According to an American Express Travel Survey from 2009, reserving a last minute cruise is nowadays considered among the best strategies used by the United States citizens who want to go on a vacation. American Express showed that 65% of the United States citizens polled say vacationing is essential to their mental health. Instead, experienced tourists will use credit card reward points as well as flyer miles to reserve their own last minute cruise trip and choose near destinations such as the Caribbean or Bahamas.
Considerations
The main advantage of reserving at the very last minute is that you can get a great bargain. Since cruise vessels plan on cruising with their spots filled, they will slash prices to be able to get bodies on board the vessel a few weeks before the date of departure. You will be able to receive pretty much all the same features and amenities as most of the other cruisers that made a reservation in advance. On the other hand, you should expect serious reasons for which those cruises will be empty. Occasionally the ports stops may be undesirable. Also, it might be related to the season. Check out all your possibilities, before reserving your last minute cruise.
When to Look
Travelers should check out for last minute cruise deals sixty to ninety days in advance, as this will be when the final payments will be due, and cruise lines will then known how many staterooms will be left. There will also be specific seasons for certain deals, like autumn, which will be between low and peak seasons for plenty of destinations. CruiseMates will recommend taking a look in March or April, as well as in October or November if you are looking for a Mediterranean cruise discount or taking a look for last minute cruise deals the weeks following any major holiday. The very first two weeks of December will generally provide a lot of inventory at a good value.
Where to Look
There are plenty of spots where you can find last minute cruise deals over the internet. A fast way is to sign up for various newsletters on cruise lines. You will get notified when certain special discounts are available. Your travel agent will have access to the latest news as well, so you may want to get in touch with him as well. Having experience in the field, he will also be able to offer you last minute cruise deals about all sorts of budgets.