Last minute booking

[junglecat]

Has anyone booked a cruise 3 days before it set sails?  If so, what, if any, advise can you give?  I've posted to our situation before.  In a nutshell the cruise we had originally been looking at just dropped below what we are paying for a week at a resort.  Like, way below.  We are now trying to decide what to do.  It leaves Saturday the 18th!  Like, THIS Saturday.  It would be Royal picking our room as well.  We've cruised a lot but with months of planning.  This would be totally a last minute change, if we end up cruising.  Any thoughts? 

[ljmandelbaum]

I would do it!  

Last minute trips are fun.  What Ship?

 

[Clarea]

If you are on an Oasis or Quantum class ship, you may find that the shows are booked and you have to use the standby line.

[KeywestK]

You will have to be ok with whatever cabin you get assigned, and you might not have your preference for dining times.  We did a last minute (about a month out, which is last minute for an over-planner like myself,) and it all worked out great.  Cabin was actually fine, and the maitre 'd worked with us once we were on board the ship to rearrange our dining time.  I say go for it.  Flexibility is key in this situation.

[junglecat]

Rhapsody out of Tampa.  

[LB_NJ]

I hope you went for it.  Nothing as good as a last minute vacation.  I have done short notice vacations (2 weeks).  Worked out fine.

[rwilk1129]

We tried to get on Rhapsody last Sat. and gave $500 to get waitlisted a week in advance. Did not get on so on Thurs we got booked on Brilliance instead and cancelled waitlist on Rhapsody. Since it was 2 days before sailing our cabin steward did not even have us listed on manifest. Had no Diamond info or stuff and stockholder obc. Went to guest services twice but never got obc on acct. Also Diamond host did not have us listed either. Went to lounge anyway and was told when past passenger reception was held. Also tried to get anytime dining on 1st day and was denied. Diamond lounge consierge was able to get it for us later in cruise.  Learned last minute booking doesn't go so smoothly.

[hal2008]

 

 

Have noticed that waiting until 7 days or less before departure

- can result in ship getting sold out

- do not leave enough time for preparatory research unless it is a repeat cruise

 

About 24-36 hours before departure selling stops (even if there are cabins unsold) as they have to generate pax manifeto

 

Otherwise last minute cruise (48-72 hours before departure) can yield some ridiculous bargains like 99 USD + tax and port fees for 7 day sailings on newer/larger ships albeit with inside GTY which can result in anything from lousy inside to upgrade to midhip balcony (no idea why they would give a midship balcony to soneone paying 16 usd per day pp)

 

Edited January 17, 2020 by hal2008

[cruiselvr04]

We booked 6 days out once.  No glitches.  Inside guarantee and got an outside.  We had been to these ports before so just did beaches and relaxed .  Great trip. It wasn't our cheapest cruise per day but not expensive either.

 

I'd love to do it more after retirement if the price was right. 

[Biker19]

40 minutes ago, hal2008 said:

Otherwise last minute cruise (48-72 hours before departure) can yield some ridiculous bargains like 99 USD + tax and port fees for 7 day sailings

 

That has not happened in quite some time. There used to be some $99 threads here, but nowadays it’s tough to find much below $199 and that’s usually on shorter sailings. 

[hal2008]

Most recent data point is from May of 2019 (about 8 months ago) out of NYC (on one of main competitor of RCL)

7 nighter.

2 cabins, both GTY (one was assigned low floor midhip inside, the other one got midship high floor balcony - must be a last minute cancellation, guessing)

 

Price dropped three times on Friday.

Showed 199 on web in the morning (down from 249 previous evening)

149 on web around lunch when call was placed to book

99 when agent actually booked. (reservation showed 99, web showed NA)

 

Not that 50-100 over a week make much difference compared to what you spend during the week.

Edited January 17, 2020 by hal2008

[Biker19]

3 minutes ago, hal2008 said:

Most recent data point is from May of 2019 (about 8 months ago) out of NYC (on one of main competitor of RCL)

7 nighter.

As I mentioned, that doesn’t seem to happen any more on RCI. The few really low priced sailings usually happen further out, like 30-60 days.