Last Minute Cruises

So you want a cheap last minute cruise?

Last minute cruises can mean a sailing that departs within several days or up to three months in the future and include great discounted offers. If you have the flexibility to travel short notice then this type of bargain is perfect for you. The internet is a great resource for these type of deals where are can see cruises jump down in price day by day. Travel agencies also receive regular last minute offers from Cruise liners wanting to fill their ships up close to sailing dates.

With all deals comes is it "too good to be true" and buying a last minute cruise does have it's pros and cons. we've put together some tips and tricks on cruise on the cheap so you'll hopefully miss the potential savings pitfalls:

When you see a great deal don't wait!

One of the best times to find a last minute cruise deal is between 60-90 days prior to the sailing. The reason for this is because for most cruise lines this is the period when reservations can be cancelled without incurring penalty and therefore the cruise line will know exactly how many cabins they have left. This usually makes the cruise line immediately reduce the cabin fares of the remaining available cabins and push them at the lowest prices they can, which can lead to heavy discounts in some cases.

Don't expect to find a last minute deal in "peak" season.

You may of course try, but you'll struggle to find a last minute deal during the "peak" seasons unless you're extremely lucky. School holidays, Easter, Christmas and New Year are all classed as peak so to find the best deals try outside those time periods.

Ever heard of repositioning cruises?

Repositioning cruises are cruises where cruise ships change their region for a season and the cruise lines will allow passengers to join them in relocating the ship. For example, a ship that had been working in the Mediterranean would be moving to the Caribbean for the winter months, the cruise line would then offer this to passengers as a unique sailing, often 10 days or so. The downside is that you may well board in Southampton (in the case of a Med cruise) but, at the end of your cruise you'll have to find a flight back which you'll have to research before you set sail. there are big savings to be had on eleventh-hour repositioning's.

Check what you're getting for your money.

You'll find that many cruise fares are very good value for money in the first place but, by going the ultra-discounted route may mean that you'll lose certain perks and extras that would have been part of the original price. These could include on board credit, upgrades, free air transportation etc. Do your research first, you may well be getting a cruise cheaper but what are you missing and would it effect the price or convienence of your cruise holiday by not having it included.

Please read the fine print!

You'll need to read your offer very carefully, this will explain to you exactly what you're getting with your cruise purchase. It's no great bargain is you turn up to find you have an inside cabin and you suffer from claustrophobia!  Is the price for two people or per person? Double occupancy? Look carefully for information on service fees, government taxes and port charges, which often aren't included in the sale price. Remember that you won't be able to have the choices that would do if you were purchasing at the full offer price, so you'll have to be mindful that in-demand suites or balcony cabins would have been snapped up in the early process of the cruise selling process. In some cases cruise lines will allow you to "buy up" to a greater grade of cabin (if they're available), just remember that this will certainly steer you away from your original ideal of a bargain cruise and you could end up paying full price.

I hope that this has given you food for thought and enlightened you to the pros and cons of a last minute cruise. As the tips above suggest, the general rule of thumb is to choose "off peak" times, look at the cruise options available within the 60-90 day period before the cruise and read the small print!

Ideal Cruising have a selection of last minute cruises for you to look through, please feel free to click the links.

Last minute cruises sailing from the UK

Standby cruises, cruise from as little as £44pppn

Contact our sales team on 0845 296 1824