Believe it or not, sometimes procrastination pays off. Especially when it comes to booking a cruise. It’s true. If you wait until the last minute to book a cruise, you might enjoy savings of up to 75 percent off the regular rates, even for deluxe accommodations. Sure, cruise lines also offer discounts for booking in advance, but rock bottom prices are even more abundant when cruise lines are desperate to fill up any cabins that have not been sold around three months or so before the cruise departure date. Simply put, cruise lines will do anything to fill those last few rooms, which means, you have more bargaining power than you would if you were booking in advance, traveling with a group, or using a promotional code.
To obtain a last minute cruise deal, wait until roughly three months before the cruise departure date to any given destination. Cruise lines always have a few unsold cabins as the departure date nears. Feel free to call cruise line customer service, but keep in mind that you may save even more just for booking online. While cruises to just about every destination offer last minute discounts, some of the most budget-friendly destinations include the Caribbean, Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Bahamas.
If you are a little uneasy about booking last minute, there are other ways to secure a discount on your next cruise. For starters, you can book your cruise through a discount booking search engine such as Kayak.com or Expedia.com. These types of booking search engines typically offer some of the lowest published price on cruises. Restrictions apply so proceed with caution, meaning, read the fine print before clicking “purchase tickets.” Other popular discount booking search engines include:
Orbitz.com
Travelocity.com
CheapTickets.com
VacationsToGo.com
Cruise411.com
Cruise.com
In addition to using a discount booking search engine, you can save money on your next cruise by booking off-season (or “low season”), taking advantage of package deals, and booking with popular cruise lines that offer year around sailings. Some of the most popular cruise lines include Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas, SilverSea Cruises, and Windstar Cruises.
If you want to book off-season, you will find the best deals to the following destinations during their slow seasons
-Alaska, May and September
-Bermuda, April-May and September-October
-Canada/New England, July-August
-Caribbean, late April-May, September-early January
-Hawaii, late August, late November, and February
-Mexican Riviera, early January and May, October-November
-Eastern and Western Mediterranean, March-April and September-November
Finally, just about every cruise line features special rates for seniors. To lock in special senior rates you must call the cruise line directly to speak with a representative. Keep in mind that a senior is defined as a person who is 55 or older and proof of age is required. Good luck!