Last Minute Shoppers

[villagenut]

What is the 'most last minute' you have ever booked a cruise. 1 day out, 5 days out, 10 days out?

[CharlesKru]

about 115 days out... does that count?

[VACARITraveler]

1 day - sitting by the pool at home, get an email and on our way to Havana, Cuba, the next day on the Fathom Adonia - and it was a great trip.

 

 

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[easyboy]

Around 10 days out

 

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[RRFan]

I've heard stories of many years ago people who lived in port cities would just pack a bag and hang out at the terminal to see if the ship had empty cabins to sell on the super cheap. Of course that's no longer possible. I believe all cruise lines have to turn in a manifest to Homeland Security 72 hours before sailing so that all passengers can be verified and no additional people can be added after that cutoff.

 

 

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[Essiesmom]

Manifest goes in 60 minutes before sailing. You can call in the morning and sail in the afternoon. You have to call, can't do it online, and can't do on line checkin. EM

[maryred]

I've heard stories of many years ago people who lived in port cities would just pack a bag and hang out at the terminal to see if the ship had empty cabins to sell on the super cheap. Of course that's no longer possible. I believe all cruise lines have to turn in a manifest to Homeland Security 72 hours before sailing so that all passengers can be verified and no additional people can be added after that cutoff.

 

 

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NOT completely true, some ports maintain a stand-by list that is submitted along with the regular passenger manifest 72 hours before sailing. To grab these generally you need to have an "in" with the port authority and the cruise line. Additionally if cabins are left over or cancelled last minute you need to be able to get to the port on very short notice, or be willing to wait outside the terminal hoping berths open up.

The final boarded list must be handed over to to DHS 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure, so if they do have no shows cabins they want to fill usually those on stand-by find out 90 minutes before departure. But these cabins usually go to those that can get to the check-in counter first.

 

With that said the closest to sailing we have ever booked was 11 days out, and were able to grab a pick your location/deck balcony, decided on the Lido, for the price that guaranteed OVs were being sold at 2 weeks prior. This was back in 2010.

[NotTheBatesMotel]

For the upcoming cruise, we booked 22 days out.

[ray98]

Around a week.

[AdGuyMG]

NOT completely true, some ports maintain a stand-by list that is submitted along with the regular passenger manifest 72 hours before sailing. To grab these generally you need to have an "in" with the port authority and the cruise line. Additionally if cabins are left over or cancelled last minute you need to be able to get to the port on very short notice, or be willing to wait outside the terminal hoping berths open up.

 

I've never heard of this and do not believe it's true. Do you have any link or some substantiation you can post to back this up?

 

The final boarded list must be handed over to to DHS 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure, so if they do have no shows cabins they want to fill usually those on stand-by find out 90 minutes before departure. But these cabins usually go to those that can get to the check-in counter first.

 

No show cabins can not be resold because the original passengers have the right to catch up to the ship at the 1st foreign port.

 

...

[CRP2012TX]

Just booked today :)) and we leave in 20 days!!!

 

 

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[aidee49]

16 hours before departure. I live in Houston and drove to New Orleans summer 2015 the day of. I forgot my luggage at home and had to used husband clothes until port. One of the greatest experiences, so out of the ordinary for us. They couldn't find our reservation at counter and where given our sail cards at guest services. It was a great price for a summer cruise so we jumped right on it.

 

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[YourCruiseGurl]

30 days

[SadieN]

First cruise booked two days before departure.

 

Changed Sis for DH morning of sailing.

 

 

It depends on the cruise line when things can be booked. Carnival allows Day Of bookings. Princess requires two days.

[tef43]

Booked Thursday, sailed Sunday.

[iancal]

Three days for a 7 day Caribbean

 

Three days for an Alaska cruise. May repeat this summer if we can do a deal on 2 7 day back to backs but not necessarily on the same ship or cruise line. We can easily do next day departure on these.

 

14 -21 days out for two Caribbean Xmas cruises and several Med cruises.

 

A few Med cruises that were 20-30 days out.

[navybankerteacher]

Three days - on Maasdam out of Fort Lauderdale in June 2002. I was just surfing and saw a great price, so I quickly called Delta and was able to get a similarly great price on flight from New York. I think the whole deal cost me under $700 for single occupancy in an O/V.

 

I keep surfing - but do not seriously expect a repeat - post-9/11 jitters still left many seats/berths unsold.

[iancal]

We do the same for AI's, for airfare, and hotels. This fall we did an AI three days out. Decided to do that bucket list first winter trip to Thailand a few years ago 10 days out because of a fabulous air fair and five star hotel in Bangkok.

[4x4bob]

Booked mid day Friday, packed Saturday, Traveled Sunday, boarded the ship Monday.

 

Bob

[leaveitallbehind]

NOT completely true, some ports maintain a stand-by list that is submitted along with the regular passenger manifest 72 hours before sailing. To grab these generally you need to have an "in" with the port authority and the cruise line. Additionally if cabins are left over or cancelled last minute you need to be able to get to the port on very short notice, or be willing to wait outside the terminal hoping berths open up.

The final boarded list must be handed over to to DHS 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure, so if they do have no shows cabins they want to fill usually those on stand-by find out 90 minutes before departure. But these cabins usually go to those that can get to the check-in counter first.

 

With that said the closest to sailing we have ever booked was 11 days out, and were able to grab a pick your location/deck balcony, decided on the Lido, for the price that guaranteed OVs were being sold at 2 weeks prior. This was back in 2010.

 

I question - and highly doubt - most of the information posted with these comments, in particular that highlighted. Please offer factual substantiation.

[VMax1700]

Booked last Wednesday night (18th) for a cruise departing on Saturday 27th going to Norway and North Cape.:D

Airfare from home airport to AMS was the major downer, but that is the way that airfares have gone. :'):')