Baltic Cruises : worth waiting for last minute bargains?

[loobs40]

I have identified 5 cruises from UK ports going to the Baltic on or around 20th June. They are:

 

Thu 20/06/2013 Tues 02/07/2013 12 Night Scandinavia And Russia RCI Brilliance of the Seas

Friday 21/06/2013 Wed 03/07/2013 12 Day Europe from London (Dover), England Carnival Legend

Sat 22/06/2012 Sat 06/07/2013 14 Nights Scandinavia & Russia Cruise. Celebrity Eclipse

Sun 23/06/2013 Sun 07/07/2013 14 Night Baltic. P&O Arcadia

Tues 25/06/13 Sun 07/07/2013 12 Nights Baltic RCI Adventurer of the Seas

 

Given the choice and the fact that we don't have to book flights is it worth holding on till the last minute for a bargain? We are not fussed about cabin type, happy to go Internal guarantee.

 

We have sailed with OV, RCI, NCL and P&O and were happy with all of them.

 

 

thanks

[insidecabin]

Price them up in EUR and US$ you might find a deal that way.

 

Also look at May dates these are often much cheaper and offer more late deals

[John Bull]

The presumption is also that you have no constraint on dates?

 

The Baltic is destination-led, the ship is relatively unimportant, you're not fussy about cabin - or dining slot if the ship offers only fixed seating.

 

Then yes, you'll get late bargains.

 

Do bear in mind that some RCI cruises port in St Petersburg for a single day (and it really needs two).

 

And that you'll get better value on out-of-pocket expenses on P&O, so build that into the cruise ticket price comparisons - drinks prices are about 25% lower & no service charge, take unlimited alcohol onto P&O for drinking in the cabin (limited on Celebrity, Carnival & RCI to two bottles of wine per cabin), buy spirits from ship's duty-free shop to drink in the cabin, free shuttle buses at all ports except SPB.

 

If you plan to take a tour in St Pete's via a local tour operator (they have the same visa-waiver facility as ship's tours & offer much better tours) you'll need a few days ahead of the cruise to choose & book since you cannot go ashore in St Pete's without either a tour ticket (ship or local operator) or a visa. And it can take a long time to organise a visa.

 

JB :)

[loobs40]

thanks :)

[NorbertsNiece]

Thanks for asking the question!! I'm heading for St Petersburg some time.... Prefer Voyager Class (Adventure) to Radiance Class (Brilliance) with RCCL as they have the central promenade. As I live in North London the drive to either port is around 2 hours.