Where can you get best last minute deals - a couple of days prior to departure ?

[sawdrl]

It always peeves me when Florida residents you meet on board ship tell you about the amazing last minute deals they get from the cruise lines.........presumably just to make something from unsold staterooms rather than sailing with empty rooms.

 

I'm not aware of any travel agents or even port based cruise line offices, where these sorts of very last minute deals can be bagged for cruises departing the UK.

 

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE WE MIGHT START LOOKING ?http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/confused.gif

[CruiseLuvver]

Your best bet is to sign up with several online cruise travel agents and also with the cruise lines themselves. Are you actually in the UK? Bear in mind that the most difficult part of getting a cheap cruise may be the airfare - that's why the best deals tend to be on the cruises leaving the country of departure.

[jocap]

We met some Brits living in Spain who had a TA, who rang them at the very last minute with cruises leaving-usually- the next day. They'd been on 7 cruises in 10 months, over autumn and winter, at low, low prices.

Their advice was to make firm friends with a TA who knew about cruising, and ask him/her for last min. details- this couple had 2 suitcases always packed, with extra toiletries etc inside. They could be away from their apartment and at any port within hours. The price they paid made our jaws drop!:rolleyes:

Jo.

[hula-hoops]

I would always take any 'bargain' price quoted to me by another guest/passenger on a cruise or, for that matter, any holiday with a large pinch of salt.

 

Blagging about the 'terrific last-minute deal' that they got tends to be a hobby of some holidaymakers, for some reason.

 

I used to work for a well-known tour operator in their head office and would read things on forums and hear things said at the resorts where people had claimed to have paid ridiculously low prices and the amounts bandied about were prices that I knew for a fact we had never offered.

[Greghouseo]

Genuine "LAST MINUTE" deals to the Med in the last couple of weeks has been few and far between.

 

It isn't that you can't pick up a cheap cruise (although that has also been problematical) but the flights have been incredibly expensive.

 

Had a client that wanted I think it was the Voyager.

Cruise netted me at about £350 for an inside cabin, flight however was also £350, £25 for transfer plus a profit meant the cruise would have being sold for just shy of £780.

 

4 weeks ago same cruise was going for £599.

 

I can quote many examples of this.

[sidari]

There are some good deals to be had but as Greg says the Big problem are the flights! Costa are offering the 7th November £299 cruise only spain and balearics, 18th November £299 spain and france and 16th December Dubai for £273! All 7 nights.

 

Just a shame those type of prices do not exist from the UK ports!!

[insidecabin]

We have done 3(2005,2007,2008) NCL ex uk 2 nighters last minute for £50pp booked 2 days before, on the second we upgraded to a mini suite for another £50pp. We were on the next cruise anyway so this just added 2 nights.

 

We got a Fred Olsen 4 night for £60 flight to Gibraltar and taxi home from Dover were both more

 

The US lines tend to start discounting around final payment so often the ships are much fuller by the time you are 4 weeks or less away.

 

Another trick used to keep prices up is to go no single suppliments as the cruise date approaches rather than discount, Fred Olsen use this a lot.

 

Anything under £50pppd ex uk is very rare,

We did a Costa this year from Dover booked 1month out at £400pp for 10n if we had booked a week earlier that would have been a balcony, they dropped the price to £299 a week away but there were hardly any cabins so you had to be on the ball for a cancellation

 

Costa did some £99 7n med cruises(only UK bookings, eu were €500+) if you could get flights(Savona,Venice)

 

Cruise and Maritime have recently discounted their Dec short cruises to £50pppd.(no fuel sup after dec 3rd)

http://www.cruiseandmaritime.com/about-us/special-offers.aspx

 

 

NCL Jade out of Rome has some cheapish deals, keep watching for price drops or sales( Jan dates are starting to get price drops as well)

 

25/10 £350pp 10n

05/11 £418pp 11n (this was £330 in sept)

16/11 £387pp 10n aft mini suite is £644pp

 

from BCN

08/12 £449pp 9n

[insidecabin]

Just have to be on the ball and ready,

 

How about an ex UK Fred Olsen deal for 3 weeks time.

 

Good entry rates for both 2px and solos and a large balcony(superior suite) at very good price

 

http://www.fredolsencruises.com/plan-cruise/cruise-details/L1120

 

I expect these will sell well so probably need to book today to get a cabin at these rates.

[sawdrl]

Thanks for the responses....................about as mixed as I was was expecting. We always book relatively late, so are always on the lookout for tempting deals, hence the original question.

 

That Fred Olsen did look tempting, but not really for us, so we'll still keep looking out for those elusive to-good-to-miss offers.

[insidecabin]

Thanks for the responses....................about as mixed as I was was expecting. We always book relatively late, so are always on the lookout for tempting deals, hence the original question.

 

That Fred Olsen did look tempting, but not really for us, so we'll still keep looking out for those elusive to-good-to-miss offers.

 

We found FO very good liked the atmosphere and small ship service levels.

 

what are you looking for?

 

Ex UK there is not a lot of choice and al aimed at brits P&O, FO, Cruise and Maritime, there is RC Independance but unlikely to get a deal on that they priced it well for early bookings.