Lasted Minute Cruises?

[Kudos2Fly]

Is there any lasted minute deals out there anymore? I mean if you are able to sail in a month or less. This next cruise we planned far invanced. The lasted few cruise was pretty much planned in less then a month and half.

 

Is there anymore good deals out there?

 

Kim

[LHT28]

Ourt last 2 cruises were booked 6 wks prior to sailing.

Last cruise we got a 3 Cat upgrade this cruise book a guarentee so still waiting ..we don't sail till Oct 21

[BuckGuy]

do a www search on last minute cruises or discount cruises. I took one within 3 weeks of a cruise but I was asked to pay 100% immediately. Sometimes you can get some REEEALLLLY cheap prices.

[Happy ks]

I think it depends on when you are sailing. I've priced cruises two weeks out and the price is always outrageous, but that is in summer. The price of our November weekend cruise has gone up $200 per person and that is for a 3 night cruise. We usually book well in advance and have never seen our price any lower than what we book.

 

I think the last minute deals are best at off-peak times, when many people aren't able to go.

[masterbaker]

For the past couple of years we have been booking far in advance and it has gotten us the best prices and the best choice of cabins. We have taken two cruises this year that we booked as soon as the cruises were released. The first (a full transit Panama Canal inside cabin) went up $800 by the time we sailed. The second (an Alaska cruise inside cabin) went up $1500 by the time we sailed. Our next cruise (western caribbean aft balcony) has already gone up $430 and we don't sail until April 06. We also just booked for a southern caribbean in April of 07, that hasn't had time to go up yet, but i'm sure it will.

 

Mostly i've noticed prices start low and within a couple months of release they increase. They sometimes even take several jumps if it is selling well. If there are many cabins available after final payment date, sometimes the price will drop, but usually not below the initial price offered when the cruise was released.

 

Several years ago last minute deals were everywhere and cruises were a lot less expensive. Cruiselines were doing a lot of discounting in order to fill cabins, but the market has changed and demand has returned it to a sellers market instead of a buyers market. It's all about supply and demand.

[Kudos2Fly]

Thanks for the info. I can go on off season times, we just have to wait and see what happens next time we sail.

 

Kim

[kitty9]

Last minute cruises can be somewhat less expensive, but for some reason the prices of cruises have been going up the closer you get to the sailing date. It might be the cost of fuel or it might be that cruising has become so popular and ships are sailing full, that last minute cruises aren't that plentiful anymore. I've found it's become cheaper to book early than to wait until the last minute. Even if you book early, and the price drops, you can get the cheaper price, so in reality, there's not much to gain to waiting until the last minute to book a cruise. Plus, if you book early, you get the cabin you want and not just the leftovers.

[beth4652]

Ditto to kitty9's answer. Our Dec. '05 cruise fare has gone down $200/person since we booked in Sept. Although we have technically passed the final payment/penalty date, RCCL has refunded the difference.

[nycruiser1975]

Hello I am a newbie and I would like to cruise on NCL next april, but due to the up coming holiday's that my husband insist we host and our son's 5th birthday. I was planning on booking in early January.. Do you think I could still get on that ship for the dates of 4-9-06 - 4-16-06. We want an inside cabin, don't plan on being in the cabin much and hubby is not to concerned with price. I am I don't want to pay too much if I don't have to. Does anyone know where I can get these coupons and I don't have a TA. DO I need one? I live in NYC if anyone has any suggestions.

[geoherb]

We booked our last cruise just six weeks before sailing. It was a 9-night holiday (Christmas and New Year's) cruise on Celebrity's Century. We paid significantly less than the people who booked before final payment. This year, though, the ship has been sold out for a few months.

 

I am looking at a couple of ships that haven't sold well for Christmas. I'm not sure, though, if we'll go again.

 

This morning, I received a promo email from Princess for a 12-night cruise for $699. It's a repositioning from Quebec to Florida. Sure wish I could go.

[kitty9]

nycruiser, good luck if you're booking so late. The rule of cruising is the cheapest and most expensive cabins are booked first and earliest. Since the dates you're looking at are prime Easter/Spring Break time, most cruises are pretty well booked by now.

[mrg0433]

We had a ten day cruise booked for late October from Boston to Bermuda & Caribbean. A week before final payment was due, the same cruise three weeks earlier came out with a great rate for a junior suite--same as a balcony and over $300 less per person. We canceled and booked the lower price and sailed three weeks sooner. I should be sailing tomorrow, but I am glad we saved so much money and had great weather on our cruise 3 weeks ago.

 

We love sailing last minute cruitses out of Miami and LA--especially on 3 or 4 night cruises. If you live within driving distance of a port and can book a week or two before sailing, you can get fantastic rates.

[Lsimon]

Where do you find these fantastic last minuite rates?

[Cotton]

Due to my Katrina frustrations, my son sent me to visit DD in L.A. in October.

 

She booked (thru Carnival PVP) a four-nighter on the Paradise for us - about 6 days prior to the cruise. It was very inexpensive - only $329 each.

[spongerob]

Where do you find these fantastic last minuite rates?

 

There are several good web sites with on-line pricing. Some are linked at the top of the page, others you find with a simple Google search. There are some very good deals out there for January sailings.

[chasetf]

Where do you find these fantastic last minuite rates?

I notice you have sailed Princess. We have gotten some great offers (and taken them up in a few cases) being a member of the Captain's Circle club. :D

 

And as mentioned by others, we have gotten some good deals through the internet and also the Sunday travel section of our newpaper....:D