How close to a cruise departure date have you booked?

[to_dee]

Curious minds want to know ie me LOL .......:D

 

What's the closest/shortest time before a cruise departs that you have booked? And did you get an exciting deal?

 

And as aside does Princess offer last minute deals often? We are waiting on some work stuff to clear before we can commit to a date and if it is still available when we can book a bargain would be fab of course :p

[Brewz]

Curious minds want to know ie me LOL .......:D

 

What's the closest/shortest time before a cruise departs that you have booked? And did you get an exciting deal?

 

And as aside does Princess offer last minute deals often? We are waiting on some work stuff to clear before we can commit to a date and if it is still available when we can book a bargain would be fab of course :p

 

3 Days on Royal Caribbean, Excellent deal, too good to say no :D

[GUT2407]

The shortest we've book has been a few months, because time off work is an issue.

[icat2000]

2 weeks is the shortest lead time.

[dlg64]

My first cruise ever was in April and it came up as a Scoupon offer and was such a bargain i just jumped right in a booked it ... thank goodness our boss was quite flexible as it was midweek with only 2 weeks notice !!

There was a few nasty posts on the facebook site from those that had paid full dollar but i guess at the end of the day ships need to fill their berths somehow. Some people need to apply for leave way ahead of time and others don't so thats the luck of the draw of life. Now i have done both ...short wait and long wait....and the waiting seems to have gone on forever...STILL 77 sleeps away !!! LOL

I will always be keeping my eyes open on scoupons and other discount websites for repeat bargains....

[PerfectlyPerth]

Early this year I booked a 30 day Antarctica expedition with 2 weeks notice and managed to talk them into a 3 window 2 bed suite with no solo supplement - saving me $45,000 ! Sweet suite !!

Boy were the people all crowded in the lower decks 3 to a cabin ticked off with me !!

[MicCanberra]

Shortest for me has been around 4 weeks, but most are booked 18 months or more in advance. I hope to pick up some last minute cruises when I retire and can just drop everything and go.:D

[OzKiwiJJ]

Royal Caribbean seem to have the best last minute deals, usually for inside guarantees, but sting you with onboard costs like drinks.

 

Princess don't have quite as good deals but some online TAs do occasionally have the lowest inside cabin category guarantee a lot cheaper than the rest of the inside cabin prices. In the main, though, Princess guarantee prices aren't any cheaper than selecting your cabin.

[to_dee]

Shortest for me has been around 4 weeks, but most are booked 18 months or more in advance. I hope to pick up some last minute cruises when I retire and can just drop everything and go.:D

 

Oh yes that sounds like the life...drop & go love it! Still 4 weeks is pretty awesome that' s almost at drop & go

 

Royal Caribbean seem to have the best last minute deals, usually for inside guarantees, but sting you with onboard costs like drinks.

 

Princess don't have quite as good deals but some online TAs do occasionally have the lowest inside cabin category guarantee a lot cheaper than the rest of the inside cabin prices. In the main, though, Princess guarantee prices aren't any cheaper than selecting your cabin.

 

Ah ok good to know thanks for that info

[to_dee]

The shortest we've book has been a few months, because time off work is an issue.

 

yes that is normally us!

 

3 Days on Royal Caribbean, Excellent deal, too good to say no :D

 

No way! thats brilliant how exciting!!

 

2 weeks is the shortest lead time.

 

Just enough time to plan & pack! Love it

 

My first cruise ever was in April and it came up as a Scoupon offer and was such a bargain i just jumped right in a booked it ... thank goodness our boss was quite flexible as it was midweek with only 2 weeks notice !!

There was a few nasty posts on the facebook site from those that had paid full dollar but i guess at the end of the day ships need to fill their berths somehow. Some people need to apply for leave way ahead of time and others don't so thats the luck of the draw of life. Now i have done both ...short wait and long wait....and the waiting seems to have gone on forever...STILL 77 sleeps away !!! LOL

I will always be keeping my eyes open on scoupons and other discount websites for repeat bargains....

 

Gosh I didnt know scoupon did cruise fares.

[to_dee]

Early this year I booked a 30 day Antarctica expedition with 2 weeks notice and managed to talk them into a 3 window 2 bed suite with no solo supplement - saving me $45,000 ! Sweet suite !!

Boy were the people all crowded in the lower decks 3 to a cabin ticked off with me !!

 

OMG $45,000K saving now that is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

[GUT2407]

Be nice if I ever have the time and money [both at once] to be able to grab some of the last minute discounts that I see from time to time.

[GUT2407]

Royal Caribbean seem to have the best last minute deals, usually for inside guarantees, but sting you with onboard costs like drinks.

 

Princess don't have quite as good deals but some online TAs do occasionally have the lowest inside cabin category guarantee a lot cheaper than the rest of the inside cabin prices. In the main, though, Princess guarantee prices aren't any cheaper than selecting your cabin.

 

 

I would disagree about Princess guarantees. Their "Let us pick for you" tend to be less than picking your own.

 

One example 6 night Tassie cruise Balcony

 

Choose for me $1699

 

Balcony

Fore $1699

Aft $1719

Mid aft Mid Forward $1759

Mid $1799

[OzKiwiJJ]

I would disagree about Princess guarantees. Their "Let us pick for you" tend to be less than picking your own.

 

One example 6 night Tassie cruise Balcony

 

Choose for me $1699

 

Balcony

Fore $1699

Aft $1719

Mid aft Mid Forward $1759

Mid $1799

 

That's because it's always the lowest category within the cabin class, so a BF forward cabin not an BA midships. If you choose your own BF it's the same price, or you can choose to pay more for a better location.

[GUT2407]

That's because it's always the lowest category within the cabin class, so a BF forward cabin not an BA midships. If you choose your own BF it's the same price, or you can choose to pay more for a better location.

 

 

But you can book a BF and get a BA. That's the benefit. But I agree it is the lowest category.

[OzKiwiJJ]

But you can book a BF and get a BA. That's the benefit. But I agree it is the lowest category.

 

Some other cruise lines price their guarantees lower than the cheapest cabin in the class, sometimes by a decent amount.

[Cinderkaos]

2 weeks , It was a two night cruse from Melbourne to Sydney, cost me $389 for 2 people.

Best short break ever!

[hematocrit]

Booked an NCL cruise around Hawaiian islands 5 days before sailing date and got about 47% discount on an outside cabin. Luckily I also managed to get a good price on a return flight to Honolulu with Hawaiian Airlines.

[MicCanberra]

OMG $45,000K saving now that is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

 

Truly amazing.:D

[MicCanberra]

Booked an NCL cruise around Hawaiian islands 5 days before sailing date and got about 47% discount on an outside cabin. Luckily I also managed to get a good price on a return flight to Honolulu with Hawaiian Airlines.

 

Great score on both the cruise and the flights.

[Tara Jane]

We were travelling with friends to the south pacific. The day before we were due to sail Mrs ended up being admitted to hospital. My sister was keen to go but as royal caribbean couldnt be contacted on the day this all happened she just packed her bags, passport etc, in the hope that first thing Monday morning she could ring royal and get friends cabin. When she phoned them they said that they were unable to put her on as the info had to be supplied to the powers that be 7 days prior to sailing. This was in Feb 2013 so things might have changed since. In the end we got their cabin an oceanview as we were on a guarantee and hadn't been allocated our inside.

[MicCanberra]

It may be different in the US but they often have last minute sales right up until the 3 day prior mark of the cruises.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Before 9/11 you could rock up and get last minute deals almost on the day of sailing. After that they brought in a min of 10's day before sailing but that has slowly been eroded since then.

Before 9/11 , espec in the States , selected agents where given the available lists and told to fill the cabins.We had friends that used Airpoints to fly to Fort Lauderdale and then spent nearly a month jumping from one one discounted cheap cruise to another.

Locally , up until now last minute vacancies have also been given to selected agents, usually those who put through the most sales, but these have rarely left the agents desk as they or their staff snap them up.

The closest I have ever had was 2 days and on 2 cruises have rocked up to the terminal with only the agents itinerary and receipt as proof of passage. Security look twice at you and say Oh Yeah, but once they call for the Officer of the Day to come down , it is all sorted out and your cruise card is waiting at the front desk.

[to_dee]

2 weeks , It was a two night cruse from Melbourne to Sydney, cost me $389 for 2 people.

Best short break ever!

 

Brilliant deal for a 2 nighter with meals & so on thats a fun bargain mini break.

 

Booked an NCL cruise around Hawaiian islands 5 days before sailing date and got about 47% discount on an outside cabin. Luckily I also managed to get a good price on a return flight to Honolulu with Hawaiian Airlines.

 

Gosh thats another great deal. I'll have to add Hawaii to my cruising list that sounds like a lovely vacation & half price fabbo! I have heard Hawaiin airlines is pretty nice too. How long was your Hawaii cruise? Did you enjoy it?

[MicCanberra]

NCL's Pride of America sails Hawaii with 7 day itineraries all year round.