Booking last minute cruise

[2wheelin]

We were on Horizon in April and due to rain storms in the SE, many last minute cancellations were made. We met a couple who were called the evening before sailing (less than 24 hrs.) and offered a cabin which they took. Do not know if it was a random call or if they were on some sort of wait list, but they packed in an hour, drove all night and made the cruise.

[JFasbender]

18 hours ago, ober134 said:

I was told 48 hours prior to sail is latest a reservation can be made. Cruise lines must submit passenger list to TSA/Security by 48 hrs. Please don't castigate me if I'm wrong here, just what I recall being told. No longer can check at terminal for last minute availability

 

My daughter,  wife, and I have booked and sailed with much less than 48 hours advance.  I think our record is around 12 hours.  As far as I am aware the only way to do this is through a PVP and Carnival themselves.  We didn't even have time to complete our online docs, so we were emailed docs and printed them to bring along.

[JFasbender]

16 hours ago, Purvis1231 said:

 

I think before 9/11 this could be done. I once sailed on a non-Carnival cruise that was only half full. I asked if they call people near by to see if they want to sail but I was told names had to be submitted to the government 48 hours in advance. 

 

We get calls and emails from our Carnival PVP as we apparently are known last minute travelers.  This has happened 3 times this year and we did take them up on 2 offers.

[JFasbender]

46 minutes ago, canes20 said:

Do you think that is the best way to find best deal? PVP did not have a good deal. $541 pp inside not good. 

 

In our experience (5 last minute cruises in the last 2 years), 80% of the time the offers are take it or leave it.  We have 2 times where we were offered deeply discounted rates due to our casino play.  We just love being spontaneous.

[Organized Chaos]

For those of you who keep going after twodaywonder and want to adamantly argue he's wrong, I've seen at least two or three people on this forum say they've done that. And no, it wasn't 20 years ago "during the Clinton administration," as someone put it. I've seen this within the last three years I've been a member here. Not to mention the fact that multiple people have now stated that they've gotten booked within the 48 hour window you keep saying is absolutely necessary. Please link us to official DHS documentation that says cruise lines have to submit their manifests 48 hours prior.

[Purvis1231]

2 hours ago, JFasbender said:

 

We get calls and emails from our Carnival PVP as we apparently are known last minute travelers.  This has happened 3 times this year and we did take them up on 2 offers.

Did you buy the cruise one the day of the cruise? If this is done I would love to get in on it since I live within two hour of two cruise ports. 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

8 minutes ago, Purvis1231 said:

Did you buy the cruise one the day of the cruise? If this is done I would love to get in on it since I live within two hour of two cruise ports. 

The day before the cruises. I call the TA and said what is available tomorrow out of Ft. Lauderdale or Port Canaveral. She knows what we prefer for a cabin and what cruise lines we like.. When she got back with me she already put the cabin on hold. Booked it and paid. Then went and packed. 

[Purvis1231]

7 minutes ago, twodaywonder said:

The day before the cruises. I call the TA and said what is available tomorrow out of Ft. Lauderdale or Port Canaveral. She knows what we prefer for a cabin and what cruise lines we like.. When she got back with me she already put the cabin on hold. Booked it and paid. Then went and packed. 

Ok, so you did not go to the port and wait until boarding? 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

45 minutes ago, Purvis1231 said:

Ok, so you did not go to the port and wait until boarding? 

No we did that many years ago. I already indicated that before.

[lostsoulcruiser]

22 hours ago, ober134 said:

I was told 48 hours prior to sail is latest a reservation can be made. Cruise lines must submit passenger list to TSA/Security by 48 hrs. Please don't castigate me if I'm wrong here, just what I recall being told. No longer can check at terminal for last minute availability

I believe this is the case or so I was told my TA. Try calling 3 to 4 days before you go and find out if they are interested. 

[n6uqqq]

17 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Yes, you are wrong.  Manifest goes in 60 min before sailaway.  With Carnival, you can call in the morning - can't do it online - and sail in the afternoon.  In fact, a couple of years ago when a hurricane devastated Puerto Rico and Fascination had no place to go, they were calling people and offering free cruises for port charges and fees - if they could sail the same day.  I think the calls went to those who receive casino offers...EM

 

You are correct it is 1 hour before!

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3180/related/1

Edited July 31, 2019 by n6uqqq

[2wheelin]

1 hour ago, lostsoulcruiser said:

I believe this is the case or so I was told my TA. Try calling 3 to 4 days before you go and find out if they are interested. 

It has been stated many times here that your TA is wrong on that one. Can be same day.

[Eli_6]

I was told by Carnival that you could change the name on a reservation up until you sail.  But....I have been told many incorrect things by Carnival before.  I would suspect that there is some time ahead of time they have to send in a list.  I do know one of a Dr who was allowed to board after boarding had ended (like literally the ship waited on him) because he had an emergency with a patient, but he already had his ticket.  

[jonboy9756]

There are rooms available on the Carnival website tonite for cruises on Aug 1st  and 2nd so I don't think there is a 24 or 48 hour cut off. But the prices don't look discounted to me.

[AdGuyMG]

4 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

I've seen at least two or three people on this forum say they've done that. And no, it wasn't 20 years ago "during the Clinton administration," as someone put it. I've seen this within the last three years I've been a member here.

That would have been me that said that.

 

If you actually saw these people with your own eyes enter a MARSEC Homeland Security controlled cruise terminal with no documented reservation in hand ... no name on a manifest ... no business to be in the building ... and actually make a cruise reservation with a representative at a made-up reservation desk .. and then proceed to get aboard a ship then I'll stand corrected.

 

If on he other hand you are stating this as a fact and basing this merely on the hearsay of what 2 or 3 people said or claimed here on an anonymous Cruise message forum, it may be time for a gullibility / reality / "don't believe everything you read on the internet" check up... And I stand by what I said.

 

 

 

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, AdGuyMG said:

That would have been me that said that.

 

No, it wasn't you who said that. I don't know what you think I meant, but I was not talking about something you said in this thread. I was referring to others in this forum who've said in the past that they've done it. I even said, "...people on this forum..." Notice I didn't say, people in this thread. Do I need to explain the difference to you? I know some people like to tell stories, but why would anybody lie about that? And for it to come up more than once from more than one person. I'll say one thing, I haven't seen anyone talk about it for quite a long time, but it sure wasn't 20 years ago.

 

You're the one who claimed porters won't even take someone's luggage without a boarding pass or being on the manifest. We've never had a porter check our boarding pass or ask our name to check it against a manifest. It ain't the porters job to verify cruise documents.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

7 hours ago, twodaywonder said:

The day before the cruises. I call the TA and said what is available tomorrow out of Ft. Lauderdale or Port Canaveral. She knows what we prefer for a cabin and what cruise lines we like.. When she got back with me she already put the cabin on hold. Booked it and paid. Then went and packed. 

Received this from MY TA and most everyone is correct. It has changed since 911

As for the least notice you can book something it's now 72 hours when they cut off most bookings because they need to submit the manifest due to 911. However they do sometimes change that rule but 72 hours is a good rule of thumb.  You used to be able to go to the port and see if there were any available cabins and get on right then and there but not since 911, they changed that rule.

 

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, twodaywonder said:

Received this from MY TA and most everyone is correct. It has changed since 911

As for the least notice you can book something it's now 72 hours when they cut off most bookings because they need to submit the manifest due to 911. However they do sometimes change that rule but 72 hours is a good rule of thumb.  You used to be able to go to the port and see if there were any available cabins and get on right then and there but not since 911, they changed that rule.

 

 what would be the circumstances under which they change the rule?

 

In post #15 Essiesmom posted the correct information. You yourself said you booked the day before a cruise this year so the information your TA told you is not correct.

[AdGuyMG]

9 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

You're the one who claimed porters won't even take someone's luggage without a boarding pass or being on the manifest. We've never had a porter check our boarding pass or ask our name to check it against a manifest. It ain't the porters job to verify cruise documents.

If you already have luggage tags affixed to your bags, there is nothing for the porters to check.

 

If your bags have NO luggage tags affixed or printed and NO cabin number (TBA/Guarantee) on your boarding pass, or no boarding pass at all,  the porters most definitely have a printed, stapled multiple page paper manifest available in the baggage drop-off area to see if you are booked on the ship.

 

This printed paper document would also include your assigned cabin number so they can make a bag tag.

[glrounds]

I once booked a cruise the DAY OF THE CRUISE. Hardest part of the booking was convincing the Carnival rep that I was, indeed, aware that that cruise sailed TODAY. $99pp for 3 days on one of the old Fantasy Class ships. Had plenty of time -- 15 minutes to pack and 20 minutes to the port. Easy peasy. This was all before 9/11, however.

[2wheelin]

1 hour ago, AdGuyMG said:

If you already have luggage tags affixed to your bags, there is nothing for the porters to check.

 

If your bags have NO luggage tags affixed or printed and NO cabin number (TBA/Guarantee) on your boarding pass, or no boarding pass at all,  the porters most definitely have a printed, stapled multiple page paper manifest available in the baggage drop-off area to see if you are booked on the ship.

 

This printed paper document would also include your assigned cabin number so they can make a bag tag.

You are probably right that the porters notice if there is no appropriate luggage tag but if one is going to the port to check for availability of a cabin, they would not be approaching the porters anyway. So that is not a valid argument against being able to obtain a cabin at the port. I don’t know if that can be done but I do know you can make a reservation by phone less than 24 hours prior to sailing. That’s a fact—not a gullibility test.

[jsglow]

The closest we ever booked was 48 hours out (maybe it was 52?).  We were in Chicago and were able to pull off a last minute thing to San Juan.  Airfare and everything.  2014 so well after 9/11.  Booked cruise, plane, motel, then packed Friday.  Flew Saturday. Cruised Sunday.  Loved it.

[Organized Chaos]

2 hours ago, AdGuyMG said:

If you already have luggage tags affixed to your bags, there is nothing for the porters to check.

 

If your bags have NO luggage tags affixed or printed and NO cabin number (TBA/Guarantee) on your boarding pass, or no boarding pass at all,  the porters most definitely have a printed, stapled multiple page paper manifest available in the baggage drop-off area to see if you are booked on the ship.

 

This printed paper document would also include your assigned cabin number so they can make a bag tag.

 

I'd like to point out your previous comment (below). Pay particular attention to your own bold text. You don't say anything about luggage tags. You claimed that without a boarding pass or name on a manifest, porters don't take luggage. You even contradicted yourself by saying someone will NOT get passed security into the terminal, but then you said, even if they do get inside the terminal... But wait, you said they cannot.

 

On 7/30/2019 at 5:37 PM, AdGuyMG said:

 

Horrible advice....  You would end up going home.

 

Because without a boarding pass or your name already on an electronic or paper manifest you are

 

A) Not going to get any porter to take your luggage

 

B)  You are not going to get past security and inside the terminal building.

 

C) And even if you did get inside the terminal, you will not find a reservation office, a reservation agent, or anyone qualified to make a reservation.

 

And then you get to pay the parking garage fee on the way out.

 

The fact of the matter is, people have done it and that's all I ever said. And multiple people have disproved the claim that manifests must be submitted 48-hours prior. Come to find out, it's even on Carnival's site. So you can keep arguing if you want, but you'll be arguing with yourself.

Edited August 1, 2019 by Organized Chaos

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

12 hours ago, twodaywonder said:

Received this from MY TA and most everyone is correct. It has changed since 911

As for the least notice you can book something it's now 72 hours when they cut off most bookings because they need to submit the manifest due to 911. However they do sometimes change that rule but 72 hours is a good rule of thumb.  You used to be able to go to the port and see if there were any available cabins and get on right then and there but not since 911, they changed that rule.

 

My TA sent this today for me.

Typically 72 hours. But if you see something the day before I can always check.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

10 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

 what would be the circumstances under which they change the rule?

 

In post #15 Essiesmom posted the correct information. You yourself said you booked the day before a cruise this year so the information your TA told you is not correct.

Yes it is correct. My TA is giving the correct current information. You did read where she indicated it is a rule of thumb and can change at times. Nothing is locked in rock solid. As for what circumstances which they can change not the rules but the time. I have no idea and would be a dumb question to ask her. Why would anyone care? If you want to book a cruise within the 72 hours. Call and see if you can.