Last minute booking

[BDK33]

Hey all,

Im new to the DCL board. I was wondering if any of you had any experience booking a last minute cruise with Disney.

Do they offer extreme deals like other cruise lines do? Or are they pretty consistent with pricing?

Im a local so that would be an option for me.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Trera]

I wouldnt call them extreme deals but they do offer last minute deals as Florida Resident rates, Military Rates and Guaranty room rates. They can be offered at any time and usually have a room limit to the number of rooms they will discount.

You just have to keep checking their website for deals because they can come and go quick.

 

[tink1970]

I agree with pp-while we can take advantage of FL resident and military rates we rarely do since they aren't significantly better than opening day (or at least the ones we have done last minute aren't!). It is nice to have the option of a spontaneous trip, though.

 

[lanejudy]

The last-minute offers are typically much better than the current regular fares, but knowing that cruise fares increase over time those discounts may not be better than someone who can plan in advance and book early.

Just keep watching the DCL website. As someone else mentions, the special offers may pop up and disappear quickly, so you have to be ready.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Shanti]

The last-minute offers are occasionally better than opening-day rates, and are definitely worth watching for, especially if you have a flexible schedule and live close enough to not have to fly to the port. Disney's cruises will never be "cheap", though. Keep that in mind. You'll get a better deal than someone who booked 8 months before sail date, but you'll still be paying Disney prices.

 

[Chrissy-Mickey]

According to touringplans.com's Disney Cruise Line Fare Tracker, the last minute cruise I booked on Jan 25, which left Port Canaveral on Jan 30 for a 4-Night Bahamian cruise, was in the $1,900s on opening day while we paid in the $1,400s (Florida Resident Rate for a Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Veranda - 5A). I don't know if you can call that an "extreme deal," but it was a good enough discount for us to be able to take the cruise.

 

[Zim]

It's good to know this information, my aunt is in remission and long term planning for cruises isn't an option... but she'd like to take a short one with her daughter and glad to know you aren't raked over the coals for short notice cruising! And thanks for the fare tracker, @Chrissy-Mickey - she's not good at all this research stuff so this is where I can help her out.

 

[Msmit002]

We booked a last-minute cruise on the Fantasy in August a few years ago with an OGT rate that released ~40 before the sail date. It turned out to be $400 less than opening day, which is darned near spectacular given that it was a mid-summer cruise.

 

[kiford]

The last-minute offers are typically much better than the current regular fares,

You have to keep in mind, though, that there aren`t always last minute offers available at all. Typically only cruises which aren`t selling well have last minute offers. And they have restrictions such as full payment due when booking and no cancellation or changes can be made.

 

[cscream13]

This thread tracks the deals that DCL is currently offering (with historical info as you scroll back through the thread):

https://www.disboards.com/threads/current-gt-mto-flr-discounts.3244232/

Its not official in any way, just maintained by interested cruisers. That being said, there are a few reliable posters who update it pretty regularly. I consider it a great source for finding and sharing information on discounts. As previous posters have said, though, the deals can come and go very quickly, so if you're specifically looking for a discounted deal, you need to be vigilant.

Good luck!