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Last Minute Cruise Deals: What to Watch Out For

Common Mistakes, Limitations of Booking Late No Responses »
May 182010

Last minute cruise deals are a great way to get an amazing vacation you will remember for the rest of your life for cheap. However, they only will save you money if you do them right. In fact, in some cases, booking a late cruise deal could end up costing you more money. Even if it is cheaper, it could result in a much less enjoyable vacation than you wanted if its done wrong. One option is to book through a third-party online company that will let you see all of the details that you need to before you book the cruise and compare it to other options. Other than this, there are a few things that you need to watch out for.




cheap cruise deals

This Could Be Your Vacation

First, even the best late cruise deals aren’t worth anything if you can’t get to the port of embarkation. If you book early, many cruise lines will help you arrange transit to the port, however many times late bookers don’t get this privilege. If you’re lucky enough to live in Florida or another area cruises regularly set sail from, this might not be a problem because you can drive to the port on short notice. However, for most other people, they will have to fly to the port.

Before you book the late cruise, make sure that you can get to its first port. On short notice you might not be able to book an airline ticket or have to pay so much for it that it negates all the savings you would have gotten from the cruise line. One option is to go through a travel agent for this, but they often take a hefty commission as well, which cuts down on your savings.

The best option to get over this is to book your cruise through Orbitz. With Orbitz you can browse through a multitude of competitively priced cruises and before you press the button to buy you can book a plane flight as well. You can even book hotel rooms if you need one to spend the night before the cruise embarks.

Also keep in mind that if you’re booking late, most times the most desirable rooms won’t be available. If you’re planning on staying in a seaside cabin, in most cases you would be better off booking early. Most late booking will place you inside the ship in the least desirable cabins. Fortunately, most of your time on the ship is going to be spent outside on the deck. If you don’t mind where you sleep, this won’t be a problem.

Make sure to check the different ports of call that you can expect to visit on the cruise as well. Many people get excited about late deals on cruises to the Caribbean or other locations and forget to look at the ports of call. There unfortunately may be a reason that the cruise is undersold and you may end up visit second-rate ports that other cruise ships don’t go to. The stops in ports also may be really short, not giving you enough time to enjoy the activities that you wanted to.

Finally, as with any cheap cruise deals, make sure you have access to all the amenities and activities that you want on your cruise. As with the ports of call, there may be a reason for the cruise to be undersold. Perhaps it doesn’t have a swimming pool or dining or is missing any of the other little extras that make a cruise really special. Always check before you book the ticket to ensure that it’s the cruise you really want to go on.

You can save a ton of money with a late deal cruise, however you have to make sure that you watch out for a few things. Always make sure that you can get to the port of embarkation relatively cheap and do your homework to make sure that you will get to the ports of call you want to see and do the activities you want to do. By taking a few minutes before you book your cruise ticket, you’ll be able to ensure that you’re getting a good value for your money and won’t end up with any unpleasant surprises.

Posted by Jimmy at 2:35 am Tagged with: , , , ,

Who Should Book Late Deal Cruises?

Benefits of Late Cruises, Getting a Cheap Cruise, Limitations of Booking Late No Responses »
Apr 282010
Last Minute Cruise Deals

Late deal cruises can be a great way to save money on your next cruise.  If you book close to the departure date, cruise lines are desperate to fill up cabins and are likely to slash prices to entice people to buy.  However, while this a great way to save money, last minute cruise deals aren’t for everyone.  You need to have a certain set of circumstances working for you so that you will get the most out of your cruise.  Don’t worry if you aren’t able to book a cruise late however.  By booking early you many times can get the same or greater savings as people who book late.  In general you’re a good candidate to search for a deal on a cruise if you…




Are Flexible On Dates

If you’re flexible on dates, finding late cruise deals will be much easier.  This doesn’t just include your preferences easier, make sure that you can put in for time off of work on short notice without causing any problems.  On the other hand, if you need to sail at certain times, either on specific dates or over your school break, the best option is usually to lock in a low price by booking early.

You’re Traveling with Yourself or a Small Group

Booking a cruise late also works much better if you are traveling with yourself or a small group.  Because there are limited availability of tickets, with a large group you may not be able to order enough for everyone.  Booking early with a large group also helps to ensure that you will be placed together for meals and other activities throughout the trip.

late deal cruises

A Cheap Cruise Cabin

Don’t Care About Cabins

Most people don’t think about their cabins too much when they’re taking a cruise.  However, if you want to have a certain type of cabin on the cruise, you should book early.  Examples of this are handicapped cabins, high end cabins, or cabins with adjoining rooms.  If you don’t care about where your cabin is on the boat, then booking a late cruise deal is just more icing on the cake for you.

Can Get to Departure Port Easily

One of the biggest hurdles you’ll have to overcome for late deals on cruises is finding a way to get to the embarkation port.  It shouldn’t be a problem if you live close to the port, but if you live further away an expensive plane fare could negate all the savings you made on booking the cruise late.  Before you book, make sure you know how much the plane fare is going to run you.  If it’s too much, you might be better off booking early.

Don’t Care About Exact Itinerary

Cheap cruise deals are also a great option for people who want a Caribbean or European cruise, but don’t necessarily care about the itinerary.  If this is the case, you might be able to get on cruises that aren’t sold out because it doesn’t hit the most popular ports of call.

However, if you are planning on hitting certain ports, and especially if you want a specialty cruise, like a round-the-world cruise or one that goes to Antarctica, you are best off booking ahead.  Not only will you get a cheaper price, but many times these cruises sell out quickly, leaving you without any vacation at all!

Finding late deal cruises is a great way to save some money, but it’s not for everyone.  Make sure that you know if it’s worth your time to be searching for one.  If it is you can start your search online.

Posted by Jimmy at 11:49 am Tagged with: , , , ,

Pros and Cons of a Late Cruise Deal

Benefits of Late Cruises, Limitations of Booking Late No Responses »
Apr 282010

If you can find one, a late cruise deal can save you a ship-load of money. However, the money that you save comes at an expense. For some people, what you give up to get a cheap deal on a cruise is just a minor inconvenience, but for others it might ruin their whole vacation. Find out just what to expect and how to best handle it so that you know if late cruise deals are for you.





The big advantage of last minute cruise deals is that you can get away for incredibly cheap. Since cruise lines need to have a full ship to make the most profit out of each cruise, they are willing to slash prices in the last few weeks before a cruise embarks to make sure that the ship is full.

Late Deal CruisesWhile you and the other that booked late may be getting cheap cruise deals, you won’t be getting a cheap cruise experience. You can expect to have access to all the same amenities, services, and food as everyone else on the ship with the same class ticket you have, regardless of what time they booked or what price they paid for the trip. It is a great opportunities for a luxurious vacation on a limited budget.

Unfortunately, just like how there’s no free lunch in economics, there’s no such thing as free late cruises. You will have to be flexible and patient if you really want to book a cruise late. The first thing you have to be flexible about it your departure dates. You will have to be able to notify your work and take a vacation on fairly quick notice. If your employer requires you to put in for vacation leave a few months in advance, you won’t be able to book late cruise the two to four weeks ahead of time you need to if you want the best deal.

You also have to be flexible with the times that you are willing to travel. Cruise lines have the hardest time filling up their cruise ships during the off-season. This is when you have the best chance to get a deal. If you have your heart set on going to the Caribbean in December, you may find that all the ships you check with are sold out long before the companies start to discount their prices.

You also have to finally be flexible on the destinations you’re willing to travel to. Odds are, you won’t be able to pick the ports of call that you want to sail to, especially during the high season for tourists. If all you want is a cruise to the Caribbean, this won’t bother you much. However, if its been your dream for the last few years to scuba dive on the world’s second largest barrier reef in Belize, you might be better off booking your cruise earlier. It is possible to find a deal on a cruise at the last minute to a certain port, but your choices tend to be limited, especially with popular destinations.

Late Deal Cruise

Cruise Ship Bound for Mexico

With late deals on cruises, you most likely won’t be able to pick the cabin that you want to stay in. On the bright side, most of the time on the cruise will most likely be spent on the deck or in a port of call. If you don’t mind sleeping in the interior of the ship, possibly next to the furnace or the ice machine, then this won’t be a problem for you. But again, if you want a seaside cabin or just want more control over where you stay, booking early might be a much better option.

It is possible to get an incredibly good price on a late cruise deal. However, you need to be flexible if you want to get the most value out of it. If you don’t mind exactly where you go, can get off at different times with relative ease, and don’t care where your cabin is on the ship, you should be able to find a cruise fairly easily.

However, if these things do matter to you that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find a deal on a cruise, it just means that you’ll have to be more patient. Start by looking at orbitz and comparing the prices and services offered by a variety of cruise lines.

Posted by Jimmy at 7:20 am Tagged with: , , , , ,

Avoid These Common Mistakes With Cheap Cruise Deals

Common Mistakes, Limitations of Booking Late No Responses »
Apr 282010

If it’s done right, there’s nothing better than getting cheap cruise deals. You can get an amazing five star vacation in a dream location on a budget. However, this is only if you book the cruise right. There are many mistakes that people make or overlook that can leave them with a terrible vacation or maybe no vacation at all!




That money may have been better spent on saving up for a cruise you can get at a full price. You might pay more but you will end up actually enjoying it and getting more value for your money. If you want to avoid this, make follow these steps to make sure that your cheap cruises don’t leave you high and dry.

Not Being Able to Get to Embarkation Port

Cheap Cruise DealsOne of the easiest ways to get on a cruise boat for less money is to try to book late cruise deals. With a late deal cruise, you book the voyage very close to the departure date, usually two to four weeks in advance. This is a great way to find a cheap price for a cruise, but you still need to find a way to get to the embarkation point.

With any cruise you have to take your costs in getting to and from the embarkation point into account, but with late deal cruises, you won’t have much notice to sort the transportation out. If you live close to the port and can simply drive to it, then there isn’t a problem. However, if you live far away you may end up needing to book a high cost plane ticket. The extra expenses from the plane ticket alone could wipe out all the savings from booking your cruise late! Even worse, plane flights might be sold out and you won’t be able to get to the port at all!

You can solve this problem though by booking your cruise and your plane ticket in the same location. One great place to do this is with Expedia, where you can find a deal on a plane flight before you book the cruise so you know what to expect.

Bad Cabin Location

Many cheap cruises are unfortunately cheap for a reason. If a cabin is marked down, usually it means that it wasn’t able to be sold at the normal price for a reason. Most deals that you get will result in you being placed in an interior cabin on the ship. If you were hoping for a sea view you may be out of luck. This may not sound too bad, but there may be other surprises waiting for you. The cabin may be smaller or even next to a noisy piece of machinery.

Luckily though, you won’t be spending most of your time in your cabin. If you don’t care where you sleep (like most budget travelers) you won’t have to worry about this.

No Amenities

Another way that cruises might mark down tickets is to cut out certain amenities that people with other tickets get. If you have a cheap ticket you might not be able to get access to all-inclusive food, certain activities, or might even be disallowed from certain sections of the ship. Make sure that you check with the cruise operator before you book the ticket to find out any restrictions you might have on board.

Bad Ports of Call

Finally, a cheap cruise might be cheap because it has bad ports of call. Make sure to double check the ports, especially if you find a cruise with openings on it during the high season. The boat may go to different ports because it’s cheaper, which means they might be just as good and you’ll pay less. But the boat might also go to ports that nobody wants to visit so they can’t fill up the ship.

Another problem may be that the stays at port are relatively short. Make sure that the ship is staying in port long enough for you to do the things that you want to do on your vacation.

If you’re booking a promotional cruise fare or a late cruise deal, there are some pitfalls you have to watch out for. However, as long as you read the fine print and prepare before you buy your ticket, you should have no problems on your trip. Remember a little patience and preparation could be the difference between a miserable time and the vacation of a lifetime.

Posted by Jimmy at 1:36 am Tagged with: , , , ,
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