I have been looking at a 7-night Caribbean cruise (either Carnival or RC) for late May-early June, but the prices seem high. I thought that by booking this far in advance I could get some really cheap rates.<BR><BR>Is it just too early to hunt for bargains that far in the future, or is that time of year just so popular that there won't be any bargains?<BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>Pam B.<BR>

If you want a cheap Caribbean cruise, check-out the 'Hurricane' season, which is genrally the fall, through Dec, excluding Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years. Those are the times with the cheapest caribbeans cruises on all lines.

Hi Pam,<BR><BR>May and June are the 4th least expensive months to cruise (see above). You can look at it the other way and it is the second most expensive other than holidays.<BR><BR>Paul

We cruised mid-May this year and got a great rate on the Rhapsody of the Seas when we booked in February. Much, much lower than anything I've seen on different web-sites for May of next year. <BR><BR> The problem with the END of May and June is that school is already out in a lot of places and so you're getting into the family vacation month(s) when rates are higher. But, in any event, I think waiting till early next year would give you a better shot at a cheaper rate because they know then how their sales are going. I think they're in their 'hopeful' mode right now.<BR>

Well, we have to travel the end of May/first of June because we are taking our two teenagers with us. <BR>Thanks for the replies.<BR>Pam

Just for the record, hurricane season officially starts each year on June 1st and ends on Nov 30th. June hurricanes are very rare, but other tropical disturbances are not. Late August through late October historically is the busiest time of year for hurricanes.

Hi Pam,<BR>I checked my favorite web-site (out of curiosity) and looked up RoftheS (just as a gauge since I don't know which ship you have in mind) for next May-June and there seems to be about $150 difference per person for each category when comparing a mid-May sail date to one in early June. But what I'm seeing there for next May is quite a bit more than we paid in February for our May sailing. I'd still wait till early next year and see what's what then.<BR><BR>The web-site I'm fond of is icruise.com. It is so easy to look everything up and they don't mske you to 'sign up' in order to quote you a rate...plus their rates seem very compatable. When you bring up the first page, just pick out the name of the ship you're considering in the bottom section (that's the only info you have to fill in) and it will bring up a calendar of that ship's sailings. Then hit the date you want and it will show you the catagories and prices. Other info is available too.<BR>Now my TA has beaten their price, so I've only booked with her but the rates on icruise look better then what I've ever pulled up on other sites. So I think they give you a good tool when going through a TA.<BR>Whew...I sure do talk a lot. Your teenagers will have a blast. Two years ago we took our 14 year old granddaughter on a 7 day cruise and to this day she says it was the best vacation she ever had. She is still in touch with a couple of friends she met. Hope your two will have as good a time.<BR> <BR>

I'm trying to beat the spell-checker this time...comparable, not compatable!!

Thanks so much, Elaine. It's nice to hear from posters who don't think "kids" is a four-letter word when it comes to cruising. We took them to Europe this summer and it was wonderful. We went on a four-day Bahamas cruise four years ago over Thanksgiving (the Fantasy) and they enjoyed that. Their cousins were with them that time so they had built-in companions. I'm a little bit more concerned this time around because it will just be our immediate family. Hope they will be able to meet other kids their age.<BR>Pam<BR>

cheapest cruises are in the cold months (because nobody wants to swim when it is only 60 degrees out.

Sure, if you are sailing north up the coast or to Alaska but it is very hot in the Caribbean in any month.<BR><BR>Paul