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How To Get a Last Minute Cruise Deal
Finding a sweet last-minute cruise deal is like striking gold. Weighing your options on cost, time, and location can cause more than a few headaches. But there are many alternative ways to snatch up last-minute cruise deals for those who don’t rely on blind luck and winning lotteries to get by.
Booking at the right time is everything! The term “last-minute” is roughly defined as between several days to three months prior to the ship’s embarkation date. It is important to understand exactly what to expect with these bargain packages. Why are they bargains at all? What caused that last-minute price drop, and how can I capitalize? Like many an old fishing trawler captain has asked after a long haul: what’s the catch?
Conventional wisdom would dictate that the farther ahead you book your cruise, the cheaper it will be. While that may hold true in some instances, the more common method of shaving dollars off your ticket price is to pay attention to timing. But we’ll get to that later. First, what dictates cruise prices anyways?
Tis The Season To Go Cruisin'
Wave season, off-season, hurricane season, there’s a reason behind price fluctuations during these times. During the Spring and Fall, families with children will be preoccupied with school and have more limited travel options. Cruise lines have more availability and lower average prices during these times. You will also encounter fewer children on board, for those seeking a more adult-oriented environment or if you’re just allergic to excessive youth.
You may find heavily discounted tickets if you’re aiming to cruise in the Caribbean and around Mexico during hurricane season (June 1st to Nov. 30th). By the way, “hurricane season” doesn’t mean your cruise ship is going to sail into a hurricane. Cruise liners take the safety of their passengers, crew, and ships very seriously. It may mean, however, that your trip will encounter unexpected interruptions. In this case, ensure your travel insurance policy has trip interruption and cancellation coverage and that all your non-refundable and prepaid expenses are also covered.
Wave season spans early January to late March, and you may be able to find a good deal that fits your budget during this window. Trips planned earlier in the year can offer possible upgrades and savings. Oh, we’re not talking about actual waves here, either. Don’t worry about a rocky boat on undulating waves causing widespread seasickness or anything like that. “Wave season” refers to the “wave” of passengers that book during this time due to cruise liners discounting their prices in a sale analogous to a three-month-long Black Friday.
Embarkation Day Dos And Don'ts
Every cruise vacation begins with embarkation!
Embarkation
[ em-bahr-key-shuhn ]
noun
“The act, process, or an instance of embarking.”
Embark
[ em-bahrk ]
verb
“To board a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle, as for a journey.”
The first substantial price drop usually happens right after a sailing’s “final payment” due date. It’s usually around 75 to 90 days before the ship is set to sail. That’s when people who have already purchased tickets must commit to the trip or risk losing a portion of the money they’ve paid. For any dropouts, spaces start to open up. As the days creep closer to embarkation, usually around a month after final payment, more “last-minute” deals might begin to crop up. As long as the ship doesn’t fill up and there is inventory left, that’s the time to see what’s available. The secret is to stay on top of the fluidity of the market in the final months and weeks before sailing.
If life were a Hollywood movie, “last-minute” would be just that. Running towards a departing ship as it blows its horn while the gangplank starts to rise. Only to have a Santa Clause doppelganger captain take pity on the late arrivals and welcome them aboard with a twinkle in his salty eye. We strongly advise against trying that nowadays, romantic as it may sound. Port authorities, cruise ship security, and the police will swiftly rectify such illegal shenanigans to the fullest extent of the law.
Tips And Tricks To Finding The Right Cruise
A great way to keep appraised of new deals is to sign up for travel agent and cruise line emails. Yes, you’ll get a flood of marketing emails and other such advertisements. But we’re actually looking for the ones that read something like “Last Chance To Book!” or “Pack and Go!” Pounce on those to see what they’re offering, for they are where last-minute deals can be found. A helpful suggestion to avoid having spam in your inbox is to create an email address just for travel deals. Over time, it fills up with offers, and you pick out the diamonds in the rough!
Be flexible with your dates and locations. Limiting yourself to a specific cruise at a particular time will hamper your ability to find the best deals. If you can afford the luxury of packing up and leaving on relatively short notice, then you’ll be the one helping the cruise line fill those last remaining empty spots, sometimes at a bargain price.
The moral of this section is to stay flexible. Just like with sail dates, keep an open mind about the available staterooms. Everybody will want the crème-de-la-crème staterooms with verandas and California king beds, so they tend to sell out months in advance. Your options for finding deals will grow inversely to stateroom size; smaller room = more deals.
Keep These Things In Mind Before You Buy
Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. That might mean your room or expected perks aren’t what you expected when you started planning for a cruise. It’s important to balance the savings you get on your last-minute deal with any other expenses that may have been covered under a pricier option. Some cruise lines have programs that offer a variety of perks based on what level of stateroom you book. Also, many last-minute rooms are listed as “guarantee balcony” or “guarantee ocean view.” These types of rooms might have obstructed views or be in an undesirable location.
All that being said, a cruise is still a cruise! No matter the stateroom you get and the location you travel to, enjoy the adventure and atmosphere of being at sea! Bon voyage!
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