Cruising Into 2000? Some Berths Remain

Want to be on a cruise ship when the millennium begins? There’s still opportunity, but prices are steep, cancellation policies are tough and some shorter cruises are already sold out.

High prices actually work in your favor, for the moment. Princess Cruises, for instance, which once boasted a wait list of 30,000 for its nine New Year’s Eve 1999 itineraries, conceded last week that a “surprising” number have dropped out since the line opened sales to the public July 15 and began asking for deposits. So although seven-day itineraries are sold out, 10- to 16-day itineraries have space.

The main reason for the falloff is “sticker shock,” says travel agent Rick Kaplan of Culver City-based CruiseMasters. Millennium cruises are typically 30% more to three times the price of regular cruises, depending on the line. Kaplan said about half his wait-list clients “wash out” when they hear the prices.

Cancellation policies are also stricter. For instance, starting Nov. 1, Royal Caribbean International will charge you 25% of the total cruise price if you cancel, even though your final payment is not due until June 30, 1999. Carnival Cruise Lines will charge a 50% penalty if you cancel after June 30, 1999; cancel after Sept. 15, 1999, and you lose it all. By contrast, you can often cancel without penalty up to 46 days before the departure date on regular sailings.

Still, travelers are booking millennium cruises, and typically the momentum grows as the departure date nears. Banking on that, cruise lines so far aren’t cutting fares for this once-in-a-thousand-years event. “You don’t get a $4.98 seat at the Super Bowl,” observes Royal Caribbean spokesman Rick Steck.