Hello! I need some advice...I have always waited and booked cruises at the last minute, but I've also only cruised to the Caribbean and Alaska.

Which brings us to the problem...A friend and I are planning to go on a Mediterranean cruise at the end of August (Aug. 23 NCL Norwegian Jade)...my question is when to book?

Has anyone had problems getting the difference back if the cruise line lowers their prices after you've paid a deposit? What about after you've paid in full?

Any difference if booking direct with the cruise line vs. a third-party, like AAA?

Thanks for your advice!

You may get a discount by using a travel agent that you would not get from the cruise line itself, but the savings is relatively minor. Here's the rub. Cruise prices are down right now because people aren't booking far in advance. You might get a deeply discounted cabin by waiting until the last minute, but no cruise line will refund the difference between a deep last-minute discount and an early-booking discount. However, I do know that NCL is lowering prices for people booking ahead after they make a deposit, but I'm not sure they would do it once you paid in full. The best you could hope for would be an onboard credit, I think. Most cruise lines don't do price-guarantees, but you should look into it.

One reason you may want to book sooner rather than later is because airfares are about as good as they get right now. I'm not sure if the discounts are extending into August yet, but I have seen some sales that go into the summer (the recent Air France sale, for instance). There's always a chance that you won't get the best price by booking ahead, but when you find a fare that works for you, the best course is typically to book it. The ships are filling up, and deeper discounts seem to be offered earlier this year, particularly with NCL.

Ask around, but I think this might be a good time for you to book, though I have no crystal ball to tell me the future of cruise or airline pricing.

By the way, I would use a travel agent, not simply a third-party web site. People are getting good buys on cruises at Costco right now. But a good travel agent who specializes in cruises may be able to give you more answers.

Just last week the price dropped on my July cruise and I was able to get my fare lowered. So far I've paid a deposit but not made final payment yet.

It is my general understanding that having your fare lowered to match price drops before final payment is made is pretty easy to do. Once you've made final payment it gets a bit trickier, depending on the rules of the promotion that the cruise line has made for those fares. However, I've read of a few people on cruisecritic.com that were able to receive on board credits for fare drops after they made final payment.

Thanks! We ended up booking yesterday. We were told we could get the difference if the fare dropped before we made final payment, but NCL doesn't typically make refunds after you've made your final payment.