Last minute booking/
 

Has anyone booked last minute and ended up with a decent cabin? We've never cruised but have traveled a lot and like spontaneity in planning (to a point). We feel it is time for a cruise but We usually don't plan 6 or even 3 months ahead. Does anyone have suggestions as to how to go about late booking? Or is it not worth it? Thanks.

We booked late May last year for a cruise to Alaska for Mid July on Holland America's ms Zuiderdam round trip from Vancouver. The good deal was an outside cabin obstructed view, but less expensive than an inside cabin. We had just departed this ship in early May after a three week cruise through the Panama Canal so knew the ship well and enjoyed every minute - excellent service and wonderful crew. We booked through www.vacationstogo.com so check out the website. Good Luck and go for it!!

My husband and I are both retired, and fly by the seat of our pants. We love spontaneity. We have booked cruises within a month of sailing, and have gotten great cabins.

We just booked a cruise this week for June 30, and got a balcony cabin on the deck we wanted. You can see what cabins are available when browsing.

It is definitely worth it, and the bargains are out there!

But if you prefer early dining times - they would be all taken.

Alot of the ships now have anytime dining, so that would eliminate the need to pick a dining time.

We plan way ahead. But if I were looking for last-minute bargains, one of the first places I'd look is vacatiionstogo 90-day ticker.

I haven't cruised that much, but it would depend on where you are planning on going. Alaska from what I hear fills up early. Some cruises do not fill up and they offer great last minute deals.

I guess "decent" is subjective. We usually book "guarantee's if the price is less. We are not the fussy with placement on the ship. We have "driven" the ship and been in the back and middle. We're just happy to have a cabin at the price that we feel we want to pay.

Another vote for Vacations To Go - booked a Med cruise on HAl last year 6 weeks prior and got a great cabin (outside for $699 - unheard of prices !!). The people there are extremely helpful, professional and attentive. I even received an email after the cruise asking if we enjoyed it ! Will probably depend on destination and time of year - our Oct cruise was at the end of the season.

Yes we have had good cabins when booking last minute. Best was last year. Booked on Tuesday when we found price of 7 days, $299. (had this same price this year too!)Ship left that weekend. We got a BALCONY cabin on our favorite deck,the Lido deck, 9, all for $299 including port taxes. That deck has the pool and buffet. This year, also Tuesday booking for weekend sale, also 7 days, $299 including port taxes, we were again on deck 9 but inside.
Before 911, we booked day before ship left for New Year's cruise but can't book that close anymore.

What website did you find the $299 deal? I had a friend that met someone on a cruise that had gotten a similar deal - but he couldn't remember the website. We live close to Baltimore and would love to catch a last minute $299 deal on a whim!

The best place to go is http://www.CruiseCompete.com

They have a page that lists last-minute specials, but you can do even better. Find a good deal on this page, then enter a general (not special) request for this ship and sail date. Agents will compete to offer you the best deal, which is usually a lot better than the advertised price.