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There’s also the slight chance of an upgrade if there are no more staterooms available in your guaranteed category. If you booked a guarantee oceanview room, for example, and those rooms are sold out, you could be upgraded to a balcony cabin at no extra cost. This means that you do not have the chance to select your stateroom location yourself. Royal Caribbean will then assign you a stateroom close to the sail date depending on which rooms are still available.
Set Sail Soon and Save With Last-Minute Cruises!
Every week, Royal Caribbean publishes a PDF flyer online of their “Going, Going, Gone” rates. This list of last-minute cruise deals is one of the most convenient ways to check for the cheapest cruise fares available. There's no question last minute cruise deals benefit those within driving distance of cruise ports, such as those living in the southeastern United States.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Stocks Have Rallied Since April. Now a Morgan Stanley Analyst Says They’ve Gone Too Far. - Barron's
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Stocks Have Rallied Since April. Now a Morgan Stanley Analyst Says They’ve Gone Too Far..
Posted: Wed, 03 Jun 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Royal Caribbean sticking with no last minute discounts and extending the program to the UK and Ireland
Platinum members and above in the Crown & Anchor Society receive discounts on balcony and suite staterooms in addition to exclusive Crown & Anchor rates. Not only that, but single supplement fares are reduced for select Diamond Plus members and Pinnacle Club members receive a free 7-night cruise at 700 and 1050 cruise points. The flyer is published once per week (usually late on Monday) but it is not updated throughout the week.
Limited stateroom categories
As itineraries open up for bookings, you can often find great deals, especially if you’re hoping to book a balcony room or suite. Plus, if you’re searching for a rare cruise cabin, such as the cow-themed Ben & Jerry’s Sweet, it’s important to book early not only to find a cruise deal, but to book before the cabin sells out. Last-minute deals are organized by port and destination, and you can search for last-minute deals to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, and Alaska.
Are last-minute cruises always cheaper?
That being said, there’s no perfect time to book a cruise, and you may find that the cons of booking a last-minute cruise vacation outweigh the pros. It’s important to remain flexible when booking at the last minute, and if you are set on a particular ship, itinerary, or stateroom, it’s probably best to book further in advance. The flyer lists the ship name, sail date, itinerary, embarkation port, and special rates for cabins. Not every cabin category will offer a great deal on the flyer—one sailing may offer a cheap deal on a balcony cabin whereas another has a promotion on interior or oceanview cabins. By doing this, you can see a list of the cheapest cruises departing in the next few months. Royal Caribbean regularly sends information to travel agents about deals on upcoming cruises.
Look at older, smaller ships
Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine. She loves to get active while at port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea. Planning a last-minute cruise can be more complicated for some passengers than others, so it’s important to consider logistics before booking. Prices of cruise addons may be more expensive as well, as you don’t have the ability to book addons far in advance and later cancel and rebook if you see a cheaper price. If you are hoping to book a balcony, you may find that only interior cabins and suites are available, leaving you to sacrifice on either comfort or budget.
Typically the best deals are when sailings are first put on sale up to two years in advance. If you keep your mind open to a wide variety of destinations, ships, and sail dates, you can almost always find a great deal. Most cruise lines require final payment to be made days before the cruise departs, and if they haven’t sold enough cabins by this point, the price may drop.
Itinerary and ship may change
Royal Caribbean offers a limited number of dining packages, and while they may add more over time if other passengers cancel, this is not guaranteed. This is most important for shore excursions, as some excursions are more prone to selling out than others. While Royal Caribbean will often add more tour options later on, this isn’t guaranteed, so booking a cruise earlier can give you dibs on top excursions. One of the main drawbacks of booking a cruise at the last minute is that there will be fewer stateroom categories available compared to booking a cruise far in advance. You might come across sold out stateroom categories, leaving you with no choice but to book a cabin category you otherwise would have skipped. Booking as early as possible means you can (usually) find the lowest prices and you can take advantage of repricing the sailing if you spot a lower price before final payment date.
Repositioning cruises
Despite the smaller size, many cruisers appreciate the more relaxed atmosphere of these ships and the unique ports on their itineraries. Likewise, booking a Caribbean cruise during hurricane season is typically much more affordable than during Thanksgiving. While there’s a slight chance of a hurricane affecting your cruise, most itineraries will sail smoothly with no itinerary changes or cancellations. Rates are subject to change without notice and cannot be guaranteed until a specific cabin category has been confirmed and a deposit on final payment has been applied. Last minute deals and good pricing can be found during the cheapest months of the year. Other add-ons, such as dining packages and restaurant reservations, are also better to book further in advance.
When looking for the best last-minute cruise, you’re unlikely to find deals on Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest ships like Wonder of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas. While you'll likely come across rooms available on newer ships, you probably won’t be seeing any major discounts. The 90 Day Ticker lists cruises for a number of cruise lines, from mass market lines like Royal Caribbean to more upscale lines like Silversea. At the top of the ticker, you can click on each column name (Nights, Sailing Date, Cruise Line, etc.) to filter the results in alphabetical order. Booking a last-minute cruise may mean spending more on transportation to and from the cruise departure port.
While not everyone can take advantage of sailing at non-peak times, particularly if they have kids still in school, it can lead to great cruise deals for those with more flexibility. One-way Alaska cruises travel from Vancouver, Canada to Seward, Alaska and vice versa. These 7-night itineraries allow guests to visit more Alaska ports as well as spend time in Alaska’s interior before or after the cruise.
Matt started Royal Caribbean Blog in 2010 as a place to share his passion for all things Royal Caribbean with readers. He oversees all the writers at Royal Caribbean Blog, and writes a great deal of content on a daily basis. No content may be copied, distributed, published or used in any way, in whole or in part, without prior written agreement from The Everyday Escape, LLC. Fain also mentioned that Royal Caribbean has expanded the Price Integrity Policy to other the cruise markets of the United Kingdom and Ireland. These policies extend the same policies about no new last minute discounts in Britian and Ireland that we have been applying in the U.S. and Canada.
Regardless of how you find a deal, you will want to act quickly if you discover a good rate. There's an art to a last minute deal, especially if you're looking for a slam dunk price instead of a "not that bad" price. Alcohol, soda, and lattes all cost extra, and those costs could run up your cruise bill quickly. In short, you're more likely to find a better price on an older ship than a newer one.
