Has anyone ever waited until you got to port to buy a cruise?

[cruisnseas]

I know someone that booked at 11pm the night before (recently) and got on just fine. I've read here where people have booked the morning of. I don't know them, but they claim to.

 

Not a chance. At that point the manifest would have already gone out to the ship.

[PCWalton1]

These kind of threads confuse me - everyone saying something different so who is correct?

Too me. I mean me too. :o

[EVALUATOR]

Not a chance. At that point the manifest would have already gone out to the ship.

 

11 pm........AWDT?:confused:

[EVALUATOR]

Too me. I mean me too. :o

 

Have you ever booked so late, when they print your seapass card, it has a dining time...but no table assigned?

 

And I mean early or late not MTD.

[bigque]

With all these various replies, I think I would just call the cruise line to find out. JMHO!

[ksuds]

I've booked as late as 3:00 PM EST the day before.

 

However, if they are holding out thinking they are going to cut the price in half the day before sailing, that probably isn't going to happen. Unless as hurricane is coming through.:eek:

[poncho1973]

Not a chance. At that point the manifest would have already gone out to the ship.

 

It doesn't matter what you say in reply. I know they hadn't booked at dinner because we were out with them and I know they went on said cruise.

 

You can say NO! all you want. That doesn't make it true.

[BillB48]

OK, here's my experience... I know everyone is waiting with baited breath;)!

Last September I was trying to score a great price on a Friday sailing on the Monarch, so I called them at their 800 number around 1:30PM on Thursday. By the time I got a rep and ask for the sail date on Friday, they told me they had already closed the manifest for that sailing and it was no deal. I asked them how late I could book a cruise and they then told me 24 hours. A-HA, I reminded them that it was 26 hours before the ship sailed.... that did not work either:(. The next question I had for them was.... what is the latest I could book a sailing? Their answer was noon the day before. The opportunity has not presented itself for me to test how accurate their response of noon the day before is. If I have an opportunity in the future I won't wait until 11:59AM on the day before just to see if noon is the dropdead cutoff!!

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

I can't tell you for sure that I am right, but I can tell you what happened to me around 2005. Due to some hurricanes, we decided to cancel a cruise out of FL, and try to find a cruise out of our home port in LA instead. This was back when RCCL had LA cruises. It was 2 days before the cruise we wanted to book would leave. RCCL would not allow me to book it, even though there was space.:eek:

 

So we flew to Hawaii for a land-based vacay instead.:D

 

Clearly, things might have changed since 2005, but that's what happened to me. They said it had to be 72 hours in advance, minimum.

 

My suggestion, call Royal!!;)

[EVALUATOR]

OK, here's my experience... I know everyone is waiting with baited breath;)!

Last September I was trying to score a great price on a Friday sailing on the Monarch, so I called them at their 800 number around 1:30PM on Thursday. By the time I got a rep and ask for the sail date on Friday, they told me they had already closed the manifest for that sailing and it was no deal. I asked them how late I could book a cruise and they then told me 24 hours. A-HA, I reminded them that it was 26 hours before the ship sailed.... that did not work either:(. The next question I had for them was.... what is the latest I could book a sailing? Their answer was noon the day before. The opportunity has not presented itself for me to test how accurate their response of noon the day before is. If I have an opportunity in the future I won't wait until 11:59AM on the day before just to see if noon is the dropdead cutoff!!

 

This is what I do.

 

This Friday...5/10 two cruises leave for the Bahamas. Enchantment from Canaveral and Majesty from Miami.

 

Both are around $220 pp. Keep checking on Thursday 5/9 after 12:00 to see how long they are open to booking.

 

When they get down to the last few cabins they could go from n/a to a few left and back. If you want to go, but don't care if it doesnt happen, see how late you can book.

 

12:00 is the cutoff but my latest ever was 3:40pm. Gamble and see what happend.

[Dmom & dad]

I'm betting that someone who would consider just driving up to the ship and buying a cruise at the last minute isn't someone who's worried about pre-booking shows or meals........:D

 

 

ROFL ....I was thinking it!!!

[Camlott]

These kind of threads confuse me - everyone saying something different so who is correct?

 

To the OP, the previous 23 posts should make it clear your best bet is to contact Royal Caribbean directly! Not for lack of trying by these helpful CC Members! Usually you get better/definitive info here than from RCCL reps -- your question may be a rare exception.

 

As we all know... you are just as likely to get as many answers by calling RCI direct. Probably a slightly different answer for each rep that takes the call, and maybe even a different answer from the same rep depending on their mood etc. :rolleyes:

[BillB48]

This is what I do.

 

This Friday...5/10 two cruises leave for the Bahamas. Enchantment from Canaveral and Majesty from Miami.

 

Both are around $220 pp. Keep checking on Thursday 5/9 after 12:00 to see how long they are open to booking.

 

When they get down to the last few cabins they could go from n/a to a few left and back. If you want to go, but don't care if it doesnt happen, see how late you can book.

 

12:00 is the cutoff but my latest ever was 3:40pm. Gamble and see what happend.

 

 

Thanks for the info! Port Canaveral is in the back yard:D!

[nivek82]

I have booked MN at 10am Thursday for a Friday am cruise. Keep in mind though if you are looking at the port of Miami most cruise lines are home there and will give their employees really reduced rates the day before so you might not luck out with a discounted rate (unless weather changes like someone else posted.)

[Desert Cruizers]

I wouldn't hold my breath that a balcony cabin would even be available even if you did get on.

[cruisnseas]

It doesn't matter what you say in reply. I know they hadn't booked at dinner because we were out with them and I know they went on said cruise.

 

You can say NO! all you want. That doesn't make it true.

 

And what I am saying is you are either 1. confused about the facts or 2. outright lying. These are the issues I dealt with when I was a member of the exec response team. There is one way you can get on a ship after the manifest goes and that is with permission from one person in the entire company and he required (with no exception) that the person had been booked on another ship within the previous 24 hours and the ships sail within 24 hours of each other.

[poncho1973]

And what I am saying is you are either 1. confused about the facts or 2. outright lying. These are the issues I dealt with when I was a member of the exec response team. There is one way you can get on a ship after the manifest goes and that is with permission from one person in the entire company and he required (with no exception) that the person had been booked on another ship within the previous 24 hours and the ships sail within 24 hours of each other.

 

It isn't #2. I don't believe it is #1. However, I'm positive it isn't #2.

 

 

Is the 3:40pm guy lying, too? That falls in the "no exception" territory.