Travel tips, cruise like a travel writer

There are two kinds of clever cruise passengers – those who book early and those who book late. The ones in the middle just aren’t quite as smart. But which kind are you and what are the advantages of each route?

When to book late: Your job or circumstances dictate last-minute travel decisions, or you’re retired or self-employed and can take off on holiday at short notice You are travelling solo, with your partner or a couple of friends and everyone is very flexible. NB – make sure they really are flexible, not just pretending to be – some people get very uptight about up in the air travel arrangements You are very flexible about your cabin type and formal dining times – you don’t mind a cabin without a window, for example, or on the wrong side of the ship You can pay for a cruise in its entirety You want to leave from your own port city or can easily drive to the port of departure at short notice so you don’t have to organise travel or accommodation en route to your ship Your goal is to find a lower price than others may pay, as is often offered by cruise lines to fill up a ship just before it sails.