Can you buy a cruise at the dock?

[cengelbe]

My wife and I recently retired to southern Florida and have the ability to do a cruise without booking ahead of time. Does anyone know if it's possible to go to the cruise piers and be able to get a last minute cabin on a cruise ship on the day it's leaving? I've looked online and the closest thing I can find is travel sites that have deals about 60 days out. But I'm looking for a real last minute, pack a bag and get on a ship kind of deal. Thanks.

[cb at sea]

I believe, in this day and age, that the cruise line must submit a manifest of all passengers in advance (24-48 hours???)...so the days of walking up and hopping on a ship is done....

[Shmoo here]

My wife and I recently retired to southern Florida and have the ability to do a cruise without booking ahead of time. Does anyone know if it's possible to go to the cruise piers and be able to get a last minute cabin on a cruise ship on the day it's leaving? I've looked online and the closest thing I can find is travel sites that have deals about 60 days out. But I'm looking for a real last minute, pack a bag and get on a ship kind of deal. Thanks.

 

No. Time was you could. But now, while it's possible to book a cruise the morning of the cruise, but you have to do it by calling the cruise line on the phone and booking it. Can't just walk up.

 

Most cruise lines want you to book by 3 days prior, to allow for necessary security checks.

[Essiesmom]

You can book in the morning and sail in the afternoon on Carnival, but you must call to do it. You cannot book the same day online, and you would not be able to do online checkin. The checkin agents at the pier do not have the ability to sell you a cabin, they do not know what cabins are available, even for those who want to upgrade. Security checks may be done a few days prior to cruise, but noone has documented this. The full manifest must be submitted to CBP 60 minutes prior to sailing. Lines other than Carnival, I believe you can book up to the evening before. EM

[navybankerteacher]

Not at the pier - but who would want to go to the trouble of packing and going to the pier without knowing if you would be able to board? A day or so earlier is about as last minute as you could get - or that any sane person would want.

[paul929207]

All the above assumes that there is at least one empty cabin for the cruise you want to join. You may not find much in the way of discounts on ships that are virtually sold out.

[biker@sea]

I book mostly in the last 3 days before sailing.:)

 

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[sail7seas]

I aagree with ythe above ansswers but want to add that when there is an available cab in, at check in, if a booked guest wants to upsell to that cabiin , the price is higher than if thery had done so days/weeks prior.

Edited September 5, 2016 by sail7seas

[IsanTom]

Not at the pier, but if you want to buy the ship someone would accept your offer!

[zqvol]

My wife and I recently retired to southern Florida and have the ability to do a cruise without booking ahead of time. Does anyone know if it's possible to go to the cruise piers and be able to get a last minute cabin on a cruise ship on the day it's leaving? I've looked online and the closest thing I can find is travel sites that have deals about 60 days out. But I'm looking for a real last minute, pack a bag and get on a ship kind of deal. Thanks.

 

If cabins are available you can purchase on the morning of sailing, but it has to be done by phone, and not at the pier. You would be better off trying about 72 hours before sailing. The limiting factor is that you have to be on board 2 hours prior to sail away to allow them time to prepare the manifest which is sent to CBP one hour prior to sail away.

[zqvol]

I believe, in this day and age, that the cruise line must submit a manifest of all passengers in advance (24-48 hours???)...so the days of walking up and hopping on a ship is done....

 

The manifest is submitted an hour prior to sail away, not 24 - 48.

[zqvol]

You can book in the morning and sail in the afternoon on Carnival, but you must call to do it. You cannot book the same day online, and you would not be able to do online checkin. The checkin agents at the pier do not have the ability to sell you a cabin, they do not know what cabins are available, even for those who want to upgrade. Security checks may be done a few days prior to cruise, but noone has documented this. The full manifest must be submitted to CBP 60 minutes prior to sailing. Lines other than Carnival, I believe you can book up to the evening before. EM

 

Security check are not done a few days prior to sailing they are done while the cruise is ongoing.

[Shmoo here]

I aagree with ythe above ansswers but want to add that when there is an available cab in, at check in, if a booked guest wants to upsell to that cabiin , the price is higher than if thery had done so days/weeks prior.

 

Well, not on all cruise lines. DCL has upgrades at the port (for a price) and the cost is usually about 50% of the difference between your current reservation and the new room's cost the day before.

 

However, the cost is higher than if the new room had been booked originally on opening day.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Shmoo here

[AdGuyMG]

My wife and I recently retired to southern Florida and have the ability to do a cruise without booking ahead of time. Does anyone know if it's possible to go to the cruise piers and be able to get a last minute cabin on a cruise ship on the day it's leaving?

 

You can not book a cruise same day of sailing at the pier.

 

If something like this were possible, what's to stop a couple of hundred of the thousands upon thousands of other retiree's from Miami, Ft Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches with the same idea from showing up at Port Everglades of PortMiami from doing the same thing every week?

[Capt_BJ]

it has been a long time since I did not need to show my cruise documents to get inside the terminal ....... this is a port security issue ...... on very late bookings I might not have had a document ... but I was on a list provided to the port ....

 

kinda cuts off "buying on the pier" except for upgrades

 

*************

 

btw, have you tried to jus walk up to an airport airline counter and buy a ticket recently? Or fly stand-by from 'outside security' ??????

Edited September 5, 2016 by Capt_BJ

[navybankerteacher]

You can not book a cruise same day of sailing at the pier.

 

If something like this were possible, what's to stop a couple of hundred of the thousands upon thousands of other retiree's from Miami, Ft Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches with the same idea from showing up at Port Everglades of PortMiami from doing the same thing every week?

 

Hadn't thought of that - consider the horde of shuffling, white shoe and white belt wearing early bird diners blocking your access to the terminal -- because, having nothing to do with their time, why not?

[spookwife]

My wife and I recently retired to southern Florida and have the ability to do a cruise without booking ahead of time. Does anyone know if it's possible to go to the cruise piers and be able to get a last minute cabin on a cruise ship on the day it's leaving? I've looked online and the closest thing I can find is travel sites that have deals about 60 days out. But I'm looking for a real last minute, pack a bag and get on a ship kind of deal. Thanks.

 

pretty much no. at BEST, maybe the day before by calling ( not online) and you will NOT necessarily get any deal or any choice as top cabin

 

these days if you do not have a booked itinerary in hand, they will NOT let you into the pier area at all.

[Wayfairers]

Not at the pier - but who would want to go to the trouble of packing and going to the pier without knowing if you would be able to board? A day or so earlier is about as last minute as you could get - or that any sane person would want.

 

 

If you have a backup driving trip this would be a very sane way to travel and hopefully get a discount. If you get on the cruise, great. If not, do the driving trip. No big deal.

 

 

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[BruceMuzz]

FYI

 

A Pier is a structure located next to parked ships. This structure allows people and goods to embark and disembark a ship.

 

A Dock is the water space between or next to piers, where a ship parks.

[OzKiwiJJ]

FYI

 

A Pier is a structure located next to parked ships. This structure allows people and goods to embark and disembark a ship.

 

A Dock is the water space between or next to piers, where a ship parks.

 

A dock is also "a long structure built over water where passengers can get on or off a boat or where goods can be put on and taken off". ;)

 

It would have been very hard for Otis Redding to sit on the dock of the bay if it only referred to the water itself. :p

Edited September 8, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[chengkp75]

FYI

 

A Pier is a structure located next to parked ships. This structure allows people and goods to embark and disembark a ship.

 

A Dock is the water space between or next to piers, where a ship parks.

 

Gotta disagree with you Bruce. A dock and a pier are synonymous, the water next to docks/piers, or in between them are "berths" or "slips", at least in US maritime usage.

[BruceMuzz]

Gotta disagree with you Bruce. A dock and a pier are synonymous, the water next to docks/piers, or in between them are "berths" or "slips", at least in US maritime usage.

 

So then a Drydock is a pier that has not been rained on?

And a Wetdock is a pier in a rainstorm?

[iheartbda]

So then a Drydock is a pier that has not been rained on?

No, a dry dock doesn't serve liquor.

[chengkp75]

So then a Drydock is a pier that has not been rained on?

And a Wetdock is a pier in a rainstorm?

 

No, a wetdock is a dock/pier that has water alongside it. A drydock is a structure that can be raised or pumped out to allow a ship to be inspected, it is not the water next to the dock. Even a "graving" type drydock, which is fixed and uses a door and pumps the water out is one piece of structure: the two walls, the ends, the bottom, and there is only occasionally water inside. Docks are structures, not spaces in the water.

[navybankerteacher]

Dock can also be seen as generally referring to the space a vessel will occupy when alongside a pier - a hole in the water, so to speak. A drydock is referred to as dry because the water can be removed from the space which will be then occupied by a vessel.