Last minute cruise -good idea?

[darnheather]

Just like a visit to Walt Disney World.

Well I'll disagree with this one.

 

[kiford]

Main disadvantages:

• price
• flights - price & availability
• more difficult to get excursions and other bookings
• selection of cabins

Main advantages:

• you're going on a cruise
• you don't have to wait too long to go on the cruise

I can't wait until I'm retired when I can randomly check out what's on offer and pick something that's sailing within the next little while. I can work with the disadvantages.

 

[mike314]

Main disadvantages:

• price
• flights - price & availability
• more difficult to get excursions and other bookings
• selection of cabins

Main advantages:

• you're going on a cruise
• you don't have to wait too long to go on the cruise

I can't wait until I'm retired when I can randomly check out what's on offer and pick something that's sailing within the next little while. I can work with the disadvantages.

Exactly hit the nail on the head with this one. I booked 47 days away and I probably paid a higher price than others, and excursions were mostly booked but I didnt have to wait so long for it. After reading and posting here to gather information I got really excited about going so the fact it was right around the corner really helped.

 

[starvenger]

But you don't have to do any excursions or specialty restaurants and still have a truly wonderful vacation.

Agreed. But since you have the option to do those, you should still try to make that decision before you get on board.

 

[vacationer1954]

Well I'll disagree with this one.

I'm just relaying very recent personal experience. We took a year off of Disney to take a couple of cruises, one to the Western Caribbean and one to Alaska. I have enough planning materials for those cruises to fill a three-inch wide three ring binder.

We spent hours upon hours researching each of the cruise lines, then each of the itineraries they offered, then each of the ships that offered those itineraries. We spent hours and hours researching each of the ports of call, each of the historical sites and parks and other things we could do at each port. We weighed what we could afford up against these opportunities. Then we researched the things that made the specific embarkation ports unique, how check-in works, baggage limitations, etc. We had to figure out how to get to each of the ports, where to stay over the night before, how to check-in, what passport/visa requirements we had to meet.

For our three upcoming Disney trips, we went online, chose a week that worked with our work schedule, and within ten minutes we were done. We spend another ten minutes or so booking restaurants on the day appointed for that, and another fifteen minutes making FP+ reservations (or not - doesn't really matter much). No passports; no visas; no mystery about how getting there works; no mystery about baggage limitations; etc.