If you’re flexible, the bargain prices you can get for cruises are amazing

For cruisers willing and able to take advantage of last-minute cruise deals the bargains can be amazing.

Holland America has a 14-day repositioning cruise departing Fort Lauderdale in Florida and finishing in Rotterdam from $1329 a person, but at the time of writing, departure is just five days away.Cruise Guru has an 18-night Transpacific cruise departing Sydney and finishing in Honolulu aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas starting at $2877 a person for a balcony suite with a king-size bed, also sailing in five days.

Holland America’s new Standby Program puts last-minute cruisers on board at a fixed price of $US49 a person a day, but it’s only available to those who live within driving distance of an eligible port, and no Australian port qualifies. Cruise operators make it easy to find their last-minute deals. Princess has a “Cruise Deals” page on its website, Carnival’s website has a “last-minute cruises” page and most operators offer sign-ups to receive notification of such cruises. Cruise Guru, Just Cruises and Luxury Escapes are other resources.Upmarket operators such as Seabourn and Silversea don’t tend to offer last-minute discounts since offering deals to late-booking cruisers risks alienating their high-value, full-fare paying passengers.

If you’re cruising from a port far from home you might be buying an air ticket at short notice, and the cost of that ticket might take a big bite of whatever you’re saving on your last-minute cruise. Also, arrive at your port of departure at least a day in advance of your cruise. Flights can be delayed, baggage can go missing and a slack day or two allows time for those mishaps to be put right.is a Sydney-based writer and photographer who has been writing travel articles since 1982.

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