Last Minute Booking

[FlipFlop Girl]

When is the latest any of you have booked your cruise? I have always booked 6-9 months in advance in the past, but we may be looking at a last minute trip at the end of this month. The cruise leaves on Saturday and we may not be able to know that my husband can get his time off until the start of that week! Do you think I will have any luck with this?

[firefly333]

Wennfred who posts here booked a cruise the morning of and was able to get on, but it was a Monday, not a Sunday departure. I booked late Thursday and could have booked either for a Saturday cruise or the Sunday cruise ... leaving out of Galveston. So, I booked 3 days before. If there are still cabins (which you can easily monitor), you should have no problems booking monday before a weekend cruise.

[FlipFlop Girl]

Thanks. Now I just need to work on my patience!

[Essiesmom]

I booked a cruise on a Sunday evening, leaving the following Thursday. EM

[Chacooe]

If I remember right, because of Homeland Security, they cut off any new bookings 48 hours before the departure of the cruise. Carnival and all cruise lines have to send a list of passengers to Homeland Security. I guess that is why Early Savers are allowed up to 2 days because after that they are not booking anymore.

[4bythebeach]

For my first cruise, my boss asked me 2 days before if my husband & I could make it. We did and there were no problems. This was a few years ago though.

[firefly333]

If I remember right, because of Homeland Security, they cut off any new bookings 48 hours before the departure of the cruise. Carnival and all cruise lines have to send a list of passengers to Homeland Security. I guess that is why Early Savers are allowed up to 2 days because after that they are not booking anymore.

 

Nope, most of us here can vouch for Wennfred, and if he says he booked the morning of a cruise, I believe him, plus Iv talked to the cruiselines and know you can book up until almost the last minute thru them.

 

wish I knew where this persistent rumor about not being allowed to book within the last 48 hours keeps coming from. One posts it and someone else thinks its a fact and keeps repeating it?

 

I can tell you if you book too last minute you just wouldnt be on the 48 hour manifest ... but the one that is turned in the last 60 minutes will have you on it.

[firefly333]

If I remember right, because of Homeland Security, they cut off any new bookings 48 hours before the departure of the cruise. Carnival and all cruise lines have to send a list of passengers to Homeland Security. I guess that is why Early Savers are allowed up to 2 days because after that they are not booking anymore.

 

Iv talked to RCL cruiselines as well and they told me that I could call up until the Sat afternoon before a cruise leaving on Sunday ... and Im sure if this rumor were true, then they would have to abide by it as well. I also was seated with all last minute bookers, who booked within the last 48 hours ... and they werent all lying to me either... if you dont know .. dont post stuff like this ... really.

[lollylew]

If I remember right, because of Homeland Security, they cut off any new bookings 48 hours before the departure of the cruise. Carnival and all cruise lines have to send a list of passengers to Homeland Security. I guess that is why Early Savers are allowed up to 2 days because after that they are not booking anymore.

 

Thanks for that info. My mom is currently looking at booking one of the $99 cruises on the Elation that leaves this Monday so it looks like she would have to book by Saturday if she wants to go. :)

[CWcruisers]

 

I can tell you if you book too last minute you just wouldnt be on the 48 hour manifest ... but the one that is turned in the last 60 minutes will have you on it.

 

I was upgraded on my last Elation cruise on Labor Day weekend to a Cat 12 suite (DH and I escort a private travel group and bring a lot of business to CCL) That weekend there was rumor of a hurricane hitting Cabo. I think whoever had my suite must have cancelled last minute because even the cabin steward did not have my name on the cabin and was horrified when I showed him my Platinum card and he didn't have all my goodies laid out. So who really knows what is going on behind the scenes?

[firefly333]

When I booked very last minute with RCL I wasnt on the manifest. The porter wouldnt check our suitcase, made me go and check in and get my card to show him I was really booked (he wouldnt believe the computer print out), and then he checked our suitcase. Then the cabin steward didnt have our names, thought the cabin was empty. We had adjoining OV, and some poor guy freaked when he opened the door and walked into our cabin. I never checked the lock either lol.

 

Beds were pushed together etc. So it can be a bit of a inconvenience to book very last minute. My Dad had had surgery is why that time I booked so totally last minute. I had to wait until he was discharged...and Voyager was leaving Galveston ... so unless I wanted to wait a year I had to decide... so I went.

 

The other time I booked was the flu scare, got a low fare late the day people were cancelling for that weekend, got a good cabin someone must have given up.

 

If people really think Im wrong that you cant book very last minute, call Carnival and check.

 

Just ask Carnival... Id think just calling the toll free # tonight you could verify you can book within the 48 hours... just wouldnt be on the manifest at the docks.

[firefly333]

I was upgraded on my last Elation cruise on Labor Day weekend to a Cat 12 suite (DH and I escort a private travel group and bring a lot of business to CCL) That weekend there was rumor of a hurricane hitting Cabo. I think whoever had my suite must have cancelled last minute because even the cabin steward did not have my name on the cabin and was horrified when I showed him my Platinum card and he didn't have all my goodies laid out. So who really knows what is going on behind the scenes?

 

My cabin steward wasnt horrified .... she just seemed confused, but it turned out to only be her 2nd week. lol

 

Sounds like you got a awesome last minute upgrade!!!

[glrounds]

Years ago I booked a cruise the MORNING of the cruise. Hardest part of the whole booking process was convincing the agent that I only lived 40 minutes from the port and would have no problem getting there. She kept saying, "Sir, that cruise leaves TODAY at 4:00pm, you must have the wrong date." When I got to the pier, I had to go through the entire boarding process with someone else's docs with their name scratched off and mine handwritten in. This went on all the way to the security pic for the Sail"n'Sign card. Nice upgrade also. :D

I just booked a cruise for my son and myself on the ELATION this evening which leaves Monday. Can't beat these recession prices. First time on a 3-dayer. This should be interesting. :) Looking forward to seeing how much the ole gal has aged since I last cruised her several years ago. ;)

[goldie888]

Wennfred who posts here booked a cruise the morning of and was able to get on, but it was a Monday, not a Sunday departure. I booked late Thursday and could have booked either for a Saturday cruise or the Sunday cruise ... leaving out of Galveston. So, I booked 3 days before. If there are still cabins (which you can easily monitor), you should have no problems booking monday before a weekend cruise.

 

How can you monitor the available cabins on ships? Please share!

[firefly333]

Cant share any TA sites, but you can pretend to book on the Carnival site and if the # of cabins is less than 10 of any category, you can count them. Just pretend to book the category(s) you are watching, and look every day and see if there is a trend, like prices going up, might be booking up.

[jetskier]

If I remember right, because of Homeland Security, they cut off any new bookings 48 hours before the departure of the cruise. Carnival and all cruise lines have to send a list of passengers to Homeland Security. I guess that is why Early Savers are allowed up to 2 days because after that they are not booking anymore.

 

Never has been a requirement. You can book the morning of the cruise but you have to go through Carnival in order to do so. The manifest is not submitted until 60 minutes PRIOR to sailing. The only requirement is that you be checked in 90 minutes prior to sailing if you have not filled in your Funpass or 60 minutes prior if you have filled it out.

 

Dave

[BeachGurl]

When is the latest any of you have booked your cruise? I have always booked 6-9 months in advance in the past, but we may be looking at a last minute trip at the end of this month. The cruise leaves on Saturday and we may not be able to know that my husband can get his time off until the start of that week! Do you think I will have any luck with this?

 

 

I just booked one last night for Nov 6th,2009 sailing out of Jacksonville. Got a fantastic past guest bargain from Carnival. ;)