigger. Wave Season occurs between January and March, and it’s when you’ll find the most competitive offers and deals. It’s not quite Black Friday chaos, but it’s the closest the cruise world gets.

Expedition Cruises: When You Know, Book! 

Ideal booking window: 12–24 months in advance
Sweet spot for perks: As early as possible—sometimes 18 months out

Expedition cruises play to the beat of their own drum. Destinations like Antarctica, the Galápagos, the Arctic, or remote Pacific islands have much tighter environmental restrictions than traditional cruising destinations. There are fewer boats with smaller capacities, and in the Polar Regions, you’re limited to sailing for just a few months of the year. Oh, and demand is growing every single year. 

For all of these reasons, we’d suggest booking as soon as you know you want to do the expedition. It might take years of dreaming before you make the call, but as soon as you do, get it booked. The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have when it comes to things like cabin and excursion availability. 

One thing to bear in mind with excursion cruises is the expense. They’re once-in-a-lifetime purchases, and the cruise lines know this. So don’t hold out in anticipation of huge discounts or standout offers, because they know that almost every sailing will sell out. 

Instead, expect tiered prices that go up the longer you wait. Some operators reward early birds with savings of £500–£1,000 per person. Wait too long and those prices creep up quietly, without much fanfare.

There are occasional late discounts (if a group cancels or the ship isn’t quite full), but they’re rare and usually limited to less popular dates.

River Cruises: A Bit More Predictable, But Still Worth Booking Early

Ideal booking window: 6–12 months in advance
Sweet spot for deals: Autumn and Wave Season (Jan–Mar)

River cruising is in the Goldilocks Zone of booking. There is no true “best” time to book because it can depend on the sailing, capacity, and seasonality. It’s not too strict or chaotic. It follows a common-sense approach. 

Routes through Europe (Rhine, Danube, Seine), Asia (Mekong), or Egypt (Nile) tend to run predictably. If you’ve got your heart set on a spring tulip cruise in the Netherlands or autumn along the Douro? Book it early.

The best staterooms do go quickly. And just like their ocean-going cousins, river cruise lines tend to offer deals during Wave Season or post-summer when they’re filling next year’s inventory.

Top tip: Europe’s Christmas markets are getting seriously popular. If you fancy mulled wine in Vienna or fairy lights in Strasbourg, book that at least a year ahead. No joke.

Booking Trends Have Shifted 

Let’s rewind a bit. Pre-2020, lots more travellers booked last minute. Especially seasoned cruisers who knew the patterns. But now?

Advance bookings are rising—and they’re not going down any time soon. People are planning further ahead, especially for premium cabins and longer voyages. Ships are also sailing at fuller capacity again, meaning fewer last-minute gaps to fill.

On the flip side, cancellation flexibility has improved across the board. Cruise lines learned their lesson. Many now offer more lenient terms or “book with confidence” policies, so you can secure your sailing early without locking yourself in forever. A win-win.

And there’s another twist: luxury cruises are selling out faster than before. That might sound surprising, but with fewer ships operating in that mid-size sweet spot (700–2,000 passengers), demand is strong, and travellers are shifting away from the megaship model, craving more space and less hassle.

Plan, then Book

One of the most underrated consequences of booking early is peace of mind. Knowing you’ve secured the ideal suite, the perfect time slot for that kayaking excursion, or the cabin next to your friends, is priceless. It gives you time to sort out flights, insurance, visas, and your pre-cruise wardrobe.

So whether you’re planning a river meander through central Europe or eyeing up penguins in the South Pole, take a breath, check the calendar, and don’t leave it too late.