Last Minute Cruises: A Better Deal? (cruise, best, vacation, 2009)

[downtownnola]

Myself and some good friends are all planning a trip to South Florida in February 2009. We are entertaining the idea of taking a 3 day cruise from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas.

Do you think we would get a better deal if we book now, or can you get better deals as you get closer to the sailing date? I know that the cruise industry may slow down a bit as a result of the economy. Do you think that cruise lines will offer specials as we get closer to the sailing date?

[nitram]

If you book now you'll get a fair deal, possibly a great eal, and will be able to guarantee the room you want, air fare etc. If you wait until the last minute deals, you will have to compete with 1000's of others for whatever they have available, which could be inside rooms or obstructed views, lowest deck, front or rear rooms. It's a crapshoot.
Yes there are many cancellations at the last minute. Especially with the economy as it is now. We're on lists for last minute deals, but as said above most have been either to destinations that I'm not interested in or the rooms are the un-desirable ones.
Best to call the cruise line for more details or a travel agent knowledgeable on last minute deals.

[cb at sea]

Ships require the manifest to be complete a couple days before sailing, so don't expect to walk up to the pier and buy a ticket! They won't let you do that anymore!

[tande1n5]

I think you should first decide what your priority is - cost above all or the details of the trip. If you're deciding to put price first, be willing to have any scenario included, from inside rooms to a view of a bulkhead, having to catch the next week's sailing, etc, you may be able to get a better price. You might get a great stateroom too.

However, if you want a particular type/location of stateroom, or you want to have certain details included for sure, you may want to just book now. When I'm booking the big annual vacation, I prefer to get all the details in a row the way I like and tend to book way in advance. The "last minute" trips I usually treat as a "why not" sort of trip where the price/timing is right.

[SXMGirl]

I have a friend who took a similar cruise last year and loved it. I think that I would book now for a better stateroom.

[downtownnola]

Thanks, everyone! I think the consensus is to book early. I guess I better get busy!

[babigyrl5]

My friends and I decided last year that we were going to take a cruise ANYWHERE in November. Last week we booked it- we got a ticket that when we first started looking was $1,140 for a 7 day cruise to thr Panama Canal for $300. We knew we would take the last minute deal and go anywhere lol so if you wanna save money and have the flexibility to travel at a moments notice, do last minute travel. Oh and we got a $250 on board voucher to use for whatever we please!

[bleapeheal]

I appreciate the concern which is been rose. The things need to be sorted out because it’s not about the individual but it can be with everyone
bleapeheal
Cheapdeals

[Redisca]

I am a big cruise enthusiast, and in my experience, cruises are booked well in advance, and their prices don't really fall. I've monitored cruise prices in the past and attempted to cash in on "hot deals", but it seems the cost one week before a cruise is exactly the same as 8 months before. Booking early, however, definitely has advantages, such as a wider choice of rooms (the one time I decided to wait for a last-minute deal, I ended up in an inside cabin -- ugh, yuck, bleh), more time to receive and correct documents, etc. I'd say the earlier you book, the better.