Late Deals - Packed and Ready

The port of Miami is always a hectic place on Saturdays and Sundays as an armada of cruise ships prepare to set sail. Not so long ago, bargain hunters would be standing on the dockside, their luggage filled with cruise attire, credit card in hand, hoping to purchase a rock-bottom priced ticket for a cabin on a cruise that would otherwise sail empty. But those days are gone as cruise lines are now required by law to submit passenger manifests within 72 hours of departure - due in large part to comply with government security requirements.

Anyone living close to an embarkation port or who’s prepared to travel to the point of departure at the drop of a hat can snag a steeply discounted getaway as cruise lines regularly drop even previously-discounted fares on unsold cabins in an attempt to fill imminent sailings. Cruises departing from the UK are popular with last minute travellers, because less planning is often needed to hop on-board at Southampton.

With savings of up to 50 per cent - sometimes even more for last minute bookers - are these deals ‘too good to be true’? You are less likely to get your choice of cabin type and it’s probably not in the best location on the ship, but if you’re not a picky traveller and are happy to ‘go with the flow’ as regards on board seating assignments for meals and other pre-arranged details, then you could well be quids in.

Generally speaking, if you’re flexible in terms of dates and you’re willing to consider different cruise lines or itineraries, there are deals to be had. An ever-increasing armada of ships are setting sail from Southampton and outside of the school holiday months there are often bargains galore. Fly/cruises in the Mediterranean from ports such as Barcelona and Rome, as well as Caribbean fly/cruises, are often high on bargain hunter’s shopping lists and if they avoid peak holiday periods they are rarely disappointed.  Consider travelling during the shoulder-season (March to May and September to November) or think about a one-way repositioning cruise when ships move to warmer cruising regions (with a flight on the return sector), then your chances of a last-minute steal increase big time.

Handsome savings can be yours if you check out www.cruisedirect.co.uk/last-minute-cruises/ where a range of competitively priced, short notice, ‘cabin filler’ sailings from top of the range cruise lines are updated on a daily basis. You can use the search control to filter last-minute cruise deals by cruise ship, destination or departure date. If you can't find what you’re looking for call our expert cruise consultants on 0800 484 0370 and they will be happy to find that perfect last minute cruise that fits your needs and will be happy to answer any queries you might have.

Gary Buchanan