Day before/ day of booking

Has anyone ever booked their cruise the day before/day of? I have a lot of flexibility and am hoping that means I can find a good deal.

I have a free voucher for a flight anywhere in the U.S. I am hoping to use it to fly somewhere to catch a cruise. There are no restrictions on the voucher, I can fly on any flight I want so long as there is a seat.

Has anyone booked like this before? Was it a good deal? I am traveling solo, so it has been somewhat cost prohibitive for me to book something in advance.

Am I crazy to pack a bag and wait & watch the prices? I always thought that they lower the price significantly just before sailing, am I completely wrong?

TIA!

Not sure about other cruise lines, but on Royal Caribbean, booking must be at least 24 hours in advance.

Unless a sailing is selling very poorly you will not get a break on the solo supplement whether you book one year or one day in advance.

You cannot book at the pier.

If there is space available, you may be able to book directly with the cruise line by telephone the day before. By then they have already given their 72hr manifest to Homeland Security. Only crappy cabin locations that nobody wanted will be available. The prices may be higher than they were one week previous.

And if you have to fly to the embarkation port, you are really rolling the dice if your ticket is only good on a space available basis. Suppose the previous flight was cancelled and the only one that will get you to the port in time is full? You're screwed.

Everything would have to go right for you to pull together a literal last minute air/cruise vacation. Some people love this excitement but this sounds far too risky.

Thanks! This makes a lot of sense...I think I will just watch and see if anything pops. Otherwise, I guess I can just sit on the beach by my house hahaha :p

Unless a sailing is selling very poorly you will not get a break on the solo supplement whether you book one year or one day in advance.

 

You cannot book at the pier.

 

If there is space available, you may be able to book directly with the cruise line by telephone the day before. By then they have already given their 72hr manifest to Homeland Security. Only crappy cabin locations that nobody wanted will be available. The prices may be higher than they were one week previous.

 

And if you have to fly to the embarkation port, you are really rolling the dice if your ticket is only good on a space available basis. Suppose the previous flight was cancelled and the only one that will get you to the port in time is full? You're screwed.

 

Everything would have to go right for you to pull together a literal last minute air/cruise vacation. Some people love this excitement but this sounds far too risky.

On Carnival you can book in the morning and sail in the afternoon. But you have to call, can't do it online, and you will not be able to do online checkin. Final manifest goes in 60 min. before sailing. EM

This is great to know, thanks!

On Carnival you can book in the morning and sail in the afternoon. But you have to call, can't do it online, and you will not be able to do online checkin. Final manifest goes in 60 min. before sailing. EM

Most cruises are sold by the day before embarkation.

I have booked a lot of last minute cruises 2/3 days out.

We have booked NCL Thursday night and sailed the next morning.:cool:

Did you find them to be a good deal?

I have booked a lot of last minute cruises 2/3 days out.

We have booked NCL Thursday night and sailed the next morning.:cool:

I have booked a lot of last minute cruises 2/3 days out.

We have booked NCL Thursday night and sailed the next morning.:cool:

Do you live near these embarkation ports or did you have to fly? There's a huge difference between local travel and coordinating a flight.

Did you find them to be a good deal?

Just got back from a 7 day Bermuda cruise $399pp IX GTY

Not too shabby! Were you traveling solo? I imagine not with that price...

Just got back from a 7 day Bermuda cruise $399pp IX GTY

Not too shabby! Were you traveling solo? I imagine not with that price...

D.W. and I .

Princess needs to be booked two days before sailing.

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Princess needs to be booked two days before sailing.

 

 

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Interesting. Guess Princess doesn't know this as I have recently booked morning of the cruise.

Interesting. Guess Princess doesn't know this as I have recently booked morning of the cruise.

Must have changed within the last year.

Do you call the cruise line? Regular 800 number? Special number? Regular TA? Are there specialized TAs who book very last minute? Do you negotiate the price or are you given the bottom line price?

Do you call the cruise line? Regular 800 number? Special number? Regular TA? Are there specialized TAs who book very last minute? Do you negotiate the price or are you given the bottom line price?

I check for price drop's 3 or 4 times a day on ( NCL.com )

Unless a sailing is selling very poorly you will not get a break on the solo supplement whether you book one year or one day in advance.

 

You cannot book at the pier.

 

If there is space available, you may be able to book directly with the cruise line by telephone the day before. By then they have already given their 72hr manifest to Homeland Security. Only crappy cabin locations that nobody wanted will be available. The prices may be higher than they were one week previous.

 

And if you have to fly to the embarkation port, you are really rolling the dice if your ticket is only good on a space available basis. Suppose the previous flight was cancelled and the only one that will get you to the port in time is full? You're screwed.

 

 

 

 

'Everything would have to go right for you to pull together a literal last minute air/cruise vacation. Some people love this excitement but this sounds far too risky.

WOW !! And so IS juggling roaring chainsaws OR live grenade catching !! How's about something a little more safer, like walking down Hollywood Blvd in zooming traffic, BLINDFOLED ?? Shesssh !! I'd rather take my chances with any of those choices, then spinning the airline 'wheel of fortune' :mad:

Mac

Closest we have done was three days prior from FLL and three days prior from Vancouver.

However, I have heard of locals in Vancouver who have booked one and two days respectively for Alaska. Not certain if they booked direct or not.

Many people have differing opinions on this. Could be that cruise lines change policy.

IF you really want a correct and current answer why not simply pick up the phone and call a few cruise lines to find out what their respective last minute booking policies are.

I'm not sure . Within 72 hours you have to book directly with the cruise line.

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Hi

We met a couple last year on a cruise out of port Canaveral (Orlando) who was a walk on the morning of the cruise.

This is his story, he spends a few weeks each year at a co owned house in Cocoa Beach. He packs a bag and goes to the cruise terminals asking if they have any empty cabins. If yes and the price is good , they board if not he goes to the next terminal and asks there.. Saturday and Sunday are the big departure days at the port so he usually finds one.

He said that he got a balcony cabin on our cruise for 1200 all in for two.

Some times he has to wait until the next weekend, but armed with a cruise schedule he will usually get a good deal.

Hope this helps

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Hi

We met a couple last year on a cruise out of port Canaveral (Orlando) who was a walk on the morning of the cruise.

This is his story, he spends a few weeks each year at a co owned house in Cocoa Beach. He packs a bag and goes to the cruise terminals asking if they have any empty cabins. If yes and the price is good , they board if not he goes to the next terminal and asks there.. Saturday and Sunday are the big departure days at the port so he usually finds one.

He said that he got a balcony cabin on our cruise for 1200 all in for two.

Some times he has to wait until the next weekend, but armed with a cruise schedule he will usually get a good deal.

Hope this helps

 

 

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he fed you a line. you MAY NOT book any cruise at the pier. the people who work there do NOT have the ability or authority to sell a cabin. furthermore you MAY NOT enter a terminal without a booking number/boarding pass in hand.

you can call directly( not online) the morning of until at best, noon on some lines.. such as Carnival. otherwise the cut off is like 3 pm the day before scheduled departure.

he fed you a line. you MAY NOT book any cruise at the pier. the people who work there do NOT have the ability or authority to sell a cabin. furthermore you MAY NOT enter a terminal without a booking number/boarding pass in hand.

 

you can call directly( not online) the morning of until at best, noon on some lines.. such as Carnival. otherwise the cut off is like 3 pm the day before scheduled departure.

And when he does get on, he probably fabricates some line about getting a really cheap deal.

he fed you a line. you MAY NOT book any cruise at the pier. the people who work there do NOT have the ability or authority to sell a cabin. furthermore you MAY NOT enter a terminal without a booking number/boarding pass in hand.

And when he does get on, he probably fabricates some line about getting a really cheap deal.

And when he needs a last minute flight, he cuts thru the BS and marches right onto the airplane and chats with the pilot and flight attendants about a good deal on that last open aisle seat in Row 23.