Last minute cruise deals?

[vafoodie]

Where is the best place to find them? The cruise lines themselves? Other sources?

 

[Kork13]

I normally use vacationstogo.com .... Can't speak intelligently to exactly how much cheaper it truly is, but I've always been happy with the deals I've found.

 

[Bamaman]

Vacations to Go has the best computer system. It seems as if every cruise in the world's listed there. We used them on our 7 day cruise of the Greek Islands in June--$603 per adult and $259 for our granddaughter.

We've also used a specialized cruise travel agent that came up with the same prices but more freebies.

 

[skyking1]

we booked our last cruise through them too. It was pretty smooth.

 

[Luvdogs]

We've done Princess Drop and Go.

A few years ago we found a really good price and booked it. We were at our dinner table with about eight guests and a guy was venting about how much he paid and that the Drop and Go rate was down to $xxx.

I stayed quiet and didn't tell him that we paid that amount.

 

[brett]

We've done Princess Drop and Go.

A few years ago we found a really good price and booked it. We were at our dinner table with about eight guests and a guy was venting about how much he paid and that the Drop and Go rate was down to $xxx.

I stayed quiet and didn't tell him that we paid that amount.

We have done Princess Drop and Go. We have done numerous Celebrity and RCI Tuesday specials...four Med/Adriatic and multiple Caribbean.

We use the website that the OP mentioned as a guide. Not everything appears there.

We gain a knowledge of the prices and establish a 'buy' price. We shop for air at the same time. Pre covid, our former on line TA was able to hold a late booking cabin for a few hours until we locked down on air. More than once she was able to tell us about an offer that had not been advertised. Important to us because we always buy a balcony cabin.

Prices can vary depending on where you live. We purchased a 21 day Austrian last minute cruise while traveling in Australia Our US on line TA gave us her best price. On advice from this forum, we contcted the RCI call center in Sydney. Their price was 30 percent less than the US price, adjusted for currency. My sister has done the same in the UK.

In general, the best offers we have experienced, Med and Caribbean, have been late booking Tuesday offers from Celebrity and RCI. Booked through our previous on line TA who provided us with excellent service, TA provided on board credits, on occasion group rate discounts and complementary excursions.

We have booked from 3 days out to 45/60 days out...and anywhere in between.

 

[sengsational]

I'm often frustrated by the different cruise lines' web sites (too many clicks to see the actual price). That's why VTG is good...the price is posted there without a lot of shenanigans.

I've shopped both VTG and the cruise web site for many cruises, and although there is the occasion discrepancy, it's usually small, or explained by having one deal include on board perks or something. But I've never found a drop and go price that beat what VTG had posted. Occasionally the cruise web site didn't price out as low as VTG, but usually it's exactly the same. On those occasions where the cruise line price was higher, I chalked it up to poor shopping skills and impatience on my part.

 

[Eucerin]

I occasionally look up cruise deals on vacationtogo.com, most good deals are inside cabins or ocean view cabins; however I am surprised to see that there is a caribbean cruse deal with great balcony price. It says Brochure price 4069, Our price 809, You save 80%. This is more than 80%, the math doesn't work. but regardless its a good price, if its true

 

[Sunset]

I occasionally look up cruise deals on vacationtogo.com, most good deals are inside cabins or ocean view cabins; however I am surprised to see that there is a caribbean cruse deal with great balcony price. It says Brochure price 4069, Our price 809, You save 80%. This is more than 80%, the math doesn't work. but regardless its a good price, if its true

Compare that VTG price to a couple of other places, including the actual cruise line. You may find they are all that price. Watch out for obstructed view cabins, sure you get a balcony, and sit facing a lifeboat

What cruise is it ?

 

[Happyras]

Compare that VTG price to a couple of other places, including the actual cruise line. You may find they are all that price. Watch out for obstructed view cabins, sure you get a balcony, and sit facing a lifeboat

What cruise is it ?

I use VTG to check on options, but you can always do better with Costco Travel if it is one of their cruise line options. I have booked Regent Seven Seas directly and found they can offer multiple discounts directly. Our next cruise is on NCL in the Haven on the newer ship Viva. Costco really helped, they reminded me of the 25% off transatlantic offer, and got me a great suite for cheap, with their kick back shop card. Saved me $6000 on that one, we like nicer accommodations in the Haven.

 

[DrRoy]

I prefer to choose where we are going over just getting a cheap cruise.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I occasionally look up cruise deals on vacationtogo.com, most good deals are inside cabins or ocean view cabins; however I am surprised to see that there is a caribbean cruse deal with great balcony price. It says Brochure price 4069, Our price 809, You save 80%. This is more than 80%, the math doesn't work. but regardless its a good price, if its true

Always ignore any "brochure price". It means absolutely nothing.

 

[Eucerin]

Compare that VTG price to a couple of other places, including the actual cruise line. You may find they are all that price. Watch out for obstructed view cabins, sure you get a balcony, and sit facing a lifeboat

What cruise is it ?

Balcony faces lifeboat it would be an awful surprise

It is Carnival. We prefer to depart for New York or New Jersey, so our options are limited

 

[Sunset]

Balcony faces lifeboat it would be an awful surprise

It is Carnival. We prefer to depart for New York or New Jersey, so our options are limited

Someone else posted this view from their balcony:

 

[Eucerin]

Someone else posted this view from their balcony:

Jeee....what a view

 

[brett]

Most of our 20 or so cruises have been late booking cruises.

We usually start with vacationstogo but we usually book with an on line TA that gives us good service, good prices in the form of on board credits.

We also use the cruise lines. We signed up for last minute specials with Princess. We also had a number of great last minute cruise offers from RCI and Celebrity from their 'Tuesday Specials'. Not certain if they still have these because we have not shopped for, or taken a cruise in the last five years.

One other thing. We price cruises in different countries. We bought a last minute Australia/NZ cruise while traveling in Oz. We had a quote from our US on line TA. Then called RCI's Sydney, Australia call center. Their price was 30 percent less, adjusted for currency, that we were able to get from our US internet TA. All within a 12 hour or so window. We booked with RCI Australia. THey were able to access all our our customer data since we had cruised with RCI/Celebrity in the past.

Just get bottom line prices inclusive of all taxes. And understand the daily gratuity charges.

Even if we see a great deal from a cruise line we are always able to get a better rate from an internet TA. Only exception to that was when Princess had a one day Canadian dollar at par to USD offer. And even then the balcony cablin availabily was sold out within the day.

 

[Eucerin]

Most of our 20 or so cruises have been late booking cruises.

We usually start with vacationstogo but we usually book with an on line TA that gives us good service, good prices in the form of on board credits.

Do you mean that you call the 1800 number to speak with someone through vacationstogo?

 

[Eucerin]

We booked the carnival cruise for May through carnival website. The Balcony room is about 1100 vs 803 at vacationtogo. there were 3 level of Balconys, we picked the most expensive one which specified as balcony faces ocean, that might be the price difference.
It is 11 days eastern caribbean with carnival venezia

 

[imbatman]

I have never found a cruise line direct rate that I couldn't easily beat at multiple other places, once you factor in on board credit and extra perks.

I love using CruiseCompete and used it religiously for years but then realized every best offer always came from Crown Cruise Vacations, so now I just use the link they always shared in CruiseCompete (provides a little more OBC than the regular website) and book direct with them.

I did Costco Travel a few times but the wait times were in the HOURS for an agent for a few years there PLUS they don't participate in any of the bidding on upgrades programs. My Crown Cruise all in totals consistently are better than the 7-8% (on base fare only) Costco store card cash back, which is the main perk with Costco Travel.

If you want a great tool for searching, check out CruisePlum - they have filters for almost everything imaginable and you can save price watch alerts.

One other thing I will mention - don't neglect checking out the programs that get you extra OBC at each line. Almost all lines give OBC if you are a shareholder of 100 or more shares, Holland gives OBC if you are an AARP member, many give extra OBC for military, etc...

 

[CaptTom]

VacationsToGo does allow you to tick boxes for any groups you may belong to for a discount, like military or past customer with that cruise line. I didn't notice AARP last time I looked. I'll watch for that one.

 

[brett]

Do you mean that you call the 1800 number to speak with someone through vacationstogo?

No. We simply review their web site for possibilities. Same as we do for the cruise lines and ohter travel sites that sell cruises.

We narrow it down to one, two, or three cruises. We narrow it down to specific ships. We have cruise lines that we prefer. We want a balcony cabin or highter.

So once we have it down to one or two choices we go out for specific pricing...itinerary/ship/date/balcony. We sometimes also look at the offereing for cruise air. Our last late booking cruise was a late booking on a Med cruise from Rome to Barcelona. We were in Palermo and had not booked return air. The RCI cruise was not only a great price but also had the option of a good air home to Canada on BA at a great price.

We do our own research. All we expect from a TA is to book the cruise at a lower net rate that booking direct with the cruise line. Typically we email a TA a specific pricing request. The TA provides the price, along with OBC details in writing. The only time we might actually speak is when we call the TA or she calls us to firm up the buy with our credit card details.

There was one occasion when the TA 'suggested' that we might prefer a different ship. Turned out that sereral of her clients had just returned from a cruise on the ship and were less than impressed. We went to the next choice on our short list.


When we book at home, in Canada, we get prices in CAD and USD. Normally we are booking inside the final payment window so there is no currency fluctuation between down payment and final payment.