In article , RichC
wrote:

I idea never caught on & most of the seasoned cruisers still waited
until the last minute to book the best deals. Some people even
packed bags & waited at the docks & hoped to sail on partially filled
ships for a real deal. Since 9/11 those days are gone & I believe
the earliest date for booking is now about 30 days or so.

You can book a cruise close to the sailing date if there are cabins. I
get emails on sailings that are a week away. However cruise demand goes
in cycles. From what I have seen we may have entered a period of higher
demand and less last minute deals.

--
Charles