This TikToker's Sneaky Hack Is The Best Way To Book Unbelievably Cheap Cruises
If you're longing to cruise around private islands in the Caribbean or admire medieval castles while sailing up the Rhine, you have probably been keeping an eye out for the best deals. As fun as the idea of a cruise is, the idea of paying full price for it can be overwhelming. That's probably why a Tiktok video from user @casper.capital promising a secret way to get the best discounts has gotten so much attention. While it's not really a secret, it is a fantastic strategy for getting a cruise at a major discount: Wait until the last minute to book.
@casper.capital Cruise Line Secret Discount 🛳️ #cruise #cruisetok #save #cruiselife #cruiseship
The TikToker suggests searching for cruises that sail within 90 days, which is great advice because that's when passengers are required to make their payments. At this point if there are any cabins still available, whether it's because of cancellations or because they were never booked, cruise lines will start offering them at cheaper prices.
How to find last-minute cruises
In the popular TikTok video, Casper Capital suggests searching for your last minute cruise through the 90 day ticker at Vacations to Go, where you'll be able to see all the offers cruise lines are making on cruises leaving in the next month or so. There, you can find cruises from major cruise lines valued at more than $25K selling for around $4K. In some cases, the offers save you more than 80% of the original sticker price. As these deals sell out, the ticker updates.
Vacations to Go is not the only spot you can go look for these discounts, though. There are other aggregator sites like Cruise Critic and Go to Sea, and more general travel booking sites like Expedia and Priceline that also have these deals. If you have a preferred cruise line that you'd like to sail with, their official website will list last minute cruises, too.
Are the cruise deals really worth it?
There's no denying it: You can get a serious discount on your cruise if you book at the last minute. However, since your choices will be limited to whatever didn't sell out before 90 days, you won't have as many options in terms of destination, length of the voyage, cabin, or what port it leaves from. That means that you may end up having to book expensive last-minute flights to get to the departure point. Extras like drink packages, which might not be worth it anyway, depending on your drinking habits, can also come at a premium if you're booking at the last minute. If you're hoping to book a room with a nice view or choose the best cabin to avoid getting seasick, you might find your preferred rooms are already taken by the time you get to buy.
If the idea of spontaneously heading out to a destination you picked within 90 days sounds stressful to you, you might want to consider booking a cruise over a year in advance. If you can handle the wait, cruise lines may also reward you with good deals for booking way ahead of time. However, if you're just excited to take a cruise anywhere in the world and have a flexible enough schedule to be able to head out at any time, booking a last-minute cruise is the perfect way to get a stellar deal on a fantastic getaway.