Has anyone ever done a last-minute cruise, Disney or other?

[ilovediznee]

I've been pricing cruises for Summer 2010 and if they are like some of the ones I saw this past summer, you can really get a bargain if you sign up last minute. It would be me and DD (9) - DH doesn't want to go.

If I find out, what ins and outs do I need to know? Most I've seen are up to 3 weeks in advance and I would assume I'd have to pay the entire amount when booked.

If you've done this or have any advice, please let me know.

Thanks-Di

 

[budbeerlady]

We did it at 6 weeks out, we did pay in full at the time of booking. We did really well on the price but ran into some small issues when the swine flu broke out in April. We ended up Grand Cayman instead of Cozumel, still fun but I want to go to Cozumel.

If you already have your passports and flights are low its a great way to save. We ended up flying into Tampa the night before and price-lining a hotel vs flying in that morning with the higher airfare.

 

[ilovediznee]

A local travel agent told me that all I need is birth certificates now to travel to the Bahamas. I live in SC so I can drive to Jacksonville, Charleston or Port Canaveral, so hopefully I will find something.

Thanks - Diane

 

[DMickey28]

We did a last minute cruise in April 2006. It was April 1st and we booked 10 days out. Royal Caribbean used (not sure if they still do, did about a year ago) to these Happy Tuesday deals and would put out (unpublished) last minute deals on Tuesdays. You have to contact a travel agent to get find them, at least you used to.

We got Eastern Caribbean Deluxe Balcony for two people for about $1300 sailing April 1st. The price on Monday and Wednesday was $3200 for that same cruise, same room. Tuesday was the day!!

We would do last minute again in a heartbeat. What we did was pick three cruises that we would be happy going on between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Then as it got closer I kept an eye on the price and contacted my travel agent that Tuesday to check the RRCL cruise (our first choice!!) Worked for us ... I suppose at the time it was scary but never even thought about it. We would do it again in a heartbeat. We bought our plane tickets to accomidate all three of our choices.

 

[sherry7]

I suggest checking out the CruiseCritic.com forums. They are to cruising, as Disboards are to Disney.

I've taken several cruises on Royal Caribbean, and have another scheduled for next month. I always book my cruises WAY ahead of time. Royal Caribbean will adjust the price for you if it goes down before the sail date...but you have to call in and ask. I make it a habit of doing a quick price check on my cruise everyday. I book my cruises directly through Royal Caribbean, NOT a travel agent. That way I can call Royal Caribbean directly to talk about the reservation. Otherwise, I'd have to go through a travel agent to have any changes, price drops, etc made.

Last minute booking can sometimes work to your favor, but the problem is airfare. Chances are it's going to be higher when you're booking it without much advance notice. If you're driving to the port, that's not an issue of course.

 

[need2cruise]

I prefer way in advance.

We have always used cruisecompete.com

You find out what cruise line/date/ports that you are wanting to do. Then go here--put the info in and travel agents bid for your business. They do not get access to your email/phone number/name unless you decide to contact them for those rates. I have ALWAYS goteen the best deals that way--have yet to see last minute even beat the rates I've gotten through them.

There is no obligation--if the rate doesn't end up matching a price you've seen lower---then you just close it out and that's it.

 

[mominwestlake]

I would also like to hear about people who have done a last minute cruise. How good of a deal can you get? I love cruising and would love to take our kids if we could find a good enough deal.

 

[travelgirl06]

About 5 years ago, we booked a cruise 4 days before it departed and it was amazing. You get a great rate, and usually the ship isn't too full (hence the great deals; we were even upgraded to the best non-balcony oceanview cabins for the cheapest inside price). The caveats are that you need to be able to get to the port (if you can't drive, last minute airfare can be crazy) and you have less time to plan/get excited. Now, I prefer planning my trips far in advance, so we have time to get excited and do research (also it leaves more time between when we pay for the trip and when we pay for the "extras"). If you book last-minute you will have to pay the whole balance at once (at least, that's what I've seen in the past).

 

[paleduck2]

hahah

 

[trinchick]

I always book my cruises WAY ahead of time. Royal Caribbean will adjust the price for you if it goes down before the sail date...but you have to call in and ask. I make it a habit of doing a quick price check on my cruise everyday.

I do this, too. We usually choose Celebrity (same family as Royal Caribbean). I've never had a problem getting them to adjust the price as long as it's before final payment. And you can ask for the price adjustment repeatedly. Every time it drops, I'm on the phone right away. You can save a bundle.

I've used cruisecompete.com and cruisequick.com several times each, with great results.

 

[KibbyCat]

My husband and I got an awesome last-minute deal in December of 2000. (This was back when UBid.com still did vacations - now they've branched off into SkyAuction.com and the deals aren't so stellar for Disney.)

Apparently, a travel agency (sorry - I've forgotten the name) had several unbooked cabins, so they were offering the 7-day Eastern Caribbean (Disney Magic) at the end of January for $429 each person (not including port charges). Back then, this was even unheard-of, since the cheapest published rate was at least $100 per day.
We bid on it and lost, but the next week it was listed again and we bid and won.

In spite of the stormy weather (that caused the boat to rock so hard the pool water was sloshing out and the closet doors in our cabin were banging open and shut), we had a great time.

 

[battricia]

in may we booked a 7 day disney cruise 7 days before the ship was to set sail. it worked out well for us. the price was lower than it had been and we got upgraded by 2 cats. we had a great time! Obviously we had to pay the full amt. when we booked.

 

[happymommy]

I am actually considering this - in March there is a Carnival cruise over my kids' spring break from Baltimore. We live a half hour away, so it would be easy to drive.

We're waiting to the last minute to decide if we want to go - DH wouldn't go, so I'd only want to do it if a friend was coming along. I don't think a cruise would be as much fun without him as WDW is. My son really wants to do the cruise, but my DD wants to go to WDW. So... we're waiting for now.

I'd love to hear from others as well!

 

[AQW]

I suggest checking out the CruiseCritic.com forums. They are to cruising, as Disboards are to Disney.

Amen. If it's cruise-related, you'll find it on Cruise Critic.

I am actually considering this - in March there is a Carnival cruise over my kids' spring break from Baltimore. We live a half hour away, so it would be easy to drive.

That's the Pride - my sister and I sailed her out of Long Beach to the Mexican Riviera in March of this year. Really a nice ship; I'd sail her again in a heartbeat.

As for the OP, I've sailed "last minute" several times - from about a month in advance all the way down to two days. I live in Los Angeles so I don't have any issues getting to the port; that makes a big difference. If I had to consider air travel, I would be loathe to sail last-minute.

As a constant cruise stalker, I can tell you that prices rarely stay stable at the last minute... they either go way up or a bit down, depending on capacity. If you can be flexible - not have your heart set on a certain date, and be okay with the fact that you may pay a premium or even not sail at all - then you can grab terrific deals at the last minute. If you need more control than that, I recommend booking as early as possible (preferably the day bookings go on sale, for DCL!)

Good luck!

 

[UCFALUM]

We booked a Mexican Cruise 2 weeks out in October. It was great! My Mom flew into LA from Orlando and the kids and I drove down. It was the same ship we sailed to Alaskan in July. DH couldn't go and love that all the food is included as well as the childcare! Great if you are flexible, have the time and can get there. We paid in full but it was super cheap!! (It would have been more $$ to fly the kiddies and I to my parents in Orlando)
It hasn't even been 2 months and the kiddies are asking to go on another cruisehttp://www.wdwinfo.com/images/smilies/rotfl.gif

 

[Kriii]

I think this can go either way. One of the most fun cruises our family has ever been on was booked less than a week before the event. We got 50% off of the adult fares and our then 3 y/o dd sailed for about 50.00! We got one of the best categories of room also! As another poster mentioned, the trick was to find airfare at the last minute. Another time we tried to plan a cruise a few weeks before the vacation but found nothing available. Overall, I prefer to plan in advance if my heart is set on a cruise but if I'm in a flexible mood then I'm more prone to wait until last minute.

 

[caribear]

Since you will be driving and airfare will not be an issue then I think you might be able to get some good deals.

What some people might consider the downfalls:

-you get the "leftover" staterooms (which I guess can be a benefit at times as they sometimes give you inside pricing for an outside room, ect...)

-most often receive the later dining time as the early dinner fills up faster (I prefer later dining, but if you have young children it might be a problem...of course there is usually some form of My Time Dining on many ships)

-excursions might be sold out if booking through the cruiseline; also it might be too late to book online for excursions, alternate dining venues and spa treatments.

I have found that it is harder to get reservations for the alternate dining venues such as Palo, but once I board I go to the reservations desk and can usually receive the times/dates I was looking for.

If you are a person who can "go with the flow" then it should be fine!

 

[scrapquitler]

We did it once (our only cruise), but it was forever ago...1991. We decided about 3 weeks out that we wanted to take a trip, DH suggested a cruise and I called a travel agent. We did a 3 night cruise, 2 nights in Orlando with Disney and Universal tickets for 3 days, airfare and car rental for about $900 total (yes, it was a long time ago). This was way back in the days of the Carnival Cruise Lines Carnevale...we went to 2 places in the Bahamas.

BEST. VACATION. EVER.


The TA told us that the last minute was often the best way to do cruises because they sell the remaining empty cabins for really low prices because anything they can get $$ is better than nothing. Not sure if this is still true, but it does make sense.

 

[thebeesknees]

We booked a 4 day Bahamas cruise this past April 10 days in advance. I think it came to $179 per person. We checked airfare before we booked it and found a really cheap last-minute one to Miami. Totally fun, and the kids have begged to go again ever since.

 

[mjkacmom]

I am actually considering this - in March there is a Carnival cruise over my kids' spring break from Baltimore. We live a half hour away, so it would be easy to drive.

We're waiting to the last minute to decide if we want to go - DH wouldn't go, so I'd only want to do it if a friend was coming along. I don't think a cruise would be as much fun without him as WDW is. My son really wants to do the cruise, but my DD wants to go to WDW. So... we're waiting for now.

I'd love to hear from others as well!

I live very close to the NYC port, and I've found that there are usually no deals to be had when the locals are on school breaks, and the prices are sky-high.