Many times though you will have to plan your vacation around the dates of a cruise. They are varied and numerous, but they are not flexible. You leave when the boat leaves and returns when it does. Following that simple rule you should find a cruise special available when you are ready.

Vacationstogo.com is a source of last-minute cruise offerings from a variety of cruise lines. Many discounts are available over a 90-day booking range. However, if you're looking to sail on a particular ship or with a certain company, you will usually need to book even farther in advance.

The Quicker You Go, the Lower the Cost

The best cruise specials may be available when there's a shorter time between booking and sailing, but your choices may be limited. As the sail date approaches, cruise lines often lower prices to fill staterooms and agencies may lower their price to meet their quota of the number of passengers they are responsible for booking.

For example, an agency may get a set price per person, and so pre-purchases a set number of rooms. If it doesn't sell that number of rooms, the price for what they did sell may go up and the agency will be paying the difference, not the travelers with whom they have a signed deal. It behooves them to sell all the trips even if that involves offering some cruise specials, which means their profit margin will only be a little lower.

Depending on the importance you place on the type of room you stay in, you may find a cruise special on a suite instead of an inside room or just the opposite. If you're the type planning to party and spend the majority of your time on deck, then the type of room you sleep in probably won't be that important and some of the best cruise special deals can be found for some of the least expensive rooms. But the bottom line is that if you're looking for a cruise special and can be flexible in your travel dates, there are many to take advantage of.