How to book an unfilled cruise cabin cheaply
With more than 2,000 cabins onboard cruise lines are bound to have a few empty before sailing date. Here's why they want them filled, how they do it and how you can get one for a great price.
Why fill empty cabins?
Some last minute deals are so cheap you might wonder how the cruise line makes any money on them. Wouldn’t it make more sense just to keep the cabins empty instead of offering extreme discounts? The answer is no. Even if the line makes no money (or even loses money) on the cabin, they operate on the basis that once they have you onboard you’ll spend more money. Unless you’re an extremely frugal traveller, you’ll be paying extra for alcohol, specialty restaurants, excursions and spa treatments – and that’s where the line will recoup their money.
When do they become available?
In years gone by, you could walk up to a ship as it was waiting to depart and see if there were any cabins going cheap. However safety concerns (particularly in the wake of 9/11) mean that ships now have to submit their complete passenger manifests 72 hours before sailing. Unsold cabins will usually start to appear around the time final payment for the cruise is due. Some people may have booked but failed to make their payment, so the cabin will become available again. Start to look anywhere from two months to two weeks out from a departure date. It pays to have a good relationship with your travel agent so that they can be on the look out for a great last minute deal.
How does it work?
Cruise lines will generally avoid discounting their premium cabins, so the first stage of unsold cabins is upgrades. If you’re already booked on a cruise, your agent might contact you with an offer to upgrade to a balcony cabin or suite for just a few hundred dollars. Then the line will offer heavy discounts on the basic rooms that become available. These cabins will be marketed through select travel agents or flash sales will be offered to previous cruisers, those who subscribe to the line’s newsletters or perhaps those who live in the state the cruise is departing from. Keep your eyes peeled!
How can you get one?
Sign up to cruise lines’ mailing lists to get notifications of last minute sales and stay in touch with your travel agent. On the lines website you can try to make mock bookings for a sailing to see how many cabins are left. The more empty cabins, the more chance of a sale. Primarily, you’ll need to be flexible. That means being open to different lines, itineraries or cabin types. With unsold cabins you don’t get the same range of choice as you would do if you were booking well ahead of departure. But think of it as a chance to be spontaneous – you could discover a new ship or fall in love with a new destination, all while saving money.
Have you ever taken a cruise? If so, where did you go?
Let us know in the comments.
Related links:
6 reasons people think cruises are not for them
7 tips to get a cruise cabin upgrade
7 tricks to make your cruise cabin more comfortable