Do Cruise ships offer deeper discounts if you book day of departure?

Question

If you live near a departure city can you get cheaper rates if you show up at the last minute (day of or day before).

Answer 1

I have found that it is cheaper to book well in advance, our last Cruise we booked in Jan for Sept and watched the price rise the closer we got the the date, in the end it was more than twice what we paid, and when we sailed it was sold out.

our next cruise is booked and is for Dec

Answer 2

generally.  think about it.  if they have only a few rooms left aboard the ship they are going to want to sell out.  the closer it gets to the cruise departure date the lower the rates go..unless the booking rates go up even though the cost stays the same.  but in your case the cost will be less.

Answer 3

I would try it, but I would give them at least a week to 10 days before the cruise. You can't be too picky about what kind of cabin you get though. Why not give the cruise line a call. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Answer 4

Since the Homeland Security Initiative, Cruise ships must submit a passenger manifest prior to departure, making it much harder to book the same day. Definately contact the cruise line or a travel agent. If you live within driving distance from the pier, you can register for last minute bookings.

Answer 5

If you wait to book a cruise last minute you might get a really good deal - or you might not.  Either way, the only cabin you are going to get is one nobody else wanted.

If the ship is selling well, there will not be any last minute deals, because the cruise will be sold out.  My June 2007 cruise on the Freedom of the Seas sold out.  My February 2008 cruise on the NCL Jade is sold out (and has been for a while).  

Cruises that are selling well go up on price.  I was in a Royal Family Suite on the Freedom of the Seas.  We paid $2,000 per person for a cabin with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a separate sitting room and a large balcony (we had 12 people on our balcony twice during the cruise).  I booked that cabin the day it became available (May 6, 2006 for a June 24, 2007 cruise).  People that booked later were paying $2,000 per person for an ocean view cabin (one combined bedroom and sitting room 1/3 the size of our suite and no balcony).  

I have a suite on the NCL Jade.  I paid $6,000 for it.  When I booked it there were only two left (someone got the other soon after I did).  Later a similar cabin (same category as mine) became available.  It was priced at $10,000 ($4,000 more than what I paid).  

If the ship is not selling well, then yes, there are bargains to be had (as long as you are not choosy about which cabin you get).  However, if you have to fly to the ship, the last minute airline ticket will wipe out any cruise fare savings.

Answer 6

NO !! cruise lines no longer offer day of departure cruises.  They are required to provide a passenger manifest to Customs officials 96 hours before the cruise, so all passengers not registered by then will not be allowed to go.  In addition, all cruises these days generally sell out well in advance, even in winter months and the best discounts are ALWAYS given to passengers who book early and early means 9 to 12 months or more before the cruise.  Some cruise lines even have a notice on their web site that they do not do walkups and the best discounts are early ones.

Answer 7

I actually spent some time analyzing cruise line pricing data in graduate school and yes, just like the airlines, it depends on supply and demand.

If they really can't fill the cabins, they may do a big price-drop at the last minute.

Back in 2003 I got some very sweet deals on cruises a week beforehand.  For security reasons, that seems to be about the latest you can book.

However -- again like the airlines -- cruise lines have gotten pretty good at predicting demand and offering good prices earlier so they don't have to drop so much at the last minute.

Your best bet for one-week-out bargains is in October, November, February and March because school is in session so families aren't cruising.  But demand is up, so don't be too disappointed if waiting for the last minute means not cruising at all....

You can check out other factors that affect the price, check out this article: http://www.cruisesavvy.com/savvyguide/ch...

Good luck to you!

Answer 8

They used to but with the new homeland security laws it is virtually impossible to make the appropriate arrangements at the last minute, as such "last minute" cruise prices generally refer to the month before the cruise.

Answer 9

Here's a heads up, if you want to save alot of money on your cruise, go on a GROUP cruise. Not part of a GROUP??? no problem, I found a website with literally hundreds of group cruises you can join without actually having to be part of the "group". How amazing is that?

Check out www.getset2cruise.com and click on groups, and there's a list.

Happy sailing!!!

Answer 10

tinker is right... some of the ports wont even let you in unless you have proof of cruising. also most cruise lines will not even show cruises for you to book around 2 weeks before sail date

Answer 11

I don't think that cruiselines sell any cruises on the day of departure, due to the safety regulations.

Answer 12

My family books our cruises at least six months in advance. Later on, maybe three weeks before departure, the same room cost several hundred dollars more!