How Far in Advance Should You Book a Cruise? Mind the 120-Day Line

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Royal Caribbean’s summer 2028 Alaska cruises went on sale to the public on October 1, 2026. That’s roughly a year and a half before the season starts, and loyalty members got in even earlier. So if “how early is too early?” sounds like a sensible question, the cruise lines would like a word.

On October 22, 2026 we read the booking terms of Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess and Holland America, plus the cruise companies’ latest reports to investors. Here’s when to book, and the one date in your booking that matters more than the day you click “buy”.

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How Far in Advance Should You Book a Cruise?

For most cruises, book 6 to 18 months ahead. Book at the early end of that range for Alaska, summer in Europe, school holidays, suites and family cabins. Holland America’s own booking FAQ calls “about 6 months in advance” ideal if you want “the widest choice of staterooms and suites”. Booking inside the last few months can still work, but on several big lines that now means paying the whole fare on the day you book.

When Do New Cruises Go on Sale?

Earlier than most people expect. Royal Caribbean’s 2028 Alaska season, with Ovation, Voyager, Serenade and Anthem of the Seas, opened to Crown & Anchor Society members first and to everyone on October 1, 2026, Cruise Hive reported. Its first year-round Europe season, for 2028-29, followed on October 15, according to Cruise Industry News and Travel Market Report. A schedule sent to travel agents targets the week of November 2 for 2028’s seven-night summer Caribbean cruises.

And people do buy that early. On September 29, Carnival Corporation told investors that for 2027 “both booked occupancy and pricing are at record levels,” and that 2028 was “off to an excellent start at higher occupancy and prices than last year.” Cruise Industry News reported the company as already half booked for 2027. The ships fill up from the front. Every cabin someone else books is one you can’t choose.

Your Booking Calendar, From Two Years Out to Sail Day

When	What happens	What to do
18–24 months out	New seasons open, loyalty members first (Royal Caribbean’s 2028 Alaska and Europe seasons opened in October 2026)	Book now if you need a suite, a family or accessible cabin, or a holiday sailing
6–18 months out	Holland America’s “booking early” window: best cabin choice, plus its Early Booking Bonus on Have It All fares	The sweet spot for most cruises. Take a refundable deposit if your plans might change
January to March	Wave season: “generally starts in January and concludes at the end of March” (The Points Guy; also Faye)	If you’re booking for the following year anyway, shop then
Booking day	You pay a deposit, not the full fare	Note your final payment date. Buy insurance within its pre-existing-condition window
Until final payment	Several lines will reprice you if the fare drops	Check the fare now and then. See our price-drop guide
120, 90 or 75 days out	Final payment is due, and cancellation charges start climbing	Pay on time. Unpaid bookings can be cancelled
2–8 weeks out	Holland America’s “last minute” window: “Some sailings may offer discounted fares”	Only if you’re flexible on cabin, ship and flights

Wave season is real, but it isn’t a clearance sale. Global Traveler’s January 2026 roundup listed Royal Caribbean’s BOGO60 (60% off the second guest, book by February 2) and Princess’s Come Aboard Sale (up to 40% off, book by February 16). The Points Guy says wave season is “one of the best times” for a cheaper or more inclusive fare, but also that “Cruise lines come out with deals throughout the year.”

Why 120 Days Is the Date That Matters

Your final payment date is when a cheap, cancellable deposit becomes a fully paid, mostly non-refundable holiday. In 2026, two big lines moved it a month earlier:

• Princess: for bookings made on or after September 2, 2026, its passage contract sets final payment at “120 days prior to departure” for every cruise up to 44 days. Before, it was 90 days for cruises of 1 to 13 days. Cruise Hive and Cruise Fever report that the change covers sailings from January 1, 2027, with “no grace period”, and that unpaid bookings are cancelled automatically.
• Holland America: its cruise contract and cancellation policy now say “Final payment due 120 days prior to commencing travel” for all bookings opened from September 29, 2026 for 2027 departures or later. Some Caribbean, Europe and Alaska bookings switched earlier in the summer, as Deep Arrival reported.

Here’s where the five biggest lines stand for US bookings:

Line	Final payment due before sailing
Norwegian	120 days, any length
Princess	120 days (bookings from Sept 2, 2026)
Holland America	120 days (bookings from Sept 29, 2026, for 2027 sailings on)
Royal Caribbean	75 days (1–4 nights), 90 days (5–14), 120 days (15+)
Carnival	76 days (5 days or less), 91 days (6+ days, and all Alaska, Europe, transatlantic and Panama Canal cruises)

Two notes on the table. Carnival’s contract states its deadline as when charges begin: none “up to 91 days” before a longer cruise, then the deposit is lost. Royal Caribbean’s FAQ adds 120 days from 10 nights for reservations made from September 29, 2026 on Alaska, Hawaii, transpacific, Panama Canal and Pacific coastal sailings departing from April 11, 2028.

Why should a first-timer care? Because that date is when you lose your flexibility. On a Princess booking made today, the passage contract lets you cancel for just the deposit at 120 days or more. At 113 to 119 days it’s 25% of the total, and at 60 days or less it’s 100%. If you book inside the final payment window, you pay everything at once. Norwegian’s terms, for bookings made with its flights, put it plainly: “full payment for the reservation” is “required at the time of reservation.”

Are Last-Minute Cruise Deals Still Worth Waiting For?

Sometimes, but don’t plan around one. Holland America says late fares can be discounted, but warns that “Popular categories and prime locations are often already reserved,” that flights and hotels “can be more expensive,” and that excursions and dining “may have fewer openings.”

The lines don’t seem to be struggling to sell those late cabins, either. In July, Royal Caribbean Group credited its better-than-expected quarter partly to “strong close-in demand,” meaning people booking shortly before sailing, and said it “remains booked at record prices.”

Late bargains do still appear. Bookings that miss final payment are cancelled, so some cabins can come back on sale around the deadline. They suit people who can drive to the port, take any cabin and sail any week.

When to Book, Trip by Trip

• Alaska, summer Europe, Christmas or spring break: 12 to 18 months or more ahead, ideally soon after the season opens.
• A suite, a connecting family cabin or an accessible cabin: as early as you can. These sell out first, and there are few of them.
• A regular week in the Caribbean: 6 to 12 months ahead, with a refundable deposit, then keep checking the fare until final payment.
• Retired, flexible, or near a port: watch the line’s last-minute page in the final two months, and be ready to pay in full.

Whatever you book, put the final payment date in your calendar the day you pay the deposit. It’s when your refund rights shrink, when price-drop claims usually stop, and for new bookings on three of the big five lines it’s now four months before you sail. Our guide to cruise insurance explains what to cover before that date arrives.

Cruise Chaos earns nothing from cruise lines, travel agents or booking links. Every fact in this guide links to where we read it, using the cruise lines’ own contracts and terms wherever they publish them, checked on October 22, 2026. Payment rules change, and your booking confirmation is the final word. If something has changed, tell us and we’ll correct it.

Coming up on Cruise Chaos: is room service free on a cruise? What each line charges, and what you can order without paying a cent.

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Keep Reading

• 10 Things to Know Before You Book Your Cruise
• What Happens If Your Cruise Price Goes Down After You Book? The 24, 48 and 72-Hour Rules
• How Much Does a Cruise Cost Per Person? We Did the Sums From the Cruise Lines’ Own Books

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Sources

• Holland America Line: How far in advance should I book my cruise?, Cruise contract and Cancellation policy
• Princess Cruises: Passage contract
• Norwegian Cruise Line: Terms and conditions (payment/deposit timetable)
• Royal Caribbean: Final payment schedule policy
• Carnival Cruise Line: Ticket contract
• Carnival Corporation: Third quarter 2026 earnings release (September 29, 2026) and Royal Caribbean Group: Second quarter 2026 earnings release (July 28, 2026), via SEC EDGAR
• Travel Market Report: Here are all the final payment policies for every major cruise line (Dori Saltzman, August 26, 2026) and Royal Caribbean unveils first-ever year-round European season (Dori Saltzman, October 14, 2026)
• Cruise Hive: Princess Cruises moves final payment to 120 days (August 5, 2026), Royal Caribbean sets dates for its next wave of new itineraries (September 17, 2026) and Royal Caribbean details 2028 Alaska itineraries (September 30, 2026), all by Melissa Mayntz
• Cruise Fever: Princess Cruises changing final payment dates and increasing deposits (Ben Souza, August 4, 2026)
• Cruise Industry News: Royal Caribbean going year-round in Europe in 2028-29 (October 14, 2026) and Carnival half booked for 2027 at record prices (September 29, 2026)
• Deep Arrival: Holland America Alaska 120-day final payment (Rolando Herrera, August 22, 2026)
• The Points Guy: What is cruise wave season? (Erica Silverstein and Andrea M. Rotondo, January 2, 2025)
• Faye: Wave Season explained (January 26, 2026)
• Global Traveler: 2026 wave season deals you should know about (Aoife O’Riordan, January 14, 2026)