question re cheapest cruise/upgrade cost (non disney)

[yecats]

I have just returned from an extended Royal Caribbean Cruise and had a wonderful vacation. This has been my 10th cruise and has been one of the cheapest I have taken to date (under $800 including airflight home).

My question to all who read this is what is the cheapest you have ever gotten a cruise for, date of cruise, what cruise line, what city departed from and how far in advance of the cruise date did you book? I am also interested in whatever solo cruisers paid as well as I may be doing a few trips in the future this way.

Over my years of cruising I always seem to book about 120 to 90 days out and basically get what we paid for (bumped up a few times to higher floors but got same room paid for). However, every cruise I go on, I either meet someone who bumped up to a nicer cabin or just hit the gold mine by booking at the absolute last minute and received a suite. I also hear crazy stories about people arriving last minute to see if a cabin was available and get on the cruise for $200 a person (a coworker just told me that she knew someone who did this, I don't know if it was recently or not). I live in a popular port where I can certainly walk up to the counter the day of a cruise and take off if it was available. Has anyone ever done this? Thanks for your replies.

 

[Pop Daddy]

long title and long post

 

[GoofItUp]

I'm going on my 2nd cruise next month (both to Alaska on HAL). I won't get into pricing because you just don't want to know! Come to think of it, neither do I!

I did want to let you know that I wouldn't try just showing up at the pier. That use to work, but since 9/11 I don't think they allow that anymore.

DH and I are hopefully going to try some of those last-minute, CHEAP cruises out of Galveston in the future. We're within driving distance, so we could book a last-minute 3 or 4-day cruise and just make a long-weekend of it.

Sounds like you got a great cruise deal on your most recent. Good luck on many more great-deal cruises!

 

[yecats]

bumpity bump

 

[tinaluis]

Priceline has a spot on their website for "last minute deals" on cruises. They have some great deals -- check them out. We plan on using them extensively when we finally do move to FL since we'll be near Port Canaveral.

 

[yecats]

bump.

 

[WeirdEyes]

I love cruising and have been on one and my next cruise leaves on the 30th! I am going on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. DH and I got a balcony cabin on Deck 7, Category E2 for $2300. However, we got a cruise in 2002 for 3 of us on Carnival's Destiny for $3,000 (Deck 7, balcony). Both of the prices included taxes, port fees, & insurance. We book at least 9 months in advance and I think that helps. I do a lot of research on prices before I book. I've found an on-line agency that beats anybody else's price every time.