Experienced cruisers know all the tricks of the trade: if you book a trip right before departure, you are sure to save a lot of money. Right?

The latest findings by Cruisewatch now prove that it may not always be worth taking the risk. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, Cruisewatch has discovered which US ships, sailings and cabin types are already very likely to sell out within the next ten weeks.

Highest Book Out for Cruise Evergreens

When it comes to planning a cruise, the priority for many holidaymakers is choosing an attractive destination. According to Cruisewatch's data pool, cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas are especially popular right now. Around 50% of all cruises that are likely to be sold out soon are sailing to these regions. Also, fans of the Orient, South America or the Mediterranean Sea should book wisely — these destinations line up directly behind the famous tropical islands.

Once a customer decides where they would like to set sail to, the focus shifts to the cruise companies themselves. It is not surprising that world brands like MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line are among the shipping companies with the future most fully booked sailings. Accordingly, MSC Grandiosa, Pride of America or Carnival Liberty are in the top ten of ships with sailings at cabin level that will likely sell out within the next weeks.

Of these 'sold-out-soon' sailings, however, it is not always only the suites that sell out in advance: interior cabins have the highest probability of being sold out, followed closely by suites and finally — with less probability — oceanview and balcony. "Our customers can find this information directly on our website. If a cabin type for a cruise deal is expected to be sold out soon, our 'Vacancy Prediction' engine will advise them to book accordingly — which they can do directly via cruisewatch.com," explains Markus Stumpe, CEO and co-founder of Cruisewatch.

The Brain behind the Cruise Forecasts

Cruisewatch bases their vacancy predictions on a massive data pool collected over several years of operation. The next-generation cruise advisor utilizes Artificial Intelligence and big data analysis to process thousands of cruise deals daily. The sheer volume of data enables the algorithm to interpret not only past developments but create forecasts on prices and availabilities. To produce the current statistics, Cruisewatch analyzed millions of data points to predict which cruise is likely to be fully booked – in exactly which week before departure.

"We invented the vacancy prediction to give the customers a full picture of their options. In combination with our price prediction, our customers gain more control in making informed decisions," Stumpe explains. To further enhance their AI-based prediction engine, Cruisewatch are partnering with scientists from the Technical University of Leibniz in Hanover, Germany.