Last-minute cruise deals can save you money. Here's who should jump on them - and who should steer clear.

By Zoe Han

Cruises have grown in popularity as travelers seek cheaper vacation options

Americans are flocking to cruises - so much so that most of the bookings made in the past quarter are for voyages in 2025, cruise lines said recently. Demand is so high that some cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean, have hinted that they could raise prices in 2025. While Americans may be cutting back on some travel spending, demand for cruises is still growing.

"The demand this year is really off the charts," said Lee Lennon, a travel adviser and the owner of Miami-based Travel by Design. "The cruise industry has really exploded again."

Despite the high demand, there are still ways for travelers to grab a cruise reservation this year - while also getting a good deal.

Travel advisers say last-minute deals could help spontaneous cruisers. Booking a trip that's less than a month or two away - sometimes even less than a week away - can result in big savings. One Reddit user said they had booked a nine-day journey out of New York and spent $800 for two people in total; the deal was listed as $1,000 on the cruise line's website, but they phoned in and got another $200 off.

Last-minute deals can pop up when cruise lines need to quickly fill empty cabins before a voyage, especially after last-minute cancellations. These deals can be offered by both cruise lines and trip wholesalers. Cruise lines sometimes open up discounted trips on a set day of the week four to six weeks before the embarking date, though usually less than 90 days before. That's considered a short timeline for booking a cruise, which is often booked at least three months in advance - and sometimes up to a year before the journey.

Some last-minute deals highlighted by the cruise agency CruCon Cruise Outlet include a five-night cruise by Carnival Cruise Line (CCL) to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral, Fla., sailing on Aug. 31 at $493 per person, and a separate Caribbean cruise by Royal Caribbean (RCL) at $394 per person for five nights, sailing from Tampa, Fla.

Travel agents and industry watchers say travelers' keen interest in cruises is here for a reason: Cruise vacations can be much cheaper than traveling on land - about 20% less expensive, according to Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty on the company's most recent earnings call in July. The company arrived at that estimate by calculating the "all-in price" of cruises versus land travel, including flights, transfers, hotel or cruise fare; excursions; and other purchases, a representative of the company told MarketWatch in an email. This gap has decreased since last year; Liberty mentioned on an earnings call earlier this year that cruise vacations were 40% to 45% cheaper than land-based trips in 2023.

Read more: Royal Caribbean CEO explains why cruises are so popular

For those looking to save money on a cruise, here's what to know about last-minute cruise deals.

What to expect from a last-minute cruise deal - and whether you should book one

The ideal candidate for a last-minute deal would be a traveler who is budget-conscious but also has a lot of flexibility, said Jennifer Klaussen, a travel adviser and the owner of Sundari Travel. Someone who just wants to jump on a cruise and doesn't care where they go is in the best position to benefit from a last-minute deal, she told MarketWatch.

But some travelers should probably avoid last-minute deals, experts said. Those include people traveling with a larger family who might need a cabin that can hold three or four people; people who want specific cabins, such as one with a view or one that's close to the elevator; and people who have a specific destination in mind, such as Europe or Alaska, for which cruise demand has surged this year.

Potential downsides of last-minute cruise deals

Fewer cabin choices

The designated cabins offered through last-minute deals are more likely to be less desirable, meaning they are mostly interior cabins without windows. And "if you do get a window cabin, it could be an obstructed view - so you have a lifeboat in front of your window," Lennon noted.

Cabins reserved with a last-minute deal could also be at the front of the ship, which typically has the most movement and is not ideal for people who are prone to seasickness. Midship cabins are usually the most sought-after, cruise experts said.

Less chance of going to Europe or Alaska

Demand for trips to Europe and Alaska has been exceptionally strong, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) executives said on the company's July earnings call. But last-minute deals for those destinations might be hard to come by, or not as good as discounts available for cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, travel agents said.

The best time to visit Alaska is May through September, and people are particularly interested in the destination this year. As a result, bookings for Alaska cruises are already being reserved for 2025.

Visas and other travel documents can cause delays

It can be easy for travelers to forget that they'll usually need travel documents, such as a valid passport, to hop on a cruise - and getting those documents in order can take longer than anticipated. That could impact their ability to take off spontaneously on a last-minute cruise, said Mel Burton, a coordinator and cruise expert at CruCon Cruise Outlet.

"Every single cruise is foreign travel, except for a Hawaiian cruise," she noted. Even cruises to Alaska sometimes make stops in Canada.

You'll have to pay a bigger sum of money all at once

When cruise passengers book a voyage the usual way - six months to a year in advance - they pay a deposit when they book, then pay the remaining balance usually about three months ahead of their boarding date. But with last-minute cruise deals where the sailing date is less than three months away, travelers usually pay the full amount all at once when they book.

People who don't live near ports will also have to weigh the cost of airfare to get to the cruise's embarkation location. Unlike cruise costs, Burton said, airfare usually gets more expensive closer to the departure date, which could add significantly to the overall cost of your last-minute cruise vacation.

"There is an offset that consumers need to be aware of," she added.

To truly take advantage of last-minute deals, it helps to have a travel slush fund ready, or miles or credit-card rewards points to cover the flights if airfare is not included in the cruise package, she said.

More ways to save money on cruises

While last-minute deals can help cruise enthusiasts save money, travel experts say the unparalleled demand this year from American travelers is limiting last-minute deals.

Try booking in advance

Travelers who are willing to wait can save money by booking in advance - sometimes even more than they might save through a last-minute deal, said David Crooks, senior vice president of product and operations at World Travel Holdings, a travel-booking platform that owns Cruiseline.com and the Shipmate app. "The further out you book, the better the deal will be," he told MarketWatch.

Meanwhile, the last-minute deals that travelers are currently seeing "may not be as sharp as they were in the past and as plentiful, but they certainly exist," he added.

For people who really want to cruise, Travel by Design's Lennon recommends they "give it as much time as possible."

Look for nonrefundable fares

Cruise lines also offer nonrefundable fare options that are cheaper than their refundable fare options. These allow travelers to lock in low prices much earlier, Burton said, though they don't allow people to back out without the risk of losing their deposit.

-Zoe Han

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08-10-24 0730ET

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