I’ve found one of the best ways to get me through the week is to dream about my next vacation. The summer vacation season is coming to an end, if it hasn’t ended for you already. My Facebook newsfeed is full of First Day of School photos…I always love to see those, but it’s a reminder that before we know it, the holidays will be here, along with the New Year.
I’ve got a few cruises planned for the end of this year; but, amazingly, I have only one vacation booked for next year…what I think will be a FANTASTIC cruise from Quebec City, Canada to Boston, MA next September! If you’d like to travel to New England with me next fall, here’s a great place to start: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2560927854134233/?source_id=586403538059467 Or, just send me an email!
I’ll be flying up to Seattle in September for my second Alaska cruise, in October I’ll be doing training with Princess Cruises in New England, and in November I’ll be on the Inaugural cruise of the Norwegian Encore! I can’t wait for all of those trips, but it’s time I started looking around and trying to figure out where and when I’m going next year, and to get it booked. I’m thinking about going back and taking my parents to the Grand Canyon & touring Morocco later in the year.
Why do I book early? Here are a few reasons…
AVAILABILITY
Popular destinations often book well in advance, and popular options for accommodations frequently sell out. If you have a large family looking for a suite or for adjoining staterooms, if you want a hotel room with a particular view, or if you want to stay somewhere right next to your favorite theme park, booking early is the best way to guarantee that you get exactly what you want. Just the other day, I booked a family for next fall at Walt Disney World and I was able to get them EXACTLY what they wanted. That’s the great thing about planning ahead, the hotel & room category you want is probably available now for next year. Waiting to book a couple of months before you travel, you may have to choose from what’s available, and not what works best for your family.
Pricing
Booking early is a great way to get some of the best pricing on a vacation, especially cruises – the initial release of itineraries or hotel availability often has the best pricing, as it tends to go up as staterooms or hotel rooms sell out. It’s true that there are sometimes last-minute special offers, but waiting until the last minute isn’t always a good way to save. Options are often limited, have extra restrictions, and are often still not a better price than what you can get by booking early. I recently had some experience with this during my recent Adventures by Disney trip to Arizona & Utah. Some new promotions came out during my vacation for Walt Disney World. I checked my client’s previously-booked reservations to see if I could save them some money, and for people who booked with me last year, the discounted pricing was still not as good as the non-discounted pricing we booked earlier. (of course by booking early, if any promotions become available, I can get them applied to your vacation package for even better savings). For the best pricing, especially for cruises and theme park vacations, booking early is often the best savings you can get.
Changes
If 2020 seems too far away to nail down your dates or the specifics of your vacation, you don’t have to worry – you can go ahead and reserve the option that works best for now, pay the deposit and get your price & room locked in. Changes can be made later if you need to change dates or find other options. Most of the destinations I work with do not charge change fees until after final payment is made for your vacation, so you can usually make changes without penalty. Since there are always exceptions to this (like booking a Concierge-Level Stateroom with Disney Cruise Lines), when we book, I’ll always let you know what the cancellation/change policies are. For example most cruises will allow changes up to the final payment date. Just keep in mind that there may be a difference in price, depending on what changes are made. (and, obviously any date changes are subject to availability).
MAKING PAYMENTS
Booking well ahead of time also allows you to make intermittent payments towards your vacation over time. Most of the destinations I work with allow partial payments up until final payment is due, so you can make monthly payments towards your vacation and spread out the cost.
BE READY FOR RESERVATIONS
Many destinations offer advance reservations for high-demand experiences, such as character dining at Walt Disney World, shore excursions and dining reservations for your cruise, and activity reservations at some resorts. Some of these reservations open as early as six months in advance, and can quickly sell out. Booking ahead of time allows you to be ready for these so you have access to the best availability
Are you ready to begin planning your 2020 adventure? Contact me and let’s get started! As a trained, traveled and trusted Travel Planner, I’m very excited to help you with your future vacations, wherever you decide to go. I look forward to working with you soon!My email address is: kenneth@moderntravelpros.com
My phone number is: 678-478-9158
TTFN
Cleared For Take-Off! 