Any Tips for booking a last minute cruise?

[novie]

My DH and I will be spending 3 months in Florida (Jan. to Mar.). We are hoping to find last minute cruise specials and possibly go on several cruises over the 3 months. Does such a thing exist? Is "Last Minute" a week before...or a day before? Are certain cruise lines better at this than others? Or to put it another way, what is the best way to get as cheap a price as possible?

 

I'm sure I remember reading about native Floridians who were able to take advantage of these "last minute" specials. Thanks to any who can give us some advice.

 

Novie

 

Paradise Jan 2002

Triumph Jan 2004

Elation Jan 2004

[torybruno]

We once booked a cruise 8 days before. My parents live in Florida and have gone on alot of cruises this way.

 

My advice would be to log onto as many travel cruise web sites as possible and give them your email addresses so they can email you with their latest specials. I would include vacationstogocom,cruisequickcom,bestpricecruisescom,cruise411com,and others you may find. Check the sites regularly too. Also, when you do cruise....bring enough meds for another week. Last year when we were on the Zaandam doing the western carribbean, they passed out a flyer midweek that the ship was not sold out the next week and you could stay on for the Eastern carribbean for 199. Unfortunately we had to get back to cold Michigan, and my parents didn't have enough medication with them for another week or they would have taken advantage!

[novie]

Hi Torybruno,

 

Thanks for the advice. We are doing just as you suggest, and thanks for the names of a few web sites that we haven't tried yet. We would love to get the chance to do a back to back for an additional $199. We hope to be in Florida for 3 months, so we will have our meds with us.

[novie]

Well, after reading so many posts on CruiseCritic about the prices actually going up rather than down as you get closer to sailing date, DH decided to save money :D and book now. Looks like we will be on the Sun Princess this time, for a 10 day Eastern. This will be a change from our previous cruises, all Western, all Carnival. I still wouldn't turn down a back to back for a few hundred more! ;)