Late Cruise Deals: The What, When & How

Everyone has heard that you can get fantastic late cruise deals if you book close to the departure giving you the opportunity to bag yourself a fantastic discount on the initial marketed price.

What’s This I Hear About Deals Of Cruises?

The reasoning behind this is that cruise tickets have a used by date.

Once the ship has left the dock – all it’s empty beds are worthless and the cruise company loses money because they can never sell those tickets again.

This is why the cruise companies work so hard to be people to book for their getaway sometimes over a year in advance (because it helps them sell all the seats).

But there are definitely one great reason for you to wait until it get’s closer to the departure date before you book (the fantastic deals!).

When Should I Book To Ensure The Best Deals?

Now there is no specific time that ensures the best cruise deals and sometimes you can leave it too late – and the cruise sells out.

The best thing to do is to keep an eye out for special offers and deals that come up on the major travel websites (or through the cruise lines themselves), and book then. Because while waiting until the last minute may work sometimes, a lot of the times you will just miss out because a lot of the times the ships (especially the popular ones sell out).

However, if you are set of grabbing an absolute bargain, it is important that you are flexible, and do not mind missing out on your first choice cruise. If you are happy to wait for the right late cruise deal, then leave it until the month or two before and then start negotiating directly with the cruise lines.

If you are lucky enough to get a last minute deal, then be willing to give up cabin preference, specific dining times and other appointments (like spas) that may have booked out already.

How To Negotiate The Best Cruise Deal

If you are going for one of the rock bottom late cruise deals, then the best way to negotiate is through the cruise line themselves.

They are the ones that will have the biggest bargaining scope and are more likely to give you a bigger discount – so I recommend calling them first and if they cannot help, then start chatting with your local travel agent.

For more information on the different cruise ships, I recommend checking this list of all the cruise lines.